Space Exploration & Science Missions News

nasawatch.com • Keith Cowing

Jared Isaacman confirmed as NASA administrator after Senate do‑over; vote 67–30

The U.S. Senate confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator Wednesday, 67–30, ending an 11‑month interim and installing the agency's 15th leader. Isaacman's renomination followed a withdrawn bid and drew attention for his commercial‑first 'Athena' agenda and ties to Elon Musk.

2025-12-17T12:30:15.363024-08:00

Ars Technica

NASA’s $4.3B space telescope completes construction, will map the Milky Way in 3D

2025-12-16T13:35:08.592245-08:00

Space.com

Parker Solar Probe maps shifting, spiky boundary where the solar wind originates

2025-12-15T08:03:50.458887-08:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA Loses Contact with MAVEN During Mars Far‑Side Pass; Recovery Underway

2025-12-10T05:06:46.868310-08:00

Space Exploration & Science Missions News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

2026 bellwethers: missions, policy and commercial milestones to watch in space exploration A set of high‑impact launches, policy decisions and commercial development deadlines scheduled for 2026 will shape the industrial and strategic trajectory of space exploration. Failures or delays among key missions, return‑to‑flight campaigns, and commercial station award timelines will ripple through procurement, investment and international cooperation.

2025-12-17T14:04:06.709739-08:00

2026 bellwethers: missions, policy and commercial milestones to watch in space exploration

nasawatch.com

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Jared Isaacman confirmed as NASA administrator after Senate do‑over; vote 67–30 The U.S. Senate confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator Wednesday, 67–30, ending an 11‑month interim and installing the agency's 15th leader. Isaacman's renomination followed a withdrawn bid and drew attention for his commercial‑first 'Athena' agenda and ties to Elon Musk.

2025-12-17T12:30:15.363024-08:00

Jared Isaacman confirmed as NASA administrator after Senate do‑over; vote 67–30

Universe Today

Global campaign targets interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS ahead of Dec. 19 Earth flyby Space agencies and observatories worldwide have mounted a coordinated campaign to study interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it makes its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19. NASA, ESA's XMM-Newton and multiple orbiters including China's Tianwen‑1 are collecting imagery and spectroscopy to characterize alien material.

2025-12-17T11:47:43.973563-08:00

Global campaign targets interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS ahead of Dec. 19 Earth flyby

SpaceQ

Mission Control wins up to $2M CSA contract to supply iSPI+ infrared sensor for Canada's Lunar Utility Rover The Canadian Space Agency has awarded Mission Control up to $2 million to provide its iSPI+ infrared sensing system for Canada's Lunar Utility Rover. The contract covers delivery and integration of the iSPI+ payload to support the rover's lunar surface sensing capability.

2025-12-17T10:29:01.936714-08:00

Mission Control wins up to $2M CSA contract to supply iSPI+ infrared sensor for Canada's Lunar Utility Rover

Space.com

Vast solicits microgravity research proposals for its commercial space station Vast has opened a call for microgravity research proposals for its commercial space station, calling the move a historic opportunity to expand access to on‑orbit experiments aboard the world's first commercial station. The solicitation seeks to attract users to test science and manufacturing concepts in microgravity.

2025-12-17T05:06:17.287533-08:00

Vast solicits microgravity research proposals for its commercial space station

Ars Technica

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NASA’s $4.3B space telescope completes construction, will map the Milky Way in 3D NASA’s $4.3 billion space telescope has completed construction and is designed to produce three‑dimensional maps and time‑series “3D movies” of the Milky Way, giving astronomers unprecedented structural and dynamical views of our galaxy. The observatory aims to transform studies of stellar populations and galactic motion.

2025-12-16T13:35:08.592245-08:00

NASA’s $4.3B space telescope completes construction, will map the Milky Way in 3D

Space.com

Parker Solar Probe Observes Solar Wind 'U‑Turn', Offering Better Insights for Space‑Weather Forecasting NASA's Parker Solar Probe has observed a previously unseen 'U‑turn' in the solar wind, a reversal in plasma flow that reveals new transport dynamics. The result improves understanding of heliospheric behavior and could enable more accurate, longer‑timescale space‑weather forecasts across the solar system.

2025-12-16T13:07:34.445590-08:00

Parker Solar Probe Observes Solar Wind 'U‑Turn', Offering Better Insights for Space‑Weather Forecasting

insidermedia.com

UK's Pulsar Fusion wins ESA backing to advance thruster tech UK-based Pulsar Fusion, a developer of propulsion engines for space exploration, has secured backing from the European Space Agency to advance its thruster technology. The endorsement should accelerate technology maturation and improve the company's prospects for integration into European space programmes.

2025-12-16T11:40:12.078660-08:00

UK's Pulsar Fusion wins ESA backing to advance thruster tech

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