Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Human Spaceflight & Space Stations  
Wall Street Journal • Micah Maidenberg; Brian McGill

NASA to Test Orion Heat Shield Ahead of Artemis II Four‑Crew Lunar Flyby

NASA will subject the Orion crew capsule's heat shield to a critical test this month as teams prepare for Artemis II, the four‑astronaut lunar flyby targeted for early next year; engineers aim to validate thermal protection and reentry performance to ensure crew survival through extreme heating.

2025-12-30T12:22:19.492757-08:00
Satellite   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Policy & International Cooperation  
Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Europa Clipper Observes Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Near Perihelion, Providing a Unique Vantage

By Universe Today: Researchers have been trying to look at interstellar object 3I/ATLAS from every conceivable angle. That includes very unconventional ones. Recently, while 3I/ATLAS passed out of view of the Earth, it moved into a great vantage point for one of our interplanetary probes.

2025-12-30T05:48:48.141030-08:00
Moon   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Human Spaceflight & Space Stations   Commercial Space  
New York Times • Katrina Miller

Space Events 2026: NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission, Summer Eclipse and More

By New York Times: In 2026, there will be journeys to the moon and Mars, new visions of the cosmos and a solar eclipse that might be worth traveling for.

Also: orlandosentinel.com and Scientific American
2025-12-29T23:48:45.192416-08:00