NASA Opens Bidding for Future Commercial Space Stations
NASA issued a final commercial space stations solicitation on October 9 as it plans to buy future low-Earth-orbit services from industry. Proposals are due December 8.
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Category: Space
Space covers the latest news on NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, satellite launches, exploration missions, rockets, aerospace innovation, and commercial spaceflight.
NASA Commercial Space Station RFP Sets Dec. 8 Bid Deadline
NASA has released its final request for proposals for commercial space stations to succeed the ISS, with bids due Dec. 8, awards expected April 15, 2027, and optional NASA-furnished rides for four guaranteed missions.
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KREPE-3 Heat Shield Capsules Leave ISS for Re-entry Test
Twelve KREPE-3 capsules carrying experimental heat shield materials from NASA Ames, NASA Johnson and partners left the space station on Cygnus XL, which NASA says will deorbit Oct. 12.
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Cygnus XL Departure Carries 12 Heat-Shield Test Capsules
Cygnus XL departed the International Space Station on October 9 with 12 experimental heat-shield capsules among its disposal cargo. NASA plans to deorbit it October 12.
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Tranche 1 Satellites Reach 84 After Fourth Falcon 9 Launch
The Space Development Agency reported a successful October 10 Falcon 9 launch that carried 21 Northrop Grumman-built Tranche 1 transport satellites from Vandenberg, bringing the total deployed to 84.
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NASA Nuclear Agreement Expands Work With Energy Department
NASA and the Energy Department signed a new nuclear cooperation memorandum on October 8. The framework becomes effective November 1 and supports proposed space reactors and future exploration work.
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NASA Science Initiatives Expand Peer Review and Fellowships
NASA launched science initiatives focused on dual-anonymous proposal review and ten research fellowships, tied to its October science summit, while nASA has not yet publicly identified the recipients of the newly proposed fellowship program.
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NASA SSPICY Mission Begins Orbital Inspection Campaign
NASA says its SSPICY technology demonstrator launched in October and will test autonomous inspection approaches to inactive satellites and rocket bodies beginning in early 2027.
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SPHEREx Brown Dwarfs Study Maps Atmospheric Chemistry
SPHEREx observations of 37 nearby brown dwarfs reveal atmospheric chemistry in dim objects that share properties with stars and giant planets, helping researchers compare molecules and clouds across a wide temperature range.
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Webb Fast Radio Burst Study Finds Distant Host Galaxy
Webb helped locate and measure the host galaxy of a distant fast radio burst, improving constraints on where these brief but powerful radio flashes originate.
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