Mars rover exploring Gale crater and Mount Sharp since 2011
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.
NASA’s Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is in a decaying low Earth orbit and will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year. A rescue lift to a higher orbit failed due to attitude-control issues. Meanwhile, NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars has captured dawn images of yardangs on Mount Sharp, offering new clues about the planet’s ancient geology.