The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar initiative shifts U.S. Space Force missile-warning coverage away from the legacy Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit hosted payloads.

The U.S. Space Force allowed Northrop Grumman to proceed with missile-warning satellites for Next-Gen Polar Program manufacturing in December 2024.

Rocket Lab launched Synspective’s ninth StriX satellite on an Electron rocket.

Synspective operates the StriX SAR constellation for Earth observation.

Viva La StriX completed its initial deployment operations in orbit.

Synspective’s ninth StriX satellite, Viva La StriX, reached its target orbit after a Rocket Lab Electron launch.

ZHU Yangzhu is the commander of the Shenzhou-23 crew.

China launched Long March 2F Y23 from Jiuquan at 15:08 UTC on May 24 for the Shenzhou-23 mission.

The Shenzhou-23 crew consists of ZHU Yangzhu, ZHANG Zhiyuan, and LAI Ka-ying of Hong Kong.

NASA said leadership at unlisted centres remains unchanged.

NASA mission directorates will report directly to the NASA administrator under the new structure.

NASA named Dr. Lori Glaze as associate administrator of the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

NASA named Carlos García-Galán as program manager for Moon Base in the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

NASA will unify the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and the Space Operations Mission Directorate as the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

NASA named John Bailey as associate administrator of the Mission Support Directorate.

NASA says the National Space Policy directs the agency to accelerate the Artemis program, establish a Moon Base, develop a nuclear space reactor, ignite the orbital economy, and expand science and discovery missions.

NASA named Steve Sinacore as acting director of the Space Reactor Office and program manager for SR-1 and LR-1 in the Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

Amit Kshatriya will serve as NASA chief engineer.

NASA will continue to insource contractors into civil servant roles where appropriate, strengthen its intern pipeline, and use the NASA Force recruitment initiative with the US Office of Personnel Management.

NASA will task the Research and Technology Mission Directorate with nuclear power and propulsion development.

NASA is undergoing an agencywide realignment intended to increase mission focus and speed delivery of priorities in the National Space Policy.

NASA named Kevin Coggins as director of Space Communications and Navigation in the Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

NASA named Adam Steltzner as chief engineer for Special Projects.

NASA will reorganise its mission directorates into the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, and the unchanged Science Mission Directorate.

NASA's realignment follows a late-March Ignition event with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and agency leaders.

NASA named Dr. James Kenyon as associate administrator of the Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

NASA will combine the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and the Space Technology Mission Directorate into the Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya will continue to receive reports from centre directors.

NASA will increase specialisation at centres and integrate mission directorates under the new structure.

NASA’s current contract with Caltech for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory began on Oct. 1, 2018 and runs through Sept. 30, 2028.

NASA intends to maintain continuity for active and future missions during the procurement process.

The Department of Energy has held full and open competitions for five of its 16 federally funded research and development center management and operations contracts over the past 10 years.

NASA has awarded Jet Propulsion Laboratory management and operations contracts on a sole-source basis since the laboratory was transferred from the U.S. Army to NASA in 1958.

Caltech has managed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory since the laboratory’s origins in the 1930s.

NASA will run a competition for the next contract to manage and operate the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

NASA’s current Jet Propulsion Laboratory contract has a potential maximum value of $30 billion if all options are exercised.

NASA intends to keep the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s existing physical location.

The Shenzhou-23 crew entered the China Space Station's Tiangong module after docking.

Shenzhou-23 docked with the China Space Station at 18:45 UTC after a 3.5-hour flight.

The Shenzhou spacecraft currently launches on the Long March 2F/G from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Zhang Zhiyuan was born in June 1986 and is from Gansu province.

Before becoming a taikonaut, Zhang Hongzhang was a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Shenzhou spacecraft line was upgraded in 2025 to optimize internal layout and systems and increase cargo capacity.

The Long March 2F has two active versions, the 2F/G and 2F/T.

Zhang Lu received the Spaceflight Merit Medal Third Class and the honorary title of hero taikonaut after the Shenzhou-15 mission.

The Shenzhou spacecraft is China’s only operational crewed spacecraft.

The Shenzhou spacecraft has a pressurized volume of almost 15 cubic meters and a habitable volume of 7 cubic meters.

The Long March 2F boosters have a diameter of 2.3 meters.

The Shenzhou spacecraft has two solar wings with four panels each that unfold after launch.

The Shenzhou-23 mission was China’s 32nd launch in 2026.