Civil
Stories about US and international civil space missions, including those led by NASA and ESA.
NASA Selects Starlink for Artemis III Mission
NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract to deliver laser communications capabilities for its Artemis III mission using Starlink.
TraCSS Looms Large Over Mission Authorization Hearing
A hearing to review the Office of Space Commerce’s (OSC’s) proposed framework for novel mission authorization became a referendum on whether the office can afford to run it.
NASA Releases CLD Draft RFP
NASA is officially moving forward with its original plan to support stand-alone replacements to the ISS, after industry proved its take on human habitation in LEO.
NASA Praises Blue Origin’s Mishap Progress, Announces Moon Base Contracts
NASA said the vendors plan to fly “updated versions of already-flown lander designs” to try to meet the agency’s goal of monthly landings with NASA payloads.
NASA Reverts to Original CLD Procurement Plan
“The industry position will now shape the path forward as NASA proceeds with the original commercial strategy.”
NASA Awards LTV, Lunar Transport Contracts
“For those waiting patiently, the grand return is close at hand,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a press conference at NASA HQ.
Better Moon-Tech Tops NASA Stakeholder Wishlist
Two years ago, NASA asked the space community what technical challenges are giving people the biggest headaches to help NASA prioritize its space tech investments.
ESA Approves Two Scout Science Missions
Europe is on a mission to prove that groundbreaking science can be done on the cheap.
NASA-Funded Research May Create Chinese Security Risk, Report Says
NASA has potentially funded or supported hundreds of scientific collaborations since 2015 that might involve Chinese researchers, a new Congressional report says.
NASA Lays Out Preliminary Artemis III Mission Plan
Artemis III, expected to fly in 2027, will bring astronauts to LEO to test capabilities that will be necessary for the planned Moon landing in 2028.
Isaacman Continues to Defend Budget Cuts to Congress
The hearing also gave Isaacman a chance to provide more detail on the agency’s top objective: accelerate the US return to the Moon.
Lawmakers Promise to Reject Proposed NASA Cuts—Again
“I simply do not believe that this budget proposal is capable of supporting what President [Donald] Trump himself has directed the agency to accomplish,” Babin said.
Axiom Space’s Suit Set to Fly in 2027
“From a production standpoint, we’re putting together the first qualification suit,” Michael López-Alegría, the company’s chief astronaut, told Payload. “That continues regardless of what they say.”
