Tag: Artemis
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NASA Awards $300M Johnson Space Center Infrastructure Contract
Why is NASA investing $300M in Johnson Space Center infrastructure now? NASA has awarded a $300 million infrastructure contract to seven companies for construction and revitalization projects at Johnson Space Center, with all funds requiring obligation by September 30, 2026. The Johnson Space Center Multiple Award Construction Contract directly supports mission-critical facilities needed for the…
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Rovers and Drones laying the foundations for NASA Moon Base
NASA has outlined the initial missions under its Moon Base initiative, rebranding existing Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) flights, while also awarding contracts for the first crewed Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs) intended to support surface operations as early as 2028. The agency confirmed that the first three Moon Base missions are adaptations of previously planned…
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Preview: NASA updates progress towards established a Moon Base, Artemis 3 mission
NASA plans to build a planned moon base in three stages, starting with more frequent astronaut and cargo flights to the moon the develop the infrastructure needed to support long-duration crews. Image: NASA TV Nearly two months after first unveiling its big plans to establish a Moon Base at the lunar south pole, NASA leadership…
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NASA taps Blue Origin to deliver lunar rovers for Moon Base initiative
An artist’s conception shows Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander lowering an Astrolab rover to the lunar surface. (NASA Illustration) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has won NASA’s nod to deliver crew-carrying rovers to the lunar surface as part of the space agency’s decade-long plan to create a base near the moon’s south…
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NASA Awards First Moon Base Contracts to Four Companies
Which Companies Won NASA’s First Moon Base Development Contracts? NASA awarded the first contracts for lunar base development to four companies on May 26, marking a significant expansion of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program beyond basic payload delivery to permanent infrastructure development. The contracts focus on lander and drone systems that will support…
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SpaceX’s Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster Friday, with mostly positive results. The powerful rocket, propelled by 33 methane-fueled main engines, climbed away from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas at 5:30 pm CDT (6:30 pm EDT; 22:30 UTC) Friday. Within a few seconds, the 408-foot-tall…
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Starship Flight 12: Block 3 Impresses on First Flight
On Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:30:21 pm CDT, Starship Flight 12 lifted off from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. This stack, which comprised Ship 39 and Booster 19, was the first Block 3 stack to fly for the Starship Program. As well as launching from the completely redesigned Pad 2 at Starbase. This flight…
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SpaceX’s new Starship pad readies for first launch
Over the last two years, SpaceX has been constructing a completely redesigned launch pad for Starship, drawing on lessons learned from the first 11 flights. The new pad alongside Block 3 of Starship is a clean-sheet design that should help SpaceX move toward a much more reusable launch pad. Flame Trench Pad 2 is a…
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Artemis II Crew Briefs Congress on 10-Day Lunar Mission Success
How did NASA’s Artemis II crew perform during their 10-day lunar flyby mission? NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen briefed congressional staff Tuesday on their successful Artemis II mission, which completed a nearly 10-day cislunar space journey. The crew brought “Rise,” their zero gravity indicator from…
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NASA Lunabotics 2026 Competition Tests Student Lunar Mining Tech
What makes NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Competition critical for lunar operations? NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge will field over 80 university teams competing May 19-21 at Kennedy Space Center’s Astronauts Memorial Foundation Center for Space Education, testing autonomous robots designed to excavate and transport lunar regolith. The competition directly feeds into NASA’s Artemis Program requirements for In-Situ…