UPDATE: NASA's first round-the-moon mission since 1972 begins with a beautiful launch and a "beautiful moonrise." But the Artemis 2 crew also had some chores to do — for example, dealing with a balky toilet. https://www.geekwire.com/2026/nasa-countdown-artemis-moon-2/

Prospects look good for today's scheduled launch of the first mission to send astronauts around the #moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Will #Artemis 2 be a unifying event for a divided nation, as #Apollo 8's round-the-moon mission was in 1968? Stay tuned... https://www.geekwire.com/2026/nasa-countdown-artemis-moon/ #Space #NASA #Artemis2

As #NASA gets set to send astronauts around the moon for its #Artemis 2 mission, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell spotlights the contributions of companies in the #Seattle area's "Silicon Valley of space." https://www.geekwire.com/2026/nasa-artemis-moon-mission-pacific-northwest-tech/ #Space #Artemis2 #Tech

#Portal Space Systems sends its "Mini-Nova" technology demonstration payload into orbit to blaze the trail for the startup's highly maneuverable space vehicles. "A company only really becomes a space company once it gets to orbit," CEO Jeff Thornburg says. "That's now true for Portal." https://www.geekwire.com/2026/portal-space-mini-nova-in-orbit/ #Space

These pictures of #Saturn look like two scoops of ice cream - maybe mocha and mango - but they're actually infrared and visible-light views from the James #Webb Space Telescope and the #Hubble #Space Telescope that scientists can dig into for tasty insights. Yum! https://cosmiclog.com/2026/03/25/two-space-telescopes-see-saturn-in-a-different-light/ #NASA #JWST

#NASA gives a thumbs-up to building a #moon base within a decade and sending a nuclear-powered spacecraft to #Mars by 2028 - while hitting the pause button on commercial space stations and a moon-orbiting outpost. Some say the plan is essential to beat China, while others wonder whether it's realistic or wise. https://cosmiclog.com/2026/03/24/nasa-pivots-to-moon-base-and-nuclear-mars-mission/ #Space #Ignition #Gateway

The market for satellite-based data services just got even more tangled, with Jeff Bezos' #BlueOrigin space venture seeking an #FCC go-ahead for a 51,600-satellite constellation of orbital data centers. #ProjectSunrise sets up a new rivalry with #SpaceX - and will #Amazon be a partner or a competitor? https://www.geekwire.com/2026/blue-origin-data-center-space-race-project-sunrise/ #Space #DataCenters #AI

If at first you don't succeed, try again ... NASA's Space Launch System rocket is now back at the launch pad after a round of repairs and battery replacements, with launch of the #Artemis2 round-the-moon mission set for as early as April 1. https://cosmiclog.com/2026/03/20/nasas-moon-rocket-returns-to-launch-pad-after-tune-up/ #NASA #Moon #Space #SLS #Rollout #Artemis

#PortalSpaceSystems is partnering with an Australian venture called #PaladinSpace on a commercial service that would round up and dispose of potentially hazardous orbital debris. The first mission is being targeted for 2027. https://www.geekwire.com/2026/got-space-junk-portal-and-paladin-team-up-to-create-an-orbital-trash-disposal-service/ #Space #OrbitalDebris #SpaceJunk

Astronomers say unusual readings from a star system 11,000 light-years away suggest that two of the #planets circling the star collided, creating a huge, light-obscuring cloud of rocks and dust. https://cosmiclog.com/2026/03/12/scientists-find-evidence-of-faraway-worlds-colliding/ #Space