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Space Exploration News 11 December 2025 - 23 December 2025

Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 23, 2025): New Spacecraft Data, X‑Rays, “Radio Signals,” and the Next Big Test at Jupiter

Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 23, 2025): New Spacecraft Data, X‑Rays, “Radio Signals,” and the Next Big Test at Jupiter

December 23, 2025 — Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed interstellar object ever seen passing through our solar system, is already on its way out. But the news cycle around it is still very much inbound. In the days following 3I/ATLAS’ closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19, 2025, space agencies and research teams have been stitching together an unusually rich, multiwavelength “biography” of this visitor from another star system: NASA says it’s a normal (if rare) active comet, while ESA and Japan’s XRISM mission have revealed something never conclusively seen in an interstellar comet before—an X‑ray glow produced as the
23 December 2025
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (22 December 2025): The Latest Science, Spacecraft Views, and “Radio Signal” Reality Check

Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (22 December 2025): The Latest Science, Spacecraft Views, and “Radio Signal” Reality Check

As of 22.12.2025, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS—only the third confirmed object from beyond our solar system—is already on its way out again. Its closest pass by Earth happened just days ago, and while the comet never came anywhere near “close” in a human sense, the flyby has triggered a wave of fresh data releases, rapid-response observations, and (inevitably) some internet-fueled mythology. Here’s what’s new right now: what scientists have actually seen, what they haven’t seen, and what comes next as 3I/ATLAS heads toward the outer solar system. NASA Science+1 The big headline today: 3I/ATLAS is leaving—but the best data is
22 December 2025
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 20, 2025): Europa Clipper’s UV Surprise, Parker Solar Probe Images, and the Latest Forecast

Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 20, 2025): Europa Clipper’s UV Surprise, Parker Solar Probe Images, and the Latest Forecast

December 20, 2025 — The rare interstellar visitor known as Comet 3I/ATLAS is now past its closest approach to Earth and heading back out toward the outer solar system. But “past” doesn’t mean “gone.” Today’s updates include a new research release describing ultraviolet measurements from NASA’s Europa Clipper that captured the comet when Earth- and Mars-based observers had limited views, plus fresh details on how NASA’s Parker Solar Probe tracked the comet near the Sun—right through the glare that normally hides objects like this from ground-based telescopes. ScienceDaily+2NASA Science+2 For skywatchers, 3I/ATLAS remains a telescope target rather than a naked-eye
20 December 2025
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Today: Latest Dec. 17, 2025 Updates Ahead of Its Dec. 19 Earth Flyby

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Today: Latest Dec. 17, 2025 Updates Ahead of Its Dec. 19 Earth Flyby

Two days before it reaches its closest point to Earth, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is giving astronomers and serious backyard skywatchers a rare, time-limited opportunity: observe a visitor that formed around another star, then wandered into our solar system on a one-way trip back to interstellar space. The flyby itself isn’t close in the everyday sense—NASA says 3I/ATLAS will remain about 1.8 astronomical unitsfrom Earth on Dec. 19, 2025 (roughly 170 million miles / 270 million kilometers, nearly twice the Earth–Sun distance). But for scientists, it’s still “close” enough to run intensive observation campaigns, compare measurements across many telescopes and spacecraft, and test new ways of tracking
18 December 2025
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Jared Isaacman NASA Today: Senate Confirms Billionaire Spaceflight Veteran as New NASA Administrator (Dec. 17, 2025)

Jared Isaacman NASA Today: Senate Confirms Billionaire Spaceflight Veteran as New NASA Administrator (Dec. 17, 2025)

WASHINGTON — Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut best known for commanding the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission and SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, to lead NASA. The confirmation vote was 67–30, elevating Isaacman to the role of NASA administrator at a moment when America’s civil space program is juggling high-profile Moon and Mars ambitions, intense geopolitical competition with China, and renewed political scrutiny over budgets and contracting. Reuters+2AP News+2 Isaacman’s ascent is more than a headline about a famous space tourist taking a government job. It also signals how central commercial
18 December 2025
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Nears Closest Earth Flyby on Dec. 19: New X‑ray Views, UN Tracking, and What Scientists Know Now

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Nears Closest Earth Flyby on Dec. 19: New X‑ray Views, UN Tracking, and What Scientists Know Now

December 15, 2025 — A rare visitor from beyond our solar system is making its final, headline-worthy sweep through the inner neighborhood — and the countdown to its closest pass by Earth is nearly over. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (also designated C/2025 N1 (ATLAS)) will reach its closest approach to Earth on Friday, December 19, 2025, staying a safe ~1.8 astronomical units away — about 270 million kilometers (167–170 million miles), roughly twice the average Earth–Sun distance. It poses no threat to Earth, but the timing is ideal for professional observatories — and for skilled backyard stargazers with telescopes — to squeeze out precious data before the comet continues outward on
15 December 2025
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 15, 2025): The Interstellar Visitor Turns Green Ahead of Its Dec. 19 Flyby

Comet 3I/ATLAS Today (Dec. 15, 2025): The Interstellar Visitor Turns Green Ahead of Its Dec. 19 Flyby

On December 15, 2025, the solar system’s most talked-about “visitor” is back in headlines for two very comet-like reasons: it’s brightening and it’s glowing green. The object is Comet 3I/ATLAS—often shortened to “3I/Atlas comet”—the third confirmed interstellar object ever found passing through our neighborhood, after 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). Space+1 Today’s coverage is focusing on what observers are seeing now that 3I/ATLAS has re-emerged for sustained viewing after its late-October solar passage: a more active coma, a greener tint, and renewed discussion of a quirky-looking feature known as an anti-tail. The Times of India+2Digit+2 With the comet set to make its closest approach to Earth on December 19—still a very safe ~270 million kilometers
15 December 2025
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SpaceX Starlink Launches Dec. 15, 2025: Falcon 9 Sends 29 Satellites to Orbit from Cape Canaveral After Historic 550th Booster Landing

SpaceX Starlink Launches Dec. 15, 2025: Falcon 9 Sends 29 Satellites to Orbit from Cape Canaveral After Historic 550th Booster Landing

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX opened Monday with another late-night-to-early-morning Starlink push, lofting 29 internet satellites into low Earth orbit from Florida’s Space Coast just hours after a separate Starlink mission out of California marked a major milestone in booster reusability. At 12:25 a.m. EST (0525 GMT) on Dec. 15, a Falcon 9 rocket rose from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, threading a narrow weather needle after forecasts warned of strong winds and cloud-rule constraints. The first stage returned to the Atlantic for a droneship landing, keeping SpaceX’s rapid-fire launch cadence intact as the
15 December 2025
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Moon in December 2025: Waning Crescent Tonight, New Moon Date, Geminids Peak, and NASA’s Latest Lunar Push

Moon in December 2025: Waning Crescent Tonight, New Moon Date, Geminids Peak, and NASA’s Latest Lunar Push

December 14, 2025 is shaping up as one of the most “Moon-centric” nights of the month—not because the Moon is bright and dominating the sky, but because it isn’t. With the Moon now a waning crescent and shrinking toward the New Moon on December 19, skywatchers are getting darker skies right as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak window. WUSF+2Space+2 At the same time, December’s Moon story isn’t only about stargazing. NASA’s lunar program is also in the headlines this month, from new Artemis lunar surface science instruments to “blast-in-a-vacuum-sphere” tests designed to understand how rocket exhaust will kick up abrasive lunar dust during future Moon landings. NASA Science+1 Below
14 December 2025
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Update (Dec. 13, 2025): New Green Glow, First X‑Ray Views, and What’s Next for the Interstellar Visitor

Comet 3I/ATLAS Update (Dec. 13, 2025): New Green Glow, First X‑Ray Views, and What’s Next for the Interstellar Visitor

On December 13, 2025, Comet 3I/ATLAS—the third confirmed interstellar object ever found crossing our solar system—is back in the headlines as astronomers release fresh observations that deepen the mystery (and the science) of this rare cosmic flyby. It’s not just “another comet”: 3I/ATLAS is an outsider from beyond the Sun’s gravitational family, racing through on a hyperbolic path that proves it wasn’t born here. NASA Science+1 Today’s developments add two eye-catching chapters to the story: All this arrives just days before the comet’s closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025—a safe but scientifically valuable alignment that researchers are treating
13 December 2025
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Update (Dec. 12, 2025): First X‑Ray View, Green Glow, and How to Spot the Interstellar Visitor

Comet 3I/ATLAS Update (Dec. 12, 2025): First X‑Ray View, Green Glow, and How to Spot the Interstellar Visitor

On December 12, 2025, the rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (also written 3I/Atlas) is back in headlines for two reasons: a newly released X‑ray view from ESA’s XMM‑Newton and fresh Gemini North telescope images showing the comet looking noticeably greener—all as the object heads toward its closest approach to Earth on December 19(still very far away, and not a threat). NASA Science+3European Space Agency+3Phys.org+3 What’s new today: 3I/ATLAS shines in X‑rays and shifts greener in visible light Today’s (12/12/2025) coverage converges on a simple theme: as 3I/ATLAS moves away from the Sun, scientists are catching it in more wavelengths—and the comet’s behavior is evolving quickly enough to be visible even in week‑to‑week comparisons. Today’s
13 December 2025
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NASA Loses Contact With Critical MAVEN Mars Orbiter: What the Sudden Silence Means for Future Missions

NASA Loses Contact With Critical MAVEN Mars Orbiter: What the Sudden Silence Means for Future Missions

NASA is racing to re‑establish contact with MAVEN, a Mars orbiter that has quietly underpinned Red Planet science and communications for more than a decade, after the spacecraft unexpectedly fell silent on December 6, 2025.NASA Science+2ScienceAlert+2 The loss of signal raises urgent questions about the health of the spacecraft, the resilience of NASA’s aging Mars communications network, and the knock‑on effects for current and future missions — including plans to eventually return Martian rock samples to Earth.Scientific American+1 When and how NASA lost contact with MAVEN According to NASA, MAVEN (short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) was operating normally
11 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

Vodafone shares steady up after Q3 wobble — Germany, buyback and next results now set the tone

7 February 2026
Vodafone shares rose 1.47% to 110.60p Friday, recovering part of Thursday’s 4.68% drop after a Q3 update. Group revenue climbed 6.5% to €10.5 billion, but Germany’s 0.7% service revenue growth missed some forecasts. Vodafone launched a new €500 million buyback tranche, bringing total buybacks since May to €3.5 billion. Investors remain focused on Germany’s pace and cash flow execution.
NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

NatWest Group stock: buyback filing and Rightmove mortgage deal set up a busy week

7 February 2026
NatWest shares closed up 1.45% at 659.4 pence Friday, buoyed by a buyback of 797,428 shares and a new digital mortgage deal with Rightmove. The Bank of England held rates at 3.75% but signaled possible cuts, with markets pricing in two reductions for 2026. NatWest plans to expand its Accelerator community to 50,000 members by 2026. Annual results are due Feb. 13.
Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

Unilever share price holds at 5,250p as results week looms — what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Unilever shares closed flat at 5,250p in London Friday, underperforming the FTSE 100’s 0.6% gain. The company issued 4.2 million new shares for employee plans, bringing total shares to over 2.18 billion. Investors await Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 12, with analyst consensus pointing to 3.9% Q4 sales growth. Unilever’s U.S. ADR rose 0.8% to $72.12.
BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

BP share price near 52-week high ahead of Feb 10 earnings as buyback runs on

7 February 2026
BP shares closed up 1.9% at 478 pence Friday, just below a 52-week high, as the company continued buybacks ahead of next week’s results. BP repurchased 2.789 million shares on February 6. Oil prices firmed on geopolitical risk, with Brent at $68.05 a barrel, but sector outlook remains uncertain. Investors await BP’s earnings and dividend decision due Tuesday.
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