NASA Minute: Feb. 20, 2026

This week, NASA released the independent investigative report on the 2024 Starliner Crewed Flight Test to the public, a successful wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II, and the arrival of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station.

What is said in the film

Whether here on Earth, in orbit or on the path to deep space, NASA is pushing the boundaries of exploration and discovery. Here's what's new this week, in your NASA Minute. On Thursday, NASA released the independent investigative report on the 2024 Starliner Crew Flight Test to the public. Transparency is not a weakness. It is a strength.

America entrusts NASA with the hardest endeavors ever attempted. The world looks to us for the discoveries, achievements and leadership only this agency can deliver, and that requires putting the mission and the crew first. NASA is taking corrective actions to address the findings of the report. It will enact meaningful change throughout the agency to improve safety and achieve success on our missions. Following a successful wet dress rehearsal, NASA is working toward a potential March launch opportunity for Artemis II, with teams targeting no earlier than March 6.

During the test, engineers fueled the Space Launch System rocket and demonstrated the full launch countdown sequence — key milestones as we prepare to send astronauts around the Moon Open work at the launch pad is now underway as technicians complete final tasks and teams prepare for a multi-day flight readiness review to assess the vehicle, ground systems, and mission readiness. Meanwhile, the Artemis II crew is preparing to enter a standard prelaunch quarantine in Houston. The roughly 14-day period helps protect astronaut health while preserving flexibility within the March launch window. America's return to the Moon is getting closer — and we'll continue to keep you updated every step of the way. Seven astronauts are now aboard the International Space Station following Saturday's arrival of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission.

Following a successful launch, the Dragon spacecraft docked to the station's Harmony module, officially beginning an eight month science expedition for the crew. I think you look around the crew up here, and it's really a testament to everything that we do. We have so many countries represented, so many backgrounds, so many disciplines, and we are so excited to be here and to get to work with Expedition 74. Since arriving, the crew has quickly transitioned into life in microgravity — unloading experiments, conducting safety checks, and kicking off research that supports future missions to the Moon and Mars while delivering benefits here on Earth. And that research is getting a boost from a new tool delivered with the crew: a small but powerful lab device known as a microplate reader.

About the size of a cell phone, this off-the-shelf instrument will allow astronauts to conduct biological research directly aboard the station. Its biggest advantage is speed — giving scientists real time access to data instead of waiting for samples to be returned to Earth and analyzed in ground labs. By analyzing samples on site, researchers can significantly shorten the path from experiment to insight — accelerating discoveries that benefit life here on Earth. NASA innovation is advancing exploration both in the atmosphere and beyond it. Engineers have developed a new low cost camera system that reveals how air flows around rockets and aircraft inside of wind tunnels.

The technique, called focused schlieren imaging, filters light — similar to polarized sunglasses — to capture subtle airflow changes with greater precision. Already integrated into NASA research, the technology is now available through the agency's technology transfer program, helping industry build safer, more efficient aerospace vehicles. And that same spirit of innovation is shaping deep space exploration. As NASA's Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration recently completed prototype testing that use concentrated solar energy to extract oxygen from simulated lunar soil. By turning lunar materials and sunlight into usable resources — including potential rocket propellant — technologies like CaRD could help astronauts live and work sustainably on the Moon and support future missions beyond.

And as we wrap up this week, Wednesday marked the 5-year anniversary of NASA's Perseverance Rover touching down on Mars. From that historic touchdown to today's ongoing discoveries, the mission continues to shape our path toward future exploration of the Red Planet. from the Moon to Mars and beyond, the next Golden Age of Discovery is already underway. We'll see you next time on the NASA Minute.

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