Psyche Mars gravity assist maneuver & SpaceX CRS-34 ISS resupply launch - Space News (May 15, 2026)

Our top story involves a celestial dance happening as we speak. NASA's Psyche spacecraft is performing a gravity assist maneuver around Mars this very moment. Picture it as a cosmic slingshot. The spacecraft is streaking past Mars at just 4,500 kilometers above the surface—closer than Mars's own moons—to borrow momentum from the planet's orbit. This elegant trick accelerates Psyche without burning precious fuel. The real prize is ahead: asteroid 16 Psyche, a metallic world that might be the exposed iron core of an ancient protoplanet. Understanding its composition could fundamentally change how we think about planetary birth. Beyond the speed boost, the mission team is calibrating instruments and searching for subtle dust rings around Mars, making this a scientifically productive encounter.

Later this evening at 6:05 PM Eastern Time, expect another milestone moment. SpaceX is launching its 34th Commercial Resupply mission to the International Space Station. Weather forced them to scrub the original attempt two days ago, but today's window looks promising. The uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will carry roughly 6,500 pounds of cargo, and here's what makes it noteworthy: among the experiments is a bone scaffold made from wood. Researchers believe microgravity studies of this material could unlock new treatments for osteoporosis and other bone disorders. There's also fresh instrumentation to track charged particles that can disrupt power grids and satellites during space storms. Plus, scientists are studying dust particle collisions to better understand planetary formation. Dragon will rendezvous with the station Sunday morning.

Turning to Monday, May 18th, space enthusiasts have a viewing opportunity. An asteroid called 2026 JH2, discovered just last week, will make a dramatic but completely safe pass by Earth. We're talking about a school bus-sized rock coming within 90,000 kilometers of our planet—roughly a quarter of the Moon's distance. While that might sound terrifyingly close, objects this small would incinerate completely upon atmospheric entry. The asteroid will reach magnitude 11.5, invisible to naked eyes but clearly visible through modest telescopes under dark skies. Multiple astronomy organizations plan livestreams, so you can watch from home.

That same evening on May 18th, look westward after sunset for a stunning natural display. The crescent Moon and planet Venus will appear just 2.4 degrees apart—the closest Venus-Moon pairing of this evening's viewing season. It's genuinely one of the year's finest sky shows. The delicate Moon and brilliant Venus create a striking contrast. Binoculars will show both comfortably in the same view.

May 19th brings a two-launch day. First, the SMILE mission—Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer—lifts off on a European Vega-C rocket. This joint European and Chinese venture will do something never attempted: provide a global view of how Earth's magnetic bubble responds to solar wind bombardment. Using X-ray and ultraviolet imaging, it'll transform our understanding of geomagnetic storms and space weather. Knowledge that directly impacts infrastructure on Earth.

Also launching May 19th, SpaceX's long-anticipated Starship Flight 12. This marks the debut of Starship V3, featuring upgraded Raptor 3 engines with record-breaking performance. The suborbital flight will do something innovative: deploy 22 dummy satellites, with the final two acting as autonomous inspectors. They'll photograph Starship's heat shield in space, testing techniques for verifying the vehicle's readiness to land at the launch site. It's a practical approach to enabling full vehicle reusability.

Deep space news continues to challenge our cosmic understanding. The James Webb Space Telescope discovered a galaxy called LAP1-B that existed just 800 million years after the Big Bang. What's striking is its simplicity. The oxygen abundance is 240 times lower than our Sun. Chemical evidence points to the universe's first stars burning within it—Population III stars, the cosmos's original generation. Separately, Webb found something equally puzzling: a massive early galaxy with no rotation whatsoever. Young galaxies should spin from their formation. Scientists suspect a head-on collision between two galaxies with opposite spins canceled out all rotational motion. These findings are rewriting textbooks.

Finally, May closes with another celestial curiosity. May 31st brings a Blue Moon—the second full moon in a single calendar month. It's also the year's most distant full moon, appearing slightly smaller than average. A cosmically minor event, but worth noting as you gaze upward.