NASA's upcoming crewed lunar landing targeted for 2020s
Blue Origin has lost a New Glenn rocket in a catastrophic engine test at Cape Canaveral, producing a fireball that damaged the LC‑36A pad and generated seismic waves. Jeff Bezos and CEO Dave Limp have said key propellant tanks and some hardware survived and the company has begun a pad rebuild, while NASA is offering technical support for Artemis-related schedules.
NASA has named Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as the Artemis III crew for a mid‑2027, two‑week Earth‑orbit test flight to practice docking with prototype lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. The all‑male selection has drawn online criticism and questions about whether Blue Origin’s May New Glenn explosion will delay the program.
Northrop Grumman has launched the Link spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, from the Marshall Islands, as part of a broader set of aerospace developments including NASA Artemis III, SpaceX IPO expectations, Prada-designed spacesuits, and a spacewalk to repair a robotic arm.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage has struck the Moon near Einstein Crater at about 5,400 mph, carving a new crater and launching a dust plume. South Korea’s Danuri orbiter has photographed the site and released images. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to image the impact next week while scientists begin analysing ejecta and crater formation.
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor has been awarded to the Artemis II crew for their record-breaking lunar trajectory. NASA and the White House emphasize a new U.S. Space Academy and a persistent lunar presence, with Artemis III and IV planning progress toward a moon base at the south pole.