Space news

Policymakers and industry warn that money alone won’t solve structural bottlenecks The post Washington agrees on space urgency, but not on how to deliver appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA will roll the largest section of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, which will launch the second crewed Artemis mission, out of the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Monday, April 20. What’s called the top four-fifths of the SLS core stage – the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid […]

NASA’s 32nd annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge, one of the agency’s longest-standing student challenges, culminated April 10-11 with its final excursion event at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Spanning nine months, the challenge tasks student teams from around the world to design, build, and test […]

The global space community is looking to build on a wave of momentum to expand its civil and national security sectors and sustain the industry’s resurgence well into the future. Heather Pringle, the Space Foundation’s chief executive officer and a retired Air Force major general, previewed the nonprofit’s annual Space Symposium, now in its 41st […] The post Q&A: Heather Pringle on what to expect from Space Symposium appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA has selected Development Seed of Washington to provide research and development services to the Office of Data Science and Informatics (ODSI) at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The award is a performance-based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum potential value of $76 million. A phase-in period begins on May 15, 2026, […]

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft has been installed to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port of the International Space Station. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. Filled with more than 11,000 pounds of research and supplies, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, carried on a SpaceX Falcon […]

Six launches are scheduled worldwide this week, with the third launch of Blue Origin’s New… The post Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch Starlink satellites, New Glenn to launch with flown booster appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Written by Susanne P. Schwenzer, Professor of Planetary Mineralogy at The Open University, UK Earth planning date: Friday, April 3, 2026 I was the geology science team lead on Monday for planning Sols 4852-4853, when our data did not arrive on time for planning. Thus, we got creative as a team thinking what we could […]

Written by Lucy Thompson, APXS Strategic Planner and Planetary Geologist at the University of New Brunswick, Canada Earth planning date: Friday, March 27, 2026 Last weekend’s drive took us just over the southernmost contact of the boxwork terrain with the surrounding layered sulfate unit. This was our third time crossing this contact, providing an excellent […]

Fresh off their return to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts will hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, April 16, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss their historic mission around the Moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen, will […]

Phantom Space believes it now has the key pieces of a vertically integrated model to compete on the edges of the emerging orbital data center market, where industry giants are already staking claims to meet soaring AI-driven demand. The Tucson, Arizona-based satellite and rocket developer recently acquired what it sees as a critical missing piece: […] The post Phantom Space eyes edge in orbital data race with thermal deal appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Aerospace Corp. plans to offer industry access to its expertise and facilities through a new program called government furnished talent (GFT). By providing companies with access to the Federally Funded Research and Development Center’s talent, technology, expertise and laboratory infrastructure, Aerospace intends to help accelerate development of space capabilities, Aerospace CEO Tanya Pemberton told […] The post Aerospace to support industry with government furnished talent appeared first on SpaceNews.

A historic mission to the moon. A record-setting budget for the Space Force. Billions of dollars in new valuations. As the 41st Space Symposium opens in Colorado Springs, optimism is bountiful for the space industry. At the same time, leaders are emphasizing speed, near-perfect execution and new ways of working together across government and industry. […] The post Spring fever pitch: Three questions to listen for this Space Symposium appeared first on SpaceNews.

The future of space is commercial, with American companies critical to establishing a moon base and developing a vibrant economy in low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond. The Trump administration has set a goal to attract at least $50 billion of new investment in American space markets by 2028. Sure, $50 billion is a big […] The post The path to $50 billion in new space investment appeared first on SpaceNews.

At 1:20 p.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Chris Williams, with assistance from NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, captured Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft using the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century are back on Earth after a record-setting mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Christina Koch (mission specialist), Victor Glover (pilot), and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) pose for a group photo in the well […]

After spending nine days in space, visiting the Moon for the first time in a generation, and traveling farther from home than anyone in history, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission is safe on Earth once again.

Amazon has unveiled the antenna its upcoming constellation would use to provide gigabit speeds to commercial aircraft, after gaining ground with major airlines despite Starlink’s LEO broadband dominance. The post Amazon reveals aviation antenna as LEO inflight connectivity race intensifies appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA's coverage is underway on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel for the capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

The vehicle launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday, April 11, at 7:41 a.m. EDT (1141 UTC). Capture by the space station’s Canadarm2 is anticipated on Monday, April 13, at about 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 UTC).

China has conducted what appears to be a wet dress rehearsal for its Long March 10B, paving the way for a potential launch within weeks. The post Fueling test suggests imminent debut of China’s reusable Long March 10B rocket appeared first on SpaceNews.

Seattle startup aims to pre-position spacecraft in orbit for rapid deployment The post Gravitics targets 2027 flight test for ‘orbital carrier’ architecture appeared first on SpaceNews.

New nighttime maps based on NASA satellite imagery are upending assumptions, revealing a world where artificial brightening and dimming have intensified over the past decade. The findings show intense flaring over major oil and gas fields in the United States, while factors such as rural electrification and energy conservation are changing how billions around the […]

The first‑of‑its‑kind ship‑to‑ship call between astronauts on deep‑space and low Earth orbit missions.On 7 April, the Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, together with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, spoke with Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir of NASA, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot aboard the International Space Station.

Easy access to space depends as much on ground communications as on launch availability or satellite design. In a quickly growing commercial space market, an increasing number of operational services […] The post Near real-time payload data delivery with SSC Space Go appeared first on SpaceNews.

Washington Harbour Partners leads round, with participation from other investment firms The post Citra Space raises $15 million Series A to expand platform for identifying objects in orbit appeared first on SpaceNews.

Earth’s orbit is “on track for a catastrophe.” That was the rather alarming prediction of the authors of a recent piece published in The Conversation. As the argument goes, orbit is filling up fast, and both nation-states and private companies plan to add tens of thousands of spacecraft to the thousands already there. This has […] The post Orbit is filling up fast. Now comes the awkward bit: pre-empting and handling a crisis. appeared first on SpaceNews.

ODC.space aims to streamline procurement of satellites for on-orbit computing The post Atomic-6 unveils online marketplace for orbital data centers appeared first on SpaceNews.

A luminous swirl set against the deep black of space, the barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. IC 486 lies right on the edge of the constellation Gemini (the Twins), around 380 million light-years from Earth. Classified as a barred spiral galaxy, […]

Artemis II completed a 10-day journey around the Moon, carrying humanity farther into space than it has gone in over 50 years.

The chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA says he opposes proposed cuts to part of NASA’s budget and will seek to fund the agency at 2026 levels. The post Key Senate appropriator rejects proposed NASA budget cuts appeared first on SpaceNews.

As a wave of plans for low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellations enters the market, a 63-year-old former NASA Branch Chief and Google executive is betting on narrow beams, higher […] The post Q&A: Building a broadband constellation for a contested space era appeared first on SpaceNews.

The European Space Agency has opened its call for proposals to develop a crew launch abort demonstrator, a project first announced on 28 November 2025. With the call now open, the agency has published additional information about the project, including a budget of €1 million for this initial phase of the demonstrator’s development. Officially opened […] The post ESA Publishes New Details on Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator appeared first on European Spaceflight.

COLORADO SPRINGS – Sophia Space will begin deploying edge compute nodes on Kepler Communications satellites in late 2026, under a strategic pact announced April 13. Through the partnership, Sophia Space will demonstrate its Orbital Data Center (ODC) software, while relying on Kepler’s optical data relay network “to enable distributed, resilient compute infrastructure in space,” according […] The post Sophia and Kepler to marry orbital compute with optical links appeared first on SpaceNews.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of April 12-18, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session […]

Following the successful return of Orion, attention for the Artemis program has now shifted to… The post Ship 39 and Booster 19 Roll out for Static Fire Testing appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Rocket Lab has won a contract from Japanese radar satellite company iQPS for three additional Electron launches. The post Rocket Lab wins contract for three more iQPS launches appeared first on SpaceNews.

The four astronauts who flew around the Moon and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean yesterday are now back in Houston. The USS John P. Murtha recovery ship returned to […]

A Falcon 9 launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft April 11 as Northrop Grumman continues its dependence on a competitor to fly resupply missions to the International Space Station. The post Falcon 9 launches Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS appeared first on SpaceNews.

Los primeros astronautas en viajar a la Luna en más de medio siglo han regresado a la Tierra tras una misión que ha establecido nuevos récords a bordo del vuelo de prueba Artemis II de la NASA. Los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch, y el astronauta Jeremy Hansen de la […]

NASA is sending more science, technology demonstrations, and crew supplies to the International Space Station following the successful launch of the agency’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft, carrying approximately 11,000 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, lifted off at 7:41 a.m. EDT Saturday […]

Weeks after Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus S.S. William McCool ended its CRS NG-23 mission with a… The post Falcon 9 launches CRS NG-24 cargo ship to ISS appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft deployed its two solar arrays after launching earlier today at 7:41 a.m. EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services-24, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24.

Cygnus XL Cargo Craft Launches to Resupply Expedition 74 Crew

This image from April 10, 2026, captures NASA’s Orion spacecraft, with its parachutes deployed, seconds before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Artemis II crew accomplished many milestones on their nearly 10-day mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and capturing views of the far side of the Moon. Under Artemis, NASA […]

NASA is cheering the return of the Artemis II crew tonight after a 9-day mission around the Moon. Administrator Jared Isaacman aboard the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha declared […]

"The work ahead is greater than the work behind us."

The first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century are back on Earth after a record-setting mission aboard NASA’s Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT Friday off the coast […]

East Aurora, NY – Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B), a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and systems integrator of high-performance precision motion and fluid controls and control systems, highlights the critical […] The post Moog Technology Keeps Artemis II Astronauts Safe During Historic Lunar Mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Artemis II crew is back on Earth after the first trip around the Moon since 1972. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency […]