Space Explored

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is getting closer and closer, being just over a month away, and that means the rocket is getting ready for launch. The Space Launch System received some special decal work for its launch in February; “America 250” can be seen in a recent NASA picture on both the rocket’s boosters.

In what was supposed to be a charge into the new future of lunar exploration and electric vehicles, NASA’s Artemis program has once again taken a step into the past. TechCrunch reports that the agency, alongside other government agencies, will no longer use Canoo’s EV vans for crew transport of Artemis astronauts.

While robotic missions like China’s upcoming Chang’e-7 are expected to map resources and test technologies at the Moon’s south pole, NASA’s Artemis 2 mission represents a different but equally critical pillar of the modern lunar race: the return of humans to deep space beyond low Earth orbit. Scheduled for launch no earlier than February 6, 2026, Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program and the first human journey beyond Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

In what was very much a not-normal confirmation process, today marks day one of Jared Isaacman‘s tenure as NASA Administrator. The billionaire and commercial astronaut will now be able to take over the reins and begin managing the largest space agency in the world.

SpaceX is once again facing a setback in getting its Starship rocket closer to being operational. Meanwhile, Blue Origin is taking slow but steady steps toward having a capable Mark 1 lunar lander. Would NASA be silly not to switch providers for Artemis 3’s lander?

For all their power, rockets remain at the mercy of the sky. A launch vehicle can withstand hundreds of tons of thrust, heat that rivals the Sun’s surface, and the vibrations comparable to a small earthquake – but a shift in wind or a charged cloud layer can still stop everything on the pad.

After an hour and a half attempt, Blue Origin scrubbed its New Glenn NG-2 mission due to weather concerns. It wasn’t the only issue the company ran into during the countdown, but why did weather specifically cause the delay? And when will it launch again?

President Trump has renominated private astronaut and tech billionaire Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. This comes as both a surprise and is not at all, beating out Acting Administrator Sean Duffy for the job.

It’s been nine months into President Trump’s second term, and the government’s most popular and beloved agency is still without proper leadership. Some rumbles have made it sound like that could change soon, but we’re still awaiting official word.

Blue Origin may just have a shot at taking away SpaceX’s prized Artemis 3 crewed lunar landing, as the company has fallen behind its goals to get an HLS Starship variant ready for a 2027 attempt. Now NASA is looking at new options that may be able to get a lander ready faster.

Astronomers using the ATLAS telescope in Chile detected a faint, fast-moving object on July 1 that was later confirmed to be traveling on a hyperbolic path through the solar system. The object, now designated 3I/ATLAS, is the third known interstellar body ever discovered, following ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019.

The Dreamchaser spaceplane has long been under development by Sierra Space and its parent company, Sierra Nevada Corporation. While intended to serve as the third option of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract, a change in its development timeline has removed that as an obligation.

The race to return humans to the Moon is not just about planting a flag. At stake is something less visible but far more consequential: who sets the rules, builds the infrastructure, and defines the operating playbook for the next era of space exploration. And the answer could ripple far beyond the Moon, shaping how – and how soon – humans reach Mars. 

NASA is gearing up for a landmark late-September launch featuring three pivotal spacecraft: the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO-L1). The missions are being prepared at Astrotech Space Operations, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary in Titusville that has become one of the nation’s premier spacecraft processing hubs.

When a spacecraft lands on Mars or slams into an asteroid millions of miles away, chances are it came from one of two labs: the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory or the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. NASA may be the face of American space exploration, but behind that iconic logo are world-class research centers shaping how we reach, explore, and understand the cosmos. JPL and APL are two of the most influential.

Yesterday, SpaceX was forced to scrub its launch of NASA’s Crew-11 mission to the ISS due to a rather nasty cloud that rolled over the launch pad. Today, SpaceX will reattempt; however, the chances of good launch weather have gotten worse, and that may be the theme for the rest of the weekend.

Today, at 12:09 P.M. ET, SpaceX will launch the next rotation of four astronauts to the International Space Station. The mission will be more than just delivering new crew members; the Crew-11 mission will see some differences that show just how the ISS program is changing.

Austin, Texas’ ICON is quietly transforming how humanity builds – on Earth and beyond. The construction technology company, known for its innovative 3D‑printed homes, has begun applying its expertise to space. Its advanced robotic systems and signature material, Lavacrete, are being adapted to construct off‑world habitats and infrastructure using local planetary materials.

For the first time, an instrument on the International Space Station is being used to combat pollution entering the coast of California. Another reason NASA science is increasingly important for use here on Earth.

In the wake of the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, a wave of headlines has described NASA’s future in stark, often dire terms. Phrases like “extinction-level event” and “gutting science” have circulated widely, creating the impression the agency is on the verge of collapse. The proposed cuts are indeed significant – but from a reporting standpoint, the broader picture appears more layered than many early reactions suggest.

NASA announced this week that NASA+, the agency’s new streaming service, will be making the leap to another streaming service, Netflix. However, NASA+ will still be available, for free, on the agency’s website.