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Sam's News — space — 2026-08-22

Space

6.5 NASA study finds some Earth microbes could survive lunar conditions

NASA-led research found that certain fungi and bacteria species could survive lunar conditions for extended periods.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post Web Search, The Jerusalem Post Web Search

6 NASA Cancels Rescue Mission for Aging Swift Space Telescope

NASA announced the cancellation of a planned rescue and servicing mission for the aging Swift gamma-ray telescope.

Sources: WIRED RSS Update to: NASA cancels rescue mission for aging Swift space telescope

SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites on August 22, achieving its 100th Falcon rocket mission of the year.

Sources: Space.com RSS

5.5 Colorado school designated as NASA Space Hub with $1.3M award

A Colorado college was selected as one of seven NASA Space Hubs nationwide, receiving $1.3 million in federal funding.

Sources: The Sum and Substance RSS, The Sum and Substance Web Search

5.5 NASA warns lunar contamination from astronauts easier than previously believed

A NASA study indicates that astronauts can contaminate the Moon's surface more easily than previously understood.

Sources: Gizmodo RSS

5 SpaceX Falcon 9 Stage Creates 60-Foot Crater on Moon

A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impacted the Moon on August 5, creating a newly discovered crater approximately 60 feet wide.

  • Falcon 9 upper stage impacted August 5, 2026 at ~5,400 mph
  • Rocket stage: ~40 feet long, ~4,900 kg, launched January 15, 2025
  • Crater: ~60 feet (18 m) diameter, <10 feet (3 m) deep
  • Impact force equivalent to ~3 tons of TNT
  • LRO captured images August 11–12 at ~97 km altitude
  • Second known uncontrolled human-made object crash on Moon

Sources: Science Daily Web Search Update to: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage creates 60-foot crater on the Moon

5 NASA's Swift Observatory Boost Mission Fails Over Attitude Control System Issue

The failed Swift Boost Mission was unable to extend the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's mission due to LINK satellite attitude control failure.

Sources: People.com Web Search, NASA (.gov) Web Search, New Scientist Web Search, Discover Magazine Web Search

5 Voyager Probes' Remarkable Journey: 49 Years in the Solar System

NASA releases remarkable photographs of the Voyager probes after decades of exploration, with Voyager 2 reaching interstellar space in 1977.

  • Launch date: August 20, 1977; entered interstellar space 49 years later
  • Only spacecraft to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
  • Mission cost exceeded $865 million; originally designed for 4 years
  • As of November 2026: 13.2 billion miles from Earth at 34,000 mph
  • Loses ~4 watts annually; NASA installed lower-power devices August 2026
  • Twin Voyager 1 expected 16 billion miles away by November 2026

Sources: Business Insider Web Search Update to: NASA's Voyager 2 probe reaches interstellar space after 49 years

5 96% Partial Lunar Eclipse Visible August 2026

A partial lunar eclipse reaching 96% totality will be visible from multiple regions on Earth in August 2026.

Sources: Space.com RSS

Astronomy

6 Astronomers study dying radio galaxies to understand supermassive black hole shutdown

Observations of galaxies with fading radio lobes reveal what happens to vast outflows when their supermassive black hole engines shut down.

Sources: Space.com RSS