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SpaceX Reschedules Planned Starship Test Flight Launch Due to Equipment Glitch
SpaceX has postponed the highly anticipated 10th test flight of its Starship megarocket after engineers discovered a glitch in the launch pad’s ground systems. The launch was originally set for Sunday, Aug. 24, from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas but was halted just 17 minutes before liftoff. The countdown was paused to allow tr...
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Chinese Astronauts Strengthen Tiangong’s Defenses Against Space Debris
On Aug. 15, Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk to strengthen the Tiangong space station’s defenses against orbital debris. Working outside the station, they installed new protective panels and inspected external systems. The mission marked Chen Dong’s sixth career EVA—the most by a Chinese astronaut—and...
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Freedom From Gravity: How Private Companies Are Reshaping Access To Space
As India prepares for its first independent human space mission under the Gaganyaan program, the global landscape is witnessing a renaissance in space travel.
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NASA Explores Industry Collaboration to Boost Swift Observatory’s Orbit and Extend Its Mission
NASA is partnering with U.S. firms to study boosting the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit, aiming to extend its scientific life and advance orbital servicing technologies. Funded through Phase III SBIR awards, the project explores cost-effective solutions while preserving Swift’s astrophysics role. Collaboration with Starfish Space may al...
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China Conducts First Test Of Manned Lunar Lander 'Lanyue'
China conducted its first test on Wednesday of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space program said.
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NASA Aims to Deploy Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030 for Strategic Power
NASA is accelerating plans to deploy a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to interim head Sean Duffy. The reactor would ensure steady power through long lunar nights and help secure water-ice resources at the Moon’s south pole. China and Russia also aim for lunar reactors by the mid-2030s, sparking a geopolitical “moon ...
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NASA Awards Firefly $177M for 2029 Mission to Deliver Rovers to Moon’s South Pole
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract for a groundbreaking 2029 mission to the moon’s south pole. The CLPS mission will deploy multiple rovers and scientific instruments to explore permanently shadowed regions, analyze lunar regolith, and search for water ice—key steps toward supporting Artemis program goals and enabling ...
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NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts
The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce -- at the same time as the president prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
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NASA’s X-59 Moves Closer to First Flight with Advanced Taxi Tests and Augmented Vision
NASA and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 experimental aircraft, engineered for quiet supersonic travel, is undergoing taxi tests at the U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42. Unique features include its AR-enabled camera vision system and a boom-reducing shape. The X-59 continues NASA’s legacy at Plant 42, home to iconic aerospace programs like the F-22 and Space...
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NASA Tests Modular Satellite Tech to Cut Launch Costs and Speed Missions
NASA is developing scalable, modular satellite platforms to reduce cost and accelerate science missions. The Athena EPIC spacecraft, built from eight “Satlet” modules, shares control systems among instruments, simplifying integration. Slated to launch in 2025 on a SpaceX rideshare, Athena aims to cut costs from billions to millions per mission....
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NASA Grounds Boeing Starliner Until 2026 After Test Flight Failures
NASA has grounded Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner until at least 2026 following critical malfunctions during its June 2024 crewed test flight. The mission was cut short due to multiple thruster failures and helium pressurization leaks. NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth empty, leaving the astronauts on the ISS for safety. Engineers traced t...
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NASA and ISRO Prepare to Launch NISAR Earth-Mapping Satellite
NASA and India’s ISRO are set to launch NISAR, a first-of-its-kind Earth-observing satellite equipped with advanced dual-band radar. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than late July 2025 from Sriharikota, India, NISAR will map nearly all of Earth’s land and ice every 12 days, capturing surface changes with centimeter-level precision. Its L-band ...
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China Launches Advanced Spacesuits and 7.2 Tons of Supplies to Tiangong Space Station
China has launched the Tianzhou 9 cargo spacecraft carrying 7.2 tons of supplies, including upgraded spacesuits and scientific equipment, to support the Shenzhou 20 crew aboard the Tiangong space station. The mission marks China’s ninth cargo flight and highlights its ongoing investment in maintaining a long-term human presence and scientific res...
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"Smartphone In Space": All About Dror-1, Israel's 'Next Gen' Satellite
Israel has launched its first fully government-funded and domestically built communications satellite, Dror-1 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dror-1 is the most advanced satellite ever developed by Israel.
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India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Flies to ISS on Axiom-4: A Defining Milestone in Human Spaceflight
India’s participation in the Axiom-4 mission, through astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, represents a giant leap in its space ambitions. As part of the U.S.-launched international mission, India not only contributes to space research but also promotes cultural diplomacy. The success of Ax-04 demonstrates the nation's readiness for Gaganyaan's human spa...
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SpaceX Reschedules Planned Starship Test Flight Launch Due to Equipment Glitch
SpaceX has postponed the highly anticipated 10th test flight of its Starship megarocket after engineers discovered a glitch in the launch pad’s ground systems. The launch was originally set for Sunday, Aug. 24, from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas but was halted just 17 minutes before liftoff. The countdown was paused to allow tr...
-
Chinese Astronauts Strengthen Tiangong’s Defenses Against Space Debris
On Aug. 15, Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk to strengthen the Tiangong space station’s defenses against orbital debris. Working outside the station, they installed new protective panels and inspected external systems. The mission marked Chen Dong’s sixth career EVA—the most by a Chinese astronaut—and...
-
Freedom From Gravity: How Private Companies Are Reshaping Access To Space
As India prepares for its first independent human space mission under the Gaganyaan program, the global landscape is witnessing a renaissance in space travel.
-
NASA Explores Industry Collaboration to Boost Swift Observatory’s Orbit and Extend Its Mission
NASA is partnering with U.S. firms to study boosting the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit, aiming to extend its scientific life and advance orbital servicing technologies. Funded through Phase III SBIR awards, the project explores cost-effective solutions while preserving Swift’s astrophysics role. Collaboration with Starfish Space may al...
-
China Conducts First Test Of Manned Lunar Lander 'Lanyue'
China conducted its first test on Wednesday of a lunar lander that it hopes will put the first Chinese on the moon before 2030, the country's manned space program said.
-
NASA Aims to Deploy Nuclear Reactor on Moon by 2030 for Strategic Power
NASA is accelerating plans to deploy a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to interim head Sean Duffy. The reactor would ensure steady power through long lunar nights and help secure water-ice resources at the Moon’s south pole. China and Russia also aim for lunar reactors by the mid-2030s, sparking a geopolitical “moon ...
-
NASA Awards Firefly $177M for 2029 Mission to Deliver Rovers to Moon’s South Pole
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract for a groundbreaking 2029 mission to the moon’s south pole. The CLPS mission will deploy multiple rovers and scientific instruments to explore permanently shadowed regions, analyze lunar regolith, and search for water ice—key steps toward supporting Artemis program goals and enabling ...
-
NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts
The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce -- at the same time as the president prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
-
NASA’s X-59 Moves Closer to First Flight with Advanced Taxi Tests and Augmented Vision
NASA and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 experimental aircraft, engineered for quiet supersonic travel, is undergoing taxi tests at the U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42. Unique features include its AR-enabled camera vision system and a boom-reducing shape. The X-59 continues NASA’s legacy at Plant 42, home to iconic aerospace programs like the F-22 and Space...
-
NASA Tests Modular Satellite Tech to Cut Launch Costs and Speed Missions
NASA is developing scalable, modular satellite platforms to reduce cost and accelerate science missions. The Athena EPIC spacecraft, built from eight “Satlet” modules, shares control systems among instruments, simplifying integration. Slated to launch in 2025 on a SpaceX rideshare, Athena aims to cut costs from billions to millions per mission....
-
NASA Grounds Boeing Starliner Until 2026 After Test Flight Failures
NASA has grounded Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner until at least 2026 following critical malfunctions during its June 2024 crewed test flight. The mission was cut short due to multiple thruster failures and helium pressurization leaks. NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth empty, leaving the astronauts on the ISS for safety. Engineers traced t...
-
NASA and ISRO Prepare to Launch NISAR Earth-Mapping Satellite
NASA and India’s ISRO are set to launch NISAR, a first-of-its-kind Earth-observing satellite equipped with advanced dual-band radar. Scheduled to lift off no earlier than late July 2025 from Sriharikota, India, NISAR will map nearly all of Earth’s land and ice every 12 days, capturing surface changes with centimeter-level precision. Its L-band ...
-
China Launches Advanced Spacesuits and 7.2 Tons of Supplies to Tiangong Space Station
China has launched the Tianzhou 9 cargo spacecraft carrying 7.2 tons of supplies, including upgraded spacesuits and scientific equipment, to support the Shenzhou 20 crew aboard the Tiangong space station. The mission marks China’s ninth cargo flight and highlights its ongoing investment in maintaining a long-term human presence and scientific res...
-
"Smartphone In Space": All About Dror-1, Israel's 'Next Gen' Satellite
Israel has launched its first fully government-funded and domestically built communications satellite, Dror-1 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dror-1 is the most advanced satellite ever developed by Israel.
-
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Flies to ISS on Axiom-4: A Defining Milestone in Human Spaceflight
India’s participation in the Axiom-4 mission, through astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, represents a giant leap in its space ambitions. As part of the U.S.-launched international mission, India not only contributes to space research but also promotes cultural diplomacy. The success of Ax-04 demonstrates the nation's readiness for Gaganyaan's human spa...
