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Payload • Jacqueline Feldscher

Jared Isaacman pledges monthly uncrewed lunar landings from 2027 to support Moon‑base construction

Jared Isaacman announced plans to begin monthly uncrewed lunar landings in 2027 to support construction of a moon base, telling Spaceflight Now, “We are going to plus up for Moon base construction in a huge way.” The comments were made in an interview released late Friday.

2026-03-16T05:37:52.995115-07:00

New York Times

100 years since Goddard's 'Nell': the two‑second launch that founded modern rocketry

2026-03-16T02:19:15.103564-07:00

Universe Today

JWST reveals widespread carbon dioxide on Europa, pointing to ocean–surface exchange

2026-03-15T17:34:32.555007-07:00

Universe Today

Assembly Theory: measuring atmospheric chemical complexity as a new biosignature

2026-03-15T17:20:29.586890-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

Investing in student programs is essential for America’s lead in space The author argues expanding and funding student programs is essential to sustain America’s leadership in space. Scaled internships, university partnerships and K–12 STEM outreach are needed to produce engineers, technicians and mission planners for upcoming government and commercial missions and to preserve industrial competitiveness.

2026-03-16T06:02:22.900980-07:00

Investing in student programs is essential for America’s lead in space

Payload

Jared Isaacman pledges monthly uncrewed lunar landings from 2027 to support Moon‑base construction Jared Isaacman announced plans to begin monthly uncrewed lunar landings in 2027 to support construction of a moon base, telling Spaceflight Now, “We are going to plus up for Moon base construction in a huge way.” The comments were made in an interview released late Friday.

2026-03-16T05:37:52.995115-07:00

Jared Isaacman pledges monthly uncrewed lunar landings from 2027 to support Moon‑base construction

New York Times

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100 years since Goddard's 'Nell': the two‑second launch that founded modern rocketry On March 16, 1926, Robert H. Goddard's liquid‑oxygen/gasoline rocket 'Nell' lifted off from Auburn, Massachusetts and flew for roughly two seconds. A century later, the whereabouts of Nell's hardware remain debated even as that brief test is credited with founding modern rocketry and enabling satellites and commercial launch.

2026-03-16T02:19:15.103564-07:00

100 years since Goddard's 'Nell': the two‑second launch that founded modern rocketry

Universe Today

JWST reveals widespread carbon dioxide on Europa, pointing to ocean–surface exchange James Webb Space Telescope spectra show carbon dioxide is far more widespread on Europa's surface than previously recognized, appearing in lens-like patches across multiple geologic terrains. The distribution implies active exchange processes between the moon's subsurface ocean and the ice shell, reshaping habitability assessments and mission targets.

2026-03-15T17:34:32.555007-07:00

JWST reveals widespread carbon dioxide on Europa, pointing to ocean–surface exchange

Universe Today

Assembly Theory: measuring atmospheric chemical complexity as a new biosignature A team at Arizona State University proposes applying Assembly Theory to exoplanet atmospheres—measuring molecular complexity rather than hunting specific biosignature gases—to determine whether blind chemistry could plausibly produce observed compositions. If validated, the method would change target selection and interpretation for JWST, ELTs and future life‑detection missions.

2026-03-15T17:20:29.586890-07:00

Assembly Theory: measuring atmospheric chemical complexity as a new biosignature

Universe Today

GRB 250702B: Seven‑hour repeating gamma‑ray burst points to star torn apart by intermediate‑mass black hole On 2 July 2025 NASA's Fermi telescope recorded GRB 250702B, a repeating gamma‑ray burst that persisted for over seven hours and produced multiple distinct flares across a day — nearly double previous records. A new MNRAS paper argues the source is a star tidally disrupted by an intermediate‑mass black hole.

2026-03-14T22:53:40.617644-07:00

GRB 250702B: Seven‑hour repeating gamma‑ray burst points to star torn apart by intermediate‑mass black hole

Universe Today

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DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense NASA's DART mission deliberately altered the Didymos binary system's orbit around the Sun, demonstrating that a kinetic impactor can measurably change an asteroid's trajectory and serve as an effective planetary-defense tool for deflecting near-Earth objects. The result validates kinetic-impact techniques used in deflection planning.

2026-03-14T14:53:34.901800-07:00

DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense

Ars Technica

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Payload shortfalls and commercial competition cloud future of NASA’s SLS NASA has told employees it is struggling to find payloads that justify use of the Space Launch System, as program costs climb and commercial heavy‑lift alternatives mature. That manifest shortfall intensifies pressure on SLS's budget, schedule and its future role in Artemis and science missions.

2026-03-13T15:12:24.898341-07:00

Payload shortfalls and commercial competition cloud future of NASA’s SLS

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

Jared Isaacman pledges monthly uncrewed lunar landings from 2027 to support Moon‑base construction

100 years since Goddard's 'Nell': the two‑second launch that founded modern rocketry

JWST reveals widespread carbon dioxide on Europa, pointing to ocean–surface exchange

Assembly Theory: measuring atmospheric chemical complexity as a new biosignature

News Timeline