Keith’s note: according to a press release from the National Academies of Science “A new report “A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars“ from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies the highest priority science objectives for the first human mission to Mars, and says searching for evidence of existing or past life on Mars should be the top priority. Improving our understanding of the effects of Mars’ environment on humans, plants, and animals; water cycles; geologic records; and dust storms are also among the 11 science priorities named in the report.” There will be a media event today from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (ET). Watch live.

Keith’s note: It looks like a lot of Americans still believe in a bunch of conspiracies (surprise surprise) including the whole Apollo Moon landing thing. NASA will launch Artemis II to circle the Moon in 2026. The Artemis III landing on the Moon will be in 2028 or whenever. News and rumor – and fears and hopes – all collide (badly) in today’s news bubble. It is going to be a challenge for NASA to put forth – not just the play-by-play of these missions – but also the rationale and (gulp) even the proof that they are real. I recall experiencing the 1969 landing. The world stopped and watched in awe. Will that happen again more than half a century later as we return?

• Recently I posted a revision of an earlier post “Doing Something Again For The First Time” (Update)“: “75% – 3/4 of the people on this planet have never seen humans walk on another world. We’re suddenly in a race to go back to the Moon and we are not clearly in the lead. The next time humans walk on the Moon will be the first time this happens as far as most of humanity is concerned.” Well, I forgot to factor in the people (across age groups) who think we never went in the first place. So I guess for them Artemis III (or a Chinese mission) will be their first lunar landing too.
• The Conservative Manhattan Institute’s recent Report on Republicans’ opinions survey says: “Moon landing: A similarly sized chunk of the Current GOP (36%) believes that the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked by NASA. Again, younger men are more likely to hold this view (51% of men under 50 vs. 38% of women under 50). There are stark racial divides: while only 31% of white GOP voters believe the conspiracy, this rises to 59% among Hispanic Republicans and 63% among black Republicans.” Based on personal experience I suspect that the Moon landing deniers exist in similarly large numbers among Democrats and Independents and across all age groups.

Keith’s note: A preprint was posted on Wednesday 3 Dec 2025 titled “Voyager 1 Data Reveals Signatures of the Local Gas and Cosmic-Ray Source Distributions“ which refers to “recent Voyager 1 data taken in the local ISM” and that “this work is partially funded via NASA grants 80NSSC22K0477, 80NSSC22K0718, and 80NSSC23K0169.” A NASA (American) mission is sending back data that from interstellar space. No other nation has a growing fleet of interstellar missions. Talk about taking the lead in space exploration. Yes, this is nerdy stuff – but it is still baffling to me that the agency simply cannot back up the whole “Make America Great In Space (again)” mantra with actual, no kidding, examples of pre-eminence in space. Data summary below.

Keith’s note: NASA likes to talk about all the wonderful ways that they do things that affect everyone and improve their lives. But how they do this is inconsistent with regard to large portions of our country and large sectors of society. And it is often out of date and regularly misses the point when it comes to what real people are thinking about in terms of their life’s priorities. This popped up in Congress today while Jared Isaacman was testifying. More below.

Keith’s note: I was only at NASA a short time in 1987 and was put on the Voyager Neptune “interstellar mission” status report distribution list (L). How cool. Nearly 40 years later I posted (R) about the one-light-day mark that will be reached a year from now. We’re actually heading to the stars – truly Ad Astra. No other nation has actually gone interstellar – and no one else will do so any time soon. It may be just a space nerd bench mark – but one would think that if NASA was going to hop on the ‘Make America Great In Space (Again)’ / ‘Keep America Great In Space’ bandwagon, they’d be looking for things NASA has accomplished like this – those with profound implications. We may be in a ‘race’ (back) to the Moon but no one is going to beat the U.S. into the cosmos any time soon. Oh yea there are two block buster movies coming out soon that deal with interstellar travel. Easy things to hang some outreach on – maybe even a teachable moment. Just sayin’.

Keith’s note: Astrobiologist Dale Andersen will be back in Antarctica at Lake Untersee from early January through the end of February 2026 for another field season of research, leading an international field team of graduate students and scientists from the United States, Canada, and Austria. His work is coordinated through the Carl Sagan Center within the SETI Institute, and we will be posting their updates at Astrobiology.com. More

Keith’s note: There is a little global softpower projection on ABC Australia’s ABC Arts about the Artemis Accords with Jess Bush from “Star Trek Strange New Worlds” and Mike Gold from Redwire Space. You can view it here on Instagram or here on Facebook.

Keith’s note: I am watching Dick Cheney’s funeral at the National Cathedral. There is a Moon rock in one of the windows. Those of us in Washington, DC realize at moments like this how we’re all 1 or 2 degrees of separation from the White House, Congress, heads of agencies – and each other. We all worked together because this is a small town and we had to. This used to be a strength. Now we’re shunned as being “Deep State”. The space community is even more tightly knitted. We’re propelled by nothing short of exploring the entire cosmos to benefit all of humanity. Somehow our community has to try and fix its small part of this mess. Otherwise we’ll abdicate our nation’s pre-eminence in space. And others will make the impossible – possible while we just watch. Ad Astra y’all.

Keith’s note: Everyone is pleased that Jared Isaacman is back in the NASA Administration nominee’s chair at NASA. But the current Administration just can’t take this win without taking a swipe at the previous Administration by calling them out on DEI issues – including the agency’s statement about sending the “first woman” to the Moon. see “NASA Nominee Plans to Prioritize America First Agenda in Space, Not DEI“ in the Daily Signal quoted by the White House press secretary: “Under the Biden administration, the public emphasis of the 2026 mission to the moon, Artemis III, was taking the first woman and first person of color there. But astronaut selection is about merit, expertise, and experience, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens said. Under the Trump administration, NASA has refined its public messaging to reinforce that Artemis is primarily about advancing space exploration.” Newsflash: during the Trump 1.0 Administration (not The Biden Administration) the “first woman” wording was added according to the NASA press release: “NASA Publishes Artemis Plan to Land First Woman, Next Man on Moon in 2024.” Just sayin’. Use Grok next time to check these things.

Keith’s note: Some complain NASA Watch has turned political. Oops. This is an existential moment for NASA (and everything else). Everyday I’m beset with putrid politics colliding with a hopeful future – one that usually keeps me (and you) going. Many of you have been thrown out of a job you were drawn to as a child because of this mess. I do this Internet thing by the seat of my pants – as are you with your lives right now. Don’t let these b*stards take your future away from you. I’m a child of StarTrek so I use clips to convey things. Here’s today’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYZ4IoyztIw

Keith’s note: There’s a big space space science thing on Capitol Hill today. No media were allowed – at least not until I got a message rather late last night saying that there was going to be an impromptu media event. But I did not get this update from the Planetary Society – since they simply refuse to put me on any mailing list – or contact me. Whatever. I am just a little fish. Rather, I got the media note from a sponsoring organization who told me that they had just gotten it from Planetary Society. So much for making sure that this whole save space science thing gets maximal media exposure. And if Planetary Society does not like you – oh well. Planetary Society does cool stuff but their leadership often behaves like a bunch of snowflakes and they ignore anything wherein they are not the biggest pony in the parade. Many of the participating organizations did little – if anything – to promote this event. BUT – to all of you who showed up: massive congratulations are in order. Each one of you represented thousands of others who could not participate. Alas, one-off events with no follow-up evaporate very fast – especially with fast news cycles and vastly more important societal and political issues bombarding us. FWIW I just tweeted this. Did I forget anything?

• The space science crowd does not talk about human spaceflight – droids are better
• The human spaceflight crowd simply says they “do some science” after they land – and photo ops
• Commercial space companies think they can do everything NASA does – better
• Science & human space flight folks are wary of commercial space – since everything is “payload”
• Outside the space bubble no one seems to care – since they have growing rent and food concerns
• True explorers sit back and watch in frustration.

Keith’s note: I recently participated in a web chat about NASA’s plans to put nuclear power systems on the Moon as part of the Artemis program with my friends Miles O’Brien and space nuclear expert Bhavya Lal. All of us are Star Trek fans BTW (and we’re not shy about that). Here’s the video.

Keith’s note: NASA’s budget is going to be slashed one way or another. Despite all the talk about making NASA more focused – or efficient – or “greater”, NASA science will suffer. Scores of missions will either be canceled, shutdown, or put on indefinite pause. Meanwhile Europe and our officially designated foe China surge ahead to fill gaps that we have created. NASA has yet to find the secret sauce wherein they can walk and chew gum at the same time. i.e. do astonishing things that no one has done before while conveying the scientific value of these accomplishments to decision makers and simultaneously, the practical, everyday utility to people and families as they try and make it through their daily lives. For what it is worth, as I have noted before: NASA has led space science and “Made America Great In Space” for more than half a century. Let’s not let that science leadership fade. Let’s expand it further. This won’t happen on its own. NASA must get its act together, find its mojo again, and put forth the multiple reasons why we should use and explore space – tailored to the various audiences who need – and deserve – to be informed. One size does not fit all. While NASA needs to learn how to explain itself to citizens and policymakers, how it explains its accomplishments on the global stage should be simple. Very simple – since NASA has led the way by:

• touching the sun
• visiting every planet in our solar system
• discovering over 6,000 planets orbiting other stars
• launched the first weather and Earth resource satellites
• sending humans to walk on another world
• doing the first offworld search for life
• moving an asteroid
• finding water on the Moon and Mars
• discovering oceans inside icy moons
• sailing across interstellar space
• peering back to the dawn of the universe
• developing a global brand that all nations aspire to

Interplanetary Memorial to Victims of Sept. 11, 2001: “The piece of metal with the American flag on it in this image of a NASA rover on Mars is made of aluminum recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers in the weeks after their destruction. The piece serves as a cable guard for the rock abrasion tool on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as well as a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. An identical piece is on the twin rover, Opportunity. The rock abrasion tools were built by Honeybee Robotics in lower Manhattan, less than a mile from the site. This image comes from the panoramic camera on Spirit and was taken on Feb. 2, 2004, the 30th Martian day, or sol, of Spirit’s work on Mars.”

Keith’s note: FYI Sean Duffy: NASA pushes out narratives (issued from the White House) about winning the “second space race” to the Moon. OK, that seems like a straight forward story to tell. Having historians and storytellers explain this adventure would be smart. But you really can’t do that when your boss dumps on one of the greatest lunar popular storytellers i.e. Tom Hanks. Read the room. Just sayin’

Keith’s note: I just saw this Space Frontier Foundation post over on Facebook “Why does space still struggle to compete for attention, resources, and belief?” My answer: Because you space people cannot read the room outside your space bubble where the rest of humanity lives – the people who pay for the whole space party one way or another. The same people who struggle to pay bills and stay afloat. Link your dreams to their needs and you will get more support. If people do not understand your interest then find a new way to talk to them – in ways that resonate with them – not with other space fans. Otherwise just sit down.

Keith’s note: According to “CBS News poll: Most Americans favor U.S. returning to moon, going to Mars“: “There is a lot of public favor for the idea of the U.S. returning to the moon, and also for eventually going to Mars. About two-thirds do, while a third does not. Younger Americans who are not old enough to remember the first moon landing are especially in favor, perhaps looking forward to seeing that exploration in their lifetimes. These views generally cut across ideological and party lines, as well.”

Keith’s note: I was planning on retiring and writing my book on Astrobiology expeditions to other worlds. Then Trump 2.0 happened and everyone suddenly wanted NASAWatch back. That said, I am still trying to escape reality for several hours a day and travel on a personal Away Team sortie into the future. I hope y’all can do that too. I just posted this NOAA discovery of an alien-looking species on Astrobiology.com with an editor’s note: “One day we will begin a detailed exploration of ocean worlds other than our own. Hopefully they will be habitable – and inhabited. Given that we still find new life forms on Earth – things which also seem strange by comparison to what has already been discovered, we have along way to go – on this world. As such it make sense to practice the skills of exploration and discover on a world close to us and our tools. In so doing we need to develop some translatable skills that we can apply to the robotic and human exploration of these other worlds. Expeditions and discoveries as describe below still happen. And the more we look, the more we discover. This story is about the newly-named Advhena magnifica (Advhena is derived from advena in Latin which means “alien”). How are we going to name the new life forms that we discover offworld? Will we use the same Latin-based binomial naming system that is used on Earth, perhaps adapt it with a new prefix or suffix, or pick another language? Or go digital? Something to think about.” Full post

Keith’s note: Things are starting to look darker at NASA. The Supreme Court just gave the final, ultimate green light to the Administration to gut agencies – NASA – however they wish to do so. Its time to adapt to this new paradigm. It is gloomy now. But that will eventually pass. NASA’s best days lie ahead. (More below).