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On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, a total lunar eclipse will take place across several time zones. In this data visualization, the Moon moves from right to left, passing through Earth’s shadow and leaving in its wake an eclipse diagram with the times (in UTC) at various stages of the eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio A total lunar eclipse will redden the Moon on March 3, 2026. Here’s what you need to know. How does a lunar eclipse work? A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon, casting a gigantic shadow across the lunar surface and turning the Moon a deep reddish-orange. This alignment can only occur during a full Moon phase. Alignment of the Moon, Earth, and Sun during a lunar eclipse (not to scale). NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio How can I observe the eclipse? You can observe a lunar eclipse without any special equipment. All you need is a line of sight to the Moon! For a more dramatic observing experience, seek a dark environment away from bright lights. Binoculars or a telescope can also enhance your view. On March 3, totality will be visible in the evening from eastern Asia and Australia, throughout the night in the Pacific, and in the early morning in North and Central America and far western South America. The eclipse is partial in central Asia and much of South America. No eclipse is visible in Africa or Europe. Map showing where the March 3, 2026 lunar eclipse is visible. Contours mark the edge of the visibility region at eclipse contact times, labeled in UTC. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio What can I expect to see? Milestone: What’s happening: Penumbral eclipse begins (12:44 a.m. PST, 3:44 a.m. EST, 8:44 UTC) The Moon enters the Earth’s penumbra, the outer part of the shadow. The Moon begins to dim, but the effect is quite subtle. Partial eclipse begins (1:50 a.m. PST, 4:50 a.m. EST, 9:50 UTC) The Moon begins to enter Earth’s umbra and the partial eclipse begins. To the naked eye, as the Moon moves into the umbra, it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk. The part of the Moon inside the umbra appears very dark. Totality begins (3:04 a.m. PST, 6:04 a.m. EST, 11:04 UTC) The entire Moon is now in the Earth’s umbra. The Moon is tinted a coppery red. Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds. Totality ends (4:03 a.m. PST, 7:03 a.m. EST, 12:03 UTC) As the Moon exits Earth’s umbra, the red color fades. It looks as if a bite is being taken out of the opposite side of the lunar disk from before. Partial eclipse ends (5:17 a.m. PST, 8:17 a.m. EST, 13:17 UTC) The whole Moon is in Earth’s penumbra, but again, the dimming is subtle. Penumbral eclipse ends (6:23 a.m. PST, 9:23 a.m. EST, 14:23 UTC) The eclipse is over. Why is a lunar eclipse sometimes called a “blood Moon”? During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon appears dark red or orange. This is because our planet blocks most of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon, and the light that does reach the lunar surface is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere. It’s as if all of the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon. Learn more: Why does the Moon turn red during a solar eclipse? Data visualization showing a telescopic view of the Moon as the March 2026 total lunar eclipse unfolds. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio What else can I observe on the night of the eclipse? As Earth’s shadow dims the lunar surface, constellations may be easier to spot than they usually are during a full Moon. At the time of the eclipse, the Moon will be in the constellation Leo, under the lion’s hind paws. Several days later, on March 8, look for a “conjunction” of Venus and Saturn: from our perspective on Earth, these two planets will appear close to each other in the sky (though they’ll still be very distant from each other in space). Visit our What’s Up guide for more skywatching tips, and find lunar observing recommendations for each day of the year in our Daily Moon Guide. Caela Barry / Ernie Wright NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Keep Observing & Learning International Observe the Moon Night You’re invited! Join a worldwide celebration of lunar science, exploration, and technology, and the Moon in arts and culture. Artemis Science The Moon is a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule, pristinely preserved by the cold vacuum of space. With Artemis, humans are going to observe it up close. The Moon & Eclipses Here’s how the Moon interacts with Earth and Sun to create eclipses. Plus, upcoming lunar and solar eclipse dates. View the full article

This image of the Atlantic Ocean around Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba was taken from the International Space Station in 2024. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. A NASA analysis shows that the global mean sea level rose 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters) in 2025.NASA A mild La Niña caused greater rainfall over the Amazon basin, which offset rising sea levels due to record warming of Earth’s oceans. The rise in the global mean sea level slowed in 2025 relative to the year before, an effect largely due to the La Niña conditions that persisted over most of the year. According to a NASA analysis, the average height of the ocean increased last year by 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters), down from 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) in 2024. The 2025 figure also fell below the long-term expected rate of 0.17 inches (0.44 centimeters) per year based on the rate of rise since the early 1990s. Though sea levels have increasingly trended upward in that *******, years during which the rise in the average height was less usually have occurred during La Niñas — the part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle that cools the eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to heavy rainfall over the equatorial portions of South America. This graph shows the rise in global mean sea level from 1993 to 2025 based on data from a series of five international satellites. The solid red line indicates an accelerating rate of increase, which has more than doubled over three-plus decades. The dotted red line projects future sea level rise.NASA/JPL-Caltech The current La Niña has been relatively mild. Even so, the extra precipitation it has poured on the Amazon River basin contributed to an overall shift of water from oceans to land. This effect tends to temporarily lower sea levels, offsetting the rise caused by melting glaciers and ice sheets and warming of the oceans, which raises sea levels through the expansion of water when the temperature increases. The net result in 2025 was a lower-than-average sea level rise. “The weather gives us a wild ride, and what we saw with sea level rise last year is part of that ride,” said Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “But that cycle is short-lived. The extra water in the Amazon is going to reach the oceans in less than a year, and rapid rise will soon return.” Combined effects To calculate the global mean sea level in 2025, scientists averaged data across space and time from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, the current official reference satellite for sea level measurements and one of a line of missions developed by NASA and its U.S. and European partners to track the height of about 90% of Earth’s oceans every 10 days. Then, to better understand the factors that contributed to the rise last year, the researchers looked at measurements from other sources. Among them was the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO), a twin-satellite mission launched by NASA and the ******* Research Centre for Geosciences that tracks the movement of water (liquid and frozen) by measuring changes in Earth’s gravity over land and ice masses. The GRACE data indicated that even as ice loss from glaciers and ice sheets continued a long-term trend of water moving from land to oceans, an outsize amount of water moved in the opposite direction in 2025: The heavier-than-normal rainfall due to La Niña shifted water from the oceans to the Amazon basin. Meanwhile, data from Argo, an international program that uses thousands of seaborne probes to measure ocean temperatures and salinity, showed record warming of the oceans in 2025. The combined effect of the two factors — one tending to lower sea levels and the other tending to increase them — resulted in an average rise in sea level in 2025 that was less than the average rate based on the long-term data record. Actionable, accurate, consistent The continuous series of ocean-observing satellites started with TOPEX/Poseidon, which launched in 1992. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched in 2020 and took over in 2022 from its predecessor, Jason-3, which is still in orbit and celebrated its 10th launch anniversary on Jan. 17. In coming months, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will pass the baton to its twin, Sentinel-6B, which launched in November. Sentinel-6B is expected to continue ocean measurements for at least five years. Over more than three decades, the satellites have offered actionable, accurate, and consistent measurements at both local and global scales. These measurements have formed the basis for U.S. flood predictions, which are crucial for safeguarding coastal infrastructure and communities. The dataset indicates that the average global sea level has gone up by 4 inches (10 centimeters) since 1993. While it’s not uncommon to see short-term ups and downs, the overall trend shows that the rate of annual sea level rise has more than doubled. “As seas continue to rise globally, satellite monitoring empowers communities worldwide to anticipate risks and build resilience,” said Nadya Shiffer, head of physical oceanography programs at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Learn more about sea level: [Hidden Content] News Media Contacts Andrew Wang / Andrew Good Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld 2026-006 Explore More 4 min read The West Faces Snow Drought Very wet—but very warm—weather in the western U.S. has left many mountainous regions looking at… Article 12 hours ago 2 min read Snow Buries the U.S. Interior and East Satellites observed a frozen landscape across much of the country after a massive winter storm. Article 2 days ago 4 min read NASA Science Flights Venture to Improve Severe Winter Weather Warnings Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

7 min read NASA Researchers Probe Tangled Magnetospheres of Merging Neutron Stars New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they ******. The team identified potential signals emitted during the stars’ final moments that may be detectable by future observatories. “Just before neutron stars ******, the highly magnetized, plasma-filled regions around them, called magnetospheres, start to interact strongly. We studied the last several orbits before the merger, when the entwined magnetic fields undergo rapid and dramatic changes, and modeled potentially observable high-energy signals,” said lead scientist Dimitrios Skiathas, a graduate student at the University of Patras, Greece, who is conducting research for the Southeastern Universities Research Association in Washington at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. New supercomputer simulations explore the tangled magnetic structures around merging neutron stars. Called magnetospheres, the highly magnetized, plasma-filled regions start to interact as the city-sized stars close on each other toward their final orbits. Magnetic field lines can connect both stars, break, and reconnect, while currents surge through surrounding plasma moving at nearly the speed of light. The simulations show that as these systems merge to produce one kind of gamma-ray burst — the universe’s most powerful class of explosions — they emit tell-tale X-rays and gamma rays that future observatories should be able to detect. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Download images and videos through NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio A paper describing the findings published Nov. 20, 2025, in the The Astrophysical Journal. Neutron star mergers produce a particular type of GRB (gamma-ray burst), the most powerful class of explosions in the cosmos. Most investigations have naturally concentrated on the spectacular mergers and their aftermaths, which produce near-light-speed jets that emit gamma rays, ripples in space-time called gravitational waves, and a so-called kilonova explosion that forges heavy elements like gold and platinum. A merger observed in 2017 dramatically confirmed the long-predicted connections between these phenomena — and remains the only event seen so far to exhibit all three. Neutron stars pack more mass than our Sun into a ball about 15 miles (24 kilometers) across, roughly the length of Manhattan Island in New York City. They form when the core of a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses, crushing the core and triggering a supernova explosion that blasts away the rest of the star. The collapse also revs up the core’s rotation and amplifies its magnetic field. In our simulations, the magnetosphere behaves like a magnetic circuit that continually rewires itself as the stars orbit. Constantinos Kalapotharakos Newborn neutron stars can spin dozens of times a second and wield some of the strongest magnetic fields known, up to 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet. That’s strong enough to directly transform gamma-rays into electrons and positrons and rapidly accelerate them to energies far beyond anything achievable in particle accelerators on Earth. “In our simulations, the magnetosphere behaves like a magnetic circuit that continually rewires itself as the stars orbit. Field lines connect, break, and reconnect while currents surge through plasma moving at nearly the speed of light, and the rapidly varying fields can accelerate particles,” said co-author Constantinos Kalapotharakos at NASA Goddard. “Following that nonlinear evolution at high resolution is exactly why we need a supercomputer!” Using the Pleiades supercomputer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, the team ran more than 100 simulations of a system of two orbiting neutron stars, each with 1.4 solar masses. The goal was to explore how different magnetic field configurations affected the way electromagnetic energy — light in all of its forms — left the binary system. Most of the simulations describe the last 7.7 milliseconds before the merger, enabling a detailed study of the final orbits. “Our work shows that the light emitted by these systems varies greatly in brightness and is not distributed evenly, so a far-away observer’s perspective on the merger matters a great deal,” said co-author Zorawar Wadiasingh at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA Goddard. “The signals also get much stronger as the stars get closer and closer in a way that depends on the relative magnetic orientations of the neutron stars.” Magnetic field lines anchored to the surfaces of each star sweep behind them as the stars orbit. Field lines may directly connect one star to the other as the orbits shrink, while lines already linking the stars may break and reconfigure. One value of studies like this is to help us figure out what future observatories might be able to see and should be looking for in both gravitational waves and light. Demosthenes Kazanas Using the simulations, the team also computed electromagnetic forces acting on the stars’ surfaces. While the effects of gravity dominate, these magnetic stresses could accumulate in strongly magnetized systems. Future models may help reveal how magnetic interactions influence the last moments of the merger. “Such behavior could be imprinted on gravitational wave signals that would be detectable in next-generation facilities. One value of studies like this is to help us figure out what future observatories might be able to see and should be looking for in both gravitational waves and light,” said Goddard’s Demosthenes Kazanas. The team, which includes Alice Harding at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and Paul Kolbeck at the University of Washington in Seattle, then used the simulated fields to identify where the highest-energy emission would be produced and how it would propagate. This view of a supercomputer simulation of merging, magnetized neutron stars highlights regions producing the highest-energy light. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. These regions produce gamma rays with energies trillions of times greater than that of visible light, but likely none of it could escape. That’s because the highest-energy gamma rays quickly convert to particles in the presence of the stars’ powerful magnetic fields. However, gamma rays at lower energies, with millions of times the energy of visible light, can exit the merging system, and the resulting particles may also radiate at still lower energies, including X-rays. The emission varies rapidly and is highly directional, but it could potentially be detected by future facilities. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025 In the chaotic plasma surrounding the neutron stars, particles transform into radiation and vice versa. Speedy electrons emit gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light, through a process called curvature radiation. A gamma-ray photon can interact with a strong magnetic field in a way that transforms it into a pair of particles, an electron and a positron. The study found regions producing gamma rays with energies trillions of times greater than that of visible light, but likely none of it could escape. The highest-energy gamma rays quickly converted to particles in the presence of powerful magnetic fields. However, gamma rays at lower energies, with millions of times the energy of visible light, can exit the merging system, and the resulting particles may also radiate at still lower energies, including X-rays. The finding suggests that future medium-energy gamma-ray space telescopes, especially those with wide fields of view, may detect signals originating in the runup to the merger if gravitational-wave observatories can provide timely alerts and sky localization. Today, ground-based gravitational-wave observatories, such as LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) in Louisiana and Washington, and Virgo in Italy, detect neutron star mergers with frequencies between 10 and 1,000 hertz and can enable rapid electromagnetic follow-up. ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA are collaborating on a space-based gravitational-wave observatory named LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), planned for launch in the 2030s. LISA will observe neutron-star binaries much earlier in their evolution at far lower gravitational-wave frequencies than ground-based observatories, typically long before they merge. Future gravitational-wave observatories will be able to alert astronomers to systems on the verge of merging. Once such systems are found, wide-field gamma-ray and X-ray observatories could begin searching for the pre-merger emission highlighted by these simulations. Routine observation of events like these using two different “messengers” — light and gravitational waves — will provide a major leap forward in understanding this class of GRBs, and NASA researchers are helping to lead the way. By Francis Reddy NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli 301-286-1940 *****@*****.tld NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Jan 29, 2026 Related Terms Science & Research Ames Research Center Astrophysics Gamma-Ray Bursts Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Waves High-Tech Computing Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Neutron Stars Origin & Evolution of the Universe Sensing the Universe & Multimessenger Astronomy The Universe Facebook logo @NASAUniverse @NASAUniverse Instagram logo @NASAUniverse View the full article

A new image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed into the Helix Nebula to give an up-close view of the possible eventual fate of our own Sun and planetary system. In Webb’s high-resolution look, the structure of the gas being shed off by a dying star comes into full focus. The image reveals how stars recycle their material back into the cosmos, seeding future generations of stars and planets, as NASA explores the secrets of the universe and our place in it. In the image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), pillars that look like comets with extended tails trace the circumference of the inner region of an expanding shell of gas. Here, blistering winds of fast-moving hot gas from the dying star are crashing into slower moving colder shells of dust and gas that were shed earlier in its life, sculpting the nebula’s remarkable structure. Dive deeper into the Helix Nebula with Webb. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) View the full article

7 Min Read Building Roman NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now assembled following the integration of its two major segments, shown in this time-lapse. Credits: NASA/Sophia Roberts Technicians have completed the construction of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The Roman observatory is slated to launch no later than May 2027, with the team aiming for as early as fall 2026. The mission will revolutionize our understanding of the universe with its deep, crisp, sweeping views of space. More than a thousand technicians and engineers assembled Roman from millions of individual components. Many parts were built and tested simultaneously to save time. Now that the observatory is assembled, it will undergo a spate of testing prior to shipping to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in summer 2026. NASA’s freshly assembled Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will revolutionize our understanding of the universe with its deep, crisp, sweeping infrared views of space. The mission will transform virtually every branch of astronomy and bring us closer to understanding the mysteries of dark energy, dark matter, and how common planets like Earth are throughout our galaxy. Roman is on track for launch by May 2027, with teams working toward a launch as early as fall 2026. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Telescope The Optical Telescope Assembly is the heart of the Roman observatory. It consists of a primary mirror, which was designed and built at L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York, plus nine additional mirrors and supporting structures and electronics. The Roman team got a jumpstart by receiving the telescope’s primary mirror, which will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, from another government agency and then modifying it to meet NASA’s needs. Using this mirror, Roman will capture stunning space vistas with a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble’s. Roman will peer through dust and across vast stretches of space and time to study the universe using infrared light, which human eyes can’t see. The amount of detail these observations will reveal is directly related to the size of the telescope’s mirror, since a larger surface gathers more light and measures finer features. Roman’s primary mirror is 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) across, the same size as the Hubble Space Telescope’s main mirror but less than one-fourth the weight (410 pounds, or 186 kilograms) thanks to major improvements in technology. “The telescope will be the foundation of all of the science Roman will do, so its design and performance are among the largest factors in the mission’s survey capability.” /wp-content/plugins/nasa-blocks/assets/images/article-c-daren-welsh.jpg Josh Abel lead Optical Telescope Assembly systems engineer at NASA Goddard The Roman team modified the inherited mirror’s shape and surface to meet the mission’s science objectives. The mirror sports a layer of silver less than 400 nanometers thick — about 200 times thinner than a human hair. The silver coating was specifically chosen for Roman because of how well it reflects near-infrared light. Roman’s mirror is so finely polished that the average bump on its surface is only 1.2 nanometers tall — more than twice as smooth as the mission requires. If the mirror were scaled to be Earth’s size, these bumps would be just a quarter of an inch high. NASA/Chris Gunn Roman’s secondary mirror, photographed here, is 22 inches across. It’s a critical part of the forward structure assembly, which also includes the support structure. NASA/Chris Gunn An optical technician lays on a diving board suspended between NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary and secondary mirrors. The photo is a projected reflection through the telescope’s optical path. The technician shines a beam of light through the optical system toward the future location of the Wide Field Instrument, showing how light from cosmic sources will travel through the telescope once the mission launches. NASA/Chris Gunn Optical engineer Bente Eegholm inspects the surface of Roman’s primary mirror. NASA/Chris Gunn The primary mirror, in concert with other optics, will send light to Roman’s two science instruments: the Wide Field Instrument and Coronagraph Instrument. When light enters Roman’s 2.4-meter aperture, it will be reflected and focused by the curved primary mirror and then reflected and focused once more by the secondary mirror. Then, light from different parts of the sky splits off toward each instrument, so Roman will be able to use both at once. The telescope was delivered Nov. 7, 2024, to the largest clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Upon arrival at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Roman’s Optical Telescope Assembly was lifted out of the shipping fixture and placed with other mission hardware in Goddard’s largest clean room. Then, it was installed onto Roman’s Instrument Carrier, a structure that will keep the telescope and Roman’s two instruments optically aligned. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn Detectors Meanwhile, technicians at Goddard and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging were developing the detector array. This device will convert starlight into electrical signals, which will then be decoded into 288-megapixel images of large patches of the sky. The combination of Roman’s fine resolution and enormous images has never been possible on a space-based telescope before. Roman uses state-of-the-art sensors that build on the legacy of the infrared detectors in NASA’s Hubble and Webb instruments. Roman’s focal plane, however, is much larger to capture a much larger field of view. Greg Mosby research astrophysicist at NASA Goddard The detectors, each the size of a saltine cracker, have 16 million tiny pixels apiece, providing the mission with exquisite image resolution. Eighteen were incorporated into the focal plane array for Roman’s camera, and another six are reserved as flight-qualified spares. Detector Array Detector Array NASA/Chris Gunn NASA/Chris Gunn Detector ArrayDetector Array NASA/Chris Gunn NASA/Chris Gunn Detector Array Detector Array Roman’s Detectors Mosaic Plate Assembly CurtainToggle2-Up Image Details Most telescopes are designed to focus incoming light toward a central point, so their view is sharpest in the middle. By tweaking the curvatures and tilts of three mirrors, Roman focuses light instead onto a ring around the center. The detectors in Roman’s Wide Field Instrument are laid out in an arch shape to sit along part of that ring. This design helps Roman capture a much wider area with equally sharp imaging. And since the observatory’s Coronagraph is placed on another part of the ring, both instruments can operate simultaneously while benefiting from the telescope’s best resolution. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn Principal technician Billy Keim installs a cover plate over the detectors for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn Once complete and tested, the detector array was inserted into the mission’s primary instrument: a sophisticated camera called the Wide Field Instrument, which was assembled and tested at Goddard and BAE Systems, Inc. Wide Field Instrument The Wide Field Instrument, or WFI, is an infrared camera that will give Roman the same angular resolution as Hubble but with a field of view at least 100 times larger. Its sweeping cosmic surveys will help scientists discover new and uniquely detailed information about planets beyond our solar system, untangle mysteries like dark energy, and map how matter is structured and distributed throughout the cosmos. The mission’s broad, crisp view will produce an extraordinary resource for a wide range of additional investigations. Using this instrument, each Roman image will capture a patch of the sky ******* than the apparent size of a full moon. The mission will gather data hundreds of times faster than Hubble, adding up to 20,000 terabytes (20 petabytes) over the course of its five-year primary mission. This photo shows Roman’s Wide Field Instrument arriving at the big clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. About the size of a commercial refrigerator, this instrument will help astronomers explore the universe’s evolution and the characteristics of worlds outside our solar system. Unlocking these cosmic mysteries and more will offer a better understanding of the nature of the universe and our place within it. NASA/Chris Gunn Technicians install Roman’s Wide Field Instrument in the biggest clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This marked the final step to complete the Roman payload, which also includes a Coronagraph instrument and the Optical Telescope Assembly. NASA/Chris Gunn After completing final integration, Ball Aerospace technicians transport the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI) into Ball’s largest thermal vacuum chamber to begin environmental testing at a Ball facility in Boulder, Colorado. Ball Aerospace Technicians from both BAE and Goddard put the WFI together in a clean room in Boulder, Colorado. Then the team completed full environmental testing in space-like conditions and delivered the WFI to Goddard in summer 2024. It was joined to other observatory systems the following winter. Coronagraph Instrument Technicians at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory built the Coronagraph Instrument. The Coronagraph will demonstrate new technologies for directly imaging planets around other stars. It will block the glare from distant stars and make it easier for scientists to see the faint light from planets in orbit around them. The Coronagraph aims to photograph worlds and dusty disks around nearby stars in visible light to help us see giant worlds that are older, colder, and in closer orbits than the hot, young super-Jupiters direct imaging has mainly revealed so far. The coronagraph team will conduct a series of pre-planned observations for three months spread across the mission’s first year-and-a-half of operations, after which the mission may conduct additional observations based on scientific community input. Following testing JPL, the Coronagraph was delivered to Goddard in May 2024. It was integrated onto Roman’s Instrument Carrier, a piece of infrastructure that will hold the mission’s instruments, in October 2024. Then the instrument carrier was joined to the spacecraft in December 2024. The Roman Coronagraph was integrated with the Instrument Carrier in a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in October 2024. NASA/Sydney Rohde April 9, 2025The Roman Coronagraph was peppered with radio waves to test its response to stray electrical signals. The test was performed inside a chamber lined with foam padding that absorbs the radio waves to prevent them from bouncing off the walls. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. NASA/JPL-Caltech PIA26273 This photo features the optical bench for Roman’s Coronagraph Instrument. Light from the telescope will be directed to the optical bench and pass through series of lenses, filters, and other components that ultimately suppress light from a star while allowing the light from orbiting planets to pass through. Mirrors redirect the light and keep it contained within the optical bench. In this image, the bench was partly assembled at the start of the instrument’s integration and testing *******. The large ****** circles are surrogate components that were standing in for the actual instrument hardware. NASA/JPL-Caltech By 2025, all of Roman’s components were complete and undergoing testing as subsystems. Technicians installed test versions of the Solar Array Sun Shield panels onto the Outer Barrel Assembly — a part of the observatory that will protect and shade the primary mirror — inside Goddard’s largest clean room in preparation for testing. The team covered Roman’s telescope section in a protective tent and pushed it out of the clean room using pressurized air to float it like a hovercraft. Then they lifted it onto a shaker table for vibration testing to simulate launch stress. Then, technicians moved the components into the Space Environment Simulator chamber for a month of testing at low pressure and different temperatures, mimicking space-like conditions. Solar Panels Roman’s Solar Array Sun Shield is made up of six panels, each covered in solar cells. The two central panels will remain fixed to the Outer Barrel Assembly while the other four will deploy once Roman is in space, swinging up to align with the center panels. The panels will spend the entirety of the mission facing the Sun to provide a steady supply of power to the observatory’s electronics. This orientation will also shade much of the observatory and help keep the instruments cool, which is critical for an infrared observatory. Since infrared light is detectable as heat, excess warmth from the spacecraft’s own components would saturate the detectors and effectively blind the telescope. In this photo, technicians install solar panels onto the outer portion of the Roman observatory. Roman’s inner portion is in the background just left of center. NASA/Sydney Rohde The Roman solar panels are covered in a total of 3,902 solar cells that will convert sunlight directly into electricity much like plants convert sunlight to chemical energy. When tiny bits of light, called photons, strike the cells, some of their energy transfers to electrons within the material. This jolt excites the electrons, which start moving more or jump to higher energy levels. In a solar cell, excited electrons create electricity by breaking free and moving through a circuit, sort of like water flowing through a pipe. The panels are designed to channel that energy to power the observatory. Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde Technicians installed Roman’s solar panels in June of 2025, followed by the Lower Instrument Sun Shield — a smaller set of panels that will play a critical role in keeping Roman’s instruments cool and stable. Technicians practiced deploying the solar panels and Deployable Aperture Cover — a visor-like sunshade. By fall 2025, the observatory was in two major segments. The inner portion included the telescope, instrument carrier, two instruments, and spacecraft bus while the outer portion consisted of the outer barrel assembly, deployable aperture cover, and solar panels. The outer portion passed a shake test and an intense sound blast while the inner portion underwent a 65-day thermal vacuum test. On November 25, 2025, technicians joined the two segments together and the observatory was complete. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Over the course of several hours, technicians meticulously connected the inner and outer segments of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, as shown in this time-lapse. Next, Roman will undergo final testing prior to moving to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparations in summer 2026. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts NASA/Sophia Roberts “With Roman’s construction complete, we are poised at the brink of unfathomable scientific discovery. In the mission’s first five years, it’s expected to unveil more than 100,000 distant worlds, hundreds of millions of stars, and billions of galaxies. We stand to learn a tremendous amount of new information about the universe very rapidly after Roman launches.” Julie Mcenery Roman senior project scientist at NASA Goddard Now, Roman will undergo testing as a full observatory. Roman will move to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparations in summer 2026. Roman is slated to launch by May 2027, but the team is on track for launch as early as fall 2026. Follow along on the journey to launch at nasa.gov/roman. Click and drag to rotate Downloads gltf-binary File (3D Model) 28.28 MB Explore more Roman observatory photos: About the Author Ashley Balzer Ashley is the lead science writer for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Share Details Last Updated Jan 29, 2026 Editor jmbrill Contact jmbrill *****@*****.tld Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Goddard Space Flight Center Explore More 8 min read NASA Completes Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Construction NASA’s next big eye on the cosmos is now fully assembled. On Nov. 25, technicians… Article 2 months ago 6 min read NASA’s Roman Mission Shares Detailed Plans to Scour Skies NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team shared Thursday the designs for the three core… Article 9 months ago 6 min read New Simulated Universe Previews Panoramas From NASA’s Roman Telescope Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos… Article 1 year ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory The West Faces Snow Drought 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 15, 2026 The mountains of the western United States are sporting thin winter coats in early 2026. Although most regions saw average or above-average precipitation in fall and early winter, warmer temperatures meant that much of it fell as rain. The result has been an unusually low snowpack for this time of year, constituting a snow drought. This image, acquired with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite, provides a wide view of meager western snow cover on January 15. On that day, measurements derived from satellite observations showed that snow blanketed 142,700 square miles (369,700 square kilometers) of the west. That’s the lowest coverage for that date in the MODIS record dating back to 2001 and less than one-third of the median. Coverage had increased slightly by January 26. In addition to snow cover area, snow water equivalent (SWE)—the amount of water stored in the snowpack—is an important indicator of winter conditions in the West. In early January, the National Integrated Drought Information System reported that snow drought, defined as SWE below the 20th percentile for a given date, was most acute in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. At least one ground-based monitoring station in every major western watershed recorded the lowest SWE in at least 20 years on January 26, according to data published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Overall, the preceding few months were very wet and warm across the West. For the water year beginning on October 1, 2025, many regions saw average or above-average precipitation. However, record warmth across a vast expanse of the region meant that much of that precipitation fell as rain rather than snow. A December 2025 atmospheric river in the Pacific Northwest was one such warm precipitation event. One nuance in the snow deficit picture can be found in the Southern Sierra and Northern Rockies, where more precipitation has fallen as snow than rain on the lofty peaks. SWE levels stood above average at some high-elevation locations but were low farther downslope. “This is a classic climate-change, temperature-driven, elevationally dependent snowpack deficit,” said Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources, in a presentation. Precipitation falling as rain tends to run off before it can recharge reservoirs and groundwater. On the other hand, winter snowpack that melts in the spring can produce a more metered, sustained water supply. The health of the mountain snowpack has implications for ecosystems, wildfire dynamics, and water availability for agriculture and other uses during drier times of the year. There is still a lot of winter remaining, and February and March can bring significant amounts of snow. But snowfall in the coming months may not be able to make up for existing deficits. In places such as the Pacific Northwest and the Colorado River Basin that are already dry, snow drought may turn into or exacerbate traditional drought. NASA Earth Observatory image and chart by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview, and snow cover area data from NSIDC Snow Today. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads January 15, 2026 JPEG (5.63 MB) References & Resources The Conversation (2026, January 8) The western US is in a snow drought, and storms have been making it worse. Accessed January 28, 2026. NASA Earthdata Cryosphere. Accessed January 28, 2026. National Integrated Drought Information System What Is Snow Drought? Accessed January 28, 2026. National Integrated Drought Information System (2026, January 15) Drought Status Update for the Intermountain West. Accessed January 28, 2026. National Integrated Drought Information System (2026, January 8) Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West. Accessed January 28, 2026. National Snow and Ice Data Center (2026) Daily Snow Viewer. Accessed January 28, 2026. Rittger, K., et al. (2025) Historical MODIS/Terra L3 Global Daily 500m SIN Grid Snow Cover, Snow Albedo, and Snow Surface Properties. SPIRES_HIST, Version 1. National Snow and Ice Data Center. Rittger, K., et al. (2026) Near Real-Time MODIS/Terra L3 Global Daily 500m SIN Grid Snow Cover, Snow Albedo, and Snow Surface Properties. SPIRES_NRT, Version 1. National Snow and Ice Data Center. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (2026) Snow and Water Interactive Map. Accessed January 28, 2026. Weather West (2026, January 19) “Warm West/Cool East” dipole to develop over North America in late January; mostly dry/warm conditions lead to record-low Western U.S. snowpack. Accessed January 28, 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. Snow Buries the U.S. Interior and East 2 min read Satellites observed a frozen landscape across much of the country after a massive winter storm. Article Winter Grips the Michigan Mitten 3 min read A blanket of snow spanned Michigan and much of the Great Lakes region following a potent cold snap. Article Snow Buries Kamchatka 2 min read December and January brought a series of intense winter storms to the peninsula in far eastern Russia. 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

5 Min Read Networks Keeping NASA’s Artemis II Mission Connected An artist’s conceptual image of network antennas supporting the Orion spacecraft. Credits: NASA / Dave Ryan NASA’s Artemis II mission will transport four astronauts around the Moon, bringing the agency one step closer to sending the first astronauts to Mars. Throughout Artemis II, astronaut voice, images, video, and vital mission data must traverse thousands of miles, carried on signals from NASA’s communications systems. Through Artemis, NASA is establishing an enduring presence in space and exploring more of the Moon than ever before. To achieve this, Artemis missions rely on both the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network. These networks, with oversight by NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program office, use global infrastructure and relay satellites to ensure seamless communications and tracking as Orion launches, orbits Earth, travels to the Moon, and returns home. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video NASA’s Artemis II mission will transport four astronauts around the Moon, bringing humanity closer to its journey to Mars. Throughout the mission, astronaut voice, images, video, and vital mission data must traverse thousands of miles, carried on signals from NASA’s powerful communications systems: the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network.NASA “Robust space communications aren’t optional; they’re the essential link that unites the crew and the exploration team on Earth to ensure safety and mission success, as I learned firsthand living and working aboard the International Space Station,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “From real-time conversations with mission controllers, to the data that drives critical decisions and research, and even calls home — space communications keep astronauts connected to mission managers, technical experts, loved ones, and everyone on Earth who wants to share in the excitement of our exploration missions. As we push farther into deep space, reliable communications links will enable more challenging missions and maximize the benefit for all of us on Earth.” "From real-time conversations with mission controllers, to the data that drives critical decisions, research, and even calls home, space communications keep astronauts connected." Ken Bowersox Associate Administrator for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate Specialists will operate its networks in tandem to enable data exchange between spacecraft and mission controllers on Earth. NASA’s Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will track the Space Launch System rocket, Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, and Orion spacecraft through coordinated handoffs between the networks’ multiple assets on Earth and in space for the duration of the mission. Using ground stations around the globe and a fleet of relay satellites, the Near Space Network will provide communications and navigation services during multiple stages of the Artemis II mission operations. The network, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has a long legacy of supporting human spaceflight missions near Earth. After Orion’s translunar injection burn, which will set the spacecraft on its planned orbit around the Moon, primary communications support will transition to the Deep Space Network, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The network’s international array of giant radio antennas, located in California, Spain, and Australia, provides a near-continuous connection to Orion and its crew. The Artemis II mission will use SCaN’s networks to send vital data down to mission controllers on Earth. This includes astronaut communications, mission health and safety information, images, video, and more.NASA / Dave Ryan “Reliable communications are the lifeline of human spaceflight,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for the SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters. “Our networks help make missions like Artemis II possible and set the stage for even more ambitious space exploration in the years ahead. These achievements are driven not only by NASA’s infrastructure but also by strong collaboration with our commercial partners, who play a critical role in advancing the capabilities and resilience of space communications.” The DSN Now tool displays real-time data in the Charles Elachi Mission Control Center at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the Artemis I launch on November 16, 2022.NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ryan Lannom In addition to traditional radio network support, the spacecraft will host the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System, a laser communications terminal that will transmit real science and crew data over laser links. Demonstrations like the recent Deep Space Optical Communications payload have proven laser communications systems can send more than 100 times more data than comparable radio networks, even millions of miles away from Earth. While laser communications will not be on Artemis III, the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System could pave the way for future laser communications systems at the Moon and Mars. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An artist's visualization concept of the O2O laser communications terminal sending data over infrared light links. NASA / Dave Ryan The Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System payload is only one piece of NASA’s larger mission to improve lunar and deep space communications. Orion will experience a planned communications blackout lasting approximately 41 minutes. The blackout will occur as the spacecraft passes behind the Moon, blocking radio frequency signals to and from Earth. Similar blackouts occurred during the Apollo-era missions and are expected when using an Earth-based network infrastructure. When Orion reemerges from behind the Moon, the Deep Space Network will quickly reacquire Orion’s signal and restore communications with mission control. These planned blackouts remain an aspect of all missions operating on or around the Moon’s far side. Each Artemis mission will build upon existing capabilities, including data processing and handling. For the Artemis II flight test, data from Orion will be compressed after it reaches Earth to manage the large amount of information. Data compression will reduce image and video quality and give priority to crew communications and mission data. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An artist's concept of the lunar relay supporting future missions on the Moon. NASA / Dave Ryan Looking ahead, NASA’s Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems project is collaborating with industry to eliminate blackouts and support precise navigation by placing relay satellites around the Moon. This network of orbiting satellites will deliver persistent, high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for astronauts, landers, and orbiters on and around the lunar surface. In 2024, NASA selected Intuitive Machines to develop the first set of lunar relays for demonstration during the Artemis III lunar surface mission. From liftoff to splashdown, NASA’s evolving networks will serve as the crew’s link home, ensuring that humanity’s return to the Moon stays connected every step of the way. About the AuthorKatherine SchauerKatherine Schauer is a writer for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program office and covers emerging technologies, commercialization efforts, exploration activities, and more. Share Details Last Updated Jan 28, 2026 EditorGoddard Digital TeamContactJimi Russell*****@*****.tldLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsArtemisArtemis 2Communicating and Navigating with MissionsGoddard Space Flight CenterJet Propulsion LaboratorySpace Communications & Navigation ProgramTechnology Demonstration Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Artemis Communicating with Missions Near Space Network Deep Space Network View the full article

X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/Á Bogdán; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Edmonds and L. Frattare X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/Á Bogdán; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Edmonds and L. Frattare A new discovery captures the cosmic moment when a galaxy cluster – among the largest structures in the universe – started to assemble only about a billion years after the big bang, one or two billion years earlier than previously thought. This result, made using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope, will lead astronomers to rethink when and how the largest structures in the universe formed. The findings are described in a paper published [Wednesday] in the journal Nature. The object, known as JADES-ID1 for its location in the “JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey” (JADES) has a mass about 20 trillion times that of the Sun. Astronomers classify JADES-ID1 as a “protocluster” because it is currently undergoing an early, violent phase of formation and will one day turn into a galaxy cluster. However, JADES-ID1 is found at a much larger distance – corresponding to a much earlier time in the universe – than astronomers expected for such systems, providing a new mystery of how it could form so quickly. “This may be the most distant confirmed protocluster ever seen,” said Akos Bogdan of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) who led the study. “JADES-ID1 is giving us new evidence that the universe was in a huge hurry to grow up.” Galaxy clusters contain hundreds or even thousands of individual galaxies immersed in enormous pools of superheated gas, along with large amounts of unseen dark matter. Astronomers use galaxy clusters to measure the expansion of the universe and the roles of dark energy and dark matter, among other important cosmic studies. “It’s very important to actually see when and how galaxy clusters grow,” said co-author Gerrit Schellenberger, also of CfA. “It’s like watching an assembly line make a car, rather than just trying to figure out how a car works by looking at the finished product.” The Chandra and Webb data reveal that JADES-ID1 contains the two properties that confirm the presence of a protocluster: a large number of galaxies held together by gravity (Webb sees at least 66 potential members) that are also sitting in a huge cloud of hot gas (detected by Chandra). As a galaxy cluster forms, gas falls inward and is heated by shock waves, reaching temperatures of millions of degrees and glowing in X-rays. What makes JADES-ID1 exceptional is the remarkably early time when it appears in cosmic history. Most models of the universe predict that there likely would not be enough time and a large enough density of galaxies for a protocluster of this size to form only a billion years after the big bang. The previous record holder for a protocluster with X-ray emission is seen much later, about three billion years after the big bang. “We thought we’d find a protocluster like this two or three billion years after the big bang – not just one billion,” said co-author Qiong Li from the University of Manchester in the ***. “Before, astronomers found surprisingly large galaxies and ****** holes not long after the big bang, and now we’re finding that clusters of galaxies can also grow rapidly.” After billions of years JADES-ID1 should evolve from a protocluster into a massive galaxy cluster like those we see much closer to Earth. To find JADES-ID1, astronomers combined deep observations from both Chandra and Webb. By design, the JADES field overlaps with the Chandra Deep Field South, the site of the deepest X-ray observation ever conducted. This field is thus one of the few in the entire sky where a discovery such as this could be made. In an earlier study, a team of researchers led by Li and Conselice found five other proto-cluster candidates in the JADES field, but only in JADES-ID1 are the galaxies embedded in hot gas. Only JADES-ID1 possesses enough mass for an X-ray signal from hot gas to be expected. “Discoveries like this are made when two powerful telescopes like Chandra and Webb stare at the same patch of sky at the limit of their observing capabilities,” said co-author Christopher Conselice, also from the University of Manchester. “A challenge for us now is to understand how this protocluster was able to form so quickly.” NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. To learn more about Chandra, visit: [Hidden Content] Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here: [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] Visual Description This composite image features what may be the most distant protocluster ever found; a region of space where a large number of young galaxies are being held together by gravity and hot gas. The image is presented twice, once with, and once without, annotations. The image includes scores of glowing dots and specks of light, in white and golden hues, set against the blackness of space. This layer of the composite visual is from a deep infrared imaging project undertaken by the James Webb Space Telescope. The specks range from relatively large oval galaxies with discernible spiral arms, and glowing ****** with gleaming diffraction spikes, to minuscule pinpoints of distant light. Several of those pinpoints have been circled in the annotated image, as they are part of the distant protocluster. Layered onto the center of this image is a neon blue cloud. This cloud represents hot X-ray gas discovered by Chandra in the deepest X-ray observation ever conducted. In the annotated image, a thin white square surrounds the blue cloud. This represents Chandra’s field of observation. The X-rays from the distant protocluster located within this box are included in the composite image. The protocluster, dubbed JADES-1, has a mass of about 20 trillion suns. It is located some 12.7 billion light-years from Earth, or just a billion years after the big bang. The discovery of a protocluster of this size, at this epoch in the early universe, will lead scientists to re-examine their ideas for how galaxy clusters first appeared in the universe. News Media Contact Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Center Cambridge, Mass. 617-496-7998 *****@*****.tld Joel Wallace Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-544-0034 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 28, 2026 EditorLee MohonContactJoel Wallace*****@*****.tldLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsChandra X-Ray ObservatoryAstrophysicsGalaxiesGalaxy clustersMarshall AstrophysicsMarshall Space Flight CenterThe Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Chandra Space Telescope Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Spitzer Space Telescope Spitzer uses an ultra-sensitive infrared telescope to study asteroids, comets, planets and distant galaxies. View the full article

This stellar landscape is reminiscent of a winter vista in a view from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). Chandra data (red, green and blue) punctuate the scene with bursts of colored lights representing high-energy activity from the active stars.Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/G. Garmire; Infrared: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI/A. Pagan Data from Chandra adds red, green, and blue twinkling lights in this Dec. 22, 2025, image of Pismis 24 from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Pismis 24 is a young cluster of stars in the core of the nearby Lobster Nebula, approximately 5,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius. Home to a vibrant stellar nursery and one of the closest sites of massive star birth, Pismis 24 provides rare insight into large and massive stars. This region is one of the best places to explore the properties of hot young stars and how they evolve. Image credit: Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State/G. Garmire; Infrared: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI/A. Pagan View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Jan 28, 2026 Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Laura Betz NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland laura.e*****@*****.tld Leah Ramsay Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Astrophysics Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Origin & Evolution of the Universe Science & Research The Universe Related Links and Documents Video: The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Early Universe

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Snow Buries the U.S…. 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 Natural Color False Color Much of the central, Midwest, and northeast United States is covered in a layer of white snow. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin In this false-color satellite image, snow appears blue and covers much of the central, Midwest, and northeast United States. White clouds appear over parts of northeastern states, and the southeast is green with vegetation. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin Natural ColorFalse Color Much of the central, Midwest, and northeast United States is covered in a layer of white snow. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin In this false-color satellite image, snow appears blue and covers much of the central, Midwest, and northeast United States. White clouds appear over parts of northeastern states, and the southeast is green with vegetation. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin Natural Color False Color January 26, 2026 CurtainToggle2-Up Image Details A potent winter storm left a wide band of snow stretching from the U.S. Southwest to New England in late January 2026. The heavy snow, along with bitterly cold temperatures, sleet, and ice, created treacherous travel conditions, toppled power lines, and caused widespread school closures, according to news reports. On the afternoon of January 26, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite observed new snow covering a large swath of the country. The left image is natural color, while the false-color image on the right uses a combination of visible and infrared light (bands M11-I2-I1) to distinguish snow (blue) from clouds (white). Preliminary National Weather Service data indicate snow accumulations of up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) in parts of Oklahoma between the mornings of January 23 and January 26, with higher accumulation across the Midwest and in New England. Totals of around 20 inches were reported in several Northeast states. Some locations were digging out from record daily accumulations, including 5.1 inches in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 24, and 11.2 inches in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 25. Several inches of snow and sleet also fell in parts of North Texas, a rare occurrence for the area. With temperatures remaining below freezing in many places, the snow and ice may stick around. NASA’s Disasters Response Coordination System has been activated to support federal partners responding to the winter storm. The team will be posting maps and data products on its open-access mapping portal as new information becomes available. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads January 26, 2026 JPEG (4.32 MB) January 26, 2026 JPEG (6.14 MB) References & Resources CBS News (2026, January 27) Power out for hundreds of thousands, roadways snarled with ice and snow after deadly storm. Accessed January 27, 2026. NASA (2026) US Winter Storm January 2026. Accessed January 27, 2026. NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (2026, January) National Gridded Snowfall Analysis. Accessed January 27, 2026. NWS Weather Prediction Center (2026, January 26) Storm Summary Message. Accessed January 27, 2026. The Washington Post (2026, January 27) See how much snow fell — and where it broke records. Accessed January 27, 2026. You may also be interested in: Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. Winter Grips the Michigan Mitten 3 min read A blanket of snow spanned Michigan and much of the Great Lakes region following a potent cold snap. Article Snow Buries Kamchatka 2 min read December and January brought a series of intense winter storms to the peninsula in far eastern Russia. Article 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 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

3 Min Read NASA Testing Advances Space Nuclear Propulsion Capabilities Written by Daniel Boyette Nuclear propulsion and power technologies could unlock new frontiers in missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA has reached an important milestone advancing nuclear propulsion that could benefit future deep space missions by completing a cold-flow test campaign of the first flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s. April 8, 2025Crews at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, install a flight reactor engineering development unit into Test Stand 400 in preparation for cold-flow testing. The test campaign began in July and ran through September and marked the first testing on a light reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s.NASA/Adam Butt April 9, 2025Crews at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, install a flight reactor engineering development unit into Test Stand 400 in preparation for cold-flow testing. The test campaign began in July and ran through September and marked the first testing on a flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s. NASA/Adam Butt April 10, 2025Crews at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, install a flight reactor engineering development unit into Test Stand 400 in preparation for cold-flow testing. The test campaign began in July and ran through September and marked the first testing on a flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s. NASA/Adam Butt April 10, 2025A flight reactor engineering development unit is fully installed at Test Stand 400 in preparation for cold-flow testing. The test campaign began in July and ran through September, marking the first testing on a flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s. NASA/Adam Butt “Nuclear propulsion has multiple benefits including speed and endurance that could enable complex deep space missions,” said Greg Stover acting associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By shortening travel times and expanding mission capabilities, this technology will lay the foundation to explore farther into our solar system than ever before. Information from the cold-flow test series is instrumental in understanding the operational characteristics and fluid flow performance of nuclear reactors.” Teams at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, conducted more than 100 tests on the engineering development unit over several months in 2025. The 44-inch by 72-inch unit, built by BWX Technologies of Richmond, Virginia, is a full-scale, non-nuclear, flight-like development test article the size of a 100-gallon drum that simulates propellant flow throughout the reactor across a range of operational conditions. The cold-flow tests at NASA Marshall are the culmination of a multi-year activity for the agency and its industry partners. Key test objectives included simulating operational fluid-dynamic responses, gathering critical information for design of the flight instrumentation and control system, providing crucial validation of analytical tools, and serving as a pathfinder for manufacturing, assembly, and integration of near-term flight-capable nuclear propulsion systems. Other benefits to space travel include increasing the science payload capacity and higher power for instrumentation and communication. Test engineers were able to demonstrate that the reactor design is not susceptible to destructive flow-induced oscillations, vibrations or pressure waves that occur when a moving fluid interacts with a structure in a way that makes the system shake. “We’re doing more than proving a new technology,” said Jason Turpin, manager of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at NASA Marshall. “This test series generated some of the most detailed flow responses for a flight-like space reactor design in more than 50 years and is a key steppingstone toward developing a flight-capable system. Each milestone brings us closer to expanding what’s possible for the future of human spaceflight, exploration, and science.” The Space Nuclear Propulsion Office is part of NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions Program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Learn more about NASA’s technology advancements: [Hidden Content] News Media Contact Joel Wallace Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-544-0034 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 EditorLee MohonContactJoel Wallace*****@*****.tldLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsSpace Nuclear Propulsion (SNP)Marshall Space Flight CenterSpace Technology Mission DirectorateTechnology Demonstration Missions Program View the full article

Explore the UniverseUniverse HomeBasicsCosmic HistoryBuilding BlocksForcesGalaxiesOverviewTypesEvolutionLarge Scale Structures****** HolesOverviewTypesAnatomy****** Hole WeekStarsOverviewTypesMultiple Star SystemsPlanetary SystemsExoplanetsExplorationSensing the UniverseTelescopes 101ObservatoriesMoreNewsDeep DivesQuick ReadsGraphicsGlossaryFun & Learning Artist’s concept of exoplanet candidate HD 137010 b, dubbed a “cold Earth” because it’s a possible rocky planet slightly larger than Earth, orbiting a Sun-like star about 146 light-years away.NASA/JPL-Caltech/Keith Miller (Caltech/IPAC) The Discovery A candidate planet that might be remarkably similar to Earth, HD 137010 b, has one potentially big difference: It could be colder than perpetually frozen Mars. Key Facts Scientists continue to mine data gathered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, retired in 2018, and continue to turn up surprises. A new paper reveals the latest: a possible rocky planet slightly larger than Earth, orbiting a Sun-like star about 146 light-years away. The orbital ******* of the planet — listed as a “candidate” pending further confirmation — is likely to be similar to Earth’s, around one year. Planet HD 137010 b also might fall just within the outer edge of its star’s “habitable zone,” the orbital distance that could allow liquid water to form on the planet’s surface under a suitable atmosphere. Planets orbiting other stars are known as “exoplanets.” And this could turn out to be the first exoplanet with Earth-like properties that, from our vantage point, crosses the face of a Sun-like star that is near enough and bright enough for meaningful follow-up observations. Details Now the bad news. The amount of heat and light such a planet would receive from its star is less than a third of what Earth receives from the Sun. Although of a stellar type similar to our Sun, the star, HD 137010, is cooler and dimmer. That could mean a planetary surface temperature no higher than minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 68 degrees Celsius). By comparison, the average surface temperature on Mars runs about minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 65 degrees Celsius). Planet HD 137010 b also will need follow-up observations to be promoted from “candidate” to “confirmed.” Exoplanet scientists use a variety of techniques to identify planets, and this discovery comes from a single “transit” — only one instance of the planet crossing its star’s face in a kind of miniature eclipse — detected during Kepler’s second mission, known as K2. Even with just one transit, the study’s authors were able to estimate the candidate planet’s orbital *******. They tracked the time it took for the planet’s shadow to move across the star’s face — in this case 10 hours, while Earth takes about 13 — then compared it to orbital models of the system itself. Still, though the precision of that single detection is much higher than most transits captured by space-based telescopes, astronomers need to see these transits repeat regularly in order to confirm that they are caused by a real planet. And capturing more transits is going to be tricky. The planet’s orbital distance, so similar to Earth’s, means such transits happen far less often than for planets in tighter orbits around their stars (it’s a big reason why exoplanets with Earth-like orbits are so hard to detect in the first place). With luck, confirmation could come from further observation by the successor to Kepler/K2, NASA’s TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), the still-functioning workhorse for planetary detection, or from the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite). Otherwise, gathering further data on planet HD 137010 b might have to wait for the next generation of space telescopes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An artist’s concept animation of exoplanet candidate HD 137010 b, which gives a view as if flying above this possible rocky planet slightly larger than Earth, thought to orbit a Sun-like star about 146 light-years away. This view also creates an effect similar to a transit, as the planet’s star disappears and then reappears from behind HD 137010 b.NASA/JPL-Caltech/Keith Miller (Caltech/IPAC) Fun Facts Despite the possibility of a frigid climate, HD 137010 b also could turn out to be a temperate or even a watery world, say the authors of the paper on this exoplanet. It would just need an atmosphere richer in carbon dioxide than our own. The science team, based on modeling of the planet’s possible atmospheres, gives it a 40% chance of falling within the “conservative” habitable zone around the star, and a 51% chance of falling within the broader “optimistic” habitable zone. On the other hand, the authors of the study say the planet has about a 50-50 chance of falling beyond the habitable zone entirely. The Discoverers An international science team published a paper on the discovery, “A Cool Earth-sized Planet Candidate Transiting a Tenth Magnitude K-dwarf From K2,” in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Jan. 27, 2026. The team was led by astrophysics Ph.D. student Alexander Venner of the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany. Explore More 3 min read NASA, Partners Advance LISA Prototype Hardware Article 8 hours ago 4 min read AI Unlocks Hundreds of Cosmic Anomalies in Hubble Archive Article 8 hours ago 4 min read TESS Status Updates Article 4 days ago Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Related TermsExoplanetsEarth-like ExoplanetsExoplanet AtmosphereExoplanet DiscoveriesTerrestrial ExoplanetsThe Universe View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A team of NASA scientists deployed on an international mission designed to better understand severe winter storms. The North American Upstream Feature-Resolving and Tropopause Uncertainty Reconnaissance Experiment, or NURTURE, is an airborne campaign that uses a suite of remote sensing instruments to collect atmospheric data on winter weather with a goal of improving the models that feed storm forecasts. This combination of instruments will also serve as a proxy to demonstrate the potential to collect similar observations from space. NASA’s G-III aircraft in the hangar at NASA’s Langley Research Center as science and flight crews install remote sensing instruments inside and onto the body of the plane.NASA/Ryan Hill On Jan. 24, the research team departed from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, aboard the center’s Gulfstream III aircraft (G-III) en route to Goose Bay, Canada. For nearly a month, the plane will be making flights stretching from the Northern Atlantic Ocean over Canada through the Northeast United States, measuring moisture, clouds, and ozone as winter storms develop. The second phase of the campaign, scheduled to fly out of Langley next year, will serve as the inaugural mission of NASA’s new airborne science laboratory, a Boeing 777 These flights will cover a larger range of 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) and use a larger suite of instruments. Researchers will collect detailed observations of the atmosphere over Europe, Greenland, the North Atlantic Ocean, Canada, the majority of of the U.S., and much of the Arctic Ocean. “Part of NASA’s role is to leverage our expertise and resources for the benefit of humankind – with innovation always being at our core,” said Will McCarty, weather program manager and program scientist at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington. “The NURTURE campaign is doing exactly that by outfitting our aircraft with one-of-a-kind instruments designed to put our science data into action to understand dangerous weather events before, and as they form.” Research scientist and co-investigator for the NURTURE mission, Amin Nehrir, installing and testing the High Altitude and Lidar Observatory (HALO) instrument aboard the G-III aircraft before deploying.NASA/Ryan Hill As the NASA G-III flies over Canada, a parallel companion mission led by a team of international partners called the North Atlantic Waveguide, Dry Intrusion, and Downstream Impact Campaign (NAWDIC) will be operating out of Shannon, Ireland. Meanwhile, a third airborne mission led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be studying how moisture is transported from the tropics to the Western U.S. By combining the data collected during these campaigns, scientists will be able to track weather systems as they interact and intersect globally to understand the large-scale flows and small-scale features that drive high-impact winter weather events. Software and instrument checks taking place pre-deployment on board the G-III aircraft. HALO and other instruments, like the CloudCube radar, combine to form a specialized suite of atmospheric sensors.NASA/Ryan Hill “These storms are not forecasted very accurately,” said Amin Nehrir, a research scientist at NASA Langley and co-investigator for the NURTURE mission. “Space observations of high latitudes in the Arctic lack the sensitivity needed to gather accurate data in such a dry, atmospheric environment. In lower latitudes, we benefit from observations from radiosondes, surface networks, and satellite observations. We are using cutting-edge technology beyond those that we have in space to get a better snapshot of atmospheric dynamics.” A map showing the two flight paths of the NURTURE mission phases – the G-III aircraft marked in green in 2026 and the NASA 777 aircraft in blue planned for 2027. Examples of severe winter weather events include cold air outbreaks, windstorms, hazardous seas, snow and ice storms, sea ice breakup, and extreme precipitation. Data from the NURTURE mission will be used to inform first responders, decision makers, and the public sooner while also demonstrating the potential for NASA’s remote weather sensor capabilities to be developed for use on future space-based missions. “Effects from severe weather have significant costs that threaten lives and national security by destabilizing supply chains and damaging infrastructure,” said Steven Cavallo, principal investigator for NURTURE and lead scientist at the University of Oklahoma, School of Meteorology. The NURTURE mission is funded by NASA’s Earth Science Division and managed by researchers at NASA Langley and NASA Ames in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma. To learn more about NURTURE, visit: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Related TermsAirborne ScienceAmes Research CenterEarth Science DivisionGeneralGulfstream G-IIILangley Research CenterNASA AircraftRemote Sensing TechnologyScience Mission Directorate Explore More 3 min read NASA Launches Its Most Powerful, Efficient Supercomputer Article 5 hours ago 4 min read AI Unlocks Hundreds of Cosmic Anomalies in Hubble Archive A team of astronomers has employed a cutting-edge, artificial intelligence-assisted technique to uncover rare astronomical… Article 7 hours ago 5 min read NASA’s Chandra Releases Deep Cut From Catalog of Cosmic Recordings Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

3 Min Read Webb Data Reveals Dark Matter PIA26702 Credits: NASA/STScI/J. DePasquale/A. Pagan Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal Webb Data Reveals Dark Matter Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads Webb Data Reveals Dark Matter PNG (42.87 MB) This image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, containing nearly 800,000 galaxies, is overlaid with a map of dark matter, represented in blue. Brighter blue areas indicate a higher density of dark matter. Researchers used Webb data to find the dark matter — which is invisible — via its gravitational influence on regular matter. The area of sky shown here is 0.54 square degrees (about 2½ times the size of the full Moon) and located in the constellation Sextans. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) peered at this region for a total of about 255 hours. Dark matter doesn’t emit, reflect, absorb, or even block light, and is therefore not visible to the human eye or traditional telescopes. But it does interact with the universe through gravity, and large clumps or clusters of dark matter have enough mass to curve space itself. Light traveling to Earth from distant galaxies becomes slightly distorted as it passes through the curved fabric of spacetime. In some cases, the warping is significant enough that it is apparent to the naked eye, almost as if the galaxy were being viewed through a warped windowpane, an effect called strong gravitational lensing. In the case of the dark matter map shown here, scientists inferred dark matter’s distribution by relying instead on an effect called weak gravitational lensing, which leads to much more subtle distortions of the light from thousands of galaxies. The dark matter in this area of sky was also mapped in 2007 using data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Webb map contains about 10 times more galaxies than do maps of the area made by ground-based observatories and twice as many as Hubble’s map. It reveals new clumps of dark matter and captures a higher-resolution view compared to the Hubble map. Both the Hubble and Webb dark matter maps are part of a project called the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). The full COSMOS “field” is 2 square degrees (about 10 times the size of the full Moon) and has been imaged by at least 15 telescopes in space and on the ground. Observing the same region with many different telescopes allows scientists to combine complementary views to understand how galaxies grow and how dark matter influences their evolution. Only Webb and Hubble data have been used to map dark matter in the region. To refine measurements of the distance to many galaxies for the map, the team used Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), designed and managed through launch by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, along with other space- and ground-based telescopes. The wavelengths that MIRI detects also make it adept at detecting galaxies obscured by cosmic dust clouds. The James Webb Space Telescope is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (********* Space Agency). Webb’s MIRI was developed through a 50-50 partnership between NASA and ESA. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL led the U.S. contribution to MIRI. JPL also led development of MIRI’s cryocooler, done in collaboration with Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. To learn more about Webb, visit: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jupiter’s moon Europa was captured by the JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during the mission’s close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022. The images show the fractures, ridges, and bands that crisscross the moon’s surface.Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing: Björn Jónsson (CC BY 3.0) Results from the solar-powered spacecraft provide a new measurement of the thickness of the ice shell encasing the Jovian moon’s ocean. Data from NASA’s Juno mission has provided new insights into the thickness and subsurface structure of the icy shell encasing Jupiter’s moon Europa. Using the spacecraft’s Microwave Radiometer (MWR), mission scientists determined that the shell averages about 18 miles (29 kilometers) thick in the region observed during Juno’s 2022 flyby of Europa. The Juno measurement is the first to discriminate between thin and thick shell models that have suggested the ice shell is anywhere from less than half a mile to tens of miles thick. Slightly smaller than Earth’s moon, Europa is one of the solar system’s highest-priority science targets for investigating habitability. Evidence suggests that the ingredients for life may exist in the saltwater ocean that lies beneath its ice shell. Uncovering a variety of characteristics of the ice shell, including its thickness, provides crucial pieces of the puzzle for understanding the moon’s internal workings and the potential for the existence of a habitable environment. The new estimate on the ice thickness in the near-surface icy crust was published on Dec. 17 in the journal Nature Astronomy. This artist’s concept depicts a cutaway view showing Europa’s ice shell. Data used to generate a new result on the ice thickness and structure was collected by the microwave radiometer instrument on NASA’s Juno during a close flyby of the Jovian moon on Sept. 29, 2022.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/Koji Kuramura/ Gerald Eichstädt (CC BY) Catching waves Although the MWR instrument was designed to investigate Jupiter’s atmosphere below the cloud tops, the novel instrument has proven valuable for studying the gas giant’s icy and volcanic moons as well. On Sept. 29, 2022, Juno came within about 220 miles (360 kilometers) of Europa’s frozen surface. During the flyby, MWR collected data on about half the moon’s surface, peering beneath the ice to measure its temperatures at various depths. “The 18-mile estimate relates to the cold, rigid, conductive outer-layer of a pure water ice shell,” said Steve Levin, Juno project scientist and co-investigator from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. “If an inner, slightly warmer convective layer also exists, which is possible, the total ice shell thickness would be even greater. If the ice shell contains a modest amount of dissolved salt, as suggested by some models, then our estimate of the shell thickness would be reduced by about 3 miles.” The thick shell, as suggested by the MWR data, implies a longer route that oxygen and nutrients would have to travel to connect Europa’s surface with its subsurface ocean. Understanding this process may be relevant to future studies of Europa’s habitability. Cracks, pores The MWR data also provides new insights into the makeup of the ice just below Europa’s surface. The instrument revealed the presence of “scatterers” — irregularities in the near-surface ice such as cracks, pores, and voids that scatter the instrument’s microwaves reflecting off the ice (similar to how visible light is scattered in ice cubes). These scatterers are estimated to be no ******* than a few inches in diameter and appear to extend to depths of hundreds of feet below Europa’s surface. The small size and shallow depth of these features, as modeled in this study, suggest they are unlikely to be a significant pathway for oxygen and nutrients to travel from Europa’s surface to its salty ocean. “How thick the ice shell is and the existence of cracks or pores within the ice shell are part of the complex puzzle for understanding Europa’s potential habitability,” said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “They provide critical context for NASA’s Europa Clipper and the ESA (European Space Agency) Juice (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) spacecraft — both of which are on their way to the Jovian system.” Europa Clipper will arrive there in 2030, while Juice will arrive the year after. Juno will carry out its 81st flyby of Jupiter on Feb. 25.  More about Juno A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. To learn more about Juno, go to: [Hidden Content] News Media Contacts DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory 818-393-9011 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Molly Wasser NASA Headquarters, Washington 240-285-5155 / 240-419-1732 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Deb Schmid Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio 210-522-2254 *****@*****.tld 2026-004 Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Related TermsJunoEuropaJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Pandora Satellite, CubeSats to Explore Exoplanets, Beyond Editor’s Note, Jan. 13, 2026: Mission controllers received full acquisition of signal from the Pandora… Article 3 weeks ago 6 min read NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other Article 1 month ago 6 min read NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Jupiter: Exploration Juno NASA’s Juno spacecraft has explored Jupiter, its moons, and rings since 2016, gathering breakthrough science and breathtaking imagery. Jupiter Moons Europa Eyes on the Solar System: Europa View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Athena, NASA’s newest supercomputer, is housed at the agency’s Modular Supercomputing Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.NASA/Brandon Torres-Navarrete NASA is announcing the availability of its newest supercomputer, Athena, an advanced system designed to support a new generation of missions and research projects. The newest member of the agency’s High-End Computing Capability project expands the resources available to help scientists and engineers tackle some of the most complex challenges in space, aeronautics, and science. Housed in the agency’s Modular Supercomputing Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Athena delivers more computing power than any other NASA system, surpassing the capabilities of its predecessors, Aitken and Pleiades, in power and efficiency. The new system, which was rolled out in January to existing users after a beta testing *******, delivers over 20 petaflops of peak performance – a measurement of the number of calculations it can make per second – while reducing the agency’s supercomputing utility costs. “Exploration has always driven NASA to the edge of what’s computationally possible,” said Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer and lead for the agency’s High-End Computing Capability portfolio at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Now with Athena, NASA will expand its efforts to provide tailored computing resources that meet the evolving needs of its missions.” Supercomputers like Athena are critical to missions and research across the agency, providing the computational power necessary to simulate rocket launches, design next-generation aircraft, and train large-scale artificial intelligence foundation models capable of analyzing massive datasets to uncover new scientific insights. The supercomputer is available to NASA researchers and external scientist and researchers supporting NASA programs who can apply for time to use the system. The name Athena was selected through a contest held in March 2025 among the agency’s High-End Computing Capability workforce, which chose the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare because she is the half-sister of Artemis. Managed by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, the High-End Computing Capability portfolio supports a flexible, hybrid computing approach that combines supercomputers with access to other tools, such as commercial cloud platforms. This strategy enables NASA teams to choose the most effective computing environment for their research, whether running complex simulations, developing and deploying AI models, or performing large-scale data analysis. The project’s capabilities will continue to expand as the agency invests in advanced supercomputing to meet the growing complexity of its missions. As exploration pushes further into the universe, the ability to compute quickly, efficiently, and intelligently will be more important than ever. With Athena, NASA is laying the digital foundation for the next era of discovery. To learn more about high-end computing at NASA, visit: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Related TermsHigh-Tech ComputingAmes Research CenterGeneral Explore More 5 min read NASA’s Chandra Releases Deep Cut From Catalog of Cosmic Recordings Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA AI Model That Found 370 Exoplanets Now Digs Into TESS Data Trained on data from NASA’s exoplanet-hunting missions, the open-source ExoMiner++ deep learning model uses an… Article 5 days ago 3 min read NASA Develops Blockchain Technology to Enhance Air Travel Safety and Security Through a drone flight test at NASA’s Ames Research Center, researchers tested a blockchain-based system… Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Office of the Chief Science Data Officer NASA’s groundbreaking science and exploration missions increasingly rely on the efficient use of large-scale data, advanced computing, and high-performance analytics.… Core Area of Expertise: Supercomputing Ames Research Center Computing View the full article

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) The NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured the actively forming protostar EC 53 (circled at left) in the Serpens Nebula in this image released on Jan. 21, 2026. Astronomers have long sought evidence to explain why comets at the outskirts of our own solar system contain crystalline silicates, since crystals require intense heat to form and these “dirty snowballs” spend most of their time in the ultracold Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. Now, looking outside our solar system, Webb has returned the first conclusive evidence that links how those conditions are possible. The telescope clearly showed for the first time that the hot, inner part of the disk of gas and dust surrounding a very young, actively forming star is where crystalline silicates are forged. Webb also revealed a strong outflow that is capable of carrying the crystals to the outer edges of this disk. Compared to our own fully formed, mostly dust-cleared solar system, the crystals would be forming approximately between the Sun and Earth. Read more about this discovery. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) View the full article

3 min read NASA, Partners Advance LISA Prototype Hardware Engineers and scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, completed tests this month on a second early version of a key element of the upcoming LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission. The LISA mission, a collaboration between ESA (the European Space Agency) and NASA, will use infrared lasers to detect gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of space-time. The tests involved the frequency reference system, delivered by BAE Systems, that will help control the lasers connecting LISA’s three spacecraft. The lasers must be finely tuned to make precise measurements — to within a trillionth of a meter, called a picometer. A prototype laser optical module for LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) rests on a table after testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in May 2025. Xiaozhen Xu, an engineer with Miller Engineering and Research Corp., works in the background. The smaller box to the right is the laser electronics module. Each of the three LISA spacecraft will have a laser system with a frequency reference component and six laser heads. NASA/Sophia Roberts Download high-resolution images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio The team tested the first version of the system in May 2025. “The extensive round of checkouts on the frequency reference system last year were very successful,” said Ira Thorpe, the project scientist for LISA at NASA Goddard. “This second unit is identical, so our assessments this time around were less intense and preface a future cross-check of the two, which is the gold-standard for checking the stability of the system overall.” In addition to the laser system, NASA is contributing the telescopes, devices to manage the buildup of onboard electrical charge, and the framework scientists will need to process the data the mission will generate. A prototype charge management device for LISA sits on a lab bench at NASA Goddard in May 2025. Each of the three LISA spacecraft will have a charge management device to reduce the buildup of electric charge on the gold-platinum proof masses that fly freely inside the spacecraft. The University of Florida in Gainesville and Fibertek Inc. in McNair, Va., are developing the devices. NASA/Dennis Henry NASA’s contributions are part of the agency’s efforts to innovate on ambitious science missions that will help us better understand how the universe works. LISA will also offer a major advancement in multimessenger astronomy, which is how scientists explore cosmic signals other than light. The three LISA spacecraft will fly in a vast triangular formation that follows Earth as it orbits the Sun. Each arm of the triangle will stretch 1.6 million miles (2.5 million kilometers). Each spacecraft will contain two free-floating cubes inside called proof masses. Arriving gravitational waves from throughout the universe will minutely change the lengths of the triangle’s arms. The lasers connecting the cubes will measure changes in their separation to within a distance smaller than a helium atom. In May 2024, technicians inspected the prototype LISA telescope in a darkened clean room at NASA Goddard. Illuminated by a flashlight, the telescope’s structure glows. The prototype is made from a translucent, amber-colored, glass-ceramic material called Zerodur, which is often used in high-precision applications because it resists changes in shape over a wide temperature range. The mirror, near center and coated in gold, reflects a magnified image of part of the telescope. NASA/Dennis Henry The enormous scale of the triangle will enable LISA to detect gravitational waves that cannot be found with ground-based facilities, such as those generated when massive ****** holes in the centers of galaxies merge. Scientists can use the data to learn about a source’s distance and physical properties. The LISA mission is slated to launch in the mid-2030s. By Jeanette Kazmierczak NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli 301-286-1940 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Facebook logo @NASAUniverse @NASAUniverse Instagram logo @NASAUniverse Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Editor Jeanette Kazmierczak Related Terms LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) Astrophysics ****** Holes Galaxies Galaxy Mergers Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Waves Supermassive ****** Holes The Universe View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Jan 27, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland *****@*****.tld Bethany Downer ESA/Hubble Garching, Germany Ann Jenkins and Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Lensing Irregular Galaxies Origin & Evolution of the Universe The Universe Related Links and Documents Science Paper: Identifying astrophysical anomalies in 99.6 million source cutouts from the Hubble legacy archive using AnomalyMatch, PDF (47.32 MB) Release on ESA/Hubble Website

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Floods Inundate Southern… 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 December 17, 2025 January 25, 2026 NASA Earth Observatory NASA Earth Observatory December 17, 2025January 25, 2026 NASA Earth Observatory NASA Earth Observatory December 17, 2025 January 25, 2026 CurtainToggle2-Up Image Details Residents of southern Mozambique who live or farm near rivers are accustomed to heading to higher ground during the wet season. But even by local standards, the deluge in January 2026 was remarkable for its scale and severity. In December and January, weeks of intense rain swelled rivers and overwhelmed key reservoirs, sending floodwaters spilling into heavily populated areas along the Limpopo and Incomati rivers. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this false-color image (bands 7-2-1) of floodwaters coursing down the two rivers on January 25, 2026 (right). The image on the left, captured by the Terra satellite, shows the same area on December 17, 2025, before the flooding. A natural-color version of the image shows thick plumes of water rich in suspended sediment flowing down the rivers and into the Mozambique Channel. Flooding has affected at least 600,000 people, displaced hundreds of thousands, and destroyed or damaged at least 30,000 homes, according to Mozambique’s National Disasters Management Institute, though it’s likely the numbers will increase due to ongoing search and rescue operations. Some of the hardest-hit cities include Maputo, Xai-Xai, and Chókwè. Agriculture officials report the flooding of at least 180,000 hectares (440,000 acres) of crops and the loss of more than 150,000 head of livestock. Health experts are warning of elevated risk of cholera, diarrhea, and other waterborne diseases, and authorities from at least one city have reported crocodile attacks. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Adam Voiland. Downloads December 17, 2025 JPEG (2.64 MB) January 25, 2026 JPEG (3.62 MB) References & Resources ABC News (2026, January 19) Floods in Mozambique displace more than 300,000 people in one province, governor says. Accessed January 26, 2026. Aimnews.org (2026) English. Accessed January 26, 2026. BBC (2026, January 25) People cling to treetops as ‘worst floods in a generation’ sweep Mozambique. Accessed January 26, 2026. Cima Foundation (2026, January 17) Mozambique, heavy rainfall in the South: cooperation and monitoring to manage flood risk. Accessed January 26, 2026. Club of Mozambique (2026, January 23) Mozambique: Floods destroy 180,000 hectares of crops and 150,000 livestock. Accessed January 26, 2026. The International Charter (2026, January 25) Flood in Mozambique. Accessed January 26, 2026. The International Organization for Migration (2026, January 22) IOM Scales Up Emergency Response as Floods Displace Over Half a Million People in Mozambique. Accessed January 26, 2026. NASA (2022, September 21) Monitoring and Modeling Floods using Earth Observations. Accessed January 26, 2026. PBS News (2026, January 23) Floods push crocodiles into Mozambican towns as health concerns rise. Accessed January 26, 2026. ReliefWeb (2026) Mozambique: Floods – Dec 2025. Accessed January 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. 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 Land of Many Waters and Much Sediment 4 min read The Guiana Shield’s rugged terrain shapes Guyana’s waterways, but mining has altered their clarity. Article Mozambique’s Rio Lúrio 3 min read Sediment from the riverbed, especially during periods of higher flow, helps shape the surrounding beaches and sandbars. 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

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Research from NASA and GE Aerospace led to the successful testing of a jet engine at the company’s Peebles Test Operation site in Ohio in December. The hybrid engine is a modified version of a GE Aerospace Passport.GE Aerospace To an untrained eye, the aircraft engine sitting outside of a Cincinnati facility in December might have looked like standard hardware. But NASA and GE Aerospace researchers watching the unit fire up for a demonstration knew what they were looking at: a hybrid engine performing at a level that could potentially power an airliner. It’s something new in the aviation world, and the result of years of research and development. NASA, GE Aerospace, and others working toward hybrid engine development had already tested components in the past — power system controls, electric motors, and more. What the demonstration at GE Aerospace’s Peebles Test Operation site in Ohio represented was the first test of an integrated system. “Turbines already exist. Compressors already exist. But there is no hybrid-electric engine flying today. And that’s what we were able to see,” said Anthony Nerone, who served as manager of the agency’s Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland during the test engine’s development. The test involved a modified GE Aerospace’s Passport engine with the ability to extract energy from some of its operations and insert that supplementary power into other parts. The hybrid engine is result of research from GE Aerospace and NASA under a cost-sharing HyTEC contract. It runs on jet fuel with assistance from electric motors, a concept that seems simple in a world where hybrid cars are common. Yet the execution was complex, requiring researchers to invent, adapt, and integrate parts into a system that could deliver the requisite power needed for a single-aisle aircraft safely and reliably. As a result, the demonstration — known as a power extraction test — was one of the most complex GE Aerospace has staged to date. “They had to integrate equipment they’ve never needed for previous tests like this,” said Laura Evans, acting HyTEC project manager at Glenn. Despite the complexity, the team witnessed a successful demonstration. Not a balancing test or a preliminary exercise, but an engine on a mount doing many of the things it would need to do if installed in an aircraft. The test comes at a time when U.S. aviation is increasingly looking for power systems that can do more while also saving money on fuel. It’s a trend NASA was well ahead of. Hybrid aircraft engine technology began to emerge from Glenn roughly 20 years ago, when it seemed nearly impossible to realize, Nerone said. “Now,” he said. “When you go to a conference, hybrid technology is everywhere.” And NASA and GE now have real data for how the technology can be applied to flight. From that early start, NASA transitioned into HyTEC and its contract with GE Aerospace. HyTEC’s goal is to mature technology that will enable a hybrid engine that burns up to 10% less fuel compared to today’s best-in-class engines. NASA’s overall goal is to leverage its resources to bring the technology to market faster, meeting industry needs. The work is far from over. Both NASA and GE Aerospace are analyzing data from the demonstration and from previous work and are making progress toward a compact engine test this decade. Still, the demonstration was a chance to see the integration of technology that’s closer than ever to practical application. “We’re getting close to the payoff on work that’d been in progress for a long time,” Nerone said. Read More About NASA/GE Aerospace Work on HyTec Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read NASA Tests Technology Offering Potential Fuel Savings for Commercial Aviation Article 5 days ago 5 min read NASA Chase Aircraft Ensures X-59’s Safety in Flight Article 6 days ago 3 min read NASA Develops Blockchain Technology to Enhance Air Travel Safety and Security Through a drone flight test at NASA’s Ames Research Center, researchers tested a blockchain-based system… Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Artemis Aeronautics STEM Explore NASA’s History Share Details Last Updated Jan 26, 2026 EditorJim BankeContactRobert Margetta*****@*****.tldLocationGlenn Research Center Related TermsAeronauticsAdvanced Air Vehicles ProgramAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateElectrified Aircraft PropulsionGlenn Research CenterHybrid Thermally Efficient Core View the full article

Credit: NASA The Sultanate of Oman signed the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in Muscat attended by NASA on Monday, becoming the 61st nation to commit to responsible space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. “Oman’s accession to the Artemis Accords sets an important example about the value of responsible behavior and shared pursuit of discovery,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in recorded remarks during the ceremony. “Oman joins the U.S. and our other partners on ensuring the peaceful exploration of space for generations to come. We are returning humans to the Moon and laying the groundwork for future missions. A community of like-minded nations will be the foundation of our success.” U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Ana Escrogima and NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails participated in the event held on the opening day of the Middle East Space Conference, an international forum on space and innovation in the region. Said al-Maawali, Oman’s minister of transportation, communication, and information technology signed on behalf of the country. In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Signing the Artemis Accords means to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts, and to develop best practices for how to conduct space exploration activities for the benefit of all. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: [Hidden Content] -end- Bethany Stevens / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 26, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis AccordsOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

Spinoff 2026 marks the publication’s 50th year documenting commercial uses of NASA technology. This edition’s cover features Astronaut Alan Bean holding an environmental sample container filled with lunar soil during the Apollo 12 mission of November 1969. Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., who took this picture, is reflected in Bean’s helmet visor. Credit: NASA As NASA fosters technologies needed to live and work farther away from home than ever before, the agency’s Technology Transfer program has the sole mission of getting those innovations into the hands of companies, entrepreneurs, and, ultimately, everyday people. The agency’s Spinoff publication has captured this endeavor for half a century, sharing stories of space technologies improving our lives on Earth. “NASA’s work has always delivered returns well beyond the mission itself,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As we develop the technologies needed for a sustained presence on the Moon and prepare for human exploration of Mars, those innovations will continue to unlock new capabilities across medicine, aviation, agriculture, and other critical sectors, delivering lasting benefits to Earth well beyond the mission.” Many technologies created to support deep space and lunar missions, including Artemis, are in use on Earth. Spinoff’s 50th edition tells the stories of two companies that developed equipment to 3D print habitats on planetary surfaces. On Earth, one of those companies is custom-building wall panels, cladding, and facades, while the other is additively manufacturing entire neighborhoods of affordable housing. NASA envisions a future where robots handle routine maintenance and mundane tasks to support astronauts during lunar missions. Two companies featured in Spinoff 2026 received the agency’s support to meet that need, and each has already found applications for their technology on Earth. One company is commercializing software to power robots that are cleaning bathrooms and building homes, and the other has created a humanoid robot capable of warehouse and assembly line tasks. “Incredible feats on distant worlds require incredible innovation,” said Dan Lockney, Technology Transfer program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We can’t wait to see what breakthroughs and advancements come from not just exploration on the lunar surface but missions to put a rotorcraft on Saturn’s moon Titan or study interstellar objects in deep space.” Any NASA work can result in spinoff technology, including lifesaving inventions. Technology developed by engineers trying to make life easier for astronauts on the International Space Station has evolved into an implantable heart monitor that’s helping keep heart failure patients out of the hospital. Companies also are improving personal locator beacons for search and rescue networks based on NASA’s satellite communication technology. Standout spinoffs Procedures NASA created to ensure food safety for Apollo astronauts traveling to the Moon formed the foundation for safety procedures and regulations governing food production globally. The memory foam found in mattresses today originated from NASA’s development of pressure-absorbing materials for aircraft seats in the 1970s. Miniaturized, energy-efficient camera technology, initially engineered by NASA to create compact, high-quality imaging systems for spacecraft, is now the basis for modern digital imagery, from smartphone cameras to cinema. Scratch-resistant lenses use diamond-hard coatings originally developed for aerospace applications, and wireless headsets are rooted in technology NASA pioneered to enable hands-free communication for astronauts. Readers of Spinoff 2026 are invited to contribute to the next “small step” in NASA’s history of “giant leaps” and bring space-inspired technology to Earth. In this edition’s Spinoffs of Tomorrow section, there are 20 technologies ready for commercialization, with information on how to license them or any of the other 1,300 inventions available in NASA’s Patent Portfolio. Spinoff is part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and its Technology Transfer program. Technology Transfer is charged with finding broad, innovative applications for NASA-developed technology through partnerships and licensing agreements, ensuring agency investments benefit the nation and the world. To read NASA’s 50th edition of Spinoff, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Jasmine Hopkins Headquarters, Washington 321-432-4624 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 26, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSpinoffsSpace Technology Mission DirectorateTechnologyTechnology TransferTechnology Transfer & Spinoffs View the full article

Detergent bottles and other litter can travel thousands of miles across the ocean before washing up on the remote Island of Kaho’olawe in Hawaii. JPL remote-sensing technology recently showed that it can spot plastic pollution on land, but doing so in the sea presents challenges.NOAA Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its ‘fingerprints.’ In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station. The technology has inspired marine researchers to see whether it could also help track debris in our waters. Before future generations of sensors like EMIT can be called upon to detect ocean litter, scientists need to know what to look for. Working with collaborators, NASA intern Ashley Ohall has built a newly published reference library containing nearly 25,000 molecular “fingerprints” from all manner of flotsam and jetsam, including rope, tires, metal, bubble wrap, buoys, and bottle caps. Given the overwhelming presence of plastic in marine debris, the library includes some 19 types of polymer. NASA’s EMIT, shown in the red circle, was launched to the International Space Station in 2022 to map minerals. Its data is now advancing fields from agriculture to water science.NASA Most of the estimated 8 million tons or more of plastic that enter the ocean every year comes from land, so mapping pollution hot spots near coastlines could be a first step toward reducing what ends up on beaches and washed out to sea. That’s exactly what NASA’s sensor showed it could do, though detecting plastic wasn’t its first mission. Launched in 2022, EMIT maps minerals across desert regions to help determine how the dust can heat or cool the atmosphere. But the instrument has proved itself incredibly nimble. From its perch on the space station, it can identify hundreds of compounds on Earth via the unique spectral patterns they make in reflected sunlight. The technology behind EMIT, called imaging spectroscopy, was pioneered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and is used on missions throughout the solar system. One of EMIT’s cousins discovered lunar water in 2009, and another is set to return to the Moon to help future astronauts identify scientifically valuable areas to sample. Marine scientist Ashley Ohall checked out aircraft at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, during her recent internship with the agency in which she led the creation of a spectral library containing nearly 25,000 molecular “fingerprints” from all manner of debris.Kelsey Bisson The same technology has now shown that it can find plastic compounds in landfills and large-scale structures like greenhouses, said JPL’s David Thompson, who coauthored the 2025 study. However, detecting plastic once it enters the ocean is more challenging: Seawater absorbs infrared light, masking many of plastic’s prominent spectral features. Litter library That’s where the work of Ohall and her collaborators comes in. Their open-source library compiles the work of many researchers over the years who’ve analyzed marine debris using handheld instruments in laboratories. Standardizing the various datasets into one searchable repository is crucial because different kinds of debris have slightly different spectra based on material, color, and condition. Weathered water bottles, for example, “look” different than washed-up hurricane detritus. Once the patterns are known, detection algorithms can be developed. Carried by ocean currents, debris can travel thousands of miles from the source, so a better understanding of where it is and where it’s headed could be a boon for public health and coastal tourism, said Ohall, a Florida native who recently graduated from the University of Georgia. “My biggest hope is that people see remote sensing as an important and useful tool for marine debris monitoring,” Ohall said. “Just because it hasn’t been done yet doesn’t mean it can’t be done.” Planet-scale challenge Conventional methods for quantifying plastic in the ocean — including dragging nets through garbage patches — can’t sample the millions of tons that flow in. With NASA’s support, scientists are learning more about the ability of existing sensors as well as what’s still needed to spot marine debris. Teams are also training AI tools to sift through satellite imagery. It remains a planet-scale endeavor, said Kelsey Bisson, a program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The groundwork being done by Ohall and other scientists brings us a step closer to leveraging a powerful technology flying in air and space today. “Humans have a visceral connection to the ocean and its health,” Bisson said. “Detecting marine debris is the kind of incredible challenge that NASA can help solve.” To learn more about EMIT, visit: [Hidden Content] Media Contacts Andrew Wang / Andrew Good Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Written by Sally Younger 2026-003 Explore More 3 min read Winter Grips the Michigan Mitten A blanket of snow spanned Michigan and much of the Great Lakes region following a… Article 4 days ago 2 min read Snow Buries Kamchatka December and January brought a series of intense winter storms to the peninsula in far… Article 5 days ago 3 min read Students Across New England Contribute to Climate Science Through NASA’s GLOBE Green Down In fall 2025, more than 50 educators and over 1,500 young people across Maine and… Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA EMIT EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) measures the mineral composition of Earth’s dust source regions, to help scientists understand… Oceans | Earth Observatory Topic Life at NASA What We Do View the full article