NASA Minute: March 27, 2026

NASA kicked off a dynamic week ahead of launch with Ignition, an event designed to bring the administration, industry, Congress, and our global coalition of partners together to unite behind the Golden Age of Exploration. 
 We’re shaping the future of space exploration for decades to come. 
 Here’s what you need to know, in your NASA Minute!

What is said in the film

NASA kicked off a dynamic week ahead of launch with Ignition, an event designed to bring the administration, industry, Congress, and our global coalition of partners together to unite behind the Golden Age of Exploration. We're shaping the future of space exploration for decades to come. Here's what you need to know in your NASA minute! We’re only 5 days away from our targeted launch date for Artemis II — sending humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are on the launchpad and are wrapping up final testing in the coming days ahead of launch.

In just hours, the Artemis II crew will arrive at Kennedy Space Center to continue quarantine in preparation for their historic mission. On April 1st, all eyes will be on NASA. Tune in to witness America’s return to the Moon! This week, NASA unveiled a series of groundbreaking announcements at our Ignition event. Here’s a quick look at what we shared.

NASA is moving forward with one of the most ambitious efforts in its history — building America’s first Moon Base at the lunar South Pole. And I’m honored to be joined by the first ever NASA Minute guest, Carlos Garcia-Galan, otherwise known as “the Moon Base Guy. ” Carlos, tell us a little bit about this ambitious endeavor that you’re leading! Thanks, Bethany. America is returning to the Moon, and this time when we go, we’re building to stay.

Starting as soon as this year, NASA will launch a series of robotic missions to prepare for surface operations ahead of crewed flights in 2028. In phase 1, we’ll increase the cadence of lunar missions — delivering rovers, drones, communications systems, and early power to learn how to operate on the Moon. In phase 2, we’ll begin building the infrastructure necessary to support permanent habitation on the Moon. We're talking about things like power systems, surface communications and logistics — putting everything in place to support astronauts on repeat missions. In phase 3, we’ll scale to a sustained presence — enabling continuous crewed operations on the lunar surface.

We’re moving beyond short stays to establish continuous American presence on the Moon, alongside our international partners and commercial partners. Back to you Bethany! Thanks, Carlos! NASA is charting a clear path to sustain America’s presence in low Earth orbit. As the International Space Station nears retirement, it will help test commercial platforms before they transition into standalone stations.

This phased approach reduces risk, strengthens capability, and supports a growing commercial economy in low Earth orbit. We also announced updates on several upcoming science missions as we enter a new era of discovery. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching as soon as this fall, will survey the universe at unprecedented scale, while missions like Dragonfly will explore Titan and future Mars missions will search for signs of past life. At the same time, NASA is expanding lunar science through Commercial Lunar Payload Services — delivering instruments and new technologies to the Moon at a higher cadence. Together, these missions are expanding our understanding of the universe, our solar system, and the conditions that make life possible.

And finally, NASA is taking major steps toward unlocking nuclear power in space. We’re preparing to launch the first nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars in 2028, using nuclear electric propulsion to travel farther and more efficiently than ever before. That mission, Space Reactor 1 Freedom, will deliver a payload of helicopter drones to Mars, identifying pockets of water ice and potential human landing sites for future manned missions to the Red Planet. From here on Earth, to the Moon, and onto Mars, the next chapter of American exploration begins now. We’ll see you back here next week!

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