NASA announces several lunar missions, including three Moon Base missions, to prepare for the 2028 crewed Artemis landing, featuring various landers, rovers, and scientific payloads.
China launched Shenzhou 23 with three astronauts, including Lai Ka-ying from Hong Kong, to its Tiangong space station. One astronaut will stay for a year to study long-duration spaceflight effects.
SpaceX scrubbed the first launch of its third-generation Starship rocket system from Starbase, Texas, due to issues with launchpad systems. The company plans another attempt for Friday, a crucial test amid SpaceX's expected IPO.
NASA confirmed Thursday that the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) is experiencing atmospheric leaks again, a problem previously thought resolved. The leaks, caused by microscopic cracks in the PrK module, are being managed by reducing pressure, with no immediate impact on station operations or astronauts.
NASA has released a $700M contract solicitation for a Mars Telecommunications Network orbiter, sparking debate over its 'full and open competition' status. The requirement for bidders to have previously proposed a Mars Sample Return orbiter favors companies like Rocket Lab, potentially linked to Senator Roger Wicker's interests.
NASA's Artemis III mission, now set for low-Earth orbit in 2027, will test Orion spacecraft capabilities with SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 landers, delaying lunar landing preparations amid concerns over lander maturity.
Alan Shepard's 1961 flight, the first by an American, proved the US could send humans to space and back, restoring national confidence during the Cold War. It laid the groundwork for current programs like Artemis, which aims for permanent space infrastructure.
NASA's Orion spacecraft successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, returning the four-person Artemis II crew safely to Earth and marking humanity's first voyage to the Moon in nearly 54 years.
The successful conclusion of the Artemis II mission marks a return to deep space, but NASA now faces significant challenges in developing lunar landers, spacesuits, and refining spacecraft systems for the more complex Artemis III and IV missions.
NASA has released an official collectible plush toy of Rise, the fan-created zero-g indicator that flew aboard the Artemis II mission. Designed by 9-year-old Lucas Ye of California who won NASA's Moon Mascot challenge, Rise pays tribute to the iconic earthrise image first witnessed by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968. The $25 plush reproduces the blue-and-green cap, rocket ship design, and star field forming the Orion constellation. Sales benefit NASA's employee morale activities, with delivery taking up to eight weeks.
Artemis II set a new record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13. In an interview, Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise said the old record mattered little to him compared with the lunar landing his crew never made.
