August 27, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ August 27, 2025 ] SpaceX completes 400th Falcon booster landing on a drone ship Mission Reports
  • [ August 27, 2025 ] SpaceX successfully launches Super Heavy-Starship on critical test flight Mission Reports
  • [ August 27, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
  • [ August 26, 2025 ] Launch preview: SpaceX tries for third time to launch Starship Flight 10 from Starbase, Texas Mission Reports
  • [ August 26, 2025 ] SpaceX launches Luxembourg’s NAOS, 7 other rideshare satellites from California Falcon 9

Mars Ascent Vehicle

News

Northrop Grumman to supply solid rocket motors for first Mars Ascent Vehicle

March 29, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth as much as $84.5 million earlier this month to supply rocket motors for a first-of-its-kind launch vehicle to fire a capsule of rock samples off of Mars on a journey back to Earth.

Mission Reports

NASA narrows design for rocket to launch samples off of Mars

April 20, 2020 Stephen Clark

After years of studies, test-firings and a survey of U.S. industry in preparation for launch of a Mars Sample Return mission in 2026, NASA has settled on a solid-fueled design for a miniature rocket with a first-of-its-kind purpose: Launching a payload from Mars for a trip back to Earth.

News

NASA, ESA officials seek formal approvals for Mars sample return mission

September 16, 2019 Stephen Clark

After crystallizing a partnership to retrieve samples from the surface of Mars and return them to Earth, NASA and European Space Agency officials are seeking government funding commitments before the end of this year to carry out a multibillion-dollar robotic mission that could depart Earth with a pair of rocket launches as soon as 2026.

News

NASA studies mission to return samples from Mars by end of 2020s

August 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

NASA is examining options to launch a robotic mission as soon as 2026 to pick up rock specimens from the surface of Mars and bring them back to Earth, moving forward the timeline for a sample return mission as the agency postpones plans for a new Mars reconnaissance and data relay orbiter.

News Headlines

  • SpaceX completes 400th Falcon booster landing on a drone ship
    August 27, 2025
  • SpaceX successfully launches Super Heavy-Starship on critical test flight
    August 27, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    August 27, 2025
  • Launch preview: SpaceX tries for third time to launch Starship Flight 10 from Starbase, Texas
    August 26, 2025
  • SpaceX launches Luxembourg’s NAOS, 7 other rideshare satellites from California
    August 26, 2025
  • Poor weather delays Starship Flight 10 to Tuesday
    August 25, 2025
  • Cargo ship docks with International Space Station
    August 25, 2025
  • SpaceX scrubs crucial 10th test flight of Starship
    August 24, 2025
  • NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon to the ISS on extended cargo, station boosting mission
    August 24, 2025
  • Launch preview: NASA, SpaceX to launch Cargo Dragon on a mission to boost space station orbit
    August 23, 2025
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