Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
Author: 
February 25th, 2026
Image credit: Mars Guy/NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter wildly exceeded every expectation for its performance. Initially intended to demonstrate whether an autonomous helicopter could fly on Mars, one of its navigation processors is now helping guide the NASA Perseverance Mars rover at Jezero Crater.
“Ingenuity’s surprising success on Mars led to an unexpected application,” explains Mars Guy. “Its navigation processor now helps Perseverance with location, using onboard processing to create overhead views.”
This Red Planet repurposing allows for longer drives of the rover, as explained in this episode of Mars Guy.
Go to: https://youtu.be/CkG4W7IKUr8
Posted in 
Damaged goods. The uncrewed Shenzhou-20 return capsule with compromised viewport parachuted to Earth after 270 days in orbit.
Image credit: CCTV
It has been billed as China’s first emergency operation in the country’s human spaceflight program.
Crew members of the Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions in finding cracks on their return capsule viewport.
Ground team experts discuss Shenzhou-20 cracked window.
Image credit: China Media Group/China Central Television
Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 crew, first noticed the damage to the window while conducting final checks on the return capsule. The believed culprit: a harmful hit by space debris striking the window.
For more details, go to my new Space.com story – “’Some of the cracks had penetrated through’: Chinese astronauts reveal new details about spacecraft that ‘stranded’ them in space last year” — at
Illustration of the scientific payloads mounted on Zhurong rover. The group picture of the rover (left) and the lander (right) was taken by the WiFi camera (Image Credit: the ChinaNational Space Administration (CNSA)). NaTeCam: Navigation and Terrain camera. RoMAG: Mars Rover Magnetometer. MSCam: Multispectral Camera. MSC-1: MarsClimate Station (Wind field and sound probe). MSC-2: Mars Climate Station (Air
temperature and pressure probe). MarSCoDe: Mars Surface Component Detector. RoPeR(CH1): Mars Rover Penetrating Radar (channel 1). RoPeR (CH2): Mars Rover
Penetrating Radar (channel 2).
Credit: Steve Yang Liu, et al.
China’s first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, landed in southern Utopia Planitia. The mission’s lander deployed the Zhurong rover following a soft landing on the Red Planet on May 14, 2021.
Zhurong was outfitted with a Mars Rover Penetrating Radar (RoPeR). Output from the ground penetrating gear indicates that a model incorporating dirty ice mixed with stones aligns most closely with RoPeR observations.
China’s Zhurong rover.
Credit: CNSA
That data reveals the presence of shallow subsurface ice, a roughly 23-foot (7 meters) thick layer of low-loss material sandwiched by two high-loss layers.
Analysis of the data is consistent with water ice, suggesting its possible presence at a depth of approximately 50 feet (15 meters), representing a large reservoir of buried volatile deposits in the planet’s past or even present today.
Topography around the Zhurong Rover, as observed by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Credit: NASA/JPL/U of A
The research work is led by Xindong Meng of the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences at Macau University of Science and Technology in Macau, China.
The Zhurong rover covered nearly 1.2 miles (2,000 meters) over 325 martian days before entering a dormant stage. Water ice is frequently found at middle and high latitudes on Mars, but its depth in low latitudes has remained unresolved. The China rover appears to have changed that situation.
China’s Zhurong rover wheels to the south, clearly shown in this image acquired by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Southern Utopia Planitia is a region that shows geological evidence of an active hydrological past, “making it an ideal site for the search for subsurface water ice,” Xindong and team members explain.
“The presence of a shallow subsurface ice-bearing layer at low-to-mid latitudes would represent a valuable and readily accessible resource for future human exploration,” they report in the journal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
To access the paper – “Evidence of shallow subsurface ice at Tianwen-1 landing site” – go to:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X26000154?via%3Dihub
Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 crew.
Image credit: China Media Group/China Central Television/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The crew of China’s Shenzhou-20 mission has shared details regarding that space debris-created window crack on their return craft.
Originally slated to return to Earth last November 5, the crew’s landing was postponed. The taikonuat trio used an alternative spacecraft to get back to the Earth safely.
Last week, in a detailed interview with China Media Group, Shenzhou-20 crew members elaborated on how they discovered the crack on the viewport one day before their planned return.
Emergency launch
Billed as the first emergency launch mission in China’s human spaceflight program, an uncrewed, cargo-loaded Shenzhou-22 spaceship was launched on November 25.
Uncrewed Shenzhou-22 loaded with supplies.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Shenzhou-22 docked with the front port of China’s Tiangong space station’s Tianhe core module.
Flying without a three-person crew aboard, the vessel carried a cargo of space food, medical supplies, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as devices for treating the cracked window on the Shenzhou-20 spaceship.
Shenzhou-21 on-orbit crew monitors emergency Shenzhou-22 launch.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Naked eye finding
Chen Dong, commander of the crew, said he noticed the damage while conducting final checks on the return capsule.
“I was the one who went for the checks. I was through the capsule with the naked eye, when I spotted something like a triangular on the viewport,” Chen said. “My first thought was whether a small leaf had somehow stuck to the outside of the window. But then I quickly realized that couldn’t happen because we were in space. How could there possibly be a fallen leaf there?”
Chen pointed out the anomaly to his other two crew members, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie.
Image credit: China Media Group/China Central Television/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Ground team support
“I wasn’t really nervous, actually,” said Wang. “The outermost layer of the viewport is a protective layer, and inside it there are two pressure-bearing layers, and we are safe as long as the cabin pressure doesn’t change.”
Wang added that he knew the mission’s ground team would go through analysis and experiments to determine whether the crew could return safely and whether the crack affected the space traveler’s safety before making a final conclusion.
“So I wasn’t too worried,” said Wang.
Ground team experts discuss Shenzhou-20 cracked window.
Image credit: China Media Group/China Central Television/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Cracked window inspection tools
To determine exactly what was on the viewport, the crew used every piece of equipment available inside the space station to photograph and document the abnormal find on the viewport.
Tools used included a work pad, a work phone and a magnifying glass, finally confirming the crack by use of a 40-times microscope.
“It was a pen-shaped microscope. One end is the lens, connecting to a tablet — the device we use to inspect the extravehicular suits, especially to check whether there is any damage in the sealed areas,” said Chen, the Shenzhou-20 commander.
“We could see very clearly the small cracks [with the microscope]. Several were relatively long, and one was shorter, added Chen. “We could also see that some of the cracks had penetrated through.”
Incoming Shenzhou-20 capsule.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Astronaut-empty return capsule
The crew returned to Earth in a Shenzhou-21 craft while the damaged Shenzhou-20 return craft remained attached to the Chinese space station, all-in-all, spending a total of 270 days in orbit.
China’s first emergency operation in its human spaceflight program came to an end when the astronaut-empty Shenzhou-20 return capsule parachuted into the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on January 19.
Damaged goods. Recovery crews inspect astronaut-empty Shenzhou-20 capsule.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The debris-hit capsule safely survived the re-entry process.
Go to the China Media Group/CCTV video at:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1570764594032409
Also, go to my Space.com story – “Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)” – at:
Image credit: NASA
NASA is troubleshooting an Artemis II rocket upper stage issue, preparing to roll back the mammoth booster to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The problem was observed overnight Feb. 21 – an interrupted flow of helium to the Space Launch System’s Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS).
Built by Boeing and United Launch Alliance, the ICPS is a modified Delta Cryogenic Second Stage.
SLS Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). Image credit: NASA
Artemis lunar missions – path forward
“Regardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X. “We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration.”
Isaacman said a more extensive briefing later this coming week should be expected, “as we outline the path forward, not just for Artemis II, but for subsequent missions, to ensure NASA meets the President’s vision to return to the Moon and, this time, to stay.”
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
It is a wait-a-minute, hard-hitting NASA report issued on the crewed Boeing Starliner mission to the International Space Station in 2024, in redacted form.
NASA defines the incident in the same category as the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger disasters.
An Anomalies Review Investigation Team identifies lessons learned in the flawed Starliner mission, focused on propulsion system anomalies experienced during the Crew Flight Test.
Troubled flight
New NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, underscored the seriousness of Starliner’s troubled crewed flight, labeling it as a “Type A mishap,” a mission that could put astronauts in danger.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore during pre-launch Boeing Starliner spacecraft simulator workout at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Image credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Starliner was not designated a serious mishap right from the start, Isaacman said, citing internal pressure to keep Boeing on board and flights on track.
Go to the full (redacted) report — Commercial Crew Program Starliner Tests & Anomalies Review (STAR) Investigation Team and Starliner Data Review Team (SDRT) Report – at:
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nasa-report-with-redactions-021926.pdf?emrc=76e561
Wait-a-Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David
Sparks of creativity. Mass driver workers Gerard O’Neill (center), Henry Kolm (left), Kevin Fine (right).
Image credit: SSI
Earlier this month, SpaceX leader and his own catapult of vision, Elon Musk, advised newly acquired xAI workers that he sees need for a factory on the Moon to fabricate artificial intelligence (AI) satellites.
To churn out those spacecraft he called for a colossal catapult planted on the lunar surface to fling them into space.
Elon Musk showcases electromagnetic mass driver on the moon during xAI staff meeting.
Image credit: SpaceX/xAI
The Musk 21st century revelation is not new, but nevertheless welcomed.
In 1974, Princeton professor and space visionary, the late Gerard O’Neill first proposed use of an electromagnetic rail gun to lob payloads from Earth’s Moon.
Go to my new Space.com story – “Elon Musk wants to put a satellite catapult on the Moon. It’s not a new idea” – at:
Also, go to the Space Studies Institute for detailed information on Gerard K. O’Neill’s pioneering work at: https://ssi.org/
Artwork depicts Orion spacecraft plowing through Earth’s atmosphere at high speed.
Image credit: NASA
The high-speed, safe return to Earth from lunar distance of the Artemis II crew depends on the thermal protection system of Orion’s crew module. It must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe.
However, following the flight of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar flight test in late 2022, it was found that ablative thermal protective material had unexpectedly chipped away from the Orion heat shield during its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere.
Root cause
Image credit: NASA OIG
But in a post-flight analysis of the Artemis 1 heat shield, NASA identified more than 100 locations where ablative thermal protective material was liberated during its speedy reentry.
NASA, along with contractors and an independent review team, an investigation was launched to establish the technical cause of the issue. An analysis was done, including over a 100 tests at unique facilities across the country.
For more details, go to my new Space.com story — The Artemis 1 moon mission had a heat shield issue. Here’s why NASA doesn’t think it will happen again on Artemis 2 – at:
Justin Cyrus, founder and CEO of Lunar Outpost.
Image credit: Lunar Outpost/Castrol
“Drive Me To The Moon” is a firsthand look at the Colorado-based private group, Lunar Outpost, and its inaugural mission to the lunar surface.
Their Lunar Voyage 1 mission is captured in this documentary, offering a rare look at what it truly takes to reach the Lunar South Pole.
This is the story of the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), an advanced robotic Moon rover.
Image credit: Lunar Outpost/Castrol
Unfortunately, MAPP was entrapped by a faulty touchdown of the Intuitive Machines Athena lander on March 6, 2025.
The Intuitive Machines craft landed on its side, precluding recharging and deployment of payloads.
Image credit: Lunar Outpost/Castrol
This video highlights Lunar Outpost’s MAPP, moving forward, and what’s next for the private company.
Go to this informative video at:
For more information on Lunar Outpost, go to:
Also, go to my recent Space.com story – “Lunar Outpost’s Eagle Vehicle – The Drive for Mobility on the Moon” – at:
https://www.leonarddavid.com/lunar-outposts-eagle-vehicle-the-drive-for-mobility-on-the-moon/
The number of objects in orbit has surged over the past two decades, driven largely by the expansion of commercial space activity.
This critical orbital infrastructure is under threat. Congestion from space debris is rising, creating a strategic vulnerability for the entire planet.
Without mitigation, the probability of a serious collision occurring by 2032 is potentially 29% in certain altitude zones.
Those are a few observations by a new report — Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris — from the World Economic Forum and the Center for Space Futures. They have jointly led several community consultations to assess the escalating risk and economic cost of space debris, particularly the growing collision risk it presents over the coming decade.
Image credit: World Economic Forum/Center for Space Futures
Economic forecast
The report is a product of a close collaboration with the Saudi Space Agency and LeoLabs to develop an orbital population model, and with Novaspace to produce an economic forecast that quantifies the potential economic impact of space debris on the global space economy.
The new forecast projects that space debris could impose a direct cost of up to $42.3 billion over the next decade, a “hidden tax” on the space economy.
To access the full report, go to:
https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clear_Orbit_Secure_Future_2026.pdf
