Science Mission Directorate

Earth Day 2026: Posters and Virtual Backgrounds

On April 6, 2026, shortly before Earth slid behind the Moon from the perspective of Orion, and the spacecraft lost radio signal with mission control for 40 minutes, the Artemis II crew captured this stunning image of Earth setting over the lunar surface.
SpaceNews

NASA seeks commercial and exploration links for new Earth science missions

Two new proposed NASA Earth science missions will attempt to address key research topics while leveraging both commercial and exploration capabilities. During NASA’s “Ignition” event March 24, the agency announced two new Earth science mission concepts,
IFLScience

NASA Is Planning On Setting Fires On The Moon, Because Certain Materials May Be More Flammable There

N ASA is planning a pretty neat experiment for later this year, setting deliberate fires whilst on the surface of the Moon, the first time such experiments have been conducted on another celestial body.
Morningstar

NASA Earth Science Researchers Join Science Center for Marine Fisheries; Will Integrate Satellite Data into Fisheries Research

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2026 / The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) is pleased to announce that researchers from NASA's Earth Science Division have joined SCEMFIS as the latest members of its Industry Advisory Board (IAB).
Scientific American

White House budget seeks to scrap 54 major NASA science missions

Experts found that the White House budget request for the upcoming fiscal year could defund 54 NASA science missions, including a spacecraft currently studying Jupiter and two planned Venus missions