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Ars Technica • Eric Berger

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

NASA's third Orion launch represents a meaningful shift for the Artemis program, delivering operational milestones and technical validation after two earlier missions that offered limited progress. The flight restores momentum for crewed lunar ambitions and reduces near‑term program risk as teams move toward Artemis II preparations.

2026-03-31T11:38:33.010025-07:00

Payload

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

2026-03-31T10:31:34.661722-07:00

Space Intel Report

Orbital cleanup to asteroid mining: capture bags and the path forward

2026-03-31T10:00:09.462191-07:00

Universe Today

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons

2026-03-30T22:37:25.273320-07:00

News Timeline

Ars Technica

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Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program NASA's third Orion launch represents a meaningful shift for the Artemis program, delivering operational milestones and technical validation after two earlier missions that offered limited progress. The flight restores momentum for crewed lunar ambitions and reduces near‑term program risk as teams move toward Artemis II preparations.

2026-03-31T11:38:33.010025-07:00

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

Payload

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars A top congressional space lawmaker told Payload he supports building a sustained lunar surface base as a practical stepping stone to crewed Mars missions, saying colleagues are “rallying behind” the idea. He argued that once established, a Moon base could be the best launch point for Mars.

2026-03-31T10:31:34.661722-07:00

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

Space Intel Report

Orbital cleanup to asteroid mining: capture bags and the path forward As low Earth orbit becomes more crowded, new on‑orbit removal concepts — from capture‑bag technologies demonstrated on the ISS to commercial debris‑cleanup services — are maturing alongside early plans to harvest small bodies. Four takeaways synthesize technical readiness, regulatory gaps and emerging commercial opportunity.

2026-03-31T10:00:09.462191-07:00

Orbital cleanup to asteroid mining: capture bags and the path forward

SpaceNews.com

Antaris raises $28M Series A to accelerate AI-driven space missions Antaris closed a $28 million Series A to accelerate its AI-driven space missions, funding development of onboard autonomy, mission planning and operations. The round positions the company to scale technology for commercial and government space tasks and underscores continued investor interest in AI-enabled space startups.

2026-03-31T05:22:26.962690-07:00

Antaris raises $28M Series A to accelerate AI-driven space missions

Universe Today

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons CASMIUS is a mission concept to return to Uranus, targeting the ice giant's sideways rotation, complex ring system and unique moons. With Voyager 2 still the only spacecraft to visit, CASMIUS would aim to close major knowledge gaps and build on recent remote observations of Uranus' auroras and magnetosphere.

2026-03-30T22:37:25.273320-07:00

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons

NASA Spaceflight

Nine launches this week — SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz lead packed global manifest Nine orbital launches are scheduled this week from Florida, California and Russian ranges, including NASA's SLS and missions on Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz vehicles. The packed manifest highlights a global spike in launch cadence across government and commercial providers.

2026-03-30T14:10:37.015965-07:00

Nine launches this week — SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz lead packed global manifest

European Spaceflight

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ESA seeks commercial partner to deliver NILS2 lunar instrument, preferring European operators The European Space Agency has launched a tender seeking a commercial partner to deliver its NILS2 scientific instrument to the Moon, explicitly favoring European operators. The procurement establishes a commercial route for lunar payload delivery and signals a preference for European industrial participation.

2026-03-30T07:26:04.934686-07:00

ESA seeks commercial partner to deliver NILS2 lunar instrument, preferring European operators

Space.com

‘The Sasquatch Is Honesty’: Jeremy Hansen’s Artemis II patch centers Indigenous perspectives Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s personal patch for Artemis II incorporates Indigenous perspectives — including a Sasquatch motif he describes as symbolizing honesty — reflecting his cultural identity and the role of a Canadian crew member on NASA’s upcoming Artemis II lunar mission.

2026-03-30T06:15:24.459820-07:00

‘The Sasquatch Is Honesty’: Jeremy Hansen’s Artemis II patch centers Indigenous perspectives

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

Orbital cleanup to asteroid mining: capture bags and the path forward

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons

News Timeline