Nation #56 Has Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

NASA Welcomes Senegal as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory (News Release)

Senegal signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the latest nation to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all of humanity.

Director General of the Senegalese space agency (ASES) Maram Kairé signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Senegal. Jonathan Pratt, senior bureau official for African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and Abdoul Wahab Haidara, ambassador of Senegal to the United States, also participated in the event.

“Senegal’s adherence to the Artemis Accords reflects our commitment to a multilateral, responsible and transparent approach to space,” said Kairé. “This signature marks a meaningful step in our space diplomacy and in our ambition to contribute to the peaceful exploration of outer space.”

Astronomers from Senegal have supported NASA missions by participating in multiple observations when asteroids or planets pass in front of stars, casting shadows on Earth. In 2021, NASA also collaborated with Kairé and a group of astronomers for a ground observation campaign in Senegal. As the asteroid Orus passed in front of a star, they positioned telescopes along the path of the asteroid’s shadow to estimate its shape and size.

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will approach Orus in 2028, as part of its mission to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.

The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Signing the Artemis Accords means to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to ensure unrestricted access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, to preserve historically-significant sites and artifacts, and to develop best practices for how to conduct space exploration activities for the benefit of all.

More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful and prosperous future in space.

Source: NASA.Gov

Grace Has Returned to Earth...

SpaceX

Ax-4 Crew Splashes Down Completing First Mission to the International Space Station for India, Poland and Hungary (News Release)

After undocking from the International Space Station on Monday, July 14 at 6:15 a.m. CT, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew safely splashed down off the coast of California aboard SpaceX Dragon Grace on Tuesday, July 15 at 4:31 a.m. CT.

The Ax-4 crewmembers, led by Commander Peggy Whitson of the U.S., includes Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. For each of these countries, this mission has realized the return to human spaceflight, with all three nations sending astronauts to space for the first time in more than 40 years. Additionally, this marks the first time that astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have conducted a mission on board the International Space Station.

“The Ax-4 mission is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible through commercial space,” said Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Axiom Space. “By enabling astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary to carry out scientific research aboard the space station, we are supporting these nations in their contributions to human spaceflight. This mission reflects Axiom Space’s vision of a thriving low-Earth orbit economy, where access to space is no longer limited to a few, but extends to all who seek to explore, discover and innovate.”

Over the course of their 18-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory, the Ax-4 crew conducted more than 60 scientific experiments across a wide range of disciplines, including life sciences, materials research, Earth observation and technology demonstrations. These investigations represented the interests of 31 countries, underscoring the mission’s global impact in advancing science and innovation in microgravity.

In addition to the scientific research, the crew participated in over 20 outreach events, connecting with a diverse global audience that included government officials, students, researchers, the media and aspiring astronauts. These engagements served as a platform to share the mission’s goals, inspire future generations, and highlight the importance of international collaboration.

Ax-4 is the fourth in Axiom Space’s series of human spaceflight missions to the International Space Station. As the only private company to have successfully executed private astronaut missions to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Space has expanded access to low-Earth orbit by enabling governments, academic institutions, private organizations and individuals to engage in research, technology demonstrations and educational outreach in space. In parallel, these missions serve as a precursor for Axiom Space’s long-term vision—the launch and operation of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

Axiom Space’s previous missions have included astronauts from the United States, Spain, Israel, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Türkiye and Sweden, with support from the European Space Agency (ESA). With Ax-4, Axiom Space continues to build a foundation for the future of commercial space, demonstrating the importance of international participation.

Source: Axiom Space

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The Latest Update on the Third SLS Rocket...

NASA / Eric Bordelon

Artemis III Liquid Oxygen Tank Moves to Vertical Configuration at Michoud (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift a liquid oxygen tank from a horizontal to a vertical position and place it into a production cell on July 12. The process, called a breakover, will allow technicians to rappel into the empty tank and install its aft sump subassembly, securing it from the inside. This tank will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis III mission.

The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Eric Bordelon


NASA / Eric Bordelon


NASA / Eric Bordelon

The Latest Update on Artemis 3 and Beyond...

NASA

Axiom Space’s Next-Gen Spacesuit is Crew Tested for First Time in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab (News Release)

In June, Koichi Wakata, Axiom Space astronaut and Chief Technology Officer, was the first to test the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).

The Axiom Space-developed spacesuit will enable astronauts to explore the Moon for the first time in over 50 years as part of the Artemis III mission to the lunar South Pole.

The tests were first conducted with Wakata, followed by NASA spacesuit engineers Kristine Davis and Richard Rhodes, and focused on the integration of the AxEMU into the NBL facility. The NBL is one of the world's largest indoor pools, used for astronaut training and mission preparation, allowing astronauts to simulate lunar surface tasks in partial gravity or spacewalks in zero gravity.

The Axiom Space Extravehicular Activity (EVA) program team tested the operations and capabilities of the communications, breathing and cooling systems of the spacesuit in the pool. The team worked to familiarize the NBL divers with the AxEMU’s operations and support systems.

In preparation of the Artemis III mission, Axiom Space and NASA’s Artemis Program teams will continue to conduct tests in the NBL to train for EVA tasks on the lunar surface.

The AxEMU continues to undergo extensive testing to ensure that it will be ready to support Artemis III. This year, the EVA program team accomplished several key achievements, including completing its first three crewed tests in the NBL; 23 tests in NASA’s Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) that provides a simulated reduced gravity environment; multiple field evaluations using lunar tools; and lunar regolith challenge testing demonstrating that the suit exceeds its mission requirements in this area. The spacesuit continues to undergo integrated tests with the Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs) and is scheduled to enter the Critical Design Review (CDR) later this year.

Axiom Space remains laser-focused on the development of this next-generation spacesuit providing astronauts with increased flexibility, mobility and safety capabilities. Stay tuned to axiomspace.com/axiom-suit for more updates.

Source: Axiom Space

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On This Day 30 Years Ago: Remembering APOLLO 13...

It was today in 1995 that Apollo 13 was released in theaters nationwide.

This docudrama, starring Tom Hanks as NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, is one of Ron Howard's best movies (and definitely one of the best space flicks of all time) and contains one of the best film scores by the late James Horner...who went on to compose music for director James Cameron on the 1997 Oscar winner Titanic and 2009's Best Picture nominee Avatar.

Speaking of the Academy Awards, Apollo 13 was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (for Ed Harris on his portrayal as NASA flight director Gene Kranz), Best Supporting Actress (for Kathleen Quinlan on her role as Jim Lovell's wife Marilyn), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 68th Academy Awards on March 25, 1996.

Apollo 13 went on to win trophies for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing, respectively.

Another Crewed Suborbital Flight Is in the Books...

Blue Origin

Blue Origin’s New Shepard Completes 33rd Mission to Space (News Release)

Today, Blue Origin successfully completed its 13th human spaceflight and the 33rd flight for the New Shepard program. The crew included: Allie Kuehner and her husband, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno, Jr., Owolabi Salis and Jim Sitkin. Including today’s crew, New Shepard has now flown 70 people to space, including four who have flown twice.

“One thing this crew shares in common is an appreciation of our planet’s beauty and the need to preserve it for future generations,” said Audrey Powers, VP, Mission and Flight Operations. “Thank you to our customers for entrusting us to provide this life-changing view. I look forward to seeing how you transform this experience into action.”

Key mission statistics:

Official Launch Time: 9:39:56 AM CDT / 14:39:56 UTC

Booster Apogee: 344,725 ft AGL / 348,372 ft MSL (105 km AGL / 106 km MSL)

Crew Capsule Apogee: 345,044 ft AGL / 348,691 ft MSL (105 km AGL / 106 km MSL)

Crew Capsule Landing Time: 9:50:10 AM CDT / 14:50:10 UTC

Mission Elapsed Time: 10 minutes, 14 seconds

Source: Blue Origin

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Welcome to apogee, where distance brings perspective. pic.twitter.com/GdekFCEpXw

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) June 29, 2025

The Latest Update on the Planned SLS Block 2 Variant...

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Tests Most Powerful Segmented Solid Rocket Booster Ever Built (News Release - June 26)

PROMONTORY, Utah – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) conducted a full-scale static fire of NASA’s Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) solid rocket booster. This was the first demonstration test of the enhanced five-segment solid rocket motor, the world’s largest and most powerful segmented solid rocket motor built for human spaceflight.

-- Over 700 data channels assessed the 156-foot-long solid rocket motor as it fired for just over two minutes, producing more than 4 million pounds of thrust from a single booster.

-- Leveraging Northrop Grumman’s industry-leading experience in solid rocket motor manufacturing, BOLE improves on previous designs by replacing key components no longer in production. The booster features a composite case design, updated propellant formulation and advanced components to increase booster performance by more than 10 percent compared with the current five-segment Space Launch System (SLS) booster design.

-- The carbon fiber composite case enables better booster performance, faster manufacturing and aligns with commercial standards by providing commonality among our infrastructure, supply chain and manufacturing operations. Other aspects of the BOLE design, including metallic components, allows the company to support a U.S.-based supply chain of American manufacturers.

-- Compared with its predecessor, this evolved booster provides another five metric tons of payload to lunar orbit, a capability critical to supporting deep space missions.

Expert:

Jim Kalberer, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman: “Today’s test pushed the boundaries of large solid rocket motor design to meet rigorous performance requirements. While the motor appeared to perform well through the most harsh environments of the test, we observed an anomaly near the end of the two-plus minute burn. As a new design, and the largest segmented solid rocket booster ever built, this test provides us with valuable data to iterate our design for future developments."

Details:

Northrop Grumman supplied rocket propulsion for NASA’s Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs and developed the five-segment SLS solid rocket booster based on the flight-proven design of the space shuttle boosters. The five-segment booster, BOLE’s predecessor, generates 25 percent more power than its space shuttle predecessor, and provided over 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s initial thrust during the Artemis I mission on November 15, 2022.

The BOLE booster development, awarded in 2017, represents a significant step towards more sustainable commercial practices and incorporates commonality in design and construction standards from across all of Northrop Grumman’s production programs.

With nearly 100,000 employees and over 30 million square feet of manufacturing space – more than 500 football fields – Northrop Grumman has the capacity, scale and agility to drive innovation at unprecedented speeds. The company’s manufacturing approaches do more than just produce; they accelerate and enhance the entire process from design and development to production and testing. Northrop Grumman has invested in U.S. infrastructure, R&D, its workforce and its supply chain to deliver today and tomorrow’s national security needs.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities that they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

Source: Northrop Grumman

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NASA / MSFC

IGNITION! BOLE: Five Segment SRB test for Artemis 9 onwards.

Overview:https://t.co/SJyxcLTCqf

Live:https://t.co/oDqHuQTgZx pic.twitter.com/esQhWxqk2j

— NSF - NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) June 26, 2025

Close up slow motion footage of the unexpected event(s) during Northrop Grumman’s BOLE DM-1 stb test today. @NASASpaceflight

Rewatch the livestream here: https://t.co/c3mHSLrzV2 pic.twitter.com/FcrZXjwLVD

— Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) June 26, 2025

Grace Has Arrived at the ISS...

NASA TV

Axiom Space Celebrates Arrival of Ax-4 Crew to International Space Station (News Release)

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew has successfully reached their destination and will begin their planned 14-day mission on the International Space Station. After seamlessly docking to the orbiting laboratory, Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu entered the space station at 8:23 a.m. EDT.

Soon after the Ax-4 astronauts entered the space station, they celebrated their arrival along with NASA’s Expedition 73 crew during the welcome ceremony. Commander Whitson presented her crewmates with their official astronaut pins and orbital flight numbers, declaring Shukla to be the 634th, Uznański-Wiśniewski the 635th, and Kapu to be the 636th astronaut to orbit Earth.

The Ax-4 astronauts embarked on their journey to space aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:21 a.m. ET on June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During their time aboard the space station, the Ax-4 crew will conduct a diverse array of over 60 experiments spanning various fields of biology and technology. These endeavors aim to propel advancements in human spaceflight and contribute to enhancing life on our home planet. Ax-4 stands as the fourth among multiple proposed Axiom Space human spaceflight missions, laying the groundwork for Axiom Station, which is set to become the world’s first commercial space station.

Source: Axiom Space

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NASA TV

SpaceX's Brand-New Dragon Capsule 'Grace' Has Headed to Space...

SpaceX

Ax-4 Crew Launches to International Space Station (News Release)

The crew of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) successfully launched today at 2:31 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is now in orbit and scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET on June 26, connecting to the space-facing port of the Harmony module.

Ax-4 represents a pivotal moment in the growth of commercial human spaceflight. For the first time in history, astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary will fly together to the International Space Station as part of a government-sponsored mission — with each nation returning to human spaceflight after more than four decades.

The Ax-4 crewmembers are Commander Peggy Whitson of the U.S., Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

“This mission shows that space exploration is no longer limited to a few nations — it’s a shared effort that reflects the best of what we can achieve together,” said Commander Peggy Whitson. “We launched a message to the world that science, exploration and unity transcend borders. For me, returning to space is always a privilege. But leading this crew — representing the dreams and determination of India, Poland and Hungary as they return to human spaceflight — that’s something truly special. We’re carrying the hopes of millions who dare to look up and imagine what’s possible. This is what the future of space looks like — bold, inclusive and driven by purpose.”

During their planned 14-day mission, the Ax-4 crew will live and work aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting around 60 different research activities representing 31 countries. The studies will contribute to human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, showcasing each country’s space research initiatives. This mission will enable opportunities for industrial advancements and technological development to drive discovery off the planet.

Ax-4 is a stepping stone for Axiom Space’s broader vision: the development of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. By conducting research, testing operational protocols, and building international partnerships in low-Earth orbit, Ax-4 is helping lay the groundwork for a future where commercial platforms support sustained human presence in space.

Two hours in advance of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docking with the International Space Station, at approximately 5:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 26, the Ax-4 live webcast will begin. Watch the crew arrive at the International Space Station live at axiom.space/live, spacex.com/launches and on NASA+. The Ax-4 webcast will cover the vehicle’s approach and docking through crew arrival on the space station, where they will be greeted by NASA’s Expedition 73 crew during a welcome ceremony.

This will begin the crew’s mission on the orbiting laboratory conducting microgravity research, technology demonstrations and outreach engagements.

Source: Axiom Space

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SpaceX

The Latest Update on the Planned Artemis 5 Mission...

NASA

NASA Tests New RS-25 Engine (News Release)

NASA tested RS-25 engine No. 20001 on June 20, at the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Test teams fired the engine for almost eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds), the same amount of time that RS-25 engines fire during a launch of an SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon. The Artemis campaign will explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.

Four RS-25 engines, built by contractor L3Harris Technologies (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne), help power each SLS launch, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust. During the test, operators also fired engine No. 20001 up to the 111% power level, the same amount of thrust needed to launch an SLS rocket, carrying the Orion spacecraft, to orbit. The full-duration “hot fire” was the first test since NASA completed certification testing for new production RS-25 engines in 2024.

All RS-25 engines are tested and proven flightworthy at NASA Stennis. The test was conducted by a team of operators from NASA, L3Harris and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.

Source: NASA.Gov