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The core stage rocket for NASA's upcoming Artemis III mission has arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a key step in preparations for the crewed lunar landing. The Artemis III mission aims to return astronauts to the moon's surface, and delivery of the core stage allows engineers to begin stacking and integration work ahead of launch.

NASA has unveiled a strategy for building a moon base with an estimated price tag of $20 billion. The plan outlines how the agency intends to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface as part of its broader exploration goals. Outlets are explaining the key details of the proposal and what it would mean for future lunar missions and budgets.

NASA's Artemis II mission is set to carry astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than five decades, marking the first crewed lunar flight since Apollo 17 in 1972. Coverage examines why the United States took so long to return, pointing to shifting political priorities, funding cycles and the complexity of building new deep-space systems after the Apollo programme ended.

Falling space debris is currently less likely to hit someone than lightning, but the odds are shifting as more objects re-enter the atmosphere. Former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe and other experts say governments and companies should be required to use materials that fully burn up on re-entry, raising concerns about the growing environmental and safety risks of an increasingly crowded orbit.

The large robotic arm on the International Space Station, a critical tool for capturing cargo vehicles and supporting spacewalks, has reportedly stopped working. Engineers at NASA and its partners are expected to assess the fault and work on restoring the Canadarm2, which has been a workhorse of station operations for over two decades. Discussions are focused on what caused the failure and how operations might proceed without it.

SpaceX carried out a crewed launch, with multiple US news outlets across different regions reporting on the mission. The company, founded by Elon Musk, regularly ferries astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. Outlets covering the story include the Columbia Missourian, the Northern Virginia Daily and the Dayton Daily News, though none of the reports provide further details on the crew, destination or mission outcome.

Margaret Hamilton, the MIT computer scientist who led development of the onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo missions, has died. She coined the term 'software engineering' and became an emblem of women in computing, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Tributes are recalling her role in enabling the Moon landings and inspiring generations of engineers.

Reports circulating online claim Margaret Hamilton, the NASA software engineer who led the onboard flight software for the Apollo moon missions and coined the term 'software engineering,' has died at the age of 90. Tributes and memorials of her pioneering career in computing are being shared. Details about her death, including the date and cause, have not been provided in the initial reports.

NASA has reportedly asked several former SR-71A Blackbird personnel to help with a secret restart effort, according to Aviation Week. The program, retired from service decades ago, remains one of the fastest crewed aircraft ever built. Details of what is being revived and why are not public, fuelling speculation among aviation enthusiasts about hypersonics, reconnaissance, or engineering nostalgia.

Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who led the development of the onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo program, has died. Hamilton, who led the software engineering division at MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory, oversaw the code that guided Apollo spacecraft to the Moon, including the systems that helped Apollo 11 land safely. She is widely credited with popularizing the term 'software engineering' and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

NASA and Boeing are preparing to announce the future of the Starliner spacecraft, according to Spaceflight Now. The long-troubled program has faced repeated delays and technical setbacks, leaving questions about whether the capsule will fly crewed missions again. Details of the decision have not yet been disclosed, and space watchers are awaiting the announcement.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission has closed the hatch of its Dragon spacecraft as the crew prepares to depart the International Space Station and return to Earth. The milestone marks the final phase before undocking and re-entry, with splashdown expected to follow. Coverage is focusing on the crew's mission accomplishments and the upcoming return journey.

Newsround, the BBC's long-running children's news programme, is drawing attention in the UK, with related coverage including NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 docking at the International Space Station, a look inside Scotland's wildcat conservation headquarters described as 'Big Brother for cats', and a question about whether viewers will celebrate Harvest Festival 2026. The programme continues to explain current affairs to young audiences.

NASA and Boeing officials held a live briefing on the status of the Starliner spacecraft and its future flights to the International Space Station. The update, covered by Florida news outlets, drew large audiences eager for news on whether the troubled capsule will resume crewed missions. Interest centers on Starliner's technical problems and what role it will play in station operations going forward.

A former SR-71 Blackbird engineer has spoken about NASA's program to revive the legendary Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft, offering firsthand perspective on what it would take to bring the Blackbird back to flight. The remarks have drawn attention among aviation enthusiasts and engineers debating the practicality of restoring the 1960s-era supersonic jet.

Russia's Tsimbulova drone launch base in the Oryol region came under a massive attack, according to reports circulating online. NASA FIRMS satellite data showed fire hotspots in the area used for storing, preparing and launching drones. The strike points to continued targeting of infrastructure Russia uses for its drone campaign against Ukraine.

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured a new 360-degree panorama of Mars, assembled from 171 Mastcam images taken on Sol 5032, around October 2, 2026. The view covers terrain near Gale Crater, including the yardang rock formations along the rover's route up Mount Sharp. Space enthusiasts are sharing cropped highlights of the mosaic and discussing the landscape and rover's continuing progress.

NASA's Earth Observatory has posted its October 2026 Satellite Puzzler, an interactive quiz challenging readers to identify an unknown location shown in satellite imagery. The monthly feature invites people to study an aerial or orbital view and guess where on Earth it was taken, with the answer and explanation published afterwards. It is a recurring science outreach game aimed at geography and remote-sensing enthusiasts.

Margaret Hamilton, the computing pioneer who led the development of the onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo program, has died at the age of 90, according to an MIT obituary. Hamilton led the team whose software made the Moon landings possible and is credited with coining the term 'software engineering'. Tributes are honoring her as a foundational figure in modern computing.

Asteroid Bennu is the subject of the headline 'Bennu W', with no further factual detail available from the collected evidence. Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid that NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission visited and sampled in 2020, returning material to Earth in September 2023. Without additional context, the specific event prompting renewed attention to Bennu remains unknown.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has launched NASA's Crew-13 mission toward the International Space Station, carrying a new crew of astronauts to the orbiting laboratory. The launch continues the partnership between NASA and SpaceX in ferrying crews to the station, and spaceflight observers are closely following the mission's progress and upcoming docking.

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 7, 2026 showcases Supernova Remnant Pa 30, the expanding debris cloud of a stellar explosion. The remnant, located in the Cassiopeia constellation, is tied to a historic supernova observed in 1181 and is known for its unusually high expansion speed. Space enthusiasts are sharing the image and discussing the remnant's origins.

NASA is grappling with its reliance on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, and analysts see no good options for resolving the situation. With Dragon serving as the primary US vehicle for flying astronauts to the International Space Station, questions about its future leave the agency with few alternatives, a discussion drawing wide attention in the space community.