S. S. Gene Cernan

The next Cygnus ISS resupply ship has been named for former astronaut Eugene Cernam, who passed away earlier this year.

Cernan is the last Apollo astronaut to have stood on the Moon.

To The Moon

The United Launch Alliance and Bigelow Aerospace plan to team up to put a space station into lunar orbit by 2023.

The station will consist of at least one of BA's B330 inflatable modules.

Einstein Was Right

Astronomers  have observed the merger of two neutron stars, an extraordinary event.

The merger produced  gravitational waves and other effects predicted by Einstein.

Branson

The president of Virgin Galactic says his boss, Richard Branson, likely won't visit space in six months.

VG still plans to begin commercial flights by the end of 2018, however.

Ion Propulsion

NASA and the University of Michigan are developing an ion propulsion system that could take humans to Mars within 20 years.

The system would be more efficient and much faster than a chemical rocket.

NASA's Future

NASA envisions a behind-the-scenes role for itself as humans go to Mars.

The agency would set technical standards and own infrastructure, not lead.

Branson

Sir Richard Branson said on  CNBC this morning he'll be disappointed if he doesn't fly into space within six months.

Branson has pledged he and his family will be on Virgin Galactic's first passenger flight.