We’re going back to the Moon—but not for the reason you think.
It’s not about flags or footprints.
It’s about what we build to stay.
Full talk now live ↓
https://t.co/aCsrWUaIhx
@TEDTalks@InterluneSpace
Great discussion with @MorganLBrennan at @Nasdaq’s Space Capital Summit on how NASA is advancing a commercial-first approach to exploration.
The future of American leadership in space depends on giving industry the confidence to invest, innovate, and build. NASA is focused on creating clear demand signals, expanding commercial partnerships, and working alongside the private sector to enable a thriving space economy that takes us from low Earth orbit to the Moon and on to Mars.
🚨EPIC scenes on the National Mall massive crowd gathered at the Washington Monument with a stunning rainbow overhead!
God’s blessing shining down on America. Beautiful moment of unity and patriotism in our Nation’s Capital.
Congrats to @elonmusk and @SpaceX on the largest IPO in history. Tens of thousands worked to tackle some of the hardest engineering problems imaginable, revolutionizing an industry in service of their nation and humanity, are now fully realizing the American Dream🇺🇸
May this moment spark many more companies like it across the domains of the future, unlocking new capabilities and prosperity for those who dare to dream.
Starting with some energy, and my inability to write brief updates, I am just extremely proud of the NASA crew, our industry, and our international partners. We are getting into a rhythm here at NASA. Earlier this year, setbacks put the Artemis II rocket back in the VAB for repairs, and we determined it was necessary to add another mission, Artemis III in 2027. Since then, we have unveiled the Ignition plans to build a Moon Base and nuclear-powered spaceships, launched a highly successful mission around the Moon, brought the crew home safely, and now watched the torch pass to Artemis III. There will be no shortage of major milestones to celebrate in the months ahead as we build the Moon Base and launch the Nancy Grace Roman telescope. I am beyond proud of the team and all the momentum and excitement around the space program.
I do want to take this moment to address two of the questions I have been seeing since the crew announcement.
Why are there no women assigned to Artemis III?
I have seen reactions ranging from disappointment to outrage. I have personally been to space twice with 50% female crews. My closest advisors and some of the smartest engineers I know are women. In our latest NASA leadership organization, nearly 50% of the Center Directors and Mission Directorate leadership are women. The last astronaut candidate class selected under this Administration was majority female because they were the best of the best, including one astronaut I previously went to space with.
In a world with so much controversy, I hope this can be a moment where we celebrate the astronauts selected, respect the integrity of the process, and recognize the extraordinary depth of talent across the entire corps. The crew selection does not involve any political appointees. The Astronaut Office assigns the crew that gives the mission the best chance of meeting its objectives, taking into account many factors, including the background and expertise of the astronauts, such as test pilot experience, development work on specific programs, and availability. For example, those raising this concern may not be aware of the pipeline of crews already preparing to launch to the Space Station, or those who have been undergoing lunar-specific training that would be a better fit for a future surface mission.
The Artemis III astronauts are experienced, qualified, and deserve to be celebrated for the mission they have been assigned, just as the crews that follow will be celebrated when their time comes. We have an extraordinary astronaut corps, and every mission and every crew is part of a larger campaign to get America back to the Moon and to build the future we all dreamed about as children.
What are the objectives for Artemis III if both landers will not be fully ready?
Coming off a highly successful lunar mission like Artemis II, it is not surprising that the bar is set high for Artemis III. I think it is important to understand how difficult and dangerous it is to land astronauts on the Moon. We have not done it in a very long time, and we want to draw from a past playbook for success. That means getting into a cadence of launching, learning, and rolling improvements into the next mission.
First and foremost, it is imperative for SLS to be flying with some frequency for operational currency and, honestly, safety. Earlier this year, it was very clear across NASA leadership that an additional mission was necessary in 2027. It is also imperative to gain interoperability data from rendezvous and docking with landers in Earth orbit. We do not need those landers that are still in development to be fully capable and certified for landing on the Moon on Artemis III, but we do need to test certain systems and controllability. Not to mention, we are moving quickly into a future where we do not require a single rocket to bring everything necessary for a mission to space, and as such, gaining experience with multi-launch campaigns and on-orbit assembly is directionally correct.
The Blue Origin test lander for Artemis III will incorporate many of the most important systems and subsystems that have not previously been operated by the provider, including ECLSS in a crew cabin, and other avionics. With SpaceX, they have demonstrated many of those capabilities continuously on Crew Dragon, but other controllability tests are important based on the negative-X axis acceleration that will be necessary when Starship undertakes the TLI burn to the Moon with a docked Orion.
After Artemis III, we will learn a lot and roll in further improvements, be that hardware, software, or procedural updates, as both providers undertake end-to-end uncrewed demonstrations to the surface in 2028, in advance of Artemis IV, where NASA astronauts will finally complete the grand return to the Moon.
As I said in my remarks yesterday, when Gene Cernan left the lunar surface on Apollo 17, he said, “We leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.” We are returning, and we are doing so with the fire carried forward from Apollo, the lessons learned from Artemis II, the crew of Artemis III, and all those who will follow. NASA will send the very best crews for the right missions. If the composition of our astronaut corps and our latest class of candidates says anything, it is that we have exactly the talent required to get the job done.
Godspeed Artemis III, and all those who will follow.
We are sending the best NASA astronauts based on crew rotation, background, and expertise on Artemis III. The same way we sent our best on Artemis II. The same way we send our best astronauts to the International Space Station, where the recent Crew-10 through Crew-13 assignments ALL include female commanders and crews that are no less than 50% female. Not because it was a requirement, but because they are the best astronauts for the job.
Celebrate the Artemis III crew the same way we will celebrate all crews who follow that will walk again on the Moon.
Was with some ex-SpaceXers at dinner last night when we got the word. Lots of post-explosion (AMOS-6 and CRS-7) reminiscing. My heart goes out to all the @blueorigin employees. It’s a long road ahead.
From the @space_station to deep space, it's been a busy week at @NASA. 🚀
🏛️ Swearing in @NASADepAdmin
🔴 Psyche captures stunning new Mars images
🛰️ Successful delivery to the ISS
🌔 @NASAMoonBase update next week
Here’s your NASA Minute!
Honored to be sworn in today as @NASA Deputy Administrator. I’m grateful to @POTUS for the opportunity to serve alongside @NASAAdmin and the incredible NASA workforce to strengthen America’s leadership in space and lead the next era of exploration and discovery 🇺🇸
The next chapter of lunar exploration is taking shape.
Next week, we are announcing our first steps towards surface capabilities and mobility. Preparation for the first Moon Base is well underway.
Vote scheduled: At 5:30pm, on Monday, May 18th, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on confirmation of the en bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S.Res.690.
I applaud President Trump’s whole-of-government effort to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena. At NASA, our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn. We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered. Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge are core to NASA’s mission as we endeavor to unlock the secrets of the universe.