NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA stated that it has paused scientific operations on the Hubble Space Telescope while its in a self imposed safe mode after it experienced yet again more gyro issues. This isn’t the first time Hubble has experienced this sort of trouble and it only seems to be getting worse as the space observatory ages.

Earth and Mars are now home to flight testing programs to develop better future Martian helicopters for NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission. NASA now has new blades for a future Martian helicopter while Ingenuity on Mars has been pushing the limits it was designed for.

A NASA official’s notes during an Advisory Council meeting shares that Blue Origin‘s first New Glenn launch could come no earlier than August 2024. NASA expects its ESCAPADE mission to be on top of that rocket, but is less confident in the launch date.

Through the year we in the media and the public regularly take shots at NASA and criticize them on a number of issues. While that’s our job to keep the agency accountable, sometimes it can sound like continued negativism.

So like what many of you here in the US will be doing tonight around the dinner table, here are three reasons I’m thankful for NASA this year.

For 20 years there has been a human presence in space on board the International Space Station (ISS). In those 20 years plenty of astronauts have made the sacrifice to be away from family and friends during Thanksgiving to continue the world’s push for new scientific discovery. Even though they are in space and remain busy, they still get the chance to celebrate the holiday.

Boeing‘s Starliner spacecraft is currently on track for its April 2024 launch date according to NASA’s Phil McAlister. However, this is all reliant on Starliner performing well during a January parachute drop test on a newly designed soft link on the spacecraft.

NASA announced its chief civil servant, former astronaut Bob Cabana, plans to retire after this year. Jim Free, the current Associate Administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, will take the post of NASA Associate Administrator.

Most likely outdated renders of SpaceX’s Starship rocket in its Human Landing System configuration show a much more refined design that could show where the company is heading. Although their authenticity is not 100% confirmed yet.

While we seem to miss rocket launches taking place on Halloween in recent years, the day hasn’t always been bare of space goodies. Back in 2015, a spooky asteroid paid a visit for some intergalactic trick or treat.

According to a Dutch astronomer, we might have just seen the aftermath of two giant planets colliding in a distant star system. However, other astronomers have other explanation for the observations. Which is true?

Early Friday morning, Astrobotic’s first lunar lander departed its offices in Pittsburgh for a drive down to Florida to be integrated onto the Atlas V for launch as soon as December. A flight the company has been waiting to do for years.

Blue Origin Friday unveiled its Mk1 version of its Blue Moon lander that holds a contract with NASA for crewed Artemis missions. Mk1 is capable of delivering three-metric tons of cargo to anywhere on the lunar surface. However, it is only cable of landing cargo and science payloads, and is not reusable.

One of the more crazy, and extremely exciting, missions NASA is working on for space exploration is the Dragonfly spacecraft. This car-sized drone will explore the alien world of Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, by flying around it instead of driving like its Martian counter-parts. It just received some wind tunnel testing with a half-scale test vehicle.

After dodging some harsh weather, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft lifted off from the historic LC-39A launch pad at 10:19 A.M. ET on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. After being delayed a year, the spacecraft is finally on its way to an asteroid, of the same name, to do some good old science.

SpaceX is leading the show this week with three rocket launches from Florida’s Space Coast. The one on all of our eyes is of course NASA’s Psyche mission flying on SpaceX Falcon Heavy, a show stopping rocket and science mission all in one week!

P.S. I’m on site for this mission, yay!

A global panel of experts has released a paper outlining a set of ethical guidelines and principles for research conducted aboard commercial spaceflights, marking a significant step in ensuring the safety and inclusivity of human research in space. These guidelines are especially crucial as private companies are poised to send thousands of individuals into space in the coming decades, providing unique opportunities for research. 

Over the last week, demolition crews have torn down the old Saturn IB rocket that stood at the Alabama Welcome Center on I-65. After nearly four decades, the rocket deteriorated to the point it was deemed unsafe and efforts by local officials to renovate the rocket failed.

NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle is receiving some wind tunnel treatment as the agency and its partners continue to development a rocket capable of launching from Mars. However, doubts as to its feasibility politically are still up in the air.

Over the weekend NASA recovered its first asteroid samples from a desert in Utah. The OSIRIS-REx sample container is now in Houston, Texas where scientists will catalog everything and begin distribution to institutions world wide.