[STS ISS STATUS]

NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 34th SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station

2026-05-15T16:15:50Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-039

MAY 15, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 34th SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft atop, launched Friday, May 15, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: NASA+

The 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission under contract with NASA is headed to the International Space Station with new scientific experiments after lifting off at 6:05 p.m. EDT Friday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The SpaceX spacecraft, loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew, is scheduled to autonomously dock at about 7 a.m. Sunday, May 17, to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module.

Watch NASA’s live rendezvous and docking coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

In addition to cargo for the crew aboard the space station, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including a project to determine how well Earth-based simulators mimic microgravity conditions, a bone scaffold made from wood that could produce new treatments for fragile bone conditions like osteoporosis, and equipment to help researchers evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space. The Dragon spacecraft also will carry a new instrument to study charged particles around Earth that can impact power grids and satellites, an investigation that could provide a fundamental understanding of how planets form, and an instrument designed to take highly accurate measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon.

These experiments are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that aren’t possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the station until mid-June, when it will depart and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo, ahead of splashing down off the coast of California.

Learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewskI@nasa.gov

Danielle Sempsrott / Leejay Lockhart

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-2468

danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Names Brian Hughes to Launch Operations Role

2026-05-08T07:16:59Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-038

MAY 8, 2026

NASA Names Brian Hughes to Launch Operations Role

During his tenure as chief of staff, Brian Hughes is seen during a NASA town hall event, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA announced Friday that Brian Hughes will return to the agency as senior director of launch operations, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In this role, Hughes will provide enterprise-level leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for NASA’s launch infrastructure.

Reporting to NASA Headquarters in Washington, Hughes will have direct responsibility for launch operations at NASA Kennedy, as well as the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. He will work across government, industry, and local leadership to strengthen coordination among stakeholders supporting NASA’s spaceports, enable increased launch cadence, and support execution of the President’s National Space Policy to ensure continued American leadership in space.

“Brian brings a unique combination of operational expertise, strategic leadership, and public service experience at the highest levels of government,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “His track record leading complex organizations and executing high-stakes missions makes him exceptionally well-suited to help shape the future of NASA’s launch operations as we accelerate into a new era of exploration and innovation.”

Most recently, Hughes served as NASA’s chief of staff, where he helped drive agencywide priorities and decision-making. Prior to NASA, he served as deputy national security advisor for Strategic Communications at the White House, helping shape policy and communications on national security matters.

Hughes also served as chief administrative officer for the City of Jacksonville, overseeing a workforce of more than 7,000 employees and managing a multi-billion-dollar budget across public safety, infrastructure, and emergency management operations. Earlier in his career, he served as chief of staff to former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and as chief executive officer of the Downtown Investment Authority, leading economic development initiatives across the city.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Hughes served as a KC-135 aircrew member during operations over the Middle East in support of the Gulf War.

His return comes as NASA continues advancing a growing portfolio of civil, commercial, and national security launch activities across its spaceport infrastructure.

Learn more about NASA’s mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

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Contact

Bethany Stevens / George Alderman

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / george.a.alderman@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Sets Coverage for SpaceX 34th Station Resupply Launch, Arrival

2026-05-06T11:43:05Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-037

MAY 6, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Sets Coverage for SpaceX 34th Station Resupply Launch, Arrival

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft supporting NASA’s SpaceX CRS-33 mission approaches the International Space Station on Aug. 25, 2025, for an automated docking to the Harmony module’s forward port. Credit: NASA

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 12, for the next launch to deliver science, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This will be the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital outpost for NASA.

Carrying about 6,500 pounds of cargo, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Dragon is scheduled to dock autonomously at about 9:50 a.m. Thursday, May 14, to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module.

Watch NASA's launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

In addition to cargo for the crew aboard the space station, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including a project to determine how well Earth-based simulators mimic microgravity conditions, a bone scaffold made from wood that could produce new treatments for fragile bone conditions like osteoporosis, and equipment to evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space to protect future astronauts. The Dragon spacecraft also will carry a new instrument to study charged particles around the Earth that can impact power grids and satellites, an investigation that could provide a fundamental understanding of how planets form, and an instrument designed to take highly accurate measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until mid-June when it will depart the orbiting laboratory and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo, ahead of splashing down off the coast of California.

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Monday, May 11

11 a.m.: Prelaunch media teleconference with the following participants:

Bill Spetch, operations and integration manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Dr. Liz Warren, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Lee Echerd, senior mission manger, Government and Commercial Mission Management, SpaceX
Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

Media who wish to participate by phone must request dial-in information by 10 a.m. on May 11, by emailing the NASA Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Audio of the media teleconference will stream live on the agency’s YouTube channel.

Tuesday, May 12

7 p.m.: Launch coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

Launch coverage also will be available on the NASA website, and will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 7 p.m., and proceed as countdown milestones occur.

On-demand streaming video on NASA+ and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on NASA’s International Space Station blog for updates.

7:16 p.m.: Launch

Thursday, May 14

8:20 a.m.: Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

9:50 a.m.: Docking

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Watch, Engage on social media

Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:

X: @NASA , @NASASpaceOps, @NASAKennedy, @Space_Station, @ISS_CASIS

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab

Learn more about International Space Station operations and research at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Josh Finch / Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewskI@nasa.gov

Danielle Sempsrott / Leejay Lockhart

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-2468

danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to Retire

2026-05-01T10:12:36Z

NASA News

NEWS RELEASE 26-037

MAY 1, 2026

NASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to Retire

Portrait of Janet Petro, center director for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA

NASA announced Friday Janet Petro, center director for the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is retiring.

Prior to joining NASA, Petro worked in a variety of military and industry positions, ultimately beginning her career at the agency in 2007 and working her way up to center director, as well as serving as acting administrator from January to July 2025.

“From the outset of her distinguished tenure at NASA, Janet has served as a profoundly influential leader, guiding both the agency and our Kennedy Space Center through some of the most significant transitions in our shared history, including playing a central role in reshaping NASA Kennedy into the nation’s premier multiuser spaceport,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As NASA has been charged, once again, with accomplishing the near impossible, I’m grateful for Janet for always embracing the challenge of discovering what could be and for pushing the boundaries to deliver the missions that enable NASA to lead the way into a new era of space.”

As NASA Kennedy’s 11th director, Petro manages a team of civil service and contractor employees, determining and implementing center policy and managing and executing the spaceport’s missions and agency program responsibilities. Previously, Petro served as acting director and NASA Kennedy’s deputy director. During her time as deputy director, she helped the center transition into a multi-user spaceport, leading cross-agency initiatives with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and U.S. Air Force to streamline government processes and support commercial space operations to increase government efficiency and limit redundancy.

Petro also has served numerous roles at Kennedy and NASA Headquarters in Washington, including as the program executive on an agencywide initiative to restructure mission support functions, helping NASA become more efficient and effective in its work.

Outside of the agency, Petro has served in various management positions for Science Applications International Corporation, or SAIC, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation, interfacing with NASA, U.S. military, and commercial entities on numerous aerospace and military programs.

Petro began her professional career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army after graduating in 1981 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, with a bachelor of science degree in engineering. She was in the second class of West Point graduates to include women. Petro also holds a master of science degree in business administration from Boston University’s Metropolitan College.

Petro is the recipient of numerous service and performance awards, including a President’s Distinguished executive award, and has received the astronaut-selected Silver Snoopy award for outstanding performance, contributing to flight safety and mission success. In 2018, Petro was selected by Florida Governor Rick Scott for induction in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, and she helped lead the senior management team awarded the 2019 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Sammies Management Excellence Medal. She received the 2022 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award by the National Space Club Florida Committee for her contributions to America’s aerospace efforts within the state of Florida.

Effective Friday, Kelvin Manning now is stepping into the role of acting center director, bringing more than 32 years of leadership and technical expertise. He has previously served as deputy center director.

For more about NASA’s missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

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Contact

Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

Amanda Griffin

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-593-6244

amanda.griffin@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Invites Media to Ireland Artemis Accords Signing

2026-04-30T13:57:42Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-036

APRIL 30, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Invites Media to Ireland Artemis Accords Signing

Credit: NASA

Ireland will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 3 p.m. EDT Monday, May 4, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America Geraldine Byrne Nason; Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, T.D., of Ireland; and U.S. Department of State officials for the ceremony.

This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 12 p.m. on May 4 to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, 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 accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/

-end-

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Contact

Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

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NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from Missouri Students

2026-04-24T08:11:31Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-034

APRIL 24, 2026

HUMANS IN SPACE

NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from Missouri Students

NASA astronauts (from left) Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir are photographed on Jan. 12, 2026, in their pressure suits and inside the Dragon spacecraft during the Crew Equipment Interface Test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The goal of the training is to rehearse launch day activities and get a close look at the spacecraft that will take them to the International Space Station. Credit: SpaceX

Students in Missouri will hear from NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions while aboard the International Space Station.

The Earth-to-space call will begin at 10:50 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 30, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.

This event is hosted by the University of Missouri Pre-Employment Transition Services in Columbia, Missouri, for students in grades K-12 and members of the community. This opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and inspire students to pursue a future career in STEM.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, to Kimberly Pudlowski at: 636-697-5845 or kimberly.gee@missouri.edu.

For more than 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN's (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and support other agency work, including missions at the Moon. As part of NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.

See more information on NASA in-flight education calls at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

-end-

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Contact

Gerelle Dodson

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Shares SpaceX Crew-13 Assignments for Space Station Mission

2026-04-23T14:55:29Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-036

APRIL 23, 2026

HUMANS IN SPACE

NASA Shares SpaceX Crew-13 Assignments for Space Station Mission

From left to right, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Credit: NASA

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, four crew members from three space agencies will launch no earlier than mid-September to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. They will be joined by CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, who will serve as mission specialists. After arriving at the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will become members of the space station’s Expedition 75.

This flight is the 13thcrew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA is advancing the launch date of Crew-13 from November to help increase the frequency of U.S. crew rotation missions to the space station. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Watkins, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. Watkins grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and earned an undergraduate degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a geologist, she studied the Martian surface and was a member of the Curiosity rover science team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Watkins first launched to the space station as a crew member aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, spending a total of 170 days in space across Expeditions 67/68 in 2022. She will be the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of North Florida and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School. The Florida native is a distinguished naval aviator who participated in exercises throughout the Asia Pacific region and conducted missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As a test pilot, Delaney evaluated developmental aircraft systems and served as a test pilot instructor. He also worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where he supported airborne science missions. This is the first spaceflight for Delaney.

The Crew-13 mission also is the first spaceflight for Kutryk. Prior to his selection as a CSA astronaut in 2017, he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot, flying missions in support of Canada's NATO, U.N., and North American Aerospace Defense Command commitments. A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk also worked as an experimental and operational test pilot at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment in Cold Lake, Alberta. Kutryk received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and he is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot school in Edwards, California. He has master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering, and defense studies.

Crew-13 will be Teteryatnikov’s first trip to the orbiting laboratory. He graduated from the Naval Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2011 as an engineer specializing in ship power plant operations. Before his selection as a test cosmonaut, Teteryatnikov served in various naval engineering roles, including undersea vessels and specialized engine room operations. He was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2021 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that aren’t possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider / Mary Pfister

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / mary.m.pfister@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Astronaut Anil Menon to Discuss Upcoming Launch, Mission

2026-04-22T10:08:37Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-032

APRIL 22, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Astronaut Anil Menon to Discuss Upcoming Launch, Mission

NASA astronaut Anil Menon participates in a spacewalk training session at NASA’s Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas, ahead of his upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos

NASA will host a news conference at 1:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 29, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to preview astronaut Anil Menon’s upcoming mission to the International Space Station.

Watch the news conference live on NASA’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Following the news conference, individual interviews with Menon will begin at 3 p.m.

United States-based media interested in attending the news conference in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov by 5 p.m. Monday, April 27. U.S. and international media interested in participating by phone must contact NASA Johnson by 9:45 a.m. Thursday, April 23. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Requests for interviews with Menon should be submitted by 5 p.m., April 27. In-person interviews are limited to U.S. media. International media may request to conduct interviews virtually.

The Soyuz MS-29 mission, targeted to launch Tuesday, July 14, will carry Menon and his crewmates, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, to the International Space Station for an eight-month stay as part of Expeditions 74/75. It will be Menon’s first spaceflight.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Menon graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. After completing initial astronaut candidate training, he began preparing for his first space station flight assignment.

Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis and is an emergency medicine physician, mechanical engineer, and lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a medical degree from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Menon completed his emergency medicine and aerospace medicine residency at Stanford and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, respectively.

Menon still actively practices emergency medicine at Memorial Hermann’s Texas Medical Center and teaches residents at the University of Texas’ residency program. For NASA, Menon also has served as an expedition flight surgeon for the agency’s crew members aboard the space station. Previously, Menon worked at SpaceX and served as the company’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the first crewed Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission in 2020 and building its medical organization to support humans on future missions.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and prepare for deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis program in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider / Shaneequa Vereen

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Invites Media to Jordan Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony

2026-04-21T14:53:48Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-035

APRIL 21, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Invites Media to Jordan Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony

Credit: NASA

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 23, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Ambassador Dina Kawar of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Ruth Perry for the ceremony.

This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

The signing ceremony will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street SW.

The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Jordan will be the 63rd country to sign the Artemis Accords.

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/

-end-

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Contact

Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

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NASA to Cover Progress 95 Spacecraft Launch, Docking

2026-04-21T08:08:53Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-031

APRIL 21, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA to Cover Progress 95 Spacecraft Launch, Docking

The Progress 94 cargo spacecraft, loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, nears the International Space Station ahead of its docking on March 24, 2026. Credit: NASA

NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Roscosmos cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the crew aboard the International Space Station.

The unpiloted Progress 95 resupply spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 6:21 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 25 (3:21 a.m. Baikonur time on Sunday, April 26), on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Watch NASA’s live coverage beginning at 6 p.m., on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

After a two-day trip to the space station, Progress will dock autonomously to the aft port of the Zvezda module at 8 p.m., Monday, April 27. NASA’s live rendezvous and docking coverage will begin at 7:15 p.m., on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

The Progress 95 spacecraft will remain docked to the orbiting laboratory for about seven months before departing for a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. Prior to this spacecraft’s arrival, Progress 93 undocked from the space station on April 20, re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and harmlessly burned up over the Pacific Ocean.

Learn more about the International Space Station, its research, and crew, at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Joshua Finch

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

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NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Moon Rocket Core Stage

2026-04-20T13:54:03Z

NASA News

NEWS RELEASE 26-035

APRIL 20, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Moon Rocket Core Stage

NASA moved the core stage, or the largest section, of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027 from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency’s Pegasus barge in New Orleans on April 20. Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Following the recent successful test flight of NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon, NASA rolled out the core stage, or the largest section, of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027. The stage departed from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Monday for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking key progress on the path to the agency’s first crewed lunar landing mission to the Moon under the Artemis program in two years.

Using highly specialized transporters, engineers maneuvered the top four-fifths of the SLS core stage, the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt, from inside NASA Michoud to the agency’s Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA Kennedy. After arrival, teams will complete the stage outfitting and vertical integration, and the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will stack the rocket’s components in preparation for launch.

“Seeing this SLS rocket hardware roll out is a powerful reminder of our progress toward returning humans to the lunar surface,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This is the backbone of Artemis III. As it heads to Florida for final integration, we are one step closer to testing the critical capabilities needed to land Americans on the Moon, and ultimately, paving the way for our first crewed missions to Mars.”

At 212 feet tall, the completed core stage will consist of the top four fifths of the rocket combined with its engine section. The top four-fifths include the two propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant to fuel four RS-25 engines. During launch and flight, the fully integrated stage will operate for more than eight minutes, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft into orbit.

Building, assembling, and transporting the core stage is a collaborative process for two of NASA’s prime contractors, Boeing and L3Harris Technologies. Boeing is responsible for the overall design and assembly of the core stage, and L3Harris manufactures the rocket’s RS-25 engines. Recent announcements by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman enabled the agency to standardize the SLS configuration, streamline operations, and optimize production to accelerate the Artemis program.

Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth’s orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket capable of sending Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

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.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis/

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James Gannon

Headquarters, Washington

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james.h.gannon@nasa.gov

Jonathan Deal

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

256-631-9126

jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov

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