NASA officials on Tuesday detailed the space agency’s plans to establish a lunar base, where astronauts could live and work long-term with the ultimate goal of studying the moon and its origins, as well as how best to send the first humans to Mars.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball. The spectacular fire, caught on video, not only destroyed the rocket but also appears to have significantly damaged Blue Origin’s only launchpad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

NASA’s Artemis program is planning to build a permanent Moon base near the lunar south pole, starting with robotic missions and gradually expanding into a long-term human settlement. The project will support future deep space missions,

The Artemis program is becoming one of NASA's most important efforts for future moon colonization and long-term moon exploration. Unlike earlier lunar missions focused mainly on short visits, Artemis is designed to help astronauts stay on the Moon longer ...

A handful of other countries have their own lunar programs, as does the European Union. Through 2030, governments and private entities have planned more than 400 missions in the next two decades to fly past or circle the moon or to land crewed or uncrewed ...

On June 9, NASA will reveal the astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 3 docking mission in Earth orbit next year.