Space Plans Shift: From Lunar Station to Moon Base, Comet Spin Mystery Revealed

NASA is changing its roadmap for the Moon. The agency has decided to stop work on the Gateway space station, a joint project that would have orbited the Moon. Instead, it will focus on building a permanent base on the lunar surface with an estimated cost of $20 billion. The new plan has three stages: first, sending robotic rovers and instruments via commercial partners; second, creating semi‑habitable structures for astronauts and international collaboration; third, adding larger habitats and vehicles to support long‑term stays. NASA aims to launch crewed missions every six months after the Artemis V flight scheduled for 2028.In a separate scientific discovery, researchers observed comet 41P/Tuttle‑Giacobini‑Kresák changing its rotation direction. Data from 2017 show the comet’s spin slowing after a close solar encounter, then speeding up again by year‑end. The change is attributed to uneven gas jets produced when the comet’s ice sublimates under solar heat, acting like tiny thrusters that can alter rotation. The comet, about 0. 6 miles across and originating from the Kuiper Belt, shows decreasing activity and may become structurally unstable, possibly leading to its breakup. These events highlight how space agencies adjust long‑term goals and how dynamic celestial bodies can surprise scientists with unexpected behavior.