NASA Minute: March 20, 2026

Moon missions, space telescopes, supersonic aircraft, and more — this week, NASA continued building the next era of American leadership in space. Here’s what’s new, in your NASA Minute.

What is said in the film

Moon missions, space telescopes, supersonic aircraft, and more — this week, NASA continued building the next era of American leadership in space. Here’s what’s new, in your NASA Minute. This week, Artemis II moved closer to launch, potentially as early as April 1. potentially as early as April 1. The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft rolled back out to Launch Complex 39B on Thursday, completing the over-12-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building after undergoing repairs and maintenance.

Teams are now focused on final testing, while in Houston, the Artemis II crew entered quarantine ahead of launch. Quarantines are critical to maintaining astronaut health out of this world. Things are getting loud for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, as engineers blasted the observatory with extreme sound and shook it to simulate the intense conditions of launch as they listened to its electrical noise. Roman has now passed all three tests, putting the mission on track for an ahead of schedule launch this Fall! On Wednesday, NASA Astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams carried out the first spacewalk of 2026, working for over six hours on the exterior of the International Space Station to prepare a power channel for the future installation of new roll-out solar arrays.

This was Jessica Mier’s fourth spacewalk, and Chris Williams’ first. At Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight. On Friday afternoon, NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, setting the stage for an ambitious year of testing as NASA continues to push the envelope on next-generation aeronautics. And finally, NASA is advancing new technologies to fuel exploration beyond Earth. Right now, the CryoFiLL project is exploring how to produce liquid oxygen on the surface of the Moon and Mars, enabling on-site refueling and longer missions.

That’s all for this week, see you next time on the NASA Minute!

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