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.

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.

Jared Isaacman, best known for commanding private astronaut missions such as Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, has pivoted from his sudden departure as NASA’s Administrator nominee to lead a bold new front: mobilizing private capital for space science. At the June 21 International Space Development Conference in Orlando, where he accepted the National Space Society’s Wernher von Braun Award, he shared his vision for privately funded robotic science missions developed in partnership with top-tier universities. 

NASA has shared that it will be shutting down many of its social accounts in favor of a more streamlined strategy with fewer accounts. The move has stirred controversy, with some thinking the change will make finding engaging content easier, while others are concerned that some NASA information won’t get shared at all.

In two studies published this year, researchers have confirmed the discovery of previously unknown bacterial species aboard China’s Tiangong space station and within NASA’s high-sterility clean rooms. Though some of the sample collection dates back to earlier missions – most notably swabs taken aboard Tiangong in 2023 and NASA’s clean room linked to the 2007 Phoenix Mars lander – the timing of the publications is critical.

Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to submit Jared Isaacman‘s nomination for NASA Administrator favorably to the full Senate. This is the final step before Isaacman can be confirmed as the new administrator.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will vote on Jared Isaacman‘s confirmation as NASA’s next Administrator on Wednesday. Both the Committee’s Republicans and Democrats released Isaacman’s written questions, so here’s what he thinks about some of the key issues facing NASA right now.

A new space telescope that is 87% paid for, on schedule, and on budget, could be completely canned if President Trump’s proposed budget makes it law for NASA. That wouldn’t be the only thing of NASA’s that would be going away either.

With NASA‘s DC headquarters’ lease up in 2028, the space agency is looking for a new home and suitors are already lining up. While it sounds crazy that you would take a government agency out of the political center of the US, some states think it’s possible.

Forget laser interlinks, Boeing is working on a new form of in-space communications that may be just as fast and infinitely secure. The company, alongside its partnership with HRL Laboratories, hit a milestone in creating its first satellites for its quantum communications demo in 2026.

Last week, Jared Isaacman sat in front of his first Congressional hearing in what is expected to be his new career as NASA Administrator. On Wednesday, Isaacman sat in front of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for his confirmation hearing, answering any questions the Senators wished before they voted on giving him the job or not. Here are five things we could expect from potential Administrator Isaacman if he is confirmed.

After a rather space-packed first term, many expected the same to happen during President Trump‘s second term. However, we are approaching two-thirds of the way through Trump’s 100 days, and we still don’t have a firm understanding of his space goals.

Early Friday morning, if you were brave enough to stay up late or wake up early to see it, the Moon passed through Earth’s shadow, turning the surface a reddish-orange tint. This is known as a lunar eclipse or “blood moon.” These happen about as often as solar eclipses but can cover much larger parts of the Earth, so when is the next one?

In case you’re going to be up late tonight, you might want to take a chance to look up at the Moon as it will be turning colors, to red! Tonight will be a rare moment to witness a total lunar eclipse. While not as rare as a solar eclipse, it is still not something you see often.

Last month, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a small commercial lunar lander toward the Moon. Among its payloads is a retroreflector designed to enable precise measurements of the distance to Earth’s nearest celestial body while also testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

Satellite-based mineral exploration company Fleet Space Technologies, located in Adelaide, South Australia, recently secured $100 million in Series D funding. The funding round was led by Teachers’ Venture Growth, a division of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. 

President-elect Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to nominate private astronaut and businessman Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. While Isaacman has had massive success in the private market and building his own space program, does he have the “Right Stuff” to lead the world’s premier space agency?

Nearing four years ago, the Arecibo Telescope’s instrument platform collapsed and destroyed the massive radio telescope’s dish below. What caused it has still remained a massive mystery, but a new study might finally shed some light on what could have caused the loss of one of the National Science Foundation’s most important research tools.

Former President Trump came away Tuesday night with a decisive Electoral College victory to return to the White House next year. With this being his second term, how could these next four years look for NASA, the Space Force, and commercial companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin?

NASA is moving forward with critical decisions on its Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, aiming to reduce costs and expedite the return of samples from the Red Planet. On October 15, NASA received the final reports from 12 studies commissioned to explore alternative architectures.