| In 2025, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire—all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity. |
For the Benefit of Humanity |
| Engineers and technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program prepare to lift the left center booster segment shown with the iconic NASA “worm” insignia for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. NASA/Frank Michaux |
 | ARTEMIS Exploring the Moon NASA marked significant progress toward the Artemis II test flight scheduled for early 2026—the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years—and continued building momentum toward a human return to the lunar surface as preparation for sending the first astronauts, Americans, to Mars. ARTEMIS II NEWS |
 | SCIENCE Life on Earth and in Space In addition to conducting science on the Moon and Mars to advance human exploration of the solar system, NASA continued its search for life and carried out scientific work to defend the planet from asteroids, improve wildfire monitoring from satellites, and study the Sun—all to protect and enhance life on Earth and in space. SCIENCE NEWS |
 | THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION A Momentous Milestone In 2025, the International Space Station celebrated 25 years of continuous human presence—a milestone that underscores its role as a beacon of global cooperation in space. Throughout the year, the orbital laboratory supported thousands of hours of groundbreaking microgravity research, advancing commercial space development and helping prepare for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. SPACE STATION NEWS |
 | TECHNOLOGY Advancing Exploration From NASA technologies that benefit life on Earth through commercial products to the accelerated development of new capabilities in low Earth orbit and on the Moon and Mars, the agency continues to drive the nation’s innovation economy by creating solutions for space exploration that also deliver tangible benefits back home. NASA is investing in the future of innovation. TECHNOLOGY NEWS |
 | AERONAUTICSFuture Flight This year marked a major triumph for NASA’s aviation researchers, as the agency’s X‑59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its historic first flight on Oct. 28. Researchers also made significant progress in advancing aviation technologies that will benefit the public and first responders, including live flight testing of a new portable airspace management system designed to greatly improve air traffic awareness during wildland fire operations.AERONAUTICS NEWS |
| More NASA News |
 | As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 mission, four crew members from three space agencies are scheduled to launch no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, to the International Space Station for a long‑duration science expedition. During their mission, the astronauts will carry out scientific investigations and technology demonstrations designed to prepare humans for future exploration of the Moon and Mars and to deliver benefits for people on Earth. |
 | Just as a cellphone stays connected by roaming between networks, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal technology demonstration is showing that space missions can do the same—switching seamlessly between government and commercial communications networks. |
 | In the latest episode of Houston We Have a Podcast, International Space Station leaders Laura Shaw and Jennifer Buchli discuss the science, discoveries, and innovations that have defined nearly 25 years aboard the orbiting laboratory. |
| Do You Know? |
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| Did you gaze into the heavens this year as part of Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge? As we count down the days until 2026, let’s top off our commemoration of Hubble’s 35-year legacy with a trivia treat. |
| How many observations has Hubble taken over the last 35 years? A. Over 1,000 B. Over 500,000 C. Over 1,500,000 D. 1,000,000,000 |
| Find out the answer in next week’s edition of the NASA newsletter |
 | Last week, we asked what significant event the Apollo 8 astronauts witnessed on their journey. The answer: they became the first people to view an Earthrise from lunar orbit. On Dec. 24, 1968, astronaut Bill Anders captured the iconic photograph of Earth rising above the Moon’s horizon—an image later known as Earthrise. In 2026, the Artemis II crew will begin their own journey, becoming the first people in more than five decades to travel to the far side of the Moon and witness an Earthrise with their own eyes. |
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| The bright spiral galaxy Caldwell 5, also known as IC 342, is the final object in the Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th‑anniversary stargazing challenge. Caldwell 5 is a spiral galaxy located about 11 million light‑years from Earth. Despite its relatively bright magnitude of 8.4, it can be surprisingly difficult to spot. The galaxy lies near the equator of the Milky Way’s pearly disk, a region crowded with dense gas, dark dust, and countless stars that obscure the view. Because of this, Caldwell 5 is often called the Hidden Galaxy. The Hidden Galaxy can be challenging to observe, especially under light‑polluted, cloudy, or hazy skies. For the best chance of finding it, wait for a clear night and head far from city lights with a telescope. |
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