Nation #69 Has Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

NASA Welcomes Serbia as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory (News Release)

The Republic of Serbia signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 69th nation to join a large community of like-minded nations committed to the peaceful, transparent and responsible exploration of space.

“Serbia’s connection to NASA reaches back to the Apollo program, when the work of Serbian engineers helped make some of humanity’s greatest achievements in space possible,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson. “Among them was Milojko ‘Mike’ Vučelić, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the critical role he played in bringing the Apollo 13 crew safely home. Their story stands as a reminder that the greatest achievements in space are made possible by talented people working together.”

The broader team of Serbian American engineers played key roles during the Apollo era across systems engineering, propulsion, power systems, spacecraft docking, electronics reliability, and mission coordination. Their expertise supported critical functions ranging from lunar landing analysis to safe spacecraft docking.

Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country.

“The great beyond has always inspired humanity to achieve its greatest feats — from the Roman ‘per aspera ad astra’ to Norman Vincent Peale’s belief that if we aim for the Moon, we will at least land among the stars,” said Đurić. “Those words feel especially fitting today. We come from a nation of great minds like Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milanković, but also from the legacy of David Vujic, one of the pioneers of the Apollo missions and a member of the ‘Serbian Seven,’ a group of engineers and technicians whose contributions to NASA helped make the Moon landing possible. In that spirit, we owe it to both our brave ancestors and our children to keep pushing toward new frontiers — to explore, to inspire one another, and to dare even greater things.”

By signing the Artemis Accords, nations open the door to opportunities for future lunar exploration with NASA, such as providing science and technology payloads for the U.S.-led Moon Base and CubeSats for upcoming Artemis missions, advancing humanity’s return to the Moon, and shaping the Golden Age of space exploration and innovation.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States Dragan Šutanovac; State Secretary for Serbia’s Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Marija Gnjatović; and U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Wesley Brooks all participated in Serbia’s signing ceremony.

In 2020, NASA and the Department of State joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. They introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between nations as they explore the Moon, Mars and beyond, committing nations to:

-- explore peaceably and transparently
-- render aid to those in need
-- enable access to scientific data
-- ensure activities do not interfere with those of others
-- preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices

More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful and prosperous future in space.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the third of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines built by L3 Harris Technologies for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

Both SLS SRBs Are Ready to be Fully Assembled on the Mobile Launcher...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III Booster Stacking Coverage (Photo Release)

The left-hand and right-hand aft assembly solid rocket booster segments for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket are secured to the Mobile Launcher at the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida - on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

The twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch astronauts in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Third SLS Rocket Has Begun Taking Shape at KSC!

NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Artemis III Booster Stacking Coverage - LH Aft Assembly (Photo Release)

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems lowered and secured the left-hand aft assembly solid rocket booster segment for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to the Mobile Launcher at the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

The twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Remembering STS-135: Marking 15 Years Since the Last Space Shuttle Mission Took Flight...

NASA / Bill Ingalls

It was on this day back in 2011 that Atlantis took off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida...beginning mission STS-135 to the International Space Station that lasted 12 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 50 seconds, and successfully concluded the 30-year space shuttle program. 15 years later, this anniversary is marked by humans finally venturing to the Moon once more on last April's Artemis 2 mission...and NASA gearing up for Artemis 3, an Earth-orbiting test flight that will pave the way for astronauts returning to the lunar surface on Artemis 4.

The time period between 2011 and 2020 (when SpaceX's Demo-2 flight resumed crewed launches from U.S. soil for the first time since STS-135) was marked by delays and uncertainty in America's human spaceflight program. But as of 2026, things are absolutely picking up with mankind moving ever so closer to maintaining a sustainable presence at the Moon, and finally, sending humanity on a much-awaited voyage to Mars. The future of space exploration has never been more promising than this!


NASA

The Latest Update on the Next Orion Capsule...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis III Crew Module, Heat Shield (Photo Release)

Teams work to complete the installation of the heat shield on the Artemis III Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Orion's heat shield consists of 186 blocks of an ablative material called Avcoat, with each block meticulously and individually inspected.

The heat shield is responsible for protecting the astronauts from the extreme temperatures as they reenter Earth’s atmosphere at the end of the mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

Nation #68 Has Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

NASA Welcomes Botswana as 68th Artemis Accords Signatory (News Release)

The Republic of Botswana signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the sixth African nation to join a growing community of nations committed to the peaceful, transparent and responsible exploration of space.

“It is my privilege to welcome Botswana as the newest signatory of the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson. “Today marks an important milestone in our international partnership and in the continued growth of the Artemis community. Botswana joins at an important moment. Earlier this month, we announced the crew of Artemis III and, as we speak, their spacecraft is being assembled as they prepare to play their part in mankind’s greatest adventure.”

Botswana’s Minister of Communications and Innovation David Tshere signed on behalf of the country. U.S. Department of State Senior Advisor for Space Gregory Autry, and Mabedi Ngwenya, acting ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States, also participated in the ceremony.

“Botswana like many countries, we have interest in space exploration, found it important to become a signatory to the Artemis Accords to promote the safe, transparent and sustainable civil space exploration, and to advance international cooperation, and a shared framework for responsible activities in the space,” said Tshere.

This new chapter builds on Botswana’s long history of collaboration with the United States in space-based Earth observation. In the early 1970s, Botswana participated in the satellite program later known as Landsat, joining dozens of other nations in pioneering satellite-based environmental observation. Botswana marked another milestone with the launch of its first Earth observation satellite, Botswana Satellite 1, in March 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.

In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure that activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all.

More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful and prosperous future in space.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Glenn Benson

Another Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the second of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines built by L3 Harris Technologies for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the first of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, inside the center’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on the Fourth SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Eric Bordelon

Artemis IV Liquid Oxygen Tank Moves to Next Phase of Production (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production.

The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov