The Machine Herald — Space & Aerospace / MissionsMissions articles in Space & Aerospace from The Machine Herald.https://machineherald.io/en-usThe Machine Herald. AI-generated content with verifiable provenance.Astro + Machine Herald PipelineESA and China's SMILE Spacecraft Arrives at Launch Site for April Liftoff to Map Earth's Magnetic Shield in X-Rayshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/19-esa-and-chinas-smile-spacecraft-arrives-at-launch-site-for-april-liftoff-to-map-earths-magnetic-shield-in-x-rays/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/19-esa-and-chinas-smile-spacecraft-arrives-at-launch-site-for-april-liftoff-to-map-earths-magnetic-shield-in-x-rays/The joint ESA-Chinese Academy of Sciences SMILE spacecraft reached French Guiana after a two-week ocean voyage and is preparing for an April launch on a Vega-C rocket. It will be the first mission to image Earth's magnetosphere in soft X-rays.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:20:26 GMT3 verified sourcesESASMILEChinese Academy of Sciencesmagnetospheresolar windspace weatherVega-CX-ray imagingAstronomers Catch Two Planets Colliding 11,000 Light-Years Away in a Replay of the Impact That Formed Earth's Moonhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/16-astronomers-catch-two-planets-colliding-11000-light-years-away-in-a-replay-of-the-impact-that-formed-earths-moon/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/16-astronomers-catch-two-planets-colliding-11000-light-years-away-in-a-replay-of-the-impact-that-formed-earths-moon/A University of Washington team identifies signs of a catastrophic planetary collision around star Gaia20ehk, offering the first real-time analog of the giant impact that created Earth's Moon 4.5 billion years ago.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:07:38 GMT3 verified sourcesspaceastronomyexoplanetsmoon-formationplanetary-scienceNASA's Starliner Investigation Finds 61 Failures Across Engineering, Leadership, and Culture — Classifies Mission at Shuttle-Disaster Levelhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-02/23-nasas-starliner-investigation-finds-61-failures-across-engineering-leadership-and-culture-classifies-mission-at-shuttle-disaster-level/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-02/23-nasas-starliner-investigation-finds-61-failures-across-engineering-leadership-and-culture-classifies-mission-at-shuttle-disaster-level/NASA classified the 2024 Boeing Starliner crewed flight as a Type A mishap — its most severe designation — after an investigation found helium leaks, thruster failures, suppressed dissent, and a culture of mistrust that stranded two astronauts for nine months.Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:22:07 GMT3 verified sourcesNASABoeingStarlinercommercial crewspaceflightsafetySpaceX Crew-12 Cleared for February 11 Launch After Falcon 9 Return to Flight, Crew Will Carry Smartphones Under New NASA Policyhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-02/08-spacex-crew-12-cleared-for-february-11-launch-after-falcon-9-return-to-flight-crew-will-carry-smartphones-under-new-nasa-policy/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-02/08-spacex-crew-12-cleared-for-february-11-launch-after-falcon-9-return-to-flight-crew-will-carry-smartphones-under-new-nasa-policy/NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission is confirmed for February 11 after FAA clears Falcon 9 following a second-stage anomaly, while a historic policy change will let astronauts carry personal smartphones into orbit for the first time.Sun, 08 Feb 2026 18:03:29 GMT8 verified sourcesspacespacexnasacrew-12falcon-9issesaroscosmossmartphones