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Portrait of Janet Petro, center director for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Credit: NASA NASA announced Friday Janet Petro, center director for the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is retiring. Prior to joining NASA, Petro worked in a variety of military and industry positions, ultimately beginning her career at the agency in 2007 and working her way up to center director, as well as serving as acting administrator from January to July 2025. “From the outset of her distinguished tenure at NASA, Janet has served as a profoundly influential leader, guiding both the agency and our Kennedy Space Center through some of the most significant transitions in our shared history, including playing a central role in reshaping NASA Kennedy into the nation’s premier multiuser spaceport,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As NASA has been charged, once again, with accomplishing the near impossible, I’m grateful for Janet for always embracing the challenge of discovering what could be and for pushing the boundaries to deliver the missions that enable NASA to lead the way into a new era of space.” As NASA Kennedy’s 11th director, Petro manages a team of civil service and contractor employees, determining and implementing center policy and managing and executing the spaceport’s missions and agency program responsibilities. Previously, Petro served as acting director and NASA Kennedy’s deputy director. During her time as deputy director, she helped the center transition into a multi-user spaceport, leading cross-agency initiatives with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and U.S. Air Force to streamline government processes and support commercial space operations to increase government efficiency and limit redundancy. Petro also has served numerous roles at Kennedy and NASA Headquarters in Washington, including as the program executive on an agencywide initiative to restructure mission support functions, helping NASA become more efficient and effective in its work. Outside of the agency, Petro has served in various management positions for Science Applications International Corporation, or SAIC, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation, interfacing with NASA, U.S. military, and commercial entities on numerous aerospace and military programs. Petro began her professional career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army after graduating in 1981 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, with a bachelor of science degree in engineering. She was in the second class of West Point graduates to include women. Petro also holds a master of science degree in business administration from Boston University’s Metropolitan College. Petro is the recipient of numerous service and performance awards, including a President’s Distinguished executive award, and has received the astronaut-selected Silver Snoopy award for outstanding performance, contributing to flight safety and mission success. In 2018, Petro was selected by Florida Governor Rick Scott for induction in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, and she helped lead the senior management team awarded the 2019 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Sammies Management Excellence Medal. She received the 2022 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award by the National Space Club Florida Committee for her contributions to America’s aerospace efforts within the state of Florida. Effective Friday, Kelvin Manning now is stepping into the role of acting center director, bringing more than 32 years of leadership and technical expertise. He has previously served as deputy center director. For more about NASA’s missions, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Amanda Griffin Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-593-6244 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated May 01, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsPeople of NASAKennedy Space Center View the full article

NASA/Bill Ingalls Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crewmembers CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman, right, ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission took Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth earlier in April 2026. Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls View the full article

Technicians at NASA’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offloaded eight high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) wall modules and other ground support equipment on April 27. The equipment will support launch processing of the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Each 1,800-pound module enhances the PHSF’s clean room systems, helping meet the telescope’s stringent cleanliness requirements during its time in the facility, where the observatory will undergo key tasks such as spacecraft fueling prior to liftoff. Roman will observe the universe in infrared light using its Wide Field Instrument and a Coronagraph Instrument technology demonstration. Its wide field of view will produce panoramic images that help astronomers investigate some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos, including why the universe’s expansion appears to be accelerating. By using multiple complementary techniques, Roman will chart how the universe has evolved over cosmic time and provide new insights into the nature of dark energy. Roman also will advance the study of exoplanets and map the structure and distribution of normal matter and dark matter across space and time. Teams are targeting launch as soon as early September aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Leejay Lockhart View the full article

5 min read NASA’s STORIE Mission to Tell Tale of Earth’s Ring Current Earth’s magnetic field is like a powerful trap. It lures electrically charged particles in space, near our planet, and snares them in an invisible, doughnut-shaped pen around Earth known as the ring current. This captive swarm of charged particles plays an important role in how Earth reacts to changing conditions in space, called space weather, which can affect the technology we rely on, such as satellites and power grids. Yet there is still a lot we do not know about the ring current. NASA is preparing to launch a mission designed to provide a unique, inside-out view of the ring current. Called STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution), it is scheduled to launch in May aboard the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission is flying as part of the Space Test Program – Houston 11 (STP-H11) payload, a partnership between the U.S. Space Force and NASA. Once it is robotically installed on the exterior of the space station (expected a few days after its arrival), STORIE will look outward at the ring current, helping scientists answer longstanding questions about how it grows and shrinks and what kind of particles it’s made of. The ring current is an invisible, doughnut-shaped swarm of charged particles around Earth (shown here in blue). It overlaps the outer of two Van Allen radiation belts (which are shown in green), but the ring current contains lower-energy particles than the radiation belts. In the ring current, positively charged particles and negatively charged particles flow in opposite directions, creating electrical currents. Changes in the ring current influence how our planet responds to solar storms and can have impacts on our technology. NASA/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith/Kristen Perrin “These particles have important space weather impacts,” said Alex Glocer, STORIE’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where the instrument was designed and constructed. “We want to understand how that trapped population is built up, and where it comes from.” These details are especially important during solar storms, when outbursts from the Sun can lead to magnetic disturbances at Earth. Similar to Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts but filled with lower-energy particles, the ring current tends to fluctuate in size, shape, and intensity more dramatically than the radiation belts do during solar storms. Plus, in the ring current, positively charged particles and negatively charged particles flow in opposite directions, creating electrical currents. So, changes there can lead to magnetic fluctuations and induced currents on the ground, potentially affecting pipelines and power lines. The ring current can also contribute to charge buildup on the surface of Earth-orbiting satellites, which can spark spacecraft glitches. Additionally, when energy ramps up in the ring current, some of that energy gets transferred to the upper atmosphere, making it heat up, puff out, and create more drag on satellites, which can cause the spacecraft to deorbit sooner than expected. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This simulation shows fluctuations in the ring current (left) and the outer Van Allen radiation belt (right) during a solar storm. The ring current and outer radiation belt overlap in space, but the ring current fluctuates more dynamically than the radiation belt does, while the radiation belt grows more slowly in intensity. NASA/Austin Brenner However, it’s difficult to study the ring current directly because the particles within it are invisible. “You can’t just image them with a camera,” Glocer explained. Instead, STORIE will scan for the glow of energetic neutral atoms, or ENAs, that are formed when charged particles trapped in the ring current manage to escape. The particles earn their freedom by stealing an electron from Earth’s outer atmosphere, known as the exosphere, and become neutral. “Once those charged particles become neutral, they no longer feel the effects of Earth’s magnetic field, and they are no longer trapped,” Glocer said. “They can just fly off in any direction.” By measuring the speed and direction of the ENAs, STORIE could help answer longstanding questions about the origins of particles in the ring current — whether they are supplied by a stream of particles flowing out from the Sun, known as the solar wind, or from Earth. NASA’s STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution) instrument is shown here installed on the Space Test Program – Houston 11 (STP-H11) payload, a partnership between the U.S. Space Force and NASA. It is covered in blanketing material to protect STORIE from the space environment. After launch, the STP-H11 payload and STORIE will be installed on the outside of the International Space Station’s Columbus module. U.S. Space Force The STORIE team designed the instrument to pay special attention to positively charged oxygen atoms (O+) because, according to Glocer, “When you see oxygen, that comes from the atmosphere. You get very little of that from the solar wind.” If STORIE finds a lot of oxygen atoms, scientists will know the ring current is largely supplied by Earth’s atmosphere, rather than the solar wind. Glocer and other scientists also want to find out whether the ring current’s population of charged particles build up in quick bursts or slowly and gradually. “Is it like filling a lake with the steady flow of a waterfall or a bunch of raindrops?” Glocer said. NASA is launching a new experiment, called STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution), to track charged particles in a “space doughnut” that encircles our planet. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Previous NASA missions — such as IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) and TWINS (Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers) — have looked at ring current ENAs before using a top-down view, which allowed them to see the whole ring current at once. However, from that perspective, ultraviolet light reflected by Earth — in the center of the ring — can interfere with the ENA observations, and the viewing geometry makes it hard to see trapped particles in the ring current near Earth’s equator. “From STORIE’s inside-out perspective, you have Earth behind you, and you can see this trapped population near the equator that was hard for other missions to observe,” Glocer said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After being installed on the International Space Station, NASA’s STORIE mission will scan outward, away from Earth, to image energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from Earth’s ring current. It will view one slice of the ring current at a time, but as it orbits Earth, STORIE will build up a complete view of this invisible, doughnut-shaped band of particles. In this animation, the curved orange lines represent field lines in Earth’s magnetic field, and the moving wedge of green rays represents STORIE’s field of view as the space station orbits the planet. NASA/Gonzalo Cucho-Padin Some sounding rocket experiments have gotten brief, inside-out views of the ring current in the past, but they only had a few minutes to observe and could only see a portion of the ring current during each flight. The view from STORIE will reveal one slice of the ring current at a time, but as the space station orbits Earth, STORIE will build up a complete picture of the ring current roughly every 90 minutes. Over its six-month mission, STORIE will monitor how the ring current evolves over time and allow scientists to compare its behavior during solar storms versus when the Sun is quiet. Insights from STORIE will help us better understand how Earth responds to solar storms, improve space weather predictions, and help mitigate the effects of space weather on the technology humanity depends on. By Vanessa Thomas NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated May 01, 2026 Related Terms Heliophysics Earth’s Magnetic Field Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Division International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research Magnetosphere Space Weather The Sun Explore More 3 min read Hubble Spots a Starry Spiral Article 4 hours ago 3 min read Belts of Green in the Washington Suburbs Along the northeast side of the Capital Beltway in Maryland, green spaces weave through the… Article 1 week ago 1 min read New NASA Views of Earth, From (S)PACE NASA has a fleet of satellites in orbit, gathering data around the clock, to explore… Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 Min Read Space Out This Summer with Variety of NASA STEM Activities Summer is “Go” for launch, and NASA has a universe of ways to help you to jump in, explore, and create! Whether you prefer to spend this season fueling your creativity, going outdoors into nature, or daydreaming about your future, NASA offers ways to take your interests to the next level. Here are some opportunities to level up your skills with NASA STEM this summer. Rise to Stardance Challenge From Monday, June 1, through Sept. 30, students ages 13 to 18 are invited to flex their creativity in the online Stardance Challenge, a partnership between NASA and the education non-profit Hack Club. Whether you’re into space, coding, hardware, or just love building cool things, this is your chance to work with real NASA mission data from programs like Artemis, the James Webb Space Telescope, and more. Participants can create anything from code and apps to electronics, circuit boards, models, and simulations. Hack Club will offer peer and expert reviews, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to show off your work. Meanwhile, NASA will provide access to publicly available datasets, mission materials, multimedia, and virtual sessions with subject matter experts who can share insights on space science, engineering, and careers. Ready to start brainstorming? Visit the Hack Club: Stardance Challenge website to explore project options, check out prizes, and RSVP to get a reminder when the challenge opens NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur is conducting a technology demonstration with Astrobee flying robots.Credit: NASA Go Behind Scenes of NASA Careers Think NASA is only for astronauts, scientists, and tech experts? Think again. It takes a wide range of professionals and specialists to bring the nation’s aerospace goals to life. Summer is the perfect time to discover how your skills and interests could make a difference at NASA. Connect directly with NASA experts through online events designed to spark your curiosity and help you explore real STEM career paths. These virtual sessions provide a behind‑the‑scenes look at NASA’s workforce, plus the chance to ask questions. Tuesday, June 2: NASA’s Career Technical Education Day at Goddard Space Flight Center dives into robotics, AI, autonomous systems, and the skilled technical careers that keep NASA missions running. Register by May 26. Thursday, June 11: Virtual Career Connection: Aviation Technology and Maintenance introduces you to aircraft mechanics and technicians who support NASA’s flight programs and explores pathways into aviation technology careers. Register by June 2. Looking for more? Check out the Next Gen STEM for Careers web page for videos, articles, and more ways to learn about the variety of jobs at NASA. Noctilucent clouds seen from Fairbanks, Alaska.Credit: Patrick Cobb – Photovoltaic designer, photographer Dive into NASA Research Through Citizen Science NASA invites people of all ages and backgrounds to do NASA science as a part of real science projects that rely on volunteers. Citizen Science is a great way to make new friends, meet some scientists, and help NASA solve mysteries of the universe this summer – using just a phone or computer. You can join from anywhere, participate on your own schedule, and dive right into real research using actual mission data. Here are two examples: Through Space Cloud Watch, you can help NASA study noctilucent clouds. Noctilucent means “night-shining,” and that’s exactly what they do! During summer twilight at high latitudes, these clouds catch sunlight and appear to glow even in a darkened sky. Take a photo and submit a report to help scientists track how these rare clouds are changing. Take your cloud‑watching to another planet with Cloudspotting on Mars, where you review real NASA images to identify clouds above the Red Planet and help scientists understand Martian weather. Curious about what other projects you might enjoy? See all current Citizen Science opportunities available through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. No matter how you spend your summer – building projects like the Hack Club’s Stardance Challenge, jumping into real NASA research through citizen science, or exploring possible NASA career paths – there’s a launch pad waiting for you. And remember, NASA’s STEM Resources website is available year-round to serve as your one-stop hub for hands-on activities, videos, articles, and more to spark curiosity and fuel big ideas. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA For Students Grades 9-12 Mobile and Desktop Apps Games and Interactives NASA STEM Opportunities and Activities For Students View the full article

Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Universe Uncovered Hubble’s Partners in Science Hubble & Citizen Science AI & Hubble Science Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Science Operations Astronaut Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts Multimedia Images Videos Online Activities e-Books Sonifications Podcasts 3D Hubble Models Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary News Hubble News Social Media Media Resources 35th Anniversary More Online Activities 3 min read Hubble Spots a Starry Spiral This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the glittering spiral galaxy NGC 3137, located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker and the PHANGS-HST Team In this new picture from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own. NGC 3137 is of particular interest to astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains our Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies, both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic home. NGC 3137 is revealed in fantastic detail by Hubble. This image is crafted from observations in six different color bands, creating a view that highlights several facets of this beautiful spiral. The galaxy’s center, which is encircled by a network of fine, dusty clouds, hosts a ****** hole estimated to be 60 million times more massive than the Sun. NGC 3137 is highly inclined from our point of view, giving a unique perspective on its loose, feathery spiral structure. A couple of photobombing Milky Way stars and a smattering of far more distant background galaxies complete the image. As stunning as each of these features may be, it’s the galaxy’s brilliant star clusters that steal the show. The galaxy is peppered with dense clusters of bright blue stars and glowing red gas clouds, which signal the presence of hot, young stars still encased in their birth nebulae. Unsurprisingly, these star clusters are exactly what has drawn Hubble’s keen eye. Researchers are using Hubble to carry out an observing program (#17502; PI: D. Thilker) focusing on star clusters in 55 nearby galaxies. The data collected will help astronomers identify star clusters and the glowing nebulae that surround them, providing a way to measure the ages of stars in galaxies like NGC 3137. These observations give an in-depth view of stellar life in spiral galaxies, from the young stars still in the process of forming to the ancient stellar populations that grew up in the early years of their galactic hosts. The PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby Galaxies)-HST program for which these observations were taken is part of a larger effort by some of the most powerful observatories on (and around) Earth. Hubble contributes greatly to this massive undertaking, which combines Hubble data with observations from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Together, Hubble’s powerful optical and ultraviolet capabilities, Webb’s sensitive infrared eyes, and ALMA’s broad network of radio dishes bring us an unmatched view of star formation in the local universe. Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated May 01, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble’s Galaxies Hubble Mission Operations Hubble News View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Cyclone Rains Spur Papua New… Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search Sept. 24, 2025 April 20, 2026 NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison Sept. 24, 2025April 20, 2026 NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison Sept. 24, 2025 April 20, 2026 CurtainToggle2-Up Image Details During a break in the clouds, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured an image of landslide fallout in the forested Gazelle district of East New Britain on April 20, 2026 (right). A second image from Landsat 9 shows the same area on September 24, 2025 (left), before the landslides. Since much of Papua New Guinea lies close to the equator where the Coriolis effect is weak, the risk of tropical cyclones striking the island nation is relatively low, especially in its northern areas. Nevertheless, unusually warm sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions favorable to storm formation brought powerful Tropical Cyclone Maila dangerously close to the islands of Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland in April 2026, fueling intense rainfall. The heavy rains saturated steep terrain in the Gazelle district of East New Britain, triggering landslides on and around April 9 that led to several deaths, according to news reports. The Landsat 9 satellite captured an image of the fresh landslide scars cutting through the dense tropical forests in the Baining Mountains on April 20, 2026. The Toriu River and other sediment-laden waterways are visible to the east of the landslides. The landslides appear as light-brown swaths of exposed soil and debris extending north toward a nearby river valley, contrasting with the surrounding green vegetation and scattered white clouds. A second image from Landsat 9 shows the same area on September 24, 2025, before the landslides. Maila was notable for its intensity—reaching Category 4 strength on Australia’s cyclone intensity scale (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale used for U.S. hurricanes)—and also for its slow movement near Papua New Guinea. Instead of passing quickly through the region, Maila lingered, allowing rainbands to repeatedly strike East New Britain. Satellite-based precipitation estimates from NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission indicate that hundreds of millimeters of rain likely fell across the region in less than a week. NASA’s Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) model uses precipitation estimates from GPM along with slope, soil, and land cover data to identify areas where rainfall is likely to trigger landslides. During the height of the storm, LHASA highlighted parts of East New Britain—including the Baining Mountains—as having an elevated risk of slope failure. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland. Downloads September 24, 2025 JPEG (18.10 MB) April 20, 2026 JPEG (17.23 MB) References & Resources Eos (2026, April 17) The 9 April 2026 landslide at Lamarain in Papua New Guinea. Accessed April 30, 2026. Forbes (2018, June 28) Why Hurricanes Almost Never Form Near Or Cross The Equator. Accessed April 30, 2026. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (2007) Think Hazard: East New Britain. Accessed April 30, 2026. Li, M. & Toumi, R. (2025) Can tropical cyclones exist near the Equator? Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 152(774), e70014. NASA (2026) Landslides. Accessed April 30, 2026. NASA (2026) GPM Precipitation & Applications Global Viewer. Accessed April 30, 2026. NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (2026) Daily Global Landslide Exposure Map. Accessed April 30, 2026. Post-Courier (2026, April 16) 28 Survivors in Lamarain landslide tragedy as Governor visits site yesterday. Accessed April 30, 2026. ReliefWeb (2026) Tropical Cyclone Maila. Accessed April 30, 2026. RNZ (2026, April 16) Deadly landslide claims 10 lives in PNG’s East New Britain, local media report. Accessed April 30, 2026. Stanley, T. A., et al. (2021) Data-Driven Landslide Nowcasting at the Global Scale. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9 U.S. Department of State, via Facebook (2026, April 14) The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people and Government of Papua New Guinea… Accessed April 30, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Senyar Swamps Sumatra 3 min read A rare tropical cyclone dropped torrential rains on the Indonesian island, fueling extensive and destructive floods. Article Tropical Cyclone Narelle Crosses Australia 3 min read The powerful storm lashed the northern edge of the continent with damaging winds and drenching rain as it made landfall… Article Super Typhoon Sinlaku 3 min read The violent storm aimed at the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands and Guam in mid-April 2026. Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

Credit: NASA Ireland will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 3 p.m. EDT Monday, May 4, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America Geraldine Byrne Nason; Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, T.D., of Ireland; and U.S. Department of State officials for the ceremony. This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 12 p.m. on May 4 to: *****@*****.tld. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: [Hidden Content] -end- Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Apr 30, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis AccordsArtemisOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

1 Min Read Odyssey Team Celebrates on a Global Map of Mars PIA26722 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Odyssey Team Celebrates on a… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Odyssey Team Celebrates on a Global Map of Mars JPEG (18.11 MB) Description Team members past and present from NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter mission gathered on April 15, 2026, to celebrate 25 years since the spacecraft’s launch, which took place April 7, 2001. For the occasion, the team rolled out a giant global map of Mars created using imagery from Odyssey’s THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) infrared camera. The celebration took place at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which leads the mission. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

Skywatching Skywatching Home What’s Up Meteor Showers Eclipses Daily Moon Guide More Tips & Guides Skywatching FAQ Night Sky Network Shooting stars before dawn, a brilliant meetup between the Moon and Venus and a rare blue moon to end the month The Eta Aquarid meteor shower brings shooting stars before dawn, the Moon meets brilliant Venus after sunset, and May wraps up with a rare Blue Moon. Skywatching Highlights May 5 + 6 : Best time to see the Eta Aquarids May 18: Moon and Venus conjunction May 31: Blue moon Transcript Shooting stars before dawn, a brilliant meetup between the Moon and Venus, and a rare “Blue Moon” to end the month. That’s What’s Up this May. First up: the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which peaks in early May. These shooting stars come from Halley’s Comet. Every year, Earth passes through the comet’s dusty trail, and those tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere. That’s what creates those bright streaks across the sky. Halley’s Comet last passed through the inner solar system in 1986, and won’t return until 2061. The Eta Aquarids appear to come from the constellation Aquarius. That’s where the shower gets its name. NASA/JPL-Caltech These meteors are fast, racing into Earth’s atmosphere at about 40 miles per second. And because they’re moving so quickly, they can leave behind glowing trails that linger for a moment after the flash. At peak, the shower can produce up to about 50 meteors an hour under ideal skies. The best time to watch? In the hours before dawn, looking generally toward the eastern sky. For the best chance of seeing meteor showers, go somewhere dark, let your eyes adjust for about 20 to 30 minutes, and avoid bright lights, including your phone screen. The peak is expected around May 5th to 6th, but bright moonlight this year may wash out some of the fainter meteors. On May 18th, look west just after sunset. NASA/JPL-Caltech The Moon gets a bright little sidekick as Venus shines nearby. The crescent Moon helps point the way, making this an easy one to spot. Venus is one of the brightest objects we can see from Earth, often called the Evening Star. The Moon and Venus look close together because they line up from our point of view on Earth. But in reality, they’re separated by millions of miles in space. Last month, Artemis II launched right around the time of the April 1st Full Moon, sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years and giving us some spectacular new views of our closest neighbor. And now, May ends with another lunar moment: a Full Moon on May 31st. This one is a Blue Moon. But it actually won’t look blue. Blue Moon is the name given to the second Full Moon in a single calendar month. It’s a relatively rare event, hence the phrase “once in a blue moon.” So whether you’re up before sunrise or out after sunset, May is a great time to look up. Here are the phases of the Moon for May. NASA/JPL-Caltech You can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Raquel Villanueva from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA What’s Up Skywatching Galaxies Stars View the full article

NASA/Glenn Benson Teams move the core stage, or largest section, of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis III mission into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this photo from April 27, 2026. The SLS core stage traveled 900 miles on the Pegasus barge from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where the stage is manufactured, to complete assembly of the massive rocket at NASA Kennedy. This mission will launch crew aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon. Image credit: NASA/Glenn Benson View the full article

Credit: NASA The Kingdom of Morocco signed the Artemis Accords on April 29th during a ceremony in the country’s capital, Rabat, becoming the latest nation to commit to the responsible exploration of space. “It is my privilege to welcome the Kingdom of Morocco as the newest signatory to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in recorded remarks. “The accords began as the framework for like-minded nations to come together for the peaceful exploration of space. But now, under President Trump’s vision for an enduring presence on the lunar surface, Artemis Accords partners will be able to make meaningful contributions to that collective effort. Citizens from every Artemis nation will play a pivotal role in humanity’s greatest adventure.” Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita of Morocco signed the accords on behalf of the country. Bourita underscored Morocco’s commitment to shared values across a range of critical sectors. The signing ceremony took place during the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau’s official visit to Morocco with the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III also participating in the event. In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Apr 30, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis AccordsArtemisOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

4 Min Read NASA Goddard’s Greenbelt Visitor Center Marks 50th Anniversary This 1976 photograph shows how the visitor center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., appeared when it opened to the public for the first time. Credits: NASA Trimmed in bicentennial pageantry, NASA opened a visitor center at its Goddard campus in Greenbelt, Maryland, in May 1976. Fifty years on, the Goddard Visitor Center continues to inspire through exhibits and programs on the past, present, and future of space exploration. Dr. John Clark, then NASA Goddard’s center director, provides opening remarks at the visitor center ribbon cutting in May 1976.NASA When the visitor center first opened its doors (just a few weeks before the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington), much of it was open-air. Instead of gilded scissors, a reenactment of Dr. Robert Goddard’s first rocket launch snapped the ribbon. Initial exhibits featured a full-scale mockup of the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (a Hubble telescope precursor), a phone station to transmit guests’ voices 45,000 miles round trip through Applications Technology Satellite-3, and an active meteorology station displaying satellite views of Western Hemisphere weather. The Visitor Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (shown here in a 2010 aerial photo), opened its doors to the public for the first time in May 1976.NASA/Bill Hrybyk This aerial photograph from 1966 shows what was then the Bureau of Standards’ WWV radio station. After the station relocated to Colorado, NASA Goddard used the structure for facilities storage before converting it into a visitor center.NASA The Delta-B rocket at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center was originally displayed at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. NASA Goddard managed the highly successful Thor-Delta program throughout the 1960s and ’70s. In this photo from 1978, a keen eye will see a small model rocket just taking flight to the right of the Delta. Model rocket launches have been a mainstay at the visitor center. They now typically occur the first Saturday of the month.NASA The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-3, also known as Copernicus, was a space telescope that operated for nearly a decade after its 1972 launch. It was a spiritual predecessor to the Hubble Space Telescope. This model was on display at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center in 1976.NASA A visitor center guest in 1977 learns about the Sun. NASA This late-1970s exhibit centered on Dr. Robert Goddard. In 1926, Goddard became the first person ever to successfully launch a liquid-fueled rocket. NASA named its first spaceflight complex in his honor in 1959.NASA A space shuttle model with payload doors open hangs from the ceiling in this mid-1990s visitor center exhibit. The right side of the image describes NASA’s Get Away Special (GAS) Program, which was an opportunity for researchers, students, and other groups to put small payloads in extra space aboard shuttles. Each was contained in a cylinder like those displayed here. The GAS Program can be thought of as a precursor to the CubeSat and other small satellite programs of today.NASA This photograph shows a crowd of guests at a NASA Goddard community day in 1993.NASA Longtime Goddard Visitor Center staffer “D.J.” Emmanuel stands by a Gemini capsule on display here in 2005.NASA During a May 2007 trip to the United States, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, visited NASA Goddard. Here, the queen and prince look on as then-Goddard Center Director Dr. Ed Weiler demonstrates “Science on a Sphere.” This system, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), uses computers and four video projectors to display animated images on the outside of a six-foot diameter sphere.NASA/Pat Izzo The “Moon Tree” in front of the visitor center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This sycamore (shown in a 2009 file photo) grew from a seed carried to the Moon aboard Apollo 14 and was planted here on June 9, 1977.NASA/Pat Izzo This arched entryway of Hubble Space Telescope imagery greeted guests at the NASA Goddard visitor center in the 2010s.NASA/Debbie McCallum These three guests were among some 400 who attended a “Yuri’s Night” celebration at the visitor center on April 10, 2010. Yuri’s Night, a celebration of achievements in space exploration, was named in honor of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.NASA/Bill Hrybyk “The visitor center serves the community by providing engaging exhibits and programming focused on the work of NASA overall and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in particular,” said Amanda Harvey, the visitor center’s engagement coordinator. “We are an important place for people to discover, explore, and experience what it is that NASA does.” Longtime staffer “D.J.” Emmanuel is himself proof-positive of the sentiment: “The first time I actually got introduced to Goddard was at a talk to see the tools astronauts used during the first Hubble servicing mission in 1993.” He started volunteering his time at the visitor center and then transitioned to fulltime staff. Harvey and Emmanuel are employees of the NASA Communication Services contract, and the two operate the visitor center with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers. The original structure and grounds of the visitor center housed WWV, a radio station for what was then the Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST). The station relocated to Colorado in the mid-1960s — campus legend maintains that WWV’s broadcasts interfered with Apollo Program tests and necessitated the move. NASA Goddard used the transmitter building for facility maintenance storage until renovations for a visitor center began in earnest in 1975. As space exploration has advanced and NASA Goddard’s contributions have evolved, so too has the visitor center, which today hosts a 4K science film movie theater, Hubble telescope artifacts, a custom-programmed Roman telescope video game arcade console — no quarters required — and several more displays and activities. “I keep going back and looking at the exhibits and reading something new that I haven’t read before,” Emmanuel said. “It’s a great way to introduce kids to the world of science and to space.” And as much as the visitor center enriches its guests, the reverse is also true: “My favorite memories usually involve young visitors dressed like astronauts,” Harvey said. “Their excitement is palpable and so inspiring. It makes me want to have more programs and serve my community the best that I can!” Over its first decade of operations, the visitor center hosted just shy of 600,000 guests. Thousands upon thousands more have come in the years since, with virtual field trips now also helping bring NASA Goddard beyond the local community. Some things, though, have not changed since that rocket-powered ribbon-cutting 50 years ago: Now as then, a towering, 100-foot-tall Delta-B rocket still watches over the grounds. A seed taken to the Moon aboard Apollo 14 grew into the sycamore that has stood by the main entrance for decades. And just as it was in 1976, the cost of admission is free. The NASA Goddard Visitor Center will celebrate its 50th on Saturday, May 2, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. No RSVP is required. For more information on events and programs: [Hidden Content] Research and multimedia assistance for this story was provided by the NASA Goddard Archives. Researchers may direct reference requests to *****@*****.tld. By Rob Garner NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Facebook logo @NASAGoddardVisitorCenter Keep Exploring More on NASA Goddard’s Visitor Center Goddard Visitor Center Goddard Events & Programs Onsite Field Trips and Facility Tours Goddard Visitor Center Virtual Field Trips Share Details Last Updated Apr 30, 2026 EditorRob GarnerContactRob Garner*****@*****.tldLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterNASA History View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Partners from NASA, Texas public safety organizations, commercial drone operators, and the Federal Aviation Administration gathered in the region of North Texas Feb. 18 to understand how public safety drones can operate alongside commercial drones safely and effectively.Credit: Texas Department of Public Safety Our streets are crowded with commuters and delivery vehicles, but when a police car or fire engine approaches with its lights and sirens on, drivers clear the way. In the coming years, drones for deliveries and other commercial tasks will become common in the skies over our communities, and NASA is working to ensure first responder vehicles in the air get the same kind of clearance that they do on the ground. A recent flight exercise in the North Texas region showed how airspace prioritization tools could help first responder drones move quickly and safely through crowded skies. Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley teamed up with local and state public safety agencies, industry partners, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to test how emergency crews could get priority airspace access in real time. The exercise is the latest collaboration between NASA and FAA in the area. North Texas is an FAA-designated region that allows for commercial drone deliveries to fly daily. When a police, fire, or rescue drone launched during the exercise, other drones would move aside. When multiple public safety organizations responded to simulated emergencies, their officials communicated to prioritize access for the right drones. “Just as ambulances use lights and sirens to signal vehicles to move out of the way, public safety operators require the ability to share airspace safely,” said Abhay Borade, a research lead for the Air Traffic Management and Safety project at NASA Ames. “The key is to prioritize safety of flight operations, while balancing the efficient use of the airspace for all operators.” The Texas testing helped NASA better understand how commercial flights differ from public safety drone missions – emergency crews rarely fly predictable routes. During a search, a pursuit, or when scanning a dangerous environment, they may need to change direction suddenly. Researchers collected data on how unpredictable vehicle movements – demonstrated by having a drone follow an officer driving an SUV erratically, simulating a fleeing suspect in a vehicle chase – might affect nearby commercial drone activity. The result demonstrated NASA’s development of air traffic systems and tools to prioritize public safety operators as commercial drone usage increases. “By working closely with industry and federal partners, we’re helping build the data, tools, and traffic management frameworks needed to ensure the future of drone operations is safe, responsible, and scalable for everyone,” said Shivanjli Sharma, Air Traffic Management and Safety project manager at NASA Ames. Participants involved in the demonstration included the drone airspace management companies Drone Sense, Avision, ANRA Technologies, as well as the FAA, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the police departments from the Texas cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, and Irving. Share Details Last Updated Apr 30, 2026 Related TermsAmes Research CenterAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAir Traffic Management and SafetyAirspace Operations and Safety Program Explore More 4 min read There’s No Place Like NASA’s New X-59 Hangar Home Article 2 days ago 8 min read NASA Celebrates Decade of University Innovation in Aeronautics Article 6 days ago 4 min read NASA Releases Powerful LAVA Software to US Aerospace Industry Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Ames Research Center Airspace Operations and Safety Program Air Traffic Management and Safety Project View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Winter’s End Is Written in… Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search Clouds line up, curl, and spin over the Gulf of Alaska in this image, acquired on March 19, 2026, by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison Winter 2026 roared to an end in southern Alaska as parts of the coast saw below-normal temperatures and bouts of moderate to heavy snow. Viewed from above, the region’s atmospheric instability was apparent in the striking display of cloud formations just offshore. A NASA satellite captured this image of the clouds on March 19, 2026, the final day of astronomical winter. According to a NOAA weather briefing, low pressure over the Gulf of Alaska that day combined with high pressure over eastern Russia and northern Alaska, causing cold Arctic air to pour southeast over the Alaska Peninsula. The setup led to the formation of cloud streets, visible in the middle of the scene, oriented in line with the direction of the wind. These parallel bands can occur when frigid, dry air moves over comparatively warm ocean water and gains moisture. Where the warm, moist air rises, water vapor condenses to form clouds. Where cooled air sinks adjacent to the clouds, skies are clear. But the transformation does not happen right away; it takes the air mass some time over the sea surface to pick up heat and moisture, which is why the region close to shore is mostly cloud-free. (Note that the hazy area close to shore might be stratus or sea fog.) As the air moves farther over the gulf, the cloud streets continue to mature and change into open-cell clouds—a type of cloud that appears as thin wisps surrounding empty pockets. Another compelling cloud type is visible toward the bottom-left on the lee side of Unimak Island, the easternmost of the Aleutian Islands. These trails of staggered, counterrotating swirls are von Kármán vortex streets. The cloud patterns can form when winds are diverted around elevated areas, often islands, rising from the ocean. Finally, an especially striking feature in this scene is the larger cloud vortex about 180 miles (300 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage. According to a post from meteorologist Matthew Cappucci, the feature was a polar low—a small cyclonic formation that forms in cold polar air over relatively warm water. This instance, Cappucci wrote, carried tropical storm-force winds and produced snow and thunderstorms around its center. Outside of March 19, the month overall brought persistent cold and bouts of storminess to the state. The weather had warmed by the end of April, but news reports indicated more unsettled, wet weather was on the way across Southcentral and Southeast Alaska as an atmospheric river approached the region. NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen. Downloads March 19, 2026 JPEG (4.94 MB) References & Resources EUMeTrain (2014) Cloud Streets. Accessed April 29, 2026. KTUU (2026, April 27) April showers just won’t quit. Accessed April 29, 2026. KTUU (2026, April 27) April ends on a wet and breezy note; heavy rain for coastal Southcentral. Accessed April 29, 2026. Matthew Cappucci and MyRadar Weather Radar via Facebook (2026, March 19) If you looked at satellite on Wednesday, you probably saw what looked like a tropical storm making landfall in Alaska. Accessed April 29, 2026. NWS Alaska Region (2026, March 19) March 19, 2026 – Marine Weather. Accessed April 29, 2026. NWS Anchorage (2026, March 19) March 19, 2026 Alaska Weather Daily Briefing. Accessed April 29, 2026. University of Alaska Fairbanks (2026, April 21) Alaska climate report: March 2026 saw dangerous weather. Accessed April 29, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Winter Grips the Michigan Mitten 3 min read A blanket of snow spanned Michigan and much of the Great Lakes region following a potent cold snap. Article Clouds Swimming over Lago Argentino 6 min read A collection of fish-shaped clouds hovered above the glacial lake in Patagonia in December 2025. Article Extreme January Cold 3 min read Following a significant winter storm, frigid temperatures lingered in late January 2026 across a vast swath of the U.S. Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article