This Week in Space 173

Tariq is back from the Far East and bursting with space news! This week we'll look at the passing of Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, potential re-tasking of NASA's Juno probe from Jupiter to the interstellar interloper, 3I/Atlas--Avi Loeb wants it, of course--the third launch of ULA's Vulcan rocket, Artemis 2 lunar flyby updates, Virgin Galactic's new spaceplane (can they ever make a profit?), a proposed Pluto orbiter--with a planned mission of 50 years--and much more, on This Week in Space!

Headlines:

• Remembering Apollo 13’s Jim Lovell
• ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Hits New Milestone With Powerful Launch
• Could Juno Chase an Interstellar Visitor?
• NASA Eyes Pluto Orbiter Mission Persephone
• Virgin Galactic Preps Next-Gen Delta Spaceplane
• Strange "Helmet" Rock Spotted on Mars
• Artemis II Orion Capsule Fuels Up for 2026 Launch

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• Tech: NASA's Ambitious Pluto Orbiter Mission Could Take 50 Years to Complete
• Transcripts: This Week in Space 173 Transcript

Links

• James Lovell, the steady astronaut who brought Apollo 13 home safely, has died
• Vulcan Centaur rocket launches experimental military satellite on its 1st-ever US Space Force mission
• NASA told to chase potential alien probe before it's gone forever
• New Pluto mission could uncover dwarf planet's hidden ocean — if the 'queen of the underworld' gets to fly
• Virgin Galactic's new Delta class space plane could fly as soon as fall 2026
• NASA's Perseverance rover spies mysterious 'helmet' on Mars
• NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft fuels up and moves closer to launch