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Space.com • Josh Dinner

NASA, SpaceX advance Crew‑12 to Feb. 11; crew begins quarantine to serve as ISS relief

NASA and SpaceX have advanced the Crew‑12 launch to Feb. 11 and the four astronauts began a routine two‑week quarantine at Johnson Space Center. The acceleration positions Crew‑12 to serve as an ISS relief crew after a medical evacuation while Expedition 74 continues robotics and AI research.

2026-01-28T15:14:50.310306-08:00

Space.com

Hubble and NASA probe track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing jets, an anti‑tail and spin

2026-01-28T14:06:17.868783-08:00

Universe Today

AES Andes abandons solar–wind project near Paranal after protests, preserving ESO night skies

2026-01-28T13:44:20.593513-08:00

SpaceNews.com

China to accelerate 2026 launch cadence with crewed-lunar tests, moon mission and reusable‑rocket trials

2026-01-28T06:59:08.523252-08:00

News Timeline

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NASA, SpaceX advance Crew‑12 to Feb. 11; crew begins quarantine to serve as ISS relief NASA and SpaceX have advanced the Crew‑12 launch to Feb. 11 and the four astronauts began a routine two‑week quarantine at Johnson Space Center. The acceleration positions Crew‑12 to serve as an ISS relief crew after a medical evacuation while Expedition 74 continues robotics and AI research.

2026-01-28T15:14:50.310306-08:00

NASA, SpaceX advance Crew‑12 to Feb. 11; crew begins quarantine to serve as ISS relief

Space.com

Hubble and NASA probe track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing jets, an anti‑tail and spin On Jan. 22, 2026 Hubble observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS nearly aligned with the Sun–Earth line, exposing unprecedented jet structures and an extended anti‑tail. Simultaneously a NASA exoplanet probe tracked the visitor to measure its spin and activity as it departs the inner solar system.

2026-01-28T14:06:17.868783-08:00

Hubble and NASA probe track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing jets, an anti‑tail and spin

Universe Today

AES Andes abandons solar–wind project near Paranal after protests, preserving ESO night skies AES Andes has dropped plans for a large solar and wind complex sited just kilometres from Chile’s Paranal Observatory after months of protests led by Nobel laureate Reinhard Genzel. The withdrawal preserves the pristine night skies that enable the European Southern Observatory’s most powerful ground-based telescopes.

2026-01-28T13:44:20.593513-08:00

AES Andes abandons solar–wind project near Paranal after protests, preserving ESO night skies

SpaceNews.com

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China to accelerate 2026 launch cadence with crewed-lunar tests, moon mission and reusable‑rocket trials China plans a stepped‑up 2026 space manifest aiming for a record launch cadence while conducting tests tied to a future crewed lunar program, flying a major lunar mission and validating reusable‑rocket technologies — signalling a push toward operational lunar capability and higher domestic launch tempo.

2026-01-28T06:59:08.523252-08:00

China to accelerate 2026 launch cadence with crewed-lunar tests, moon mission and reusable‑rocket trials

SpaceNews.com

NOAA solar observatory reaches Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1 NOAA's new solar observatory has reached the Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1, completing its transfer and assuming its on‑station position. The spacecraft will provide continuous sunward observations to support space‑weather monitoring, research, and operational services that inform satellite and aviation risk management.

2026-01-27T21:45:44.719478-08:00

NOAA solar observatory reaches Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1

Space.com

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Challenger 40 Years On: Engineers' O‑Ring Warnings Ignored and Cultural Failures Echo into the Artemis Era On Jan. 28, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. Engineers had warned that cold weather risked O‑ring failure; investigations exposed cultural and management flaws at NASA, reforms followed but concerns linger into the Artemis era.

2026-01-27T21:14:59.991165-08:00

Challenger 40 Years On: Engineers' O‑Ring Warnings Ignored and Cultural Failures Echo into the Artemis Era

orbitaltoday.com

Engineered biofilms: a case for harnessing microbial communities to support long‑duration missions An international study published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes argues biofilms—microbial communities usually targeted for removal—should be engineered, not eliminated, aboard spacecraft. Researchers outline how managed biofilms could protect crew health, support crop systems and reshape microbiome management for Moon and Mars missions.

2026-01-27T17:13:43.899192-08:00

Engineered biofilms: a case for harnessing microbial communities to support long‑duration missions

Universe Today

Rubin Observatory to pair with neutrino alerts and rapidly boost core-collapse supernova discoveries The Milky Way hasn't seen a directly observed core-collapse supernova in roughly a millennium, despite expectations of one to two per century. The Vera Rubin Observatory, leveraging its wide-fast-deep survey and real-time neutrino detector alerts, should rapidly identify far more supernovae, enabling prompt multi-messenger follow-up.

2026-01-27T08:54:59.802814-08:00

Rubin Observatory to pair with neutrino alerts and rapidly boost core-collapse supernova discoveries

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

NASA, SpaceX advance Crew‑12 to Feb. 11; crew begins quarantine to serve as ISS relief

Hubble and NASA probe track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing jets, an anti‑tail and spin

AES Andes abandons solar–wind project near Paranal after protests, preserving ESO night skies

China to accelerate 2026 launch cadence with crewed-lunar tests, moon mission and reusable‑rocket trials

News Timeline