Space Coast gateway and launch site
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.
Scientists have tested a wearable radiation-shielding vest in lunar mission data, showing it could reduce an astronaut’s exposure by about 60% during severe solar events, with significant implications for long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars.
A deep partial lunar eclipse has occurred, with about 96% of the Moon in Earth's shadow for observers across much of the Americas. The event followed a recent total solar eclipse and is part of a pair of celestial events that are visible under clear skies. The maximum viewing is around midnight EDT, with visibility shifting by location. NASA notes the Artemis II mission remains a backdrop to ongoing space activity.
SpaceX has pledged $100 billion to build a 125,000‑acre Starbase in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, that it says will support thousands of Starship launches a year, add about 3,000 direct jobs and include propellant production, power generation and deep‑water shipping. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027; SpaceX targets initial launches by 2029 while state officials give a 2030 timeline.
SpaceX has announced a $100 billion plan to develop a 125,000-acre Starbase Louisiana on Pecan Island, expanding beyond Texas and Florida. The site will host methane production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing, and potentially an on-site airport. Construction starts next year, with the first launch expected in 2029, creating more than 3,000 jobs.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy and has separated cleanly. The observatory is travelling toward Lagrange point 2, about one million miles from Earth, for a five‑year primary mission to map billions of galaxies, search for exoplanets and study dark matter and dark energy.
President Trump has signed an executive order to begin creating a U.S. Space Academy to train astronauts, engineers and civil operators for NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the civilian spaceflight industry. A presidential commission chaired by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman will deliver proposals within 120 days; the academy’s location and funding remain undecided.
NASA has launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard a Falcon Heavy, with a field-of-view more than 100 times wider than Hubble. The bus-sized telescope is heading to a point roughly 1 million miles from Earth to study dark energy, dark matter, and thousands of new worlds, while working with Webb and other observatories. It will take months to reach its destination and will begin rapid, wide-area observations.
A NASA-backed mission to salvage the Swift telescope using the three-armed Link spacecraft has failed to boost Swift to a higher orbit. Link has run low on fuel after a close approach and will reenter the atmosphere in coming weeks as NASA notes the mission offers lessons for future renewals of space assets.
Alphabet-backed tests are validating Google’s orbital AI compute concept. A MVP satellite carries four TPUs and will run in-space workloads to evaluate space-ready AI hardware and links to future laser-connected satellites.
SpaceX has flown Starship into low‑Earth orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight from Starbase, Texas, and has deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The Super Heavy booster has returned to the Gulf of Mexico; the upper stage has completed multiple orbits before a planned reentry and splashdown west of Chile during a roughly 10‑hour mission on Monday.
SpaceX has launched a four‑person Crew‑13 to the International Space Station and the team has reached orbit after an eight‑hour express transit, a US speed record. Commander Jessica Watkins has become the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. The flight includes Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, whose wife is due to give birth during the six‑month mission.
SpaceX has achieved an orbital Starship flight, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites and signaling a new era of high-frequency, reusable launches. The mission faced an early engine issue but proceeded to orbit with a Pacific splashdown and a rapid return-to-flight plan taking shape for future missions.
NASA officials say Artemis III will dock with lunar landers in 2027 ahead of a 2028 moon landing, while Artemis IV remains targeted for late 2028. The agency aims to speed up development with lighter suits and faster launch cadence, as it weighs SpaceX vs. Blue Origin for the lunar lander.