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NASA Spaceflight • Martijn Luinstra

Space science in 2026: a crowded manifest of lunar explorers, Mars missions and next‑gen telescopes

2026's space‑science calendar features a dense launch manifest — multiple lunar landers and orbiters, at least one Mars mission and several next‑generation space telescopes — promising intensive scientific returns and a sustained high operational tempo for agencies, commercial launch providers and international partners.

2026-01-18T13:00:23.040662-08:00

Associated Press

NASA's new lunar rocket rolls to Cape Canaveral launch pad ahead of scheduled February crewed lunar flight

2026-01-17T10:03:07.688403-08:00

Bloomberg

Artemis II rolls to LC‑39B as NASA advances first crewed lunar flyby since 1972; Canada aboard

2026-01-16T04:53:03.590998-08:00

Ars Technica

Managers warn of 'launch fever' as pressure mounts on NASA's Moon mission

2026-01-16T22:12:34.103233-08:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

Space science in 2026: a crowded manifest of lunar explorers, Mars missions and next‑gen telescopes 2026's space‑science calendar features a dense launch manifest — multiple lunar landers and orbiters, at least one Mars mission and several next‑generation space telescopes — promising intensive scientific returns and a sustained high operational tempo for agencies, commercial launch providers and international partners.

2026-01-18T13:00:23.040662-08:00

Space science in 2026: a crowded manifest of lunar explorers, Mars missions and next‑gen telescopes

Associated Press

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NASA's new lunar rocket rolls to Cape Canaveral launch pad ahead of scheduled February crewed lunar flight NASA's new giant lunar rocket rolled to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral on Saturday as teams prepare for the agency's first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years. The move advances a scheduled February launch attempt for the lunar crewed flight.

2026-01-17T10:03:07.688403-08:00

NASA's new lunar rocket rolls to Cape Canaveral launch pad ahead of scheduled February crewed lunar flight

SpaceNews.com

White House renominates NASA deputy administrator nominee, seeks new CFO pick The White House has resubmitted its nominee for NASA deputy administrator while searching for a new candidate to serve as the agency's chief financial officer, leaving the CFO slot open as senior leadership nominations proceed at the agency.

2026-01-17T03:47:43.536595-08:00

White House renominates NASA deputy administrator nominee, seeks new CFO pick

Ars Technica

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Managers warn of 'launch fever' as pressure mounts on NASA's Moon mission NASA managers are warning of 'launch fever' as schedule and external pressures mount around the agency's Moon mission, urging caution and emphasis on crew safety. Agency officials stressed, "I've got one job, and it's the safe return of Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy."

2026-01-16T22:12:34.103233-08:00

Managers warn of 'launch fever' as pressure mounts on NASA's Moon mission

Bloomberg

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Artemis II rolls to LC‑39B as NASA advances first crewed lunar flyby since 1972; Canada aboard NASA’s Artemis II SLS‑Orion stack rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 16–17, completing a major prelaunch milestone ahead of the agency’s first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The four‑person mission includes Canada's first astronaut assigned to a lunar flight.

2026-01-16T04:53:03.590998-08:00

Artemis II rolls to LC‑39B as NASA advances first crewed lunar flyby since 1972; Canada aboard

NASA

NASA adds two retired USAF F-15s to Armstrong fleet to support X-59 high‑altitude supersonic trials NASA has brought two retired U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters into its Armstrong Flight Research Center fleet at Edwards AFB to act as chase/support aircraft for high‑altitude, supersonic testing of the X-59 quiet‑boom demonstrator. The jets will be modified to enable chase, instrumentation and data collection during supersonic profiles.

2026-01-15T13:07:18.912355-08:00

NASA adds two retired USAF F-15s to Armstrong fleet to support X-59 high‑altitude supersonic trials

Universe Today

JWST detects lensed supernova pair — time delays could pin down the Hubble constant JWST has identified a pair of strongly gravitationally lensed supernovae whose light, emitted billions of years ago, will appear as multiple images separated by years to decades. Measuring those lensing time delays can constrain the Hubble constant and help resolve the Hubble tension.

2026-01-15T09:38:13.293550-08:00

JWST detects lensed supernova pair — time delays could pin down the Hubble constant

Ars Technica

Senate staffer urges NASA to accelerate commercial station development to avoid gap in crewed LEO presence A Senate staffer urged NASA to speed development of commercial space stations to guarantee continuous human presence in low Earth orbit and avoid a gap in crewed operations, saying private habitats must be ready to take over as the current orbital laboratory transitions.

2026-01-15T07:19:03.087955-08:00

Senate staffer urges NASA to accelerate commercial station development to avoid gap in crewed LEO presence

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NASA News

Space science in 2026: a crowded manifest of lunar explorers, Mars missions and next‑gen telescopes

NASA's new lunar rocket rolls to Cape Canaveral launch pad ahead of scheduled February crewed lunar flight

Artemis II rolls to LC‑39B as NASA advances first crewed lunar flyby since 1972; Canada aboard

Managers warn of 'launch fever' as pressure mounts on NASA's Moon mission

News Timeline