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Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-15 23:49
NASA plans to award three more Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task orders this year, including two lander missions and a new orbiter imaging service that could replace the aging Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines, the two companies that have already landed on the moon, expect these orders to be issued by year‑end, with the orbiter aimed at mapping the moon for future missions. Both firms are expanding production facilities to meet the demand for rapid, standardized landers, while preparing to bid on the upcoming CLPS 2.0 contract that could bring the program’s value up to $15 billion over a decade. These developments position NASA to accelerate lunar exploration and support the next generation of lunar science and potential base operations.
SpaceX launches record-breaking back-to-back Falcon 9 rockets for Globalstar, U.S. Space Force
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-15 23:51
SpaceX achieved a record 38.5‑minute turnaround between launches Saturday night, firing a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral to deploy eight Globalstar satellites and then, a few minutes later, launching a classified U.S. Space Force payload from Vandenberg. The first booster, B1090, launched at 9:12 p.m. EDT, flipped and landed eight minutes later at Landing Zone 40, marking the 52nd orbital launch from Florida’s Space Coast this year.
Blue Origin overviews plan for dual pad ops at Cape Canaveral
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-15 22:57
Blue Origin is unveiling plans for a new launch pad, LC‑36B, to sit just north of its existing LC‑36A at Cape Canaveral, designed to accommodate the larger New Glenn 9×4 variant. The dual‑pad strategy, coupled with a new vertical integration facility and payload processing hub, aims to boost launch cadence and operational flexibility after a May pad explosion. While LC‑36A is being repaired and upgraded to speed turnaround, LC‑36B’s design—featuring an elevated mount, flame trench and tower with stacking arms—mirrors SpaceX’s Starship pads to enable rapid vertical integration. Together, the two pads will support both the current 7×2 New Glenn and its future, higher‑capacity 9×4 version, positioning Launch Complex 36 as a high‑throughput launch site.
New record! SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-16 02:54
SpaceX made history Saturday by launching two Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart, setting a new record for the shortest interval between orbital flights.
On this day in space! Aug. 15, 1977: Mysterious 'Wow!' Signal boosts search for E.T.
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-15 14:00
On August 15, 1977, Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope recorded the famous “Wow!” signal—a 72‑second burst that could not be explained by terrestrial noise. Astronomer Jerry Ehman highlighted the anomaly with a handwritten “Wow!” on the printout, sparking decades of speculation about extraterrestrial intelligence. Despite exhaustive searches, no repeat of the signal has been detected, leaving it a tantalizing mystery. Nearly 50 years later, advances in exoplanet discovery and Mars exploration underscore the continuing quest to determine whether we are alone in the cosmos.