Spacecraft

• NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has successfully woken up in good health after completing its longest hibernation period to date, which lasted nearly one year. • The spacecraft is now ready to resume transmitting data as it continues its mission to explore the distant reaches of the solar system. • This mission has achieved several historic milestones since its 2006 launch, including a 2007 Jupiter flyby, the first exploration of Pluto in 2015, and a 2019 visit to the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth.

• Startup Katalyst Space is partnering with NASA to attempt a first-of-its-kind rescue mission to save the aging Swift space telescope. • The Arizona-based company developed a 935-pound robotic spacecraft called LINK in just 250 days to facilitate the operation. • The mission is critical because LINK must physically interact with and stabilize the observatory, which was not originally designed for such interventions.

• NASA's Lucy spacecraft conducted a flyby of the asteroid Donaldjohanson (known as "DJ") in April 2025 during its journey toward Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. • Analysis of the asteroid revealed evidence of chemical alteration caused by liquid water, suggesting the body once hosted aqueous activity. • Scientists believe Donaldjohanson originally formed in a colder region further from the sun before being gravitationally pushed inward.

• NASA's Chandra X-ray spacecraft has discovered the wreckage of a dead star located at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. • The supernova event occurred approximately 1,700 years ago, ejecting stellar debris at speeds of roughly 2 million mph. • This discovery is significant as it allows astronomers to study the remnants of ancient stellar explosions and their impact on the galactic core.

• NASA has officially ended the MAVEN mission after losing contact with the spacecraft, which reportedly began spinning out of control. • The spacecraft had spent 11 years orbiting Mars to study the planet's atmosphere, climate, and the processes that caused its atmosphere to strip away. • This loss marks the conclusion of a decade-long effort to understand Mars' evolution and determine if the planet could have once supported life.

Follow latest updates, including how to watch the launch, as four astronauts prepare to set off on a 685,000-mile journey with millions watchingA two-hour launch window for Artemis II opens at 6.24pm EST (11.24pm BST) after an almost four-hour fueling process. Nasa’s final weather briefing on Tuesday reported an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch.Mission managers will be watching closely data from launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, as well as real-time and forecast weather information. Any last-minute technical issue or weather violation can cause a scrubbed launch attempt, or a delay, right up to T-0 (the moment the countdown clock reaches zero). Continue reading...