Space News

Civil Servants Sworn in at NASA Ames

New civil servants and guests pose for a group photo with NASA and center leadership in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 80-by-120-foot test section, N221 on Aug. 24, 2026. The civil servants were sworn-in the same day in the largest swearing-in ceremony ever hosted at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley since […]

9 Things to Know About NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch at 7:26 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 30. While you wait to watch the launch, brush up on some key facts about this wide-view mission. To learn more about the Roman mission, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/roman Media contact: Claire AndreoliNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.claire.andreoli@nasa.gov301-286-1940

ESA Awards €544 Million in European Launcher Challenge Contracts

The European Space Agency has signed the first contracts under its European Launcher Challenge, committing a combined €543.6 million to Isar Aerospace, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and PLD Space. MaiaSpace was notably not among the awardees, with the agency stating that the contract award process with the company is “expected to resume in the coming weeks.” […]

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Departs Agency to Continue Military Service

After nearly a decade of service to NASA, including an eight-month science expedition aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Jonny Kim’s last day at the agency is Thursday. He will continue serving as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. Kim launched to the space station in April 2025 aboard the Soyuz MS‑27 spacecraft to conduct […]

The electronics ‘under the hood’ of space networking

In this episode, SpaceNews’ Mike Gruss interviews Jeff Janicik, CEO and chairman of Innoflight. They discuss Golden Dome, Artemis and working with big numbers for the Space Development Agency. Sponsored […]

First contracts kick off European Launcher Challenge

From the ESA Blogs.

MTG-I2 ready for launch on Ariane 6

The Meteosat Third Generation Imager2 satellite (MTG-I2) has been encapsulated inside the Ariane 6 fairing and is in place on its launch pad. It is scheduled to lift off on Thursday evening, 27 August, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Watch live: BepiColombo begins its arrival at Mercury

After eight years, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is about to enter its Mercury Arrival Phase. On 3 September 2026, ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will separate from BepiColombo’s two science orbiters – the first major step in one of the most operationally challenging planetary arrival sequences ever attempted by ESA.

APOD: 2026 August 27 – Colorful Aurora over an Icelandic Waterfall

Rare, Widespread Snow in the Atacama Desert

Back-to-back winter storms in August 2026 brought snowfall to northern Chile, from the Andes to near the Pacific coast.

LatConnect 60 and Phi Earth Partner to Connect Space and Soil

Nature-based projects are generating more environmental data than ever before. Satellites observe landscapes from orbit, while field teams capture what is happening on the ground. Yet these data sources often […]

Soyuz MS-28 departs the ISS, three spacewalks install upgrades to solar arrays and antennae

Following the departure of the Soyuz MS-28 crewed spacecraft from the International Space Station on…