The 2020 Humans to Mars Summit

Are missions to the Moon by 2024 and Mars by 2033 achievable?
How will the 2020 Mars Rover advance the goal of getting humans to Mars?
If we find life on Mars, what next?

These are just a few of the questions that will be explor…

SpaceNews Webinar | Back to the Moon: Private Partnerships for Lunar Landers

SpaceNews Senior Staff Writer Jeff Foust and Editor-in-Chief Brian Berger lead a live panel discussion about NASA's use of public-private partnerships to develop lunar landers that could return astronauts to the surface of the moon as soon as 2024. Featuring Draper, Dynetics and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

Op-ed | Toward a coherent Artemis plan

NASA should forget about using Starship as a lunar lander (at least for now) and instead use it as an in-orbit refueling station for much smaller landing and ascent vehicles.

Bridenstine criticizes China for uncontrolled rocket reentry

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized China May 15 for the “really dangerous” reentry of a large rocket stage earlier in the week that led to debris landing in Africa.

NASA announces Artemis Accords for international cooperation in lunar exploration

NASA will ask countries that seek to cooperate on the agency’s Artemis lunar exploration program to follow a series of principles that the agency says is intended to support a “safe, prosperous and peaceful” future in space.

NASA advisers skeptical of agency’s ability to meet 2024 lunar landing goal

Members of a NASA advisory committee expressed doubts that the agency can return humans to the moon by 2024 as currently planned, as well as concerns about the approach the agency is using to develop lunar landers.

NASA refines plans for launching Gateway and other Artemis elements

NASA is making several changes to its plans to return humans to the surface of the moon by 2024, including launching the first two elements of the lunar Gateway together and adding a critical demonstration to the first crewed Orion flight.

Bridenstine ties international cooperation on Artemis to norms of behavior in space

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wants the space agency to play a bigger role in national strategy, including requiring countries interested in participating in the Artemis program to accept “norms of behavior” for safe space operations.

Op-ed | Securing America’s small business space sector   

The most recent data from the Small Business Administration reveals that NASA provides $2.8 billion per year directly to small businesses, with another $3 billion subcontracted through larger companies.

NASA evaluation sees SpaceX lunar lander as innovative but risky

A NASA evaluation suggests that the agency selected SpaceX for one of the three human lunar lander awards as a high-risk, high-reward option that could provide significant capability but may not be ready in time for a 2024 landing.

House members criticize NASA lunar lander awards

While NASA’s decision to award lunar lander development contracts to three companies won praise from a Senate committee, the leaders of the House Science Committee said they remained concerned about NASA’s approach to returning humans to the moon.

NASA selects three companies for human landing system awards

NASA announced April 30 it has selected three companies to begin work on designs for human lunar landers, one of which the agency still hopes will be ready to land humans on the moon by the end of 2024.

GAO warns of continued cost growth on NASA exploration programs

A new study found that costs on major NASA projects continued to grow in the last year, and warned some of the agency’s highest profile programs will likely face additional cost overruns and delays in the near future.

NASA human lunar lander awards expected in April

NASA is expected to announce awards for human lunar lander development later this month as two senators press NASA to stay the course on the use of commercial partnerships for those landers.

NASA report outlines vision for long-term human lunar exploration

NASA released a report April 2 outlining its long-term approach to lunar exploration that involves establishing a “base camp” at the south pole of the moon, but with few details about cost and schedule.

NASA planning reorganization of human spaceflight directorate

NASA is planning to implement changes in the structure of its human spaceflight directorate in the coming weeks, including moving a scientific research program to another part of the agency.