As far back as 1912, astronomers realized that the Andromeda galaxy — then thought to be only a nebula — was headed our way. A century later, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope were able to measure the sideways motion of Andromeda and found it was so negligible that an eventual head-on collision with the […]
Apocalypse When? Hubble Casts Doubt on Certainty of Galactic Collision
New Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia data casts doubt on the certainty of a Milky Way collision with the Andromeda galaxy.NASA Hubble Mission Team (NASA Science)
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Advancing new hazard detection and precision landing technologies to help future space missions successfully achieve safe and soft landings is a critical area of space research and development, particularly for future crewed missions. To support this, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is pursuing a regular cadence of flight testing on a variety of vehicles, […]
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stick the landing in challenging terrain
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Nearly all of NASA’s ninth class of astronaut candidates, along with two European trainees, poses for photos in the briefing room in the public affairs facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 7, 1980. Group 9 was announced on May 29, 1980; the candidates would go on to make history in spaceflight […]
45 Years Ago: NASA Announces Ninth Astronaut Group - NASA
45 Years Ago: NASA Announces Ninth Astronaut Group - NASA
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Creators of the original antigravity treadmill continue to advance technology with new company.
NASA Tech Gives Treadmill Users a ‘Boost’ - NASA
NASA Tech Gives Treadmill Users a ‘Boost’ - NASA
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Written by Athanasios Klidaras, Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University, and Megan Kennedy Wu, Senior Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems To celebrate her 1,500th Martian day (“Sol”) exploring the red planet, the Perseverance rover used its robotic arm to take a selfie of the rover and the surrounding landscape. But when team members […]
A Dust Devil Photobombs Perseverance!
A Dust Devil Photobombs Perseverance!
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Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick Earth planning date: Tuesday, May 27, 2005 We return to planning today after a successful long weekend and about 42 meters of drive distance (about 138 feet). We planned four sols of activities on Friday to keep Curiosity busy, while the U.S.-based science team […]
Sol 4553: Back to the Boxwork!
Sol 4553: Back to the Boxwork!
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Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 We came in early this morning and learned that part of Tuesday’s plan didn’t execute on Mars due to a temporary issue with the arm. We collected APXS data on the target “Palo Verde Mountains,” but were […]
Sols 4554–4555: Let’s Try That One Again…
Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMars Science Laboratory Mission Team Members (NASA Science)
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A single member of a galaxy pair takes centerstage in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. This beautiful spiral galaxy is NGC 3507, which is situated about 46 million light-years away in the constellation Leo (the Lion). NGC 3507’s classification is a barred spiral because the galaxy’s sweeping spiral arms emerge from the ends of […]
Hubble Spies Paired Pinwheel on Its Own
This Hubble image features the beautiful spiral galaxy is NGC 3507, situated about 46 million light-years away in the constellation Leo (the Lion).NASA Hubble Mission Team (NASA Science)
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by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Here on Earth, we undergo a changing of seasons every three months. But what about the rest of the Solar System? What does a sunny day on Mars look like? How long would a winter on Neptune be? Let’s take a tour of some other […]
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President Donald Trump speaks inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, following the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission on May 30, 2020. The mission was the first crewed launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s […]
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Fifth Anniversary - NASA
President Donald Trump walks onstage to speak to a crowd at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, following the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission onNASA
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The NASA Science Activation program’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Summer Intern Program, hosted by the University of Texas Center for Space Research, continues to expand opportunities for high school students to engage in authentic spaceflight research. As part of the SEES Microgravity Research initiative, four interns were selected […]
NASA Interns Conduct Aerospace Research in Microgravity
The NASA Science Activation program's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Summer Intern Program,NASA Science Editorial Team (NASA Science)
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Written by Conor Hayes, Graduate Student at York University Earth planning date: Friday, May 23, 2025 In Wednesday’s mission update, Alex mentioned that this past Monday’s plan included a “marathon” drive of 45 meters (148 feet). Today, we found ourselves almost 70 meters (230 feet) from where we were on Wednesday. This was our longest […]
What does a mathematician do? Mathematicians use their expert knowledge of math to solve problems and gain new understanding about how our world works. They analyze data and create mathematical models to predict results based on changes in variables. Many different fields rely heavily on math, such as engineering, finance, and the sciences. Using math […]
Peter CabauyCity Labs, Inc. The NIAC Phase I study confirmed the feasibility of nuclear-micropowered probes (NMPs) using tritium betavoltaic power technology for autonomous exploration of the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). This work advanced the technology’s readiness level (TRL) from TRL 1 to TRL 2, validating theoretical models and feasibility assessments. Phase II will refine […]
Christine HartzellUniversity of Maryland, College Park The proposed investigation will address key technological challenges associated with a previously funded NIAC Phase I award titled “On-Orbit, Collision-Free Mapping of Small Orbital Debris”. Sub-cm orbital debris in LEO is not detectable or trackable using conventional technologies and poses a major hazard to crewed and un-crewed spacecraft. Orbital […]
Orbital Debris
The proposed investigation will address key technological challenges associated with a previously funded NIAC Phase I award titled "On-Orbit, Collision-FreeLoura Hall (NASA)
Alvaro Romero-CalvoGeorgia Tech Research Corporation The reliable and efficient operation of spacecraft life support systems is challenged in microgravity by the near absence of buoyancy. This impacts the electrolytic production of oxygen and hydrogen from water by forcing the adoption of complex multiphase flow management technologies. Still, water splitting plays an essential role in human […]
James BickfordCharles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The Thin-Film Nuclear Engine Rocket (TFINER) is a novel space propulsion technology that enables aggressive space exploration for missions that are impossible with existing approaches. The concept uses thin layers of energetic radioisotopes to directly generate thrust. The emission direction of its natural decay products is biased by a […]
Igor BargatinUniversity of Pennsylvania We propose to use the photophoretic levitation and propulsion mechanism to create no-moving-parts flying vehicles that can be used to explore Earth’s upper atmosphere. The photophoretic force arises when a solid is heated relative to the ambient gas through illumination, inducing momentum exchange between the solid and the gas. The force […]
Aaswath Pattabhi RamanUniversity of California, Los Angeles Exploration of Mars has captivated the public in recent decades with high-profile robotic missions and the images they have acquired seeding our collective imagination. NASA is actively planning for human exploration of Mars and laid out some of the key capabilities that must be developed to execute successful, […]
Benjamin HockmanNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory The goal of this effort is to develop a robust and affordable mission architecture that enables the gravimetric density reconstruction of small body interiors to unprecedented precision. Our architecture relies on the novel concept of “Gravity Poppers,” which are small, minimalistic probes that are deployed to the surface of a […]
What do music ensembles and human spaceflight have in common? They require the harmonization of different elements to create an inspiring opus. NASA’s Paige Whittington has experience with both. As a principal flutist for Purdue University’s Wind Ensemble, Whittington helped fellow flutists play beautiful music together while pursuing her graduate degree. Now, as a space […]
Introduction The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III/International Space Station [SAGEIII/ISS] Science Team Meeting (STM) took place on October 22–23, 2024, in a hybrid format. Approximately 50 scientists attended in person at NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC) – see Photo. Participants included researchers from U.S. universities, NASA LaRC, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), […]
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NASA has awarded a bridge contract to ASRC Federal System Solutions LLC of Beltsville, Maryland, to provide financial support and project planning and control services to the agency. The Program Analysis and Control Bridge Contract has a total potential value up to $98 million with a 13-month period of performance beginning Saturday, May 24. The […]
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Just after sunrise, the waning gibbous moon sets just behind a waving United States flag on March 19, 2025, in this image from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The waning gibbous moon phase comes after the full moon. As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the […]
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Capturing the high-stakes work behind NASA’s Airborne Science Program takes more than just technical skill – it takes vision. At NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, videographer Jacob Shaw brings that vision to life, documenting missions with a style and storytelling approach all his own. “Armstrong is full of cutting-edge flight research and […]
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On March 28, 80 college students filed into Colorado State University’s (CSU) Nancy Richardson Design Center to receive pizza and a challenge: design an intelligent system capable of traversing rugged terrain to provide aid in emergency scenarios. They had 24 hours to complete this mission. Co-led by CSU, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) […]
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The stately and inclined spiral galaxy NGC 3511 is the subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy is located 43 million light-years away in the constellation Crater (The Cup). From Hubble’s vantage point in orbit around Earth, NGC 3511 is tilted by about 70 degrees, intermediate between face-on galaxies that display the […]
Hubble Spies a Spiral So Inclined
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 3511, located 43 million light-years away in the constellation Crater.NASA Hubble Mission Team (NASA Science)
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The United States participated in an international Artemis Accords workshop May 21-22 to advance the safe and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was represented by the UAE Space Agency, the workshop took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The Artemis Accords are […]
NASA Supports Artemis Accords Signatories Advancing Exploration - NASA
Artemis Accords signatories have committed to sharing information about their activities to the United Nations of Committee on the Peaceful Uses of OuterJessica Taveau (NASA)
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Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Monday’s single-sol plan included a marathon 45-meter drive (about 148 feet), which put us in position for two full sols of imaging. This means both sols have what we call “targeted” science blocks, in which we have images of […]
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NASA astronaut and Spokane, Washington, native Anne McClain will participate in an event with students from the Mobius Discovery Center located in her hometown. McClain will answer prerecorded questions submitted by students from aboard the International Space Station. Watch the 20-minute Earth-to-space call on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel. The event will take place at […]
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A NASA photographer took this picture of a flower called Borshchov’s tulip near the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 7, 2025, ahead of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky launching to the International Space Station. The flower is unique to Kazakhstan, attracting many to study […]
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A new NASA study reveals a surprising way planetary cores may have formed—one that could reshape how scientists understand the early evolution of rocky planets like Mars. Conducted by a team of early-career scientists and long-time researchers across the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the study […]
Written by Michelle Minitti, Planetary Geologist at Framework Earth planning date: Monday, May 19, 2025 Have you ever played the game Jenga, where you remove one wooden block from a stack, gently place it on another part of the stack, then repeat over and over as you try to keep the stack from toppling over? […]
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New technology tested by an industry partner at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley could improve how commercial planes taxi to and from gates to runways, making operations safer and more efficient on the surfaces of airports. Airport taxiways are busy. Planes come and go while support vehicles provide maintenance, carry fuel, transport […]
NASA’s Moffett Federal Airfield Hosts Boeing Digital Taxi Tests - NASA
Researchers at Boeing are working to address these issues by digitizing taxiway information and automating aircraft taxi functions. The team traveled to NASATara Friesen (NASA)
When it descends through the thick golden haze on Saturn’s moon Titan, NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft will find eerily familiar terrain. Dunes wrap around Titan’s equator. Clouds drift across its skies. Rain drizzles. Rivers flow, forming canyons, lakes and seas. But not everything is as familiar as it seems. At minus 292 degrees Fahrenheit, the dune […]
A team from South Dakota State University, with their project titled “Soil Testing and Plant Leaf Extraction Drone” took first place at the 2025 NASA Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, which challenged student teams to research aviation solutions to support U.S. agriculture. The winning project proposed a drone-based soil and tissue sampling process that would […]
This article is for students grades 5-8. The surface of the Moon is covered in a thick layer of boulders, rocks, and dust. This dusty, rocky layer is called lunar regolith. It was created a long time ago when meteorites crashed into the Moon and broke up the ground. NASA scientists study the regolith to learn […]
NASA Knows: What is Lunar Regolith? (Grades 5-8) - NASA
The surface of the Moon is covered in a thick layer of boulders, rocks, and dust. This dusty, rocky layer is called lunar regolith. It was created aLoura Hall (NASA)
In a first, researchers from NASA and Virginia Tech used satellite data to measure the height and speed of potentially hazardous flood waves traveling down U.S. rivers. The three waves they tracked were likely caused by extreme rainfall and by a loosened ice jam. While there is currently no database that compiles satellite data on […]
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft successfully completed a critical series of tests in which the airplane was put through its paces for cruising high above the California desert – all without ever leaving the ground. The goal of ground-based simulation testing was to make sure the hardware and software that will allow the X-59 […]
How big is space? Space is really big. Thinking about our solar system, let’s imagine you could get in a car and drive to Pluto at highway speeds. It would take you about 6,000 years to get there. When we start to think about other stars outside of our solar system, we need to think […]
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