➀ NASA has designated the giant 'spiderwebs' on Mars as the next exploration target for the Curiosity rover; ➁ The rover will travel to a location known as 'boxwork' to investigate signs of ancient microbial life; ➂ Researchers believe Martian boxwork deposits could be evidence of liquid water oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams that once existed on Mars.

➀ NASA released a cozy 8-hour 4K fireplace video to celebrate the holiday season, featuring the heat of the SLS rocket's engines and the sounds of a crackling fire. The video is a loop of archival footage of the RS-25 engines that launched the Artemis I rocket. ➁ The Orion spacecraft reached a speed of 24,581 mph during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. ➂ The video includes the sound of rocket engines and the crackling of wood fire, creating a warm and festive atmosphere.

➀ NASA's Curiosity rover is heading to the Boxwork area on Mars, a feature resembling spiderwebs first observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006. ➁ The Boxwork is believed to have formed from minerals settling in fractures on the Martian surface. ➂ This area is of interest due to its potential to host early Earth-like environments and its unique formation process.

➀ NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft, which landed on Mars in 1975, may have inadvertently killed potential Martian life during an experiment; ➁ Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch suggests that the water-based testing methods used could have been too harsh for Martian microbes; ➂ Schulze-Makuch recommends that NASA use multiple life-testing processes for Martian samples.

➀ NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, which flew by Uranus in 1986, provided data that has puzzled scientists for decades; ➁ New research suggests that the unusual conditions observed by Voyager 2 were due to a cosmic coincidence involving space weather; ➂ The findings may indicate that the five major moons of Uranus are geologically active.

➀ NASA's X-59 'quiet supersonic' research aircraft is undergoing engine-run tests; ➁ The tests are part of NASA's Quesst mission to reduce sonic booms over land; ➂ The engine, a modified F414-GE-100, generates 22,000 pounds of thrust for a cruising speed of Mach 1.4.

➀ SpaceX has introduced 'Marslink', a concept for high-speed internet between Mars and Earth using an adaptation of its Starlink satellite network. ➁ The system aims to provide a data relay capable of transmitting 4Mbps or more across the distance between the planets. ➃ SpaceX presented Marslink to NASA with the aim of establishing a high-speed data relay system.

➀ Space Forge has signed an MOU with Voyager Space to support in-space research and manufacturing. The collaboration aims to integrate Space Forge's ForgeStar platform with Voyager's orbital capabilities for commercial applications. ➁ The ForgeStar platform is designed for reusable satellite operations in microgravity, supported by ESA and NATO. ➂ Voyager Space, with its commercial space station infrastructure, is working on projects funded by NASA, targeting new frontiers in bio-medicine and material science.

➀ NASA confirms receiving a message from Voyager 1; ➁ The message was sent using a backup radio transmitter; ➂ The spacecraft experienced a communication issue and entered a protective power state.

➀ NASA has warned about a bus-sized asteroid, 2024 UQ1, approaching Earth at a distance of 148,000 miles; ➁ The asteroid is not classified as potentially hazardous; ➂ This is part of a series of near-Earth objects being monitored by NASA.

➀ The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft is en route to the asteroid impacted by NASA's DART mission in 2022. The probe is part of a mission to study the 'kinetic impact' technique for asteroid deflection. ➁ Hera will conduct detailed surveys of the asteroid Dimorphos and perform deep-space technology experiments. ➂ The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the binary asteroid in autumn 2026, providing valuable data for planetary defense.

➀ The United States plans to orbit an astronaut in space by October 1961; ➁ One of the seven astronauts in training will be sent on a non-orbital flight early next year; ➂ The Project Mercury manned flight programme is on a tight schedule and has experienced some delays due to equipment issues.

➀ NASA has officially switched off a scientific instrument on the Voyager 2 spacecraft; ➁ The spacecraft has been sending data back to Earth for 47 years; ➂ The instrument, designed to measure plasma, was no longer useful for the spacecraft's current mission.

➀ NASA has released photographs showing the holes in the tires of its latest Mars rover, Perseverance; ➁ The holes are a result of the rover's scientific exploration on the Red Planet; ➂ The rover has been on the Martian surface since February 2021 and has faced various challenges, including tire wear.

➀ NASA's Webb telescope captures a stunning image of a galactic collision; ➁ The galaxies, Arp 107, are located 465 million light-years from Earth; ➂ The image combines observations from Webb's MIRI and NIRCam, highlighting star formation and the connection between the galaxies.

➀ NASA is working on establishing a coordinated lunar time standard for future human missions to the moon; ➁ The lunar time will be determined by a weighted average of atomic clocks on the moon; ➂ The time difference between Earth and the moon poses challenges for precise navigation and missions.

➀ Boeing's Starliner spacecraft successfully returned to Earth over the weekend, but with some additional issues found, including a failed thruster during decent. ➁ The issues with Starliner began before its launch in June, with helium leaks and thruster performance issues identified. ➂ NASA decided to keep astronauts on board the ISS and return Starliner uncrewed, emphasizing safety as the core value. The spacecraft landed successfully, but the thruster failure and temporary blackout of the guidance system were noted.

➀ NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines $116.9 million to deliver six payloads to the lunar South Pole in 2027. ➁ The payloads will help study volatile substances and radiation on the Moon, aiding future exploration efforts. ➂ This marks the 10th CLPS contract from NASA and the fourth for the South Pole, part of the Artemis campaign.

➀ Axiom Space and Nokia are collaborating to integrate 4G/LTE communications into the next-generation spacesuits for NASA's Artemis III mission. ➁ The integration will enable high-speed data transfer, including HD video and voice communication over long distances on the Moon. ➂ Nokia plans to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon, which will support future lunar and Mars missions.

➀ The Post Office announced plans to start experimental satellite communication tests next year, as part of a White Paper by Mr. J. R. Bevins. ➁ The satellites will be launched by NASA in America, with a ground station provided by the Post Office in the UK. ➂ Research on special transmitters, receivers, and large steerable antennas is well advanced.