THE LAUNCH PAD
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NASA has awarded contracts to six U.S. space companies to study innovative, lower-cost ways of delivering spacecraft of varying sizes and configurations to multiple, hard-to-reach orbits.
The mission officially ended on July 31, 2025, following five months of recovery efforts that began when communications were lost the day after launch.
NASA officials say there's a “strong chance” that Boeing’s next CST-100 Starliner test flight could launch without a crew onboard, as teams continue to work through a series of technical issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion and thermal systems.
In a quiet but significant shift in space propulsion strategy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has officially canceled the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO), a joint project with NASA aimed at developing and demonstrating nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) technology for spaceflight.
The proposed action would enable SpaceX to build 2 pads where they would launch and land its Starship-Super Heavy vehicle up to 76 times annually.
The proposal includes notable shifts within NASA's funding, reinforcing commitments to lunar and Mars exploration while drastically reducing funding for other programs:
The committee will hold an Executive Session on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, to vote on the nomination of Jared Isaacman to serve as the next Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
It’s shaping up to be a packed and dynamic week in the world of spaceflight, with crew returns, multiple Falcon 9 launches, and high-profile missions out of China.
NASA and the Russia Space Agency, Roscosmos, have officially extended their seat barter agreement for crew flights to the International Space Station (ISS) through 2027, ensuring continued collaboration aboard the orbital outpost and introducing a new shift in Soyuz mission durations.
The White House has proposed sweeping cuts to NASA’s science programs, slashing nearly 50% from the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and canceling multiple major missions.
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