NASA

Mar 29 2026SCIENCE

Space Plans Shift: From Lunar Station to Moon Base, Comet Spin Mystery Revealed

NASA is changing its roadmap for the Moon. The agency has decided to stop work on the Gateway space station, a joint project that would have orbited the Moon. Instead, it will focus on building a permanent base on the lunar surface with an estimated cost of $20 billion. The new plan has three stages

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Mar 24 2026SCIENCE

Space Agency Picks New Lunar Rover Contractor for Moon Mission

Intuitive Machines secured a hefty $180. 4 million deal to send a lunar rover and additional tech to the Moon under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services plan. The contract also brings in a rover from Australia’s Space Agency and gadgets from Honeybee Robotics, which belongs to Jeff Bezos’ Blue O

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Mar 24 2026SCIENCE

Jupiter’s Lightning and NASA’s Tight Budget: A Tale of Big Storms and Small Funds

Jupiter’s storms are huge, and the lightning they produce is far stronger than anything on Earth. Scientists who studied data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft found flashes that can be a hundred times more powerful. Juno has been circling Jupiter since 2016, and its instruments can pick up the radi

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Mar 16 2026SCIENCE

Rocket Journeys: From Tiny Beginnings to Giant Dreams

The first liquid‑fuel rocket, named “Nell, ” lifted only 41 feet on its debut a century ago. Though modest, it sparked the era of spaceflight that would see humans walk on the Moon decades later. Celebrating this milestone, several staff members share their most memorable launch experiences. One

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Feb 24 2026SCIENCE

New Rocket Roadblocks Push NASA’s Moon Mission Back

NASA’s biggest space plan is facing a fresh snag. After a recent test, engineers discovered that helium – the gas used to keep fuel tanks full and clean – was not flowing properly in the upper section of the Space Launch System (SLS). Because the problem cannot be fixed on the launchpad, the rocket

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Feb 17 2026SCIENCE

Keeping Artemis II Astronauts Healthy: A Two-Week Lockdown

The Artemis II mission, set to be the first human moon voyage in half a century, is taking no chances with astronaut health. Before liftoff, the four crew members must spend 14 days in quarantine. This isn't just about avoiding major illnesses; even a simple cold can cause big problems in space. For

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Feb 15 2026SCIENCE

NASA Fixes Fuel Leak Issues Ahead of Moon Mission

NASA is working hard to stop fuel leaks on its big rocket before the next test. The Space Launch System (SLS) used for Artemis missions has had a problem with hydrogen leaking during fueling. The leak caused a practice countdown to stop early in February. Scientists traced the problem to the

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Feb 14 2026SCIENCE

NASA's Science Missions Face Unexpected Funding Freeze

NASA has been asked to hit the brakes on spending for over 15 science projects. This pause comes from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), even though Congress recently approved a budget that restored NASA's funding. The projects on hold include some big names, like the Chandra X-Ray Observato

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Feb 11 2026SCIENCE

Moon Mission Delayed: Why Artemis II Is Pushing Back

NASA’s plan to send a crew to the moon after half a century has hit a snag. During a practice launch on January 31, 2026, the rocket that will carry four astronauts began leaking liquid hydrogen. The leak forced engineers to stop the fuel flow, fix it, and then restart—only for the problem to recur

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Jan 25 2026SCIENCE

The Challenger Disaster: A Lesson in Listening

The Challenger disaster, which happened 40 years ago, is a stark reminder of the importance of listening to experts. The story begins with Bob Ebeling, an engineer at Morton Thiokol, who was deeply troubled by the idea of launching the space shuttle in cold weather. He and other engineers had data s

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