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Universe Today • Matthew Williams

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

Ars Technica

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

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

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX scales Starbase with Starfactory and GigaBay to mass‑produce Starship for Moon and Mars

2026-03-13T14:09:52.509740-07:00

Space.com

NASA begins construction of nuclear‑powered Dragonfly rotorcraft for 2028 Titan mission

2026-03-13T06:13:58.828186-07:00

News Timeline

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

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX scales Starbase with Starfactory and GigaBay to mass‑produce Starship for Moon and Mars SpaceX has transformed its Starbase complex in Texas with a new Starfactory and GigaBay, expanding industrial capacity to accelerate Starship production. The build‑out is intended to raise manufacturing throughput and support the company’s push to enable human missions to the Moon and ultimately Mars.

2026-03-13T14:09:52.509740-07:00

SpaceX scales Starbase with Starfactory and GigaBay to mass‑produce Starship for Moon and Mars

NASA Spaceflight

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Inside SpaceX’s Starfactory: From Steel Rolls to Starship Production As SpaceX accelerates its bid to send humans to the Moon and Mars, its Starfactory reveals how raw steel rolls are converted into Starship tanks, sections and flight hardware — an industrial-scale manufacturing push intended to raise build and flight cadence for orbital and lunar campaigns.

2026-03-13T14:00:29.258495-07:00

Inside SpaceX’s Starfactory: From Steel Rolls to Starship Production

Space.com

Russia targets 2036 Venera‑D Venus mission with orbiter, lander and balloon Russia has announced Venera‑D, a flagship Venus mission targeting a 2036 launch that would carry an orbiter, a surface lander and an atmospheric balloon. The plan frames Venera‑D as a strategic effort to revive Soviet‑era planetary exploration capabilities and national prestige.

2026-03-13T12:07:20.771853-07:00

Russia targets 2036 Venera‑D Venus mission with orbiter, lander and balloon

Via Satellite

ESA selects Terran Orbital's Tyvak to build 6U Farinella cubesat for Apophis planetary defense mission Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital subsidiary, has won an ESA contract to develop Farinella, a 6U cubesat that will fly on the agency's Planetary Defense Mission to monitor near‑Earth asteroid Apophis. The satellite will provide targeted reconnaissance and contribute to impact‑risk characterization.

2026-03-13T09:19:56.356187-07:00

ESA selects Terran Orbital's Tyvak to build 6U Farinella cubesat for Apophis planetary defense mission

Space.com

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NASA begins construction of nuclear‑powered Dragonfly rotorcraft for 2028 Titan mission NASA has begun construction of the nuclear‑powered Dragonfly rotorcraft for its Titan mission, a milestone the agency says "essentially marks the birth of our flight system." The work advances preparations for a 2028 launch to deliver a first‑of‑its‑kind rotorcraft to Saturn's moon Titan.

2026-03-13T06:13:58.828186-07:00

NASA begins construction of nuclear‑powered Dragonfly rotorcraft for 2028 Titan mission

Ars Technica

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SpaceX begins commissioning second Starbase launch pad in Texas SpaceX has begun commissioning a second launch pad at its Starbase facility in Texas, enabling parallel processing and higher sortie cadence for both Falcon and Starship campaigns. The additional pad increases operational resilience at the complex and supports an accelerating launch tempo for commercial and government missions.

2026-03-13T06:00:45.244345-07:00

SpaceX begins commissioning second Starbase launch pad in Texas

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

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

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

SpaceX scales Starbase with Starfactory and GigaBay to mass‑produce Starship for Moon and Mars

NASA begins construction of nuclear‑powered Dragonfly rotorcraft for 2028 Titan mission

News Timeline