January 18, 2026
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Breaking News
  • [ January 16, 2026 ] NRO, SpaceX launch reconnaissance satellites from Vandenberg Falcon 9
  • [ January 15, 2026 ] Crew 11 safely splashes down after shortened mission Mission Reports
  • [ January 14, 2026 ] NASA, SpaceX conduct ‘medical evacuation’ Crew-11 return to Earth Mission Reports
  • [ January 14, 2026 ] SpaceX breaks pad turnaround record at Cape Canaveral with midday Starlink launch Falcon 9
  • [ January 13, 2026 ] U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch Falcon 9

Dust Storm

Mission Reports

Engineers still hopeful Mars rover will wake up after dust storm

August 22, 2018 William Harwood

Flight controllers have not heard from NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover since June 10 when an increasingly severe global dust storm blocked out the sun, preventing its solar arrays from recharging the robot’s batteries. But the dust storm is finally abating and engineers are hopeful the long-lived rover will wake up and phone home in the next few weeks.

Mission Reports

Growing dust storm encircles Mars, rover remains silent

June 21, 2018 Stephen Clark

The effects of a global dust storm on Mars have been observed by NASA’s plutonium-powered Curiosity rover, which continues its scientific campaign as the thick veil of dust continues starving the aging Opportunity rover of solar energy on the other side of the planet.

Mission Reports

Huge dust storm knocks aging Mars rover out of contact with Earth

June 13, 2018 William Harwood

NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover, 14 years past its original 90-day design life, has dropped out of contact with Earth after powering down everything but its master clock in a bid to weather a huge dust storm that is blotting out the sun, preventing the solar-powered rover from recharging its batteries, mission managers said Wednesday.

News Headlines

  • NRO, SpaceX launch reconnaissance satellites from Vandenberg
    January 16, 2026
  • Crew 11 safely splashes down after shortened mission
    January 15, 2026
  • NASA, SpaceX conduct ‘medical evacuation’ Crew-11 return to Earth
    January 14, 2026
  • SpaceX breaks pad turnaround record at Cape Canaveral with midday Starlink launch
    January 14, 2026
  • U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch
    January 13, 2026
  • ISS gains new commander as Crew-11 prepares midweek departure
    January 13, 2026
  • SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    January 12, 2026
  • India’s PSLV suffers second consecutive launch failure, 16 satellites lost
    January 12, 2026
  • SpaceX deploys NASA’s Pandora, other smallsats amid 1st ‘Twilight’ rideshare mission
    January 10, 2026
  • L3Harris announces $845 million majority sale of Space Propulsion and Power Systems business
    January 9, 2026
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