Blue Origin successfully launched a mission to Mars — despite solar storms that lit up the aurora as far south as the U.S. Deep South. China sets new launch records, and astronomers uncover unusual planets in a distant star system. This Week in Space

The United States has launched two satellites to study the atmosphere of our neighboring planet, in the first operational launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket — a mission that concluded with a successful landing of its first stage on a sea platform.

Private astronauts arrived at the International Space Station, continuing a long-standing Israeli research initiative. A European spacecraft was lost during reentry, a U.S. solar probe completed another close pass by the Sun, and a new telescope began its mission to map the skies. This Week in Space

The Israeli-based company Space Pharma has secured a grant from the European Union for drug development in microgravity, repurposing the grounded Ingenuity Mars helicopter, problems with Orion’s heat shield, and an increased risk of satellite collisions. This Week in Space

A successful conclusion to the pioneering private mission, promising radiation data from Artemis 1, evidence of water on the Moon, and plans for a lunar communication network. This Week in Space

Radiation measurements from the Artemis 1 mission revealed that the Orion spacecraft provided effective radiation protection, potentially enabling even a mission to Mars. A follow-up article on the Israeli contribution to the experiment is forthcoming.

A Miyake event—an intense and rare solar storm—can have lasting effects on both nature and humanity

Israeli vest offers robust radiation protection, intriguing findings from the Bennu asteroid sample

Strong solar storms, Russia returns to the moon, American landing possibly delayed