Space FrontPage

When the four-person crew of Axiom Mission 2 launched on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station in May 2023, their schedule was packed with biomedical research aimed at understanding how the human body responds to spaceflight. Now, a new analysis of blood samples from that mission suggests that short-duration spaceflight may briefly accelerate biological aging—while also revealing signs of an intrinsic capacity for recovery once astronauts return to Earth.

GE Aerospace and Lockheed Martin have completed a series of propulsion tests demonstrating the feasibility of a liquid-fueled rotating detonation ramjet designed for future hypersonic missile systems. The milestone marks the first major outcome of a broader joint technology development effort between the two companies aimed at advancing affordable, long-range hypersonic strike capabilities.

China carried out its third and fourth orbital launches of 2026 within hours of each other, sending an Earth-observation satellite for Algeria into orbit aboard a Long March rocket and adding four spacecraft to a domestic internet-of-things constellation via a nighttime sea launch.

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have renewed and expanded their long-standing partnership to develop a nuclear fission power system capable of operating on the Moon, a move officials say is critical to sustaining human presence beyond Earth and preparing for future missions to Mars. Under the renewed agreement, the two agencies are targeting the deployment of a fission surface power reactor on the lunar surface by 2030 as part of the Artemis program and the broader Moon-to-Mars exploration strategy.

Four astronauts returned safely to Earth early Thursday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California after NASA ordered their mission cut short due to a medical issue—the first time in the agency’s history that a spaceflight has been ended early for such a reason.

The U.S. Space Force is once again reshuffling launch assignments for its Global Positioning System constellation, shifting the next GPS satellite mission from United Launch Alliance to SpaceX in an effort to accelerate delivery and reduce costs. A spokesperson for the Space Force’s Space Systems Command confirmed Tuesday that the GPS III Space Vehicle 09 (SV09) will now launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket instead of ULA’s Vulcan.

Firefly Aerospace has unveiled a significant Block II configuration upgrade for its Alpha small launch vehicle, marking the next phase in the company’s effort to improve reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and operational flexibility as competition intensifies in the global smallsat launch market. Qualification testing of the new second-stage hardware is already underway at Firefly’s Rocket Ranch test facility in Briggs, Texas, laying the groundwork for the upgraded vehicle’s first full flight later this year.

A Chinese reusable suborbital spacecraft built to support low-cost research and future space tourism has successfully completed a key test flight, marking another milestone in the rapid expansion of the country’s commercial space sector.

China has submitted filings covering plans for more than 200,000 satellites to the International Telecommunication Union, signaling an aggressive move to secure orbital positions and radio spectrum as global competition in low Earth orbit (LEO) accelerates.

NASA has outlined its near-term roadmap toward the launch of Artemis 2, providing long-awaited clarity on rollout plans, testing milestones, and potential launch windows for the mission that will carry astronauts beyond Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades.

India’s first orbital launch of 2026 ended unsuccessfully after a malfunction struck the third stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, marking a second consecutive failure for the country’s long-reliable workhorse rocket.

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) could return to Earth as early as Thursday following a medical situation that prompted mission managers to shorten their stay in orbit, the U.S. space agency announced.