Tag: deep space
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Tianwen-2 Reaches Kamo’oalewa at 20 km After 400-Day Transit
Has China’s Tianwen-2 Reached Asteroid Kamoʻoalewa? Yes — and the first close-up image has already rewritten what planetary scientists thought they knew about it. China’s Tianwen-2 sample return spacecraft arrived at near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3) on July 6, 2026, establishing a 20-kilometer station point after a transit of approximately 1 billion kilometers across…
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Humans to Titan Summit Asks if Robots Go First
Will Humanoid Robots Reach Titan Before Humans Do? The first-ever Humans to Titan Summit, held June 11–12 in Boulder, Colorado, reached a conclusion that undercuts its own premise: AI-powered humanoid robots may be a more practical vanguard for Saturn’s largest moon than flesh-and-blood astronauts. Pascal Lee — chairman of the Mars Institute, planetary scientist at…
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NASA Targets 2028 Launch for Nuclear Electric Propulsion Demo
Can NASA deliver nuclear electric propulsion technology by 2028? NASA is implementing a streamlined management structure to accelerate development of its nuclear electric propulsion demonstration mission, targeting a launch window in late 2028. The agency is consolidating oversight responsibilities to avoid the bureaucratic delays that have plagued previous technology demonstrators, with the mission representing a…
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Impulse Space Raises $500 Million to Expand In-Space Transportation Business
Impulse Space has raised $500 million in a Series D funding round, bringing the company’s total funding to more than $1 billion since its founding five years ago. The California-based company said the new capital will support hiring, expand vehicle development programs and help meet growing demand for in-space transportation services. Growing Demand for Space…
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NASA Declares MAVEN Mars Mission Ended After Spacecraft Falls Silent
NASA has officially declared the end of its MAVEN mission after the spacecraft orbiting Mars became unresponsive and could not be recovered following a communications loss that began in December. The agency confirmed the mission’s conclusion on Wednesday, bringing to a close more than a decade of scientific observations of the Red Planet. Contact Lost…
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NASA Partners with Eta Space for Orbital Fuel Depot Demo
What capabilities will NASA’s new cryogenic fuel demonstration unlock for deep space missions? NASA has partnered with Eta Space of Rockledge, Florida, to flight-test critical cryogenic fluid management technologies through the Liquid Oxygen Flight Demonstration (LOXSAT) mission. The orbital demonstration will validate liquid oxygen storage, transfer, and gauge systems essential for future in-space propellant depots—effectively…
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NASA Develops On-Demand IV Fluid Production for Deep Space Missions
Can astronauts produce their own IV fluids during deep space missions? NASA has developed technology to produce IV fluids on-demand during crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit, addressing a critical medical supply constraint for Artemis Program lunar missions and eventual Mars expeditions. The agency’s new system can manufacture saline solution using purified water and sodium…