Nasa

SpaceX is attempting the first orbital launch of its Starship megarocket today, September 28, with live coverage of the flight available as the countdown proceeds. Starship, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, is central to SpaceX's plans for deep-space missions and NASA's lunar ambitions. The milestone flight is drawing wide attention from space enthusiasts and industry watchers tracking whether the vehicle can reach orbit.

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.

NASA has presented a strategy for establishing a moon base, with an estimated cost of $20 billion. The plan outlines what a sustained human presence on the lunar surface could look like, drawing attention from space watchers and policy observers following the agency's Artemis program ambitions.

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.

Former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe and other experts say the odds of someone being hurt by falling space debris are growing as more objects reenter the atmosphere. While a person is still more likely to be struck by lightning, they argue governments and companies should be compelled to use satellite materials that fully burn up on reentry.

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 and Boeing are set to announce the future of the Starliner spacecraft, which has faced technical problems including thruster failures that stranded astronauts on the International Space Station. Observers expect the decision to clarify whether Starliner will continue crewed missions or shift to uncrewed flights, with spaceflight watchers following the news closely.

NASA has reportedly reached out to several former staff who worked on the SR-71A Blackbird, asking them to assist with a secret restart of activity connected to the legendary Mach 3 spy plane program. The details of what is being restarted remain undisclosed, prompting widespread speculation about high-speed aircraft research. Aviation enthusiasts are debating whether the agency is reviving hypersonic testing or drawing on the crew's rare expertise for classified work.

NASA is reportedly developing lunar base infrastructure ahead of sending astronauts to the Moon, with equipment and habitat systems being readied in advance of crewed landings under the Artemis program. The approach would allow robotic systems to prepare the surface before humans arrive. Commenters are debating whether the agency can stay on schedule and whether autonomous pre-positioning of a Moon base is realistic.

The International Space Station's crew has temporarily grown as NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission prepares to return to Earth. The larger complement reflects the overlap between the departing Crew-12 astronauts and newly arrived crew members, a standard handover period aboard the orbital outpost. The four Crew-12 astronauts are wrapping up their mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ahead of undocking and splashdown.

NASA has awarded contracts worth $1.4 billion to 16 companies for enterprise support services. The awards, reported by Aviation Week, cover a range of business and administrative support functions across the agency. The companies' names and individual contract values have not been detailed in initial reporting, and NASA has not yet published a full breakdown of the distribution.

NASA is running a research campaign examining fire-generated clouds, the towering plumes that wildfires can push into the atmosphere. These so-called pyrocumulonimbus clouds can loft smoke high into the stratosphere, affecting weather and climate far from the fire itself. The campaign aims to better understand how these clouds form and what impact they have on Earth's systems as wildfire activity intensifies.

A former DeBary, Florida resident is among the four astronauts on NASA's Crew-13 mission, which launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The mission continues NASA's routine crew rotation flights with SpaceX, drawing attention in Florida communities with local ties to the crew. Spectators and residents are following the launch to the orbital laboratory.

NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the Crew-13 mission, which will carry astronauts to the International Space Station. Coverage is focused on the launch timeline and how to watch the liftoff live, with space enthusiasts tracking the countdown and mission details as the flight readiness is confirmed.

Ahead of NASA's Artemis II mission to fly astronauts around the Moon, ABC News has published a guide explaining the key terms and jargon surrounding the flight. The explainer covers what the mission involves, the spacecraft and rocket hardware, and the meaning of phrases used in coverage. Interest in the Artemis program remains high as the crewed lunar flight approaches, prompting outlets to help readers follow mission terminology.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 has wrapped up its science mission aboard the International Space Station and is heading back to Earth. The crew carried out research aboard the orbiting laboratory before departing, according to NASA. The return marks the end of another rotation supporting station science operations under the NASA-SpaceX partnership.

NASA is wrestling with its heavy reliance on SpaceX's Crew Dragon to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. With Boeing's Starliner still struggling to prove itself, the agency has few alternatives: keep depending on a single provider, fund further delays for Starliner, or seek other options, each carrying cost, schedule, and safety risks. Commentators note there appear to be no easy solutions, and the debate is drawing wide attention in space and technology communities.

NASA and SpaceX's Crew-13 mission has arrived at the International Space Station, where the four astronauts joined the orbiting laboratory and took over from the outgoing Crew-12 team. After a brief handover period aboard the station, Crew-12 is set to undock and return to Earth as early as Monday, capping another routine crew rotation flight for SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft program.

NASA and Boeing officials are holding a briefing on the status of the Starliner spacecraft and its role in future flights to the International Space Station. The update comes as the program works through ongoing technical issues, and viewers are following closely for word on when Starliner will fly astronauts again.

NASA reports that the SpaceX Crew-13 mission is en route to the International Space Station, with the crew travelling aboard a Dragon spacecraft. The capsule is approaching the station for a scheduled docking, continuing routine crew rotation flights carried out under NASA's commercial crew programme with SpaceX.

A report circulating on NDTV claims the SR-71 Blackbird, America's fastest spy plane, may fly again. The aircraft, retired by NASA and the US Air Force in the late 1990s, still holds records as the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft. The story is drawing attention from aviation enthusiasts curious whether a revival is realistic.

NASA's Earth Observatory has published a new map of the terrain beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, showing hundreds of valleys that earlier maps missed or recorded only as fragments. The connected network of subglacial valleys reshapes how scientists understand water flow and ice dynamics under the ice, with implications for predicting how quickly Greenland may contribute to sea level rise.

NASA is drawing attention to its experimental aero-physics work, a research area combining aerodynamics and physics to study how air moves around vehicles and structures. The programme covers wind tunnel testing and flight experiments that inform aircraft and spacecraft design. Interest has surfaced around what the agency's current aero-physics projects involve and how the findings feed into next-generation aviation technology.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has flown its first mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates the country's spy satellites. The launch marks a milestone for the heavy-lift booster, expanding its role beyond commercial and NASA missions into classified national security spaceflight, and underscores the growing reliance on SpaceX hardware for sensitive defense payloads.

Politico reports on Jared Isaacman's activities in Washington, examining how the billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut is navigating the capital's political landscape. The piece looks at his relationships and strategy as he courts influence on space policy, a topic of growing interest given his ties to the commercial space sector and past nomination to lead NASA.

NASA's Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object, is currently about 25.77 billion km (16.01 billion miles) from Earth and is on course to cross the one light-day distance mark in roughly 46 days. Its twin Voyager 2 sits about 21.56 billion km (13.40 billion miles) away. Space enthusiasts are marking the upcoming milestone for the nearly 50-year-old probe, which continues to transmit data from interstellar space.