Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Commercial Space   Space Policy & International Cooperation   NASA  
New York Times • Kenneth Chang

NASA shelves Lunar Gateway, redirects ~$20B to phased Moon base and unveils Space Reactor‑1 nuclear-electric demonstrator

NASA has shelved the lunar-orbiting Gateway and will repurpose its hardware and funds into a phased, $20 billion lunar surface base to be built over seven years. The agency also unveiled Space Reactor‑1 “Freedom,” a nuclear-electric propulsion demonstrator intended to support deep‑space missions, including a planned 2028 Skyfall Mars helicopter flight.

Also: Space.com, NASA Spaceflight, Reuters, AeroTime, SpaceQ, Aerospace America, Space Policy Online, news.ssbcrack.com, Bloomberg Law, CBS News, newsnationnow.com, The Guardian and 11 more
2026-03-24T07:18:58.654494-07:00
China   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space  
SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

China’s Astronstone raises $29 million for reusable rocket with chopstick-style recovery

By SpaceNews.com: China’s Astronstone raises $29 million for reusable rocket with chopstick-style recovery Astronstone, one of China’s younger launch startups, has secured new funding as it builds toward the first flight of its reusable AS-1 rocket.

2026-03-24T10:38:57.068033-07:00
Satellite   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Sustainability & Climate Initiatives  
New York Times • Nina Riggio, Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

New Earth‑Observation Satellite Aims to Transform Global Snow and Water Measurement — Scientists Validated Its Sensors on a Mountain

By New York Times: A new satellite could transform how water is studied worldwide. But to help unlock its capabilities, scientists first needed to take critical measurements on a mountaintop.

2026-03-24T07:40:14.596654-07:00