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NASA • Jessica Taveau

NASA declares MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after six months of radio silence

NASA has ended the MAVEN mission, declaring the long-running Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft lost after months of failed contact. The $582 million orbiter suffered a problem on the far side of Mars late last year, following which it has remained unresponsive.

2026-06-03T06:57:22.628694-07:00

European Spaceflight

The Exploration Company completes initial drop test for Nyx recovery system ahead of 2028 demonstration mission

2026-06-04T04:02:23.936754-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Artemis III SRB segments shipped to Kennedy as NASA readies SLS launch preparations for summer 2027

2026-06-03T13:42:10.995995-07:00

SpaceNews.com

AstroForge completes DeepSpace-2 spacecraft build for later-2026 launch, applying lessons from prior failure

2026-06-04T09:14:18.438509-07:00

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SpaceNews.com

AstroForge completes DeepSpace-2 spacecraft build for later-2026 launch, applying lessons from prior failure Asteroid mining startup AstroForge says it has completed its latest spacecraft, DeepSpace-2, for a planned launch later this year. The company said the build incorporates lessons learned from a failed mission last year, positioning DeepSpace-2 for a more disciplined path to demonstration.

2026-06-04T09:14:18.438509-07:00

AstroForge completes DeepSpace-2 spacecraft build for later-2026 launch, applying lessons from prior failure

Space Intel Report

Canada and ESA weigh industrial and program-response moves after NASA shelves Lunar Gateway Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell and former NASA Chief Economist Alexander MacDonald say Canada is positioned to benefit from NASA’s abrupt shift away from the Lunar Gateway—prompting ESA and Canadian stakeholders to decide how to respond to the cancellation and realign work and roles.

2026-06-04T08:56:15.588429-07:00

Canada and ESA weigh industrial and program-response moves after NASA shelves Lunar Gateway

European Spaceflight

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The Exploration Company completes initial drop test for Nyx recovery system ahead of 2028 demonstration mission The Exploration Company says it has completed an initial drop test to validate the recovery system for its Nyx spacecraft. The milestone supports the company’s plan for a demonstration mission targeted for 2028, aimed at proving safe recovery performance ahead of later flight activity.

2026-06-04T04:02:23.936754-07:00

The Exploration Company completes initial drop test for Nyx recovery system ahead of 2028 demonstration mission

SpaceNews.com

NASA streamlines management for a nuclear-electric propulsion demo mission, targeted for launch in ~2.5 years NASA is working on a streamlined management approach for a nuclear-electric propulsion demonstration mission the agency wants to launch in about 2.5 years. The effort aims to tighten development execution for a capability intended to support longer-duration deep-space propulsion needs.

2026-06-04T03:58:43.092844-07:00

NASA streamlines management for a nuclear-electric propulsion demo mission, targeted for launch in ~2.5 years

Wall Street Journal

Texas vs. Smithsonian: dispute over custody of a Space Shuttle as NASA-era assets move from programs to public display Texas and the Smithsonian are locked in a custody dispute over a Space Shuttle—an emblematic end-to-end “program-to-museum” challenge rooted in how NASA managed the Space Shuttle retirement logistics and subsequent public display disposition. The fight underscores how legacy human spaceflight hardware becomes a geopolitical and legal custody issue long after operations end.

2026-06-03T16:13:36.856669-07:00

Texas vs. Smithsonian: dispute over custody of a Space Shuttle as NASA-era assets move from programs to public display

NASA Spaceflight

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Artemis III SRB segments shipped to Kennedy as NASA readies SLS launch preparations for summer 2027 NASA is preparing Artemis III for launch at Kennedy Space Center, currently targeted for summer 2027, by shipping the remaining solid rocket booster segments from Utah to Florida. The move advances hardware readiness ahead of later Artemis III mission decisions, despite uncertainty around specific timelines and landers.

2026-06-03T13:42:10.995995-07:00

Artemis III SRB segments shipped to Kennedy as NASA readies SLS launch preparations for summer 2027

NASA Spaceflight

Northrop Grumman ships final Artemis III twin solid rocket booster segments to Kennedy Northrop Grumman shipped the final eight twin solid rocket booster motor segments for NASA’s Artemis III from Promontory, Utah, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The hardware is slated for stacking this summer, advancing the SLS boosters toward integration for the Artemis III mission.

2026-06-03T13:42:10.995995-07:00

Northrop Grumman ships final Artemis III twin solid rocket booster segments to Kennedy

Space.com

Roman Telescope primary mirror clears final inspection; NASA begins shipment to Florida launch site NASA engineers have completed the final inspection of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror, confirming it is ready for shipment to its Florida launch site. The milestone closes out a key end-to-end hardware readiness step ahead of launch processing for the observatory’s exoplanet and galactic-survey mission.

2026-06-03T12:13:45.777598-07:00

Roman Telescope primary mirror clears final inspection; NASA begins shipment to Florida launch site

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

NASA declares MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after six months of radio silence

The Exploration Company completes initial drop test for Nyx recovery system ahead of 2028 demonstration mission

Artemis III SRB segments shipped to Kennedy as NASA readies SLS launch preparations for summer 2027

AstroForge completes DeepSpace-2 spacecraft build for later-2026 launch, applying lessons from prior failure

News Timeline