Space Exploration & Science Missions News

Payload • Tim Fernholz

India’s GSLV Rocket Successfully Deploys $1.5B NASA-ISRO NISAR Earth Radar Satellite

India’s ISRO placed the NASA-ISRO NISAR Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite into orbit aboard its GSLV rocket, marking the launch of a first-of-its-kind $1.5 billion Earth science mission set to scan the planet twice every 12 days for climate and disaster monitoring.

2025-07-30T05:43:45.505224-07:00

Payload

Ex-Shuttle Commander Warns NASA’s CLD Pivot Could Cede LEO and Mars Leadership to China

2025-08-08T08:08:24.454446-07:00

Space.com

James Webb Detects Gas Giant Exoplanet Orbiting Alpha Centauri A

2025-08-07T08:32:34.086996-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA-ISRO’s $1.5B NISAR Earth Radar Satellite to Launch July 30

2025-07-22T05:06:24.500841-07:00

Space Exploration & Science Missions News Timeline

European Spaceflight

Spartan Space and Airbus Wrap Up CNES Lunar Habitat Airlock Feasibility Study Spartan Space and Airbus have concluded a feasibility study commissioned by France’s CNES to design an airlock for a lunar habitat. The study evaluates structural, life-support and integration requirements for future Artemis-derived surface outpost modules, informing CNES’s next steps in European lunar infrastructure.

2025-08-15T06:45:14.743207-07:00

Spartan Space and Airbus Wrap Up CNES Lunar Habitat Airlock Feasibility Study

The Hill

Acting NASA Chief Duffy to Sideline Climate Science in Favor of Space Exploration Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced Thursday that NASA will shift resources away from climate and earth science to concentrate solely on space exploration, effectively sidelining the agency’s long-running Earth-observation initiatives. The move reprioritises the Science Mission Directorate under new leadership directives.

2025-08-14T14:56:26.488949-07:00

Acting NASA Chief Duffy to Sideline Climate Science in Favor of Space Exploration

Scientific American

NASA Budget Cuts Threaten Future RPS-Powered Deep Space Missions NASA’s proposed FY25 budget would shutter plutonium-238 production and abandon radioisotope power systems that have enabled over 50 missions to the outer planets, imperiling future exploration of Mars, Jupiter’s moons and beyond.

2025-08-14T10:40:30.129620-07:00

NASA Budget Cuts Threaten Future RPS-Powered Deep Space Missions

SpaceWatch Global

US Aims to Deploy Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030, Prompting European Response NASA plans to install a compact nuclear fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030 to power Artemis infrastructure and cement US leadership in the cislunar domain; Europe is watching closely and considering its own nuclear space power initiatives.

2025-08-12T02:44:36.933021-07:00

US Aims to Deploy Lunar Nuclear Reactor by 2030, Prompting European Response

Universe Today

Concordia researchers boost lunar regolith content in 3D printing feedstocks A team at Concordia University has demonstrated a record-high lunar regolith–polymer mix for additive manufacturing, paving the way to print more components on the Moon and cut launch mass and costs more than ever before.

2025-08-09T04:31:46.383488-07:00

Concordia researchers boost lunar regolith content in 3D printing feedstocks

Payload

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Ex-Shuttle Commander Warns NASA’s CLD Pivot Could Cede LEO and Mars Leadership to China In an op-ed, a former space shuttle commander criticizes NASA’s shift to a Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) strategy, arguing it undermines US leadership in orbit and jeopardizes Mars exploration. He warns that China stands to fill any resulting gap in orbital and deep-space capabilities.

2025-08-08T08:08:24.454446-07:00

Ex-Shuttle Commander Warns NASA’s CLD Pivot Could Cede LEO and Mars Leadership to China

European Spaceflight

Exploration Company Wraps Up Fourth Huracan Thrust Chamber Hot-Fire Ahead of Lunar Lander Integration The Exploration Company has completed hot fire testing of the fourth iteration of its Huracan rocket engine’s thrust chamber, marking the close of its latest qualification campaign ahead of integrating the propulsion system into its planned lunar lander.

2025-08-08T07:14:45.355252-07:00

Exploration Company Wraps Up Fourth Huracan Thrust Chamber Hot-Fire Ahead of Lunar Lander Integration

Space.com

Hubble Captures Sharpest View of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have captured the sharpest images yet of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing its nucleus and enabling the first precise size estimate of this extrasolar visitor. The comet is hurtling through our solar system at over 210,000 km/h.

2025-08-08T07:05:04.460864-07:00

Hubble Captures Sharpest View of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

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