NASA Soon to Announce More Plans of Missions to the Moon, Gamma Ray Research

Published 05/21/26 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Portland, Oregon) – The U.S. and other national partners are making further inroads into space – which includes the moon. NASA will soon hold two press conferences announcing more missions, and detailing some of its plans for hitting the moon more often. (NASA artist's depiction)

NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 26, to outline new Moon Base plans and report on progress toward establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. The briefing will take place at NASA Headquarters in Washington and stream live on NASA+ and the agency’s YouTube channel.

Agency leaders will discuss program milestones, new industry partnerships, and upcoming mission plans. Subject-matter experts will be available for individual interviews following the event. Scheduled participants include NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, and Carlos García-Galán, Moon Base program executive.

Did you know there was an Apollo astronaut who lived on the south Oregon coast? And he brought “moon trees” back to the state from one mission. More on that coming soon to Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

NASA says Moon Base is intended to support long-term exploration and infrastructure at the lunar South Pole, enabling continuous human operations and expanded scientific and commercial activity. The effort is part of a broader push to send astronauts on increasingly complex missions that will prepare for future crewed travel to Mars.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection photo

NASA will also hold a separate news conference on Wednesday, June 17, at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to preview Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL launch of Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft. LINK will rendezvous with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and boost it to a higher orbit, extending the telescope’s scientific life.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection photo - Depoe Bay

The Pegasus rocket and its L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft will be featured in public video coverage. Swift, launched in 2004, is a key observatory for studying gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events. Its orbit has begun to decay due to heightened solar activity, prompting NASA to use the mission as a testbed for U.S. robotic servicing capabilities. The LINK mission is targeted for launch in June from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

For more information on NASA missions, visit nasa.gov.

See OREGON / WASHINGTON COAST ASTRONOMY

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