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Artemis 2 ICPS stacked, Lockheed hands Orion over to NASA

Boosters, stacked. Core Stage, stacked. Launch Vehicle Stage Adaptor, stacked. NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team has now stacked Artemis 2’s upper stage. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) is SLS’s second stage. It will carry Artemis 2’s crew into high Earth orbit. Once finished, the stage will be jettisoned and used for a docking test with Orion. After this, Orion will fire its AJ-10 rocket engine. Sending it on a journey around the moon and back to Earth. The mission is presently set for February 2026.

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Jared Isaacman’s confirmation vote set for Wednesday

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.

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‘Skymaker:’ Canada’s next step in space robotics

MDA Space, a leading Canadian aerospace company with a legacy in robotic systems, introduced its next-generation robotics platform – MDA Skymaker – at the 2024 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Built on the company’s flight-proven Canadarm heritage, Skymaker is a modular suite of robotics technologies designed to support a wide array of commercial and governmental space missions.

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Are suborbital tourism flights getting old?

This week Blue Origin launched its NS-31 mission carrying a crew of six above the Karman Line for a short 11-minute flight. The flight was historic for being the first all-female spaceflight since 1963 and was marketed as a feminist movement, but some have doubts it did anything. So, are PR stunt suborbital spaceflights getting old? Or is it just Blue Origin’s take on them?

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Starbase GigaBay preparations underway

For the last few weeks, SpaceX has been clearing land for its next massive project in Starbase, Texas: GigaBay. In its way was the old Stargate facility and High Bay, both of which are in various stages of demolition. In its place will be Starbase’s largest structure, a processing facility that will be able to process as many as a dozen Starships at a time.

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Vast welcomes new Haven-1 payload partners, eyes 2026 launch

Vast Space is accelerating toward its goal of building a thriving commercial presence in low Earth orbit with the announcement of three new research payload partners for its Haven-1 space station. Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Interstellar Lab, and Exobiosphere are all expected to deploy experiments aboard the single-module space station, slated to launch no earlier than May 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. 

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Artemis 2’s rocket assembly continues, finishing Core Stage

NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team moves quickly to prepare Artemis 2 for launch in early 2026. In March, EGS successfully stacked the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage onto the mobile launcher between the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs). The Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) is now part of the core stage. Alongside core stage integration, NASA has steadily progressed on the Orion spacecraft, preparing it for its first crewed mission around the Moon and back.

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5 takeaways from Jared Isaacman’s confirmation hearing

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.

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Starship Flight 9 to see first reused booster

SpaceX announced that its Starship Flight 9 mission will see the rocket’s first taste of reusability with the booster from Flight 7. The company also announced that a vast majority of the Raptor engines that flew on the booster will return for flight as well.

Read more: Starship Flight 9: SpaceX shows off Ship 35 heading for testing

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