NASA’s Laser Comms Demo Makes Deep Space Record, Completes First Phase – NASA

NASA’s Laser Comms Demo Makes Deep Space Record, Completes First Phase – NASA

The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars’ farthest distance from Earth. NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration broke yet another record for laser communications this summer by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA’s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles (460 … Read more

How NASA Astronauts Vote from Space Aboard International Space Station  – NASA

How NASA Astronauts Vote from Space Aboard International Space Station  – NASA

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station have the opportunity to vote in general elections through absentee ballots or early voting in coordination with the county clerk’s office where they live.   So, how is voting from space possible? Through NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Program.  Similar to most data transmitted between the space station … Read more

NASA Announces Selections for Lunar Comms, Network Studies – NASA

NASA Announces Selections for Lunar Comms, Network Studies – NASA

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines of Houston and Aalyria Technologies Inc. of Livermore, California, to perform capability studies with the goal of advancing space communications and exploration technologies. These studies will allow NASA to gain insights into industry capabilities and innovations to facilitate NASA partnerships with commercial communications and navigation providers. The awards, under the … Read more

NASA Selects Lunar Relay Contractor for Near Space Network Services – NASA

NASA Selects Lunar Relay Contractor for Near Space Network Services – NASA

NASA has awarded a contract to Intuitive Machines, LLC of Houston, to support the agency’s lunar relay systems as part of the Near Space Network, operated by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services is a new firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract. The … Read more

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Arrive at Space Station – NASA

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Arrive at Space Station – NASA

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, arrived at the International Space Station Wednesday, bringing its number of residents to 12 for the 13-day handover period. After a two-orbit, three-hour journey to the station, the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft automatically docked to the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module at 3:32 … Read more

NASA Invites Media to View Launch of Jupiter Moon Mission – NASA

NASA Invites Media to View Launch of Jupiter Moon Mission – NASA

NASA and SpaceX are targeting a launch period opening Thursday, Oct. 10, for the agency’s Europa Clipper mission, which will help scientists determine if one of Jupiter’s icy moons could support life. The mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Europa Clipper … Read more

NASA Selects Three New Venture-Class Launch Service Providers – NASA

NASA Selects Three New Venture-Class Launch Service Providers – NASA

NASA has selected three additional companies to provide launch services for future agency missions through its VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) contract. The companies awarded are: Arrow Science and Technology LLC of Webster, Texas Impulse Space Inc. of Redondo Beach, California Momentus Space LLC of San Jose, California The VADR contract is a … Read more

NASA to Provide Crew Flight Test Status Update – NASA

NASA to Provide Crew Flight Test Status Update – NASA

NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 14, to provide an update on the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Mission managers continue to evaluate the Starliner spacecraft’s readiness in advance of decisional meetings no earlier than next week regarding the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Audio … Read more

NASA to Provide Crew Flight Test, Space Station Missions Update – NASA

NASA to Provide Crew Flight Test, Space Station Missions Update – NASA

NASA will host a media teleconference at 12:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 7, to discuss ongoing International Space Station operations, including the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.   Audio of the briefing will stream live on NASA’s website. Agency participants include: Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate Steve … Read more

NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond – NASA

NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond – NASA

NASA announced a new round of opportunities for CubeSat, developers to build spacecrafts on that will fly on upcoming launches through the agency’s CSLI (CubeSat Launch Initiative). CubeSats are a class of small spacecraft called nanosatellites. The initiative provides space access to U.S. educational institutions, certain non-profit organizations, and informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers, as well as … Read more