In June 2026, Relativity Space — the rocket company Eric Schmidt took over in 2025, whose one rocket has never reached orbit — said it would privately build and fly a Mars orbiter in 2028, carrying NASA's Aeolus atmospheric instruments and doubling as a communications relay, paid for by a philanthropic backer it has not named

• NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. • The launch is currently scheduled to take place on August 30 at 7:26 a.m. ET.

• NASA has successfully launched its newest space telescope, a tour-bus-sized instrument designed to unravel cosmic mysteries. • The mission aims to identify more than 100,000 exoplanets beyond our solar system to expand our understanding of the universe.

• NASA has concluded its live coverage following the successful launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope via a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. • The telescope successfully separated from the rocket's second stage, marking the start of its journey into space.

• NASA and SpaceX are targeting a liftoff for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at 7:26 a.m. EDT this Sunday. • The telescope will launch from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

• The August 30, 2026, edition of "Science Snapshots" highlights critical research regarding Betelgeuse's companion star, solar panel biodiversity impacts, and pediatric heat exposure. • New findings reveal a significant disparity in heat exposure, as most children live in tropical, low-latitude regions where temperatures are rising most intensely.

• On August 28, 1993, NASA's Galileo spacecraft performed a flyby of the asteroid Ida while en route to Jupiter. • During the encounter, the spacecraft discovered Dactyl, a tiny moon orbiting the larger asteroid Ida.

• NASA is scheduled to launch the Roman space telescope this Sunday morning from Florida to search for exoplanets and study planet formation. • The mission survived previous budget cuts under the Trump administration and is designed to complement the work of the Hubble (1990) and Webb (2021) telescopes.

• NASA is scheduled to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at 7:26 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 30. • The flagship mission utilizes a large field of view combined with high-resolution infrared vision to scan expansive areas of the deep sky.

• A collaborative reporting effort by The Guardian, Agence France-Presse, and other CCNow partners has highlighted a global consensus on environmental policy. • Peer-reviewed studies and opinion surveys reveal that a supermajority of 80% to 89% of the world's population wants their governments to take more aggressive action against climate change.

• NASA is preparing to launch the Roman Space Telescope, which is designed to provide a vast new window into the cosmos. • The telescope is expected to deliver a "data deluge," enabling scientists to achieve at least 10 major breakthroughs in astronomical understanding.

• The August 28, 2026, episode of Science Friday explores the integration of AI in healthcare, specifically its role in transcribing patient visits, answering physician queries, and analyzing medical scans. • The program examines the balance between the efficiency benefits of medical AI and the potential risks associated with its implementation in clinical settings.

• Scientists investigating the origins of life have discovered evidence suggesting that the first free-living cells may have emerged on two separate occasions. • This research challenges previous assumptions about a single common ancestor, implying that life may share a more complex evolutionary history.