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: After his first book revealed a new way to look at the Apollo moon missions (including a "journey with Tom Hanks"), Andy Saunders has taken the same approach with the spaceflights that preceded "The Moonwalkers." Released Tuesday (Sept. 2), "Gemini and Mercury Remastered" presents hundreds of images restored by Saunders from the two early programs that taught astronauts how to live and photograph in space.
: Your name may not appear on the mission patch, but here is the next best thing: you can add yourself to the roster launching with Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen to the moon. NASA is now collecting names to fly on the first mission to return astronauts to the moon in more than 50 years. The "Send Your Name with Artemis II" online campaign will run through Jan. 21, 2026.
: All seven space-flown 22-karat gold Sacagawea dollars that were auctioned on Friday (Sept. 12) surpassed the highest amount paid for an object flown on the space shuttle, with two tying for a new record. The U.S. Mint released the well-traveled coins, keeping the last five for its collection. Winning bids ranged from $360,001 to $550,001 (the extra dollar accounting for the $1 face value, provided the coins' newly-appointed status as legal tender).
: More than two decades after establishing the Columbia Research and Preservation Office up on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Kennedy Space Center is preparing to move some of the fallen space shuttle's recovered parts to a new, more accessible location. The Columbia Learning Center will be available to all of the Florida spaceport's workforce as reminder to remain diligent and keep focused on safety.
: Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space, is now the fifth astronaut with her own Barbie doll. Mattel has introduced Ochoa as the latest addition to the Inspiring Women series that "pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time." Ochoa collaborated with the Barbie design team on the look and accessories that come with the $38 set, which is available now from Mattel Creations and select retailers nationwide.
: Timex on Tuesday (Sept. 16) launched two new space exploration-themed collections. The NASA-inspired line celebrates the Artemis II moon mission, featuring the program logo and suit-derived colorways. The new Peanuts Space collaboration features Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang in their modern orange pressure garments. The analog and digital timepieces sell for $75 to $349 depending on model.
: The first two non-astronaut "NASA legends" to join Space Hipsters' Signature Edition patch series kept the spacecraft and space explorers healthy. John Aaron, a "steely-eyed missile man" out of Mission Control, and Dee O'Hara, nurse to the original 7 Mercury astronauts, now each have their own embroidered emblem that includes their signature in thread. Sales of the limited patches send Native American girls to Space Camp.
: The Science Museum in London has opened "Space," its new gallery devoted to the Space Age and the future of space exploration. The exhibit is the first place where the public can see side by side a spacecraft that carried astronauts to the moon (NASA's Apollo 10 command module) alongside a modern capsule that returned crews from orbit (Soyuz TMA-19M), the latter with Tim Peake, the first British career astronaut.
: NASA has chosen its 24th class of astronaut candidates since the Mercury 7 were selected in 1959. The ten women and men, who will report for two years of training, were named at a ceremony held at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday (Sept. 22). The new 'ascans,' who were chosen from a pool of 8,000 applicants, were recruited for NASA's Artemis program, with its goals of setting up a presence on the moon and, ultimately, Mars.
: The Orion spacecraft that will fly NASA's Artemis II astronauts to the moon now has a name: "Integrity." The crew on Wednesday (Sept. 24) revealed the name, which they said was inspired by how they came together and how the workforce assembled the capsule. "Integrity" will carry Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day flight out beyond the moon in preparation for later landing missions.
: After five years of work, the Hall of Space at the Cosmosphere in Kansas has a unified look. The galleries, which tell the story of the space race, have now all been renovated to share a common, brighter and more open layout. The hall also now features new interactive displays and returns several space artifacts to display after decades being held in storage. The entire Hall of Space is now open to visitors at the Cosmosphere.
: As an astronaut, he commanded space shuttle Discovery. Now, as a senator, Mark Kelly is leading a call for his former ride into orbit to stay on display in the Smithsonian. Kelly (D-AZ), together with Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are urging appropriators to block funding from being used to relocate Discovery to Space Center Houston, a transfer put forth and pushed forward by Texas' senators.
