"NASA Plans Human Mission to Mars by 2040"

Major Modifications to Budget and Policy NASA's funding is cut significantly in the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 by approximately $6 billion, or 24% of its current $24.8 billion budget. The Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew capsule, both essential to the Artemis program's goal of bringing humans back to the Moon, are put in jeopardy by this cut. The administration intends to shift its focus toward commercial alternatives that are less expensive, putting Mars exploration ahead of lunar missions. Texas Chronicle +2

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NASA's workforce, particularly in Houston, where programs like the Orion spacecraft, Gateway lunar station, and International Space Station are based, could be significantly impacted by these budget cuts. Up to 25% to 30% of NASA's national workforce could be affected, causing lawmakers in Texas and economic leaders in the area to be concerned. Texas Chronicle Highlights of Human Spaceflight Historic First All-Female Spacewalk: On May 1, NASA's fifth all-female spacewalk outside the ISS was led by astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain. The nearly six-hour mission involved preparing the station for new solar panels and repositioning an antenna.

AP Reports Transitions from Expedition 72: On April 19, the Soyuz MS-26 was undocked, bringing Aleksej Ovinin, Ivan Vagner, and Don Pettit back to Earth after 220 days in space. For Expedition 73, Japanese astronaut Takuya nishi took over command of the ISS, making him the third Japanese astronaut to hold this position. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia +1

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🌌 Scientific Missions and Discoveries

NISAR Earth Observation Mission: The launch of the NISAR satellite, the first mission to carry both L-band and S-band radar, is scheduled for June 2025 by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It is the goal of this mission to scan nearly all of Earth's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days so that important information about ecosystems, ice mass, and natural hazards can be gathered. NASA Research The Pandora SmallSat Mission, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2025, aims to use a 0.44-meter telescope to investigate the atmospheres of exoplanets and their host stars. This low-cost, high-impact mission is a partnership between NASA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

arXiv

Space and Earth Technology Hypersonic Jet Venus Stargazer: A NASA-funded upgrade to the rocket engine nozzle of Venus Aerospace's hypersonic jet, the Venus Stargazer, has marked a significant milestone. The jet can now travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (approximately 3,800 mph), which could cut the time it takes to get from London to New York to just over an hour. In the 2030s, commercial service could begin. The Sun

Reentry of Kosmos 482: Between May 7 and May 13, 2025, the Soviet-era spacecraft Kosms 482, which was launched in 1972, is anticipated to reenter the atmosphere of Earth. The spacecraft didn't get out of Earth's orbit, despite being designed for a Venus mission. Its durable titanium shell may allow parts of it to survive reentry, posing minimal risk to populated areas.

The Wall Street Journal Observations of the Astronomy Discoveries Made by the James Webb Space Telescope The James Webb Space Telescope continues to offer ground-breaking insights into the cosmos. Star formation in the Milky Way galaxy is influenced by strong magnetic fields, as evidenced by recent observations of intricate layers of interstellar gas and dust.