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Winning the Red Planet race: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top US priority, experts say

Experts wonder why NASA

Summary: "The Chinese may well beat the U.S. with a grab sample."

❓ **Space Question of the Day** Do you believe there is life elsewhere in the universe? Why or why not? #SpacePoll #Engagement

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Long March 8A | Unknown Payload 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-13T15:45:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Long March 8A 📖 **Details**: Details TBD. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: PSLV-DL | EOS-N1 and others 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-12T04:47:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: PSLV-DL 📖 **Details**: Small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for an "Indian strategic user", details TBD. This launch will also carry 18 other ride-share payloads. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-11T13:09:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: The Pandora small satellite was selected in 2021 as an inaugural mission in NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. It includes a 0.45-meter telescope that will improve our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by disentangling exoplanet signals from their host stars, as well as studying host star variability with long-duration observations of 20 unique planets through visible-light photometry and near-infrared spectroscopy. Also launching on this launch are ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-97 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-10T18:34:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-96 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-08T18:29:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Long March 8A | Unknown Payload 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-13T15:45:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Long March 8A 📖 **Details**: Details TBD. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: PSLV-DL | EOS-N1 and others 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-12T04:47:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: PSLV-DL 📖 **Details**: Small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for an "Indian strategic user", details TBD. This launch will also carry 18 other ride-share payloads. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-11T13:09:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: The Pandora small satellite was selected in 2021 as an inaugural mission in NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. It includes a 0.45-meter telescope that will improve our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by disentangling exoplanet signals from their host stars, as well as studying host star variability with long-duration observations of 20 unique planets through visible-light photometry and near-infrared spectroscopy. Also launching on this launch are ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-97 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-10T18:34:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-96 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-08T18:29:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

Dangerous Asteroids Near Earth: - 26663 (2000 XK47) (Size: 1386.8834919048 meters) - (2021 AM5) (Size: 55.4676771118 meters) - (2022 EO) (Size: 7.516920875 meters) - (2022 UE3) (Size: 71.1278987093 meters) - (2023 XM15) (Size: 85.5145429273 meters) - (2025 UY5) (Size: 165.2113875797 meters)

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Long March 8A | Unknown Payload 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-13T15:45:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Long March 8A 📖 **Details**: Details TBD. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: PSLV-DL | EOS-N1 and others 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-12T04:47:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: PSLV-DL 📖 **Details**: Small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for an "Indian strategic user", details TBD. This launch will also carry 18 other ride-share payloads. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-11T13:09:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: The Pandora small satellite was selected in 2021 as an inaugural mission in NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. It includes a 0.45-meter telescope that will improve our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by disentangling exoplanet signals from their host stars, as well as studying host star variability with long-duration observations of 20 unique planets through visible-light photometry and near-infrared spectroscopy. Also launching on this launch are ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-97 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-10T18:34:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-96 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-08T18:29:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Falcon 9 📖 **Details**: A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: Long March 8A | Unknown Payload 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-13T15:45:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: Long March 8A 📖 **Details**: Details TBD. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience

🚀 **Upcoming Space Launch** 🚀 🌌 **Mission Name**: PSLV-DL | EOS-N1 and others 🗓️ **Launch Date**: 2026-01-12T04:47:00Z 🚀 **Rocket**: PSLV-DL 📖 **Details**: Small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for an "Indian strategic user", details TBD. This launch will also carry 18 other ride-share payloads. #SpaceLaunch #RocketScience