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In parallel with rocket development, Firefly launches lunar lander initiative
A souped-up version of the Israeli Beresheet moon lander built in Texas could be ready to carry NASA science and technology payloads to the lunar surface before the end of 2022, according to officials from Firefly Aerospace.
NASA, JAXA assign two more astronauts to second piloted Crew Dragon flight
Veteran astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Shannon Walker have been assigned to fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX's second piloted Crew Dragon mission later this year, joining commander Mike Hopkins and astronaut Victor Glover on a planned six-month expedition in orbit.
Back in Florida, Orion capsule nears readiness for Artemis test flight
The Orion spacecraft slated to fly around the moon on an unpiloted mission next year has arrived back at the Kennedy Space Center following an environmental test campaign in Ohio, ready for a series of final checkouts before officials pause launch preparations this summer to await readiness of NASA's Space Launch System.
NASA picks SpaceX to deliver cargo to Gateway station in lunar orbit
NASA has selected SpaceX to deliver supplies to the planned Gateway mini-space station in lunar orbit using a new version of the Dragon cargo vehicle launched atop Falcon Heavy rockets.
NASA, U.S. military reviewing SpaceX engine malfunction
NASA and U.S. military officials are reviewing a malfunction that triggered a premature engine shutdown during a flight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket earlier this month, a cautionary step before upcoming launches with a GPS navigation satellite and astronauts on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Astronaut’s family won’t attend launch next month due to coronavirus threat
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy's family will be watching remotely from halfway around the world when he blasts off April 9 from Kazakhstan to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station.
Facing pandemic, NASA shutters rocket factory, halts SLS and Orion testing
NASA announced Thursday that work on the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket and Orion crew capsule at facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi is being halted due to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, a stoppage that could force further delays on the already behind-schedule and over-budget programs. Meanwhile, NASA officials are making plans to continue working on the agency's next Mars rover to keep it on schedule for launch later this year, even if the virus forces further closures.
SpaceX selected to launch Intelsat telecom satellite, NASA pollution monitor
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch an Intelsat communications satellite with a NASA-funded air pollution monitor to be positioned over the Americas in 2022, officials announced Tuesday.
NASA no longer counting on Gateway for 2024 moon landing
NASA is modifying plans to send astronauts back to the moon in 2024 by taking the Gateway -- a mini-space station to be assembled in lunar orbit -- out of the critical path in favor of a simplified architecture, according to the agency's chief of human spaceflight.
NASA inspector general says SLS moon rocket costs continue to climb
The powerful Space Launch System rocket being built for NASA's Artemis moon program by Boeing, using solid-propellant boosters from Northrop Grumman and main engines from Aerojet Rocketdyne, will have cost more than $18 billion by the time it blasts off on its maiden flight in 2021, NASA's Office of Inspector General reported Tuesday.