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Space.com • Julian Dossett

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days

A giant radio telescope in West Virginia observed NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it flew around the Moon for five days, collecting precise tracking data on its motion. The effort produced high-resolution observations cited by NASA as visual confirmation of crewed operations beyond Earth orbit.

2026-05-17T05:04:01.561582-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints

2026-05-16T15:53:12.684646-07:00

European Spaceflight

OHB Space UK awarded €320.7M to build and test spacecraft for ESA’s EnVision Venus mission; Thales Alenia Space granted prelimin

2026-05-15T01:30:24.960347-07:00

SpaceNews.com

ESA–China SMILE mission slips into its launch phase May 19 to map the shape of Earth’s magnetosphere

2026-05-15T11:15:23.779720-07:00

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Space.com

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days A giant radio telescope in West Virginia observed NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it flew around the Moon for five days, collecting precise tracking data on its motion. The effort produced high-resolution observations cited by NASA as visual confirmation of crewed operations beyond Earth orbit.

2026-05-17T05:04:01.561582-07:00

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days

SpaceNews.com

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints NASA has released the final request for proposals for a Mars communications orbiter. The solicitation confirms technical and program requirements that narrow which companies are eligible to bid, setting the competitive field for the next dedicated interplanetary relay capability.

2026-05-16T15:53:12.684646-07:00

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints

SpaceNews.com

NASA releases final RFP for Mars communications orbiter

2026-05-16T15:53:12.684646-07:00

NASA releases final RFP for Ma

Space.com

NASA’s Psyche gravity-assist flyby: using Mars resonance to speed up and save propellant on the way to a metal asteroid NASA’s Psyche mission performed a Mars visit as a gravity-assist maneuver to gain speed, conserve fuel, and reshape its trajectory toward a metal asteroid target. The flyby illustrates how planetary encounters reduce propellant demand and enable efficient deep-space transfer windows.

2026-05-16T05:10:55.542946-07:00

NASA’s Psyche gravity-assist flyby: using Mars resonance to speed up and save propellant on the way to a metal asteroid

SpaceNews.com

ESA–China SMILE mission slips into its launch phase May 19 to map the shape of Earth’s magnetosphere ESA and China’s SMILE spacecraft is scheduled to launch May 19 after about a decade of preparation. The mission aims to deliver a “wide and unique” view of how solar wind streams and bursts of radiation from the Sun reshape Earth’s invisible magnetic shield—after an extensive pre-launch journey.

2026-05-15T11:15:23.779720-07:00

ESA–China SMILE mission slips into its launch phase May 19 to map the shape of Earth’s magnetosphere

Space.com

JWST delivers unprecedented “cosmic web” map, sharpening views of galaxy structure and evolution Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have mapped the universe’s “cosmic web”—the largest known structure—with unprecedented detail. The resulting JWST dataset has enabled researchers to reconstruct the cosmic web to a level of granularity not previously achieved, yielding new clues about how galaxies evolve.

2026-05-15T06:09:45.050358-07:00

JWST delivers unprecedented “cosmic web” map, sharpening views of galaxy structure and evolution

European Spaceflight

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OHB Space UK awarded €320.7M to build and test spacecraft for ESA’s EnVision Venus mission; Thales Alenia Space granted prelimin OHB Space UK has secured a €320.7 million contract to assemble and test the spacecraft for ESA’s EnVision Venus explorer mission. Separately, OHB Space UK and Thales Alenia Space signed a Preliminary Authorisation to begin work estimated at about €24 million, advancing the mission toward integration and verification.

2026-05-15T01:30:24.960347-07:00

OHB Space UK awarded €320.7M to build and test spacecraft for ESA’s EnVision Venus mission; Thales Alenia Space granted prelimin

Universe Today

Artemis III: NASA’s next crewed Moon mission must prove mission architecture and systems readiness after Artemis II Artemis III is positioned as the pivotal step that must succeed before NASA can return humans to the lunar surface. The cluster looks back at Artemis II’s crewed, around-the-Moon mission as the latest global benchmark for deep-space human operations—and a proof point for what Artemis III has to de-risk next.

2026-05-15T00:10:25.542881-07:00

Artemis III: NASA’s next crewed Moon mission must prove mission architecture and systems readiness after Artemis II

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints

OHB Space UK awarded €320.7M to build and test spacecraft for ESA’s EnVision Venus mission; Thales Alenia Space granted prelimin

ESA–China SMILE mission slips into its launch phase May 19 to map the shape of Earth’s magnetosphere

News Timeline