{"event":"space-exploration-tracker","title":"Space exploration tracker: milestones, launches and discoveries","state":"developing","updated":"2026-10-10T00:00:00.000Z","entries":[{"id":"121dwid","at":"2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","title":"NASA calls for commercial space station proposals","status":"confirmed","body":"Proposals are due December 8, with awards expected in spring 2027.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-cld-solicitation","n":3,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-seeks-us-industry-plans-for-commercial-space-stations/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"19f0ddw","at":"2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Webb finds the host galaxy of the most distant fast radio burst","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-webb-frb-2026","n":50,"url":"https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-measures-distance-to-farthest-fast-radio-burst-suggesting-origin/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"tatx5s","at":"2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Starship reaches orbit for the first time on Flight 14","status":"confirmed","body":"The Ship lost one of six engines on ascent but reached orbit and deployed 26 Starlink satellites.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-starship-flight-14-orbit","n":1,"url":"https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-megarocket-flight-14-orbital-launch-success","publisher":"Space.com","short":"Space.com"},{"id":"space-exploration-starship-v3","n":49,"url":"https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-megarocket-flight-14-orbital-launch-success","publisher":"Space.com","short":"Space.com"}]},{"id":"ws0bhe","at":"2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Roman's coronagraph sees cosmic light for the first time","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-roman-commissioning","n":12,"url":"https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/09/15/nasa-activates-romans-primary-instrument-checks-out-coronagraph/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"j4hoc5","at":"2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Vega-C launches ESA's FLEX and Sentinel-3C together","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-vega-c-vv30","n":15,"url":"https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega","publisher":"European Space Agency","short":"European Space Agency"}]},{"id":"1wbx9zs","at":"2026-08-30T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches on Falcon Heavy","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-roman-launch","n":2,"url":"https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/08/30/nasas-roman-space-telescope-launches/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"i8g2tc","at":"2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Ariane 6 launches Europe's MTG-I2 weather satellite","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-ariane-6-2026","n":48,"url":"https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane","publisher":"European Space Agency","short":"European Space Agency"}]},{"id":"153yel","at":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","title":"China says Chang'e-7 cannot launch in its 2026 window","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-change-7-delay","n":24,"url":"https://spacepolicyonline.com/events/launch-of-chinas-change-7-robotic-lunar-mission-window-opens-aug-24-2026/","publisher":"SpacePolicyOnline.com","short":"SpacePolicyOnline.com"}]},{"id":"73qqkh","at":"2026-07-24T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Starship Flight 13 deploys Starlink V3 satellites and floats intact after splashdown","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-starship-flight-13","n":9,"url":"https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacexs-starship-megarocket-makes-the-softest-splashdown-ever-after-launching-next-gen-starlink-satellites-in-flight-13-test-video","publisher":"Space.com","short":"Space.com"}]},{"id":"1x6bj74","at":"2026-06-30T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Rubin Observatory's 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time officially starts","status":"confirmed","body":"NOIRLab announced the start on June 30; 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the booster failed its boostback and crashed in the Gulf of Mexico.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-starship-flight-12","n":7,"url":"https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-v3-megarocket-first-test-flight","publisher":"Space.com","short":"Space.com"},{"id":"space-exploration-starship-flight-12-outcome","n":8,"url":"https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-v3-megarocket-first-test-flight","publisher":"Space.com","short":"Space.com"}]},{"id":"wlwt05","at":"2026-04-03T00:00:00.000Z","title":"White House proposes 23 percent NASA cut for fiscal 2027","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-fy2027-request","n":23,"url":"https://www.planetary.org/articles/analyzing-the-fy-2027-nasa-budget-request","publisher":"The Planetary Society","short":"The Planetary Society"}]},{"id":"1s3iy53","at":"2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Artemis II launches four astronauts around the Moon","status":"confirmed","body":"The crew splashed down off San Diego on April 10 after reaching 252,756 miles from Earth.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-artemis-ii-launch","n":30,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"},{"id":"space-exploration-artemis-ii-distance","n":46,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/artemis-ii-splashdown-and-recovery/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"e1r976","at":"2026-03-24T00:00:00.000Z","title":"NASA's \"Ignition\" event pauses Gateway and announces a Mars nuclear mission","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-gateway-paused","n":10,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ignition.pdf","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"},{"id":"space-exploration-ignition-programmes","n":11,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ignition.pdf","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"1uwte7a","at":"2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z","title":"New study explains K2-18 b without dimethyl sulfide","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-k2-18b-tsai","n":45,"url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19803","publisher":"arXiv","short":"arXiv"}]},{"id":"1a5anre","at":"2026-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","title":"NASA Inspector General finds Artemis landers behind schedule","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-hls-delays","n":43,"url":"https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/final-report-ig-26-004-nasas-management-of-the-human-landing-system-contracts.pdf","publisher":"NASA Office of Inspector General","short":"NASA Office of Inspector…"},{"id":"space-exploration-hls-spend","n":44,"url":"https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/final-report-ig-26-004-nasas-management-of-the-human-landing-system-contracts.pdf","publisher":"NASA Office of Inspector General","short":"NASA Office of Inspector…"}]},{"id":"1su5kjr","at":"2026-02-27T00:00:00.000Z","title":"NASA restructures Artemis; 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a biological origin is not. Non-biological explanations cannot be ruled out.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-sapphire-canyon","n":37,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"},{"id":"space-exploration-sapphire-canyon-abiotic","n":38,"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/","publisher":"NASA","short":"NASA"}]},{"id":"h841lh","at":"2025-05-16T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Webb confirms galaxy MoM-z14 at redshift 14.44","status":"confirmed","body":"Seen about 280 million years after the Big Bang.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-mom-z14","n":36,"url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.11263","publisher":"arXiv","short":"arXiv"}]},{"id":"96t3vo","at":"2025-04-16T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Team reports 3-sigma hint of DMS on exoplanet K2-18 b","status":"disputed","body":"Independent reanalyses later found no statistically significant evidence for the gas.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-k2-18b-claim","n":35,"url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12267","publisher":"arXiv","short":"arXiv"},{"id":"space-exploration-k2-18b-luque","n":28,"url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13407","publisher":"arXiv","short":"arXiv"}]},{"id":"6zqa6v","at":"2024-06-25T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Chang'e-6 returns the first samples from the Moon's far side","status":"confirmed","body":"China's lander touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 1 and its capsule landed in China on June 25.","cites":[{"id":"space-exploration-change-6","n":34,"url":"https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/change-6","publisher":"The Planetary Society","short":"The Planetary Society"}]}]}