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SpaceX's Falcon 9 Launch for NASA Delayed Due to Weather Conditions

SpaceX's Falcon 9 Launch for NASA Delayed Due to Weather Conditions

SpaceX's planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station has been delayed due to poor weather conditions. Originally scheduled for May 12, 2026, the launch has been postponed to May 13, 2026, at 6:50 p.m. EDT. The mission, known as CRS-34, involves delivering a Cargo Dragon spacecraft loaded with scientific equipment and supplies to the ISS. The launch will occur from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with the rocket's first stage booster expected to land back at Landing Zone 40, generating a sonic boom across Brevard County. The delay was caused by a slow-moving weather front over Florida, reducing the chances of favorable launch conditions.
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NASA Prepares for Busy Week with SpaceX Dragon Arrival and Spacewalk Preparations

NASA Prepares for Busy Week with SpaceX Dragon Arrival and Spacewalk Preparations

NASA is gearing up for a busy week aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with the upcoming arrival of the SpaceX CRS-34 cargo mission. Scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will deliver approximately 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and lab hardware to the ISS. The Expedition 74 crew, including NASA's Jack Hathaway and ESA's Sophie Adenot, will oversee the Dragon's automated docking. The crew will also engage in various scientific and maintenance activities, including preparing for a Roscosmos spacewalk later this month.
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NASA Prepares Artemis 3 Rocket for 2027 Lunar Lander Test

NASA Prepares Artemis 3 Rocket for 2027 Lunar Lander Test

NASA is advancing its Artemis program with preparations for the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for 2027. The first stage of the Artemis 3 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has been positioned vertically in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This stage will soon be integrated with its engine section. The Artemis 3 mission aims to test lunar landers in Earth's orbit, a shift from its initial plan to conduct a crewed lunar landing. This change is due to delays in the development of the Human Landing System, which includes SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers. The Artemis program's long-term goal is to establish a permanent base at the lunar south pole by the early 2030s.
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NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir Joins SpaceX Crew-12 Mission to ISS

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir Joins SpaceX Crew-12 Mission to ISS

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir has been selected as part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which launched in February 2026. Meir, who was chosen by NASA in 2013, is known for her scientific work on the physiology of animals in extreme environments. She previously served as a flight engineer on the ISS for Expeditions 61 and 62, where she participated in the first all-female spacewalks. The Crew-12 mission also includes NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. This mission continues NASA's collaboration with international partners and private companies to advance space exploration.
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SpaceX Rocket Debris Set to Impact Moon, Highlighting Space Junk Challenges

SpaceX Rocket Debris Set to Impact Moon, Highlighting Space Junk Challenges

A piece of space debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is projected to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026. This debris, identified as the upper stage of the rocket, was launched on January 15, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is currently in a 26-day elliptical orbit around Earth, extending beyond the Moon's average distance. The impact is expected to occur near the Einstein crater on the Moon's far western limb. This event is part of a broader issue of increasing space debris, with approximately 35,000 objects currently tracked by space surveillance networks.
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NASA Hosts 2026 Lunabotics Challenge to Advance Lunar Robotics and STEM Education

NASA Hosts 2026 Lunabotics Challenge to Advance Lunar Robotics and STEM Education

NASA is set to host the 2026 Lunabotics Challenge from May 19 to May 21 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The event will feature 50 college teams from across the U.S. competing to design, build, and operate lunar robot prototypes. These robots must construct berms from simulated lunar regolith to protect Artemis infrastructure on the Moon. The competition aims to engage students in STEM fields and prepare them for future careers in space exploration. Media are invited to attend the event, which will be streamed live on NASA's Lunabotics page.
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NASA Hosts 2026 Lunabotics Robotics Competition to Advance Lunar Mission Preparations

NASA Hosts 2026 Lunabotics Robotics Competition to Advance Lunar Mission Preparations

NASA is set to host its annual Lunabotics Challenge from May 19 to May 21, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. This event will see participation from 50 college teams across the United States, who will design, build, and operate lunar robot prototypes. The competition focuses on creating self-driving rovers capable of constructing berms from simulated lunar regolith. These structures are crucial for protecting Artemis infrastructure on the Moon from debris during landings and launches, as well as providing shade and radiation shielding. The Lunabotics Challenge, part of NASA's Artemis Student Challenges, aims to engage students in STEM fields and prepare them for future careers in space exploration.
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SpaceX eyes global spaceports as Starship launch ambitions grow ahead of IPO

SpaceX eyes global spaceports as Starship launch ambitions grow ahead of IPO

May 12 (Reuters) - SpaceX is scouting potential U.S. and overseas locations to build "spaceports", CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X on Tuesday, as the company prepares for a future in which its massive Starship rocket could launch thousands of times a year.
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NASA Investigates Bacterial Behavior in Space to Enhance Future Missions

NASA Investigates Bacterial Behavior in Space to Enhance Future Missions

NASA's ODYSSEY project is examining how bacteria behave in microgravity environments, with experiments conducted both aboard the International Space Station and in Earth-based microgravity simulators. The research focuses on two bacterial species to understand their growth, biofilm formation, and genetic material exchange in space. This study aims to improve the success of future space missions and develop strategies to control infections in hospitals on Earth. The project is led by Camilla Urbaniak from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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NASA Conducts DNA-Inspired Cancer Research and Biomedical Tests on ISS

NASA Conducts DNA-Inspired Cancer Research and Biomedical Tests on ISS

NASA's International Space Station (ISS) crew has been engaged in a series of scientific and maintenance activities, including DNA-inspired cancer research and biomedical tests. ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot demonstrated the use of an Optical Coherence Tomography machine for eye exams, while NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir worked on the Cold Atom Lab, inspecting its components. The crew also conducted heart and eye health exams, with NASA astronaut Chris Williams focusing on unloading supplies from the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft. The DNA Nano Therapeutics-3 investigation, led by Adenot, involves creating nanomaterials that mimic DNA to develop potential cancer treatments. These activities are part of ongoing efforts to study human health and advanced materials in microgravity.
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NASA and U.S. Space Force Launch STORIE to Study Geomagnetic Storms

NASA and U.S. Space Force Launch STORIE to Study Geomagnetic Storms

NASA and the U.S. Space Force are deploying the STORIE instrument to the International Space Station to investigate the origins of geomagnetic storms. The instrument will help determine whether these storms are powered by solar particles or Earth's atmosphere. Understanding the source of these storms is crucial for managing their impact on satellites, power grids, and other infrastructure. STORIE will analyze the composition of the ring current, a key factor in storm intensity, to provide insights into the storm's origins.
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Cedars-Sinai Researchers Discover Microgravity Enhances Growth of Human Mini-Hearts

Cedars-Sinai Researchers Discover Microgravity Enhances Growth of Human Mini-Hearts

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai in the United States have discovered that microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) facilitate the growth of human cardiac organoids, small three-dimensional structures that mimic early heart tissue. These organoids were produced more efficiently in space than in Earth-based laboratories. The study, led by Arun Sharma, was presented at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation's annual meeting. The research highlights a contrast between the effects of microgravity on adult human hearts, which can lose muscle conditioning, and on developing cardiac cells, which seem to thrive in such conditions. This discovery could have implications for regenerative medicine, although the mini-hearts are not yet ready for clinical use.