NASA Watch
Independent blog tracking NASA programs and space sector news, often with insider commentary and analysis.
NASA How-To Guide For Artemis Interviews
NASA’s Public Affairs Office released a how‑to guide for media interviewing the Artemis II crew, outlining vetted questions, a dedicated interview‑request portal, and a ban on political topics. The document standardizes the interview process to ensure consistent, technically accurate messaging as the mission garners heightened public interest. By centralizing requests and prohibiting partisan queries, NASA seeks to protect the mission’s narrative integrity. The guide also reflects tighter agency control over communications ahead of the crewed lunar flight.
Ignition At NASA
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced "Ignition," a strategic reset aimed at accelerating the agency’s return to the Moon and establishing a sustainable lunar presence. The plan prioritizes the Artemis program, with Artemis II slated for a crewed lunar flyby and Artemis III...
Isaacman, Jared Isaacman
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was praised at the Washington Space Business Roundtable luncheon for revamping the Artemis lunar program. Rep. Mike Haridopolos called him a “James Bond for America,” noting a dramatic turnaround in NASA’s public sentiment over the past year....
National Academies of Science Space Science Week 2026
The National Academies of Science announced Space Science Week 2026, scheduled for March 23‑27. The event will convene leaders from planetary protection, astrophysics, Earth science and space applications to discuss recent breakthroughs and future directions. Hosted at the Academies’ Washington, D.C.,...
NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) Update
The Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) announced its 35th virtual meeting will occur June 8‑11, 2026, offering the small‑body community a platform for collaboration. NASA has recently ended direct funding for all eight planetary‑science Assessment Groups, prompting SBAG to reassess its role...
NASA Asks For Shuttle Relocation Ideas
NASA has issued a Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) to create a Multimodal Transportation Multiple Award IDIQ contract for moving flown space vehicles, ranging from full‑size Shuttle orbiters to small capsules like Orion. The solicitation seeks industry input on engineering...
NASA Outreach Sugar Highs
NASA recently aired two high‑profile advertisements on CNN, featuring Credit One and Old Spice, to promote the upcoming Artemis II mission and the popular novel “Project Hail Mary.” The campaign delivers roughly twelve days of heightened public exposure before the buzz...
That Time Wernher Von Braun’s Rocket Tried To Kill My Father (Repost)
On March 18, 1945, Germany’s Battery 485 launched a V‑2 missile from The Hague that struck London minutes later, narrowly missing the father of NASA Watch founder Keith Cowing. The V‑2’s groundbreaking propulsion and guidance technology was seized after the war and...
Beauty Encountered During Ice World Exploration
Dale T. Andersen returned from the first of two 2026 astrobiology dives beneath Lake Untersee’s thick ice sheet in Antarctica. The expedition showcased the striking visual beauty and technical rigor of sub‑ice exploration, using a Kirby Morgan Exo‑26 full‑face mask, tethered safety lines,...
Build Your Own Mars Astrobiology Rover
NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rovers have demonstrated advanced autonomous capabilities on Mars, prompting interest in hands‑on education. A new DIY kit, the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover by CircuitMess, lets enthusiasts build and program a functional replica of the Perseverance rover. The kit...
Artemis II Launch Attempt Set
NASA’s crewed Artemis II mission is slated for a series of launch windows in early April, with the first attempt targeted for 1 April 2024 at 6:24 pm EDT and a backup on 2 April. All launch teams have signaled a GO, but officials highlighted a...
OIG Report: NASA Management Of Human Landing System Contracts
The NASA Office of Inspector General found that the agency’s acquisition strategy kept human landing system (HLS) cost growth modest—SpaceX contracts rose 6 percent and Blue Origin’s less than 1 percent. Both firms, however, are lagging behind schedule, with SpaceX’s...
Eric Ingram: The Power and Promise of Lunar Gravity
Eric Ingram released a detailed account of his two lunar‑gravity research flights, highlighting the first moment he could stand unassisted in reduced‑gravity conditions. The Substack post includes previously unseen photos and video from the second flight, illustrating how lunar‑gravity environments...
Honest Real Time Answers From NASA
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman answered a public query on Twitter in real time, rejecting the notion that the agency faces a budget shortfall. He highlighted that NASA receives roughly $25 billion annually, plus an additional $10 billion from the recent bipartisan funding...
Centaur V Upper Stage Added To Artemis IV and V
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center issued a procurement notice for a next‑generation upper stage, Centaur V, to be used on the Space Launch System’s Artemis IV and V flights. The agency will award the contract solely to United Launch Alliance, citing the...
And Now We Have “NASA Force”
NASA announced the launch of “NASA Force,” a two‑year term recruitment program in partnership with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The initiative will bring top aerospace, software, and systems engineers into the civil service workforce to restore core competencies...
Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel 2025 Annual Report Released
NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel released its 2025 annual report, spotlighting a new recommendation that NASA craft a comprehensive 20‑year strategic vision for space exploration and operations. The guidance stresses risk‑based decision‑making, clear communication, and defined criteria for make‑manage‑buy choices....
Stealth Project Hail Mary Town Hall At NASA JPL?
NASA Watch reports an unofficial X announcement about a town‑hall meeting at JPL tied to the upcoming film “Project Hail Mary.” The post, shared by a fan‑run account, suggests NASA may be leveraging the movie for cross‑promotional PR, yet no...
Petition: SAVE NASA’s GENELAB
NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Directorate plans to reduce funding for the Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) and GeneLab, including the Sample Processing Laboratory (SPL), starting in 2025. OSDR currently houses nearly 600 studies, 1,000 datasets across 45 species, and...
Another Artemis II Issue Arises (Update)
NASA had slated a no‑earlier‑than‑March 6 launch for Artemis II, but an unexpected interruption in helium flow through the Space Launch System’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage forced the agency to consider rolling the rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly...
Diving Under The Ice At Lake Untersee To Do Astrobiology
Astrobiologist Dale Andersen and his team are conducting under‑ice dives in Lake Untersee, Antarctica, to study extremophile microbes that could resemble life on icy worlds. The field season has faced variable weather, including snowstorms and 50 mph gusts, but the crew...
Some SMD Activities Paused Pending OMB Guidance
NASA Headquarters sent a memo to center CFOs ordering a pause on all new financial commitments for Science Mission Directorate projects funded by the SCEX22026D account in FY 2026, with payroll as the only exception. The hold, expected to last ten...
Workforce Directive: Restoring NASA’s Core Competencies
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a Workforce Directive aimed at restoring the agency’s core engineering and operational competencies by reducing reliance on contractors. The plan calls for 30‑day assessments of outsourced work and a 60‑day transition strategy to convert key...
NASA Needs To Leverage Its Cool Tech Better
NASA’s Perseverance rover completed the first drive on another planet that was planned entirely by artificial intelligence, showcasing a breakthrough in autonomous space navigation. The mission leveraged Anthropic’s Claude AI models in collaboration with JPL, aligning with the White House...
Small Bodies Assessment Group: 34th SBAG Meeting Draft Findings
The Small Bodies Assessment Group released draft findings from its 34th meeting, urging NASA to preserve a regular cadence of planetary missions to sustain the expert workforce and avoid destabilizing the exploration portfolio. It calls for tighter coordination of ground‑based,...
The Future of Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG)
NASA’s Planetary Science Division announced it will cease formal support for all Analysis and Assessment Groups, including ExMAG, effective May 2026. Despite losing PSD funding, the Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group pledges to keep serving as the conduit between the sample‑science...
NASA’s Astrobiology Program Is Ignored By NASA Astrobiology Missions
NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently measured the thickness of Europa’s ice shell, data that will inform the upcoming Europa Clipper and ESA’s JUICE missions. The findings highlight Europa’s potential habitability, a core focus of NASA’s three‑decade‑old Astrobiology Program. However, the official...
Empowering NASA’s Earth Science Fleet
Jon Mikel Walton, former NASA Earth public‑engagement lead, urged Administrator Jared Isaacman on LinkedIn to fully fund and protect NASA’s Earth‑science fleet. The essay stresses the fleet’s unique ability to track climate, water, ice and ecosystem changes, delivering vital data...
No More Support For NASA SMD Planetary Science Division Analysis and Assessment Groups
NASA’s Planetary Science Division announced it will end formal financial support for the eight Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs) by the end of April 2026. The AGs, historically funded through a Lunar and Planetary Institute grant, have provided community consensus,...
Current / Former NASA Planetary Science Analysis Groups
NASA’s Planetary Science Division relies on eight community‑driven analysis groups—ExMAG, LEAG, MAPSIT, MEPAG, MExAG, OPAG, SBAG and VEXAG—to gather scientific input for mission planning. These groups operate outside the Federal Advisory Committee Act, providing feedback rather than formal recommendations. Each...
Isaacman Prime Directive: Recognize, Reward, Inspire
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a Workforce Directive on Jan. 14, 2026 titled “Recognize, Reward, Inspire.” The memo outlines four cultural pillars—duty, mission urgency, ownership, and a recalibrated risk framework—and mandates concrete actions to overhaul recognition, performance evaluation, and reward programs. Within...
Diving Catch To Save U.S. Science
The Senate passed a bipartisan FY 2026 minibus appropriations bill that preserved funding for NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) after the Trump administration proposed drastic cuts. NASA’s budget was set at...
New NASA A.I. Effort For Mars Exploration Ignores The Search For Life (E.g. Astrobiology)
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate announced the Foundational Artificial Intelligence for the Moon and Mars (FAIMM) program, a ROSES‑2025 amendment that funds open‑source foundation models for planetary science. The initiative invites researchers of any background to develop AI applications such as...
Planetary Science Caucus Statement
The U.S. House passed the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act with a 397‑28 vote, preserving core NASA funding and rejecting most OMB‑proposed cuts. The bill sustains the NASA Science Mission Directorate...
