Sam's News — space — 2026-09-11¶
Space Science¶
7 NASA's Chandra discovers mysterious new X-ray objects unlike any previously observed¶
NASA's Chandra space telescope has identified unusual X-ray objects that are faint in X-rays but bright in ultraviolet light, potentially solving major astrophysical mysteries.
Sources: Space.com RSS
Space & AI¶
7 NASA and IBM develop Lunar Foundation Model to accelerate Moon research¶
NASA and IBM released the Lunar Foundation Model, an open-source AI trained on 17 years of lunar data to map ice, craters, and volcanoes.
Sources: Innovation News Network RSS, Phys.org RSS Update to: NASA and IBM Launch Lunar Foundation Model for Moon Science
Space¶
7 China targets 2031 Mars sample return mission ahead of NASA¶
China's space program may retrieve and return Mars samples before NASA, potentially achieving this milestone by 2031.
Sources: geekspin RSS, Yahoo Tech RSS
7 Europe Plans Independent Venus Exploration Mission Following NASA Withdrawal¶
The European Space Agency is planning a solo mission to Venus after NASA scaled back its Venus exploration commitments.
Sources: geekspin RSS
6.5 Impulse Space Spacecraft Perform Close Orbital Rendezvous¶
Two spacecraft operated by Impulse Space came within 650 feet of each other in orbit to demonstrate advanced on-orbit maneuvering capabilities.
Sources: Space.com RSS
6.5 Research Suggests Sun May Have Swallowed Super-Earth Planet Early in Its History¶
New research proposes that the sun consumed a super-Earth planet during its early formation and may still retain evidence of this event.
Sources: Space.com RSS
6 Artemis II Astronauts Retire from Spaceflight¶
Astronauts from the Artemis II mission, which launched from Florida, have announced their retirement from spaceflight.
Sources: Florida Today RSS, Daytona Beach News-Journal RSS
5.5 NASA moves to establish United States Space Academy¶
NASA is pursuing the establishment of a United States Space Academy and is seeking proposals from states for hosting the institution.
Sources: space & defense RSS
5.5 Type Ia supernova SN 2026aaiv offers rare observational opportunity for astronomers¶
A newly discovered Type Ia supernova located 45 million light-years away in galaxy NGC 7331 is bright enough for amateur observation before fading.
Sources: Space.com RSS
Space Technology¶
6 NASA Demonstrates Satellite Navigation Without GPS¶
NASA successfully proved that satellites can navigate and determine their position without relying on GPS signals.
Sources: SciTechDaily RSS