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

THE ASTRONAUTS FOR ORION'S SECOND CREWED FLIGHT HAVE BEEN REVEALED...

NASA / Bill Stafford

NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027, Names Crew Members (News Release)

Taking another step towards one of the most complex human spaceflight missions in recent history, NASA on Tuesday provided new Artemis III details and announced the four prime crew members and a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to low-Earth orbit. After Orion systems checkouts, the spacecraft will, for the first time, demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities with test versions from one, or both, American commercial Human Landing Systems in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. This highly-choreographed mission includes a dramatic multi-launch campaign of the world’s most powerful rockets, testing integrated hardware between Orion and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion and communications.

Crew assignments are as follows:

-- NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander
-- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot
-- NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist
-- NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

As part of Tuesday’s event, NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

“Today we take another bold step in humanity’s return to the Moon, building on the extraordinary foundation laid by the Artemis II astronauts,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Their achievements reignited global excitement for exploration, and now they pass the torch to the Artemis III team, Randy, Luca, Frank and Andre. Artemis III will demonstrate the power of American innovation and international partnership as we test complex rendezvous and docking operations and advance the technologies that will one day carry us deeper into the Solar System.

“This mission will require the most awe-inspiring coordination of heavy-lift rocket launches in history, drawing on the talent and capability of teams across government and the spaceflight community. The Artemis III astronauts, alongside ESA and our international partners, and the tens of thousands of the best and brightest across the agency and industry, are ushering in a new Golden Age of exploration carrying forward the hopes and dreams of the next generation just as the Apollo astronauts did for so many of us.”

This is also the first time that an ESA astronaut has been assigned to an Artemis mission.

“Artemis III will push the boundaries of spacecraft operations in orbit. Luca’s assignment as pilot reflects the depth of European expertise in human spaceflight and draws on his extensive operational experience in high-pressure situations,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general. “At the same time, ESA’s European Service Module will once again provide the critical capabilities that power Orion, demonstrating Europe’s enduring role at the very heart of the Artemis program. The news out of Houston today is a powerful recognition of ESA’s role in enabling humanity’s return to the Moon – and a key advancement in our partnership with NASA. Europeans can take pride in being part of this exciting journey.”

Mission progress

NASA and its partners are making progress preparing for the test flight.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system, which will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing is also well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. With all solid rocket booster segments now at NASA Kennedy and Mobile Launcher refurbishments on track, rocket stacking is also scheduled to begin this summer.

NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

In addition to status updates from NASA and both commercial partners, the agency discussed details during the event about the planned operations for Artemis III, which will support an increased mission cadence, ramp up production, and drive supply chain improvements for the Artemis program.

The Artemis III mission builds on the successful Artemis II flight completed in April and will help the agency prepare to send the first astronauts, Americans, to Mars.

Artemis III includes launching the world’s most powerful rockets in short order. Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, which is able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean where a team from the U.S. Navy and NASA will recover the astronauts.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks, with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous and docked operations.

Source: NASA.Gov

Flight Hardware for the Next SLS Rocket Continues to be Transported to Florida...

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Ships Final Artemis III Booster Segments, Igniting Humanity’s Next Great Leap in Space (News Release)

Proven solid rocket motors continue to drive America’s return to the Moon and beyond

PROMONTORY, Utah – Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) shipped the final eight twin solid rocket booster motor segments for NASA’s Artemis III mission to Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where they will be stacked this summer. The solid rocket boosters’ proven performance is now ready to support NASA’s goal of sustained lunar exploration and eventual missions to Mars.

- Upon arrival, the booster segments will join the previously-delivered segments shipped in April to be the first hardware assembled on the mobile launch platform.

- Northrop Grumman’s industry-leading solid rocket boosters generate 7.2 million pounds of thrust at lift-off, providing much of the thrust needed for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) during the Artemis III mission, which will send astronauts and critical cargo aboard the Orion spacecraft to test rendezvous operations in low-Earth orbit with Human Landing Systems.

- With uniquely-equipped facilities and a highly-skilled workforce, the company can accelerate solid rocket motor production to meet NASA’s increased Artemis mission launch cadence while supporting broader national security and space exploration objectives.

Source: Northrop Grumman

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Northrop Grumman

The Astronauts For Orion's Second Crewed Flight Will Soon Be Announced!

NASA

NASA to Announce Artemis III Crew, Provide Mission Progress Update (News Release)

NASA will provide an update on the agency’s Artemis III mission and announce the astronauts assigned to the test flight during a live event at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The event will stream on NASA+ and on the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Following the event, the Artemis III crew will be available for limited in-person and virtual interviews.

Interview requests must be submitted to the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 4. International media interested in attending must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov by 5 p.m., Thursday, May 28. U.S. media must contact the newsroom by 5 p.m., June 4.

Registered media will receive confirmation and additional event details by email. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Artemis III will launch four astronauts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The mission will test critical rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems needed to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface. Building on the successful Artemis II crewed test flight in April, Artemis III will pave the way for future surface missions.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly complex 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

New Details Emerge About the Next Flight of SLS...

NASA / Keegan Barber

NASA Outlines Preliminary Artemis III Mission Plans (News Release)

NASA is moving quickly to define next year’s Artemis III mission in Earth orbit, a crewed flight that will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between the agency’s Orion spacecraft and commercial landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. Since a February announcement adding an Artemis mission ahead of crewed landing missions to the Moon’s South Pole region, engineers have been evaluating mission profile options and operational considerations for Artemis III to ensure that the test flight helps the agency and its partners reduce risk ahead of the next Americans landing on the Moon during Artemis IV.

“While this is a mission to Earth orbit, it is an important stepping stone to successfully landing on the Moon with Artemis IV. Artemis III is one of the most highly complex missions NASA has undertaken,” said Jeremy Parsons, Moon to Mars acting assistant deputy administrator, NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate in Washington. “For the first time, NASA will coordinate a launch campaign involving multiple spacecraft integrating new capabilities into Artemis operations. We’re integrating more partners and interrelated operations into this mission by design, which will help us learn how Orion, the crew, and ground teams all interact together with hardware and teams from both lander providers before we send astronauts to the Moon’s surface and build a Moon Base there.”

The mission is planned to carry out a series of objectives designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for a future lunar landing. During the Artemis III mission, the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with four crew members. Instead of using the interim cryogenic propulsion stage as the upper stage of the rocket, NASA will use a “spacer,” a representation of the mass and overall dimensions of an upper stage but without propulsive capabilities.

The spacer will maintain the same overall dimensions and interface connection points as the upper stage between the Orion stage adapter and launch vehicle stage adapter.

Design and fabrication activities for the spacer are progressing rapidly at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Material for the barrel section and the upper and lower rings is currently being machined at Marshall in preparation for upcoming welding operations.

After the rocket delivers Orion to orbit, the spacecraft’s European-built service module will provide propulsion to circularize Orion’s orbit around the planet in low-Earth orbit. This orbit increases overall mission success by allowing more launch opportunities for each element as compared to a lunar mission — SLS carrying Orion and its crew, SpaceX’s Starship human landing system pathfinder, and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 human landing system pathfinder.

Informed by Blue Origin and SpaceX capabilities, NASA is also defining the concept of operations for the mission. While some decisions are yet to be determined, astronauts could potentially enter at least one lander test article.

The crew will spend more time aboard Orion than during Artemis II, further advancing the evaluation of life support systems, and for the first time will demonstrate the docking system performance. The mission will inform lander rendezvous and habitation concepts and mission operations in preparation for future surface missions. The agency also plans to test an upgraded heat shield during Orion’s return to Earth to enable more flexible and robust reentry profiles for future missions.

Over the coming weeks, NASA will continue to refine specific plans for the flight, including a timeline for identifying astronauts to train for mission operations, options to evaluate Axiom’s AxEMU spacesuit lander interfaces ahead of lunar surface missions, mission duration, and potential science operations for the flight. NASA has asked for industry input on potential solutions to improve the communications with the ground during the mission since the Deep Space Network will not be used. The agency is also seeking both international and domestic interest in potentially flying CubeSats to deploy in Earth orbit, and may share other opportunities as the concept of operations for the mission is further defined.

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 / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Jess Ruffa

A full-scale prototype of the crew cabin of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 crew lander is now operational for training and testing at @nasa_johnson!

Read how we will be using this crew cabin for simulations to prepare for future Artemis missions >> https://t.co/Lo5tcckxUT pic.twitter.com/2OvYoXqyRZ

— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) May 8, 2026

First full stack of Starship V3 pic.twitter.com/l2s7U7ndCs

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 9, 2026

The Latest Update on an Artemis Lunar Lander...

NASA

Blue Origin Moon Lander Completes Testing at NASA Vacuum Chamber (News Release - May 4)

Also known as Endurance, MK1 is an uncrewed cargo lander funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration mission to advance Human Landing System capabilities in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The tests in Chamber A represent a public-private partnership model, with Blue Origin conducting work through a reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

Endurance will demonstrate precision landing, cryogenic propulsion, and autonomous guidance, navigation, and control capabilities in support of future lunar surface operations. In addition to its primary objectives, MK1 will carry two NASA science and technology payloads under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to the lunar South Pole region this year: the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies, an array of high-resolution cameras that will collect imagery of the interaction between the lander’s engine plume and the lunar surface during descent and landing, and the Laser Retroreflective Array, which helps orbiting spacecraft determine a more precise location using reflected laser light.

Through CLPS, NASA partners with American companies to deliver science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon, advancing understanding of the lunar environment and supporting future crewed missions as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.

Testing in NASA Johnson’s Chamber A, one of the world’s largest thermal vacuum test facilities, enabled engineers to model the vacuum of space and the extreme temperature conditions that the spacecraft would experience during flight. By recreating these conditions on the ground, teams evaluated system performance and verified structural and thermal integrity prior to launch. NASA and Blue Origin will incorporate lessons learned from MK1’s design, integration and testing to support NASA’s future Artemis missions that will return American astronauts to the Moon.

MK1’s development contributes to technology maturation and risk reduction for future human-class systems, including Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2), a larger crewed landing system designed to safely transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and back, enabling sustained human exploration at the Moon’s South Pole region.

Testing of MK1 at NASA Johnson is enabled through the agency’s “front door” approach — a coordinated process that provides commercial partners access to NASA facilities and technical expertise while maintaining safety, mission assurance, and alignment with agency objectives.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Blue Origin


Blue Origin

Three More Nations Have Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

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

Ireland signed the Artemis Accords on Monday during a signing ceremony hosted by NASA, becoming the latest nation to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all humanity.

Ireland, a longstanding member of ESA (European Space Agency) and a valued international partner for NASA, now joins all 23 ESA member states as a signatory of the Artemis Accords.

“It is my privilege to welcome Ireland as the 66th and newest signatory to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during remarks. “The Emerald Isle is now part of a growing community of like-minded nations committed to the peaceful, transparent and responsible exploration of space. Ireland joins at a pivotal moment. Artemis II was the opening act in humanity’s return to the Moon. What comes next is a sustained campaign of missions that will take us back to the lunar surface, not just for flags and footprints, but to build a base and stay.”

Underscoring the longstanding cultural ties and shared heritage between the United States and Ireland, the signing was celebrated during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington attended by U.S. Congressional staffers and interagency representatives.

Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, T.D., signed on behalf of the country.

“From an island shaped by the sea, whose people have always looked beyond the horizon and journeyed across the world, forging connections far beyond our shores, Ireland is proud to bring that same spirit to a new frontier and to join a global community committed to the peaceful exploration of space,” said Burke.

Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America Geraldine Byrne Nason and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs William Cappelletti, U.S. Department of State, participated in the event. U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh also attended.

In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. 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.

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 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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Morocco signs the Artemis Accords https://t.co/zPUwMJCxWW pic.twitter.com/yrV2PWUhQe

— SpaceNews (@SpaceNews_Inc) April 30, 2026

Congratulations, Malta. Welcome to the Artemis Accords as we build toward the Moon, Mars, and beyond. pic.twitter.com/cAYPxkTj8g

— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) May 4, 2026