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NASA • Tiernan P Doyle

Suni Williams retires after 27 years following nine-month Starliner ordeal

Veteran astronaut Suni Williams retired from NASA effective Dec. 27, 2025, concluding a 27‑year career and three spaceflights. One mission — a Boeing Starliner flight — left her stranded on-orbit for nine months after spacecraft problems, marking a high-profile episode in commercial crew operations.

2026-01-20T14:16:10.540192-08:00

Associated Press

Crew‑11 in‑flight ISS medical evacuation — portable ultrasound credited in first medevac in 65 years

2026-01-21T14:14:18.719335-08:00

Space.com

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

2026-01-21T08:22:45.362551-08:00

Universe Today

Lunar far‑side radio telescopes could image dozens of black‑hole shadows beyond the Event Horizon Telescope's Earth‑bound limit

2026-01-21T08:52:04.781089-08:00

News Timeline

Associated Press

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Crew‑11 in‑flight ISS medical evacuation — portable ultrasound credited in first medevac in 65 years NASA and SpaceX executed the first in‑flight medical evacuation from the International Space Station in 65 years when Crew‑11 undocked early; returning astronauts — NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov — said an on‑board portable ultrasound proved critical.

2026-01-21T14:14:18.719335-08:00

Crew‑11 in‑flight ISS medical evacuation — portable ultrasound credited in first medevac in 65 years

Universe Today

Lunar far‑side radio telescopes could image dozens of black‑hole shadows beyond the Event Horizon Telescope's Earth‑bound limit Earth‑sized baselines cap the Event Horizon Telescope to the M87 and Milky Way black‑hole shadows; placing radio telescopes on the Moon’s far side — missions like LuSEE‑Night — would extend the interferometric baseline and sensitivity, enabling imaging of dozens more shadows and new low‑frequency cosmic signals.

2026-01-21T08:52:04.781089-08:00

Lunar far‑side radio telescopes could image dozens of black‑hole shadows beyond the Event Horizon Telescope's Earth‑bound limit

Space.com

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Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured China's Shenzhou-20 capsule landed at the Dongfeng site on Jan. 19, ending an unplanned 270‑day mission after roughly nine months docked to the Tiangong space station. The return vehicle survived a suspected orbital‑debris strike, and the three crew received aerospace achievement medals and 'Heroic Astronaut' honours on Jan. 21.

2026-01-21T08:22:45.362551-08:00

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

Space.com

Crew‑11 to brief today after medical evacuation and shortened ISS mission A public briefing with the medically evacuated Crew‑11 astronauts begins at 2:15 p.m. EST today (Jan. 21). The crew will discuss the circumstances and implications of their shortened International Space Station mission; a live stream will be available.

2026-01-21T05:06:30.062250-08:00

Crew‑11 to brief today after medical evacuation and shortened ISS mission

SpaceNews.com

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NASA ends financial support for planetary-science advisory groups amid advisory-structure drawdown NASA will end financial support for several planetary-science advisory groups as part of a broader drawdown of the agency’s advisory structure. The move withdraws funded, independent panels that advise on planetary missions and scientific priorities, reducing formal external input into NASA’s decision-making.

2026-01-21T04:31:25.423032-08:00

NASA ends financial support for planetary-science advisory groups amid advisory-structure drawdown

Universe Today

Plume sampling could reveal Enceladus' ocean pH and habitability A Japanese research team proposes new methods to sample Enceladus' plume material remotely to estimate the pH of its subsurface ocean without landing. The approach aims to deliver more accurate chemical constraints on ocean composition and assess the moon's potential habitability for life as we know it.

2026-01-20T17:53:43.058777-08:00

Plume sampling could reveal Enceladus' ocean pH and habitability

NASA

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Suni Williams retires after 27 years following nine-month Starliner ordeal Veteran astronaut Suni Williams retired from NASA effective Dec. 27, 2025, concluding a 27‑year career and three spaceflights. One mission — a Boeing Starliner flight — left her stranded on-orbit for nine months after spacecraft problems, marking a high-profile episode in commercial crew operations.

2026-01-20T14:16:10.540192-08:00

Suni Williams retires after 27 years following nine-month Starliner ordeal

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX advances Starship site work at Kennedy and Cape Canaveral amid temporary launch pause SpaceX is making visible progress on infrastructure and site preparations for Starship at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Launch operations have paused temporarily while the company transitions Starship–Super Heavy into Florida launch sites, reflecting a shift in ground activity and campaign focus.

2026-01-20T11:15:03.375279-08:00

SpaceX advances Starship site work at Kennedy and Cape Canaveral amid temporary launch pause

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

Suni Williams retires after 27 years following nine-month Starliner ordeal

Crew‑11 in‑flight ISS medical evacuation — portable ultrasound credited in first medevac in 65 years

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

Lunar far‑side radio telescopes could image dozens of black‑hole shadows beyond the Event Horizon Telescope's Earth‑bound limit

News Timeline