Bill Nelson

Artemis 1 success earns widespread praise
The successful conclusion of the Artemis 1 mission Dec. 11 won widespread support from politicians and industry, a sign of broad support for a program that has suffered extensive delays.

Saltzman takes command as new chief of the U.S. Space Force
Gen. B. Chance Saltzman assumed command of the U.S. Space Force, and departing chief Gen. John “Jay” Raymond retired Nov. 2.

Nelson satisfied with NASA authorization act
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the agency has “gotten what we need” from an authorization bill that became law Aug. 9.

NASA administrator tests positive for COVID
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced June 29, but is continuing to lead the agency as he isolates at home.

ESA and NASA to cooperate on Earth science and lunar mission
NASA and the European Space Agency announced agreements to cooperate on Earth science and a lunar mission June 15, but agency leaders said they’re still discussing more substantial cooperation on the Artemis program and Mars exploration.

NASA expects decisions on ISS crew swaps by June
NASA says it expects to know by June whether a Russian cosmonaut will fly on a Crew Dragon mission in September in exchange for a NASA astronaut flying on a Soyuz, as the agency’s leadership continues to express optimism about long-term cooperation with Russia on the space station.

Roscosmos head again questions future of ISS while NASA emphasizes cooperation
The head of Roscosmos has renewed threats to terminate Russian participation in the International Space Station even as NASA says operations on the station remain normal.

New NASA chief scientist to focus on climate change
NASA has hired a climate scientist as its new chief scientist, a move that reflects the greater emphasis the agency is placing on climate change studies.

Falcon 9 launches DART
A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched a NASA mission that will deliberately collide with a near Earth asteroid to test a technique that could be used to deflect the trajectory of any future asteroid on a collision course with the Earth.

Nelson and Rogozin talk about ASAT test
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson spoke with his Russian counterpart a day after a Russian antisatellite test, as others in the Russian government dismissed the threat to space sustainability that test created.