This Week in Space 192

2026 promises to be the most exciting year in the new space age yet! Shining bright is the prospect of an Artemis II launch to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since 1972, as early as February. We've already seen news about a medical incident on the International Space Station that will force a crew to return to Earth early, but NASA says this won't affect the Artemis launch. On other news, NASA's budget seems on track to be passed at near 2025 levels, China is preparing to send a robot to the south lunar pole, SpaceX plans robust tests of Starship this year—and hopefully refinement of their lander for Artemis III, Boeing will fly Starliner again (uncrewed), Mars Sample Return is poised to be scuttled, and all this under the leadership of a new—and apparently quite capable—NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman. Join us for an in-depth look at what's coming in 2026!

Headlines:

• Medical evacuation planned for ISS astronauts due to health concerns
• NASA Chief Jared Isaacman leads first big press conference amid ISS medical incident
• Artemis 2 lunar mission remains on track for February launch
• Orion spacecraft heat shield faces scrutiny ahead of crewed flight
• NASA budget nearly secured—Congress backs full funding for 2026
• Mars Sample Return project faces likely cancellation
• SpaceX Starship gears up for crucial orbital and refueling tests
• Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander launch delayed, competition heats up
• China's lunar, asteroid, and orbital missions ramp up for 2026
• Boeing Starliner and Sierra Space Dream Chaser schedule ISS cargo missions
• New moon landers, asteroid missions, and global crewed capsule tests coming in 2026
• NASA’s Roman Space Telescope possibly launching this year

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• Transcripts: This Week in Space 192 Transcript

Links

• NASA will return 4 astronauts home early in 1st-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station
• NASA's Artemis 2 mission: Everything you need to know
• Is Orion’s heat shield really safe? New NASA chief conducts final review on eve of flight.
• NASA isn't fixing the heat shield on Artemis II
• Twitter / X - "House and Senate appropriators have released a "minibus" appropriations..."
• NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is dead
• SpaceX stacks Super Heavy booster ahead of Starship megarocket's 12th test flight
• Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1
• Rocket Lab Neutron
• China unveils 2026 space mission lineup: Mengzhou-1 spaceship and Long March-10A rocket set for debut
• China's next moonshot: Chang'e 7 could search the lunar south pole for water this year
• China's Tianwen 2 spacecraft sends home 1st photo as it heads for mysterious 'quasi-moon' asteroid
• Gaganyaan - India's Human Spaceflight Programme
• NASA works to extend Swift’s life ahead of reboost mission
• Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Successfully Completes Critical Pre-flight Milestones