NASA Minute: Feb. 27, 2026

This week, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced important updates on the Artemis Program, teams at the Kennedy Space Center rolled the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, and researchers are flight-testing a new wing design that could reduce drag and cut fuel costs for the airliners of tomorrow.

What is said in the film

Across the nation, NASA teams are strengthening America's leadership in space and aviation. Here's what's new this week in your NASA Minute. On Friday morning, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced important updates to the Artemis Program. We are going to add missions. In fact, we are essentially going to pull in Artemis III, to launch in 2027 with a revised mission profile.

So instead of going directly to a lunar landing, we will endeavor to rendezvous in low-Earth orbit with one or both of our lunar landers. this is how NASA changed the world, and this is how NASA is going to do it again. On Wednesday, teams at the Kennedy Space Center rolled the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II back into the Vehicle Assembly Building. Over the weekend, engineers identified an issue with the flow of helium into the rocket's upper stage and returned the vehicle to the VAB to diagnose and resolve it in a controlled environment. While inside, teams will also refresh the flight termination system and replace several batteries in both the rocket and spacecraft before rolling back out to the pad in preparation for a potential launch in April.

Research from the International Space Station it's on its way back to Earth this week aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. After undocking on Thursday, Dragon is set to splashdown off the coast of California on Friday, wrapping up NASA's 33rd Commercial Resupply Services mission. During its time in orbit, the spacecraft also performed six reboost maneuvers — helping maintain the station's altitude and supporting safe, long-term operations. Among the research returning to Earth is BioNutrients-3, which explores producing essential nutrients on demand in space, and the Moon Microscope, which successfully tested a portable blood analysis kit designed to support astronaut health on future missions to the Moon and Mars. And at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, researchers are flight-testing a new wing design that could reduce drag and cut fuel costs for the airliners of tomorrow.

The concept maximizes laminar flow — keeping air moving smoothly across the wing’s surface to improve efficiency. To evaluate the design in real flight conditions, engineers scaled the wing down to about three feet and mounted it beneath one of the center's F-15B research jets. The data collected during these flights will be shared with the U. S. aviation industry and research community, helping shape the next generation of safer, more efficient aircraft.

Every test, every mission, and every breakthrough strengthens America's position at the forefront of exploration and discovery. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next week!

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