EM-1

Bridenstine reiterates commitment to SLS
A day after announcing that NASA was studying the possibility of shifting an Orion mission from the Space Launch System rocket to commercial vehicles, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he and the agency still support development of the SLS.

Industry and lawmakers go to defense of SLS
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s surprise announcement March 13 that NASA is considering moving Exploration Mission 1 off of the Space Launch System took many in the industry by surprise, but some have reacted by defending the use of the SLS.

Lockheed Martin working to lower Orion costs
As Lockheed Martin prepares to complete assembly of the Orion spacecraft flying on the first SLS mission, the company says it’s making progress in lowering the costs of the future spacecraft, including through reuse.


NASA to leverage current planning for 45-day exploration report
A shift in focus in NASA’s exploration plans to the moon won’t have an immediate effect on planning for the first flight of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket, now expected no sooner than late 2019.


NASA decides not to place a crew on first SLS/Orion mission
NASA has decided it will not add astronauts to the first flight of the Space Launch System, a launch now delayed until some time in 2019.

NASA moving ahead with plans for cislunar human outpost
Despite uncertainty about potential policy changes, NASA is pressing ahead with plans for a cislunar “gateway” outpost for future human missions, with decisions about how to develop it expected in the coming months.

Trump’s departing NASA liaison urges careful vetting of crewed test flight idea
NASA should consider flying crew on the debut test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule to better support the overall goals of U.S. space exploration, the former Trump administration liaison to NASA said on Sunday.