Hacker News with Generative AI: NASA

Starliner's flight to the ISS was much more harrowing than originally thought (arstechnica.com)
Essentially, Wilmore could not fully control Starliner any longer. But simply abandoning the docking attempt was not a palatable solution. Just as the thrusters were needed to control the vehicle during the docking process, they were also necessary to position Starliner for its deorbit burn and reentry to Earth's atmosphere. So Wilmore had to contemplate whether it was riskier to approach the space station or try to fly back to Earth. Williams was worrying about the same thing.
Spaceflight, NASA, Starliner, ISS, Risk
13 points by xvector 3 days ago | 1 comments
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson (nasa.gov)
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago.
Space Exploration, Asteroids, NASA, Spacecraft
7 points by colinprince 4 days ago | 0 comments
Judith Resnick (wikipedia.org)
Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an American electrical engineer, software engineer, biomedical engineer, pilot and NASA astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
Biography, Space Exploration, Engineering, NASA, Accidents
7 points by 737min 5 days ago | 0 comments
Moon, Mars: China leads to both (spacenews.com)
In the Senate hearing considering the confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator, he and Senator Ted Cruz engaged in extensive dialogue about China. They strongly expressed the view that the United States must get our astronauts back to the moon before the Chinese get theirs there. Isaacman expanded that goal to assert that we should work on sending humans to Mars at the same time.
Space Exploration, China, NASA, Mars
7 points by defrost 7 days ago | 2 comments
20 years on, DART still a masterclass in how not to rendezvous in orbit (theregister.com)
It is twenty years since NASA's DART mission collided with a satellite after depleting its fuel during a rendezvous attempt.
Space Exploration, Engineering, History, NASA
4 points by LorenDB 8 days ago | 0 comments
Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA (arstechnica.com)
This massive cut to NASA Science will not stand, US Rep. George Whitesides, D-California, told Ars. "For weeks we have been raising the alarm about a rumored 50 percent cut to NASA's world-leading science efforts. Now we know it is true. I will work alongside my colleagues on the Science Committee to make clear how this would decimate American leadership in space and inflict great damage to NASA centers across the country."
Politics, Space Exploration, Science Funding, Government Funding, NASA
19 points by decimalenough 9 days ago | 0 comments
US senator warns 'China is cheering' for proposed NASA budget cuts (theregister.com)
The proposed cuts to NASA's budget are drawing sharp criticism from US lawmakers, with one saying: "If you cut this budget, you cut into the heart of America's leadership when it comes to space exploration."
Space Exploration, Politics, China, NASA, US Government
12 points by rntn 11 days ago | 0 comments
Sneak Preview of 2026 NASA Budget Is a Science-Killing Horror Show (gizmodo.com)
After weeks of uncertainty, it appears that the Trump administration is preparing to gut NASA, based on a preliminary budget that would see the space agency’s funding nearly halved.
NASA, Space Exploration, Politics, Budget, Science
11 points by rbanffy 14 days ago | 0 comments
Musk Splits with Trump over 'Troubling' Cuts to NASA (msn.com)
Politics, Space Exploration, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, NASA
6 points by elsewhen 14 days ago | 0 comments
Trump Admin to Slice NASA in Half and Cancel New Telescopes (thedailybeast.com)
So long, space travel. The White House plans to terminate billions of dollars’ worth of ongoing and future National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions, effectively cutting the world-renowned scientific agency in half.
Politics, Space Exploration, Science, Government Funding, NASA
30 points by perihelions 14 days ago | 5 comments
NASA's Project Scientist Faces Painful Choices as Voyager Mission Nears Its End (gizmodo.com)
In 1977, two probes launched less than a month apart on a mission to the great beyond.
Space Exploration, NASA, Voyager, Science
114 points by rntn 20 days ago | 37 comments
NASA doubles odds of Moon hitting near-Earth asteroid (theregister.com)
The likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon, during Christmas 2032, has more than doubled.
Space, Asteroids, Moon, NASA
6 points by LinuxBender 21 days ago | 0 comments
NASA seeks proposals for two private astronaut missions to ISS (spacenews.com)
NASA’s latest call for proposals to conduct private astronaut missions to the International Space Station opens the door to having those missions commanded by someone other than a former NASA astronaut.
Space Exploration, NASA, Private Spaceflight
4 points by TMWNN 21 days ago | 0 comments
NASA cut $420M for climate science, moon modelling and more (newscientist.com)
NASA has cancelled contracts and grants worth up to $420 million, following guidance from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The cuts will impact research projects and educational programmes across the US, but NASA is being tight-lipped about confirming exactly which organisations are affected.
NASA, Government Funding, Climate Science, Space Exploration
11 points by melling 23 days ago | 0 comments
Starliner's flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought (arstechnica.com)
As it flew up toward the International Space Station last summer, the Starliner spacecraft lost four thrusters. A NASA astronaut, Butch Wilmore, had to take manual control of the vehicle. But as its thrusters failed, Wilmore lost the ability to move Starliner in the direction he wanted to go.
Spaceflight, NASA, Spacecraft
95 points by ranger207 24 days ago | 3 comments
NASA astronauts tell of space odyssey and reject claims of neglect (theguardian.com)
In the end, whatever Elon Musk and Donald Trump liked to insist, astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams were never stuck, nor stranded in space, and definitely not abandoned or marooned.
Space Exploration, NASA, Astronauts
5 points by n1b0m 25 days ago | 2 comments
What Did Hubble See on Your Birthday? (nasa.gov)
Hubble explores the universe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That means it has observed some fascinating cosmic wonder every day of the year, including on your birthday.
Space, Astronomy, NASA, Hubble Telescope, Birthday
7 points by throw0101b 27 days ago | 2 comments
NASA terminating $420M in contracts not aligned with its new priorities (independent.co.uk)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is terminating $420 million in contracts, the space agency says are “misaligned” with its new core priorities.
NASA, Space Exploration, Government Funding, Budget Cuts
6 points by g-b-r 28 days ago | 0 comments
After a spacecraft was damaged en route to launch, NASA says it won't launch (arstechnica.com)
Three weeks ago, NASA revealed that a shipping container protecting a Cygnus spacecraft sustained "damage" while traveling to the launch site in Florida.
Spaceflight, NASA, Delays
6 points by rbanffy 30 days ago | 0 comments
Momentum seems to be building for Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator (arstechnica.com)
With the vast majority of President Donald Trump's cabinet members now approved by the US Senate, focus is turning to senior positions within the administration that are just below the cabinet level.
Politics, NASA, Space Exploration
6 points by voxadam 31 days ago | 0 comments
As preps continue, it's looking more likely NASA will fly the Artemis II mission (arstechnica.com)
Late Saturday night, technicians at Kennedy Space Center in Florida moved the core stage for NASA's second Space Launch System rocket into position between the vehicle's two solid-fueled boosters.
Space Exploration, NASA, Artemis Program
9 points by kwiktrip 32 days ago | 0 comments
NASA Scraps Promise to Land 'First Woman and Person of Color' on the Moon (gizmodo.com)
After years of promoting its return to the Moon with the promise of inclusion, NASA has concealed its well-publicized intent of landing a diverse crew on the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program.
Space Exploration, NASA, Diversity, Artemis Program
23 points by doener 32 days ago | 4 comments
NASA's Plutonium Problem (youtube.com)
Space Exploration, NASA, Science, Nuclear Energy
3 points by CHB0403085482 34 days ago | 0 comments
NASA drops plan to land first woman and first person of color on the moon (theguardian.com)
Nasa has dropped its longstanding public commitment to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, in response to Donald Trump’s directives to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at federal agencies.
Space Exploration, NASA, Politics, Diversity
12 points by pseudolus 35 days ago | 1 comments
Can NASA remain nonpartisan when basic spaceflight truths are shredded? (arstechnica.com)
It looked like the final scene of a movie, the denouement of a long adventure in which the good guys finally prevail. Azure skies and brilliant blue seas provided a perfect backdrop on Tuesday evening as a spacecraft carrying four people neared the planet's surface.
Space Exploration, Politics, NASA
47 points by rbanffy 37 days ago | 45 comments
Starliner Astronauts Return to Earth After More Than 9 Months in Space (cnn.com)
Spaceflight, NASA, Astronauts, Space Exploration
23 points by m463 38 days ago | 5 comments
NASA's and SpaceX's Crew-9 Splashdown in Gulf of America (upi.com)
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, left, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, second from left, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague, second from right, and Suni Williams, right are seen inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship MEGAN shortly after having landed in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Space Exploration, NASA, SpaceX, Crew Missions
7 points by xqcgrek2 38 days ago | 1 comments
NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After Extended ISS Mission (ycombinator.com)
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Space Exploration, NASA
10 points by Mudasir_Fayaz 38 days ago | 0 comments
NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return (nasa.gov)
NASA will provide live coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17.
Space Exploration, NASA, SpaceX
15 points by gnarlynarwhal42 38 days ago | 4 comments
NASA Astronauts Depart Space Station After Nine Months in Orbit (bloomberg.com)
Two NASA astronauts stuck in orbit for nine months finally departed the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX capsule on Tuesday, kicking off their long-awaited voyage home.
Space Exploration, NASA, SpaceX
23 points by JumpCrisscross 39 days ago | 18 comments