NASA will launch LOX-1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this summer to test cryogenic fuel

Technology May 19, 2026

NASA is launching LOXSAT this summer to help figure out how to store and transfer super-cold rocket fuel in space, a big deal for future Moon and Mars trips.
The satellite heads up on a Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand, with liftoff no earlier than July 17, 2026.

LOXSAT could enable orbital refueling stations

LOXSAT will spend nine months testing 11 key parts that handle cryogenic fuels in microgravity, including solving tricky problems like fuel boil-off.
If it works, NASA could set up gas stations in orbit, making longer space missions possible and keeping Artemis landers fueled for lunar missions, while also enabling future Mars missions.