The European Space Agency says the launch this year of a joint mission with Russia to Mars is now “very unlikely” due to sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.

With this critical test finally finished, NASA now will send the rocket segment to Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA completed an engine test firing of its moon rocket Thursday, after the first attempt in January ended prematurely. This time, the four main engines of the rocket’s core stage remained ignited for the full eight minutes. John Honeycutt, NASA's program manager for the Space Launch System or SLS rocket, said everything seemed to go well in Thursday's test firing. The SLS rocket will send an empty Orion capsule to the moon and back.

Since 2014, Lueders has directed NASAs plans to send astronauts into space on a commercially-built spacecraft as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. From Commercial Cargo and now Commercial Crew, she has safely and successfully helped push to expand our nations industrial base. She spent more than a decade at the Johnson Space Center and has a daughter and grandchild in Houston. She went to Kennedy as acting Commercial Crew Program Manager in 2013 and was selected as the head of the office in 2014. Steve Stich is named Commercial Crew Program Manager, and Ken Bowersox returns to his role as HEO deputy associate administrator.