Assembly of the Twin SRBs for the Next SLS Rocket Moves Closer to Completion...

NASA / Cory Huston

Artemis III Nose Cone Arrival (Photo Release)

The left, with black stripe, and right aerodynamic forward assemblies for the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis III arrive at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida - on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

The nose cones will be integrated atop the SLS boosters to provide a smooth, pointed shape that allows the boosters to cut through the atmosphere efficiently, reducing drag and keeping the rocket stable during ascent.

Artemis III will carry out a series of objectives in low-Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

Source: NASA.Gov

Both SRBs Continue to be Stacked on the Mobile Launcher for the Next Flight of SLS...

NASA / Cory S Huston

Assembly of the Artemis III SLS rocket RAC (Photo Release)

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left and right aft center booster segments for Artemis III are lowered onto their aft assembly segments for integration on the Mobile Launcher for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The twin boosters, comprising of five segments each 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 / Cory S Huston

ISS Update: Science Experiments on the Orbital Outpost Contribute to Medical Breakthroughs Down on Earth...

NASA

Space Station Research Informs New FDA-Approved Cancer Therapy (News Release)

NASA opens the International Space Station for scientists and researchers, inviting them to use the benefits of microgravity for commercial and public research, technology demonstrations, and more. Today, a portion of the crew’s time aboard station is devoted to private industry, including medical research that addresses complex health challenges on Earth and prepares astronauts for future deep space missions.

In collaboration with scientists at Merck, protein crystal growth research on the space station yielded early insights regarding the structure and size of particles best suited for the development of a new formulation of the company’s cancer medicine pembrolizumab for subcutaneous injection. This new route of delivery was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last September and offers a time-saving alternative to intravenous infusion for certain patients. These research efforts aboard the space station were supported by the ISS National Laboratory.

Originally, the treatment was delivered during an in-office visit via infusion therapy into the patient’s veins, a process that could take up to two hours. Initial delivery improvements reduced infusion times to less than 30 minutes every three weeks. The newly-approved subcutaneous injectable form takes about one minute every three weeks, promising to improve quality of life for patients by reducing cost and significantly reducing treatment time for patients and healthcare providers.

Since 2014, Merck has flown crystal growth experiments to the space station to better understand how crystals form, including the monoclonal antibody used in this cancer treatment. Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins that help the body fight diseases. This research focused on producing crystalline suspensions that dissolve easily in liquid, making it possible to deliver the medication by injection.

In microgravity, the absence of gravity’s physical forces allows scientists to grow larger, more uniform, and higher-quality crystals than those grown in ground-based labs, advancing medication development and structural modeling.

Research aboard the space station has provided valuable insights into how gravity influences crystallization, helping to improve drug formulations. The work of NASA and its partners aboard the space station improves lives on Earth, grows a commercial economy in low-Earth orbit, and prepares for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Merck

The Latest Update on the Next Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle...

NASA / Amber Jean Notvest

Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Module Mate (Photo Release)

Engineers finish connecting the Artemis III Orion crew and service modules on Friday, July 31, 2026, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Now integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time then begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment that it will experience in low-Earth orbit.

Artemis III and the four-person crew will carry out a series of objectives in low-Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Amber Jean Notvest

A Successful Flight for Starship Today...

SpaceX

Cool image. I look forward to seeing a similar shot of Starship (minus the Raptor engines firing since the vehicle will already be parked in low-Earth orbit) as well as Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander from aboard the Orion capsule on NASA's Artemis 3 mission next year!

Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the 13th flight test of Starship! pic.twitter.com/g27YJCQgiN

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 24, 2026

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

NASA / Sam Lott

NASA Technicians Weld Final Panel for New SLS Hardware (Photo Release)

These images show the spacer that will be used on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis III mission.

At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, technicians complete the eighth and final friction stir weld on the barrel section. With the barrel now removed from the Vertical Weld Tool, inspections are underway.

The next major milestone will be the installation of the top and bottom rings.

The spacer will take the place of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) on Artemis III, with the ICPS reassigned for use on the Artemis IV mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Sam Lott

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

NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing (Photo Release)

All four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines - built by L3 Harris Technologies - were delivered to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis III mission, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

The engines arrived from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and will be installed in the SLS rocket's core stage for integration atop the Mobile Launcher.

During Artemis III the engines will propel the Orion spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, into low-Earth orbit - providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

Source: NASA.Gov

Nation #70 Has Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

NASA Welcomes Mauritius as 70th Artemis Accords Signatory (News Release)

The Republic of Mauritius has officially joined the global coalition committed to responsible space exploration, becoming the newest signatory and seventh African country to join the Artemis Accords. NASA’s Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson contributed video remarks for a signing ceremony on Friday, in the island nation’s city of Ébène.

“We are honored to welcome Mauritius to the Artemis Accords community and look forward to working together in the years ahead,” said Anderson. “Together, we are creating the foundation for future exploration while ensuring that space remains peaceful, accessible and beneficial for all. America will return to the Moon and ignite the Golden Age of exploration and discovery. That work requires capable partners and a shared commitment to responsible exploration.”

Mauritius’ Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research Navindsing Jugmohunsing signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Sarah Troutman and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Mauritius Craig Halbmaier were present to witness the signing.

“The accession of Mauritius to the Artemis Accords marks a defining chapter in our New Space journey,” said Jugmohunsing. “As a Small Island Developing State in the Indian Ocean, we are committed to ensuring that space serves humanity by protecting our oceans and coastlines and amplifying the voices of nations like ours. Mauritius stands ready to help shape the future of space governance while unlocking new opportunities for innovation and partnership.”

NASA first engaged with Mauritius through its early global mapping efforts, owing to the nation’s strategic location. Between 1965 and 1980, NASA used several satellite missions to collect global measurements of Earth’s size and shape. As part of that work, NASA sent teams to Mauritius and other international tracking stations that supported satellite photography for geodetic analysis.

The teams' observations strengthened the navigation technologies used from Apollo to Artemis and helped lay the foundation for the partnership reaffirmed today by the Artemis Accords.

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 like-minded 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 that 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

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 that 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