July 28th, 2025
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The U.S. Space Force is slated to launch the eighth X-37B robotic space plane mission next month. According to a statement from the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8) will be lofted on Aug. 21 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the […]
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Russia is prepping for an August 20 launch of a biosatellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket. The craft is considered a “Noah’s Ark” of space, carrying 75 mice, more than 1,000 fruit flies, cell cultures, microorganisms and plant seeds. The Bion-M No. 2 will reportedly be lofted into a nearly circular orbit […]
NASA’s Curiosity rover continues its exploration of the fractured boxwork terrain on the slopes of Mount Sharp, reports Deborah Padgett, an Operational Product Generation Subsystem (OPGS) task lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “After a successful 5-meter drive (about 16 feet), our rover is resting in a hollow on its way to a boxwork […]
The idea that modern Mars is entirely devoid of liquid water is being challenged by data gleaned from the 1970s NASA Viking 2 landing site. These findings provide “a new perspective on the transient presence of liquid water on Mars, a key factor in assessing planetary habitability.” That’s the view of Vincent Chevrier, an associate […]
Recent NASA budget uncertainties could make one space agency endeavor up for grabs – defending the Earth from incoming space rocks. That effort undertaken by NASA for many years could be given to the Space Force that has a far-larger new budget. On the other hand, is a Space Force takeover of taking out space […]
A Multi-Purpose Habitation module for the Moon is under development. Thales Alenia Space has inked a contract with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to develop the human outpost on the lunar surface. The Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module is leveraging Italy’s technological and manufacturing capabilities. MPH is planned for launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in […]
A new Mars exploration idea seemingly would drop a hornet’s nest of helicopters from high above the Red Planet. The idea comes from the world of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) concepts here on Earth, but fashioned for Mars. AeroVironment of Arlington, Virginia and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory today aired Skyfall, a potential concept for next-generation […]
The transformation of Earth’s Moon to an industrial site is fully explored in a new publication. The Commercial Lunar Economy Field Guide: a vision for industry on the Moon in the next decade is fully explored in the document, issued by Air University Press, stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. “At the heart of […]
Pope Leo XIV marked the 56th anniversary of man’s arrival on the Moon with a visit to the Vatican astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo and a call to Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on July 20. At the astronomical observatory located in the Pontifical Villas, Leo took a close look at the telescopes that […]
In response to the Trump administration’s dismantling cuts and devastating attacks on NASA programs and missions, the Stand Up For Science has published the “Voyager Declaration” – a statement to Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. This document constitutes a “Formal Dissent,” and raises a set of concerns, including “a permanent loss of capability to the […]
