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…

SpaceX wins NASA commercial cargo contract for lunar Gateway

NASA announced March 27 it has selected SpaceX to provide cargo transportation services for the agency’s planned lunar Gateway.

NASA takes Gateway off the critical path for 2024 lunar return

A revised plan for returning astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2024 will no longer rely on the use of a lunar Gateway, although NASA’s human spaceflight head says the agency is still committed to eventually developing it.

NASA selects first science payloads for lunar Gateway

NASA announced March 12 it will fly two heliophysics and space weather experiments on the lunar Gateway to collect data to help future human missions to the moon and beyond.

First SLS launch now expected in second half of 2021

A top NASA official said Feb. 28 he expects the first flight of the Space Launch System to take place in the second half of 2021, a later date than prior agency statements.

Rocket Lab wins contract to launch NASA lunar cubesat mission

NASA awarded a contract to Rocket Lab Feb. 14 for the launch of a cubesat mission that will serve as a precursor for the agency’s planned lunar Gateway.

Op-ed | NASA should shed lesser priorities to achieve a 2024 moon landing

A former NASA associate administrator for exploration argues that the lunar Gateway should be deferred if NASA is serious about achieving the White House goal of landing humans on the moon by 2024.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries mulls upgraded H3 rocket variants for lunar missions

As Japan prepares to join NASA’s Artemis lunar program, the country’s largest rocket manufacturer says it could upgrade the H3 rocket debuting next year to deliver cargo to the moon as soon as 2025. 

Gateway development remains on track

With one module under contract and a second soon to be formally awarded, NASA says development of the lunar Gateway, a key element of its Artemis effort to return humans to the moon, is moving ahead as planned.

NASA cubesat to test lunar Gateway orbit

NASA has awarded a contract to a small business for the development of a cubesat designed to demonstrate the use of the unique orbit planned for the agency’s lunar Gateway.

Safety panel pleased with Artemis project but concerned about leadership

Members of a NASA safety panel praised the agency for moving ahead quickly with aspects of its Artemis program to return humans to the moon, but warned about perceptions of a leadership vacuum for that effort.

NASA to sole source Gateway habitation module to Northrop Grumman

NASA has quietly decided to give Northrop Grumman a contract to build a “minimal” habitation module for its lunar Gateway after concluding it was the only company that could meet NASA’s schedule.

U.S. and Japan to cooperate on return to the moon

The governments of the United States and Japan have agreed to further cooperation in space which could include flying Japanese astronauts to the moon.

Price, contract terms helped Maxar secure Gateway contract

An ability to get on contract quickly and a price far lower that other companies were key factors in NASA’s decision to award a contract to Maxar Technologies for the first element of the lunar Gateway, the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE).

NASA selects Maxar to build first Gateway element

NASA has selected Maxar Technologies to develop the first element of its lunar Gateway, the Power and Propulsion Element, for launch in late 2022.

Canada mulls accelerated schedule to keep pace with NASA’s 2024 moon goal

The Canadian Space Agency — NASA’s first international partner to commit to the lunar Gateway — is considering a faster schedule for its contributions to keep pace with NASA’s accelerated plans.