Swift’s science mission ends after more than 20 years
NASA says the observatory made its final observation Oct. 20. Its public archive remains available as the spacecraft approaches expected re-entry.
NASA
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Roman telescope measures optical error below its requirement
NASA says Roman’s Wide Field Instrument measured 63 nanometers RMS of optical error, below its approximately 90-nanometer requirement.
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NASA selects 12 institutions for $12 million in research awards
NASA selected 12 U.S. institutions for M-STAR awards supporting research tied to Moon, Mars and deep-space exploration.
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NASA opens final competition for commercial space stations
NASA is seeking proposals for commercial destinations in low Earth orbit, with submissions due Dec. 8, 2026, and awards expected in spring 2027.
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NASA adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to launch-services roster
NASA added Relativity Space’s Terran R to its NLS II contract pool, making the rocket eligible to compete for future federal missions but not awarding a launch.
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NASA Opens Competition to Host Proposed Space Academy
NASA is seeking one proposal from each state by October 26 to host a proposed U.S. Space Academy, but its location, funding and structure remain unsettled.
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NASA and IBM Release Open AI Model for Lunar Science
NASA and IBM released a public lunar AI model that helps researchers study craters, volcanic features, surface changes and possible polar ice.
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Trump’s Proposed U.S. Space Academy Enters 120-Day Design Phase
President Donald Trump signed an order creating a commission to design a proposed federal Space Academy, while its site, funding and admissions remain undecided.
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NASA Begins Installing Engines for Artemis III’s 2027 Mission
NASA has begun installing Artemis III’s four RS-25 engines as rocket assembly and crew training advance, while lander and safety work remains.
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NASA demonstrates autonomous spacecraft navigation without GPS
NASA’s Starling swarm used onboard cameras and a 20,000-object catalog to improve orbit estimates without ground intervention during a three-day test.
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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope nears Aug. 30 launch target
Roman has reached SpaceX’s Kennedy Space Center hangar as NASA and SpaceX prepare for an Aug. 28 readiness review ahead of a planned Aug. 30 launch.
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NASA, Blue Origin Plan New Glenn Tests at Stennis
NASA and Blue Origin plan New Glenn upper-stage hot-fire tests at Mississippi’s Stennis facility this fall, linking commercial rocket work to Artemis.
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NASA Fuels Roman Space Telescope Ahead of Aug. 30 Launch
NASA says technicians completed fueling the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope with 290 gallons of hydrazine as preparations continue for a planned Aug. 30 launch from Kennedy Space Center.
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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope remains scheduled for Aug. 30 launch
NASA lists Aug. 30, 2026, as the launch date for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a mission designed to study dark energy, exoplanets and the wider universe.
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NASA Teams Prepare Eclipse Experiments for August 12, 2026
NASA-funded researchers plan to use a WB-57 aircraft and six scientific balloons to study the Sun’s corona and changes in Earth’s atmosphere during the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.
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NASA Sets Aug. 30, 2026, Launch for Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center, beginning a five-year mission to study dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics.
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NASA schedules Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch for Aug. 30, 2026
NASA has scheduled the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to launch Aug. 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, moving the mission roughly nine months ahead of its previous target.
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University of Iowa launches NASA-backed pilot to forecast nitrate spikes in Iowa waterways
A University of Iowa research project will combine NASA satellite observations with precipitation, groundwater and water-quality data to help utilities anticipate nitrate changes in Iowa rivers and streams.
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NASA completes fueling of Roman Space Telescope ahead of targeted August 30 launch
NASA says technicians have completed propellant loading for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, moving the observatory into payload integration and other final preparations for a targeted August 30, 2026, launch from Florida.
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NASA schedules three August spacewalks to upgrade the International Space Station
NASA says U.S. astronauts will conduct three spacewalks in August 2026 to upgrade space station solar arrays, replace a communications antenna and connect power and data cables.
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NASA research-security certification begins for covered GW award applicants
A new NASA research-security certification requirement took effect Aug. 5 for covered individuals on financial-assistance awards, according to George Washington University.
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Astronomers confirm a faint third planet in the Beta Pictoris system
Independent imaging and James Webb spectroscopy confirmed Beta Pictoris d, a faint young gas giant hidden in archival data for more than a decade.