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NASA

NASA is the U.S. civil space and aeronautics agency. It leads the Artemis Moon program and buys rockets, capsules and landers from contractors including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing.

Researched and fact-checked by AI, with no human review. 22 sources listed below. How we verify

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What NASA does

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the United States government's civil space and aeronautics agency. It began operating on October 1, 1958, and lists 20 centers and facilities. Its work covers human spaceflight, including the International Space Station and the Artemis Moon program, plus science missions, aeronautics research and technology development. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule used for Artemis were built by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, TechCrunch reported. SpaceX flies crews to the station, and SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing Moon landers. Jared Isaacman became the 15th administrator after Senate confirmation on December 17, 2025. He founded a payment processing company and commanded the private Inspiration4 orbital flight in 2021.

Why it matters

Congress enacted $24.4 billion for the agency for fiscal year 2026, according to NASA's budget fact sheet. With the State Department, NASA also leads the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for space exploration. The United States and seven other countries launched them in 2020. NASA said on September 28, 2026 that 76 countries had signed. TechCrunch reported in April 2026 that China is pursuing its own crewed Moon landing by 2030.

Recent developments

Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis flight, launched on April 1, 2026 and carried four astronauts around the Moon. It splashed down on April 10 after 9 days, 1 hour and 32 minutes. Weeks earlier, on February 27, NASA reworked the program. Artemis III became a 2027 test in low Earth orbit in which Orion will dock with one or both commercial landers. The first landing was assigned to Artemis IV in 2028. The Exploration Upper Stage and Mobile Launcher 2 were dropped. In March the agency announced plans for a Moon Base near the lunar south pole. In May it announced contract awards for early Moon Base missions that Spaceflight Now put at nearly $1 billion.

The White House's fiscal 2027 request, published in April 2026, proposes $18.8 billion for NASA, down from $24.4 billion. It proposes $3.9 billion for science and no funding for the Office of STEM Engagement. Congress had not passed fiscal 2027 appropriations by early October 2026, and a stopgap funding measure runs to December 11, SpacePolicyOnline reported.

Other 2026 decisions include the selection of a far-infrared space telescope, PRIMA. Its project costs are capped at $1.2 billion and launch is planned for 2033. NASA also said an uncrewed Boeing Starliner flight could take place in December 2026 or January 2027. An investigation of the capsule's 2024 crewed test had produced 61 recommendations. SpaceX launched Crew-13 to the station on October 1, 2026.

The Moon plan has critics. NASA's inspector general reported in March 2026 that both lander companies had experienced schedule delays. The report said NASA has no way to rescue a crew stranded in space or on the lunar surface. Former administrator Jim Bridenstine told Congress in 2025, as quoted by TechCrunch, that no NASA administrator he knew of would have chosen the Starship lander architecture. TechCrunch said it needs a dozen or more fueling launches.

What to watch

  • Congress's decision on fiscal 2027 funding.
  • Artemis III readiness. Isaacman said in August 2026 he was extremely confident of a 2027 launch, SpacePolicyOnline reported.
  • Lander progress after Blue Origin's New Glenn explosion in May 2026 and Starship's first orbital flight in September.
  • Starliner. NASA said in September 2026 it planned to fly astronauts on the capsule again by 2028.
  • Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a fission-powered spacecraft that NASA describes as bound for Mars in 2028.

NASA timeline

  1. NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission launches four crew members to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket.

    Source: NASA

  2. NASA announces the Artemis Accords have reached 76 signatories with the addition of Albania, Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire and San Marino.

    Source: NASA

  3. NASA names the Artemis III crew: Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio.

    Source: NASA

  4. Artemis II splashes down after a flight of 9 days, 1 hour and 32 minutes around the Moon that launched on April 1.

    Source: NASA

  5. NASA publishes a fact sheet on the White House's fiscal 2027 budget request: $18.8 billion, down from $24.4 billion enacted for fiscal 2026.

    Source: NASA

  6. NASA reworks Artemis: Artemis III becomes a 2027 docking test in Earth orbit and the first Moon landing moves to Artemis IV in 2028.

    Source: NASA

  7. The U.S. Senate confirms Jared Isaacman as NASA's 15th administrator.

    Source: NASA

  8. NASA begins operating as the United States' civil space and aeronautics agency.

    Source: NASA

Sources

  1. About NASA, NASA
  2. Jared Isaacman, NASA
  3. FY 2027 Budget Request Agency Summary: Agency Fact Sheet, NASA
  4. Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request, NASA
  5. NASA Strengthens Artemis: Adds Mission, Refines Overall Architecture, NASA
  6. Artemis II: NASA's First Crewed Lunar Flyby in 50 Years, NASA
  7. Artemis III, NASA
  8. NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027, Names Crew Members, NASA
  9. Moon Base, NASA
  10. NASA's Management of the Human Landing System Contracts (IG-26-004), NASA Office of Inspector General
  11. NASA Celebrates as Artemis Accords Surpasses 75 Signatories, NASA
  12. NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Launches to International Space Station, NASA
  13. NASA, Boeing Share Update on Commercial Starliner Development Plans, NASA
  14. NASA Selects Far-Infrared Telescope as First in New Mission Class, NASA
  15. Space Reactors Division, NASA
  16. NASA outlines nearly $1 billion investment into initial Moon Base missions, Spaceflight Now
  17. Isaacman "Extremely Confident" Artemis III Will Launch in 2027, SpacePolicyOnline.com
  18. What's Happening in Space Policy October 4-10, 2026, SpacePolicyOnline.com
  19. Artemis II is NASA's last moon mission without Silicon Valley, TechCrunch
  20. NASA Artemis II splashes down in Pacific Ocean in 'perfect' landing for moon mission, TechCrunch
  21. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes during prelaunch testing at Cape Canaveral, Spaceflight Now
  22. Starship returns to Earth; rocket splashes down north of Hawaii after three-hour flight, Spaceflight Now

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