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: As collaborations go, it seems to be almost too obvious that it should have been jumped on years ago. But it is only now, 30 years after the brand came to be, that Stomp Rocket is releasing its first NASA-themed set of flying foam projectiles. Launching on Sunday (Feb. 4) exclusively in Target stores and specialty toy shops, the new Space Collection by Stomp Rocket has ready to fly models of the Saturn V, Space Shuttle Atlantis and Space Launch System (SLS), together with a launcher.
: From the producer of films about the first and last men on the moon and the men of Mission Control, comes a new documentary about the first female astronaut to command a U.S. space mission. Aimed for a theatrical release in 2025, "Spacewoman" will share the story of former Air Force and NASA pilot Eileen Collins.
: The 2024 class of U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees has been announced: David Hilmers, whose four missions include Atlantis' first and the return to flight after Challenger, and Marsha Ivins, whose five launches included visits to Russia's Mir and the International Space Station, will be honored at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with a ceremony on June 1.
: Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen has revealed his personal patch for NASA's Artemis II mission around the moon. The emblem, which was designed by Indigenous artist Henry Guimond, represents Hansen's upcoming flight and the Anishinaabe's Seven Sacred Laws as a reflection of Hansen's appreciation for Indigenous "ways of knowing."
: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off early on Thursday (Feb. 15) carrying Intuitive Machines' IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander "Odysseus" on its first leg to the moon. Aimed at a Feb. 22 landing near the lunar south pole, the small robotic spacecraft will now use its cryogenic propulsion system to reach the moon, enter orbit and then descend to the surface. Odysseus has six NASA science instruments and commercial payloads for Columbia Sportswear and artist Jeff Koons, among others.
: A mission to the moon's south pole has its own cold-weather coat, literally. The thermal lining in Columbia Sportswear's jackets and other apparel is now traveling to the moon shielding Intuitive Machines' IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander. The commercial partnership also led to improvements to Columbia's thermal technology, Omni-Heat Infinity, which was based on the blankets that covered NASA's Apollo lunar modules more than 50 years ago.
: Florida and Texas have both chosen spaceflight themes for their $1 coins to be issued as part of the U.S. Mint's American Innovation program in 2025. The Sunshine State will honor the space shuttle program on its golden dollar while the Lone Star state will highlight Houston as the home of NASA's Mission Control. The mint's artists created designs for each coin, which the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed on Thursday (Feb. 15).
: A commercial, robotic spacecraft has become the first U.S. vehicle to land on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. "Odysseus," Intuitive Machines' first Nova-C lander, touched down near the lunar south pole on Thursday (Feb. 22). Carrying both privately-booked and NASA-contracted payloads, the IM-1 six-legged probe delivered science instruments, artwork and data archives to the moon, as well as several technology demonstrations.
: The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Saturday (Feb. 24) revealed the names of its next-generation crew spacecraft and lunar lander. Taikonauts will launch from Earth on "Mengzhou" ("Dream Vessel" or "Dream Boat") and then dock with "Lanyue" ("embrace the moon"), which will bring them to the surface. CMSA is aiming to send taikonauts to the moon by the end of the decade to conduct exploration.
It is 2055 and you are an astronaut who has been sent to the moon following an asteroid impact. Can you uncover what is disrupting electronics? That is the premise behind "The Lunar Light: Discovery," a new immersive experience opening in Dallas on Thursday (Feb. 29). The hour-long VR adventure is the creation of Back to Space, an organization founded by the granddaughter of Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa.
: The production crew behind Apple TV+'s new psychological thriller "Constellation" did such a good job getting their space station details correct that they even got one past their on set astronaut advisor. "I thought it was made up," said Scott Kelly about the Cold Atom Laboratory, which plays into the series' plot. (The real CAL was added to the ISS two years after Kelly's last mission.) What Kelly did contribute, though, resulted in a more accurate depiction of life onboard the space station.
: As new images released Wednesday (Feb. 28) show, when Intuitive Machines' "Odysseus" lander touched down on the moon, it did so carrying a small U.S. flag left over from the Apollo program. NASA provided the vintage banner, which had been waiting for a ride since its original mission was canceled due to budget cuts more than 50 years ago. The images came as Intuitive Machines declared its first landing an unqualified success.
: The first NASA astronaut to later lead the space agency as its administrator, Richard "Dick" Truly died on Wednesday (Feb. 27) at the age 86. Truly was originally recruited by the U.S. Air Force for its Manned Orbiting Laboratory before its cancellation led him to becoming a NASA astronaut in 1969. He piloted approach and landing tests on the prototype space shuttle Enterprise before launching as pilot on STS-2 in 1981 and commander of STS-8 in 1983. Truly led the effort to return the space shuttle to flight after the Challenger tragedy and became the eighth NASA administrator from 1989 to 1992.
