An animation showing ESA’s Smile mission watching on as the Sun’s solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
Written by Sharon Wilson Purdy, Planetary Geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Earth planning date: Friday, May 30, 2025 When you are scheduled to participate in Science Operations for the rover’s weekend plan, you know it’s going to be a busy morning! Assembling the activities for Friday through Sunday (Sols 4556 through […]
NASA astronaut Ed White, pilot of the Gemini IV mission, floats in space on June 3, 1965, while performing the first spacewalk by an American. As White floated outside the spacecraft, he used a Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit, informally called a “zip gun.” The device, seen in White’s right hand in this image, expelled pressurized oxygen […]
And the winner is… the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The Utah Student Robotics Club won the grand prize Artemis Award on May 22 for NASA’s 2025 Lunabotics Challenge held at The Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. “Win was our motto for the […]
NASA’s RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot) undergoes testing to extract simulated regolith, or the loose, fragmental material on the Moon’s surface, inside of the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 27. Ben Burdess, mechanical engineer at NASA Kennedy, observes RASSOR’s counterrotating drums digging […]
Let’s start with your childhood, where you’re from, your family at the time, if you have siblings, your early years, and when it was that you became interested in what has developed into your career as an astrophysicist or research scientist? I was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1948, the youngest of four siblings – […]
Interview with Dave Des Marais - NASA
Let’s start with your childhood, where you're from, your family at the time, if you have siblings, your early years, and when it was that you becameCiara C. Fitzpatrick (NASA)
After capturing an image of the iconic Sombrero galaxy at mid-infrared wavelengths in late 2024, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now followed up with an observation in the near-infrared. In the newest image, the Sombrero galaxy’s huge bulge, the tightly packed group of stars at the galaxy’s center, is illuminated, while the dust in […]
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has captured a dramatic image of Mount Etna erupting on 2 June 2025 when a massive plume of ash, gas and rock suddenly burst from Europe's largest active volcano.
Two NASA-developed technologies are key components of a new high-resolution sensor for observing wildfires: High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), and a cutting-edge Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), developed with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. A novel space-based sensor for […]
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a luminous tangle of stars and dust called the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1385, located about 30 million light-years away. Hubble released an earlier image of NGC 1385, but the two images are notably different. This more recent image has far more pinkish-red and umber shades, whereas cool […]
Hubble Filters a Barred Spiral
These two Hubble Space Telescope views of NGC 1385 illustrate how filters allow astronomers to see specific features in this barred spiral galaxy.NASA Hubble Mission Team (NASA Science)
Japanese lunar exploration company ispace will attempt to land its RESILIENCE spacecraft on the Moon no earlier than 5 June (CEST) 2025.
An unusual star (circled in white at right) behaving like no other seen before and its surroundings are featured in this composite image released on May 28, 2025. A team of astronomers combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope on Wajarri Country in Australia to study the discovered object, known […]
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Planets, Solstice, and the Galaxy Venus and Saturn separate, while Mars hangs out in the evening. Plus the June solstice, and dark skies reveal our home galaxy in all of its glory. Skywatching Highlights All Month – Planet Visibility: Daily Highlights: June 19 – Moon & Saturn – The third-quarter moon appears right next Saturn […]
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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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Over a decade’s worth of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data was used to re-examine the long-held prediction that the Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy in about 4.5 billion years.
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 deadline to apply for ESA’s Junior Professional Programme (JPP) is fast approaching, with applications closing on 5 June.
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission shows us a rare, cloud-free view of Iceland captured on 17 May 2025.
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 […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) has inaugurated the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), the first ESA presence in Switzerland, created in close collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).
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 […]
The performance of a lower limb prosthesis has been evaluated in microgravity conditions for the first time during the latest ESA parabolic flight campaign on the ‘Zero G’ aircraft.
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, […]
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