Launch Preview: Swift rescue mission, final Atlas satellite launch

The first full moon of summer, June’s Strawberry Moon, wowed skywatchers worldwide with a spectacular display. June’s full moon was the lowest-hanging full moon of the year for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because a full moon always sits opposite the sun in the sky. During the summer solstice that just passed on June…

Shutterstock/Johan Swanepoel In the far reaches of the solar system, the planetary neighbourhood seems quiet. Beyond Jupiter, the sun is no longer a blazing disc, but a cold, white lamp. The planets are separated by gulfs of darkness. Light takes just 8 minutes to get from the sun to Earth, but typically more than an…

The Artemis 2 mission patch. Credit: NASA/Gregory Manchess. Most missions to space, whether they be human or robotic, are long-term endeavors.  Even diminutive CubeSats require multiple years of concerted effort to reach the launch pad.  These preparations can feel like a marathon from the perspective of the people who design and build a spacecraft, but there are…

For millennia, humanity was grounded on Earth, only able to study the vastness of the Universe with our eyes. However in the 20th Century, we made our first forays into the depths of space, finally reaching above the thin atmosphere at the Garmin line. We progressed to placing satellites and humans into orbit above the…

Three new contracts are going to companies that will be building a series of lunar landers. From left to right: Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C, and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. Astrobotic / Firefly / Intuitive Machines On June 30th, NASA announced additional details about its new plans for the Moon. The agency announced new…

THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2026 This Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems. Most opportunities to participate in research are officially announced through the Web-based NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated…