NASA Watch

FWIW @NASAAdmin @Rookisaacman - @NASA and space have deep branding reach & meme penetration. These two ads just ran (again) back to back midday on @CNN. You'll get exposure for ~12 days for #ArtemisII then nothing since #NASA doesn't know how to do follow-up @ProjectHailMary sugar high tie-ins are great but what do you do when everyone has seen it? @CreditOneBank instagram.com/reels/DV9fXmmD… @OldSpice youtube.com/watch?v=xywz26… #LPSC2026

Artemis II: NASA's repaired Space Launch System moon rocket began a glacial 12-hour trip back to the launch pad about 20 minutes after midnight EDT (0420 UTC), slowly exiting the Vehicle Assembly Building atop an Apollo-era crawler transporter; the 4-mile trip to pad 39B got underway more than 4 hours later than planned because of high winds, but the SLS rocket should be "hard down" atop the launch stand by around noon Friday; that will set the stage for a delayed April 1 launch to send four astronauts on a historic nine-day flight around the moon and back

The strong wind warning in effect at the Kennedy Space Center has been extended to 12 a.m. EDT (0400 UTC). It's unclear at this point if that will prevent the start of rollout, but the winds seem to be proving to be an obstacle so far. Watch live: youtube.com/watch?v=Wyi9M7…

🚨🚨 Blue Origin - FCC Docket SAT-LOA-20260310-00118 Blue Origin has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority to launch and operate a large satellite constellation known as Project Sunrise. This system is designed to host orbital data centers to support the increasing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. By placing compute infrastructure in space, Blue Origin aims to provide a sustainable alternative to terrestrial data centers that face physical scaling limits. The proposed constellation includes up to 51,600 satellites operating in sun-synchronous orbits at altitudes ranging from 500 to 1,800 kilometers. To manage data traffic, the system will primarily use optical links and mesh backhaul networks, supplemented by Ka-band spectrum for telemetry, tracking, and command operations. The spacecraft will utilize multiple antenna variations to maintain efficient coverage across various orbital planes. In its filing, Blue Origin requests several regulatory waivers, including exemptions from standard processing round procedures and certain milestone or bond requirements. The company asserts that the project will enhance global compute accessibility and ensure efficient spectrum use. Approval would allow Blue Origin to expand its space infrastructure capabilities to include high-capacity orbital data processing. 🔗 fccalerts.com/api/pdf/658601…

Mission complete. After three months in orbit and 49 tests completed validating critical systems, components, and processes, we have successfully performed a controlled deorbit of Haven Demo, our in-space testbed for Haven-1 technologies. Read more. vastspace.com/updates/haven-…

Great having Embry-Riddle students at NASA HQ today. Spent time in the Space Operations Center talking through what it takes to execute missions at the highest level and hearing from the next generation that’s going to carry it even further.

🤔🌏Want to learn about the GLOBE Program? We have an online course for you! Created by GLOBE Mission Earth, “GLOBE SPARKS: Supporting Practice, Awareness, Research, and Knowledge for Science” is an online course designed for educators who are new to GLOBE, as well as longtime members looking to refresh their knowledge. Lessons include updated guidance on account creation and website navigation, how to use GLOBE in the research process, and how to prepare implementation plans, lesson plans, project plans, and more. Learn more and access the course here: globe.gov/news-events/gl…

Spring into spring with this new image of the Cat's Paw Nebula from NASA's Chandra and @NASAWebb. We expect it to start knocking planets off the counter for sport any minute now. 🐾

Welcoming our tenth class of Brooke Owens Fellows! The future is bright! brookeowensfellowship.org/blog/posts/ann…

@Canadensys1 Comments on the Termination of the Lunar Rover Mission canadensys.com/canadensys-aer…

“Why go to the space when we have other problems here at home?” A tale as old as time… #1: we can do them BOTH #2: national security, science and discovery, potential lunar economy, inspiration

.@ESA to shut down Mars Earth Return Orbiter after US budget decision; will meet @NASA next week on Artemis status; ESA-@defis_eu Iris2 negotiations with @SES @Eutelsat @Hispasat to wind up late April; ESA Launcher Challenge adapts to @orbexspace exit.spaceintelreport.com/esa-nasa-to-ad…

AGU is now accepting applications for Editors-in-Chief across six publications, with terms starting Jan 1, 2027. These roles help shape editorial standards, research quality, and peer review in Earth & space science. Apply by May 1, 2026. lite.spr.ly/6004PGOM

The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) and Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG), were requested and empowered by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Planetary Science Division (PSD) to establish a Artemis Sample Return Specific Action Team (ASR-SAT), The ASR-SAT was tasked with evaluating different aspects of Artemis samples including their collection, curation, analysis, and data preservation. The goals of the ASRSAT were achieved through convening three sub-panels: - Cold Conditioned and Volatile Artemis Samples (CCVAS; complete July 2024) - Nominal Artemis Samples (NAS; complete November 2024) - Sample Data Infrastructure (SDI; complete December 2025) The final report of each sub-panel was provided to NASA upon completion. All three sub-panel reports are now complete and have been finalized with the aid of NASA. We are proud to make them available to the lunar community via the direct links below. They will be available via links on the LEAG and ExMAG websites in the near future. They will also be archived on Zenodo later this year. - Overview (drive.google.com/uc?export=down…) - CCVAS Report (drive.google.com/uc?export=down…) - NAS Report (drive.google.com/uc?export=down…) - SDI Report (drive.google.com/uc?export=down…) - Terms of Reference (drive.google.com/uc?export=down…) We thank Jessica Barnes (ASR-SAT chair), Karl Hibbitts (CCVAS subpanel chair), Sarah Valencia (NAS subpanel chair), and Timothy Glotch (SDI subpanel chair) and their full teams for the exemplary work on this massive undertaking. We also thank NASA and the community members who supported these activities and provided information vital to the ASR-SAT. Cheers, -Ben Benjamin Greenhagen, Ph.D. Chair, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group leag.chair-at-gmail.com #NASA #Moon #Artemis #LEAG #LPSC2026

The following is circulating on space social media platforms. #LPSC2026 @NASAScience_ #spaceweather #heliophysics #NASA 📷 HELIOPHYSICS ALERT 📷 Steel yourselves, #heliophysics friends. I need to share some deeply concerning news about the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). NASA has laid out a budget trajectory for the mission that should alarm everyone in the heliophysics community. We already are experiencing an 18% retroactive cut for FY26. But now we're being asked to plan for more in our upcoming Senior Review: [redacted] That's an almost 50% cut over three years (FY27-29), and a 55% cut overall (FY30+) — for a mission the decadal survey explicitly identified as critical. With no SDO follow-on mission even on the drawing board. For our team at JSOC/HMI, a 50%+ cut means going from ~12 FTE to fewer than 6. You cannot maintain instrument calibration, JSOC operations, and quality data production at that staffing level. Full stop. I don't yet know the specific numbers or impacts for the AIA and EVE instrument teams, the ground station at White Sands, or the mission support team at GSFC — but the overall budget picture affects all of us. As a colleague put it today: you can skip the oil changes, drive on bald tires, water down the gas, stop cleaning the windshield — but eventually the car stops running. And sometimes it doesn't stop quietly. 📷 SDO has been watching the Sun continuously for 15 years. It is the foundation on which heliophysics and space weather forecasting rests in the US and abroad. Is this how that legacy ends? — not with a planned transition, but with a slow bleed out. 📷 BE AWARE that these cuts are by no means exclusive to SDO. Many other NASA missions, including multiple in the Heliophysics Division, are seeing similar cuts. Know that I can only report on the information I have. I am happy to share similar news about other missions if it comes to me. 📷 CALL TO ACTION: If this concerns you, please share and speak up. Make noise. The heliophysics community needs to be loud about this📷 Contact the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Chair Rep. Brian Babin, Ranking Member Rep. Zoe Lofgren) and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Chair Sen. Ted Cruz, Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell).

Your feedback matters! Share your feedback by responding to today’s #LPSC2026 poll: ow.ly/UbWk50Yw28H

Meet the Platypi: NASA’s Newest Astronaut Candidate Class : Ten explorers are currently training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to become flight-eligible astronauts.  Selected in 2025, the astronaut candidates are building the technical and op… ift.tt/9ugbPdA

At the ESA press briefing this morning, DG Aschbacher said NASA is bringing the international community together here in DC next week. He's looking fwd to learning about the new Artemis architecture incl Gateway. "A welcome opportunity" to see what the proposal is.