Oct 2025 – Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy tells CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that if SpaceX falls behind, NASA will turn to Blue Origin, saying “good on Blue Origin” and stressing the agency won’t wait for a single contractor to stay ahead of China’s lunar ambitions[1].

Dec 28, 2025 – Analysts note that 2026 opens with the first human return to the Moon in five decades, featuring a crewed Artemis mission, a fleet of robotic landers including Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, and a January supermoon that fuels public space‑watch excitement[2].

Jan 2026 – A supermoon brightens the night sky, marking the start of the 2026 lunar calendar and setting the stage for a series of missions, eclipses and public interest events throughout the year[2].

Jan 2026 – Blue Origin unveils its 26‑foot‑tall Blue Moon prototype, noting the crew‑ready version will be nearly twice as tall and that the effort “targets NASA’s astronaut program,” according to Jeff Bezos[2].

Jan 2026 – NASA administrator Jared Isaacman meets with SpaceX and Blue Origin, posting on X that he discusses “the latest plans to accelerate NASA’s Artemis timeline,” signaling high‑level coordination between the two lunar‑lander contractors[1].

Jan 30, 2026 – Blue Origin announces it pauses New Shepard suborbital tourism flights for at least two years to reallocate resources toward accelerating its human lunar capabilities, ending a program that logged 98 passengers since its 2021 debut[1].

Feb 8, 2026 (potential) – NASA schedules the first crewed Artemis flight, which will orbit the Moon without landing, to launch as early as February 8, aiming to demonstrate deep‑space operations before a later landing mission[1].

Feb 2026 – A ring‑of‑fire solar eclipse sweeps over Antarctica, providing a rare observational opportunity amid a year packed with lunar and solar events[2].

May 2026 – A blue moon occurs, adding another highlight to the 2026 lunar calendar and reinforcing public interest in the series of space missions slated for the year[2].

Mid‑2026 – NASA’s Artemis crew, led by Reid Wiseman, conducts a 10‑day far‑side mapping mission, performing a high‑speed pass to gather data for future landing‑site selection and geologic study[2].

2026 (planned) – China launches a south‑polar rover and an ice‑seeking hopper to explore permanently shadowed craters, expanding international competition for lunar resources[2].

2026 (ongoing) – Interstellar object 3I Atlas fades after its Earth flyby, with astronomers tracking its departure toward Jupiter, illustrating the growing capability to detect and study interstellar visitors[2].

2026 (ongoing) – NOAA’s new solar‑wind observatory, launched last fall, enhances space‑weather forecasting, promising deeper measurements that improve predictions of geomagnetic storms during the year’s eclipses and auroral events[2].

2028 (future) – SpaceX’s lunar lander, selected for the Artemis III mission, targets a launch by 2028, though schedule slips could push the date later, underscoring the competitive timeline with Blue Origin’s lunar ambitions[1].

2030 (future) – China aims to land a Taikonaut on the Moon’s south pole by 2030, prompting U.S. lawmakers to urge NASA to achieve a crewed lunar landing before that deadline[1].