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NASA • Jennifer M Dooren

NASA and DOE commit to deploy a fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have renewed their partnership to develop and deploy a fission surface power reactor on the Moon by 2030. The Fission Surface Power Project, placed under new executive leadership last year, is intended to provide continuous power for Artemis operations and future Mars missions.

2026-01-13T13:05:32.845586-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

2026-01-13T14:11:09.329340-08:00

Via Satellite

Intuitive Machines completes $800M acquisition of Lanteris (formerly Maxar), becomes vertically integrated space prime

2026-01-13T13:25:40.922761-08:00

Space.com

JWST finds AGN feedback slowly starved 'Pablo's Galaxy', supporting gradual quenching

2026-01-13T12:09:20.615569-08:00

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NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights SpaceX is accelerating Starship ground‑infrastructure upgrades at Starbase and Cape Canaveral, advancing construction and integration to support planned 2026 orbital flights. Work at both sites shortens the critical path to orbital tests and signals growing pad capability for frequent heavy‑lift operations.

2026-01-13T14:11:09.329340-08:00

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

Via Satellite

Intuitive Machines completes $800M acquisition of Lanteris (formerly Maxar), becomes vertically integrated space prime Intuitive Machines has completed its $800 million acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems — $450 million in cash and $350 million in Class A Intuitive Machines stock — acquiring a spacecraft manufacturer. The deal positions Intuitive Machines as a vertically integrated prime for commercial, civil and national security space programs.

2026-01-13T13:25:40.922761-08:00

Intuitive Machines completes $800M acquisition of Lanteris (formerly Maxar), becomes vertically integrated space prime

NASA

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NASA and DOE commit to deploy a fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030 NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have renewed their partnership to develop and deploy a fission surface power reactor on the Moon by 2030. The Fission Surface Power Project, placed under new executive leadership last year, is intended to provide continuous power for Artemis operations and future Mars missions.

2026-01-13T13:05:32.845586-08:00

NASA and DOE commit to deploy a fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030

Space.com

JWST finds AGN feedback slowly starved 'Pablo's Galaxy', supporting gradual quenching JWST observations show the central black hole in 'Pablo's Galaxy' slowly starved the system, supporting a model of gradual AGN-driven quenching rather than abrupt shutdown. The finding points to long-term starvation of star formation rather than a single violent 'death blow' to the galaxy's growth.

2026-01-13T12:09:20.615569-08:00

JWST finds AGN feedback slowly starved 'Pablo's Galaxy', supporting gradual quenching

Universe Today

Study finds ancient ocean once covered roughly half of Mars Researchers at the University of Bern present new evidence that an ocean once covered about half of Mars’ surface, reshaping estimates of early water distribution. The result refocuses where sedimentary deposits and shoreline-associated biosignatures are most likely to be preserved and sampled.

2026-01-13T11:27:46.415402-08:00

Study finds ancient ocean once covered roughly half of Mars

Space.com

ISS experiments show microgravity alters bacteriophage–bacteria coevolution, with crew health and biosecurity implications Experiments aboard the International Space Station found microgravity reshapes coevolution between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts: phages remain infectious but evolve along different genetic pathways in near-weightlessness, sometimes toward traits associated with increased potency. Results carry direct implications for crew microbiome management and spacecraft biosecurity.

2026-01-13T11:12:32.559606-08:00

ISS experiments show microgravity alters bacteriophage–bacteria coevolution, with crew health and biosecurity implications

Payload

Mars Sample Return cancellation exposes gaps in space law With Mars Sample Return canceled, the focus shifts from engineering the return to testing the limits of international space law: cached samples on Perseverance raise immediate questions about custody, liability and scientific access, and whether existing treaties can prevent legal or geopolitical disputes.

2026-01-13T10:11:07.859652-08:00

Mars Sample Return cancellation exposes gaps in space law

SpaceNews.com

Space "nuclear renaissance" accelerates — propulsion, power and defense implications A renewed global push for nuclear technologies in space — from reactors for spacecraft power to nuclear thermal and electric propulsion — is accelerating, with growing investment and program activity. The trend carries substantial implications for launch architecture, on‑orbit capabilities and military applications.

2026-01-13T08:11:07.539773-08:00

Space "nuclear renaissance" accelerates — propulsion, power and defense implications

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

NASA and DOE commit to deploy a fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

Intuitive Machines completes $800M acquisition of Lanteris (formerly Maxar), becomes vertically integrated space prime

JWST finds AGN feedback slowly starved 'Pablo's Galaxy', supporting gradual quenching

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