NASA is making significant progress across multiple space exploration fronts as 2026 unfolds, with the highly anticipated Artemis II mission moving closer to sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over five decades.
The Artemis II mission represents a crucial milestone in NASA's broader goal of establishing sustainable lunar exploration and eventually advancing to Mars missions [NASA]. Recent reports indicate that preparations are in their final stages, with the Washington Monument even lighting up on New Year's Eve to celebrate the upcoming moon mission alongside America's 250th anniversary year [Space.com].
"NASA is getting ready to send four astronauts around the Moon with Artemis II, laying the foundation for sustainable missions to the lunar surface and paving the way for human exploration on Mars," according to official NASA communications [NASA].
Meanwhile, robotic exploration continues to yield valuable scientific data from Mars. NASA's Perseverance rover, which arrived on the Red Planet in 2021, continues its mission alongside the veteran Curiosity rover, which has been operating since 2012. Both rovers have now traveled approximately 20 miles since their respective arrivals, conducting ongoing exploration and research [Royal Aeronautical Society].
The Mars missions remain particularly significant as they provide crucial data for future human exploration of the planet. Perseverance, working with its aerial companion, has been assigned to study Martian geology and search for signs of ancient microbial life [NASA].
Beyond planetary exploration, space-based observatories continue to expand our understanding of the cosmos. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recently captured stunning new imagery of NGC 1333, a star-forming region that showcases a "disparate collection of young stellar objects" in what NASA describes as a "cosmic panorama" [NASA]. The image features an actively forming protostar casting its glow across the region, providing valuable insights into stellar formation processes.
Looking ahead, several ambitious missions are progressing toward their goals. The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) continues its journey with five more years of flight time before reaching its destination. NASA's Europa Clipper is heading toward the same region but with a different mission profile, expected to arrive in 2030 [Royal Aeronautical Society]. These missions represent a decade-long collaborative effort, with both spacecraft "co-operatively designed to complement each other, collecting data together in the Jovian system."
The International Space Station continues to serve as a platform for ongoing research and international cooperation. Recent activities have included preparations for crew rotations, with NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission members recently focusing on departure procedures and cargo packing [NASA].
These developments underscore the momentum in space exploration as multiple agencies and organizations work toward expanding human presence beyond Earth while simultaneously advancing our scientific understanding of the solar system and beyond.