Preparing for Artemis II: Training for a Mission Around the Moon
Original Publication Date: 2026-01-30 13:27
Artemis II will test the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the crew. Unlike missions to the International Space Station, Artemis II offers no nearby safe harbor and no option to be back on Earth within hours of a problem. Training for Artemis II is all risk mitigation. By preparing the astronauts and flight controllers for what they might encounter, we enable mission success.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars
Original Publication Date: 2026-01-30 13:51
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface. The AI used the same imagery and data that human planners rely on to generate waypoints.
Hubble Sees Galaxy with Dark Rings in New Light
Original Publication Date: 2026-01-30 10:02
NGC 7722 is a lenticular galaxy located about 187 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. It lacks the defined arms of a spiral galaxy, while it has an extended, glowing halo and a bright bulge in its center like an elliptical galaxy. Unlike elliptical galaxies, it has a visible disk — concentric rings swirl around its bright nucleus.
FAA advances approval for up to 44 Starship launches from 39A
Original Publication Date: 2026-01-30 15:29
The FAA has released a summary overview of the environmental review process for SpaceX's Starship operations at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) The FAA identifies the need to enable SpaceX to develop, test, launch, and land Starship from Florida’s East Coast, “supporting national goals for assured space access”
PLD Space accelerates Miura 5 toward 2026 debut with milestones update
Original Publication Date: 2026-01-29 22:55
PLD Space updates on progress with Miura 5 orbital launch vehicle. Company remains on track for its inaugural demonstration flight in 2026. Two-stage, kerosene-fueled rocket is designed for partial reusability and can deliver up to 540 kg to low Earth orbit.