NASA Proposes $20 Billion Moonbase Amid Record Wildfires in US Plains

• Back-to-back subtropical Kona storms in March 2026 triggered destructive flash flooding across several Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu. • NASA Earth Observatory published images and analysis of the flooding event on March 25, 2026, highlighting the cyclones' impact. • These storms underscore intensifying weather patterns linked to climate variability in the Pacific region.

• Researchers led by Professor Silvia von Karstedt discovered that loss of Caspase 8 protein in small cell lung cancer triggers inflammation promoting tumor growth and spread. • The study, published in Nature Communications on March 25, 2026, shows this loss reprograms cancer cells into an aggressive neuron-like state associated with relapse. • Findings from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence explain the cancer's notorious aggressiveness and poor prognosis.

• NASA announced an accelerated timeline for America's return to the lunar surface, with Artemis 4 lunar landing attempts beginning in 2028. • The National Space Policy implementation includes preparations for establishing a moon base and increased mission cadence under NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's leadership. • This ambitious plan reflects commitment to sustained lunar exploration and positions the United States to never relinquish moon dominance while advancing toward Mars missions.

• CERN researchers conducted the first-ever transport of volatile antimatter, mysterious antiparticles with negative charges identical to corresponding particles but opposite in charge. • The antimatter transport represents a major milestone in particle physics research; if the antimatter contacts regular matter even momentarily, it annihilates in a flash of energy. • This breakthrough has significant implications for advancing fundamental physics understanding and could enable new experimental capabilities at the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

• Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that explains the effectiveness of exercise in reversing age-related muscle deterioration. • The finding provides new insight into the cellular processes through which physical activity combats muscle aging at the molecular level. • This breakthrough could lead to targeted therapies mimicking exercise benefits for individuals unable to maintain regular physical activity.

• Carrie Wolinetz warns in a March 24, 2026, viewpoint that firing credible scientists and dismantling U.S. health agencies poses severe risks to public health and scientific integrity. • The article highlights the broader implications for national research capacity amid ongoing policy shifts affecting federal science funding and personnel. • Such actions undermine peer-reviewed findings and U.S. leadership in health research, potentially delaying responses to emerging threats.

• NASA released initiatives on March 24, 2026, to advance America's National Space Policy, including an RFI for payloads supporting 2027-2028 lunar flights and the Rosalind Franklin Rover launch to Mars in 2028 with a mass spectrometer for organic matter analysis. • A new Earth science mission launching next year will measure convective storm dynamics to predict extreme weather up to six hours in advance; near-term lunar payloads include VIPER rover and LuSEE-Night, with up to 30 robotic landings from 2027. • These efforts ensure U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, expedite lunar science via commercial partnerships, and release new Saturn images from James Webb and Hubble telescopes, underpinning future Moon and Mars exploration.

• The U.S. National Science Foundation on March 24, 2026, named winners of the multi-year Critical Minerals Challenge, including alkaLi Labs, ChemFinity Technologies, Intel-E-Waste, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, to secure domestic supply chains for lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other metals. • Winners develop innovations like engineered biosorbents recovering lithium from byproducts, tunable polymer sorbents capturing over 25 metals at room temperature, modular e-waste processing platforms, and electrochemical electrodes generating acids in situ. • The program, co-designed with Germany’s SPRIND Tech Metal Challenge, uses donated e-waste from IBM and Aurubis with U.S. Naval Research Laboratory collaboration for national security relevance and real-world validation.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) filed a lawsuit on March 24, 2026, against the Trump administration as part of a coalition for removing scientific signage on climate change impacts from U.S. national parks like Glacier National Park. • Signs detailing climate effects on iconic landscapes, such as retreating glaciers, were censored, preventing public education on environmental changes documented as part of parks' missions. • The suit, represented by Democracy Forward Foundation, demands restoration of accurate climate and historical information to promote scientific literacy and protect public lands for future generations.

• UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights scientists deliver over 16 presentations at the Society of Toxicology’s 65th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in San Diego starting March 23, 2026. • Key posters cover topics like PFAS exposure disrupting melanin synthesis in melanocytes, inhalation risks from 3D printing resins in dentistry, and thyroid hormone disruption using new approach methodologies. • Findings aim to provide decision-ready evidence on chemical health risks, as stated by VP Russell Thomas: 'Generating practical, decision-ready evidence about chemical exposures and health risks.'

• American Geophysical Union (AGU) hosts a virtual Biogeosciences Early Career Open House on March 24, 2026, from 12:00-1:00 PM ET. • Event targets early-career scientists in biogeosciences, a key area of Earth and climate studies. • Provides networking and opportunities in U.S.-based research community focused on interdisciplinary environmental science.