Space Exploration & Science Missions News

NASA

OSIRIS‑REx Finds Sugars, Complex Organics and Presolar Stardust in Bennu Samples

NASA's OSIRIS‑REx returned samples from asteroid Bennu contain essential sugars such as ribose and glucose, a suite of complex organic materials (including a sticky 'space gum'), and presolar dust linked to ancient supernovae. Findings offer direct chemical evidence bearing on prebiotic chemistry and early solar system processes.

2025-12-02T05:59:38.662478-08:00

Space.com

German named first European astronaut slated to fly to the Moon

2025-12-01T12:08:57.835785-08:00

Space Intel Report

ESA secures record €22.1bn at Bremen ministerial, delivering 99% of proposed €22.25bn

2025-11-27T03:42:31.985160-08:00

SpaceNews.com

ESA secures record €22bn ministerial package, but exploration programmes face funding shortfalls

2025-11-27T12:22:30.681208-08:00

Space Exploration & Science Missions News Timeline

Ars Technica

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Congress says NASA's Artemis plan 'cannot work' and urges cancellation of Artemis III Congress warned NASA’s Artemis plan "cannot work" and urged cancellation of Artemis III and subsequent lunar missions, calling for an immediate reassessment of the program’s strategy and funding. The committee's statement escalates oversight pressure on the agency and its contractors as Congress weighs funding and program direction.

2025-12-04T15:30:30.860768-08:00

Congress says NASA's Artemis plan 'cannot work' and urges cancellation of Artemis III

European Spaceflight

Loiretech delivers rear heat‑shield mock‑up to ArianeGroup for ESA’s ExoMars TPS testing Loiretech has delivered a rear heat‑shield mock‑up for ESA’s ExoMars mission to ArianeGroup, where the component will be used in initial testing of the spacecraft’s thermal protection system. The mock‑up will support early verification activities at ArianeGroup ahead of subsequent TPS qualification tests and integration.

2025-12-04T07:04:43.451537-08:00

Loiretech delivers rear heat‑shield mock‑up to ArianeGroup for ESA’s ExoMars TPS testing

Spaceflight Now

Orion hatch 'blemish' forces delay of Artemis 2 launch‑day rehearsal NASA delayed the Artemis 2 Nov. 19 launch‑day dress rehearsal after teams discovered a "blemish" on the Orion spacecraft hatch that prevented the four scheduled astronauts from boarding for the practice, Spaceflight Now reports. Agency engineers are assessing the defect and will set a new rehearsal date.

2025-12-04T06:46:41.577716-08:00

Orion hatch 'blemish' forces delay of Artemis 2 launch‑day rehearsal

CNBC

Istari, led by ex‑ASAF Will Roper, says AI can turn lunar regolith into batteries for Blue Origin Istari, led by former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Will Roper, says it has developed an AI‑driven process to convert lunar regolith into battery material for Blue Origin. The technology aims to enable in‑situ resource utilization to produce energy storage components for Blue Origin's lunar infrastructure.

2025-12-03T13:49:55.309380-08:00

Istari, led by ex‑ASAF Will Roper, says AI can turn lunar regolith into batteries for Blue Origin

Universe Today

JWST spots Milky Way–like spiral 'Alaknanda' just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang Using JWST imaging amplified by gravitational lensing, researchers — including two Indian astronomers — identified a fully formed spiral galaxy, Alaknanda, just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang; its ordered disk, sweeping arms and rapid star formation contradict slow, chaotic early-assembly models.

2025-12-03T12:05:47.420049-08:00

JWST spots Milky Way–like spiral 'Alaknanda' just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang

NASA

Perseverance confirms electrical discharges and shock waves inside Martian dust devils NASA's Perseverance rover has confirmed that electrical discharges — 'mini‑lightning' — and associated shock waves can originate within Martian dust devils, detecting sparks and pressure disturbances in Jezero Crater. Video captured multiple dust devils while onboard instruments recorded shock signatures, validating a long‑suspected phenomenon.

2025-12-03T09:04:55.505370-08:00

Perseverance confirms electrical discharges and shock waves inside Martian dust devils

Ars Technica

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NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images A NASA study and simulations show the exponential growth of low‑Earth orbit constellations — potentially ~500,000 satellites by the 2030s — will sharply increase optical "light pollution," contaminating and severely degrading images from Hubble and other space‑based observatories.

2025-12-03T08:42:40.926999-08:00

NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images

Space.com

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ESA confirms industrial partners for Argonaut lunar lander; Nammo UK to supply main engine for 2030 mission ESA and prime integrator Thales Alenia Space have picked industrial partners for the Argonaut robotic lunar lander, confirming Nammo UK will supply the main propulsion engine. The lander is targeted for a first mission in 2030 to support NASA’s Artemis programme; the deal was signed 20 November in Cologne.

2025-12-03T08:04:42.446964-08:00

ESA confirms industrial partners for Argonaut lunar lander; Nammo UK to supply main engine for 2030 mission

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