NASA
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
•
WASHINGTON, D.C.
POLICY MEMORANDUM
Civil
Space
Strategy
&
Mission
Architecture
TO:
Associate Administrators, Mission Directorate Leads, Field Center Directors & Program
Managers
FROM:
O
ffi
ce of the Administrator & Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy
DATE:
September 18, 2026
SUBJECT:
NASA Civil Space Programs Memo
1. PURPOSE AND STRATEGIC FOUNDATION
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) operates as the world's leading civil space agency,
mandated by the National Aeronautics and Space Act to conduct peaceful exploration, expand scienti
fi
c knowledge
of Earth and the solar system, and preserve United States preeminence in aeronautics and space technology.
This
NASA Civil Space Programs Memo
formalizes operational priorities across our four core mission directorates:
Exploration Systems Development, Space Operations, Science, and Space Technology. It establishes program
execution parameters for the Artemis campaign, transitions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), planetary defense investments,
and commercial partnership structures.
2. CORE STRATEGIC PILLARS OF THE CIVIL SPACE ARCHITECTURE
To maximize mission longevity and taxpayer value, agency initiatives adhere to three core operational pillars:
Moon to Mars Exploration Architecture:
Leveraging the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, Gateway
lunar space station, and commercial Human Landing Systems (HLS) to establish permanent lunar operational
capacity that quali
fi
es systems for future crewed Mars transit.
Commercial LEO Transition:
Transitioning continuous human presence from the aging International Space Station
(ISS) to commercially owned and operated space stations (CLD), allowing NASA to transition into a primary
customer role while redirecting deep-space exploration capital.
Open Science and International Bilateral Governance:
Grounding exploration in the multilateral principles of the
Artemis Accords, ensuring scienti
fi
c transparency, open data dissemination, and interoperable lunar surface
infrastructure.
Policy Mandate:
Civil space leadership requires sustained collaboration between government, commercial space
enterprise, and international partners. We explore not merely to achieve milestones, but to build an enduring lunar
economy and establish humanity's sustainable footprint across deep space.
3. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION: ENERGY AND PLANETARY DEFENSE
Pursuant to established interagency frameworks with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense
(DoD), NASA will accelerate co-development of space nuclear propulsion (NTP/NEP), surface
fi
ssion power grids, and
automated near-Earth object (NEO) planetary defense surveillance systems.
NASA Headquarters
—
O
ffi
cial Civil Space Directive
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