Posted: Sun, Aug 30 8:25 PM ET (0025 GMT)
A Falcon Heavy successfully launched a NASA space telescope that promises to revolutionize astronomy on Sunday. The Falcon Heavy lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 GMT) and deployed the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope about 31 minutes later. Roman is a $4.3 billion mission operating from the Earth-Sun L2 point that will survey the universe using a wide-field camera. It also has a coronagraph instrument that astronomers will use to directly image exoplanets. Astronomers say Roman data may help them resolve key questions about cosmology, including dark energy and dark matter. It will also detect billions of stars and galaxies and up to 100,000 exoplanets. NASA completed Roman on budget and launched it about nine months ahead of schedule.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Space.com article
•  AP article
•  Reuters article
•  NASA press release

Posted: Sun, Aug 30 8:20 PM ET (0020 GMT)
President Donald Trump announced Friday a proposal to create a federal academy to train the space workforce. Trump signed an executive order establishing a commission to study the U.S. Space Academy, a proposed NASA-led institution. Trump compared the proposed academy to military service academies that would "train an entire generation of skilled service members, engineers and civil operators" whose graduates might then work for NASA, the Space Force, or other agencies. The commission, chaired by the NASA administrator, is ordered to complete a report on the academy in 120 days. One member of Congress, though, noted that the administration could not create the space academy on its own and raised questions about how it would be funded.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Ars Technica article
•  Politico article
•  Houston Chronicle article
•  NASA press release

Ariane 6 launches European weather satellite
Posted: Sun, Aug 30 8:16 PM ET (0016 GMT)
An Ariane 6 launched a European weather satellite Thursday. An Ariane 62 lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:11 pm EDT (2011 GMT),...

ESA awards first European Launcher Challenge contracts
Posted: Sun, Aug 30 8:14 PM ET (0014 GMT)
ESA awarded contracts Thursday to three European launch startups. The contracts, with a combined value of 543.6 million euros ($632.9 million), went to...

SpaceX announces Louisiana launch site for Starship
Posted: Sun, Aug 30 8:12 PM ET (0012 GMT)
SpaceX revealed plans Tuesday to build a massive new Starship launch site in Louisiana. The company and state officials announced Starbase Louisiana, a facility that...