Curiosity Blog, Sols 5016–5021: Fantastic Minerals and How To Detect Them
NASA · 30 Sep 2026
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 Curiosity surprised us at the beginning of the week with a change in rock texture — instead of the...
NASA Adds New Science Investigations for Moon Base
NASA · 30 Sep 2026
NASA selected three new scientific investigations and their payload suites to advance our knowledge of the Moon and help pave the way for building humanity’s first lunar outpost, Moon Base. The suite of science instrumen...
NASA Awards Contract to Develop 5G Communications for Moon
NASA · 30 Sep 2026
NASA has awarded Modulate Space Corporation a contract to develop key elements of a 5G communications system for use on the lunar surface with built-in Wi-Fi 6, for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. This acceler...
NASA, International Partners Advance Work on Space Crops
NASA · 30 Sep 2026
NASA, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), and the German Aerospace Center signed a joint statement of intent to begin coordinated, preparatory work toward an Earth-based demonstrator to learn how to grow crops on the Moon.
Star Trails
NASA · 30 Sep 2026
This long-duration image shows star trails above Earth and the blue lights of fishing boats and the yellow lights of Indonesian cities stretching below the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above the Ba...
NASA Opens 2027 Human Lander Challenge for Lunar Communications
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
NASA’s 2027 Human Lander Challenge is seeking ideas from college and university students to help address one of the most critical needs for sustained lunar exploration: reliable communications. As NASA prepares for long-...
NASA Awards Orbital Safety Analysis Support Services Contract
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
NASA has awarded a contract to Omitron Inc. for the acquisition of orbital safety analysis services, which provide for critical protection of NASA spaceflight assets and astronaut lives. This indefinite-delivery contract...
NASA Features Exploration, Science at International Space Conference
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
NASA will participate in the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye, from Monday, Oct. 5, to Friday, Oct. 9, highlighting America’s leadership in human exploration to the Moon and Mars, advan...
NASA Adds Blue Origin New Glenn 9×4 to Launch Services Contract
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
In accordance with a contract on-ramp clause, NASA has added Blue Origin’s New Glenn 9×4 launch service to the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract. The New Glenn 9×4 launch service will be available to NASA’s Launch S...
NASA Sets Crew-13 Launch, Docking Coverage
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, and docking activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission to the International Space Station. Live coverage will stream through a variety of platforms. Learn whe...
Crew-13 Rocket and Spacecraft at Launch Pad
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
Ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launch, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in this Sept. 27, 2...
Under the Microscope: NASA-Made Material for Moon Manufacturing
NASA · 29 Sep 2026
Photos taken using a microscope reveal the colorful, kaleidoscope-like crystal structure of a new NASA-made material that could be used for manufacturing during future space missions. Developed at NASA’s Glenn Research C...
Galaxies in a cosmic house of mirrors
ESA · 29 Sep 2026
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month features galaxies in great detail that have been warped and multiplied like they’ve stepped into a house of mirrors. The brilliant golden galaxies splashe...
Next Crewed Boeing Starliner Flight Not Until 2028
SpacePolicyOnline.com · 29 Sep 2026
Two years after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed in the New Mexico desert without NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing and NASA said today it will not be ready to
NASA plans unpiloted Starliner test flight at end of year
Spaceflight Now · 29 Sep 2026
If the unpiloted test flight goes well, NASA and Boeing hope to launch a piloted Starliner flight in mid 2028, officials said Monday, incorporating redesigned propulsion system valves, more robust subsystems and other mo...
NASA, Boeing Share Update on Commercial Starliner Development Plans
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
On Monday, NASA and Boeing provided an update on the company’s Starliner spacecraft, including adding additional crew missions and certifying a new rocket for crew transportation to low Earth orbit. “We are living throug...
NASA Armstrong Celebrates 80 Years of Flight Innovation
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
On Sept. 30, 1946, five National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA) engineers arrived at Muroc Army Airfield in California’s high desert to achieve supersonic flight for the first time. In less than two years, NACA...
NASA Highlights Lessons Learned From Swift Boost Mission
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
A commercial mission to boost NASA’s Swift observatory concluded without raising the spacecraft’s orbit, but the agency and industry vendor gained valuable experience that will benefit future in-space servicing programs.
NASA Celebrates as Artemis Accords Surpasses 75 Signatories
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
Marking a significant expansion in the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords, NASA welcomed Albania, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, and San Marino, bringing total participation to 76 countries. “Our momentum reflects a g...
Meet NASA’s Artemis II Crew During Houston Public Event
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
The four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission will participate in an event hosted by industry and community partners at the University of Houston to discuss their mission around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. I...
What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Mission
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
Four crew members are set to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Space Station View of Earth at Night
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
This nighttime view of the United States, dotted with city lights looking toward New York City (center), was taken at approximately 3:40 a.m. local time on Sept. 8, 2026, from the International Space Station as it orbite...
NASA ORBIT Challenge 2027
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
The NASA ORBIT (Opportunities in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology for the Workforce) Challenge invites university and community college students nationwide to work with real NASA intellectual property and m...
Contractor to Civil Servant: NASA Welcomes Kristie Foster
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
Kristie Foster paved her road to becoming a NASA civil servant with literal miles of dedication. Her work at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, supports NASA’s mission to return American a...
Reliable Robots: Meet Johnson’s Dexterous Robotics Team
NASA · 28 Sep 2026
The idea of humans and robots working side-by-side in space was once the stuff of science fiction, but with NASA launching increasingly complex missions deeper into space, human-robot collaboration could become reality....
NASA, Boeing to Provide Update on Starliner Development
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
During a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 28, NASA and Boeing leadership will discuss Starliner’s development and plans for regular crew flights to and from the International Space Station. Learn where to w...
NASA Welcomes San Marino Signing the Artemis Accords
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
The Republic of San Marino became the 76th signatory to the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in the city of Rimini on Friday with NASA and U.S. Department of State officials present. “San Marino joins a growing coalitio...
NASA Tests Dual Mode Propulsion CubeSat Ahead of Launch
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
Spacecraft propulsion traditionally relies on volatile fuels and separate, bulky systems for different types of maneuvering in space. NASA is working to change that paradigm. Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Cen...
2026-2027 DWU: Middle School Design Challenge
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
2026-2027 DWU: Middle School Design Challenge Overview The 2026-2027 challenge theme is, “Fueling Flight Design Challenge: New Energy Systems.” As more and more aircraft are a part of the US’ National Airspace System (NA...
2026-2027 DWU: High School Engineering Challenge
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
2026-2027 DWU: High School Engineering Challenge Challenge Materials Overview The 2026-2027 challenge theme is, “Fueling Flight Design Challenge: New Energy Systems.” As more and more aircraft are a part of the US’ Natio...
Hubble Spots Chaotic Secret in Galaxy
NASA · 25 Sep 2026
A chaotic secret hides within this seemingly serene image of spiral galaxy NGC 4698 taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and released on Sept. 18, 2026. As a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way galaxy, NGC 4698 has sp...
NASA announces new space telescope ‘PRIMA’ to launch in 2033
Spaceflight Now · 24 Sep 2026
Once it goes through a confirmation review, the observatory can proceed into construction. The 5.9-foot telescope will be capped at a project cost of $1.2 billion, which excludes launch “and other non-project costs.”
NASA Welcomes Côte d’Ivoire as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
NASA · 24 Sep 2026
Côte d’Ivoire signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday as the 75th signatory during a signing ceremony in the nation’s largest city Abidjan, marking the largest milestone yet for the international coalition of like-minded...
NASA Shares SpaceX Crew-14 Assignments for Space Station Mission
NASA · 24 Sep 2026
Four crew members from three space agencies will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than spring 2027 for a long-duration science expedition as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-14 mission. NASA astronauts Kayl...