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SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

NASA continues to work toward February launch of Artemis 2

NASA says it is continuing to prepare for a possible Artemis 2 launch as soon as February, but the agency has provided remarkably little publicity for the historic mission. Preparations are ongoing even as public communication about the flight remains limited.

2026-01-07T20:50:56.386376-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX ramps Starship production at Starfactory as thermal‑protection evaluations start at Starbase for next two flight vehicles

2026-01-07T15:25:02.853091-08:00

Universe Today

Study: Europa’s subsurface ocean likely lacks seafloor hydrothermal activity needed for habitability

2026-01-07T16:13:25.113446-08:00

Space.com

Experts: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top U.S. priority

2026-01-07T03:10:48.369878-08:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

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NASA continues to work toward February launch of Artemis 2 NASA says it is continuing to prepare for a possible Artemis 2 launch as soon as February, but the agency has provided remarkably little publicity for the historic mission. Preparations are ongoing even as public communication about the flight remains limited.

2026-01-07T20:50:56.386376-08:00

NASA continues to work toward February launch of Artemis 2

Universe Today

Study: Europa’s subsurface ocean likely lacks seafloor hydrothermal activity needed for habitability New research indicates Jupiter’s moon Europa may lack active seafloor faulting and associated hydrothermal vents that supply nutrients to its subsurface ocean. Without that tectonically driven chemical input, the study concludes Europa’s hidden ocean is unlikely to support life as currently envisioned.

2026-01-07T16:13:25.113446-08:00

Study: Europa’s subsurface ocean likely lacks seafloor hydrothermal activity needed for habitability

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX ramps Starship production at Starfactory as thermal‑protection evaluations start at Starbase for next two flight vehicles SpaceX is accelerating production of next‑generation Starship vehicles at its Starfactory while conducting thermal‑protection evaluations at Starbase on the next two flight vehicles. The tests target heat‑shield integrity and readiness ahead of the program’s forthcoming test launches and upgraded prototype operations.

2026-01-07T15:25:02.853091-08:00

SpaceX ramps Starship production at Starfactory as thermal‑protection evaluations start at Starbase for next two flight vehicles

Space.com

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Experts: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top U.S. priority Experts warn that Beijing could "well beat the U.S. with a grab sample," and say returning Mars samples should be a top U.S. priority to protect scientific lead, secure uncontested provenance of materials, strengthen international partnerships, and avoid rushed, reactionary policy responses.

2026-01-07T03:10:48.369878-08:00

Experts: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top U.S. priority

SpaceNews.com

NASA moves to extend Swift spacecraft's life ahead of planned reboost As teams prepare a mission to raise the orbit of NASA's Swift spacecraft, project officials are pursuing measures to extend the satellite's operational life. Those actions are intended to preserve Swift's science capabilities and maximize mission value ahead of the planned reboost.

2026-01-06T16:45:03.649967-08:00

NASA moves to extend Swift spacecraft's life ahead of planned reboost

Space.com

Curiosity sends November 2025 panorama from high on Mount Sharp showing Martian daylight shifts NASA's Curiosity rover returned a panorama captured in November 2025 from a high vantage on Mount Sharp, Mars. The sequence maps how lighting and shadows change across the slope through the day, providing new visual context for surface geology and ongoing Mars science operations.

2026-01-06T12:06:04.722594-08:00

Curiosity sends November 2025 panorama from high on Mount Sharp showing Martian daylight shifts

Space.com

Hubble confirms 'Cloud‑9' — first starless, hydrogen‑rich, dark‑matter‑dominated relic of galaxy formation Using Hubble, astronomers have confirmed the first starless, hydrogen‑rich object dominated by dark matter—nicknamed 'Cloud‑9' and identified as a RELHIC—a relic of early galaxy formation. The finding provides a novel laboratory to probe dark‑matter structures and the baryon physics that suppressed star formation in the young Universe.

2026-01-06T11:03:39.410202-08:00

Hubble confirms 'Cloud‑9' — first starless, hydrogen‑rich, dark‑matter‑dominated relic of galaxy formation

New Scientist

Commercial Space Stations to Begin Orbiting in 2026 — A New Era for the LEO Economy Commercial space stations are slated to begin orbiting in 2026, ending the International Space Station's near-30-year monopoly on crewed low Earth orbit access and opening new platforms for microgravity research, manufacturing and commercial services as agencies and industry prepare for the ISS's 2030 retirement.

2026-01-06T09:42:51.328585-08:00

Commercial Space Stations to Begin Orbiting in 2026 — A New Era for the LEO Economy

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

NASA continues to work toward February launch of Artemis 2

SpaceX ramps Starship production at Starfactory as thermal‑protection evaluations start at Starbase for next two flight vehicles

Study: Europa’s subsurface ocean likely lacks seafloor hydrothermal activity needed for habitability

Experts: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top U.S. priority

News Timeline