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At any given moment, about 20 volcanoes on Earth are actively erupting. Often among them is Mayon—the most active volcano in the Philippines.Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 acquired this rare, relatively clear image of Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, on Feb. 26, 2026. The natural-color scene is overlaid with infrared observations to highlight the lava’s heat signature. On that day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported volcanic earthquakes, rockfalls, and hot clouds of ash and debris called pyroclastic flows. Along with PHIVOLCS, multiple NASA satellites also monitored the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emissions, showing sizable plumes of the gas drifting southwest on February 4 and March 6. Read more about Mayon. Text credit: Adam Voiland Image credit: Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey View the full article

For Corey Elmore, the path to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center did not begin in engineering. It began in service. Today he serves as a NASA Pathways engineering intern in the Technical Processes and Tools Branch (KSC-NE-TA) at Kennedy Space Center. Through the Pathways program, he is gaining hands-on experience supporting the engineering environments, technical tools and processes that help NASA teams design, analyze, and operate complex mission systems. NASA Pathways intern Corey Elmore stands near Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, with the Space Launch System rocket and Artemis infrastructure in the background. Through the Pathways program, Elmore supports engineering tools and processes that help enable NASA missions.NASA/Corey Elmore Within the branch, his work explores how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation can enhance engineering workflows. As modern missions generate massive amounts of data across interconnected systems, these tools help engineers organize information, improve analysis, and make faster decisions. By studying how intelligent systems can support engineers, he hopes to help teams focus more deeply on solving the technical challenges that enable exploration. "What excites me most about being at NASA is the chance to work on problems that are ******* than any one person. In a place like this, even small improvements in how we think, build, or support engineers can ripple outward into missions that push exploration forward." Corey Elmore NASA Pathways Intern The Pathways program provides students the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers while contributing to real projects across NASA centers. At Kennedy Space Center, the experience offers a front-row view of how large-scale technical systems come together, from engineering processes and technical documentation to the collaborative teams responsible for supporting mission operations. NASA Pathways intern Corey Elmore stands inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, where large-scale hardware and engineering systems are prepared for mission operations. Mentorship and collaboration have been central to the experience. Working with engineers across multiple disciplines has reinforced the importance of systems thinking: understanding how people, processes, and technology interact within complex mission environments. His path to NASA, however, did not begin in engineering. Before entering the STEM field, he served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman supporting Marine Corps and Navy units. During that time, he also served as an instructor working with Navy Seabees, helping train and mentor service members in mission-critical skills. That role required breaking down complex information, leading under pressure, and ensuring others could perform effectively in demanding environments. These skills translate naturally into engineering problem solving. Before joining NASA, Corey Elmore served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman, supporting Marine Corps and Navy units and training service members in mission-critical skills.NASA/Corey Elmore My transition from military service to NASA has shown me that purpose does not end when the uniform comes off. The setting changes, the tools change, but the deeper mission remains: Serving something larger than yourself. Corey Elmore NASA Pathways Intern Following military service, the next chapter unfolded in the defense and shipbuilding industry, supporting naval maintenance and logistics systems connected to fleet readiness. Working in shipbuilding environments provided firsthand exposure to the scale and coordination required to sustain complex operational platforms. Maintaining ships at sea and preparing spacecraft for launch share a common challenge. Both depend on integrating engineering disciplines, operational processes, and reliable technology into a cohesive system. While building professional experience, he continued pursuing higher education. During his time in the Navy, he earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain and operations management from Western Governors University. Today, he is continuing his studies while working at NASA, pursuing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Combining operational experience, systems thinking, and emerging technologies is helping shape a foundation aligned with the increasingly complex challenges of modern space exploration. Equally meaningful has been the community at Kennedy Space Center. Through the Pathways program, interns work alongside experienced mentors and engineering teams across NASA, creating an environment where curiosity, learning, and collaboration drive growth. For this Navy veteran, the opportunity represents more than a career milestone; it represents a continuation of service. Pathways interns at KSC get a front-row seat to the hardware that will power our next giant Artemis leap. For those transitioning from military careers, the path into engineering and exploration may look different, but the mission often feels familiar. Programs like NASA Pathways provide veterans the chance to bring their discipline, leadership, and operational experience into fields that support the next generation of discovery. As his journey at Kennedy Space Center continues, he remains focused on contributing to the systems and technologies that will help enable the future of human exploration. For more information about the Pathways program, visit nasa.gov/careers/pathways. View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Mar 18, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland *****@*****.tld Ann Jenkins, Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Comets Goddard Space Flight Center Small Bodies of the Solar System The Solar System Related Links and Documents Science Paper: Sequential Fragmentation of C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) After Its Near-Sun Passage, PDF (7.08 MB)

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Wave of Dust Rolls Through Texas 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 March 15, 2026 The Ides of March brought perilous weather to West Texas and the state’s Panhandle. A strong cold front blasted south across the arid plains on March 15, 2026, bringing stiff winds that stirred up a curtain of dust. The cloud of suspended particles slashed visibility and made for treacherous travel as it swept across the region. The high winds, coupled with dry conditions, also raised the risk of wildland fires. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of blowing dust on its march across Texas at about 4:45 p.m. Central Time (21:45 Universal Time) on March 15. An image acquired by the Terra satellite about 5 hours earlier shows the wall of dust when it was approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northeast. Footage captured by a storm chaser shows visibility plummeting to nearly zero as the dense plume passed; similar conditions contributed to a multivehicle ****** in North Texas. The National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning for March 15 due to the combination of high winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels. Several wildland fires ignited in the Panhandle, prompting evacuations, according to news reports. Weather conditions took a sharp turn with the cold front’s passage. A weather station in Pecos recorded a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) at 4:30 p.m. local time on March 15, around the time of this image. Temperatures then dropped abruptly, hitting a low of 39ºF (4ºC) around 6 a.m. the next morning. Pecos saw sustained winds of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour with gusts up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour on March 15. Several stations in the Panhandle clocked gusts over 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour. Much of northern and western Texas has been experiencing moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Though dust storms are typical in the region this time of year, the lack of rain parches vegetation, dries the land, and increases the area’s susceptibility to these events. NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Lindsey Doermann. Downloads March 15, 2026 JPEG (1.96 MB) References & Resources Amarillo Globe-News (2026, March 16) Video of wildfires, dust storms forcing evacuations in Texas Panhandle. Accessed March 17, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2025, March 6) Storm Brings a Potpourri of Hazards to the U.S. Accessed March 17, 2026. NASA Earthdata (2026) Dust/Ash/Smoke. Accessed March 17, 2026. National Weather Service, Dust Storms and Haboobs. Accessed March 17, 2026. National Weather Service, via Iowa Environmental Mesonet (2026, March 14) Urgent – Weather Message. Accessed March 17, 2026. Texas Storm Chasers (2026, March 13) Texas Weather Roundup: Dangerous Fire Weather, Damaging Winds & Sharp Cold Front Sunday. Accessed March 17, 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. Dust Outbreak Reaches Europe 3 min read Clouds of dust lofted from the Sahara Desert brought hazy skies and muddy rain to Western Europe. Article Winds Whip Up Fires and Dust on the Southern Plains 3 min read Dry, gusty conditions spurred fast-growing fires in Oklahoma and Kansas, along with dangerous dust storms across the region. 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 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) As its team prepared for second flight, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft underwent engine run testing on Thursday, March 12, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA/Jim Ross NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight, a step that will set the pace for more flight testing in 2026. Over the coming months, NASA will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, while validating safety and performance, a process known as envelope expansion. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less will be at the X-59’s controls for second flight. Less will take off and land at Edwards Air Force Base, near the X-59’s home at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “This will be the first time I’ve flown an X-plane,” Less said. “I think I’ll mostly be focused on getting the test cards done and getting them done correctly. It’ll probably sink in later that I was in the X-59.” Less will be accompanied by NASA test pilot Nils Larson, who will be flying nearby in a NASA F/A-18 aircraft to observe the X-59. The X-59 made its first flight Oct. 28, 2025, with Larson as pilot. Afterward, NASA and contractor Lockheed Martin completed an extensive round of post-flight maintenance and inspections. The work involved removing the engine, a section of the tail known as the lower empennage, the seat, and more than 70 panels to perform inspections. All have been reinstalled. “These guys know what they’re doing. We couldn’t do something like this without a really competent team of hardworking folks,” Less said. “Nils trusted them for the first flight. I trust them for the second flight and every flight after that.” NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took the X-59 through its engine run test on Thursday, March 12, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Less will pilot the aircraft for its second flight. NASA/Jim Ross The team completed one of the last ground tests before the flight on March 12 – an engine run firing up the X-59’s modified F-18 Super Hornet F414-GE-100 engine. “It’s always exciting to see the X-59 come to life on the ground,” said Ray Castner, NASA’s X-59 lead propulsion engineer. “For our team, it’s a moment to pause and appreciate how far this aircraft has come – and how close we are to pushing into the next phase of flight.” The X-59’s second flight continues the push toward that next phase, with the team closely studying the aircraft’s performance. “Second flight will look a lot like the first flight,” said Cathy Bahm, NASA’s project manager for the Low ***** Flight Demonstrator project. “We’ll start the flight at a test condition from first flight to ensure X-59 performs as expected after the maintenance phase, then we’ll start the envelope expansion by testing a little higher and faster.” The flight marks the start of envelope expansion tests for the X-59. After the aircraft reaches a speed of approximately 230 mph at 12,000 feet and its team performs functional checks, it will advance to 260 mph at 20,000 feet. First flight was the X-59’s biggest leap so far – going from the ground to airborne. Now, envelope expansion will be a gradual process as the aircraft works toward its mission parameters of about 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, at 55,000 feet. “From here on out, once we’re airborne, we can increase speed and increase altitude in small, measured chunks, looking at things as we go and not getting ahead of ourselves,” Less said. “Eventually we get to supersonic flight – a few more steps – and we’re out to Mach 1.4 at about 55,000 feet,” said Less. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to usher in a new age of quiet, commercial supersonic flight over land. The X-59 will demonstrate that an aircraft can fly faster than the speed of sound while reducing the typical loud sonic ***** to a quieter thump. Envelope expansion is Phase 1 of Quesst. It will be followed by Phase 2 flight testing to validate the X-59’s acoustic performance. The team will study how the aircraft’s design disperses the shock waves that typically merge into a sonic *****. After acoustics validation, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over selected U.S. communities to gather data on how people on the ground perceive its quieter sound signature. NASA will share the results with U.S. and international regulators. Share Details Last Updated Mar 17, 2026 EditorDede DiniusContactNicolas Cholulanicolas.h*****@*****.tldLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAdvanced Air Vehicles ProgramAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAeronautics TechnologyAmes Research CenterCommercial Supersonic TechnologyGlenn Research CenterHigh-Speed FlightIntegrated Aviation Systems ProgramLangley Research CenterLow ***** Flight DemonstratorNASA AircraftQuesst (X-59)Quesst: The VehicleSupersonic Flight Explore More 7 min read To Protect Artemis II Astronauts, NASA Experts Keep Eyes on Sun As four astronauts travel around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission, they will venture beyond Earth’s… Article 1 day ago 4 min read NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition Article 4 days ago 4 min read GVIS Virtual Systems Simulations Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center NASA Aircraft Quesst Quesst is NASA's mission to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms and then survey… Artemis II View the full article

3 Min Read Dim Delights in ******* Another Hubble view of the outskirts of Messier 44 shows a variety of bright stars and many background galaxies. Credits: NASA, ESA and C. Scarlata (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) ******* the Crab is a dim constellation, yet it contains one of the most beautiful and easy-to-spot star clusters in our sky: the Beehive Cluster. ******* also possesses one of the most studied exoplanets: the superhot super-Earth, 55 Cancri e. Find the M44, the Beehive Cluster, at the center of the ******* constellation, using nearby stars such as Regulus in Leo, Pollux in Gemini, and Procyon in Canis Minor. Stellarium Web Find *******’s dim stars by looking in between the brighter neighboring constellations of Gemini and Leo. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t find it at first, since ******* isn’t easily visible from moderately light-polluted areas. Once you find *******, look for its most famous deep-sky object: the Beehive Cluster! It’s a large open cluster of young stars, three times larger than our Moon in the sky. The Beehive is visible to the unaided eye under good sky conditions as a faint, cloudy patch, but is stunning when viewed through binoculars or a wide-field telescope. It was one of the earliest deep-sky objects noticed by ancient astronomers, and so the Beehive has many other names, including Praesepe, Nubilum, M44, the Ghost, and Jishi qi. Take a look at it on a clear night through binoculars. Do these stars look like a hive of buzzing bees? Or do you see something else? There’s no wrong answer, since this large star cluster has intrigued imaginative observers for thousands of years. The super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cancri e, depicted with its star in this artist’s concept, likely has an atmosphere thicker than Earth’s but with ingredients that could be similar to those of Earth’s atmosphere. NASA/JPL-Caltech 55 Cancri is a nearby binary star system, about 41 light-years from us and faintly visible under excellent dark sky conditions. The larger star is orbited by at least five planets, including 55 Cancri e (a.k.a. Janssen, named after one of the first telescope makers). Janssen is a “super-earth,” a large rocky world 8 times the mass of Earth, and orbits its star every 18 hours, giving it one of the shortest years of any known planet! Janssen was the first exoplanet to have its atmosphere successfully analyzed. Both the Hubble and retired Spitzer space telescopes confirmed that the hot world is enveloped by an atmosphere of helium and hydrogen, with traces of hydrogen cyanide: not a likely place to find life, especially since the surface is probably scorching-hot rock. NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau allows us to imagine what it would be like to visit 55 Cancri e and other worlds. How do astronomers find planets around other star systems? The Night Sky Network’s “Wobbles and Transits: How Do We Find Planets Around Other Stars?” activity helps demonstrate both the transit and wobble methods of exoplanet detection. Notably, 55 Cancri e was discovered using the wobble method in 2004, and the transit method confirmed its orbital ******* in 2011! Want to learn more about exoplanets? Get the latest NASA news about worlds beyond our solar system at NASA Exoplanets! Originally posted by Dave Prosper: March 2020 Last Updated by Kat Troche: March 2026 View the full article

NASA/Scott Eckley These X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans released on March 17, 2026, give us a glimpse inside asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples; these networks solved a mystery that baffled NASA for years. When NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft first approached asteroid Bennu in 2018, scientists expected to see smooth, sandy beach-like surfaces. Instead, they found a celestial body covered in boulders. Observations made in 2007 by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope measured low thermal inertia, indicative of an asteroid whose surface heats up and cools down rapidly as it rotates into and out of sunlight, like a sandy beach on Earth. This was at odds with the many large boulders that OSIRIS-REx found upon arrival, which should act more like blocks of concrete, shedding heat long after the Sun has set. Data collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during its survey campaign at the asteroid suggested a possible explanation: the boulders could be much more porous than expected. Once the samples were delivered to Earth, researchers were able to investigate this further. Learn how these XCT scans helped reconcile the discrepancy between what was expected and what was found on Bennu. Image credit: NASA/Scott Eckley View the full article

5 Min Read Asteroid Bennu’s Rugged Surface Baffled NASA, We Finally Know Why These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. Credits: NASA/Scott Eckley In one of the biggest surprises of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, its target asteroid, Bennu, turned out to be a jagged, rugged world covered in large boulders, with few of the smooth patches that earlier observations from Earth-based instruments had indicated. “When OSIRIS-REx got to Bennu in 2018, we were surprised by what we saw,” said Andrew Ryan, a scientist with the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, who led the mission’s sample physical and thermal analysis working group. “We expected some boulders, but we anticipated at least some large regions with smoother, finer regolith that would be easy to collect. Instead, it looked like it was all boulders, and we were scratching our heads for a while.” Particularly puzzling were observations made in 2007 by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which measured low thermal inertia, indicative of an asteroid whose surface heats up and cools down rapidly as it rotates into and out of sunlight, like a sandy beach on Earth. This was at odds with the many large boulders that OSIRIS-REx found upon arrival, which should act more like blocks of concrete, shedding heat long after the Sun has set. Data collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during its survey campaign at the asteroid suggested a possible explanation: the boulders could be much more porous than expected. Once the samples were delivered to Earth, researchers were able to investigate this further. Scott Eckley, X-ray scientist within NASA Johnson Space Center’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES), demonstrates the process for placing a container holding a piece of asteroid material in an X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) machine. XCT scans let researchers image particles through airtight containers and visualize a rock’s shape and internal structure without damaging the sample. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz Ryan’s team scrutinized rock particles collected from Bennu’s surface using a variety of laboratory analysis techniques. In a study published in Nature Communications the authors reported that the boulders are indeed porous enough to account for some of the observed heat loss, but not all of it. Rather, many of the rocks turned out to be riddled with extensive networks of cracks. To test whether the cracks could be the reason for the asteroid’s surface losing heat, a team at Nagoya University in Japan analyzed Bennu sample material using lock-in thermography. This laser-based technique allows researchers to hit a tiny spot on the surface of the sample and measure how the heat diffuses through it, similar to how ripples move across a pond. “That’s when things became really interesting,” Ryan said. “The thermal inertia measured in the lab samples turned out to be much higher than what the spacecraft’s instruments had recorded, echoing similar findings obtained by the team of OSIRIS-REx’s partner mission, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa-2.” To make meaningful predictions about how the material would behave in the large boulders on the asteroid, the team had to find a way to scale up the measurements obtained with the small sample particles. Using a glove box, team members at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston sealed sample particles in air-tight containers under a protective nitrogen atmosphere, then transferred them to a lab where they could perform X-ray computed tomography, or XCT scans. Once a particle was scanned, it went back into the glove box. Exterior Interior These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight, and flat fractures. These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight, and flat fractures. ExteriorInterior These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight, and flat fractures. These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight, and flat fractures. Exterior Interior exteriod and interior X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) scans of two asteroid Bennu particles CurtainToggle2-Up Image Details These are X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of particles from asteroid Bennu. They show the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight, and flat fractures. “The sample goes into its own ‘spacesuit,’ gets a CT scan, and then comes back to its pristine environment, all without having any exposure to the terrestrial environment,” said Nicole Lunning, lead OSIRIS-REx sample curator within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division at NASA Johnson and one of the study’s co-authors. “We can image right through these airtight containers to visualize the shape and internal structure of the rock that’s inside.” “X-ray computed tomography allows us to look at the inside of an object in three dimensions, without damaging it,” said study co-author and NASA Johnson X-ray scientist Scott Eckley. It turns out that they’re really cracked too, and that was the missing piece of the puzzle.” Andrew Ryan Scientist at University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Once mapped in this way, a permanent 3-dimensional digital archive of a sample particle’s shape and interior is created, and the data are entered into a public database. Ryan’s team used the X-ray CT scan data for computer simulations modeling heat flow and thermal inertia. When scaled up to boulder size, the thermal inertia results fell into agreement with what the spacecraft had measured at the asteroid. Where scientists once expected the boulders of Bennu to be extremely porous and fluffy, perhaps even spongy, the sample analysis revealed something unexpected. “It turns out that they’re really cracked too, and that was the missing piece of the puzzle,” Ryan said. Ron Ballouz, a scientist with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and the paper’s second author, said this work transforms how scientists interpret the structure of an asteroid based on its thermal properties seen from Earth. “We can finally ground our understanding of telescope observations of the thermal properties of an asteroid through analyzing these samples from that very same asteroid,” Ballouz said. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace were responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Curation for OSIRIS-REx takes place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. International partnerships on this mission include the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter instrument from CSA (********* Space Agency) and asteroid sample science collaboration with JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s) Hayabusa2 mission. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. By Daniel Stolte University of Arizona For more information on the OSIRIS-REx mission, visit: [Hidden Content] Karen Fox / Molly Wasser Headquarters, Washington 202-285-5155 / 240-419-1732 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Victoria Segovia Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 *****@*****.tld About the Author NASA Science Editorial Team Share Details Last Updated Mar 17, 2026 Related Terms OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) Asteroids Astromaterials Bennu Johnson Space Center Planetary Science Planetary Science Division Explore More 4 min read A Most Unusual Lake Lake Unter-See in Antarctica, sealed beneath thick ice, contains unusually high levels of dissolved oxygen… Article 6 days ago 6 min read Resurrecting Ancient Enzymes in NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth Article 2 months ago 4 min read NASA Finds Lunar Regolith Limits Meteorites as Source of Earth’s Water Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

The ******* the hailstone, the more damage it can cause. But scientists find that predicting hailstone size can be challenging. How quickly does hail melt as it falls? Now, you can help tackle this question by joining the SouthEAst REgion CoCoRaHS Hail (SEaRCH) project. This network of backyard weather observers includes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds who work together to measure and report hail in their local communities. SEaRCH is also part of the NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and National Science Foundation supported Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network, whose amateur weather sleuths report rain and snow.. These rain and snow observations are helping scientists better understand local variation in precipitation. CoCoRaHS data is regularly used by the National Weather Service, the Hydrologic Prediction Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Drought Mitigation Center, broadcast meteorologists, research scientists, and more. “I love the project, and I love being able to contribute meaningful data,” says Jeremy Kichler, a CoCoRaHS volunteer. On June 14, 2023, Kichler witnessed a storm with hailstones ranging from 0.5 inches (12 mm) to two inches (51 mm) in diameter. The hailstones dented cars, damaged roof shingles, and shredded leaves across his neighborhood. After the storm, he submitted a CoCoRaHS hail report to notify the National Weather Service with photos and additional details about the hail. NASA scientists are now using hail reports from volunteers like Kichler alongside archived satellite overpass data and newly developed hail melt profiles to model how hailstones of different sizes melt, once they fall below the freezing level. To join volunteers like Jeremy Kichler and make hail reports of your own, all you need is your smartphone and the free CoCoRaHS mobile app. To make rain and snow reports, you’ll need a specific manual gauge approved by the National Weather Service. Find everything you need to get started in the CoCoRaHS and SEaRCH summary on the NASA Citizen Science website.) and the National Science Foundation. CoCoRaHS hail photo submitted by volunteer Jeremy Kichler displaying a hand holding three large and uniquely shaped hailstones. Credit Jeremy Kichler and CoCoRaHS Map displaying data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) satellite. Colors represent the probability of hail being detected (highest probability is dark red, least probability is light grey). Light blue, gray and light green pixels in the image indicate a storm over southern Georgia likely to contain hail. The ****** dot indicates the location of the hail reported to CoCoRaHS by Jeremy Kichler. The label “plus 10 min” indicates the satellite overpass occurred ten minutes before Jeremy’s observation of hail. Data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS). Image processing by Sarah Bang. View public map: [Hidden Content] View the hail report for this highlight: [Hidden Content] Learn More and Get Involved Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) Join a national community of precipitation reporters providing critical data to improve scientific understanding and forecasts. Facebook logo @nasascience_ @nasascience_ Instagram logo @nasascience_ Linkedin logo @nasascience_ Share Details Last Updated Mar 17, 2026 Related Terms Citizen Science Earth Science Earth Science Division Explore More 3 min read A Bit of Gray on an Emerald Isle Ireland is best known for its many greens, but the striking grays of the island’s… Article 9 hours ago 3 min read Cañon Fiord’s Whirling Waters During the 2022 summer melt season, sediment plumes and fractured sea ice traced swirling eddies… Article 1 day ago 2 min read Volunteers Find Oddly High Solar Flare Rates Article 4 days ago View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory A Bit of Gray on an Emerald Isle 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 May 16, 2025 Today’s story is the answer to the March 2026 puzzler. Though Ireland is known for the many shades of green that grace its grassy pastoral landscapes, there’s one corner of the Emerald Isle where gray reigns supreme. In the Burren region, on the island’s west coast, what geologists describe as limestone pavement covers much of the rocky, treeless landscape. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this view of the Burren on May 16, 2025. The fossil-rich limestone that makes up the gray outcrops was deposited about 325 million years ago during the Carboniferous *******, when what is now Ireland lay near the equator beneath warm, shallow seas. Although the limestone was initially deposited in flat, horizontal layers on the seafloor, it later buckled into gentle arch- and trough-shaped folds as tectonic plates collided during a mountain-building episode known as the Variscan Orogeny. These folds in the tilted rock layers and differences in their rate of erosion produced the terraced appearance that defines the Burren’s hills, with more erosion-resistant layers of rock persisting as ledges. Glacial activity also played a role in sculpting the landscape, scraping away soil and sediment to expose the limestone pavement and smoothing the region’s hills. May 16, 2025 Limestone is prone to chemical weathering that produces an irregular terrain known as karst, pockmarked with sinkholes, caves, and fissures called grikes. Many grikes in the Burren collect soil and have become footholds where vegetation grows in the otherwise rocky landscape. Individual grikes are too small to see in Landsat imagery, but networks of them have aligned along the rock layers, contributing to the concentric vegetation patterns visible in the image. Among the plants that you might find growing in them is the shamrock, the three-leaved clover that has become a symbol of Ireland. With some luck, Trifolium dubium or Trifolium repens may even be found amidst the shamrock-shaped contours of Moneen Mountain, a 262-meter (860-foot) limestone hill visible in the image above. While there’s hardly consensus about what species is the true inspiration for shamrocks, these two clover species were among the favorites when Irish botanists were surveyed about the topic in the 1880s, according to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland. Downloads View All May 16, 2025 JPEG (3.01 MB) References & Resources Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark The Story of the Burren. Accessed March 16, 2026. Burren National Park Nature & Conservation. Accessed March 16, 2026. Carnegie Museum of Natural History What is a Shamrock? Accessed March 16, 2026. Earth (2018, June 7) Travels in Geology: The Burren: Ireland’s “Great Rock” Region. Accessed March 16, 2026. The Geological Society The Burren. Accessed March 16, 2026. International Commission on Geoheritage (2026) Carboniferous evolution of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher. Accessed March 16, 2026. National Geographic (2024, October 10) Come to this Irish region for otherworldly rock formations. Accessed March 16, 2026. Smithsonian (2016, March 16) No One Really Knows What a Shamrock Is. Accessed March 16, 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. An Amphitheater of Rock at Cedar Breaks 4 min read The colorful formations found in this bowl-shaped escarpment in southwestern Utah are the centerpiece of Cedar Breaks National Monument. Article The Towers of Tràng An 3 min read Over millions of years, water has sculpted limestone in northern Vietnam into an extraordinary karst landscape full of towers, cones,… Article Rewilding South Africa’s Greater Kruger 5 min read Satellites are helping land managers track ecological shifts as reserves reconnect and landscapes return to a more natural state. Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

As its team prepared for second flight, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft underwent engine run testing on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.Credit: NASA NASA will hold a media teleconference at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 19 to highlight plans for its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft’s upcoming flight tests. The teleconference is set to take place after the X-59 is scheduled to complete its second flight, in California. For the media call, NASA leadership will join representatives from the Quesst mission and contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. The X-59’s test pilots will be available to answer questions about what it’s like to fly the aircraft and how they prepare for flights. The news conference will stream on NASA’s YouTube channel. An instant replay will be available online. Learn how to watch NASA content on a variety of platforms, including social media. Participants include: Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator Cathy Bahm, project manager, Low ***** Flight Demonstrator, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California Peter Coen, Quesst mission integration manager, NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia Jim “Clue” Less, X-59 test pilot, NASA Armstrong Nils Larson, X-59 test pilot, NASA Armstrong Pat LeBeau, Lockheed Martin X-59 project manager To participate in the virtual call, members of the media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of the event to: *****@*****.tld. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For second flight, the X-59 will taxi from its hangar at NASA Armstrong, then take off and land at nearby Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft will fly for roughly an hour, reaching a cruising speed of 230 mph at 12,000 feet before accelerating to 260 mph at 20,000 feet. This flight will kick off a series of flights known as envelope expansion, during which NASA will gradually take the X-59 faster and higher to ensure the aircraft’s safety and assess its performance. This phase will be followed by flights assessing the X-59’s unique acoustic profile. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission and was developed to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms. Through Quesst, NASA is working to make commercial supersonic flight over land possible, dramatically reducing travel time in the United States or anywhere in the world. To learn more about X-59 visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Rob Margetta Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0918 *****@*****.tld Kristen Hatfield NASA Langley, Virginia 757-817-5522 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Mar 16, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsQuesst (X-59)AeronauticsAeronautics ResearchAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAeronautics TechnologyArmstrong Flight Research CenterLangley Research CenterScience & Research View the full article

2 Min Read SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PIA26731 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/**** Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal SPARCS CubeSat ‘First… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PNG (1.73 MB) Description This pair of images shows stars observed by the SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) space telescope simultaneously in the near-ultraviolet, left, and far-ultraviolet, right. These observations were recorded on Feb. 6, 2026, three weeks after the cube satellite, or CubeSat, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on Jan. 11. The fact that one star is seen in the far-UV while multiple are seen in near-UV offers insights into the temperatures of these stars, with the one visible in both colors being the hottest. Roughly the size of a large cereal box, SPARCS will monitor flares and sunspot activity on low-mass stars — objects only 30% to 50% the mass of the Sun. These stars are among the most common in the Milky Way and host the majority of the galaxy’s roughly 50 billion habitable-zone terrestrial planets, which are rocky worlds close enough to their stars for temperatures that could allow liquid water and potentially support life. The SPARCS spacecraft is the first dedicated to continuously and simultaneously monitoring the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet radiation from low-mass stars. Over its one-year mission, SPARCS will target approximately 20 low-mass stars and observe them over durations of five to 45 days. Filters for the spacecraft’s camera, SPARCam, were made using a technique that improves sensitivity and performance by enabling them to be directly deposited onto the specially developed UV-sensitive “delta-doped” detectors. The approach of detector-integrated filters eliminated the need for a separate filter element, resulting in a system that is among the most sensitive of its kind ever flown in space. The filters, detectors, and associated electronics were designed, fabricated, and tested at the Microdevices Laboratory (MDL) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Inventors at MDL harness physics, chemistry, and material science, including quantum, to deliver first-of-their-kind devices and capabilities for our nation. Funded by NASA and led by Arizona State University in Tempe, SPARCS is managed under the agency’s Astrophysics Research and Analysis program. The agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) selected SPARCS in 2022 for a ride to orbit. The initiative is a low-cost pathway for conducting scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, enabling students, teachers, and faculty to gain hands-on experience with flight hardware design, development, and building. Blue Canyon Technologies fabricated the spacecraft bus. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback View the full article

7 min read To Protect Artemis II Astronauts, NASA Experts Keep Eyes on Sun As four astronauts travel around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission, they will venture beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field. The crew’s spacecraft, Orion, will carry and protect them as they journey into deep space and serves as the main protection against the Sun’s intense power.  During their 10-day flight, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will monitor the Sun around the clock and translate space weather conditions into real-time decisions to protect the astronauts. Space weather refers to the changing conditions driven by solar wind and eruptions from the Sun. Solar flares are the most powerful eruptions in the solar system, the strongest unleashing more energy than a billion hydrogen bombs. Coronal mass ejections are giant clouds of solar particles hundreds of times the size of Earth that burst from the Sun. While both flares and coronal mass ejections can affect technology, the primary concern for astronauts is the solar particle events they can trigger, accelerating some particles to near light speed. If a significant solar particle event occurs near the Artemis II crew, it could raise radiation levels inside the spacecraft. Too high a total lifetime exposure can contribute to increased risks of developing ******* or health disorders that could impair cognition and performance. During the Artemis II mission, NASA will minimize that risk. For the first time in half a century, four astronauts are leaving Earth’s protective magnetic field to enter a realm where massive solar eruptions can unleash more energy than a billion hydrogen bombs. The Artemis II crew will fly through a dangerous environment, but they’re not going it alone. On the voyage, the astronauts and their Orion capsule are outfitted with radiation trackers as ground teams monitor solar eruptions 24/7. Here’s how NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are protecting explorers from the most powerful eruptions in the solar system. NASA/Joy Ng Tracking solar eruptions “Our focus will be real-time space weather analysis, prioritizing solar energetic particles and events that could produce them,” said Mary Aronne, operations lead for the space weather analysis office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We’re looking for the trigger, which would typically be a flare or a coronal mass ejection.” This animation shows a solar eruption that produces a solar flare, a coronal mass ejection, and a flurry of energetic particles. The particles follow the spiral shape of the solar wind’s magnetic fields into interplanetary space. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab The Goddard team will track any solar eruptions that occur, measuring how big they are, how fast they’re moving, and how likely they are to generate energetic particles that will cross Orion’s path. To this end, they’ll use real-time data from Sun-watching spacecraft strategically placed across the solar system, such as NASA’s recently launched Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, the ESA (European Space Agency)/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-19 satellite, and many others. Other NASA spacecraft also will help monitor the Sun. Due to Mars’ current position, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover can look at the far side of the Sun, where Earth has no view. The rover’s Mastcam-Z cameras can give NASA’s space weather teams a view of the largest sunspots up to two weeks earlier so the team can monitor and prepare for possible solar flares. NASA’s Perseverance Rover captured these images of sunspots crossing the Sun from its vantage point on the Martian surface between February 24 – 27, 2026. Mars is currently on the opposite side of the Sun, giving the rover a view of sunspots not visible from Earth. Perseverance will monitor sunspots leading up to and during the Artemis II launch window, giving the Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office (M2M SWAO) and Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG) teams advance notice of regions that could produce solar eruptions before they rotate onto the Earth-facing side of the Sun. NASA/JPL-Caltech/****/MSSS/SSI Monitoring crew exposure Energetic solar particles don’t stream straight out from the Sun. They spiral along the Sun’s magnetic field lines, tracing loops tens of thousands of miles across and scattering due to particle collisions along the way. The chaotic swarm is so large that, from inside it, particles seem to be coming from every direction. “It’s more like you’re sitting in a bathtub and it’s gradually filling with water,” said Stuart George, a space radiation analyst at NASA Johnson. That gradual rise in radiation gives analysts time to evaluate the situation. Inside Orion, six radiation sensors, part of the Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor system designed and built by NASA, measure dose rates in different parts of the cabin. Artemis II astronauts also wear personal radiation trackers called crew active dosimeters. If radiation levels increase, Orion’s onboard systems display warnings accompanied by an audible alarm. Artist’s concept of the components of the Orion spacecraft. NASA NASA has dosage level thresholds they’ll look for inside Orion. The first threshold signals a caution, prompting closer monitoring and coordination with medical and flight operations teams. A higher threshold triggers a recommendation for the crew to take shelter. Radiation shielding in space is all about mass. Charged particles are slowed and absorbed as they pass through matter. Astronauts are trained to reconfigure their cabin during a solar particle event, removing stowed equipment from storage bays and securing it along areas of the cabin to add mass between themselves and incoming particles. Since Artemis II is the first crewed Artemis mission, testing this procedure in the Orion spacecraft is a major objective of the mission. “Once crews add mass to the places that tend to be hotter in terms of radiation exposure, they can then continue to go about their duties,” George said. Artist’s concept of the Trajectory for Artemis II, NASA’s first flight with crew aboard SLS and Orion to pave the way for long-term return to the Moon and missions to Mars. NASA The complexity of solar particle events is one reason NASA places spacecraft across the solar system. During a solar storm in January, NASA analysts tracked a coronal mass ejection on its way to Earth. When it arrived, satellites detected two distinct spikes in energetic particles where there would normally be one. Measurements from NASA’s BioSentinel CubeSat, deployed during the Artemis I mission, revealed what happened. The spacecraft, about 55 million miles away from Earth, detected a distinct eruption that later merged with the coronal mass ejection headed to Earth. Ultimately, two separate eruptions occurred. The crew also must account for exposure to Earth’s radiation belts and galactic cosmic rays. The Van Allen Radiation Belts are two rings of high energy particles that surround our planet. Any mission headed to the Moon or farther must pass through them. Galactic cosmic rays are very high-energy particles from sources beyond our solar system. Together, the radiation exposure from these sources is expected to be comparable to a 1-month stay on the International Space Station, or about 5% of an astronaut’s career limit. Any exposure from solar radiation events would add to this baseline. The Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office, based at NASA Goddard, continuously assesses solar activity and any eruptions that occur. The team shares its analysis with the Space Radiation Analysis Group, based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Together, their forecasts and those from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, plus real-time measurements from inside the Orion spacecraft will inform recommendations for the flight control team. By Miles Hatfield NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 16, 2026 Related Terms Artemis 2 Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division Space Weather The Sun Explore More 2 min read Volunteers Find Oddly High Solar Flare Rates Article 3 days ago 5 min read Artifacts From NASA’s Webb, Parker Solar Probe on View at Smithsonian A testing replica of the “backbone” of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and a full-scale… Article 3 days ago 3 min read Two Observatories, One Cosmic Eye: Hubble and Euclid View Cat’s Eye Nebula Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Dr. Robert H. Goddard and a liquid oxygen-gasoline rocket in the frame from which it was fired on March 16, 1926, at Auburn, Mass.Esther Goddard, from the Clark University archive From the voyages of spacecraft to the Moon and beyond, to the launches of satellites that help us navigate, communicate, and understand our planet and the universe, the use of liquid-fueled rockets has been key to humanity’s use and exploration of space. Today marks 100 years since the first successful test of this technology. On March 16, 1926, physicist and inventor Dr. Robert H. Goddard achieved a small but significant success when he launched a liquid-fueled rocket for the first time. His rocket, fueled by liquid oxygen and gasoline, was tested at his Aunt Effie’s farm in Auburn, Massachusetts. While unimpressive by most measures—the rocket flew for just 2.5 seconds, reaching 41 feet (12.5 meters) in altitude and landing in a cabbage patch 184 feet (56 meters) away—it was a breakthrough that heralded the exploration of space. Over his lifetime, Goddard improved on his design and went on to create other technologies for space travel, including systems to steer rockets, pumps for rocket fuels, and engines that could pivot for better control. His pioneering work laid an important foundation for our achievements in space today. Photo Credit: Esther Goddard, from the Clark University archive. View the full article

Download PDF: A Combination of Techniques Leads to Improved Friction Stir Welding The NESC developed several innovative tools and techniques during an assessment to find the root cause of poor tensile strength and low topography anomalies (LTA) in welds formed using a solid-state welding process called self-reacting friction stir welding (SRFSW). Using a combination of machine learning, statistical modeling, and physics-based simulations, the assessment team helped improve the weld process and solve both issues, lifting constraints that had been placed on flight hardware. Developing Techniques for LTA Detection Determining the root cause of poor tensile strength welds and LTA observed on the weld fracture surfaces involved several techniques: Deep Learning for LTA Detection: The NESC team developed a machine-learning model to detect and segment LTA in weld images. The model was trained on images annotated by metallurgy experts, with a majority-vote consensus to resolve disagreements. The team then developed an accompanying standard operating procedure for image capture to improve robustness and reduce bias. This model was built on previous NASA work to develop specialty microscopy analysis foundation models by pretraining on 100,000+ microscopy images. This step was crucial to linking process parameters with LTA occurrence in an objective, nonbiased way. The team eliminated issues with manual identification of LTA by training a neural network to detect LTA from images of fracture surfaces, pretraining an encoder on a large NASA dataset of microscopy images called MicroNet. Integrated Data-Ingestion Framework: SRFSW is a complex process with many interacting variables. The weld process produces a large amount of data with diverse data types that include dozens of tabular process parameters, dozens of sequential data streams from the production tool, fracture and weld cross-section images, and mechanical-test lab data. A Python-based framework was developed to automatically ingest and validate these diverse data and compile them into a single master spreadsheet and a database. This tool reduced manual effort, minimized transcription errors, and improved data quality for downstream analysis. The team delivered the tool to stakeholders for their ongoing use. Data Analysis Web Application: A new web-based visualization and analysis tool allowed engineers and subject matter experts to quickly explore the integrated dataset for faster hypothesis testing and more intuitive insight generation throughout the investigation Space-Filling Design of Experiments: Because SRFSW involves complex, nonlinear relationships between process parameters, the team found traditional factorial designs were insufficient and implemented a space-filling design of experiments (DOE) to efficiently explore the full parameter space. These data-trained machine-learning models capture the underlying weld behavior. The team also developed a software tool for generating such designs and shared it with stakeholders. Physics-Based SRFSW Simulation: Creating a computational model of the SRFSW process simulated weld conditions, microstructure evolution, and resulting properties, offering insight into aspects of the weld process that are inaccessible to physical sensors. This enhanced understanding and guided improvements. Determining LTA Root Cause Using these tools and analyses, the team identified two root causes for the LTA and poor tensile strength: Overly aggressive post-weld surface preparation in production reduced weld strength. Weld power input outside the optimal range led to inconsistent welds and increased risk of LTA. The process models helped define a target weld power input window and recommended how to adjust primary control parameters to reliably achieve that target. Follow-up production tests confirmed that these adjustments could be implemented with high precision, eliminating both low-strength welds and LTA. Friction Stir Welding In SRFSW, a rotating pin is plunged into the seam between two metal plates, generating heat through friction that fuses the sheets together without melting the material. This technique produces stronger joints than traditional welding and enables the use of high-performance but traditionally non-weldable alloys like Aluminum 2219. The SRFSW technique uses no blowtorches or solder because friction stirs the materials together at a molecular level. NASA’s Friction Stir Welding lab resides inside NASA’s Michoud Vertical Assembly Center in New Orleans and is being used to join major components of the SLS rocket. For information, contact Donald S. Parker. *****@*****.tld References: NASA/TM-20240016466 and NASA/TM-20230010624 View the full article

Download PDF: NESC Develops Method for Estimating Risk When Reducing NDE Performing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) can have both cost and schedule impacts, leading some to question whether descoping (i.e., reducing or eliminating) NDE inspections on certain spaceflight hardware could be possible. However, this approach would be counter to NASA’s Technical Standard NASA-STD-5019A, which outlines the spaceflight system requirements for establishing a fracture control plan—one that relies on design, analysis, testing, NDE, and tracking of fracture-critical parts to verify damage tolerance and mitigate catastrophic failure. Under the 5019A framework, damage smaller than the NDE detection capability is assumed to exist, but through analysis or test, the part being evaluated must be shown to survive the required service life. In practice, NDE’s role is to screen out flaws that otherwise may result in failure. However, in some cases, descoping NDE from the damage tolerance verification process could be useful and still provide the required level of safety. The NESC conducted an assessment to help answer the question of whether rationale could be found for achieving an equivalent risk posture without using the traditional 5019A approach to damage tolerance. The objective was to develop a probabilistic analysis method that would allow NASA programs and projects to estimate risk associated with descoping the NDE requirements of single-wrought materials. This effort included using historical data to demonstrate the method, performing sensitivity studies, and identifying the minimum supporting data that would be required for approving a descoping request. Descoping NDE from Damage Tolerance Damage tolerance is typically treated as deterministic: an NDE detection threshold is established as a fixed flaw size with an associated binary outcome (flaw exists/does not exist), and failure is based on a conservative analysis or test with a binary result (pass/fail). However, damage tolerance is rooted in the following probabilities: • P(A): Probability that a flaw of a given size exists, • P(D0│A): Probability that this flaw will be missed by NDE, and • P(F│D0,A): Probability that a flaw results in failure given that it exists and was missed by NDE. These are combined into the joint failure probability: P(F,D0,A) = P(F│D0,A)P(D0│A)P(A) Damage tolerance is based on the idea that analysis and testing suggests a near-zero probability of failure below a critical initial flaw size (aCIFS) shown by the green (lower) arrow in Figure 1, and NDE results in a near-zero probability of missing a flaw above some detectability threshold (aNDE) shown by the yellow (upper) arrow in Figure 1. If these two areas overlap, then the part is damage tolerant, with a near-zero failure probability regardless of underlying probability of flaw existence, i.e., conservatively assuming that P(a>aCIFS)=1 for any flaw size does not impact the conclusion. However, if NDE is descoped, it removes the right arrow from Figure 1, and risk will increase to a value proportional to the probability P(a>aCIFS). Estimating P(a>aCIFS) may be intractable without expensive, high-resolution methods to characterize the frequency of flaw occurrence at a particular size for a given part. Alternatively, it may be possible to estimate P(a> aNDE), the probability of a detectable flaw existing. Assuming that a part of interest is shown to be damage tolerant prior to any NDE descope (i.e., satisfying NASA-STD-5019A), it can be assumed that (1) historical inspection data are available, and (2) aNDE > aCIFS, due to the required overlap in Figure 1. As such, it was proposed that the frequency of historical finds could be used to estimate a 95% upper confidence bound on P(a> aNDE) and thus an estimate of the risk associated with descoping. To demonstrate the risk-evaluation framework, the NESC gained access to a historical NDE database comprising 33,630 bolt-hole inspections over a 3-year *******. In total, six crack-like features were found by NDE. Accounting for uncertainty due to sample size yielded a 95% confidence upper bound of P(a> aNDE) = 0.04% for each hole. In the proposed method, it is conservatively assumed that if a flaw exceeding the CIFS exists, then it will lead to structural failure. While conservative, this assumption was necessary based on the limitations of the database in that it lacked detected flaw sizing. Based on this assumption, P(a> aNDE) = 0.0004 yields a structural reliability of approximately 0.9996 (expressed as 3.4 “nines”). The results are illustrated graphically in Figure 2. In this case study, increasing the number of inspections in the dataset to 100,000 (i.e., multiplying by a factor of 3) marginally increases the number of nines to 3.5. At the observed NDE rejection rate, 4 nines of reliability are not achievable even with infinite samples and zero uncertainty. It is expected that the rejection rates and sample sizes in this case study are on the order of magnitude of what would be observed and available in practice. Since 2 nines or less would equate to a significant increase relative to the baseline risk for NASA Human Spaceflight Programs, a minimum sample size of 5,000 inspections is needed at an NDE rejection rate of 0.04%. There are necessary assumptions underpinning this methodology. First, time-invariant process control is required to ensure that estimated probabilities from historical inspections are predictive of future probabilities after descope. Ensuring consistency during the data collection ******* is a first step in verifying existing controls, and continued monitoring is necessary to verify that the process remains time-invariant. Second, while aggregating data across multiple parts can increase the inspection sample size and decrease uncertainty in estimated rejection rates, it requires aggregation rationale via qualitative and quantitative assessments of similitude. The methodology developed by the NESC is intended to be a component of a comprehensive fracture control evaluation by the NASA Fracture Control Board and the responsible Technical Authority. For information, contact Patrick E. Leser. patrick.e*****@*****.tld Reference: NASA/TM-20250004074 View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Cañon Fiord’s Whirling Waters 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 August 9, 2022 For most of the year, ice blankets the waterways of the northern ********* Arctic Archipelago. But during the brief summer melt season, the stark white and gray landscape transforms into a colorful, dynamic environment. On a particularly striking day in 2022, sediment plumes and fractured sea ice traced swirling eddies in a branch of the Nansen Sound fjord system. These satellite images show a section of Cañon Fiord, located about 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of the Eureka research station on west-central Ellesmere Island. Waters from the fjord flow into Greely Fiord, which connects to Nansen Sound and ultimately the Arctic Ocean. The images were acquired by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 on August 9, 2022. Igor Dmitrenko, a physical oceanographer at the Centre for Earth Observation Science at the University of Manitoba, has studied eddies in the fjord system and notes that the water’s turbidity, a measure of its cloudiness, remains low during the ice-covered season. Freshwater runoff—and the sediment it carries—drops sharply this time of year, and the formation of 2-meter-thick sea ice shields the surface from wind, suppressing mixing that would otherwise resuspend particles. Summer presents a contrasting scenario. The detailed image below (top) shows that the sea ice in this part of the fjord has broken up, free to drift with the currents and wind. Note that some of the pieces are likely icebergs that have broken off from nearby outlet glaciers. The second detailed image shows a similar scenario; however, in this case, it is sediment suspended in the water that is tracing the flow. August 9, 2022 August 9, 2022 Alex Gardner and Chad Greene, glaciologists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, pointed out that the sediment plume is mostly glacial flour—rock that has been pulverized by a glacier. Surface meltwater that gets under the glacier ultimately flushes the glacial flour into the fjord, making the water appear turquoise. Glacial flour is a critical source of nutrients, specifically iron. Soluble iron is a vital nutrient in marine ecosystems because most phytoplankton—the foundation of marine food webs—depend on it to grow. The glacial ice visible in these scenes comes from the Agassiz Ice Cap, one of five major ice caps on Ellesmere Island. Using data from NASA’s ICESat and the DLR-NASA GRACE missions, scientists have shown that glaciers in the ********* Arctic Archipelago began shrinking rapidly in the mid-2000s and that the trend has persisted. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Kathryn Hansen. Downloads View All August 9, 2022 JPEG (11.98 MB) References & Resources Dmitrenko, I.A., et al. (2025) Following a half-century oceanographic data gap in the northern ********* Arctic Archipelago: multidecadal variability of the Pacific water throughflow. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12, 1602485. Gardner, A.S., et al. (2011) Sharply increased mass loss from glaciers and ice caps in the ********* Arctic Archipelago. Nature, 473, 357-360. Wouters, B., et al. (2019) Global Glacier Mass Loss During the GRACE Satellite Mission (2002-2016). Frontiers in Earth Science, 7, 96. 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. Arctic Sea Ice Ties for 10th-Lowest on Record 3 min read Satellite data show that Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on September 10, 2025. Article Stonebreen’s Beating Heart 3 min read The glacier in southeastern Svalbard pulses with the changing seasons, speeding up and slowing its flow toward the sea. Article Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum 2 min read Sea ice around the southernmost continent hit one of its lowest seasonal highs since the start of the satellite record. Article 1 2 3 4 Next Keep Exploring Discover More from NASA Earth Science Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox. Earth Observatory Image of the Day NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery. Explore Earth Science Earth Science Data Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data View the full article

2 min read Volunteers Find Oddly High Solar Flare Rates Patches of the Sun’s surface often show strong magnetic fields. These fields can emerge within a matter of hours, and can decay slowly or quickly, sometimes over days, weeks, or even months. Thanks to a new study about these long-lived active regions, we now know much more about the patches where these strong magnetic fields take at least a month to decay. This study relied on inputs from NASA’s Solar Active Region Spotter citizen science project, which asked volunteers to answer a series of questions about pairs of active region images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Project leads Emily Mason (Predictive Science Inc.) and Kara Kniezewski (Air Force Institute of Technology) looked at the data and the analysis done by volunteers. They found that the long-lived active regions produce disproportionately more flares than the shorter-lived regions and are 3-6 times more likely than other active regions to be the source of the most intense kinds of solar flares. These results are a strong indication that long-lived active regions are crucial for predicting space weather and could provide critical information on magnetic fields deeper inside the Sun. The Solar Active Region Spotter project is now complete, but you can learn more about the results here: [Hidden Content] Explore NASA Citizen Science projects you can join today to help advance our understanding of space weather: [Hidden Content]. An example of the data citizen scientists categorized for this project. NASA Learn More and Get Involved Solar Active Region Spotter Help track active regions as they evolve across solar rotations! Facebook logo @nasascience_ @nasascience_ Instagram logo @nasascience_ Linkedin logo @nasascience_ Share Details Last Updated Mar 13, 2026 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Citizen Science Heliophysics Division Solar Flares Explore More 2 min read Extra Extra! Extra Data Stream Added to the Daily Minor Planet! Article 1 hour ago 2 min read NASA Volunteers Study Biofilm Adaptability in Space Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that stick to one another and also adhere to a… Article 6 hours ago 1 min read Help Galaxy Zoo: Tidal Tales Open Cosmic Storybook Galaxies carry the imprints of past encounters. When they pass near one another or collide,… Article 1 day ago View the full article

2 min read Extra Extra! Extra Data Stream Added to the Daily Minor Planet! The Daily Minor Planet citizen science project is expanding! In addition to data received nightly from the Catalina Sky Survey’s Mt. Lemmon telescope in Arizona, the project’s science team is now processing images from the Bok 2.3-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The Bok is a mighty telescope run by the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory that is used to survey for new near-Earth objects (NEOs) – asteroids that cross Earth’s orbit. Data from the Bok telescope peers deeper than the data from the Mt. Lemmon telescope–it reveals objects roughly two to three times as faint. Software often struggles with such faint objects, but humans shine at pattern recognition in this kind of data, making your contributions to this search more valuable than ever. Another important feature of the new data is that it mostly comes from the ecliptic, the band of sky where asteroids and comets preferentially travel. The project team expects this deeper, ecliptic-focused coverage to substantially increase the number of main-belt asteroids they can recover and confirm and bring fresh waves of near-Earth asteroid candidates. Keep an eye out for new Bok subject sets as they are added. They’ll be a little more challenging and a lot more rewarding! The Daily Minor Planet is a regularly updated citizen science project hosted by the Zooniverse using nightly data collected by the Catalina Sky Survey. Anyone with a laptop or smartphone can join. The Bok telescope stands tall under the Milky Way. Join The Daily Minor Planet project to view data from this telescope and hunt for near-Earth asteroids. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Slovinský Learn More and Get Involved The Daily Minor Planet Discover new asteroids every day! Facebook logo @nasascience_ @nasascience_ Instagram logo @nasascience_ Linkedin logo @nasascience_ Share Details Last Updated Mar 13, 2026 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Citizen Science Explore More 2 min read NASA Volunteers Study Biofilm Adaptability in Space Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that stick to one another and also adhere to a… Article 5 hours ago 1 min read Help Galaxy Zoo: Tidal Tales Open Cosmic Storybook Galaxies carry the imprints of past encounters. When they pass near one another or collide,… Article 1 day ago 2 min read New Volunteer Data from 143 Observatories Unveils the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse On April 8, 2024, volunteers participating in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie citizen science project all around… Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

Image Credit: National Institute of Aerospace NASA has selected eight student teams as finalists in the 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, giving them the resources to help address a critical challenge for U.S. aviation: maintenance. Challenges facing the commercial aviation industry include a shortage of qualified maintenance workers and increasing demands to keep complicated aircraft running for longer. With Gateways to Blue Skies, NASA taps into student innovation to address some of the biggest topics in aviation, and the current competition, RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance, is looking for solutions that can have immediate impact. “Through this competition, students will learn about aviation maintenance and be empowered to change its future,” said Steven Holz, associate project manager for NASA’s University Innovation Project and judging panel co-chair for Gateways to Blue Skies. “By grounding innovative ideas in real operational needs and presenting them to NASA and industry experts, these teams demonstrate the kind of critical thinking, collaboration, and forward-looking problem solving that will shape a safer, more efficient aviation industry in the near future.” This competition challenged teams of postsecondary students to conceptualize innovative systems and practices that could advance current commercial aircraft maintenance and repair operations. It addresses dual goals for NASA: supporting innovative research and also stimulating the potential aviation workforce of tomorrow. The goal for RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance is to generate concepts to improve efficiency, safety, and costs for the aviation maintenance industry by 2035. That timeline differs from many NASA research competitions focused on long-term future technologies; RepAir seeks to address the maintenance issues of today. NASA made its selections based on a review of participants’ proposals and accompanying videos summarizing the RepAir concepts. The eight finalist teams will receive a $9,000 prize and will advance to Phase 2 of the competition. Phase 2 includes a review of each team’s final paper, infographic, and presentation at the 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Forum, held May 18 at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia in May and livestreamed globally. Following the forum, members of the winning team who fulfill eligibility criteria will be offered the opportunity to intern with NASA Aeronautics. The 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition finalist projects represent an array of capabilities including robotic inspections, augmented reality smart glasses, and sensor and machine learning architectures: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach with Cecil College Maryland Advancing Aircraft Maintenance, Smart Mechanic Glasses Manhattan University Aircraft Enhanced Resilience and Intelligence Systems (A.E.R.I.S) Michigan State University Surface Evaluation Network for Tethered Inspection and Nondestructive Evaluation (SENTINEL) South Dakota State University Surveying Platform and Inspection Device for Enclosed Regions (S.P.I.D.E.R.) South Dakota State University WINGMAN, augmented reality data-logging and information-display system for improved efficiency in line maintenance inspections and reporting South Dakota State University Surface Preservation and Rust Killer (S.P.A.R.K.) Crawler University of California, Irvine Aircraft Structural Health Intelligence for Evaluation and Lifecycle Detection (Air SHIELD) University of Maryland Eastern Shore A Self-Supervised Learning Framework for Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Fuel Control Unit Health Management in Aircraft known as APU Sentinel The Gateways to Blue Skies Challenge is led through the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate, manages the challenge through the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of NASA. More on the Gateways to Blues Skies: RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance competition is available on the competition’s site. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics NASA Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Space Technology Mission Directorate Get Involved View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Graphics NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, invites innovative companies, government agencies, and organizations to attend Partnership Days, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16, at the center. The event offers a unique opportunity to explore collaboration with NASA on cutting-edge research and development in areas such as aerospace, autonomy, sustainability, and more. Attendees will engage with NASA experts and learn how Armstrong’s capabilities can help accelerate innovation and bring transformative technologies to life. Space is limited, and RSVP is required by Wednesday, March 25. To register, scan the QR code on the event poster or email *****@*****.tld. What: NASA Armstrong Partnership Days When: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, and 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2026 Where: NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California Who: Industry leaders, government agencies, and organizations interested in research and development partnerships with NASA For information about NASA Armstrong and other agency programs, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Dede Dinius Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California 661-276-5701 *****@*****.tld Explore More 10 min read ARMD Research Solicitations (Updated March 6) Article 7 days ago 5 min read NASA’s Home for Experimental Flight Advances Aeronautics Mission Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read Award-Winning NASA Camera Revolutionizes How We See the Invisible Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Armstrong Partnerships Doing Business with Armstrong Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities View the full article

Super Therm has been applied in several places, including handrails on the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge over the Colorado River. The selection of its makeup of ceramic and polymeric materials was assisted by NASA scientists. Credit: Superior Products InternationaI II, LLC NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) assists in the use of crowdsourcing across the federal government. CoECI’s NASA Tournament Lab offers the contract capability to run external crowdsourced challenges on behalf of NASA and other agencies. This three-phase challenge invites geophysicists, sensing specialists, nondestructive testing experts, and creative problem-solvers (including AI/ML practitioners) from any field to develop novel methods for detecting subsurface cracks in embankment dams. Through this multi-phase challenge, teams will embark on a structured journey that moves from concept to development and ultimately to real-world demonstration. In Phase 1, teams will articulate and frame their solution approach and execution vision. During Phase 2, selected teams will detail and validate their designs. Finally, in Phase 3, the selected teams will demonstrate the most promising solutions in conditions that reflect real embankment dam environments. Each phase intentionally builds on the last, increasing in technical rigor and realism while maintaining focus on practical deployment and impact. Together, the phases are designed to support teams in transforming strong ideas into credible, implementable solutions that advance the state of embankment dam crack detection. Award: $400,000 in total prizes across all three phases Open date: March 12, 2026 Phase 1 submission deadline: April 30th, 2026 For more information, visit: [Hidden Content] View the full article

2 min read NASA Volunteers Study Biofilm Adaptability in Space Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that stick to one another and also adhere to a nearby surface. They are intricately associated with life on Earth, enabling functions essential to human and plant systems. NASA’s Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) Analysis Working Groups study biofilms and many other biological phenomena in an environment that’s important to NASA: the environment of deep space. It’s not well understood how well biofilms react to the many stresses of spaceflight. Now, a new study, performed in part by NASA volunteers, describes how biofilms adapt to space environments, exploring how biofilms may benefit human and plant health in space. The volunteers, led by Dr. Katherine Baxter (University of Glasgow) and Dr. Nicholas Brereton (University College Dublin), are part of the Microbes Analysis Working Group. Their findings reframe biofilms from infection risks to essential structures supporting human gut health, immunity, and plant nutrient uptake. The group’s work synthesizes how spaceflight stressors alter biofilm architecture and host interaction. Interested in collaborating with others to help terrestrial life thrive in space? You can join the OSDR-Analysis Working Groups and help plan the future of human space exploration. Learn more about the AWGs. Submit this form to join the OSDR AWGs Biofilms support human and plant health on Earth. Spaceflight may disrupt these biofilm-host interactions, with implications for crew health and plant-based life support systems. npj biofilms and microbiomes, Baxter et al. 2026 Learn More and Get Involved Open Science Data Repository Analysis Working Groups (OSDR AWG) Help astronauts and life thrive in space using space biology and health data. Laptop required. Data science knowledge is helpful. Facebook logo @nasascience_ @nasascience_ Instagram logo @nasascience_ Linkedin logo @nasascience_ Share Details Last Updated Mar 13, 2026 Related Terms Citizen Science Biological & Physical Sciences Explore More 1 min read Help Galaxy Zoo: Tidal Tales Open Cosmic Storybook Galaxies carry the imprints of past encounters. When they pass near one another or collide,… Article 1 day ago 3 min read Collaborating Through Data: Inside the PSI Users Group Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read New Volunteer Data from 143 Observatories Unveils the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse On April 8, 2024, volunteers participating in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie citizen science project all around… Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

A clump of sargassum – an invasive species of algae – floats along in the current off the short of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. NASA/Milan Loiacono NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) assists in the use of crowdsourcing across the federal government. CoECI’s NASA Tournament Lab offers the contract capability to run external crowdsourced challenges on behalf of NASA and other agencies. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is sponsoring a 3-phase prize challenge (managed by yet2) for innovative solutions to eliminate the risk of aquatic invasive species (AIS) being transported in raw water entering and exiting watercraft ballast compartments. The goal is to identify novel approaches that can kill, exclude, or inactivate AIS such as quagga, zebra, and golden mussels, thereby protecting Reclamation’s water delivery and hydropower infrastructure. Award: $550,000 in total prizes across all phases Open date: February 26, 2026 Phase 1 concept papers due: May 29, 2026 For more information, visit: [Hidden Content] View the full article

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Intuitive Machines Early morning sunlight illuminates the western wall of this unnamed crater, leaving deep shadows on the ground and in the interior. The image was taken on August 30, 2023, by LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera). LROC is a system of three cameras and one of the seven instruments aboard NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission, which launched in June 2009 and continues in orbit around the Moon. LRO’s primary mission was to make a 3D map of the lunar surface to help identify future landing sites and resources such as polar ice, to investigate the radiation environment, and to prove new technologies, all in anticipation of future robotic and human exploration. In 2011, LRO data led to production of the highest-resolution, near-topographical map of the Moon, and an interactive mosaic of the lunar North Pole was published in 2014. In addition, LRO has taken high-resolution photographs of myriad lunar landing sites from NASA’s Apollo missions and others. LRO also conducted the first demonstration of laser communication with a lunar satellite. This image is the NASA Science Image of the Month for March 2026. Each month, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate chooses an image to feature, offering desktop wallpaper downloads, as well as links to related topics, activities, and games. Image credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Intuitive Machines View the full article