NASA

In procurement filings Nov. 8, NASA stated it planned to extend the existing Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 2 contracts with Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space and SpaceX that were set to expire at the end of 2026 through the end of 2030. NASA’s current plans call for retiring the ISS in 2030.

The three NASA astronauts who returned to Earth on the Crew-8 mission declined to discuss the medical issue that prompted a trip to the hospital after their return and, for one of them, an overnight stay.

NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, returned to Earth Oct. 25 on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, concluding the 235-day Crew-8 mission. But later that day NASA said that the four were taken to a Pensacola, Florida, hospital for additional medical evaluations “out of an abundance of caution.” One of the NASA astronauts was hospitalized in stable condition there, but released the next day “in good health.”

NASA did not disclose the identity of the astronaut who was hospitalized or the specific medical concern that prompted the hospital visit. At a Nov. 8 press conference to discuss their mission, the three NASA astronauts declined to discuss details about the incident, citing medical privacy.

"We have gotten to a root cause," said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator for NASA's Moon to Mars program office, in response to a question from Ars on Monday at the Wernher von Braun Space Exploration Symposium.

"We are having conversations within the agency to make sure that we have a good understanding of not only what's going on with the heat shield, but also next steps and how that actually applies to the course that we take for Artemis II," she said. "And we'll be in a position to be able to share where we are with that hopefully before the end of the year.”

Speaking at a meeting of lunar scientists Monday, Glaze said NASA wants to complete additional testing before a final determination on what to do with Artemis II. The final decision, she said, will be made by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

"We expect that additional testing to conclude by the end of November, and then we anticipate discussions with the administrator, who will make the final decision on how to proceed," Glaze said. "I know we all want more information faster, sooner, better. We're moving it as quickly as it possibly can move, and there will be decisions forthcoming."

An attendee of the lunar science meeting in Houston asked Glaze if she could share the root cause of the heat shield erosion. “I’m not going to share right now," she replied. "When it comes out, it’ll all come out together.”

While evidence for this microbial life is yet to have been found, a new NASA study from a group of scientists proposes that these microbes can survive beneath frozen water ice on the Martian surface.

More specifically, the team suggests that the amount of sunlight that would shine through the water ice and into shallow pools under the ice would be enough for any microbes to perform photosynthesis. The team utilized computer modeling to make their proposal, and pools of water similar to these Martian pools have been found on Earth to contain algae, fungi, and microscopic cyanobacteria — all of which perform photosynthesis.