NASA Spaceflight
• Martin Smith
China’s Wenchang Space Launch Site marked its 50th launch at the end of July, even as it suffered a third launch failure this week. The setbacks come alongside expanding activity across China’s launch sites, including deployments of AI-enabled and in-space computing satellites and preparations for a lunar south pole mission.
Space Exploration & Science Missions
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China’s Wenchang Space Launch Site marked its 50th launch at the end of July, even as it suffered a third launch failure this week. The setbacks come alongside expanding activity across China’s launch sites, including deployments of AI-enabled and in-space computing satellites and preparations for a lunar south pole mission.
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A 26-kilogram radiation-shielding vest flown on a model human torso during NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission reduced exposure during simulated severe solar storms, a new study suggests. The result supports further development of wearable protection for astronauts on extended lunar and Mars missions.
A visit to a national laboratory has strengthened NASA officials’ confidence in launching a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration mission by the end of 2028. The milestone would advance the agency’s effort to validate nuclear-powered propulsion for future deep-space missions.
COSPAR has re-elected Dr. Pascale Ehrenfreund as president following its 2026 assembly in Florence, which drew approximately 3,000 attendees. The event covered a broad range of space research and operations, from planetary science to human spaceflight, underscoring the organization’s role as a convening forum for the sector.
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MDA Space plans to adapt technology developed for Canadarm3, the robotic arm intended for NASA’s Gateway lunar-orbit station, for operations on the Moon’s surface after NASA put Gateway plans on hold. The shift preserves a role for the technology in lunar exploration despite changes to the station program.
Katalyst Space is recovering control of its spacecraft after encountering problems with the vehicle. The spacecraft was developed to boost the orbit of NASA’s Swift observatory, making the company’s recovery effort central to the planned servicing mission’s prospects.
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NASA’s latest Artemis updates span commercial robotic lunar landers, technology demonstrations for future surface habitats, and hardware development for the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft. The agency’s progress report provides a cross-program view of preparations for Artemis III and subsequent missions to the Moon.
NASA and the European Space Agency are defining the infrastructure needed to support a sustainable lunar base, while Northrop Grumman and the Canadian Space Agency are adapting work from NASA’s planned Gateway station for future lunar-base applications.
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