News Archive / Missions
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CRS-24 cargo Dragon departs International Space Station
Derek RichardsonJanuary 23rd, 2022SpaceX’s CRS-24 cargo Dragon undocked from the International Space Station after more than a month attached to the orbiting laboratory.
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Axiom Space contracted to build an orbital film studio
Derek RichardsonJanuary 20th, 2022Plans are in the works add the first space-based “multipurpose entertainment and content studio” to the International Space Station.
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SpaceX launches third Falcon 9 in 12 days
Theresa CrossJanuary 18th, 2022For the company’s third Falcon 9 launch of the year, SpaceX orbited another batch of Starlink satellites adding to its ever-growing internet constellation.
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Study makes case for geophysical planet definition
Laurel KornfeldJanuary 16th, 2022In an in-depth study of planet classification from the time of Galileo to the present, a group of planetary scientists criticize the 2006 International Astronomical Union planet definition as being rooted in folklore and astrology and argue for a geophysical definition that includes spherical moons as secondary or satellite planets.
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Sublimating nitrogen ice could be cause of polygons in Pluto’s Sputnik Planitia
Laurel KornfeldJanuary 12th, 2022The unusual polygonal features seen in Sputnik Planitia, the left side of Pluto's iconic heart feature known as Tombaugh Regio, could be caused by the sublimation of nitrogen ice, a team of scientists propose in a study published in the journal Nature.
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NASA’s $10B James Webb Space Telescope fully deployed in space
Theresa CrossJanuary 9th, 2022Some two weeks after its Christmas Day launch, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope finished unfolding itself into its final configuration.
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SpaceX starts 2022 manifest with Starlink launch
Theresa CrossJanuary 6th, 2022SpaceX kicked off its 2022 manifest with the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying another set of Starlink internet satellites.
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Bill Gates-founded clean-tech initiative funds rocket startup
Theresa CrossJanuary 4th, 2022Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy has backed Stoke Space's goal of creating a fully-reusable rocket in the company's latest funding round.
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The James Webb Space Telescope finally launches into space
Theresa CrossDecember 25th, 2021After 25 years of development, the James Webb Space Telescope has finally launched into space on a mission to look back farther in time than ever before.
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CRS-24 Dragon arrives at space station with supplies and science
Derek RichardsonDecember 22nd, 2021SpaceX’s CRS-24 Dragon resupply spacecraft arrived the International Space Station with supplies and experiments for the seven-person Expedition 66 crew.
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NASA asking for fission power design concepts for Moon missions
Cullen DesforgesDecember 20th, 2021As humanity moves toward the very real possibility of becoming a multi-planet species, the need for safe and reliable energy not only arises on Earth, but especially so in outer space.
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SpaceX looking to build new launch site at Kennedy Space Center
Cullen DesforgesDecember 18th, 2021SpaceX has requested an environmental assessment to develop a proposed new launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope experiences another delay
Theresa CrossDecember 15th, 2021NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has experienced another launch delay because of a communication issue between it and the launch vehicle system.
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Images of Pluto’s dark side produced using reflected sunlight from Charon
Laurel KornfeldDecember 13th, 2021A team of scientists produced images of Pluto's dark side using reflected sunlight from its large moon Charon in images taken by the New Horizons spacecraft to tease out features on that side in low resolution.
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Artemis I Space Launch System Rollout Delayed to January
Scott JohnsonDecember 12th, 2021NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and SLS Program Manager John Honeycutt provide an update on Artemis 1 rollout, and RS-25 engine controller issue.
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Japanese billionaire visits the International Space Station
Derek RichardsonDecember 8th, 2021Three people launched to the International Space Station for an 11-day stay at the orbiting laboratory, the first tourist mission at the outpost since 2009.
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Three companies selected to develop commercial space stations
Theresa CrossDecember 6th, 2021Last week, NASA signed agreements with three U.S. companies to develop private free-flying commercial space stations in low Earth orbit.
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SpaceX breaks annual flight record with latest Starlink mission
Theresa CrossDecember 2nd, 2021SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites, as well as two rideshare payloads for BlackSky, into low Earth orbit atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
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Spacewalking astronauts replace faulty antenna at ISS
Cullen DesforgesDecember 2nd, 2021Two astronauts have successfully completed a spacewalk at the International Space Station to repair a faulty S-band Antenna Sub-assembly, or SASA, during U.S. EVA-78 as part of the seven-person Expedition 66 mission.
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Northrop Grumman proposes lunar rover for Artemis program
Theresa CrossNovember 27th, 2021A team of companies led by Northrop Grumman has put forth a proposal for an astronaut-driven lunar rover for the agency’s Artemis Moon program.
