NASA, NBC News, and WESH look back at 2025 and ahead to 2026 in space

I closed Science fiction movie nominees at the Critics Choice Awards for Science Fiction Day by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for NASA's look back at 2025 and ahead to 2026." Watch NASA: 2025 Review and 2026 Preview.

In 2025, we stacked the Artemis II rocket, certified next-generation lunar spacesuits, celebrated 25 years on the International Space Station, and snapped the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun.

We’re not just going back to the Moon in 2026 – we’re paving the way to Mars, exploring the stars, and dominating the skies, setting the stage for a historic year ahead.

That makes up for not having a video ready in time for 2025 in space from ESA, KING 5, Business Casual, and the Marsh Family. As I wrote in 2025 in review from NBC News, Vox, GMA, Time, and Google for New Year's Eve, "I can at least continue one of my New Year's traditions!"*

NBC News updated the story last night in The New Space Race.

It’s going to be a busy year for space exploration with American Astronauts scheduled to make a return visit around the moon, traveling further than any human ever. NBC News’ Tom Costello spoke to the crew.

I wrote "I expected a space race between the U.S. and China over the U.S. returning to the Moon before the Chinese get there" five years ago, and that's exactly what's happening. This time, I'm glad I'm right, because it will get humans back on the Moon and working to get to Mars.

WESH 2 News in Orlando added more detail in Historic launches set for the new year.


Starship is running behind schedule and holding up a lunar landing, so I'm rooting for Blue Origin to either win the contract or inspire SpaceX to get its act together in time.

None of the above sources mentioned a major NASA story taking place on the ground. WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore covered that in Future of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center appears to be in jeopardy.

The future of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center appears to be in jeopardy, according to a letter penned by a United States representative on Monday. In the letter, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California, a ranking member on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, brought forth concerns about "disturbing reports" of a potential imminent closure at the Greenbelt campus. The letter, written to Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary and acting administrator of NASA, said the possible closure of labs and facilities at the campus "put essential hardware and capabilities at great risk."

This is not good news for space science, including research that would help with exploring the Moon and Mars. Add this to the examples of one of 2025's science breakdowns, "Trump roils U.S. science." Ugh.

*I almost didn't because of what's happening in Venezuela. I decided to go ahead and let the late-night talk show hosts do the work for me tomorrow. Stay tuned.