De tweede Wet Dress Rehearsal was dan zowat perfect verlopen, maar wat later dook er een probleem op met de ICPS en de raket voor Artemis II staaat weer terug in de VAB. Met een lancering ten vroegste in april. Ondertussen maakte de nieuwe NASA baas nog wat ander Artemis-nieuws bekend. De eerste maanlanding schuift op van Artemis 3 naar Artemis 4. Artemis 3 gaat het koppelen met de maanlander uittesten. En ondertussen werkt China rustig verder aan zijn maaninfrastructuur. O ja, NASA was deze week ook heel kritisch voor (o.a.) zichzelf wat Starlner betreft. Dat en nog veel meer ook deze week in het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart.

Bij de foto: Of het nu wordt met het Starship dan wel met Blue Moon, tijdens Artemis 3 gaat Orion koppelen met één van de maanlanders. Het landen op de Maan schuift dus op naar de volgende vlucht, Artemis 4.

De lanceringen van de afgelopen week.

21.02.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 17-25 (VSFB).
Spaceflight Now: Falcon 9 launches 25 Starlink satellites after weather delays.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 25 Starlink satellites to orbit from California.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 357 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 21 February 2026.

22.02.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 6-104 (CCSFS).
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX’s most-flown Falcon booster launches on record 33rd flight.
SpaceCom: Falcon 9 rocket sets new reuse record on SpaceX's 2nd Starlink launch of the day.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 358 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 22 February 2026.

25.02.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – group 6-110 (CCSFS).
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX’s Tuesday twilight Falcon 9 rocket launch sends 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.
SciNews:  SpaceX Starlink 359 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 24 February 2026.

25.02.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 17-26 (VSFB).
Spaceflight Now: Live coverage: SpaceX launches 500th Starlink satellite in 2026 during Wednesday Falcon 9 flight.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 25 Starlink satellites to orbit from California.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 360 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 25 February 2026.

27.02.2026 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 6-108 (CCSFS).
Spaceflight Now: SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral with 29 Starlink satellites.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 361 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 27 February 2026.

27.02.2026 – RocketLab – “That is not a knife”.
RocketLab: Mission Success: Rocket Lab Launches 2nd Hypersonic Test Mission in Three Months for Defense Innovation Unit.
Meer info over “That’s Not A Knife” vind je hier bij RocketLab.

Space Daily: Australian hypersonic test flight window announced.
SpaceCom: Watch Rocket Lab launch hypersonic scramjet vehicle for the US military on Feb. 27 after delay.

Filmpjes:
RocketLab: Rocket Lab | HASTE - 'That's Not A Knife' Launch.
SciNews: HASTE launches DART AE.

Te verwachten lanceringen.

Japanse Kairos uitgesteld naar maart.
Nippon: Japan's Space One Puts Off Kairos Rocket Launch.

Nog enkele vorige lanceringen.

12.01.2026 – Lancering Indische PSLV mislukt (opnieuw).
Zie vorige NUDR's zoals NUDR 2026/03-786, NUDR 2026/04-787 en NUDR 2026/06-789
The Hindu: Committee to probe ‘systemic issues’ behind repeated failure of PSLV rocket.
Space News: Valve malfunction blamed for failure of Indian satellite to raise its orbit.

12.02.2026 – Vulcan lanceert USSF-87. Opnieuw probleem met SRB.
Zie ook NUDR 2026/07-790
Air & Space Forces: Space Force Pauses Vulcan Missions amid Anomaly Investigation.
SpaceCom: US Space Force pauses national security launches on ULA Vulcan rocket due to booster glitch.
Space News: Space Force halts Vulcan missions pending investigation into solid rocket issue.

Ars Technica: ULA isn’t making the Space Force’s GPS interference problem any easier.

Raketnieuws.

Europa, SALTO en Themis.
Space News: Europe’s progress on future access-to-space gains momentum with upcoming reusable launcher flight test.
Meer info over project SALTO vind je hier.

Europa en GRETA.
ESA: Greta rocket engine completes first test campaign.
ESA (filmpje): Greta rocket engine first test-firing campaign.
European Spaceflight: ArianeGroup Test Fires Greta Engine and Secures New ESA Contract.

RocketLab – Neutron eind 2026 – Mag meer lanceren vanuit Niew-Zeeland.
Space News: Rocket Lab delays Neutron debut to late 2026.
Payload: Neutron’s First Launch Slips to Q4.
Via Satellite: Rocket Lab Hits Record Revenue in ‘25, But Delays Neutron to Late ‘26.

DLA Piper: Beyond our limits: New Zealand increases its space launch limit.

Phantom Space en het voormalige Vector.
Space News: Phantom Space reclaims former Vector launch technology.
Payload: Phantom Space Acquires Vector Launch Assets.

Het Britse Pulsa Fusion en zijn nucleaire Sunbird.
European Spaceflight: UKAEA to Help Pulsar Fusion with Shielding for Nuclear Propulsion System.

Doet Virgin Galactic nog dit jaar zijn “return to flight”.
Space Explored: Virgin Galactic wants to make its return this year.

Shenlong, het Chinese (militaire) ruimtevliegtuigje.
SpaceCom: China's mysterious Shenlong space plane recently launched on its 4th mission. What is it doing up there?

Wenchang Commercial Launch Site.
China in Space: Wenchang Commercial Launch Site Aiming for 20+ Missions This Year Following Provincial Leadership Visits.

Raketten en hun invloed op de atmosfeer.
Ars Technica: Study shows how rocket launches pollute the atmosphere.
Science News: Metal pollution from a rocket reentry detected for the first time.
Science Alert: Lithium Plume in Our Atmosphere Traced Back to Returning SpaceX Rocket.
Sky & Telescope: Rocket Reentry Leaves Lithium in Earth's Upper Atmosphere.

Bemande ruimtevaart / Ruimtestations.

Cargo Dragon SpX-33 verlaat het ISS.
Zie ook de ISS Blog Entries verderop.
SpaceCom: SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule splashes down after historic ISS-boosting mission.
ISS National Lab:  ISS National Lab-Sponsored Payloads Return on SpaceX CRS-33.

Filmpje:
NASA: NASA's SpaceX 33rd Commercial Resupply Services Undocking.
SciNews: SpaceX CRS-33 Dragon undocking.

Crew 11 – Zieke astronaut is gekend.
SpaceCom: NASA reveals the astronaut who required 1st medical evacuation from the International Space Station.
Florida Today: NASA identifies astronaut whose medical event triggered Crew-11 evacuation.
Space News: NASA astronaut says his medical issue led to early return from the ISS.
SpaceQ: “The right call”: Mike Fincke on the medical issue that cut his mission short.

Starliner – Onafhankelijk rapport met stevige kritiek op Boeing én NASA – De gevolgen voor de leiding binnen NASA.
The Space Review: “We failed them”: NASA grapples with Starliner.
NASA: NASA Names Acting Leaders for Two Key Human Spaceflight Roles.
SpaceCom: NASA shakes up leadership of human spaceflight program in wake of critical Starliner report
Space Policy Online: Two Top NASA Spaceflight Leaders Replaced.
Space News: Bowersox to retire from NASA
Executiv.gov: NASA Appoints Interim Heads for Space Operations, CCP.

ISS – Nog eens de Private Astronaut Mission – PAM.
NSF: Vast and Axiom awarded new private missions to ISS, continue work on commercial space stations.

ISS – De blogentries.
ISS Blog: Expedition 74 Relaxes on Monday Following Busy Weekend.
ISS Blog: Crew Packs Dragon for Thursday Departure, Keeps Up Human Research.
ISS Blog: Human Research, Advanced Tech Keep Crew Busy Before Dragon Departs.
ISS Blog: Cargo-Filled Dragon Departs Station Soon on NASA+.
ISS Blog: Science-Packed Dragon Departs Station, Heads for Splashdown.
ISS Blog: Dragon Splashes Down and Returns Science, Cargo.
ISS Blog: Dragon Returns to Earth, More Cargo Preps, Advanced Research Underway.

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation.
NASA: NASA Study to Analyze Fermented Food Samples from Space.
SpaceCom: We ate space mushrooms and survived to tell the tale.
SpaceCom: Scientists successfully mine meteorites on International Space Station — using microbes.

Filmpjes:
NASA: NASA Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With WTOP Radio – Friday, February 20, 2026.
NASA: ESA Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With French Media – Thursday, February 26, 2026.
ESA: In-flight call with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot.
ESA: Sophie Adenot εpsilon mission experiments.
ESA: εpsilon mission patch explained.

Commerciële ruimtestations – Starlab.
Payload: LambdaVision Taps Starlab for Post-ISS Manufacturing Plans.
Space News: LambdaVision books space on Starlab commercial space station.

Nieuws uit het Chinese ruimtestation – CSS.
Inside Outer Space: China’s Space Emergency: Crew Members Recount Debris-damaged Return Capsule.
SpaceCom: 'Some of the cracks had penetrated through': Chinese astronauts reveal new details about spacecraft that 'stranded' them in space last year.

Space News: China set for its first one-year human spaceflight mission, confirms Pakistani astronaut flight.

Naar de Maan (en Mars).

Artemis 3 wordt testvlucht – Eerste maanlanding wordt Artemis 4.
NASA: NASA Invites Media to Discuss Next Steps for Artemis Campaign.
NASA Artemis Blog: NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture.
NASA: NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture.

Space News: NASA revises plans for future Artemis missions, cancels upgrades to SLS.
SpaceCom: NASA cancels Artemis 3 astronaut moon landing. 'This is just not the right pathway forward.'
Ars Technica: NASA shakes up its Artemis program to speed up lunar return.
Spaceflight Now: NASA announces major overhaul of Artemis moon program: “We’ve got to get back to basics”.
Payload: NASA Pushes Crewed Moon Landing to Artemis IV.
Collect Space: NASA shuffles schedule to hasten return of astronauts to the moon.
Universe Today: NASA Updates Artemis Program, Adding a Mission and Delaying Lunar Landing.
Space Policy Online: NASA Makes a “Course Correction” for the Artemis Program.

Spacepage: NASA herziet Artemis-maanlandingsprogramma om vluchtonderbrekingen en risico's te verminderen.
VRTNWS: Dan toch geen maanlanding tijdens Artemis III, NASA last extra missie in.

TASS: NASA cancels Moon landing as part of Artemis III mission.

SpaceCom: 'Pushing this competition': SpaceX's Starship might not fly on NASA's newly revamped Artemis 3 mission.

Filmpjes:
Philip Sloss: What to watch for in NASA's Friday morning Artemis news conference.
NASA: Artemis Update (Feb. 27, 2026).
Philip Sloss: NASA's new Artemis plans: Initial takeaways.
Scott Manley: NASA Redesigns Lunar Landing Mission Plans - Deep Space Updates.
NSF: Is Development of SpaceX's Starship Really Slower Than SLS?

Artemis 2 – Weer in de VAB.
NASA Blog: NASA to Rollback Artemis II Rocket, Spacecraft.
NASA Blog: NASA Targets Artemis II Rollback on Wednesday.
NASA Blog: First Motion Set for Artemis II Rollback.
NASA Blog: NASA Artemis II Rocket Rolls Back to Vehicle Assembly Building.
NASA Blog: NASA Artemis II Rocket Returns for Repairs.
NASA Blog: Teams Begin Artemis II Repairs in Vehicle Assembly Building.

Space News: NASA preparing for Artemis 2 rollback to fix upper stage problem.
Spaceflight Now: NASA’s Artemis 2 rocket hit by new problem expected to bump moonshot into early April.
Collect Space: Artemis II moon mission delayed to April due to rollback for repairs.
SpaceCom: Watch NASA roll Artemis 2 moon rocket off launch pad today to deal with glitch.
Spaceflight Now: SLS rocket hauled back to VAB for repairs.
SpaceCom: NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket returns to hangar for repairs. When could it fly?

VRTNWS: NASA stelt maanmissie Artemis II opnieuw uit door technische problemen met SLS-raket.

Maar ook:
Gizmodo: Artemis 2 Crew Watches as Trump Snubs Moon Mission in State of the Union Address.

Filmpjes:
Philip Sloss: NASA Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal 2: Really good, little bad, but still some ugly coverage.
Spaceflight Now: Helium issue forces Artemis 2 launch delay, rocket return to Vehicle Assembly Building.
NSF Breaking Space: What Broke on Artemis II? Helium System Fault After Perfect Rehearsal.
NSF (live): SLS rollback to VAB for troubleshooting ahead of Artemis II Moon Launch.
Philip Sloss: Artemis II rolls back to the VAB: Live coverage and Q&A.
NASA KSC Visitor Center: 2.02 Go/No Go: Inside the Firing Room.

Mijn bijdrage:
Volkssterrenwacht Urania: Artemis II Journaal - Geen lancering in maart ondanks een geslaagde tweede Wet Dress Rehearsal.

Artemis 2 – Meer nieuws.
Collect Space: Capri Sun giving away 10K Moon Punch pouches for Artemis mission.
SpaceCom: Artemis 2 moon mission shouldn't launch until late 2026, new analysis of solar superflares suggests.

Artemis 4 – Van 3 naar 4 – Zie ook het ASAP Annual Report 2025.
Space Policy Online: NASA Safety Panel Warns of “High Risk” for Artemis III

NASA: NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Releases 2025 Annual Report
Het jaarlijkse “Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel – Annual Report 2025” vind je hier (PDF).

ILRS – China naar de Maan.
China in Space: Mengzhou Capsule Undergoing Further Trials at Sea Near Hainan.
Space Daily: New Wenchang lunar pad completes first Long March 10 test.
Inside Outer Space: China’s 2026 Space Agenda Detailed: Phased Breakthroughs for Human Moon Mission.

Filmpjes:
CGTN: China to promote space station, manned lunar exploration in 2026.
CGTN: China gears up for crewed moon landing by 2030.

Starship nieuws.
Teslarati: SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida.
Teslarati: Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round.
NSF: Flight 12: Ship 39 rolls out to Masseys to begin testing.
Teslarati: Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt.

Filmpjes:
WAI:  SpaceX Finally Does The BIG Starship Flight 12 Test.
NSF: "The Gigabay's Next Level" | SpaceX Starbase.
Avid Space: Big Things Are Happening For Starship V3.
NSF: Starship Pad 2 ERUPTS in Full Deluge Test | FAA Clears New Trajectories | Starship Update.
WAI: SpaceX Just Revealed Starship's MASSIVE Game-Changer for Flight 12.
NSF: SpaceX rolls Flight 12 Ship 39 to Masseys.

Op ontdekking door het zonnestelsel.

Over het einde van Lunar Trailblazer.
NPR: NASA lost a lunar spacecraft one day after launch. A new report details what went wrong.
Scott Manley (filmpje): The Incredibly Dumb Bug That Killed Lunar Trailblazer.
NPR: NASA lost a lunar spacecraft one day after launch. A new report details what went wrong.

Meer nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Aarde:
ESA: First MetOp Second Generation-B satellite spreads its wing.
Via Satellite: Airmo Selects EnduroSat to Launch Methane-Monitoring Sensors into Orbit.
ESA (filmpje): Monitoring Climate Change from Space Webinar Series #1 | Satellite Retrievals of CO₂ and Methane..

Maan:
Science Direct: Low porosity crust at Chang'e-6 sampling site.
Science Alert: Quakes on The Moon Are Far More Widespread Than We Realized.
PhysOrg: Apollo moon rocks reveal lunar magnetic field was briefly stronger than Earth's.
SpaceCom: Apollo moon rocks may have finally solved an old lunar mystery.

Mars:
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4812-4817: Back Into the Hollows.
NASA: NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sees Martian ‘Spiderwebs’ Up Close.
NASA: Curiosity Studies Nodules on Boxwork Formations.
NASA: Curiosity Surveys the Boxwork Region.
Universe Today: Curiosity Take Its Closest Look Yet At Martian Spiderwebs.
SpaceCom: Curiosity rover finds clues to Mars' watery past in rocky 'spiderwebs'.
SpaceCom: NASA's Perseverance rover now has its own 'GPS' on Mars: 'We've given the rover a new ability'.
Mars Guy (filmpje): Part of Ingenuity is back in action.
RocketLab: Rocket Lab Completes Spacecraft Commissioning for NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars Mission.
NASA: NASA’s ESCAPADE Ready to Study Space Weather from Earth to Mars.

Planetoïde 469219 Kamoʻoalewa.
Space News: China’s Tianwen-2 probe operating normally on approach to asteroid.

Planetoïden:
ESA (filmpje): Space safety hazards: asteroids.

Kuiper Gordel:
Universe Today: What Causes Those Snowmen in Space?

3I/Atlas.
SpaceCom: A risky maneuver could send a spacecraft to interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Here's the plan.
ESA: First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera.

Meer ruimtevaartnieuws.

Trump, de State Of The Union en de ruimtevaart.
Space Policy Online: No Mention of Artemis in SOTU, But Trump Briefly References Rockets to the Stars.
SpaceCom: 'The Space Force is my baby': Trump lauds military space in State of the Union but skips Artemis 2 moon crew namedrop.

Space Force – Nieuws.
Space News: Boeing to boost production of missile-tracking sensors for military satellites – Millennium.
Space News: Bruno says he joined Blue Origin to work on ‘urgent’ national security projects.
The Space Review: AI and Army astronauts: A judge advocate’s solution to protecting the soldier-astronaut.
Space News: AST SpaceMobile wins $30 million contract (HALO) for military  broadband demo.
Breaking Defense: SDA taps AST SpaceMobile to demo commercial satellite links to military radios.
Air and Space Forces: Space Development Agency Awards Tactical SATCOM Demo Contract.
Air and Space Forces: Space Force Starts Briefing Stakeholders on 15-Year Vision.
Space News: Space Force seeks market answers on in-orbit refueling.
Space News: Lockheed Martin presses case that GPS upgrade will counter jamming threats.
Air and Space Forces: Space Force in Final Test Phase for Second GBOSS Radar Upgrade.
Lockheed Martin (filmpje): From Space to Interceptor: The Backbone of Modern Missile Defense.
Space News: Space Force keeps door open to future human presence in orbit.
Space News: A banner year for military space funding— with an unclear path beyond.

Golden Dome – Missile Defense Shield.
Space News: Golden Dome to require unprecedented coordination between U.S. combatant commands.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen