ScientistPankaj: Mars MAVEN data leads to unexpected discovery | NASA is updating its Artemis moon base plan today | Lunar Strike offers a pessimistic look at space travel

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Mars MAVEN data leads to unexpected discovery | NASA is updating its Artemis moon base plan today | Lunar Strike offers a pessimistic look at space travel

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May 26, 2026

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The Launchpad

Mars MAVEN data leads to unexpected discovery

Happy Tuesday, space fans!

I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. In the space world, we finally saw SpaceX's Starship V3 successfully lift off after days of delays. And looking forward, there is much happening in the worlds of space and science.

On the science front, incredible data from NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiting spacecraft hint at strange solar activity. This science is extra-intriguing as NASA is continuing to attempt to make contact with the spacecraft after communications were lost in December 2025.

We also have fascinating new intel on upcoming skywatching highlights, "dandelion drones" on Mars, and the realistic (concerning) future of space travel.

Lastly, today, we will hear from NASA on the agency's current plans to move forward with a moon base. Will we soon see a base constructed on the lunar surface? Is this still a distant fantasy? We may know more very soon.

Check out what's big in space below!

A strange solar discovery

NASA will give an update on Tuesday afternoon (May 26) about its plans to build a moon base, and you can watch it live.

Tune in!

Spaceflight

Lunar Strike offers a pessimistic look at space travel

As rocket launches become more common, and the goal shifts away from exploration for the good of humanity towards exploitation for the profit of billionaires, interest and excitement around spaceflight is waning. That's the cold future that the upcoming space game "Lunar Strike" presents.

Should we be worried?

Scientists want to send 'dandelion drones' to Mars

Engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of "biomimicry" for the next generation of Mars robots.

What will they do?

Skywatching

What is the blue-white star next to the moon tonight?

Don't miss Spica greet the waxing moon in the southern sky on May 26.

Look up!

Unusual red northern lights over Japan

Researchers analyzing crimson auroras over Japan found the glowing displays stretched hundreds of miles higher into Earth's atmosphere than expected, challenging long-held assumptions about the strength of geomagnetic storms.

What does it mean?

Today in Space

Seeing double with the Artemis 2 rocket boosters

The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation.

See the photo

Entertainment

'The Mandalorian and Grogu' wastes an era of 'Star Wars'

The franchise's latest big-screen outing gets sidetracked in less interesting corners of that galaxy far, far away.

What do you think?

Editor's Note

And that's it for our space update today!

After (finally) seeing SpaceX's Starship V3 launch over this past weekend, we are eager to see what we might learn about how V3 performed compared to previous iterations of the company's Starship and what that might mean for the future prospects of the megarocket and NASA's moon plans.

Stay tuned following today's NASA press conference as we hope to learn about how the agency might incorporate a moon base into its long-term Artemis plans.

And tomorrow! We will be watching a Russian spacewalk - live coverage will begin at 9:45 a.m. EDT. On the spacewalk, we will see ISS Expedition 74 commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev venture out into space to install a new solar radiation experiment, remove other science hardware, and possibly take some important photographs.

Stay tuned!

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Chelsea Gohd

Content Manager, Space.com