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Starship is due to fly again from Texas as SpaceX eyes major milestone

Starship is due to fly again from Texas as SpaceX eyes major milestone

The primary objective of SpaceX's next Starship flight is for the world's largest rocket to reach orbit for the first time in three years of tests.

President Trump's Space Academy Initiative Faces Congressional Scrutiny and Funding Questions

President Trump's Space Academy Initiative Faces Congressional Scrutiny and Funding Questions

President Trump's administration has initiated the creation of a Space Academy, to be managed by NASA, with the goal of training both military and civilian professionals for space development. This follows the establishment of the U.S. Space Force during his first term. NASA recently issued a formal request for proposals from all 50 states to host the new academy, seeking a 300-acre site, ideally near existing NASA facilities or university campuses. The academy is projected to initially accommodate 1,200 undergraduates, with potential expansion to 4,000. While the initiative aims to secure U.S. dominance in space, it has drawn criticism from some members of Congress. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) labeled the project as 'a duplicated, expensive, and unserious idea,' while Representative George Whitesides (D-CA) questioned its funding. Representative Zoe Loefgren (D-CA) emphasized that Congress intends to be involved in decision-making regarding the academy, regardless of the White House's preferences. Th...

NASA Management Decisions Jeopardize Future Space Missions, Engineers Allege

NASA Management Decisions Jeopardize Future Space Missions, Engineers Allege

NASA engineers and scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are raising concerns that management decisions to rapidly relocate labs and equipment are compromising the agency's ability to conduct future space missions. According to NPR, current and former employees report that forced moves over the past 10 months have led to the loss of specialized workspaces, critical equipment, and skilled personnel. These disruptions have reportedly impacted ongoing projects, including the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the GRITSS satellite. Engineers claim they were forced to launch the GRITSS satellite without adequate testing of its radio communications, and work on the DAVINCI mission to Venus was delayed due to a lack of lab space. Internal NASA documents reviewed by NPR indicate that these moves were intended to reduce costs and eliminate redundancies, aligning with a master plan for Goddard's campus to avoid tens of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance. However, employees...

NASA's Roman Space Telescope Exceeds Fuel Projections, Doubling Potential Mission Lifetime

NASA's Roman Space Telescope Exceeds Fuel Projections, Doubling Potential Mission Lifetime

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is projected to have its operational lifetime more than doubled, from an initial 10 years to at least 22 years, due to significant fuel savings. This extended lifespan is attributed to several factors: the exceptional accuracy of its first mid-course correction maneuver, which used less than 10% of the budgeted fuel; additional fuel loaded prior to launch because the spacecraft was lighter than initially projected; and anticipated further savings from its upcoming second mid-course correction and orbital insertion. The first burn, executed on August 31, was over 99% accurate and consumed only about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of fuel, far less than the 441 pounds (200 kilograms) allocated. The spacecraft's actual launch weight of 17,760 pounds (8,056 kilograms) was significantly below the conservative maximum weight of 21,605 pounds (9,800 kilograms) used for fuel budgeting, allowing for propellant tanks to be filled beyond the 10-year requirement. These efficiencies m...

Why Space Shuttle Enterprise Shares Its Name With a Fictional Starship

Why Space Shuttle Enterprise Shares Its Name With a Fictional Starship

Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) holds a unique place in public imagination, not just for its role in NASA's test program, but also for its iconic...

Alabama Congressional Delegation Advocates for Huntsville as Site for U.S. Space Academy

Alabama Congressional Delegation Advocates for Huntsville as Site for U.S. Space Academy

The Alabama Republican congressional delegation, led by U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, has sent a letter to the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Space Academy, advocating for North Alabama, specifically Huntsville, as the ideal location for the proposed institution. The letter emphasizes the region's existing infrastructure, expertise, and historical contributions to the U.S. space program. U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, among other delegation members, highlighted North Alabama's unique position, citing President Trump's decision to uphold the move of Space Command to Redstone, along with the presence of NASA, military, industry, and research institutions. President Trump signed an executive order on August 28, proposing the creation of a U.S. Space Academy, led by NASA, to train future space leaders.

Rocket Lab Protests NASA's Mars Spacecraft Contract Award to Blue Origin

Rocket Lab Protests NASA's Mars Spacecraft Contract Award to Blue Origin

Rocket Lab has filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office regarding NASA's decision to award a $700 million contract for a Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft to Blue Origin. Rocket Lab claims that NASA's award decision is inconsistent with eligibility criteria mandated by Congress and that the agency's technical review of Rocket Lab's proposal was 'punitive' and 'inconsistent,' containing incorrect assertions and conclusions. This protest follows NASA's selection of Blue Origin earlier this month to develop, launch, and operate a spacecraft designed to orbit Mars and relay transmissions to Earth. Blue Origin has expressed concern that the protest could delay the mission's planned 2028 launch, emphasizing the critical nature of timely deployment due to limited Mars launch windows. The dispute highlights a contentious procurement process that has involved technical proposals, political maneuvers, and public exchanges between the competing companies.

NASA Launches Public 'Adopt-a-Pixel' Campaign for Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA Launches Public 'Adopt-a-Pixel' Campaign for Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA has initiated a public engagement campaign, 'Adopt-a-Pixel,' for the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. This initiative invites astronomy enthusiasts and the general public to symbolically 'adopt' pixels from the telescope's Wide Field Instrument (WFI) camera array. Participants can select or be assigned a specific coordinate within the 300-megapixel camera, receiving a digital certificate that details the technical specifications of their chosen pixel, its sensor identification, and explanatory notes on the cosmic phenomena it might capture. The campaign aims to connect the public with the technical intricacies of the mission, which is designed for large-scale panoramic surveys, covering a field of view 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope while maintaining comparable spatial resolution.

Satellites show Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 years

Satellites show Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 years

A major report has found that 12.5 trillion tons of ice from Greenland and Antarctica have melted since 1979

NASA Welcomes Djibouti as 72nd Signatory to Artemis Accords for Lunar Exploration

NASA Welcomes Djibouti as 72nd Signatory to Artemis Accords for Lunar Exploration

Djibouti has officially become the 72nd nation and the eighth African country to sign the Artemis Accords. The signing ceremony took place at NASA Headquarters in Washington, with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosting the event. Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States Mohamed Siad Douale signed on behalf of his nation, joined by U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Frank Garcia. The Artemis Accords are a set of practical principles designed to enhance transparency, safety, and coordination among nations involved in lunar exploration and beyond. President Trump has directed NASA to return Americans to the lunar surface, establish a lasting presence, and prepare for human exploration of Mars. NASA aims to achieve these goals through international collaboration, offering opportunities for Accords nations to contribute hardware, scientific payloads, technology demonstrations, and other capabilities to future missions. Djibouti launched its national space program in 2020 a...

NASA Astronaut Candidates Undergo Rigorous Training for Future Space Missions

NASA Astronaut Candidates Undergo Rigorous Training for Future Space Missions

NASA's 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class is currently undergoing a comprehensive and rigorous training program, approximately halfway through its nearly two-year duration. The training is designed to prepare them for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and ultimately Mars. Key components of their summer training included extensive geology studies, with classroom sessions at Johnson Space Center and field training in New Mexico and Iceland, focusing on observations, sampling, and navigation relevant to lunar missions. Flight training involved flying NASA's WB-57s and T-38 supersonic jets to build confidence and adaptability. Candidates also participated in altitude chamber runs to familiarize themselves with high-altitude and space conditions, and water survival training in the Neutral Buoyacy Laboratory to prepare for potential remote landings. Additionally, they are engaged in intensive Russian language classes, cross-cultural training, spacecraft systems operation, spacewalk training, and emergency proce...

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Seeks Director for ISS Vehicle Office to Oversee Spacecraft Development and Operations

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Seeks Director for ISS Vehicle Office to Oversee Spacecraft Development and Operations

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is actively recruiting a Director for its International Space Station (ISS) Vehicle Office. This pivotal role involves chairing the ISS Vehicle Control Board, which is responsible for managing the development, design, operations, and maintenance of the ISS vehicle. The Director will also oversee the establishment of integrated vehicle systems requirements, verification methods, interface specifications, and operational modes. Key responsibilities include directing hardware lifecycle activities from design to flight readiness, managing sparing and logistics planning to prevent on-orbit failures, and integrating ISS vehicle system designs across NASA, prime contractors, and international partners. Furthermore, the position entails managing the Russian FGB Module, leading requirements development for exploration-related technology demonstrations, and addressing technical and risk issues associated with ISS-attached commercial vehicles. The Director will also manage multidisc...