Space Science in 2026: New Lunar Explorers, Mars Missions, and Space Telescopes

NASA SPACE FLIGHT - With many missions on the manifest, the new year promises to be packed with space science. Two interplanetary spacecraft will arrive at their destinations as another Mars window opens in late 2026. Meanwhile, multiple space telescopes have their launch dates set for this year, and the schedule promises an increased cadence for lunar missions.

The year follows another busy year in space science, which saw multiple space telescopes launched and the first fully successful commercial lunar mission. In 2025, NASA announced the discovery of ingredients for life in ancient asteroid material, while scientists studied potential traces of ancient life on Mars. Multiple missions ended last year, and 2025 left one of NASA’s Mars explorers in peril.

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This year, Blue Origin will also attempt its first lunar landing with its Blue Moon Mark 1 craft. The uncrewed version of the company’s Blue Moon lunar lander will launch atop a New Glenn as a pathfinder to test the BE-7 engine and various mission-critical systems. In 2025, NASA announced that its cancelled and later revived Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) would fly as a payload on Mark 1’s second mission.

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Note:  Blue Origin is headquartered in Kent.

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