NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 soars into space
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Officials have directed the space agency to pause funds for a host of science missions the White House originally pushed to cancel in its 2026 budget request, according to a letter sent to the agency’s centers from NASA headquarters and obtained by POLITICO.
A SpaceX rocket launched on Friday headed to the International Space Station for an eight-month science mission, NASA reported in a statement.
Four fresh astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS). On Friday at 5:15 a.m. ET, Crew-12 launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, kickstarting a day-long journey to orbit.
NASA has selected two Earth science missions for development, one focused on studying the atmosphere and the other on terrestrial ecosystems and ice.
To avoid Swift being dragged down low enough to hit Earth’s atmosphere, NASA tapped an Arizona-based startup to launch a rescue mission. Late last year, NASA awarded Katalyst Space Technologies $30 million to develop a spacecraft designed to boost Swift’s orbit.
NASA has let Axiom Space make four visits to the International Space Station and a fifth next year, but on Thursday the agency announced a new private company would be allowed a mission as well.