NASA puts Starliner back on path as Artemis Accords hit 76 and Senate weighs Golden Dome

Artemis

The Artemis Accords reached 76 signatories after Albania, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, and San Marino signed in the Sept. 21–25 window, NASA said Sept. 28. The next Principals’ Meeting opens Oct. 5 at IAC in Antalya, co-chaired by Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, with emerging-space-nation support and lunar debris-mitigation on the agenda. Signature count still matters less than what partners deliver—Italy’s habitation work and Japan’s pressurized rover remain Isaacman’s “meaningful contributions” benchmark.

Watch: Artemis II crew (Wiseman, Glover, Koch, Hansen) closes its post-flight campaign Wed., Sept. 30, 7 PM CDT at University of Houston’s Fertitta Center.

Sources: NASA (Accords surpass 75, Sept. 28); SPACE & DEFENSE (76 countries, Sept. 29); NASA (Houston event, Sept. 28)

NASA / Commercial Crew

Monday’s KSC briefing is the story yesterday’s Starship brief left for today. NASA and Boeing are targeting uncrewed Starliner-1 to ISS no earlier than December 2026–January 2027 to stress thruster and thermal fixes from the 2024 Crew Flight Test. If that clears, crewed Starliner-2 is aimed at mid-2028 under commander Woody Hoburg. NASA is putting roughly $359 million toward thruster/seal work and Vulcan human-rating, and exercising options that restore two flights (path back toward six). Seat pricing for Starliner-2 through -6 is about $90 million. Isaacman’s frame: Dragon and Falcon will sunset as SpaceX concentrates on Starship, so a second certified U.S. crew provider is required for ISS and later commercial LEO destinations. ULA says it is already working Starliner-1 integration and Vulcan human-spaceflight certification.

Adjacent: Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said Monday that hundreds are rebuilding LC-36 after the May 28 New Glenn anomaly and that the company still sees a “path to launch this year.” Crew-13 remains go for Thu., Oct. 1, ~10:10 AM CDT from SLC-40 (backup Oct. 2).

Sources: Spaceflight Now (unpiloted Starliner, Sept. 29); Ars Technica (Boeing LEO crew path, Sept. 28); Florida Today/Naples News (Limp path to launch, Sept. 28); NASA (Crew-13, Sept. 25)

Golden Dome / Missile Defense

This afternoon at 3 PM CT, SASC Strategic Forces (SR-222) takes a Golden Dome update from outside witnesses only: David Trachtenberg (NIPP), Tom Karako (CSIS), and CBO’s David Mosher. Expect architecture and cost realism, not new DoD disclosures. Cost framing heading in: DoD’s ~$185B versus outside estimates citing ~$1.2T over two decades for a comparable system—treat the higher figure as hearing-week framing until Mosher speaks. FY26 ends tomorrow.

Industrial layer: L3Harris cleared PDR on 18 SDA Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites; Northrop Grumman delivered its first 21 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites.

Sources: SASC hearing (Sept. 29); Tampa Free Press (cost framing, Sept. 28); The Defense Post (L3Harris PDR, Sept. 28); SpaceNews (Northrop T1TL, Sept. 28)