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Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Isn't Even At Its Destination Yet And It's Already Doubled Its Lifespan

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Coming in several thousand pounds under its projected weight and using just a fraction of the projected fuel has done wonders for its potential time in space.

Trump's Idea For A West Point-Style Space Academy For NASA Begins To Take Shape

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:40:44 +0000

This won't be fully built out until 2031, but an interim program will take an initial cohort of students in 2028.

China Plans To Return Samples From Mars In 2031 After The U.S. Cancels Its Own Plans

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:25:00 +0000

The Chinese mission to Mars is on pace to launch in 2028, and it may beat the U.S. back to Earth with soil samples, even though the U.S. is already there.

Space Entrepreneur Wants To Prove There Are Aliens By Sending A Probe On An 80,000-Year Voyage To Alpha Centauri Because AI Said That Would Work

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Fuel would be an issue on such a long journey, so the AI-theorized probe would need a solar-electric power system and head for our sun first.

SpaceX To Build Second Spaceport In Louisiana That It Claims Could Launch Thousands Of Starship Rockets Per Year

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Keep in mind that all this hinges on Starship eventually becoming a real boy!

NASA Can't Rescue The Satellite That Was Going To Rescue Another Satellite After All

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:51:26 +0000

The plan was for the Link satellite to fly over to Swift, grab onto it, and haul it back up into a stable orbit. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

New NASA Pictures Reveal SpaceX Crash's Devastation On The Moon's Magnificent Desolation

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:29:08 +0000

The more and more rockets humanity launches, the more and more likely we are to litter the lunar surface.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers New Type Of Star Powered By Black Holes Instead Of Fusion

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:25:00 +0000

Freshly spotted, but probably already dead.

Rocket Lab Announces Portable Spaceport To Let It Launch From Anywhere

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:25:00 +0000

Called the Global Hypersonic & Orbital Spaceport Technology (GHOST), this modular system was designed to be fit within standard shipping containers.

The Panic-Inducing Song NASA Regretted Allowing As A Wake Up Call In The '70s

staff@jalopnik.com (Charles Krome) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:25:00 +0000

NASA began playing wake-up music for Gemini 6 in 1965, but it wasn't a regular routine until Apollo 10, leading to the '70s use of this panic-inducing number.

Europe Will Launch Its Own Satellite Constellation As Its Breakup With America Continues

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:05:00 +0000

The EU and European space companies are building up their space muscles, creating a network of satellites that will provide critical communication support.

NASA Needs To Save The Satellite It Needs To Save Another Satellite

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:30:08 +0000

It may sound a little like the fire truck you called is on fire. But this is space, and things go wrong all the time.

NASA's CAPSTONE Missions Want To Solve The Moon's Three-Body Problem

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 03:25:00 +0000

If NASA wants to land astronauts on the Moon again, it's got three problems, and they're all bodies.

This Is The Fastest Object Ever Built By Man

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 22:25:00 +0000

Think you know speed? Discover the fascinating story behind the fastest man-made object in history and just how fast it's actually traveling.

FAA Proposes Letting Space Companies Ignore Environmental Damage To The Planet They Launch From

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 20:05:00 +0000

Humanity is dramatically increasing its presence in space, and that's putting strain on the legal framework around it.

Blue Origin Blew Up Its Launch Pad, So NASA Will Invite Its Rockets Over For Testing

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 23:39:24 +0000

If America is to continue its role as a leader outside our home, it will need to find whole-of-society methods to navigate setbacks. This is a good start.

SpaceX Starship Has A Panel Gap Problem On Its Heat Shield

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 22:05:59 +0000

Starship V3 has a long way to go before its ready to land astronauts on the Moon.

NASA Is Looking For A Few Good Introverts For A Simulated Moon/Mars Mission

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:25:00 +0000

Four good people with the Right Stuff (plus two alternates) will be selected for the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog, or MMEA.

Here's What's On The Golden Record, NASA's Message To Aliens Carried By The Voyager Probes

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:25:00 +0000

Sagan's team created the greatest puzzle of all time, which you can only solve if your species understands the basic nature of the universe.

In Space, Magnets Could Unlock Acceleration Without Rocket Fuel

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:25:00 +0000

Step into the future of space exploration. Learn how magnetic fields could power spacecraft acceleration-completely eliminating the need for rocket fuel.