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5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Sunlight glints off one of the solar panels of the SWOT satellite in this artist’s concept. The antennas of the mission’s key instrument — the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) — collect data along a swath 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide on either side of the satellite.CNES Rivers rise and fall throughout the year, but by how much? Perhaps less than previously thought, according to new data from the SWOT mission. Hidden riverbed contours are also emerging. In a first, a space mission led by NASA and France has tracked Earth’s rivers swelling and shrinking from month to month over the course of a year and found significantly less of a swing than previous model-based estimates. A record drought in the Amazon likely influenced the tally made by the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite. The findings also reveal new details about the underwater topography of the world’s river channels. Launched in 2022, SWOT is a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales). It is the first satellite capable of surveying not only the ocean, but also nearly all the world’s lakes and rivers with ultraprecision. While SWOT does not measure the absolute volume of rivers, it can track their width, surface height, and slope changing over time. Traditionally, hydrologists have relied on models to calculate river storage changes, or they multiplied altimeter estimates of height by optical or radar estimates of width. In contrast, SWOT measures both dimensions, height and width, at the same time using its sensitive Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) instrument to bounce microwaves off the water’s surface and time how long the signal takes to return. The new study, published Wednesday in Nature, analyzed nearly 1.6 million such observations. The analysis paints a picture of some 127,000 river segments rising and falling between October 2023 and September 2024. In aggregate, river volumes varied by almost 83 trillion gallons (313 cubic kilometers). That’s about 28% less of a swing than the lowest previous estimates, a result likely skewed by extremely dry conditions during that ******* in the Amazon, home to Earth’s largest river by volume. Earth’s rivers pulse like capilleries in this visualization using data from the SWOT mission. The world tour zooms in on iconic rivers including the Amazon, which in the span of a year gained and lost enough water to fill 68 million Olympic-size swimming pools. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio New way to map river channels Even gripped by drought, the Amazon River varied more than any other during the year, gaining and losing more than 45 trillion gallons (172 cubic kilometers) — enough to cover the entire state of California in more than a foot of water. More surprisingly, the world’s longest river, the Nile, varied less than expected, with volumes changing by only 2.2 trillion gallons (8.5 cubic kilometers). Possible explanations include upstream damming and severe drought, along with challenges that come with learning to work with a new satellite instrument. Cedric David, who leads the SWOT research team that conducted the work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said the findings are a first look and the role of large floodplain dynamics remain to be fully determined. Still, such an accounting has been elusive until now. River gauges are sparse in areas, and some channels too remote for boat and ground surveys. Longstanding questions, such as how fast do rivers flow and how much rainwater and snowmelt runs into them, have added to the uncertainty. “We’re starting to untangle some of the really tough questions SWOT was built for,” David said. “This is just the beginning.” Tracking rivers as they swell and shrink is also helping scientists visualize something that can be challenging to survey in person: the underlying shape of riverbanks and beds. Such contours influence everything from shipping to flooding but have remained largely unmapped in many places, noted Arnaud Cerbelaud, a postdoctoral research fellow at JPL who co-led the study. The new SWOT data provides a window into river channels ranging from concave to convex, steep to gentle, and stable to highly variable. In the Amazon, Mississippi, Orinoco, Yangtze, Ganges, Mekong and Yenisei rivers, for example, observed water levels vary by more than 32 feet (10 meters) from peak to trough. “The implications go far beyond hydrology and will help us understand how water moves through the global Earth system,” Cerbelaud said. More about SWOT Launched in December 2022 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, SWOT is now in its operations phase, collecting data that will be used for research and other purposes. The SWOT satellite was jointly developed by NASA and CNES, with contributions from the CSA (********* Space Agency), and the *** Space Agency. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project. For the flight system payload, NASA provided the KaRIn instrument, a GPS science receiver, a laser retroreflector, a two-beam microwave radiometer, and NASA instrument operations. NASA partners at CNES provided the Doppler Orbitography and Radioposition Integrated by Satellite system, the dual frequency Poseidon altimeter (developed by Thales Alenia Space), the KaRIn radio-frequency subsystem (together with Thales Alenia Space and with support from the *** Space Agency), the satellite platform, and ground operations. The KaRIn high-power transmitter assembly was provided by CSA. NASA provided the launch vehicle and the agency’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed the associated launch services. To learn more about SWOT, visit: [Hidden Content] SWOT Spots Planet-Rumbling Tsunami in Greenland Next-Generation Water Satellite Maps Seafloor From Space How SWOT Can Improve Flood Prediction News Media Contacts Andrew Wang / Andrew Good Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Written by Sally Younger 2026-014 Share Details Last Updated Mar 04, 2026 Related TermsEarthEarth ScienceJet Propulsion LaboratorySWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography)Water on Earth Explore More 3 min read Searching for Selenite Oklahoma’s Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge attracts rare and diverse species—and enthusiasts looking for a… Article 11 hours ago 2 min read Smoke Rises Over Big Cypress National Preserve The National fire has burned tens of thousands of acres within the Florida preserve, fueled… Article 1 day ago 7 min read Scoria Cones on Earth and Mars The hill-shaped features are a sign of explosive volcanic activity—a rarity on the Red Planet. Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Explore Earth Science From its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based… Earth Science at Work NASA Earth Science helps Americans respond to challenges and societal needs — such as wildland fires, hurricanes, and water supplies… Earth Science Data Earth Science Missions In order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports… View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Searching for Selenite 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 October 10, 2025 Dating back centuries, salt-crusted plains in present-day Oklahoma held great value to native tribes and, later, to homesteaders. People used the inland supply of salt in their diets, for tanning deer hides, and for trade. The area also proved to be a fertile hunting ground due to the abundance of game that sought out the nutrient-rich habitat. Since 1930, the salty deposit located about 90 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City has been part of Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the plains are still known as a gathering place for diverse animal life, including more than 300 species of birds. But its salt resources have become appealing in another way: it is the only place in the world where people can dig for a distinctively patterned form of crystallized gypsum. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured these images of the area in natural color (above) and false color (below) on October 10, 2025. The salt basin is partially filled by Great Salt Plains Lake, a shallow reservoir formed by the damming of the Salt Fork Arkansas River and fed by ephemeral streams. The false-color image combines the shortwave infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with visible light (OLI bands 7-4-2). In this combination, healthy vegetation appears dark red to purple, and water is blue. The variation in color on the salt plain may be due to different moisture or salinity levels. (Scientists can use shortwave infrared data in estimations of soil salinity.) October 10, 2025 The basin’s salt has its origins in the Permian *******, about 300 million to 250 million years ago. A shallow salt layer from that time still underlies parts of the southwestern U.S., including western Oklahoma. Salt gradually dissolves into groundwater, and when the resulting brine rises to the surface, the water evaporates and leaves behind a bright crust. The saline water is a key component in a mineral structure unique to the area—hourglass selenite crystals. Selenite, a crystalline variety of gypsum, forms in the top two feet of the wet subsurface when saline water combines with gypsum. The process can occur relatively quickly when temperatures and moisture levels are right. Likewise, crystals may dissolve away if the environment is too wet. Sand and clay particles get incorporated into the otherwise clear crystals, often in a brownish hourglass shape. Visitors to the Salt Plains scour for these crystal “blades,” but crystal collecting is limited to certain months of the year so as not to disrupt seasonal activities of shorebirds and waterbirds. The salt flats provide habitat and feeding grounds for species such as the snowy plover, sandhill crane, and endangered whooping crane. Other wildlife common to the area include white-tailed deer, red-eared sliders, and nine-banded armadillos. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads Natural color, October 10, 2025 JPEG (9.72 MB) False color, October 10, 2025 JPEG (2.99 MB) References & Resources Johnson, K.S. (1981) Dissolution of salt on the east flank of the Permian Basin in the southwestern U.S.A. Journal of Hydrology, 54 (1–3), 75-93. National Geographic (2020, September 15) Dig in! This nature reserve wants you to make a mess. Accessed March 3, 2026. Oklahoma Historical Society (2010, January 15) Great Salt Plains. Accessed March 3, 2026. Oklahoma Historical Society (2010, January 15) Great Salt Plains State Park and National Wildlife Refuge. Accessed March 3, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Welcome to Great Salt Plains Lake. Accessed March 3, 2026. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. Accessed March 3, 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. Finding Freshwater in Great Salt Lake 4 min read Reed-covered mounds exposed by declining water levels reveal an unexpected network of freshwater springs that feed directly into the lake… Article Lake Eyre Blushes 3 min read Rounding out a remarkable year, the outback lake displayed distinct green and reddish water in its two main bays. Article Dark Skies Over the Great Basin 5 min read Far from large urban areas, Great Basin National Park offers unencumbered views of the night sky and opportunities to study… 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 View the full article

La Luna se eleva detrás del cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial y la nave espacial Orion de la misión Artemis II de la NASA, situados sobre una plataforma móvil de lanzamiento en el Complejo de Lanzamiento 39B del Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida, el domingo 1 de febrero de 2026. El vuelo de prueba Artemis II llevará al comandante Reid Wiseman, al piloto Victor Glover y a la especialista de misión Christina Koch, de la NASA, y al especialista de misión Jeremy Hansen, de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense), alrededor de la Luna y de vuelta a la Tierra.NASA/Ben Smegelsky Read this story in English here. A fin de lograr el objetivo nacional de llevar astronautas estadounidenses a la superficie de la Luna y mantener la superioridad de Estados Unidos en exploración y descubrimientos, la NASA anunció el 27 de febrero que aumentará la frecuencia de sus misiones **** el programa Artemis, estandarizará la configuración del cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial (SLS, por sus siglas en inglés) y agregará una nueva misión. Estos planes fueron dados a conocer durante una conferencia de prensa (en inglés) en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida, e incluyeron una actualización sobre la misión que se dará en el futuro cercano, Artemis II. Esta actualización se centró en los sistemas de transporte para llevar tripulaciones a la Luna. La arquitectura actualizada de la NASA incluye agregar una nueva misión en 2027 para poner a prueba las capacidades de sistema más cerca de la Tierra antes de enviar astronautas a la superficie de la Luna por primera vez en más de 50 años y tiene como objetivo lograr una misión lunar por año a partir de entonces. Ahora, la estandarización del cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial (SLS, por sus siglas en inglés) y de otros sistemas ayudará a la NASA a enviar astronautas a explorar el Polo Sur lunar por primera vez en 2028. Los detalles específicos para lograr este nuevo enfoque, así como otras actualizaciones de la arquitectura, serán dados a conocer próximamente, ya que la agencia sigue centrada en la misión Artemis II, la cual tiene previsto volar alrededor de la Luna no más tarde de abril, y está comprobando sus capacidades para respaldar una mayor frecuencia de las misiones. Artemis I: La NASA completó **** éxito un vuelo de prueba sin tripulación del cohete SLS y la nave espacial Orion en noviembre de 2022. Esta misión puso a prueba por primera vez el lanzamiento del cohete utilizando nuevos sistemas terrestres de exploración y evaluó los sistemas de Orion sin incluir astronautas ni los sistemas críticos de soporte vital planificados para la siguiente misión. Artemis II: Esta misión será el primer vuelo de prueba **** tripulación a bordo del cohete SLS y la nave espacial Orion. Después de un exitoso ensayo general **** circulación de combustible en febrero, la NASA descubrió un problema del flujo de helio a la etapa de propulsión criogénica provisional, y llevó el cohete y la nave espacial de regreso al Edificio de Ensamblaje de Vehículos para su reparación. Los ingenieros del Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida están trabajando actualmente en el cohete SLS y la nave espacial Orion, que está montada sobre él, para abordar el problema que requirió su retirada, y los equipos también están aprovechando el tiempo para cambiar las baterías y hacer otros trabajos. La ventana de lanzamiento se abre en abril. Los miembros de la tripulación son los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch, y el astronauta de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense) Jeremy Hansen, quienes emprenderán una misión **** una duración aproximada de 10 días que los enviará alrededor de la Luna y de regreso a la Tierra. Artemis III: La NASA añadió una nueva misión de demostración en la órbita terrestre baja para mediados de 2027 a fin de poner a prueba uno o ambos módulos de aterrizaje comerciales de SpaceX y Blue Origin, respectivamente. Esta misión lanzará a la tripulación a bordo de Orion sobre el cohete SLS para poner a prueba las capacidades de encuentro y acoplamiento entre Orion y las naves espaciales comerciales privadas que son necesarias para llevar astronautas a la Luna. Esta prueba se llevará a ***** **** uno o ambos proveedores. Artemis IV: La NASA sigue teniendo como objetivo que el primer alunizaje de Artemis sea a principios de 2028, que ha sido la fecha de alunizaje prevista desde mediados de 2025. Después del lanzamiento, la tripulación se trasladará a un módulo de aterrizaje lunar comercial para su transporte a la superficie de la Luna. La preparación del módulo de aterrizaje determinará qué proveedor los llevará de manera segura a la superficie y de regreso a Orion en la órbita lunar, antes de que la tripulación regrese a casa a bordo de Orion, para amerizar de manera segura en el océano Pacífico. Se llevarán a ***** medidas para estandarizar el cohete SLS para la misión Artemis IV. **** este enfoque arquitectónico, la NASA evalúa opciones alternativas para la segunda etapa del cohete. La etapa de propulsión criogénica provisional utilizada para las tres primeras misiones será reemplazada por una nueva segunda etapa, y la agencia ya no planea utilizar la Etapa Superior de Exploración ni el Lanzador Móvil 2, ya que el desarrollo de ambos ha sufrido retrasos. Artemis V: Mediante la configuración estandarizada del cohete SLS, la NASA anticipa que el lanzamiento de esta misión a la superficie lunar ocurrirá a finales de 2028 y, a partir de entonces, habrá futuras misiones aproximadamente una vez al año. También se espera que en esta misión la NASA comience a construir su base lunar. La NASA continúa perfeccionando los planes de la arquitectura de sus misiones, y la agencia dará a conocer más información sobre su estrategia para la exploración lunar y asignaciones de tripulación en el futuro. Como parte de una edad de oro de innovación y exploración, la NASA enviará astronautas de Artemis en misiones progresivamente más difíciles para explorar más regiones de la Luna a fin de lograr descubrimientos científicos y beneficios económicos, y de utilizar nuestro desarrollo de los programas espaciales para sentar las bases para las primeras misiones tripuladas a Marte. Para obtener más información sobre el programa Artemis, visita: [Hidden Content] (en inglés) [Hidden Content] (español) View the full article

The Moon rises behind NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (********* Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth. NASA/Ben Smegelsky To achieve the national goal of landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon and maintaining U.S. superiority in exploration and discovery, NASA announced Feb. 27 it is increasing its cadence of missions under the Artemis program, standardizing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket configuration, and adding a new mission. The plans were shared during a news conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and included an update on the near-term mission, Artemis II. This update focused on the transportation systems to take crew to the Moon. NASA’s latest architecture includes adding a new mission in 2027 to test system capabilities closer to home prior to sending astronauts to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years and aims to achieve one lunar mission per year thereafter. Standardizing SLS and other systems now will help NASA send astronauts to explore the lunar South Pole for the first time in 2028. Specific details to achieve this new approach as well as other architecture updates are forthcoming as the agency remains focused on the Artemis II mission around the Moon as early as April, and reviews capabilities to support an increased mission cadence. Here are the basics for the first five missions under the Artemis program: Artemis I: NASA successfully completed an uncrewed test flight of SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft in November 2022. This mission tested launching the rocket for the first time using new exploration ground systems and evaluated Orion systems not including astronauts or critical life support systems planned on the next mission. Artemis II: The test flight will be the first flight with crew aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. Following a successful wet dress rehearsal in February, NASA discovered a helium flow issue to the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and rolled the rocket and spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are currently working on the stacked SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to address the issue that required rollback, and teams also are taking the time to swap batteries and more. The next launch window opens in April. Crew members include NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen to venture on an approximately 10-day mission that will send the around the Moon and back. Artemis III: NASA added a new demonstration mission in low Earth orbit in mid-2027 to test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin respectively. The mission will launch crew in Orion on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and private commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon. This test will take place with one or both providers. Artemis IV: NASA continues to target the first Artemis lunar landing in early 2028, which has been the target landing date since mid-2025. After launch, crew will transfer from Orion to a commercial lunar lander for transportation to the surface of the Moon. Lander readiness will determine which provider will safely carry them to the surface and back to Orion in lunar orbit before crew return home aboard Orion – splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Work to standardize the SLS rocket will be implemented for Artemis IV. With this architecture approach, NASA is assessing alternative options for the second stage of the rocket. The interim cryogenic propulsion stage used for the first three missions will be replaced with a new second stage, and the agency is no longer planning to use the Exploration Upper Stage or Mobile Launcher 2, as development of both has faced delays. Artemis V: Using the standardized configuration of the SLS rocket, NASA anticipates launching this lunar surface mission by late 2028, and future missions about once per year thereafter. This mission also is when NASA is expected to begin building its Moon base. NASA continues to refine its architecture plans, and the agency will share more information about its approach to lunar exploration and crew assignments in the future. As part of Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. For more information about the Artemis program, visit: [Hidden Content] View the full article

NASA The food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the Moon. With no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability, all meals must be carefully selected to remain safe, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare and consume in NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Food selections are developed in coordination with space food experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual crew preferences. Here are a frequently asked questions about how NASA designs and prepares food systems for Artemis II to support crew health: What considerations go into selecting and packaging food for safe use during a mission like Artemis II? Food selection for Artemis II considers shelf life, food safety, nutritional value, crew preference, and compatibility with Orion’s mass, volume, and power requirements. Foods must be easy to prepare and consume in microgravity, minimize crumbs, and remain safe and stable throughout the mission. The crew provided input well before the meals were packed for the test flight. How are menu items structured to make up an astronaut’s typical daily meals? On a typical mission day—excluding launch and reentry—astronauts have scheduled time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each astronaut is allotted two flavored beverages per day, which may include coffee. Beverage options are limited due to upmass constraints, which restrict how much food and drink can be carried onboard. Fresh foods will not be flying on Artemis II as Orion does not have refrigeration nor the late load capability required for fresh foods. Shelf-stable foods help manage food safety and quality throughout the intended shelf life in a compact, self-contained spacecraft, while also reducing the risk of crumbs or particulates in microgravity. How do Artemis II menus differ from those used during Apollo, space shuttle, and International Space Station missions? Artemis II menus reflect decades of advancement in space food systems. Apollo missions relied on early food technologies with limited variety, while space shuttle missions expanded menu options and onboard preparation. The International Space Station benefits from regular resupply and occasional fresh foods. In contrast, Artemis II uses a fixed, pre-selected menu designed for a self-contained space vehicle with no resupply. How much input does the Artemis II crew have in choosing their meals? The Artemis II crew has direct input into menu selection. Crew members sample, evaluate, and rate all foods on the standard menu during preflight testing, and their preferences are balanced with nutritional requirements and what Orion can accommodate. Final, crew-specific menus are set well before launch. Two to three days’ worth of food for each crewmember is packed together in a single container, providing flexibility for meal selection during the mission. How are menus tailored for different mission phases, such as launch, transit, and re-entry? Menus are tailored based on the spacecraft’s food preparation capabilities during each hase of flight. Certain foods — such as freeze-dried meals — require hydration using Orion’s potable water dispenser, which is not available during some phases, including launch and landing. As a result, foods selected for those phases must be ready-to-eat and compatible with the spacecraft’s operational constraints, while a broader range of food options are available once full food preparation systems are up and running. How is space food prepared in the Orion spacecraft? Food aboard Orion is ready-to-eat, rehydratable, thermostabilized, or irradiated. The crew uses Orion’s potable water dispenser to rehydrate foods and beverages and a compact, briefcase-style food warmer to heat meals as needed. What challenges come with designing and preparing food for a contained spacecraft like Orion? Designing food systems for Orion requires balancing nutrition, safety, and crew preference within strict mass, volume, and power limits inside a compact, shared cabin. Foods must be easy to store, prepare, and consume in microgravity while minimizing crumbs and waste. Preparation is intentionally simple, using ready-to-eat, rehydratable, thermostabilized, or irradiated foods that can be safely prepared without interfering with crew operations or spacecraft systems. Watch: How to Eat in Space Aboard Orion Victoria Segovia Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 *****@*****.tld Download the Artemis II Crew Menu Artemis II: What’s on the Menu? Mar 3, 2026 PDF (910.82 KB) View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4818-4824: Thinking Out of the Boxwork NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam), showing the rover’s Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument investigating a target. APXS is a spectrometer that measures the abundance of chemical elements in rocks and soils, is about the size of a cupcake, and is located on the turret at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm. Curiosity captured this image on Feb. 26, 2026 — Sol 4820, or Martian day 4,820 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 13:03:08 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Ashley Stroupe, Operations Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 This week we had three planning sessions, exploring the eastern side of the boxwork unit. As a Rover Planner on Monday, I worked on the arm and drive activities, while on Friday I served as the Engineering Uplink Lead (planning all of our engineering activities like heating and managing our onboard data). We had two small drives this week to put different targets into our workspace for each plan. The months-long careful and systematic investigation of the boxwork unit will hopefully provide the science team insights on what was going on in this area of Mars that resulted in this interesting and unique terrain. As we wrap it up, we are already thinking ahead to our future investigations of the sulfate unit, where we will be heading after finishing here and continuing our climb up Mount Sharp. With three plans and short drives, we were able to do a total of 19 Mastcam stereo mosaics, getting a full 360-degree panorama as well as additional documentation of the nearby ridges/hollows and the nearby sulfate unit. Some of the rocks in the hollows show a return of the polygonal structures that we saw in abundance prior to entering the boxwork unit, but have only seen sparsely in other hollows. As we are entering deeper into the warmer months, the start of dust-storm season, we have also been doing a lot of atmospheric measurements. We did multiple observations of the crater rim (to watch it fading into the haze), Mastcam solar Tau measurements (looking at the Sun to measure dust in the atmosphere), dust-****** movies, and other sky observations. We investigated a total of four targets with MAHLI and APXS, two of which we were able to brush. The accompanying image shows the APXS down on one of the targets near the contact. Most of the targets were not very complicated for the Rover Planners because the rocks have been mostly smooth and flat. But our Wednesday target, “Los Monos,” was slightly under the front of the rover, and we had to do some additional intermediate arm motions to reach underneath safely. We won’t actually know if today’s targets are on the other side of the contact (in the sulfate unit) or not until we can study the data. Planning the short drives has been interesting, as with most of the boxwork unit drives, because we must navigate around the sand and steeper slopes in hopes of minimizing slip. In this weekend’s plan our drive will head south towards the southern end of the boxwork unit, where the terrain smooths out a bit and driving should be easier. Want to read more posts from the Curiosity team? Visit Mission Updates Want to learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments? Visit the Science Instruments page NASA’s Curiosity rover at the base of Mount Sharp NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Share Details Last Updated Mar 03, 2026 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4812-4817: Back Into the Hollows Article 7 days ago 3 min read Curiosity Blog Sols 4804-4811: Kicking Off the Final Phase of Boxwork Exploration Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4798-4803: Back for More Science Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

The Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Glenn Research Center at Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, shown here in September 2024. Armstrong Test Facility sits on 6,400 acres of land.Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin NASA’s Glenn Research Center is seeking proposals to lease select land parcels at its Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EST on July 2, 2026. The parcels are part of an area of land that currently serves as a buffer for ongoing NASA operations. The solicitation includes the land parcels, any existing facilities on the property, and access to supporting infrastructure needed for a tenant to operate onsite. The available land includes five parcels ranging in size from approximately 184 to 516 acres, for a total of about 1,736 acres. Two of the parcels currently sit within Armstrong Test Facility’s controlled-access area. Proposers may submit proposals for individual parcels, portions of parcels, or combinations of parcels and acreage. If selected, the proposer(s) would enter a lease with NASA using a Model Enhanced Use Lease Agreement, which provides the rights needed to occupy, operate, modify, and maintain the land for one 20-year base ******* and two consecutive 10-year option periods. Proposals may identify other term options, which will be evaluated and considered by NASA. During the proposal and review *******, NASA plans to request feedback from the community on factors most important to them for NASA to consider when evaluating proposals. NASA Glenn first announced plans to lease property and facilities in May 2024 under the government’s Enhanced Use Lease authority. These lease agreements allow space, aeronautics, and other related industries to use agency land and facilities, reducing NASA’s maintenance costs while fostering strategic partnerships that spur innovation. “As we modernize our Cleveland and Sandusky campuses to support NASA’s future missions, Enhanced Use Leases help ensure full use of government land and facilities while creating regional economic opportunities,” said Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, Glenn’s center director. Armstrong Test Facility, formerly known as Plum Brook Station, spans more than 6,400 acres of controlled land. Located near Lake Erie and several popular tourist destinations, it is home to unique, world-class test facilities that support complex ground testing for the international aerospace community. Interested parties should contact NASA HQ Real Estate at *****@*****.tld to submit a request to view the property. For more information about Armstrong Test Facility, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Jan Wittry Glenn Research Center, Cleveland 216-433-5466 *****@*****.tld 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 Two Observatories, One Cosmic Eye: Hubble and Euclid View Cat’s Eye Nebula Hubble and Euclid teamed up in this image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, NGC 6543. Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying star: the Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. This extraordinary planetary nebula lies in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades with its elaborate and multilayered structure. Observations with ESA’s Gaia mission place the nebula at 4,400 light-years away. Planetary nebulae, so-called because of their round shape, which made them appear to look like planets when viewed through early telescopes, are in fact expanding gas thrown off by stars in their final stages of evolution. It was the Cat’s Eye Nebula itself where this fact was first discovered in 1864 — examining the spectrum of its light reveals the emission from individual molecules that’s characteristic of a gas, distinguishing planetary nebulae from stars and galaxies. Hubble also revolutionized our understanding of planetary nebulae; its detailed images showed that the simple, circular appearance of a planetary nebula seen from the ground belies a very complex morphology. This was particularly true of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, where Hubble images in 1995 revealed never-before-seen structures that broadened our understanding of how planetary nebulae come to be. In this new image, Hubble captures the very core of billowing gas with the High Resolution Channel sub-instrument on its Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). This instrument is optimized for taking very sharp images of fine details in a small area, such as the complex features at the heart of the Cat’s Eye Nebula. The data reveal a tapestry of concentric shells, jets of high-speed gas and dense knots sculpted by shock interactions, features that appear almost surreal in their intricacy. These structures are believed to record episodic mass loss from the dying star at the nebula’s center, creating a kind of cosmic “fossil record” of its final evolutionary stages. Part of these data were also used in a previous image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, released in 2004. Previously unused data from ACS is combined with state-of-the-art image processing to create this new image, the sharpest yet taken of this nebula. ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. Tsvetanov This time, Hubble is joined by ESA’s Euclid space telescope to create a new image of NGC 6543. The combined eyes of Hubble and Euclid reveal the remarkable complexity of stellar death in this object. Though primarily designed to map the distant universe, Euclid captures the Cat’s Eye Nebula as part of its deep imaging surveys. In Euclid’s wide, near-infrared, and visible light view, the arcs and filaments of the nebula’s bright central region are situated within a halo of colorful fragments of gas zooming away from the star. This ring was ejected from the star at an earlier stage, before the main nebula at the center formed. The whole nebula stands out against a backdrop teeming with distant galaxies, demonstrating how local astrophysical beauty and the farthest reaches of the cosmos can be seen together with Euclid. In Euclid’s wide, near-infrared, and visible light view, the arcs and filaments of the nebula’s bright central region are situated within a halo of colorful fragments of gas zooming away from the star. This ring was ejected from the star at an earlier stage, before the main nebula at the center formed. Hubble captures the very core of the billowing gas with high-resolution visible-light images, adding extra detail in the center of this image. The whole nebula stands out against a backdrop teeming with distant galaxies, demonstrating how local astrophysical beauty and the farthest reaches of the cosmos can be seen together in modern astronomical surveys. Together, these missions provide a rich and complementary view of NGC 6543 — revealing the delicate interplay between stellar end-of-life processes and the vast cosmic tapestry beyond. ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov Within this broad view of the nebula and its surroundings, Hubble captures the very core of the billowing gas with a new high-resolution visible-light image, adding extra detail in the center of this image. The data reveal a tapestry of concentric shells, jets of high-speed gas and dense knots sculpted by shock interactions, features that appear almost surreal in their intricacy. These structures are believed to record episodic mass loss from the dying star at the nebula’s center, creating a kind of cosmic “fossil record” of its final evolutionary stages. Combining the focused view of Hubble with Euclid’s deep field observations not only highlights the nebula’s exquisite structure but also places it within the broader context of the universe that both space telescopes explore. Together, these missions provide a rich and complementary view of NGC 6543 — revealing the delicate interplay between stellar end-of-life processes and the vast cosmic tapestry beyond. Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD *****@*****.tld Related Images & Links Hubble and Euclid Image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula Download a 12.1 MB Tiff (4000 X 1667) of the Euclid and Hubble image (left) and the Hubble image (right) of the Cat’s Eye Nebula. Hubble Image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula 2026 Download a 14.3 MB Tiff (1546 X 1608) of Hubble’s latest image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula. Euclid and Hubble’s Image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula Download a 18.9 MB Tiff (4000 X 2195) of the combined Euclid and Hubble view of the Cat’s Eye Nebula. Hubble Image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula 2004 This detailed Hubble image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula looks like the penetrating eye of the disembodied sorcerer Sauron from the film adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings.” Hubble Image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula 1995 This Hubble image shows one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen, NGC 6543, nicknamed the “Cat’s Eye Nebula.” Hubble Science: The Death Throes of Stars When stars die, they throw off their outer layers, creating the clouds that birth new stars. Universe Uncovered: Hubble’s Nebulae These ethereal veils of gas and dust tell the story of star birth and death. Share Details Last Updated Mar 03, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Euclid Goddard Space Flight Center Nebulae Planetary Nebulae 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 Science Highlights Hubble Images Hubble News View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Smoke Rises Over Big Cypress… 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 February 25, 2026 On February 22, 2026, a wildland fire was discovered in Big Cypress National Preserve, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Naples, Florida. The blaze, dubbed the National fire, moved through dry vegetation and sent a plume of smoke billowing over parts of the preserve and nearby communities. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on the afternoon of February 25. By then, the fire had burned around 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), according to the National Park Service. After carrying smoke southward in previous days, winds shifted to start pushing it north by the time Aqua captured this image. According to news reports, the smoke reduced visibility and led to the brief closure of I-75—the interstate nicknamed “Alligator Alley” that runs east-west through the northern part of the preserve. It also contributed to smog over Lake Okeechobee. The fire continued to spread over the next several days, reaching just over 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares) by February 28, according to InciWeb. As of March 2, it remained roughly the same size and was 38 percent contained. The fire’s cause remains under investigation. Officials noted, however, that its spread was driven by ample fuel, including vegetation that was dry from persistent, extreme drought and damaged by recent frost. The National Interagency Fire Center’s wildland fire outlook calls for above-normal fire potential across Florida through May. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen. Downloads February 25, 2026 JPEG (1.81 MB) References & Resources Big Cypress National Preserve (2026, February 27) News Releases. Accessed March 2, 2026. Gulf Coast News (2026, February 26) Alligator Alley reopens following smoke-related closure from Big Cypress National Preserve fire. Accessed March 2, 2026. Gulf Coast News (2026, February 26) Smoke from Big Cypress National Preserve fire shuts down Alligator Alley. Accessed March 2, 2026. Lake Okeechobee News (2026, February 27) Smoke from Big Cypress Preserve wildfire results in smog over Lake Okeechobee. Accessed March 2, 2026. National Integrated Drought Information System (2026, February 24) Florida. Accessed March 2, 2026. National Interagency Coordination Center (2026, March 2) Outlooks. Accessed March 2, 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. Smoky Skies in the Pacific Northwest 3 min read Smoke filled river valleys in northeastern Washington and parts of British Columbia. Article B.C. Wildfires Send Smoke Skyward 2 min read Lightning likely ignited several large fires that sent smoke pouring over the ********* province in early September 2025. Article Fire Threatens Rare Forests in Argentina 3 min read Blazes spread across Los Alerces National Park, home to some of the world’s oldest trees. 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 View the full article

Skywatching Skywatching Home What’s Up Meteor Showers Eclipses Daily Moon Guide More Tips & Guides Skywatching FAQ Night Sky Network A total lunar eclipse glows red, Venus and Saturn get close, and we ring in the vernal equinox A total lunar eclipse blood moon takes centre stage, Venus and Saturn cozy up for a conjunction, and we celebrate the vernal equinox. Skywatching Highlights March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) March 8: Venus + Saturn Conjunction March 20: Vernal Equinox Transcript A total lunar eclipse blood moon takes center stage, Venus and Saturn cozy up for a conjunction and we celebrate the vernal equinox. That’s What’s Up this March. Is it Mars or is it the Moon? On March 3rd, a total lunar eclipse will turn the Moon bright red. Photograph showing a full lunar eclipse progression across the night sky over a city skyline. Trevor Dobson via Flick_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 During a lunar eclipse, which can only happen during a full Moon, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. During a partial lunar eclipse, the Moon moves only partially into the dark shadow, or umbra, cast by Earth. But, during a full lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly aligned, leaving the Moon completely enveloped in Earth’s shadow. When this happens, the Moon actually turns blood red. While you might imagine a full lunar eclipse would leave the Moon completely dark, Earth’s atmosphere scatters the light, illuminating the Moon in this orange-reddish hue. So look up and bask in the red glow of our lunar companion. This full lunar eclipse will be visible from eastern Asia and Australia in the evening, from the Pacific at night, and from most of North and Central America as well as western South America in the early morning. On March 8th, Venus and Saturn will cozy up for a conjunction in the evening sky. Sky chart showing a conjunction between Saturn and Venus constellation on March 8, 2026. “Saturn” is labeled as well as “Venus.” NASA/JPL-Caltech The pair will be about one degree apart, which is roughly the width of a single finger if you hold it at arm’s length. A conjunction happens when two objects in the night sky appear close together, even if they’re far apart in space. In reality, Venus and Saturn are nearly a billion miles apart! But to see the pair get close in the sky from our perspective, look close to the horizon in the western sky just after sunset. On March 20th, we ring in the vernal equinox, marking a transition into the next season. An illustration of the March (spring) and September (fall or autumn) equinoxes. During the equinoxes, both hemispheres receive nearly equal amounts of daylight. (Image not to scale) NASA/GSFC/Genna Duberstein While this is colloquially known as the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere and the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere, astronomically this equinox occurs when the Sun crosses above Earth’s equator while traveling from south to north. On this day, northern and southern hemispheres experience roughly equal amounts of sunlight and day and night are also about equal, each lasting almost exactly 12 hours. So enjoy the start of a new season with a day of perfectly balanced sunlight. Here are the phases of the Moon for March. The phases of the Moon for March 2026. 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 Chelsea Gohd 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

3 min read Collaborating Through Data: Inside the PSI Users Group About the PSI Users Group The Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) Users Group is a recurring Webex forum that brings together researchers, open-science practitioners, and collaborators from across the physical sciences community. Designed to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and data-driven discovery, each meeting provides participants with a platform to directly engage with leading researchers and PIs. Each month, a guest speaker is invited to present their physical sciences research, highlighting the experimental methods, findings, and the resulting datasets-all of which are accessible through the PSI database for further exploration. Through the featured presentations, the Users Group encourages interactive discussion, questions and networking, helping to build a engaged community dedicated to advancing open scientific research through use of NASA’s PSI. Reach out to PSI to learn more or request to be added to the mailing list, *****@*****.tld. February Spotlight Plant Water Management (PWM) 5 & 6 experiments, led by PI Mark Weislogel, co-founder of IRPI LLC, were conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and demonstrated recirculating hydroponic and ebb-and-flow watering techniques in microgravity. The experiments systemically evaluated bubble behavior, gas-liquid phase separation and nutrient delivery across varied flow configurations and root analog densities. The resulting data from PWM was recently published in the PSI database (PSI-187) and provides a comprehensive record of microgravity two-phase fluid dynamics in plant systems. Results from this research can lead to technical risk reduction for future bioregenerative life support architectures and potentially strengthen NASA’s ability to develop reliable, scalable crop production systems for sustained lunar and Mars exploration. During the February 19th Users Group, Dr. Weislogel presented his findings, highlighted potential research impacts and provided a walk-through of the PWM dataset in PSI. Given the relevance of these experiments to the biological sciences community, the invitation for this meeting was extended to the Biological and Physical Science’s (BPS) OSDR members, resulting in significant participation, productive cross-disciplinary discussions and connections. Watch the recording from the February Users Group. Upcoming Meetings Thursday, March 26 – 11AM Guest Speaker: Prof. Tanvir Farouk/University of South Carolina Topic: Effect of External Thermo-Convective Perturbation on Cool Flame Dynamics: A Multidimensional Multi-Physics CFD Analysis Summary: PSI-awarded research used microgravity combustion data from the FLEX investigation to validate and inform simulations of low-temperature combustion processes that are difficult to isolate under Earth’s buoyancy-driven convection. At the scheduled time, join the Webex here. Thursday, April 30 – 11AM Guest Speaker: Prof. Amir Riaz / University of Maryland Topic: Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Mechanisms in Low Gravity: Numerical Experiments of MABE and NPBX Data Summary: PSI-awarded research which used numerical simulations to analyze pool boiling heat transfer under microgravity conditions using experimental data from the 2011 MABE and NPBX experiments. At the scheduled time, join the Webex here. Thursday, June 4 – 11AM Guest Speaker: Dr. Rick Weber & Dr. Stephen Wilke / Materials Development Inc. (MDI) Topic: The Origin of Fragility in High-Temperature Oxide Liquids – Toward Fabrication of Novel Non-Equilibrium Oxides (ELF-6 PRONTO) Summary: Microgravity research which used containerless processing to measure the thermophysical properties of molten metal oxides, revealing how liquid fragility, atomic structure, and glass-forming behavior are correlated in high-temperature oxide systems. At the scheduled time, join the Webex here. Thursday, July 26 – 11AM Guest Speaker: Prof. Anand Oza / New Jersey Institute of Technology Topic: Phase Transitions in Colloid-Polymer Mixtures in Microgravity Additional details coming soon. View the full article

NASA Sunlight beams off a partly cloudy Atlantic Ocean just after sunrise as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above on March 5, 2025. This is an example of sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it. The result is a mirror-like specular reflection of sunlight off the water and back at the satellite sensor or astronaut. While sunglint often produces visually stunning images, the phenomenon can create problems for remote sensing scientists because it obscures features that are usually visible. This is particularly true for oceanographers who use satellites to study phytoplankton and ocean color. As a result, researchers have developed several methods to screen sunglint-contaminated imagery out of data archives. Despite the challenges posed by sunglint, the phenomenon does offer some unique scientific opportunities. It makes it easier, for instance, to detect oil on the water surface, whether it is from natural oil seeps or human-caused oil spills. This is because a layer of oil smooths water surfaces. Text credit: Adam Voiland Image credit: NASA View the full article

The new HTV‑X1 cargo spacecraft from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), carrying science, supplies, and hardware for NASA and its international partners, is pictured on Oct. 29, 2025, after its capture by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.Credit: NASA After delivering about 12,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, hardware, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA and its international partners, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s) uncrewed HTV‑X1 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to depart Friday, March 6. Watch NASA’s live coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel in advance of the spacecraft’s release at 12 p.m. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. On Thursday, March 5, flight controllers will use the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port on the station and maneuver it into position for release. NASA will not provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s detachment from the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Chris Williams will monitor HTV-X1’s systems during undocking and departure. The HTV-X1 spacecraft will remain in orbit for more than three months acting as a scientific platform for JAXA’s experiments. Following the deorbit command, the spacecraft will dispose of several thousand pounds of trash during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up harmlessly. The spacecraft arrived at the space station on Oct. 29, 2025, after launching Oct. 25 on an H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center. For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The space station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars. Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and X. Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at: [Hidden Content] -end- Josh Finch / Jimi Russell Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Mar 02, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchSpace Operations Mission Directorate View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Scoria Cones on Earth and Mars 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 June 19, 2025 (Earth) May 7, 2014 (Mars) Since the 1970s, planetary geologists have known that volcanic features cover large swaths of Mars. Early Mariner 9 images revealed massive shield volcanoes and lava plains on a scale unlike anything on Earth. Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, stands nearly three times higher than Mount Everest. Alba Mons, the planet’s widest volcano, spans a distance comparable to the length of the continental United States. Both Olympus Mons and Alba Mons were primarily built by basaltic effusive eruptions—relatively calm outpourings of “runny” lavas that spread across the surface in sheets. This is thought to be the most common type of volcanism on Mars, accounting for the vast majority of its volcanic landforms. However, a small portion was produced by explosive volcanism of the sort that forms volcanic cones, pyroclastic flows, and ashfalls. The dearth of explosive volcanic features on Mars has long puzzled geologists. With an average atmospheric pressure 160 times lower than Earth’s and only a third of the gravity, explosive eruptions should theoretically occur more easily on the Red Planet, said Petr Brož, a planetary geologist with the Czech Academy of Sciences. That rarity is part of what makes features like the volcanic cones (shown above) found in Mars’ Ulysses Colles region so compelling to planetary geologists. “They appear to be scoria cones—a clear sign of explosive volcanism,” Brož added. “They were the first identified in the Tharsis region in the 2010s, and they helped paint a broader and more complete picture of Martian volcanism.” The CTX (Context Camera) on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image (second image above) of Ulysses Colles above on May 7, 2014. Ulysses Colles is located at the southern edge of Ulysses Fossae, a group of troughs within the Tharsis volcanic region. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured an image with similar cones in the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF) in northern Arizona on June 19, 2025 (top). Planetary geologists consider the cones in the two locations to be highly analogous. Both images also include grabens—linear blocks of crust that have shifted downward. In both images, the scoria cones appear as rounded hills crowned with circular vents, while lava flows spread outward as dark, textured areas around the bases of the cones. At both locations, seemingly younger and smaller lava flows appear to spill from some cones, while older, more weathered flows lie in the background. “Understanding similar features on Earth helps us know what to look for on Mars and interpret processes that we can’t observe directly,” said Patrick Whelley, a NASA volcanologist who is part of a team that develops field equipment and techniques for Moon and Mars exploration. SP Crater (above left), located in Arizona’s San Francisco Volcanic Field, features a 7-kilometer-long lava flow that extends northward and has been used for NASA astronaut geology training. In two places, the flow has spilled into a graben, creating a distinctive half-moon pattern along its left side. On Earth, scoria cones form when gas-rich magmas soar high into the air and solidify into small particles of material called scoria that accumulate in steep-sided structures. While similar processes create cones on Earth and Mars, there are important differences. Martian scoria cones are typically taller, wider, and have gentler slopes, Flynn said. That makes sense. With lower gravity and atmospheric pressure, volcanic fountains can loft erupted magma higher and farther from the vent, producing larger cones. There are far more scoria cones on Earth, where tens of thousands exist and account for about 90 percent of volcanoes on land. On Mars, “we have only identified tens to a few hundred candidates,” Broz said. It could be that explosive volcanism was never common on Mars, or it could be that it was but that explosive features have been covered up by younger, effusive flows or destroyed by erosion, he added. Whelley noted that on Mars, it remains unclear whether the Martian lava flows or the scoria cones formed first. The lava flow could be older, with the cone forming on top. Or, the cone may have formed first and later become plugged, forcing lava to spill from its side. Determining the order of events is one of the “puzzles of geology” that planetary geologists try to solve when studying Martian features remotely, he said. “Visiting places like the San Francisco Volcanic Field and studying the geology of analogous features up close on Earth helps us know what clues to look for when interpreting Martian geology.” Below (left) is a closer view of a scoria cone on Earth, southeast of SP Crater, called Sunset Crater. It erupted about 800 years ago, making it the youngest scoria cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field. The analogous cone in Ulysses Colles (right), in contrast, is thought to be billions of years old. Note that eruptions that create scoria cones are “mildly explosive,” usually Strombolian events, characterized by intermittent lava fountains, said Ian Flynn, a planetary geologist at the University of Pittsburgh. They differ from the far more violent explosive eruptions that send ash columns billowing tens of kilometers into the air, as happened at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in the South Pacific, he added. Mars also shows evidence of highly explosive “super eruptions,” but that type of eruption leaves behind a different geologic signature: large depressions called paterae and broad, thin deposits of ash and other erodible material sculpted into landforms such as yardangs. Planetary comparison is valuable for understanding the geology of distant worlds, Brož said. Without such comparisons, it becomes harder to determine how landforms on other planets or moons may have formed at all. But caution is essential. “In planetary science, it’s often said—only half-jokingly—that even if something looks like a duck, behaves like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it may not actually be a duck,” he added. It’s easy, for instance, to confuse scoria cones with mud volcanoes. Researchers are highly confident that the Ulysses Colles cones formed through explosive volcanism based on the surrounding volcanic landscape, but in more ambiguous terrain it can be difficult to tell. Mars is fundamentally different from Earth, he cautioned. Brož’s laboratory research suggests, for instance, that mud flows on Mars can look much like certain types of lava flows, and that, under certain conditions, they can even boil and levitate. “We also have to avoid being constrained by terrestrial experience,” he said. “If we fail to think outside the box, we may overlook important possibilities.” NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and CTX data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Story by Adam Voiland. Downloads Earth: June 19, 2025 JPEG (3.21 MB) Mars: May 7, 2014 JPEG (7.74 MB) References & Resources Brož, P. Everything you wanted to know about Martian scoria cones, but were afraid to ask. Accessed February 27, 2026. Brož, P., et al. (2021) An overview of explosive volcanism on Mars. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 409(15), 107125. Brož, P., et al. (2014) Shape of scoria cones on Mars: Insights from numerical modeling of ballistic pathways. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 401(15), 14-23. Brož, P. & Hauber, E. (2012) A unique volcanic field in Tharsis, Mars: Pyroclastic cones as evidence for explosive eruptions. Icarus, 218(1), 88-99. Eos (2021, May 7) Tiny Volcanos Are a Big Deal on Mars. Accessed February 27, 2026. Gullikson, A. (2021) A Geologic Field Guide to S P Mountain and its Lava Flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona. Accessed February 27, 2026. Mouginis-Mark, P. (2022) Martian volcanism: Current state of knowledge and known unknowns. Geochemistry, 82(4), 125886. NASA (2026) Planetary Analog Explorer. Accessed February 27, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2018, October 9) Flood Basalts on Earth and Mars. Accessed February 27, 2026. U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center (2021, August 31) S P Mountain Field Guide. Accessed February 27, 2026. U.S. Geological Survey San Francisco Volcanic Field. Accessed February 27, 2026. Richardson, J.A., et al. (2021) Small Volcanic Vents of the Tharsis Volcanic Province, Mars. Accessed February 27, 2026. Whelley, P., et al. (2021) Stratigraphic Evidence for Early Martian Explosive Volcanism in Arabia Terra. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(15), e2021GL094109. 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. Krasheninnikova Remains Restless 3 min read The volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula continues to erupt after centuries of quiescence. Article A Hot and Fiery Decade for Kīlauea 6 min read The volcano in Hawaii is one of the most active in the world, and NASA tech makes it easier for… Article Home Reef Adds On 3 min read The Tongan volcano expanded its mid-Pacific real estate during its latest eruptive phase. 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 View the full article

NASA/Michael Rushing Light shines onto a solar concentrator being tested in this Aug. 7, 2025, photo. The concentrator is part of the Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project, which aims to produce oxygen from simulated lunar regolith for use at the Moon’s south pole. For this test, the team integrated the solar concentrator, mirrors, and software and confirmed the production of carbon monoxide. If deployed on the Moon, this technology could enable the production of propellant using only lunar materials and sunlight, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of sustaining a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The same downstream systems used to convert carbon monoxide into oxygen can also be adapted to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane on Mars. The CaRD project was funded by NASA’s Game Changing Development Program, which advances technologies for the agency’s future space missions and solutions to significant national needs. Image credit: NASA/Michael Rushing View the full article

5 Min Read NASA’s Home for Experimental Flight Advances Aeronautics Mission NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s ER-2 aircraft taxis at Edwards, California, on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, ahead of a high-altitude mission supporting the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), which requires flights of up to eight hours at approximately 65,000 feet altitude. Credits: NASA/Christopher LC Clark Nestled in the Mojave Desert, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, pushes the boundaries of flight to advance the agency’s aeronautics mission. This is where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier and engineers are now pioneering the future of high-speed, autonomous, and electrified aircraft. Armstrong contributes to NASA’s broader mission of innovation and collaboration, leveraging its uniquely capable location. The story begins in 1947, when 13 engineers and technicians from NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, arrived at Muroc Army Airfield – now Edwards Air Force Base – in Southern California’s high desert to establish the Station for High-Speed Research. Their mission was to prepare for the first supersonic research flights of the X-1 rocket plane. The Bell X-1 became the first aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, a historic milestone that marked the dawn of a new era in aviation and helped cement Edwards Air Force Base as a cornerstone of NASA’s flight research enterprise. Today, NASA’s mission continues that tradition, supporting cutting-edge projects in aeronautics like the X-59 quiet supersonic technology aircraft, hypersonic research, and emerging technologies in advanced air mobility, with flight testing led at NASA Armstrong in collaboration with other NASA centers and industry partners. Why Edwards? NASA Armstrong’s location at Edwards Air Force Base supports NASA’s flight research that would be difficult or impossible elsewhere, offering unmatched access to the largest secure flight test range in the nation equipped with specialized testing instrumentation. The base spans roughly 470 square miles of mission-critical terrain, including Rogers Dry Lake’s 44-square-mile surface. This range provides extensive restricted airspace enabling safe, complex flight-testing scenarios for NASA teams across multiple programs. Almost from the start of aeronautical advancements, the region’s natural geography played a critical role. In 1937, nearly all the U.S. Army Air Corp’s fleet conducted maneuvers above Rogers Dry Lake – then known as Muroc Dry Lake – a vast, flat expanse formed by ancient geological processes that serves as a unique emergency landing site. Its hard-packed surface and wide-open area provide a natural safety net for experimental aircraft, offering a margin of safety that’s critical during high-risk missions. With the U.S. involvement in World War II, the area’s importance grew, bringing additional resources, new facilities, and a focus on research, and experimentation with new aircraft designs. Today, the airspace above the region includes the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor, a designated section of restricted airspace within the Edwards test range. This corridor provides a safe, controlled environment for supersonic and transonic flight testing, enabling precision maneuvers at high speeds over the Mojave Desert. Combined with nearly year-round flying weather and low population density, this unique airspace supports uninterrupted flight operations for NASA’s aeronautics programs. Used as a directional indicator the compass rose guides pilots flying test and experimental aircraft like the Pilatus PC-12 in the vast airspace over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. This Pilatus PC-12 based out of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is being flown for a series of familiarization flights for NASA’s Armstrong pilots and crew. These familiarization flights supported communication, navigation and surveillance evaluations for Advanced Air Mobility research.NASA/Jim Ross A culture of innovation NASA’s X-plane legacy is deeply rooted in its history. From the X-1 to the X-59, NASA has developed dozens of X-planes – many flight-tested at Edwards with contributions by Armstrong and other NASA centers. These experimental aircraft were designed to push the boundaries of flight and test new technologies. At Edwards, NASA teams have tested everything from lifting body designs – critical for spacecraft and reentry research – to digital fly-by-wire systems, which have become standard in commercial aviation. This culture of innovation continues today as NASA’s aeronautics team – leveraging Armstrong’s flight research expertise – advances advanced air mobility, electrified propulsion, and autonomous flight systems. The center’s location and infrastructure enable rapid prototyping and testing, accelerating NASA’s ability to mature next generation aviation technologies. Partnerships with the U.S. Air Force further strengthen NASA’s capabilities. Shared resources, coordinated airspace management, and joint operations allow NASA researchers to conduct complex missions with support and safety protocols, while collaborating across NASA centers and industry. Supporting a broad mission portfolio While Armstrong is best known for experimental aircraft, NASA’s work at Edwards supports a diverse mission portfolio. The center supports Earth science missions, airborne sensor testing, and planetary exploration. Its aircraft – including ER-2 and Gulfstream – carry instruments that study climate, weather, and atmospheric composition, contributing vital data to NASA’s science goals in partnership with agency science teams. Edwards’ location and infrastructure enable these missions by providing access to high-altitude corridors, stable flying conditions, and the ability to integrate new technologies quickly. Whether it’s testing sensors for Mars exploration or flying over hurricanes to collect data, NASA’s airborne science, supported by Armstrong’s flight operations, advance agency priorities. Justin Hall lands the Dryden Remotely Operated Integrated Drone 2 (DROID 2) aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Aug. 22, 2023. Milestones that matter NASA’s flight research heritage at Edwards includes milestones that have shaped aviation history: 1947: Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. 1960s-70s: Lifting body aircraft tested at Edwards lay the groundwork for the space shuttle. NASA tested the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle at Edwards in the mid-1960s to develop techniques later used by Apollo astronauts. 1980s: Digital fly-by-wire systems validated at NASA Armstrong become standard in commercial aviation. 2000s and beyond: Two successful flights of a scramjet-powered airplane, the X-43A, at hypersonic speeds – greater than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. Autonomous aircraft and drones tested for Earth science and defense applications. The X-59 prepares to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight over land, potentially reshaping commercial aviation. Each of these achievements reflects NASA collaboration, drawing on location, infrastructure, and culture to deliver agency impact. As aviation enters a new era of fuel savings, autonomy, and accessibility, NASA’s aeronautics team – through flight research at Armstrong and elsewhere – remains steady to test the technologies that will define the future of flight. NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft cruises above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The aircraft traveled to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA/Lori Losey Looking ahead With growing interest in advanced air mobility, high-speed flight research, and new aircraft technologies, NASA’s integrated approach is more critical than ever. NASA Armstrong’s flight test discipline and safety frameworks contribute to agency-wide risk management and systems engineering, supporting NASA’s top priorities – from commercial supersonic technologies to the safety practices that underpin human spaceflight. Share Details Last Updated Feb 27, 2026 EditorDede DiniusContactSarah Mann*****@*****.tldLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAeronauticsFlight InnovationNASA AircraftNASA History Explore More 4 min read Award-Winning NASA Camera Revolutionizes How We See the Invisible Article 1 week ago 4 min read NASA Advances High-Altitude Traffic Management Article 1 week ago 8 min read ARMD Research Solicitations (Updated Feb. 4) Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Aircraft Flown at Armstrong X-Planes at Armstrong Dryden Aeronautical Test Range View the full article

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2, carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft, arrives Feb. 25, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to troubleshoot the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Once complete, the SLS rocket will roll back to Launch Complex 39B to prepare to launch four astronauts around the Moon and back for the Artemis II test flight.Credit: NASA/Cory Huston As part of a Golden Age of exploration and discovery, NASA announced Friday the agency is increasing its cadence of missions under the Artemis program to achieve the national objective of returning American astronauts to the Moon and establishing an enduring presence. This includes standardizing vehicle configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter. As teams prepare to launch Artemis II in the weeks ahead, the Artemis III mission, now in 2027, will be designed to test out systems and operational capabilities in low Earth orbit to prepare for an Artemis IV landing in 2028. This new mission will endeavor to include a rendezvous and docking with one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, in-space tests of the docked vehicles, integrated checkout of life support, communications, and propulsion systems, as well as tests of the new Extravehicular Activity (xEVA) suits. NASA will further define this test flight after completing detailed reviews between NASA and our industry partners. The agency will share the specific objectives for the updated Artemis III mission in the near future. NASA’s recently announced workforce directive is a key factor in enabling this acceleration. NASA will rebuild core competencies in the civil servant workforce including more in-house and side-by-side development work with our Artemis partners, enabling a safer, more reliable, and faster launch cadence. “NASA must standardize its approach, increase flight rate safely, and execute on the President’s national space policy. With credible competition from our greatest geopolitical adversary increasing by the day, we need to move faster, eliminate delays, and achieve our objectives,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Standardizing vehicle configuration, increasing flight rate and progressing through objectives in a logical, phased approach, is how we achieved the near-impossible in 1969 and it is how we will do it again.” “After successful completion of the Artemis I flight test, the upcoming Artemis II flight test, and the new, more robust test approach to Artemis III, it is needlessly complicated to alter the configuration of the SLS and Orion stack to undertake subsequent Artemis missions,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. “There is too much learning left on the table and too much development and production risk in front of us. Instead, we want to keep testing like we fly and have flown. We are looking back to the wisdom of the folks that designed Apollo. The entire sequence of Artemis flights needs to represent a step-by-step build-up of capability, with each step bringing us closer to our ability to perform the landing missions. Each step needs to be big enough to make progress, but not so big that we take unnecessary risk given previous learnings. Therefore, we want to fly the landing missions in as close to the same Earth ascent configuration as possible – this means using an upper stage and pad systems in as close to the ‘Block 1’ configuration as possible. We will work with our partners that have been developing the evolved block configuration of these systems to take proper actions to align their efforts towards this goal and announce the details of those changes once they are finalized. We will take a similar approach to in-space, landing, and surface EVA operations as well, as we evolve the mission sequence in the spirit of the Apollo mindset, which was obsessed with system reliability and crew safety as the keys to mission success.” “Boeing is a proud partner to the Artemis mission and our team is honored to contribute to NASA’s vision for American space leadership,” said Steve Parker, Boeing Defense, Space & Security president and CEO. “The SLS core stage remains the world’s most powerful rocket stage, and the only one that can carry American astronauts directly to the moon and beyond in a single launch. As NASA lays out an accelerated launch schedule, our workforce and supply chain are prepared to meet the increased production needs. With a rocket designed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, built at America’s rocket factory at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, and integrated at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, we are ready to meet the increased demand.” The announcement came during a news conference at NASA Kennedy where leaders also discussed the status of the Artemis II mission. NASA rolled the SLS and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Feb. 25 for repairs ahead of the next launch opportunities for the test flight in April. Once the Artemis II hardware was back in the VAB, teams immediately began work on the helium issue discovered on the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and prepared for several actions including replacing batteries in the flight termination system, end-to-end testing for range safety requirements, and more. “I’m grateful to Administrator Isaacman for taking this bold step and moving quickly to assure we have the support and resources needed to launch Artemis astronauts to the Moon every year,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Our team is up to the challenge of a successful Artemis II mission, and soon thereafter, enabling a more frequent cadence of Moon missions.” For more about the Artemis campaign, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Feb 27, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemisArtemis 2Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Chesapeake Bay Locked in Ice 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 February 7-8, 1977 Residents of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic endured a formidable winter in 2025-2026, marked by several high-impact storms and prolonged stretches of cold temperatures that left parts of the Chesapeake Bay frozen over. Longtime residents may recall a winter nearly 50 years ago when the region saw even more widespread ice cover. The MSS (Multispectral Scanner System) on Landsat 1 captured this image during the exceptionally cold winter of 1976-1977. The mosaic combines two Landsat scenes acquired on February 7 with a third captured on February 8. The landscape is shown in false color (MSS bands 6-5-4), in which ice appears in shades of blue, green, and white. On land, snow appears white, vegetation is red, and urban areas take on brown-gray tones. A NASA analysis published in 1980 drew on these and other Landsat images to examine the anomalous ice conditions. Images indicate that ice began forming in the Chesapeake Bay’s upper tributaries in late December 1976 and spread to the middle of the upper bay by mid-January 1977. It reached its maximum extent around the time of this image, one week into February, when ice spanned 85 percent of the bay. Persistent westerly winds at the start of February pushed ice toward the eastern shores of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays, contributing to fractures visible across the ice’s surface. As winds subsided, calmer conditions allowed new ice to form in areas of previously open water, visible in the image as thinner, darker blue patches. Reports from icebreaking operations indicated ice thicknesses reached up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) in the upper bay and up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) in the lower bay, with some tributaries seeing twice that amount. Articles describing the event often show photos of people ice skating off Kent Island in front of the Bay Bridge and people driving cars and tractors across the ice. But the deep freeze strained the region, too. The ice and cold water caused high mortality in the area’s shellfish. And the crushing weight of the ice shifting with the tides damaged numerous piers, marinas, and lighthouses. In winter 2025-2026, ice on the Chesapeake and Delaware bays appeared less extensive, with U.S. National Ice Center ice charts showing around 38 percent coverage on February 9 and 10. Still, concentrations in the upper bay and its tributaries this season were substantial enough to allow uncommon winter activities, including ice boaters racing across the frozen Claiborne Cove of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. At the same time, it created challenges for local watermen, according to news reports, trapping boats and limiting access to the bay. NASA Earth Observatory image by Mike Taylor, Ginger Butcher, and Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Kathryn Hansen. Downloads February 7-8, 1977 JPEG (6.56 MB) References & Resources CBS News (2026, February 9) Frozen Chesapeake Bay leaves Maryland watermen struggling during peak oyster season. Accessed February 26, 2026. Chesapeake Bay Magazine (2025, January 16) Ice Heroes: A Maryland Pilot’s Firsthand Account of the Historic 1977 Bay Freeze. Accessed February 26, 2026. Foster, J. L. (1980, March) Ice Conditions on the Chesapeake s Bay as Observes! from Landsat During the Winters of 1977, 1978 and 1979. NASA Technical Memorandum, 80657. Library of Congress (2023, July 28) The World as Seen by ERTS-1. Accessed February 26, 2026. NASA (2026, February 13) Landsat 1 Graphics Library. Accessed February 26, 2026. NASA (2026, February 12) Sick of freezing temperatures? For ice boaters, they’ve been a bonanza. Accessed February 26, 2026. Secrets of the Eastern Shore (2022, January 16) The Great Eastern Shore Deep Freeze of 1976-77! Accessed February 26, 2026. U.S. National Ice Center (2026, February 26) Mid-Atlantic Ice Chart. Accessed February 26, 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. Greenland Ice Sheet Gets a Refresh 3 min read A moderately intense season of surface melting left part of the ice sheet dirty gray in summer 2025, but snowfall… Article Arctic Sea Ice Ties for 10th-Lowest on Record 3 min read Satellite data show that Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on September 10, 2025. Article Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum 2 min read Sea ice around the southernmost continent hit one of its lowest seasonal highs since the start of the satellite record. 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 View the full article

2 Min Read JPL 3D-Printed Part Springs Forward PIA26706 Credits: Proteus Space Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal JPL 3D-Printed Part Springs… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads PIA26706 Figure A JPEG (82.95 KB) PIA26706 Animation MOV (3.33 MB) Description With a simple motion, a jack-in-the-box-like spring designed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory showed the potential of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, to cut costs and complexity for futuristic space antennas. Called JPL Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), the spring deployed on the small commercial spacecraft Proteus Space’s Mercury One on Feb. 3, 2026. An onboard camera captured this video of the spring popping out of its container as the spacecraft passed over the Pacific Ocean in low Earth orbit. Figure A Figure A is a still image of JACC after deployment, taken above Antarctica. JACC is one of two JPL payloads on the spacecraft that are demonstrating new technologies designed to take up reduced volume while precisely deploying antennas on future orbiters. JACC’s success demonstrates that 3D-printed mechanisms can be built faster, cheaper, and with less complexity than traditionally fabricated space hardware. Printed out of titanium, JACC uses three times fewer parts than similar structures: Combined into a single part is a hinge, panel, compression spring, and two torsion springs. Weighing just over 1 pound (498 grams), it is about 4 inches (10 centimeters) on each side. The spring, which extends from a packed height of just over 1 inch to about 6 inches (3 centimeters to 15 centimeters), is modeled after communication antennas commonly used on satellites. The second demonstration payload aboard Mercury One is the Solid Underconstrained Multi-Frequency (SUM) Deployable Antenna for Earth Science. Together with JACC, the two payloads go by the name Prototype Actuated Nonlinear Deployables Offering Repeatable Accuracy Stowed on a Box (PANDORASBox). They were both conceived, built, tested, and delivered for flight by JPL in less than one year on minimal budgets. Mercury One launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Nov. 28, 2025, as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission. JPL internal research development funds supported JACC, as did NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO). Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

Landsat Navigation Landsat Home Missions Landsat Next Landsat 9 Landsat 8 Landsat 7 Landsat 6 Landsat 5 Landsat 4 Landsat 3 Landsat 2 Landsat 1 News Latest News People of Landsat Q&As Newsletter Publications Data Overview Cal/Val Open Data Benefits Overview Agriculture & Food Security Disaster Management Ecosystems & Biodiversity Energy Resources Forest Management Human Health Urban Development Water Resources Wildfires Case Studies Outreach Multimedia About Search By Chris Burns, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center For over 50 years, the Landsat program has provided the longest continuous satellite record of Earth’s land surface from space. Landsat 9, launched in 2021, is the latest mission in this remarkable legacy — building on decades of Earth observation with upgraded technology, including enhanced radiometric resolution, improved signal-to-noise performance, and polar night thermal imaging. Working in tandem with Landsat 8 to map the entire planet every eight days, Landsat 9’s data is being fused with the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites to enable near-daily global observations, delivering sharper, more detailed observations that help scientists and communities monitor a changing planet. VIDEO SCRIPT It started over 50 years ago with an idea: A satellite, orbiting Earth, observing our planet’s surface, gathering data, day in, day out. That idea gave birth to the Landsat program, a partnership between NASA and the US Geological Survey, the longest continuous record of Earth’s land surface from space. Landsat 1’s launch in 1972 was the first link in a chain of 8 satellites, each one building upon the last. And today, Landsat 9 carries that legacy forward. Since its launch in 2021, Landsat 9 helping collect more scenes per day than any previous Landsat satellite mission. collects as many scenes per day as Landsats 5 & 7 combined. Working in tandem with Landsat 8, the pair now collect nearly 1,500 scenes daily, creating a complete map of the planet’s land surface every 8 days. It’s not just about scale — it’s about Landsat’s ability to revisit the same scene multiple times a month. With this pace of acquisitions, Landsat 9 helps track seasonal shifts in crops, the spread of wildfires, the aftermath of storms, and even rapid changes in glaciers and coastlines. More images mean more data, fueling research and scientific applications around the world. But when it comes to Landsat 9’s imagery, it’s not just about quantity – it’s about quality too. While Landsat 9’s main design is nearly identical to Landsat 8’s, it’s able to collect data in greater detail thanks to an upgraded radiometric resolution — 14-bit instead of Landsat 8’s 12-bit. Think of it like upgrading from a box of 4,000 crayons to one with 16,000 — every shade captured, every subtle detail sharper. Landsat 9’s quadrupled radiometric sensitivity makes a real difference when capturing data over the planet’s brightest surfaces, like snow and ice, revealing subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed: shifts in ice extent, changes in how surfaces reflect sunlight, even the growth of glacial lakes forming where ice once stood. Seeing more shades of detail is powerful, but it only matters if the picture itself is clear. Landsat 9 not only sharpens what we can detect, it also cuts through the static, delivering a stronger signal-to-noise ratio, which means images that have less interference. It’s like trying to hear a whisper in a noisy room — Landsat 9 quiets the static so we don’t miss anything important. And that clarity makes a difference, especially over dark surfaces like water which can harbor harmful algal blooms that can spread quickly, threatening drinking water supplies, local wildlife and even human safety. By spotting these blooms with greater sensitivity, Landsat 9 gives communities and scientists more reliable and actionable information to respond. Landsat 9 doesn’t clock out when the sun goes down – its onboard thermal sensor, TIRS, measures our planet’s surface heat even in darkness. That means we can monitor urban heat islands, volcanic hotspots, and water temperature at night. Since 2022, the US Geological Survey’s special request data program has implemented the Landsat Extended Acquisition of the Poles, or LEAP for short, taking advantage of Landsat 9’s ability to see in the dark to acquire imagery in polar regions year-round when the sun can set for up to six months at the poles. Together with Landsat 8, the satellites can detect features like meltwater, cracks, and even open water within ice under low light conditions. The enhanced coverage helps scientists better monitor ice dynamics and seasonal changes in polar regions, detecting calving events, surface melt, and changes in sea ice extent even during the dark months. Landsat 9 isn’t working alone — it’s part of a global team of satellites, where collaboration across agencies and nations is giving us the clearest, most consistent view of Earth yet. NASA’s Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 project fuses data from Landsats 8 & 9 with that of the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 A,B and C satellites to form a seamless, consistent surface reflectance record. In this “virtual constellation,” Landsat 9 contributes its spectral precision and calibrated data, helping enable global observations every 1-2 days at 30-meter resolution. Landsat 9’s high fidelity, radiometric stability, and continuity anchor HLS, ensuring that the fused product maintains the scientific integrity that Landsat users expect. Landsat 9 is more than just today’s mission — it’s part of the foundation for the future. Through the Sustainable Land Imaging program, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey aims to preserve our ability to keep a continuous, reliable record of Earth’s land for decades to come. That means not just flying satellites, but building the technology, partnerships, and planning needed to keep the record unbroken. Within SLI, NASA’s Sustainable Land Imaging–Technology initiative is testing new instruments that could make future missions smaller, more capable, and more efficient. Landsat 9 is NASA’s first SLI mission and plays a key role here, setting the benchmark for data quality and coverage, proving what works today and guiding the technologies of tomorrow. Its stability and precision are hallmarks of previous lessons learned, allowing scientists to trust the record across decades, and its success helps guide the innovations that will come next. For more than half a century, Landsat satellites have given us an unbroken record of our changing planet. In just four years, Landsat 9 has brought that vision into even sharper focus — capturing millions of scenes, advancing how we track water, ice, and land, and strengthening the world’s longest Earth-observation record. It’s not just another satellite in orbit. It’s a bridge — carrying the Landsat legacy forward with enhanced technology while preparing the foundation for the future of sustainable land imaging. Because with Landsat, every image is more than a picture — it’s a calibrated digital record, providing knowledge we can use to understand, protect, and sustain life on Earth. Explore More Landsat 9: More Than Just A Picture 6 min read For over 50 years, the Landsat program has provided the longest continuous satellite record of Earth’s land surface from space.… Feb 26, 2026 Article Arctic Blast Brightened the West Florida Shelf 4 min read A cold snap in the southern U.S. stirred up a dazzling display of sediment in coastal waters. Feb 23, 2026 Article NASA Is Helping Bring Giant Tortoises Back to the Galápagos 5 min read Giant tortoises are returning to Floreana Island after more than 150 years, guided by NASA data that shows suitable areas… Feb 20, 2026 Article 1 2 3 … 296 Next View the full article

NASA/Dan Goods NASA astronaut and deputy director of the Flight Operations Directorate Kjell Lindgren takes a selfie with panelists and the audience at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Feb. 25, 2026. Actors Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller, screenwriter Drew Goddard, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and producer and writer of the “Project Hail Mary” novel Andy Weir stopped by NASA JPL to talk about their experience making the movie and the collaboration between scientists and creative media. NASA supported the creative team behind the movie with subject matter experts who answered questions from the crew, and Lindgren met with Gosling during filming to share insights on human spaceflight and being an astronaut. Image credit: NASA/Dan Goods View the full article

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2, carrying NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft, arrives Feb. 25, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to troubleshoot the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Once complete, the SLS rocket will roll back to Launch Complex 39B to prepare to launch four astronauts around the Moon and back for the Artemis II test flight. Credit: NASA/Cory Huston With rollback of NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building complete, the agency will host a news conference at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. Live from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leadership will discuss the work ahead for the test flight, as well as provide a broader update on the Artemis campaign. The news conference will stream on NASA’s YouTube channel. An instant replay will be available online. Learn how to watch NASA content on a variety of platforms, including social media. NASA participants include: Administrator Jared Isaacman Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate This event is open to in-person for media previously credentialed at NASA Kennedy for the Artemis II launch. To participate virtually, media must RSVP for call details no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the event to the newsroom at NASA Kennedy: ksc*****@*****.tld. NASA’s media credentialing policy is online. For more about NASA’s Artemis campaign, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner NASA Headquarters 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Feb 26, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis 2ArtemisExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateKennedy Space CenterSpace Launch System (SLS) View the full article

6 Min Read NASA’s ESCAPADE Ready to Study Space Weather from Earth to Mars An artist’s concept shows the two ESCAPADE spacecraft at Mars. The ESCAPADE mission is the first to coordinate two spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth. Credits: James Rattray/Rocket Lab USA Mars is not what it used to be. Once warm, watery, and blanketed by a thick atmosphere, today the Red Planet is cold, dry, and draped by a thin atmospheric veil. The main culprit is a relentless stream of particles from the Sun, known as the solar wind. Over billions of years, the solar wind has stripped away much of the Martian atmosphere, causing the planet to cool and its surface water to evaporate. Now, NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission, which launched on Nov. 13, 2025, has turned on the science instruments that will investigate how this happened and how the Sun continues to influence the Red Planet. The science instruments, which are all operating as of Feb. 25, also will study space weather in new ways near Earth and on the way to Mars. At Mars, ESCAPADE’s findings could also help NASA protect future explorers from the harsh Martian conditions. “The pioneering ESCAPADE duo will not only investigate the Sun’s role in transforming Mars into an uninhabitable planet, but also will help inform the development of space weather protocols for solar events directed at Mars during future human missions to the Red Planet,” said Joe Westlake, heliophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By joining the heliophysics fleet of missions across the solar system, ESCAPADE will be another weather station making humans and technology in space safer and more successful.” NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission launched on Nov. 13, 2025, atop a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Blue Origin First of its kind With its twin spacecraft, ESCAPADE is the first science mission to coordinate two orbiters around Mars, gaining a perspective we’ve never had before. Together, the ESCAPADE twins will measure short-term changes in the magnetized environment around Mars, called the magnetosphere, and uncover real-time processes driving the planet’s atmospheric escape. “Having two spacecraft is going to help us understand cause and effect — how the solar wind, when it comes to Mars, interacts with the magnetic field,” said Michele Cash, ESCAPADE program scientist at NASA Headquarters. The ESCAPADE orbiters build on earlier Mars missions that have studied Mars’ atmosphere, but with just one spacecraft. “The ESCAPADE mission is a game changer,” said Rob Lillis, the mission’s principal investigator at the University of California, Berkeley. “It gives us what you might call a stereo perspective — two different vantage points simultaneously.” Once ESCAPADE reaches Mars, its twin spacecraft will follow each other in the same orbit, passing over the same areas at different times to uncover when and where changes are happening. “When we have two spacecraft crossing those regions in quick succession, we can monitor how those regions vary on timescales as short as two minutes,” Lillis said. “This will allow us to make measurements we could never make before.” After six months, the two spacecraft will shift into different orbits, with one traveling farther from Mars and the other staying closer to it. Planned to last for five months, this second formation aims to study the solar wind and Martian magnetosphere simultaneously, allowing scientists to investigate how Mars responds to the solar wind in real time. “Prior spacecraft could either be in the upstream solar wind, or they could be close to the planet measuring its magnetosphere,” Lillis said, “but ESCAPADE allows us to be in two places at once and to simultaneously measure the cause and the effect.” Preparing for human exploration When people set foot on Mars, they will not be as well protected from solar radiation as their family and friends on Earth. Earth can withstand the solar wind’s ceaseless onslaught because it has a hardy magnetic field that shields us from the Sun’s energetic particles. However, Mars’ once robust magnetic field has weakened over time. Today it’s a patchwork of localized magnetism in the planet’s crust along with an ever-changing magnetic field generated by the solar wind’s interaction with charged particles in Mars’ upper atmosphere. Mars has a hybrid magnetosphere made up of an induced magnetic field from the solar wind and crustal magnetic fields from the planet’s surface. In this artist’s concept yellow lines represent magnetic field lines from the Sun carried by the solar wind and blue lines represent Martian surface magnetic fields. White sparks indicate reconnection activity, where field lines break and reconnect, and red lines are reconnected magnetic fields that link the Martian surface to space. Anil Rao/Univ. of Colorado/MAVEN/NASA GSFC This “hybrid” magnetosphere provides little protection against the atmosphere-stripping force of the solar wind. This, plus Mars’ thin atmosphere, allows the Sun’s energetic particles to easily reach the Martian surface, endangering future human explorers there. “Before we send humans to Mars, we need to understand what type of environment these astronauts are going to encounter,” Cash said. Additionally, ESCAPADE will provide more information about Mars’ ionosphere — part of the upper atmosphere that future astronauts will use to send radio and navigation signals around the planet, as we do on Earth. “If we ever want GPS at Mars or long-distance communications, we need to understand the ionosphere,” Lillis said. Unique journey to Mars Previous Mars missions have launched when Earth and Mars are aligned in their orbits, which only happens every 26 months. But ESCAPADE launched early, pioneering a new strategy that allows Mars-bound spacecraft to launch almost anytime. Instead of heading directly to Mars, ESCAPADE’s spacecraft are first looping around a location in space a million miles from Earth called Lagrange point 2. In November 2026, when Earth and Mars are aligned, the ESCAPADE spacecraft will return to Earth and use our planet’s gravity to slingshot themselves toward Mars for a September 2027 arrival. NASA’s two ESCAPADE spacecraft are not traveling directly from Earth to Mars but are first making a kidney-bean-shaped loop around a location in space called Lagrange point 2 (L2). A small ****** triangle shows approximately where the spacecraft were on Feb. 24, 2026. In November 2026, when Earth and Mars are more closely aligned in their orbits, the spacecraft will return to Earth and use our planet’s gravity to slingshot their way to Mars. Advanced Space This unique “loiter” orbit will extend approximately 2 million miles from our planet, making the ESCAPADE spacecraft the first to fly through a previously unexplored region of Earth’s distant magnetotail, part of Earth’s magnetosphere opposite the Sun. “We’re going to be doing some discovery science,” Lillis said. “No one has ever measured Earth’s tail this far away.” The solar wind compresses the Sunward side of Earth’s magnetosphere and stretches the opposite side into a long tail, called the magnetotail. The two ESCAPADE spacecraft (indicated here in cyan) will be the first to fly through the distant part of Earth’s magnetotail, about 1.2 million miles from Earth, before heading to Mars. NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Later, during their 10-month cruise to Mars, ESCAPADE’s two spacecraft will study solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic environment that Mars-bound astronauts will also traverse, preparing for future journeys to the Red Planet. The ESCAPADE mission is funded by NASA’s Heliophysics Division and is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration program. UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory leads the mission with key partners Rocket Lab; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Advanced Space; and Blue Origin. by Vanessa Thomas NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Feb 26, 2026 Related Terms Heliophysics Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Division Mars Space Weather The Sun Explore More 3 min read NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula Article 1 day ago 4 min read NASA’s Webb Telescope Locates Former Star That Exploded as Supernova Article 3 days ago 5 min read NASA Is Helping Bring Giant Tortoises Back to the Galápagos Giant tortoises are returning to Floreana Island after more than 150 years, guided by NASA… Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Joel Montalbano, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate NASA On Thursday, NASA announced Joel Montalbano will serve as the acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, and Dana Hutcherson will serve as the acting program manager of the Commercial Crew Program. SOMD’s programs and activities include the Commercial Crew Program, the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Program, the Human Research Program, the International Space Station Program, the Launch Services Program, the Rocket Propulsion Test Program, the Space Communications and Navigation Program, Space Sustainability, and Human Spaceflight Capabilities. Both leaders were previously serving as deputies in their respective roles. “Strong leadership is essential to advancing NASA’s mission, and Joel Montalbano and Dana Hutcherson are exceptionally well-qualified to serve in these acting roles,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Their experience and commitment will help ensure we deliver on the President’s National Space Policy, maintain American leadership in low Earth orbit, and build the capabilities required to achieve the near-impossible beyond it.” Kenneth Bowersox previously announced his retirement, effective Friday, March 6, after which Montalbano will assume the role as acting head of SOMD. Key priorities for Montalbano will include establishing a low Earth orbit economy ahead of retiring the International Space Station and maintaining America’s superiority in space. Prior to his positions at headquarters, Montalbano served as program manager of the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he was responsible for the overall management, development, integration, and operation of the orbiting laboratory. He also has served as a variety of other roles, including deputy program manager for the International Space Station Program Office; director of NASA’s Human Space Flight Program in Russia; and a NASA flight director. He started his career at Rockwell in 1988 and became a NASA civil servant that same year. Over the course of his career, he has received many honors, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Johnson Space Center Directors Commendation, Rank of Meritorious Executive, conferred by the President of the United States, NASA Exceptional Service Medal (twice), the Superior Accomplishment Award, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, Rotary Space Award Nominee, and more. Montalbano received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering from Iowa State University. Through CCP, Hutcherson will continue her work with the American aerospace industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective crew transportation systems for low-Earth orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. She is responsible for the facilitation of spacecraft development, certification, and operations to enable the safe transportation of NASA astronauts for the Commercial Crew Program. Hutcherson previously served as deputy manager of the CCP Systems Engineering and Integration Office, and as deputy manager of the program’s Launch Vehicle Systems Office. She also has served as a NASA flow director within the Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate at Kennedy, and other roles at NASA. Prior to NASA, she began her career with United Space Alliance as an airframe engineer. Hutcherson has received numerous prestigious honors including Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award, and Outstanding Leadership Medal. She holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and a master of science in industrial engineering of engineering management from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Dana Hutcherson, acting program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew ProgramNASA For more about NASA’s mission, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Feb 26, 2026 EditorJennifer M. DoorenLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSpace Operations Mission Directorate View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Dry-Season Floods Drench… 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 January 23 February 9 NASA Earth Observatory NASA Earth Observatory January 23February 9 NASA Earth Observatory NASA Earth Observatory January 23 February 9 CurtainToggle2-Up February is one of the driest months of the year in northern Colombia’s Córdoba department, a major farming and cattle region. It’s the time of year when farmers normally prepare fields for planting and ranchers move livestock to graze in drying floodplains. In 2026, however, unusually heavy rains in early February upended seasonal rhythms and submerged much of the department under floodwaters. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured this false-color image (bands 7-5-4) of flooding along the Sinú River on February 9, 2026 (right). Dark floodwaters cover farmland, pastureland, and several communities, particularly to the west of the river. To the east, water levels at a complex of wetlands are unseasonably high. Lorica, a city of roughly 90,000 people, is visible in the upper part of the image. The OLI image on the left shows the same area on January 23, before floodwaters arrived. After an already wet January, rainfall intensified in early February when an unusual cold front in the Caribbean pushed south on February 1 and 2, forcing moisture-laden air into northern Colombia and over the Andes. This led to several days of intense downpours in Córdoba, with some areas receiving more than 4 to 7 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) of rain per day, according to one analysis of the event. NASA’s IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement) estimated rain rates of 1.7 centimeters per hour near Lorica on February 1, the day of the heaviest rains. In the following weeks, storms continued to drench the region. On February 25, imagery from NASA’s Terra satellite indicated that flooding remained widespread. The floods have been far-reaching and destructive. More than 80 percent of Córdoba flooded, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Preliminary estimates cited by news and government sources suggest that thousands of homes were destroyed, more than 11,000 families displaced, and more than 150,000 hectares of farmland inundated. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland. Downloads January 23, 2026 JPEG (790.78 KB) February 9, 2026 JPEG (888.42 KB) References & Resources The City Paper Bogotá (2026, February 10) Extreme flooding in northern Colombia triggers humanitarian crisis. Accessed February 25, 2026. ClimaMeter (2026, February) February 2026 floods in northern Colombia. Accessed February 25, 2026. Colombia Reports (2026, February 12) Colombia declares emergency in response to widespread floods. Accessed February 25, 2026. El País (2026, February 10) Carlos Carrillo: “La inundación en Córdoba es mucho más grave de lo previsto en los escenarios más pesimistas.” Accessed February 25, 2026. IDEAM (2026) News. Accessed February 25, 2026. IDEAM (2026, February 3) Boletín de condiciones hidrometeorológicas y alertas No. 100. Accessed February 25, 2026. International Charter Space & Major Disasters (2026) Flood in Colombia. Accessed February 25, 2026. ReliefWeb (2026, February 25) Colombia: Floods. Accessed February 25, 2026. Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (2026, February 15) **** tecnología satelital, UNGRD identifica mancha de inundación en Córdoba. Accessed February 25, 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. Monsoon Rains Flood Pakistan 3 min read Heavy rains and flooding across the country since June 2025 have displaced millions of people, devastated infrastructure, and submerged farmland. Article Floods Inundate Southern Mozambique 2 min read Weeks of intense rain overwhelmed rivers and reservoirs, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Article Senyar Swamps Sumatra 3 min read A rare tropical cyclone dropped torrential rains on the Indonesian island, fueling extensive and destructive floods. 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 View the full article