NASA and SpaceX are targeting Wednesday, January 14, at 5:00 PM EST for the undocking of Dragon Endeavour from the International Space Station, beginning the first medical evacuation in the orbiting laboratory’s 25-year history. If weather and all other factors are acceptable, the four-person Crew-11 team is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego, California, at approximately 3:40 AM ET on Thursday, January 15.
The roughly 11-hour journey from undocking to splashdown follows standard Crew Dragon procedures. Mission managers continue monitoring weather and sea states in the Pacific Ocean recovery zone, and the precise splashdown location will be confirmed closer to undocking.
Crew 11 Is A Controlled Evacuation, Not An Emergency Egress
NASA officials have repeatedly emphasized this is a “controlled medical evacuation” rather than an emergency return. In true emergencies, Dragon can bring crew home within hours, but the agency opted for standard departure procedures to minimize risk.
“Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority,” NASA stated. “These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely.”
The affected crew member remains stable. NASA has declined to identify which of the four astronauts is experiencing the medical concern, citing privacy policies. The issue first came to light on January 7 when JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui requested a private medical conference with flight surgeons.
Crew 11 Astronaut Mike Finke Provides An Update
As many of you have heard, our crew will be coming home just a few weeks earlier than planned due to an unexpected medical issue. First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for. This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet.
This photo was taken as we prepared our space suits for return—a normal, methodical step in getting ready to come home, and a reminder that this decision was made calmly and carefully, with people at the center.
What stands out most to me is how clearly NASA cares about its people. Flight surgeons, engineers, managers, and support teams came together quickly and professionally to chart the best path forward. The ground teams—across mission control centers and partner organizations around the world—have been extraordinary.
We’re proud of the joint work we’ve done and the camaraderie we’ve shared, including some great songs and more than a few dad jokes. It has been a privilege to serve aboard the International Space Station—an extraordinary orbiting laboratory and a symbol of what nations can achieve together. Living and working here with our international partners has been both humbling and deeply rewarding.
This moment also highlights the strength of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and our partnership with SpaceX. Dragon provides a safe, reliable, and flexible capability to bring us home on short notice when it’s the right thing to do.
We’re leaving the ISS in great hands. The three crewmates who arrived in November will continue the mission, and they’ll be joined by Crew-12 in just a few weeks. Explore 74!
We’re grateful for the teamwork, proud of the mission, and looking forward to coming home soon—back to our loved ones and to resolving any medical questions with the best care available.
— Ad Astra per Aspera! NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke, January 11, 2026
Interestingly, Mike Finke gave the update outside of NASA’s official media channels, instead, he posted it to his LinkedIn page. That’s not to say that NASA did not know and approve of what Finke had to say, just that he made it a personal statement from a personal channel.
Crew Preparations Underway
The Crew-11 astronauts have spent recent days preparing for departure. A key step involves fit-checking their Dragon pressure suits—necessary because the spine lengthens and body fluids shift toward the head in microgravity, affecting torso and limb dimensions. The crew also tested suit audio and video communication systems.
Commander Zena Cardman drained water from two NASA spacesuits aboard the station—the same suits that would have been used for the January 8 spacewalk that was cancelled when the medical situation arose. Yui and Platonov continued research activities, with Platonov studying blood vessel function in microgravity and methods for preventing blood clots during spaceflight.
NASA diagram of the current docking location for the spacecraft at ISS credit: NASA
Station Crew After Departure
When Endeavour undocks, the International Space Station will be left with only three crew members—the smallest complement in years:
Chris Williams (NASA)
Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Roscosmos)
Sergei Mikaev (Roscosmos)
The trio arrived November 27, 2025, aboard Soyuz MS-28 and will remain aboard until July 2026. Williams will serve as the sole American operator for NASA’s systems and science experiments until Crew-12 arrives.
Expedition 74 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev pose for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Credit: NASA/James Blair
NASA and Roscosmos intentionally place astronauts on different spacecraft precisely for situations like this. The U.S. and Russian segments of the station are interdependent, requiring at least one person from each country to keep operations running.
“This is one of the reasons why we fly mixed crews on Soyuz and US vehicles,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya in a NASA press conference last Friday. “We want to make sure we have operators for both segments.”
Crew-12 Launch Under Evaluation
NASA is assessing whether to accelerate the Crew-12 launch, currently targeting no earlier than February 15. The Crew-12 team includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has indicated the agency is comfortable with the gap in crew size. The station has operated with skeleton crews before—as few as two people remained aboard following the Columbia tragedy in 2003.
Asked whether an accelerated Crew-12 launch could impact Artemis II preparations at Kennedy Space Center, Isaacman was direct: “These would be totally separate campaigns at this point.” NASA’s crewed lunar mission remains on track for its February launch window.
Historical Context
While unprecedented for the International Space Station, medical evacuations from orbit have occurred before. In November 1985, Soviet Salyut 7 commander Vladimir Vasyutin became seriously ill after two months in space and returned early with his crewmates.
Afterward, Cosmonaut Viktor Savinykh published a diary detailing the difficult situation. Like NASA today, Soviet officials declined to identify the specific medical problem for privacy reasons, though it is generally believed to have been a prostate infection.
The Crew-11 return demonstrates the value of having crew return vehicles permanently docked at the station. Dragon Endeavour has been attached to the Harmony module’s zenith port since August 2025, ready for exactly this contingency.
Looking Ahead
NASA coverage of undocking and splashdown will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Following crew recovery, a media conference is scheduled for 5:45 AM EST on January 15.
The return will mark the end of Crew-11’s mission approximately three weeks ahead of schedule. Upon splashdown, the affected crew member will receive appropriate medical evaluation and care—the primary goal that prompted NASA’s decision to bring the team home early.
Canaveral National Seashore will implement temporary schedule changes at Playalinda Beach to support NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission, the National Park Service announced on January 9th.
Beginning Sunday, January 12th, the Playalinda District will operate on reduced hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., two hours shorter than the normal 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. schedule. The modified hours will remain in effect through January 31st.
Playalinda Beach Closures – Artemis II
Playalinda Beach Schedule Changes
Canaveral National Seashore – Artemis II Launch Support
Dates
Hours
Status
January 12 – January 30, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Reduced Hours
January 31 – February 6, 2026*
—
Closed
Day after successful launch
6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Normal Hours Resume
*Closure continues until day of successful Artemis II launch
Starting January 31st, the entire Playalinda Beach District will close completely and remain closed through February 6th—or until the day of a successful Artemis II launch. The closure encompasses the period when NASA’s first launch window opens for the historic crewed lunar mission.
Normal operating hours will resume the day following a successful launch.
Visitors planning trips to the seashore during this period should check the National Park Service website or contact the park directly for the latest access information.
Day OR Night Launch, Most Of MINWR Won’t Be Open For Spectators For Liftoff
The redundantly named Playalinda Beach (playa – beach, linda – beautiful in Spanish) offers some of the closest public viewing locations for launches from Kennedy Space Center and the north end of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but that will definitely not the case for Artemis II’s launch.
A Falcon 9 lifts off from LC-39A at Kennedy Space. Photo: Charles Boyer
Not only will Playalinda be closed, but if Artemis I in 2022 serves as any guide, much of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will be in the official security zone and the public will have no access, with KSC Police turning away unauthorized cars at the entrance to the Refuge (near the end of the Max Brewer Bridge on Beach Road.) On the north side, on FL-3, the Haulover Bridge was as far south as people were allowed.
The 2022 Artemis I Launch Hazard Area Source: US Space Force
Artemis II in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo: NASA
NASA has published its launch window availability for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, with opportunities spanning February through April 2026. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are scheduled to roll out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B NET January 17th.
The four-mile journey aboard Crawler-Transporter 2 will take up to 12 hours before the integrated launch structure and rocket arrive at their final destination.
After Artemis II is rolled out to LC39B, engineers and technicians will start pad integration tasks, including connecting essential ground support equipment such as electrical lines, environmental control system ducts, and cryogenic propellant feeds. After those tasks are successfully completed, teams will then power up all integrated systems for the first time at the pad.
All windows are 120 minutes, except for March 11th, which offers a slightly shorter 115-minute window.
Lighting Constraints Drive Window Selection
The published windows reflect careful consideration of lighting conditions, so that Orion is not in darkness for more than 90 minutes at a time post-launch, therefore allowing its solar arrays to keep generating power and the spacecraft to stay within its thermal limits. Dates that would put Orion into extended eclipses are removed from consideration.
Another consideration is that the launch window constraints ensure optimal conditions for tracking cameras and abort scenarios during the critical ascent phase.
NASA notes all dates remain subject to adjustments as the mission progresses through final preparations.
First Launch Opportunities Open February 6
The earliest available launch window opens on February 6, 2026, at 9:41 pm ET, with a 2-hour window. Launch opportunities continue through February 11th, followed by a brief gap, then resume mid-month. Each window in the February series shifts progressively later into the night, with the final February opportunity on the 11th occurring at 1:05 AM EST.
Should weather or technical issues prevent a February launch, NASA has identified windows throughout March and April. The March series begins on the 6th at 8:29 PM ET, while April windows open as early as 6:24 PM ET on April 1st—notably the only daytime launch opportunity in the released schedule, occurring approximately 1.3 hours before sunset.
Crew 11 prepares to board Crew Dragon and launch to Station on August 1, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced in a press conference today that NASA’s Crew 11 would return early from the International Space Station due to an unnamed medical issue with an unnamed member of the crew. The date and time of that return has not yet been determined, and will be announced once it is determined.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov comprise Crew 11.
“Yesterday, January 7th, a single crew member on board the station experienced a medical situation and is now stable. After discussions with Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Polk and leadership across the agency, I’ve come to the decision that it’s in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew 11 ahead of their planned departure within the coming days.”
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
Regarding the specifics of when Crew 11 will return, Isaacman added that, “We expect to provide a further update within the next 48 hours as to the expected anticipated undock and reentry timeline.” That’s Saturday afternoon. Stay tuned.
Crew 11 ascending to orbit on August 1, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
Crew 11 launched on August 1, 2025 and has spent 160 days in space since then. Originally planned to return next month after the arrival and handoff to Crew 12, which had planned to launch in mid-February.
Later, Isaacman said plainly, “This is not an emergency deorbit. We retain the capability to bring astronauts home in a matter of hours if necessary. So this is recognizing, first of all, we’re always going to do the right thing for our astronauts, but it’s recognizing it’s the end of the Crew 11 mission right now.”
Jared Isaacman, January 8, 2026. Via NASA Stream
So, one of the four astronauts has a serious enough issue to require testing or treatment on Earth, but it is not an immediate life-or-death emergency requiring Crew 11 to return to Earth with all possible haste. Instead, NASA is moving the timeline up for Crew 11’s return as a matter of prudence for one of its astronauts (or cosmonauts).
Once Crew 11 and Crew Dragon departs, ISS would be down to a skeleton crew: Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev from Roscosmos and NASA’s Chris Williams. They would have only the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft that docked on Nov. 27, 2025 as a return vehicle.
NASA is looking at accelerating the Crew 12 launch, but no new target date has been announced. “Alongside our international and commercial partners, NASA is evaluating their timeline to include earlier launch opportunities. We will provide more information when it’s available,” Isaacman announced.
What About Artemis II? Could This Issue Create A Delay?
Crew 12 is slated to fly in mid-February from The Cape, and launching earlier might have NASA preparing to launch two different crews on two entirely different missions in a very short timespan: Artemis II is currently scheduled to fly in early February. Launching Crew 12 earlier puts the two closer together on the calendar.
Asked if that would create a conflict within the agency, Isaacman replied to CBS News’s Bill Harwood that “These are totally separate campaigns at this point. We’re still evaluating what earlier dates would be achievable, if any, for Crew 12. So right now we’re going to look at all operations, all of our all of our standard process[es] to prepare for Crew 12 and look for opportunities if we can bring it in while simultaneously conducting our Artemis II campaign.”
Isaacman added that “There’s no reason to believe at this point in time that there would be any overlap that we’d have to de-conflict for.”
Artemis II, NASA’s return to lunar space, is expected to be rolled out to the launch pad this month, with a launch planned for February. That seemed like a good time to review my old Artemis I shots, and I found a few that were pretty good.
An RL-10 engine being test fired at a Rocketdyne facility in West Palm Beach, Florida Credit: L3 Harris
L3Harris Technologies is spinning off the majority of its space propulsion business less than two years after absorbing Aerojet Rocketdyne.
The defense contractor announced today that AE Industrial Partners will acquire a 60% stake in its Space Propulsion and Power Systems division for $845 million. L3Harris retains the remaining 40% and expects to finalize the deal in late 2026, following regulatory approval.
L3Harris is headquartered in Melbourne and currently employs between 47,000 and 50,000 people globally.
What AE Industrial Partners Is Getting
The divested unit manufactures the RL10 upper-stage engine—currently flying on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket—along with electric propulsion thrusters and spacecraft power systems. Its hardware supports missions ranging from Mars rovers to NASA’s planned lunar Gateway station. The division also pursues advanced concepts in nuclear surface power and in-space nuclear propulsion.
AEIP is expected to revive the Rocketdyne name, one of the oldest in spaceflight. It was coined in 1955 when North American Aviation created a propulsion division.
“Rocketdyne is the birthplace of American rocket propulsion,” said Kirk Konert, managing partner at AE Industrial. He described the deal as creating a hybrid structure that combines defense-prime resources with the agility of a focused investor, with plans to modernize RL10 production while honoring the engine’s heritage.
The acquisition expands AE Industrial’s growing space portfolio, which already includes Firefly Aerospace, Redwire Space, and York Space Systems. Both parties indicated they will prioritize development of next-generation propulsion systems, particularly nuclear technologies considered essential for deep-space and cislunar operations.
What L3Harris Is Keeping
L3Harris is keeping the RS-25 program entirely in-house. The legacy engine, which powers NASA’s Space Launch System for Artemis lunar missions, carries long-term government contracts that the company will continue to fulfill as prime contractor.
Company leadership framed the partial sale as a strategic pivot toward missile production and other defense priorities. CEO Christopher Kubasik said the transaction “further sharpens our portfolio around core mission priorities” while supporting faster, more responsive defense manufacturing.
Starlink 10-17 lifts off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on October 17, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
2025 was an incredibly busy year in spaceflight, both here at the Cape and also globally. By Christmas, providers broke previous orbital launch records, with over 300 successful flights globally, largely driven by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for Starlink satellite deployments.
SpaceX further extended its dominance in 2025 with over 130 orbital launches across the year, the vast majority using its Falcon 9 rocket. The company continued flying at a pace unmatched by any other launch provider, supporting satellite deployments, ISS crew and cargo missions, and national security payloads in addition to continuing building out its wildly popular Starlink offering.
SpaceX launching IMAP on September 24, 2025. At this point in the flight, the rocket was passing through the speed of sound. Photo: Charles Boyer
Starlink
On October 25, 2025, SpaceX launched its 10,000th Starlink satellite. Space.com quoted noted satellite tracker Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, saying that there are currently 9,357 Starlink satellites in orbit, with 9,347 in operational positions. The constellation serves over 9 million customers across 100 countries and territories. It is estimated that the company adds around 20,000 new customers daily.
Reusable boosters remain central to that success. Several Falcon 9 first stages flew 20 or more times, reinforcing the idea that rapid reuse is no longer experimental but routine. One of its boosters, B1067, has now flown 32 times and is currently at SpaceX’s facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, being refurbished for another flight. The company has publicly stated that it seeks to certify Falcon 9 boosters for up to 40 flights, and in 2025, several of the company’s boosters have fewer than ten missions remaining to meet that goal.
Starship test flights also continued launching from Texas, focusing on vehicle upgrades, heat-shield performance, and recovery techniques aimed at future missions beyond Earth orbit. The company is also continuing to build out its Boca Chica infrastructure, with a new launch pad nearing completion at the end of this year. Flights from the new facility should take place in the first part of 2026.
Starship Heavy lifts off from Boca Chica, Texas to start the IFT-6 mission. Photo: Richard Gallagher, FMN
SpaceX also received approval to begin converting Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral for Starship operations. The site, previously used by United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV, gives SpaceX a second major East Coast launch location and points to long-term plans for higher-energy missions beyond Falcon 9.
SpaceX has stated that its goal is to launch from the Cape in 2026.
SpaceX has also begun construction of a new “Gigabay” facility for Starship at its Roberts Road site at Kennedy Space Center. That facility is large — not quite the size of the venerable VAB, but large nonetheless — and should be completed in 2026.
Blue Origin: New Glenn Finally Flies
After years of development, Blue Origin reached orbit for the first time with the debut launch of its New Glenn rocket in 2025. Flying from LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the successful flight validated the vehicle’s core systems and marked the company’s entry into the heavy-lift orbital launch market.
Blue Origin NG-1 launch. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
NG-1, Blue’s mission designation for the debut flight, also had a tertiary goal of landing the New Glenn first stage, but that effort was unsuccessful. The payload reached its target orbit, however, making the flight a rousing success for a company long discounted by many in the space community.
Momentum continued on New Glenn’s second launch, when Blue Origin successfully landed its reusable first-stage booster on its recovery ship ‘Jacklyn’. The recovery showed that the company’s emphasis on reusability was now operational and not theoretical, and it positioned New Glenn as a serious competitor in the heavy-lift category.
Notably, Blue’s second New Glenn flight was much smoother than the debut. This was an expected improvement, but it clearly showed that Blue had taken the lessons learned from NG-1 to heart, made operational improvements, and applied them to the NG-2 flight.
Blue Origin New Glenn NG-2 launches on November 13. 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer
2025 also saw Blue Origin significantly advancing its Blue Origin Blue Moon lunar lander program, as it continued preparing its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander for its first demo mission to deliver payloads to the lunar South Pole, presumably on the New Glenn NG-3 flight in early 2026.
Plans to reuse ‘Never Tell Me the Odds’, the booster used for the NG-2 flight, on NG-3. If successful, Blue Origin will achieve landing and then reusing a booster in relatively quick succession.
New Glenn booster ‘Never Tell Me The Odds’ returning to Port Canaveral
Blue is continuing development of its second lunar lander, Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2). While they have made few public statements on the status and progress of the project, it is believed that they are building a flight-capable cabin for testing and crew training for the larger MK2, one of two of NASA’s selected crewed landers. Additionally, Blue is said to be working on life support, thermal control, and docking systems for MK2. Undoubtedly, the results from the MK1 mission will greatly inform the future designs of MK2.
Finally, Blue Origin created a new internal group focusing on national security missions for the US Government, and to run it they hired ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno.
Tory Bruno
United Launch Alliance: A Year Full Of Change
2026 was a transitional year for United Launch Alliance, and one that has many observers wondering about the company’s long-term prospects, especially now that their former leader, Tory Bruno, has left to work for the competition.
ULA Vulcan USSF-106 launches in August of 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
One one hand, the company has an estimated 70 launches backlogged, with the majority being LEO satellites for Amazon’s Leo telecommunications constellation. On the other, Vulcan has been slow to build any cadence, with August 2025 being the last launch and NET March 2026 for its next flight. That’s not going to trim the backlog appreciably.
The reasons go back to last year: October of 2024, Vulcan’s second flight, CERT-2 saw one of its solid rocket boosters (SRB) nozzles detach due to a manufacturing defect in the nozzle’s internal insulator, causing an off-nominal burn. However, the main engines compensated, kept the rocket on course, and the mission still achieved its orbital goals. The company and Northrop Grumman conducted an investigation to identify the issue and prevent any recurrence.
That took several months and most of ULA’s inertia but the company continued to soldier on with other missions while it waited for the results and corrections to Vulcan.
The power of Vulcan at liftoff. USSF-106. Photo: Charles Boyer
In written testimony to Congress in May 2025, Major General Stephen G. Purdy stated the Vulcan program had performed “unsatisfactorily“ over the past year. He noted that “major issues with the Vulcan have overshadowed its successful certification,” directly resulting in the grounding of four national security missions.
Due to Vulcan’s delays, the original 60/40 mission split favoring ULA under the NSSL Phase 2 contract shifted closer to 54/46 (or nearly 50/50) in 2025, as more missions were awarded or reassigned to SpaceX. Now, Blue Origin is also in the competition future NSSL launches, with Blue expected to complete NSSL Certification next year. SpaceX isn’t going anywhere either, leaving ULA walking a tightwire in the coming year.
On August 13, 2025, ULA successfully launched its first national security mission for the U.S. Space Force using a Vulcan VC4S. The mission deployed NTS-3, an experimental navigation satellite designed to enhance GPS resilience and was a complete success.
With its Delta family retired, ULA successfully conducted four major launches for Amazon’s broadband constellation (Project Kuiper, now Amazon Leo) using Atlas V rockets. All of those missions were textbook perfect, as has been customary for the rocket.
ULA is planning to increase its launch cadence in 2026, and has all but completed a second launch tower and vertical integration facility for Vulcan.
Finally, close to the Christmas holiday, ULA announced that CEO Tory Bruno had resigned “to pursue another opportunity.” For Bruno, that opportunity turned out to be leading Blue Origin’s new National Security Group, where he will ostensibly be competing with his old company for lucrative USSL launches. At Blue Origin, Bruno will have a reusable rocket system in hand, while ULA will compete with its Vulcan rocket and the vast depth of experience the company has on its resume.
John Elbon. Credit: ULA
ULA COO John Elbon was named as the Interim CEO in a press release issued today. John Elbon is the chief operating officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). Before his new role, Elbon was responsible for the operations of the Atlas, Delta, and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle programs, including design, engineering, integration, production, quality assurance, and program management.
Previously, Elbon served as vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Programs. In that position, Elbon managed Boeing’s efforts on NASA’s Commercial Crew Space Act Agreements, including the first two phases of the Commercial Crew Development, which for Boeing was the Starliner CST program.
Rocket Lab
In 2025, Rocket Lab completed 21 Electron launches, maintaining one of the highest success rates in the small-satellite market and continuing to serve commercial, civil, and national security customers. Electron missions flew from both New Zealand and Virginia, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s value as a responsive, geographically flexible company.
At the same time, much of Rocket Lab’s strategic focus shifted toward the future with continued development of Neutron, its upcoming medium-lift, partially reusable rocket. Throughout 2025, the company advanced engine testing, structural manufacturing, and launch infrastructure work at Wallops Island, Virginia.
A Rocket Lab Electron launching from Wallops Island in Virginia.
While Neutron did not fly during the year as the company had expected, visible progress signaled Rocket Lab’s intent to move beyond small payloads and compete for larger commercial constellations and U.S. government missions later in the decade.
Beyond launch vehicles, Rocket Lab also expanded its space systems business, delivering spacecraft components, solar panels, and complete satellites to a growing customer base.
Rocket Lab’s share price rose sharply in 2025, with investors seeing significant gains in their positions.
Via Google
Taken together, 2025 was not a year of dramatic firsts for Rocket Lab, but one of consolidation and preparation — proving it could sustain a high launch tempo today while methodically building the capability to play a much bigger role in the launch market of the future.
NASA
The year was marked by layoffs, with uncertainty and dread a prevalent mood for many at the agency as the new presidential budget called for drastic cuts in NASA’s science programs.
The year also saw a great deal of preparation for a return to the Moon under Artemis, a major anniversary for the International Space Station, and visible progress in science, aviation, and artificial intelligence. It was also a year of leadership change, with private-space veteran Jared Isaacman nominated and later confirmed to a senior NASA leadership role, signaling closer alignment between the agency and the commercial space sector.
Workers preparing Artemis II in NASA’s VAB on February 25. 2025.
The year set the tone for a decade defined by sustained activity rather than isolated milestones.
Lunar exploration remained a central focus. NASA continued methodical preparations for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo, completing the stacking of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft and running dozens of mission simulations to stress-test procedures and crew timelines. At the same time, the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program delivered tangible results.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One achieved a successful lunar landing in early March, while Intuitive Machines’ second Nova-C lander reached the surface days later, gathering data despite landing on its side. Together, the missions reinforced NASA’s strategy of using commercial partners to deliver science and technology to the Moon more frequently and at lower cost.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost on the lunar surface, with Earth in the background. Credit: Firefly Aerospace
Beyond the Moon, NASA continued expanding its deep-space science portfolio. In November, the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft were launched toward Mars to investigate how the planet’s weak magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind, a key factor in understanding how Mars lost much of its atmosphere. Planning for future lunar surface science also advanced when Blue Origin was selected to deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon’s south pole later in the decade, keeping the agency’s search for water ice on track.
Space science and Earth observation saw several high-profile missions reach orbit in 2025. In March, NASA launched the SPHEREx space telescope to conduct an all-sky infrared survey while also deploying the PUNCH mission to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere and the origins of the solar wind.
Over the summer, the NISAR satellite, a joint mission with India’s ISRO, lifted off to provide unprecedented radar mapping of Earth’s ice sheets, forests, and changing landscapes. Astronomers also turned their attention outward as NASA coordinated global observations of 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system.
Closer to home, the Lucy spacecraft added another successful asteroid flyby to its mission, passing 52246 Donaldjohanson and returning detailed images that will help refine models of early solar system formation.
ISS. Credit: NASA
Human spaceflight milestones were just as prominent aboard the International Space Station. In November, the ISS marked 25 consecutive years of continuous human presence in orbit, a milestone that underscored its role as a testbed for long-duration missions beyond Earth.
Earlier in the year, astronaut Suni Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalk time by a woman, reflecting both the station’s ongoing maintenance demands and the growing experience of its crews. Williams had the opportunity to mark that achievement because she and Butch Wilmore were part of the ill-fated Boeing CFT mission that launched in 2024 and led to an unexpected nine-month stay on station. The Boeing CFT astronauts joined Crew 9, which launched in September 2024 and landed in the Pacific Ocean on March 18, 2025.
Boeing Starliner CFT-1astronauts on May 29, 2024
Logistics capabilities also expanded with the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s first Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, which delivered larger payloads and increased flexibility for station resupply. SpaceX provided the lift for Cygnus, as Northrop Grumman has yet to complete development of a new Antares 300-series replacement.
NASA also made visible progress in aviation and emerging technologies. The X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft completed its long-awaited first flight in October, validating a design meant to dramatically reduce sonic booms and potentially reopen the door to commercial supersonic travel over land.
X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft. Credit: NASA
In materials science, the agency’s heat-resistant superalloy GRX-810 earned recognition as NASA’s 2025 Commercial Invention of the Year, highlighting work aimed at improving engines and structures for extreme environments.
Taken together, 2025 was less about a single headline mission and more about steady progress across many fronts. NASA strengthened its lunar pipeline, celebrated a quarter-century of continuous human spaceflight, launched major new science missions, and laid the groundwork for how future exploration will be managed and analyzed. They also got a new administrator after a tumultuous nomination process. Jared Isaacman will bring many new ideas and changes to the agency, changes that will hopefully rejuvenate and reinvigorate the US space program.
As seen from the KSC Press Site: SpaceX B1090 descends towards a landing at Cape Canaveral after lofting Crew 10 to the edge of space on March 14, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
Others
Sierra Space
In 2025, Sierra Space moved its Dream Chaser program through a series of important ground milestones while also reworking its near-term flight plans. The spaceplane, named Tenacity, completed extensive pre-flight testing, including electromagnetic compatibility checks and runway tow trials, clearing several technical hurdles ahead of flight. That flight, planned for 2024, will now take place in 2026. Maybe.
Dream Chaser Tenacity at Kennedy Space Center Photo: Sierra Space
The program’s first mission was significantly reshaped. What was initially planned as a cargo run to the International Space Station was revised into a standalone orbital demonstration, now targeted for late 2026. NASA amended its contract with Sierra Space, removing guaranteed ISS delivery missions as the company redirected more attention toward defense and national security work.
As a result, Tenacity’s debut will focus on proving core flight and reentry capabilities rather than docking operations. The change reflects both development challenges and the additional certification steps required for ISS missions. While near-term station flights are no longer assured, Dream Chaser could still play a role in future logistics, including potential cargo deliveries to commercial space stations such as Orbital Reef, once the vehicle completes its initial orbital testing.
Relativity
Eric Schmidt
In 2025, Relativity Space entered a new phase after a major leadership shakeup. In March, Eric Schmidt stepped in as chief executive following a substantial investment in the company. Under his leadership, Relativity moved away from its earlier goal of fully 3D-printed rockets, adopting a more pragmatic hybrid manufacturing strategy while accelerating development of its larger, reusable Terran R launch vehicle.
Schmidt is a former Google
Stoke Space
Stoke Space, the Kent, Washington, company founded by former Blue Origin and SpaceX employees, had a good 2025, making major progress toward the first launch of its Nova rocket.
Rockets need launch pads, and Stoke has rebuilt SLC-14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to modern standards for Nova. This is no small accomplishment, and on top of that, Stoke was respectful of the history of 14: this is where John Glenn launched in Mercury-Atlas 6, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.
Bird's eye view of SLC-14 looking sharp. Kudos to the team who refurbished this historic site. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/XOU02lDQNF
As for Nova itself, work is focused on final hardware qualification as the company simultaneously activates SLC-14. Stoke had previously planned for a 2025 debut of Nova, but mid-year, the company shifted to the right on the launch calendar in order to complete SLC-14 and to iron out any remaining issues with Nova.
The 40.2-meter (132-foot) tall rocket is expected to fly in the early part of next year. Stoke is also planning to slowly introduce reusability, so expect the first launch to be expendable.
Boeing
In 2025 Boeing welcomed a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, previously the president and CEO of Rockwell Collins. Ortberg promised major changes throughout the company, including its spaceflight division.
In November 2025, NASA reduced Boeing’s Commercial Crew contract from six planned missions to the International Space Station (ISS) down to four. This followed technical issues during the 2024 crewed flight test that necessitated the astronauts’ return on a SpaceX vehicle in early 2025. The next mission for Starliner will be uncrewed and carrying cargo, but no date for that mission has been announced.
The news was not all bad for Boeing: their autonomous X-37B spaceplane continued its eighth mission, conducting long-duration orbital experiments as well as novel orbital maneuvers that can quickly place the spacecraft in a new orbit very quickly. In the quickly militarizing orbital environment, this is a tactical advantage yet to be demonstrated by any other nation.
The X-37B. Credit: Boeing
Boeing also continued working on the SLS core stage. It’s Artemis II hardware is in the VAB awaiting rollout and at the time of this writing, the core stage for Artemis III is in an advanced state of manufacturing. After that, it is difficult to tell if the SLS rocket will be canceled by NASA and the Trump administration or if Boeing and others will continue manufacturing the rocket.
Taken overall, the year was an incredibly exciting one, but also one that sets the stage for the future: in 2026 humans will return to cislunar space and further development for landing on the lunar surface will continue apace. Vast Space is planning to launch Vast-1, the first privately owned and operated space station in LEO. We’ll also see SpaceX passing 10,000 Starlink satellites on orbit at some point in 2026, along with Amazon’s nascent Leo constellation starting to take form. There will be new rockets making their debut, and in between, lot of launches, especially Falcon 9 launches.
Stay tuned.
Atlas V Amazon Leo 4 timelapse as seen from 528 West in Merritt Island. Photo: Charles Boyer
“Earthrise” by William Anders, on December 24, 1968
Today, in 1968 aboard Apollo 8, NASA astronaut Bill Anders captured “Earthrise” — one of the most iconic photographs of the Apollo era. For the first time, humans were able to the Earth from the perspective of the moon.
Later, Anders recalled seeing “…a very fragile looking Earth, a very delicate looking Earth, I was immediately almost overcome by the thought that here we came all this way to the Moon, and yet the most significant thing we’re seeing is our own home planet, the Earth.” Using a highly modified Hasselblad 500 EL camera outfitted with a 250mm telephoto lens, Anders, with a click of the button, had captured a moment of personal epiphany and perhaps one of the great works of art of our time.
In 2018, the International Astronomical Union named a 25-mile-diameter crater “Anders’ Earthrise” in honor of both the man and the photograph. A smaller crater was also renamed “Eight Homeward.” You can see both of the memorialized craters in the iconic Earthrise photograph.
Fast Forward To 2026
Soon, the Artemis II astronauts will travel further away from Earth than Apollo 8, about 250,000 miles (400,000 km) from home. Depending on the launch date, it may even eclipse Apollo 13, humanity’s current record holder, which was farther from Earth than any other mission. If so, on that spaceflight, they will have the opportunity to capture views of our home planet from places humanity has never been.
Artemis II Gear
Artemis II’s astronauts will have two Nikon D5 digital single-lens reflex cameras available inside the cabin. These are professional-grade still and video cameras, selected both for public affairs imagery and for the crew’s own photographic priorities. Equipped with wide-angle and long-range lenses, the cameras are expected to capture everything from close-quarters life inside Orion to distant views through the spacecraft’s windows during the lunar flyby.
A 50,000 foot overview of Artemis II’s image planning. From the NASA Orion Imagery Working Group (OIWG)
The choice of the Nikon D5 was not accidental. The camera is known for its low-noise performance and high dynamic range, qualities that allow it to handle the stark contrast between sunlit spacecraft surfaces and deep shadow in space. The same will be true for a brightly lit lunar environment, where the sunlight surfaces and craters in shadow are like night and day.
Just as critical for a deep-space mission, the D5 has shown strong resistance to radiation effects, helping ensure reliable operation beyond low Earth orbit where exposure levels are significantly higher. Still, it is an old camera by today’s standards, but just because something is old does not mean it is not useful.
Specification
Details
Production start
January 2016
Production ended
February 2020
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
35.9 mm × 23.9 mm (FX)
Effective resolution
20.8 MP
Image dimensions
5568 × 3712
Size
160 × 158.5 × 92 mm
Weight
1405 g
Card types
CF / XQD
Ports
USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet
ISO
100–102,400
FX vs DX:
FX is Nikon’s full-frame sensor format, favored for spaceflight because it handles extreme contrast and low-light conditions more effectively than smaller DX sensors.
Video from the Nikon cameras can also be routed through Orion’s onboard ZCube encoder, allowing selected footage to be compressed and sent to the ground during the mission. Bandwidth limitations mean not everything can be transmitted live, but the system supports high-definition and ultra-high-definition recording, preserving higher-quality footage for return with the spacecraft after splashdown.
An astronaut on EVA with a Nikon D5. Photo: NASA.
Nikon’s History With NASA
Nikon and NASA have had a working relationship since Apollo 15.
For much of the past decade, Nikon DSLRs formed the backbone of ISS still photography. Cameras such as the Nikon D4, released in 2012, and later the Nikon D5, released in 2016, became familiar tools for astronauts documenting everything from spacewalk preparation to dramatic Earth imagery through the station’s windows. These cameras were favored for their ruggedness, low-light performance, and compatibility with a wide range of lenses already qualified for spaceflight.
Nikon NASA Timeline
Year
Milestone
1971
The Nikon Photomic FTN* (NASA specifications) and NIKKOR lens were used on Apollo 15.
1980
The “Small Camera”, based on the Nikon F3 film SLR camera and equipped with a motor drive, and the F3 “Big Camera”, which utilized long film, were delivered to NASA.
1981
The “Small Camera” was used aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia launched the following year.
1999
The Nikon F5 film SLR camera and AF NIKKOR lens were carried aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to photograph extravehicular activities (EVA).
2008
The Nikon D2XS digital SLR cameras were delivered to NASA. Six D2XS cameras are used in space to document activities such as inspection and maintenance.
2013
A total of 38 Nikon D4 digital SLR cameras, 64 NIKKOR lenses, including the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR, and various other accessories were delivered to NASA.
2013
These products are used, among other things, to check solar panels and outer surfaces of the ISS.
2016
An additional 10 Nikon D4 digital SLR cameras were delivered to NASA, and are also used to check solar panels and outer surfaces of the ISS.
2017
10 unmodified Nikon D5 DSLR bodies were sent to the ISS on Orbital OA-8 (November 12) to replace older models, reusing existing lenses.
2024
Multiple Nikon Z9 bodies and lenses were delivered on Northrop Grumman’s NG-20 resupply mission (launched January 30), marking the first time Nikon’s mirrorless technology was used on the ISS and replacing the D5/D6 cameras as the primary imaging systems.
The most prominent Nikon camera currently in use on the ISS is the Nikon Z9, which was delivered to the station in 2022. The addition of the Z9 represented a major step forward for on-orbit imaging, offering a high-resolution stacked sensor, fast readout, and strong video capability without a mechanical shutter. Astronauts use it for Earth observation, operational documentation, and public-affairs photography, often paired with long telephoto lenses for detailed imagery of weather systems, cities, and natural features.
That said, using the D5 in lieu of the Z9 is an interesting choice.
Specification
Nikon D5
Nikon Z9
Camera type
DSLR
Mirrorless
Production start
2016
2021
Sensor type
CMOS
Stacked CMOS
Sensor size
35.9 mm × 23.9 mm (FX)
35.9 mm × 23.9 mm (FX)
Effective resolution
20.8 MP
45.7 MP
Image dimensions
5568 × 3712
8256 × 5504
ISO range
100–102,400
64–25,600
Viewfinder
Optical
Electronic
Video
4K 30p
8K 60p
Card types
CF / XQD
CFexpress B
Weight
≈ 1405 g
≈ 1340 g
ISS role
Legacy still camera
Primary ISS handheld
Storage space and unimpeachable reliability are possibly the basis of NASA’s decision to go with the older camera, or it could be that the selection was made before the agency had experience with the newer gear. The Z9 will be part of the Artemis III roster and will be used on the lunar surface.
In addition to the NASA-owned handheld cameras, Artemis II will also carry a set of National Geographic cameras. These handheld GoPro units are flying as a dedicated payload for a Disney and National Geographic documentary. The cameras will be operated by the crew throughout the mission, but their footage will not be downlinked during flight. Instead, the recorded material will return to Earth aboard Orion, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the mission once the capsule is recovered.
The Moon and Earth, as photographed from Artemis I. Photo: NASA
Other Cameras Aboard Artemis II
Supporting all of this handheld imagery is a dense network of fixed cameras mounted throughout the spacecraft. Inside the cabin, wireless cameras and human health monitoring cameras document crew activity and vehicle performance, particularly during dynamic phases such as launch, ascent, entry, and landing. One of these interior cameras will stream live video from crew ingress through ascent, giving mission controllers real-time insight into conditions inside Orion.
Outside the spacecraft, fixed exterior cameras track critical events such as solar array deployment, spacecraft separation, and vehicle inspections. These views are essential for engineers, but they also continue a tradition dating back to Apollo, showing the realities of spaceflight from the spacecraft itself. Altogether, 28 cameras will support Orion during Artemis II, making it one of the most extensively documented human spaceflight missions to date.
Artemis II will not land on the Moon, but will very possibly carry humans farther from Earth than ever before, and the imagery plan reflects a careful balance. Engineering needs come first, but with crew handheld cameras and a dedicated National Geographic payload onboard, Artemis II is also set to capture the human experience of deep space, one frame at a time.
John Kraus, the Satellite Beach-based launch photographer extraordinaire, announced that he has a role on Jared Isaacman’s staff as a Special Communications Assistant to the NASA Administrator.
I’m humbled and energized to bring my passion for photography and storytelling to NASA and work under
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman as Special Communications Assistant to the Administrator.
With my focus now fully on working alongside the best and brightest at NASA, my independent media coverage and for-hire work comes to an end. Thank you all for following along over the years! Be sure to follow NASA’s channels to see great content from across the agency.
I have deep respect for NASA’s communicators and creatives, individuals whose work I’ve followed and admired for a long time. I’m profoundly grateful for the opportunity to work with them to help continue sharing NASA’s story with the widest audience possible and inspiring the next generation to look up to the stars. Under Administrator Isaacman’s leadership, we will do just that.
John Kraus Special Communications Assistant to the Administrator
NASA
Kraus is well-qualified for this role. While he cut his teeth as an award winning launch and space photographer, John was also the Content Director for the Polaris Program, which saw the first privately conducted EVA in Earth orbit. Additionally, Kraus was responsible for photographing campaign milestones and sharing the highly popular Polaris story via social media.
Liftoff of Polaris Dawn Photo credit: Polaris Program / John Kraus
Presumably the role starts immediately and that at a good time as the agency prepares to ramp up its launch campaign for the Artemis II mission, mankind’s first foray past Earth orbit in fifty-four years.
John Kraus Photo: Polaris Program
First recognized nationally in 2016 when Kraus was sixteen years old and still in high school, in the past ten year he’s covered 385 launches globally, including human spaceflight: training, launch, and splashdown/recovery operations.
Kraus has also photographed and reported on static fires, engine test fire campaigns and zero gravity flights. When he’s not covering space, you might find him in the rear seat of a high-performance fighter aircraft, capturing air-to-air shots. Kraus has spent time in an L-39, Alpha Jet and a Russian-made MiG-29.
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