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NASA/Joel Kowsky Artemis II crewmembers (left to right) NASA astronauts Christina Koch, mission specialist; and Victor Glover, pilot; CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander are led by Bill Owens of the Closeout Crew from the elevator at the 275-foot level of the mobile launcher to the crew access arm as they prepare to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket during the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For this operation, the Artemis II crew and launch teams are simulating the launch day timeline including suit-up, walkout, and spacecraft ingress and egress. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars, for the benefit of all. This image was chosen by NASA’s Headquarters photo team as one of the best of 2025. Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The primary structure of Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) undergoing assembly, integration, and testing at Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, on September 29, 2025. Lanteris Space Systems Development continues on NASA’s Power and Propulsion Element, a solar electric propulsion spacecraft designed to provide power for Gateway in lunar orbit. Able to generate 60 kilowatts of thrust, the element was successfully powered on earlier last year. The milestone demonstrates the element can provide the spacecraft with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, as well as the ability to maintain and maneuver between orbits. The Power and Propulsion Element is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and built by industry partner Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, where teams have secured the element’s main electrical system inside protective exterior panels. On deck for installation at Lanteris Space Systems are three 12-kilowatt advanced electric propulsion system thrusters, manufactured by L3Harris, and four 6-kilowatt Busek-built BHT-6000 thrusters. The roll-out solar arrays for Gateway are complete and moving through testing at Redwire’s facility in Goleta, California. For more information about NASA’s lunar exploration missions, visit: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2026 ContactJacqueline Minerd*****@*****.tldLocationGlenn Research Center Related TermsGlenn Research CenterArtemisGateway ProgramGateway Space StationJohnson Space Center Explore More 3 min read Lunar Space Station Module for NASA’s Artemis Campaign to Begin Final Outfitting Article 9 months ago 2 min read Gateway Tops Off Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element is now equipped with its xenon and liquid fuel tanks. Article 1 year ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

From left, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, Johnson Space Center employees Tessa Rundle and Daniel Kolodziejcyk wearing Orion Crew Survival System suits, and Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche stand on the field during the Houston Texans’ Space City Day game Jan. 4, 2026. NASA/James Blair NASA’s Johnson Space Center was front and center Jan. 4, 2026, as the Houston Texans faced the Indianapolis Colts during Space City Day at NRG Stadium. Fans watched the Texans win while getting a close look at NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Artemis campaign. The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (********* Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen—around the Moon and back to Earth to test Orion spacecraft systems in deep space and help lay the groundwork for future lunar missions. NASA connected fans with the agency’s next giant leap, reinforcing Space City’s role in shaping the future of human exploration. NASA’s Johnson Space Center employees hold the American flag on the field during the national anthem at NRG Stadium in Houston.Image courtesy of the Houston Texans Before kickoff, 27 Johnson employees helped unfurl the U.S. flag for the national anthem, marking the start of an evening that blended football, exploration, and Houston pride. Johnson employees gather on the BULLevard to share the excitement of space exploration with football fans. On the BULLevard, Johnson employees engaged with fans at a NASA activation area, where visitors explored the agency’s Mobile Exhibit Trailer and learned more about Artemis II. Team members answered questions and shared how NASA is preparing to send humans back to the Moon. From left, Johnson Community Engagement Lead Jessica Cordero, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA Flight Controller Jonathan Guthmiller wearing the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), Multimedia Developer Jessica Krenzel, and NASA Flight Controller Sarah Hill stand together during the outdoor engagement on the BULLevard outside NRG Stadium. Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins visited the exhibit and the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program booth, where they greeted team members and thanked volunteers supporting the event. The International Space Station Program joined the celebration with a prerecorded message from the Expedition 74 crew, marking over 25 years of continuous human presence in low Earth orbit. The Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station deliver a prerecorded message to fans on the stadium jumbotron during the Houston Texans’ Space City Day game. “Even from 250 miles above the Earth, we’re proud to represent Houston and celebrate the mission of this incredible city on and off the field,” said NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. “Today’s game reminds us how connected Houston, NASA, and the Texans truly are,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. Cardman highlighted how research aboard the International Space Station has led to innovations that benefit life on Earth, including applications now used in sports and athletic safety. Advances in materials developed for spacesuits and astronaut protection have influenced the design of modern helmets and padding, while cooling technologies originally created for extreme environments are used in training gear and protective equipment. “Space innovation doesn’t remain in orbit, sometimes it ends up on the 50-yard line.” NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, center, and Johnson employees Tessa Rundle and Daniel Kolodziejcyk, wearing Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits, take the field during the Texans’ “Reppin’ H-Town” appearance. Image courtesy of the Houston Texans Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche waves to fans after participating in the ceremonial coin toss.Image courtesy of the Houston Texans Jessica Watkins took the field for the Texans’ “Reppin’ H-Town” appearance, joined by Johnson employees Tessa Rundle and Daniel Kolodziejcyk wearing NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits. The bright orange pressure suits are designed to protect astronauts during launch, flight, and reentry aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The pregame continued with Center Director Vanessa Wyche joining the festivities on the field and participating in the ceremonial coin toss, where she called heads. About 30 seconds into halftime, the Artemis Fueling the Fire video played on the stadium jumbotron, sharing NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon and marking a major step in the agency’s Moon to Mars campaign. Center Director Vanessa Wyche and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins are interviewed on the field during halftime. The video led into a live interview with Vanessa Wyche and Jessica Watkins, where Wyche discussed the Artemis II mission and Watkins highlighted similarities between astronaut training and football training. At the conclusion of the interview, the host invited fans to take part in NASA’s “Send Your Name with Artemis II” initiative, which allows the public to have their names stored on a small chip aboard the Orion spacecraft during the mission. Participants receive a digital boarding pass and virtual guest access to select NASA launches. While the names remain stored electronically inside the spacecraft, the effort symbolically gives participants a place on Orion’s journey around the Moon. Image courtesy of the Houston Texans Image courtesy of the Houston Texans NASA/James Blair Image courtesy of the Houston Texans NASA/James Blair Explore More 4 min read 25 Years in Orbit: Science, Innovation, and the Future of Exploration Article 2 hours ago 4 min read Diving Into Human Spaceflight Safety with NASA Johnson’s Craig Shannon Article 2 days ago 4 min read I Am Artemis: Jacki Mahaffey Article 2 days ago View the full article

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli retrieves media bags inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module for Emory University’s Project EAGLE investigation.NASA NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. A truly global endeavor, the International Space Station has been visited by more than 290 people from 26 countries and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The unique microgravity laboratory has hosted more than 4,000 experiments from over 5,000 researchers from 110 countries. The space station also is facilitating the growth of a commercial market in low Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation. After a quarter of century of human presence in orbit, the station remains a symbol of international cooperation and a proving ground for humanity’s next giant leaps to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. September’s full Moon, the Harvest Moon, is photographed from the space station, placed in between exterior station hardware.NASA The microgravity environments aboard the space station unlocks discoveries that benefit life on Earth and prepare humans for deep space missions. NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) works to understand the changes astronauts face aboard the orbital outpost and to develop interventions to keep crews healthy before, during, and after flight. Astronauts aboard the station exercise for roughly two hours a day to protect bone density, muscle strength, and the cardiovascular system, but the longer they are in microgravity, the harder it can be for the brain and body to readapt to gravity’s pull. After months in orbit, returning astronauts often describe Earth as heavy, loud, and strangely still. Some reacclimate within days, while other astronauts take longer to fully recover. Through HRP-led studies, scientists track these changes and test solutions—from improved exercise regimens to medical monitoring and nutritional strategies. The results inspire new medical technologies, while teaching scientists how the human body adapts to long-duration spaceflights—knowledge that helps keep astronauts healthy on future missions. In the Tranquility node of the orbiting laboratory, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir exercises on the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT), technically named the Treadmill 2 and abbreviated as T2. NASA The space station continues to be a critical platform for sharpening skills, technology, and understanding that will prepare humanity to return to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis campaign and journey on to Mars and beyond. Since space presents an entirely new physical environment with a distinct set of challenges, the orbiting laboratory is uniquely positioned to support research and preparations not possible on Earth. That includes: Mastering techniques for basic tasks like drinking water, sleeping, exercising, and handling various materials. Developing solutions to microgravity-induced changes to and challenges for the human body. Testing reliable technologies and self-sustaining ecosystems necessary for deep space travel, from life support systems to in-orbit agriculture and 3D printing of materials. Refining techniques and procedures for data and imagery collection and analysis. Read more about how the space station has enabled significant strides in our journey farther into the final frontier. The first decade of the space station was the decade of construction. The second decade moved from initial studies to fully using the orbiting laboratory. Now we are in the decade of results. With nearly 25 years of experiments conducted aboard the station, more breakthroughs are materializing than ever before. These scientific discoveries and technological advancements are benefiting humanity on the ground, contributing to the growing low Earth orbit economy, and helping to prepare for future exploration of the Moon and Mars. Innovations include: Advances in X-ray technologies, developed to create a space station telescope, are helping unravel the mysteries of our universe while improving medical devices on Earth. Temperature-change data that has been employed in efforts to reduce heat absorbed by city surfaces, reduce fire risk, and help farmers efficiently water their fields. Demonstrations of robotic technologies with the potential to relieve repetitive movement and other workplace-related stressors. Development of a small ultrasound unit for crew health monitoring that has since been adapted to provide diagnostic care in remote areas on Earth. Find more information about the space station’s benefits for humanity here. Explore More 4 min read Supernova Remnant Video From NASA’s Chandra Is Decades in Making Article 24 hours ago 2 min read Space Station Research Informs New FDA-Approved ******* Therapy Article 1 day ago 4 min read Diving Into Human Spaceflight Safety with NASA Johnson’s Craig Shannon Article 1 day ago View the full article

NASA/Nichole Ayers NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured this image of lightning while orbiting aboard the International Space Station more than 250 miles above Milan, Italy on July 1, 2025. Storm observations from space station help scientists study Earth’s upper atmosphere, which can improve weather models and protect communication systems and aircraft. Space station crew take photographs of Earth that record how the planet changes over time due to human activity and natural events. This record allows scientists to monitor disasters and direct response on the ground and study phenomena. Image credit: NASA/Nichole Ayers View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Algae Swirls Across a South… 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 Search 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 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video June 2022-July 2023 NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin On clear days in Hartbeespoort, South Africa, satellite images often reveal a reservoir with shades of deep blue interrupted by drifting patches of vivid green. These shifting features indicate algae blooms, which can affect water quality, ecosystems, and nearby human communities. In this animation, from June 2022 to July 2023, an algal bloom grows, moves around the reservoir, and then fades. The animation is composed of images from Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS), a NASA product that combines imagery from the NASA/USGS Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2A, 2B, and 2C satellites. Algae is an umbrella term for photosynthetic organisms that live in water, encompassing everything from single-celled cyanobacteria to seaweed. They play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. But when colonies of algae spread too widely or release harmful toxins, they can threaten the very environments they support. These colonies are known as harmful algal blooms, or HABs. Some HABs are toxic and often are part of a process called eutrophication. Eutrophication begins when there are too many nutrients in an ecosystem—because of agricultural runoff and other inputs—leading to a rapid growth of algae. “It’s like having a garden,” said Bridget Seegers, a NASA scientist who studies cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems. “If you add a lot of nutrients, you’re going to have a lot of growth.” Eventually, the algae die off. As decomposers break down the dead algae, they consume oxygen, which can lead to hypoxia and the formation of dead zones. August 10, 2022 Such conditions have been documented at the Hartbeespoortdam (Hartbeespoort Dam) reservoir, located about 25 kilometers (16 miles) west of Pretoria and used primarily for recreation and irrigation. The reservoir is home to regular harmful algal blooms containing cyanobacteria. It also hosts large mats of invasive water hyacinths. While hyacinths do not produce toxins, they do contribute to eutrophication when they die and decompose. Harmful algal blooms can affect ecosystem health and human lives and livelihoods. In April 2023, South African authorities linked a large fish kill in Hartbeespoort to low oxygen levels caused by excessive algal growth. More broadly, HABs in drinking water reservoirs can reduce water availability and raise water treatment costs, while swimming in HAB-infested waters can cause rashes, and pets or livestock that drink it may fall ill or die. One 2022 paper published in Remote Sensing examined algae in the reservoir from 1980 to 2020 using Landsat data. “This is a reservoir that has always been monitored heavily by the local department of water resources,” said Adam Ali, the lead author of the paper. The research used satellite data to provide a big-picture view of conditions across the entire reservoir over long time scales. Using 40 years of Landsat data, the researchers found that the biggest drivers of algal growth were total phosphorus content—a nutrient found in runoff—and water temperature, with blooms typically expanding in the warm summer months and subsiding in the winter. They also identified key trends over space and time. Algal productivity was higher near Krokodilrivier (Crocodile River) inflows and in the western part of the reservoir due to golf course runoff and restricted water circulation, demonstrating how HABs are influenced by runoff and river inputs. Large blooms occurred between 1982 and 1986, when total phosphorus levels were high. A bioremediation program in the late 1980s succeeded in limiting algae growth, but after funding ended in the late 1990s, harmful algal blooms spiked again in the early 2000s. To track algae from space, the researchers analyzed the water’s color by measuring different wavelengths of light. From this, they estimated the concentration of chlorophyll-a, a common pigment in algae, and used these values to approximate algae biomass over time. Although water samples remain necessary to confirm that a bloom is harmful, satellite data can help scientists understand the drivers of harmful algal blooms, especially in remote regions where regular ground monitoring is expensive and time intensive. New and forthcoming NASA missions promise to advance space-based water quality monitoring. The next Landsat satellite is expected to measure wavelengths specifically designed to detect HABs. NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission, launched in 2024, collects data in hundreds of precise wavelength bands in the visible spectrum, which can help scientists identify the type of algae that comprise a certain bloom—a key factor in determining toxicity. Given PACE’s spatial resolution, the data is most useful in coastal areas or larger inland water bodies. Ali is working with researchers at NASA Ames to integrate PACE into future studies. Animation by Ross Walter/Landsat Science Office Support, using data from the Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) product. Still image by Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Madeleine Gregory/Landsat Science Office Support. References & Resources Ali, K., et al. (2022) Integrating In Situ and Current Generation Satellite Data for Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Hartbeespoort Dam, Crocodile River Basin, South Africa. Remote Sensing, 14(17), 4277. NOAA (2016, April 27) What is a harmful algal bloom? Accessed January 6, 2026. South African Government (2023, April 26) Water and Sanitation releases investigation report on cause of fish-kill at Hartbeespoort Dam. Accessed January 6, 2026. Downloads August 10, 2022 JPEG (3.33 MB) 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. Iraq Reservoirs Plunge to Low Levels 5 min read A multi-year drought has put extra strain on farmers and water managers in the Middle Eastern country. Article Lost Towns of the Quabbin 4 min read Forests play a key role in filtering the waters of a reservoir in central Massachusetts that’s home to submerged towns… Article Reservoirs Dwindle in South Texas 3 min read Drought in the Nueces River basin is reducing reservoir levels, leaving residents and industry in the Corpus Christi area facing… 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

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A new video shows changes in Kepler’s Supernova Remnant using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory captured over more than two and a half decades with observations taken in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2014, and 2025. In this video, which is the longest-spanning one ever released by Chandra, X-rays (blue) from the telescope have been combined with an optical image (red, green, and blue) from Pan-STARRS. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: Pan-STARRS A new video shows the evolution of Kepler’s Supernova Remnant using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory captured over more than two and a half decades. Kepler’s Supernova Remnant, named after the ******* astronomer Johannes Kepler, was first spotted in the night sky in 1604. Today, astronomers know that a white dwarf star exploded when it exceeded a critical mass, after pulling material from a companion star, or merging with another white dwarf. This kind of supernova is known as a Type Ia, and scientists use it to measure the expansion of the universe. Supernova remnants, the debris fields left behind after a stellar explosion, often glow strongly in X-ray light because the material has been heated to millions of degrees from the blast. The remnant is located in our galaxy, about 17,000 light-years from Earth, allowing Chandra to make detailed images of the debris and how it changes with time. This latest video includes its X-ray data from 2000, 2004, 2006, 2014, and 2025. This makes it the longest-spanning video that Chandra has ever released, enabled by Chandra’s longevity. “The plot of Kepler’s story is just now beginning to unfold,” said Jessye Gassel, a graduate student at George Mason University in Virginia, who led the work. “It’s remarkable that we can watch as these remains from this shattered star ****** into material already thrown out into space.” Gassel presented the new Chandra video and the associated research at the 247th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Phoenix. The researchers used the video to show that the fastest parts of the remnant are traveling at about 13.8 million miles per hour (2% of the speed of light), moving toward the bottom of the image. Meanwhile, the slowest parts are traveling toward the top at about 4 million miles per hour (0.5% of the speed of light). This large difference in speed is because the gas that the remnant is plowing into toward the top of the image is denser than the gas toward the bottom. This gives scientists information about the environments into which this star exploded. “Supernova explosions and the elements they hurl into space are the lifeblood of new stars and planets,” said Brian Williams of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and principal investigator of the new Chandra observations of Kepler. “Understanding exactly how they behave is crucial to knowing our cosmic history.” The team also examined the widths of the rims forming the blast wave of the explosion. The blast wave is the leading edge of the explosion and the first to encounter material outside of the star. By measuring how wide it is and how fast it is traveling, astronomers glean more information about both the explosion of the star and its surroundings. 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 release features a ten second silent video of Kepler’s expanding Supernova Remnant, located in our own galaxy, about 17,000 light-years from Earth. The video was created using X-ray data gathered in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2014, and 2025. Those distinct datasets were turned into highly-detailed visuals, creating a 25-year timelapse-style video of the growing remnant. Kepler’s Supernova Remnant was once a white dwarf star that exploded when it exceeded its critical mass. Here, in X-ray light, the remnant resembles a cloudy neon blue ring with a diagonal cross line stretching from our upper right down to our lower left. The ring appears thinner and wispier at the bottom, with a band of white arching across the top. As the video plays, cycling through the 5 datasets, the ring subtly, but clearly, expands, like a slowly inflating balloon. In the video, this sequence is replayed several times with dates included at our lower right, to give sighted learners time to absorb the visual information. Upon close inspection, researchers have determined that the bottom of the remnant is expanding fastest; about 13.8 million miles per hour, or 2% of the speed of light. The top of the ring appears to be expanding the slowest; about 4 million miles per hour, or 0.5% of the speed of light. The large difference in speed is because the gas that the remnant is plowing into towards the top of the image is denser than the gas towards the bottom. Collecting and interpreting this data over decades has provided information about the environment into which the white dwarf star exploded, and has helped scientists understand how remnants change with time. Share Details Last Updated Jan 06, 2026 EditorLee MohonContactJoel WallaceLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsChandra X-Ray ObservatoryGeneralMarshall Space Flight CenterSupernova RemnantsThe Universe Explore More 6 min read NASA Marshall Prepares for Demolition of Historic Test, Simulation Facilities Article 3 hours ago 5 min read Scientists Identify ‘Astronomy’s Platypus’ with NASA’s Webb Telescope After combing through NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s archive of sweeping extragalactic cosmic fields, a… Article 4 hours ago 6 min read NASA Webb Finds Early-Universe Analog’s Unexpected Talent for Making Dust Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted two rare kinds of dust in… Article 4 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Chandra Space Telescope Hubble Space Telescope Hubble, the observatory, is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space, the ultimate mountaintop. Above the distortion… 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

Credit: NASA NASA has selected ARES Technical Services Corporation of McLean, Virginia, to provide launch range operations support at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Wallops Range Contract has a total potential value of $339.8 million with a one-year base ******* expected to begin Tuesday, Feb. 10, and four one-year option periods that if exercised would extend it to 2031. The contract includes a cost-plus-fixed-fee core with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity component and the ability to issue cost-plus-fixed-fee or firm-fixed-price task orders. The scope of the work includes launch range operations support such as radar, telemetry, logistics, tracking, and communications services for flight vehicles including orbital and suborbital rockets, aircraft, satellites, balloons, and unmanned aerial systems. Additional responsibilities include information and computer systems services; testing, modifying, and installing communications and electronic systems at launch facilities, launch control centers, and test facilities; and range technology sustainment engineering services. Work will primarily occur at NASA Wallops with additional support at sites such as the agency’s Bermuda Tracking Station, Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, and other temporary duty locations. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Tiernan Doyle Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld Robert Garner Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-5687 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 06, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsWallops Flight FacilityNASA Centers & FacilitiesTechnology View the full article

6 Min Read NASA Marshall Prepares for Demolition of Historic Test, Simulation Facilities Engineers and technicians hoist the first flight version of the Saturn IB rocket's first stage into the T-tower for static testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on March 15, 1965. Credits: NASA NASA is preparing for the demolition of three iconic structures at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Crews began demolition in mid-December at the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, a facility built in the late 1960s that once enabled NASA astronauts and researchers to experience near-weightlessness. The facility was also used to conduct underwater testing of space hardware and practice runs for servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. The simulator was closed in 1997. Two test stands – the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and Dynamic Test Facility – are also slated for demolition, one after the other, by carefully coordinated implosion no earlier than sunrise on Jan. 10, 2026. NASA Marshall tests fires the first stage of the Saturn I rocket at its historic Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, better known as the “T-tower.” The demolition of these historic structures is part of a larger project that began in spring 2022, targeting several inactive structures no longer needed for the agency’s missions. All three towering fixtures played crucial roles in getting humans to the Moon, into low-Earth orbit, and beyond. These structures have reached the end of their safe, operational life, and their removal has been long-planned as part of a broader effort to modernize Marshall’s footprint. This demolition is the first phase of an initiative that will ultimately remove 25 outdated structures, reduce maintenance burdens, and position Marshall to take full advantage of a guaranteed NASA center infrastructure investment authorized under the Working Families Tax Credit Act. “This work reflects smart stewardship of taxpayer resources,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Clearing outdated infrastructure allows NASA to safely modernize, streamline operations, and fully leverage the infrastructure investments signed into law by President Trump to keep Marshall positioned at the forefront of aerospace innovation.” Built in 1964, the Dynamic Test Stand initially was used to test fully assembled Saturn V rockets. In 1978, engineers integrated all space shuttle elements for the first time, including the orbiter, external fuel tank, and solid rocket boosters. It was last used in the early 2000s for microgravity testing. The space shuttle orbiter Enterprise lifted by crane into the Structural Dynamic Test Facility at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for vibration testing in July 1978.NASA The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility – better known at Marshall as the “T-tower” due to its unique shape – was built in 1957 by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency and transferred to NASA when Marshall was founded in 1960. There, engineers tested components of the Saturn launch vehicles, the Army’s Redstone Rocket, and shuttle solid rocket boosters. It was last used for space shuttle solid rocket motor tests in the 1990s. “Each one of these structures helped NASA make history,” said Rae Ann Meyer, acting center director at Marshall. “While it is hard to let them go, they’ve earned their retirement. The people who built and managed these facilities and empowered our mission of space exploration are the most important part of their legacy.” “These structures are not safe,” continued Meyer. “Strategic demolition is a necessary step in shaping the future of NASA’s mission to explore, innovate, and inspire. By removing these structures that we have not used in decades, we are saving money on upkeep of facilities we can’t use. We also are making these areas safe to use for future NASA exploration endeavors and investments.” A legacy worth remembering When NASA opened the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator in 1968, it was one of few places on Earth that could recreate the weightlessness of microgravity. The facility provided a simulated zero-gravity environment in which engineers and astronauts could find out how their designs might handle in orbit. The tank has been central to planning and problem-solving for Skylab missions, repairs to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and more. The tank is 75 feet in diameter, 40 feet deep, and designed to hold up to nearly 1.5 million gallons of water. It was replaced in 1997 by a new, larger facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Astronaut Kathryn Thornton practices maneuvers planned for the STS-61 mission in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on August 9, 1963.NASA The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility is one of the oldest test stands at Marshall. The dual-position test stand, sometimes called the T-tower, was built for static testing large rockets and launch systems – like launching a rocket while keeping it restrained and wired to instruments that collect data. The tests and data played a role in the development of the Saturn family of rockets, including the F-1 engine and S-IC. The Dynamic Test Stand, a 360-foot tower topped by a 64-foot derrick, was once the tallest human-made structure in North Alabama. Engineers there conducted full-scale tests of Saturn V rockets – the same powerful vehicles that carried Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Later, the stand served as the first location where all space shuttle elements were integrated. Preserving history for future generations The irreplaceable historical value of these landmarks has prompted NASA to undertake extensive efforts to preserve their stories for future generations. The three facilities were made national landmarks in 1985 for their part in human spaceflight. In keeping with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, master planners and engineers at Marshall completed a rigorous consultation and mitigation process for each landmark, working closely with Alabama’s State Historic Preservation Office to preserve their history for future generations. Detailed architectural documentation, written histories, and large-format photographs are permanently archived in the Library of Congress’ Historic American Engineering Record collection, making this history accessible to researchers and the public for generations. Additionally, NASA has partnered with Auburn University to create high-resolution digital models of each facility. The project used technologies like LiDAR and 360-photography of the structures in detail before demolition. Their goal is to preserve not just the appearance, but the sense of scale and engineering achievement they represent. The models are still in work, but they’ll eventually be publicly available. Select artifacts from the facilities have also been identified and transferred to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center through NASA’s Artifact Program, ensuring tangible pieces of this history remain available for educational purposes. Honoring the past, building the future For the employees, retirees, and community members who remember these facilities over the decades, their removal marks the end of an era. But their contributions live on in every NASA mission, from the International Space Station to the upcoming Artemis II lunar missions and more. “NASA’s vision of space exploration remains vibrant, and as we look to an exciting future, we honor the past, especially the dedication of the men and women who built these structures and tested hardware that has launched into space, made unprecedented scientific discoveries, and inspired generations of Americans to reach for the stars,” said Meyer. The demolitions represent more than removing obsolete infrastructure. They’re part of NASA’s commitment to building a dynamic, interconnected campus ready for the next era of space exploration while honoring the bold spirit that has always driven the agency forward. Virtual tours and preserved documentation will be made available on Marshall’s digital channels. Marshall will also share video of the test stand demolitions after the event. For communities near Redstone Arsenal, there could be a loud noise associated with the demolition on the morning of Jan. 10. Share Details Last Updated Jan 06, 2026 EditorLee MohonContactLance Davis*****@*****.tldMolly Porter*****@*****.tldLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsMarshall Space Flight CenterMarshall Test Facility and Support InfrastructureNASA History Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Marshall Space Flight Center About Marshall Space Flight Center Marshall Space Flight Center History NASA History View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Jan 06, 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 Science & Research The Universe

Share Details Last Updated Jan 06, 2026 Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Laura Betz NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland laura.e*****@*****.tld Hannah Braun Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Astrophysics Galaxies Irregular Galaxies Origin & Evolution of the Universe Science & Research The Universe

NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory has mapped the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, as seen here in this image released on Dec. 18, 2025. This image features a selection of colors emitted primarily by stars (blue, green, and white), hot hydrogen gas (blue), and cosmic dust (red).NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory has mapped the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, as seen here in this image released on Dec. 18, 2025. This image features a selection of colors emitted primarily by stars (blue, green, and white), hot hydrogen gas (blue), and cosmic dust (red). While not visible to the human eye, these 102 infrared wavelengths of light are prevalent in the cosmos, and observing the entire sky this way enables scientists to answer big questions, including how a dramatic event that occurred in the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang influenced the 3D distribution of hundreds of millions of galaxies in our universe. In addition, scientists will use the data to study how galaxies have changed over the universe’s nearly 14-billion-year history and learn about the distribution of key ingredients for life in our own galaxy. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech View the full article

Growing up in Houston, Craig Shannon was always inspired by NASA and the spirit of exploration the agency represents. Yet it was a passion for scuba diving that unexpectedly led to his more than 23-year career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Shannon became a certified diver and scuba instructor while earning his bachelor’s degree in communications from Stephen F. Austin State University. He happened to meet divers from NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at a local environmental cleanup event during his senior year. “The encounter planted a seed,” he said. Craig Shannon during a dive in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory pool at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Image courtesy of Craig Shannon Shannon was hired as an NBL diver shortly after graduation, launching what would become a 19-year career in dive operations. He progressed through a variety of roles – from utility diver, instructor, and training officer, to dive operations lead, training group lead, and ultimately, dive operations manager. “Each role deepened my understanding of operational excellence, safety, and leadership in high-performance environments,” he said. Shannon added that becoming the dive operations manager was one of the defining points of his career. “I had the privilege of leading an exceptional team and contributing directly to astronaut training and operational excellence.” Seeking new challenges and opportunities for professional growth, Shannon transitioned to a test safety officer position at Johnson for about four years, expanding his knowledge of technical risk management in different environments. He returned to the NBL in 2025, this time as a safety officer. In that role, Shannon works to protect employees’ well-being and the facility’s operational integrity. His responsibilities are a mix of proactive safety initiatives – such as facility inspections, safety training, and communication – and incident response, which involves investigating mishaps and close calls and developing corrective action plans to prevent recurrence. He also serves as an internal technical consultant, fielding safety-related questions from employees and visitors and providing guidance that complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration and NASA safety standards. “I work across functions with operations, engineering, medical, and training teams to integrate safety into all daily processes and long-term planning,” he said. “It brings full circle my commitment to the safety and success of human spaceflight training.” Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino helps Craig Shannon suit up for a suited test dive in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory pool.Image courtesy of Craig Shannon Shannon acknowledged that not having an engineering degree has made work more challenging at times, but it has not hindered his advancement. “I’ve earned key positions by committing myself to continuous learning, gaining in-depth knowledge of the technical areas I work in, and consistently demonstrating dedication to both my employers and my career,” he said. “My path has required hard work, adaptability, and a proactive approach to professional growth, which I view as strengths that have allowed me to contribute meaningfully in a highly technical setting.” Shannon has also learned the importance of embracing change. “Change isn’t always easy, but it’s often where the most learning and development happen,” he said. “Whether it was stepping into leadership for the first time, shifting into a new field, or returning to a familiar place with a new purpose, each transition brought growth I never could have anticipated.” He added that patience, accountability, and empathy are important leadership qualities that help build stronger, more resilient teams. While Shannon takes pride in his work, he said his family is his greatest achievement. “I’m most proud of raising three amazing children with my wife, Kimberley. They have been my grounding force and greatest inspiration,” he said. Craig Shannon, his wife Kimberley, and their three children enjoy family time at the beach in Florida. Image courtesy of Craig Shannon He is also the proud co-owner of a local scuba diving company, which allows him to combine his love for diving, travel, and community. “I’ve had the privilege of leading dive trips around the world with groups of amazing people—sharing unforgettable underwater experiences and fostering a strong, adventurous dive community,” he said. “It’s a way for me to stay connected to the roots of my diving career and continue exploring the world through the lens of curiosity and connection.” He encourages the next generation to find something they are passionate about. “It’s important to be genuinely excited about what you do and to face the challenges ahead with determination and curiosity,” he said. “That energy, paired with a willingness to adapt and grow, has carried me through each phase of my career. Challenges will come, but how you meet them defines your path.” Explore More 4 min read I Am Artemis: Jacki Mahaffey Article 13 hours ago 2 min read Holidays in Space: 25 Years of Space Station Celebrations Article 2 weeks ago 11 min read NASA Johnson’s 2025 Milestones Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Reaching the Precipice in… Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Search 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 June 19-20, 2025 In southwestern Angola, an expanse of coastal plains comes to an abrupt end at a natural barrier. The Huíla plateau soars above the lowlands to elevations of around 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). The sharp transition results in dramatic landscapes and a sudden change from an arid environment to more-temperate climes. The serrated edge of the Huíla plateau zigzags through this image, which is a mosaic of scenes acquired on June 19 and 20, 2025, with the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) and OLI on the Landsat 9 and Landsat 8 satellites, respectively. Areas around the plateau’s edges appear green with vegetation. But the landscape tends to look much browner by late September, at the end of the region’s dry season, during which almost no rain falls. This topography is part of the Great Escarpment of southern Africa, a 5,000-kilometer-long feature running roughly parallel to the continent’s edge. From Angola, it extends south through Namibia, across South Africa, and then northeast into Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The image below, acquired with the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite, shows a longer segment of the escarpment in Angola. June 20, 2025 Scientists believe the escarpment formed after the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana in the Jurassic *******. Since then, erosion has worn away at the continental margin such that the escarpment now sits 50 to 200 kilometers (30 to 120 miles) back from the coast. This Angolan section of the escarpment features dizzying, yet beautiful, landscapes. Tundavala Gap, a gouge eroded into the cliff line (below), is one of the most iconic with its well-framed view of the plains below. The precipice also presents a substantial obstacle to transportation. A stretch of the Namibe-Lubango Road overcomes this challenge with a series of scenic hairpin turns climbing to Serra da Leba pass near the town of Leba. March 11, 2014 Lubango, one of Angola’s largest cities, occupies a valley on the Huíla plateau. In addition to its remarkable natural surroundings, the city boasts a diverse mix of cultures, striking architecture, and a wide variety of locally produced foods. NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, and VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Photo of Tundavala Gap © jbdodane.com. Story by Lindsey Doermann. References & Resources African Leadership Magazine (2024, May 3) Unveiling Lubango, the Hidden Gem of Southern Angola. Accessed January 5, 2026. The American Alpine Journal (2024) Fenda da Tundavala and Serra da Leba, New Routes. Accessed January 5, 2026. Atlas Obscura (2025, August 18) Serra da Leba Pass. Accessed January 5, 2026. Clark, V.R., et al. (2011) The Great Escarpment of southern Africa: a new frontier for biodiversity exploration. Biodiversity and Conservation, 20, 2543–2561. CNN (2023, November 27) Lubango: The spectacular African destination you’ve probably never heard of. Accessed January 5, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2017, March 13) South Africa’s “Brown Gold.” Accessed January 5, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory (2013, December 14) South Africa Tribute. Accessed January 5, 2026. Downloads June 19-20, 2025 JPEG (2.39 MB) June 20, 2025 JPEG (799.64 KB) 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. Breaking New Ground in Mekele 5 min read Researchers are using satellites to study development patterns in this fast-growing city in Ethiopia. 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 Rapid Growth for Benin City 5 min read Satellites have tracked development over the decades as a small city in southern Nigeria grew to more than 2 million… 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

By Michael Allen For the first time, scientists have used NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer) to study a white dwarf star. Using IXPE’s unique X-ray polarization capability, astronomers examined a star called the intermediate polar EX Hydrae, unlocking the geometry of energetic binary systems. In 2024, IXPE spent nearly one week focused on EX Hydrae, a white dwarf star system located in the constellation Hydra, approximately 200 light-years from Earth. A paper about the results published in the Astrophysical Journal. Astrophysics research scientists based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge led the study, along with co-authors at the University of Iowa, East Tennessee State University, University of Liége, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. A white dwarf star occurs after a star runs out of hydrogen fuel to fuse in its core but is not massive enough to explode as core-collapse supernovae. What remains is very dense, roughly the same diameter as Earth with as much mass as our Sun. EX Hydrae is in a binary system with a main sequence companion star, from which gas is continuously falling onto the white dwarf. How exactly the white dwarf is accumulating, or accreting, this matter and where it arrives on the white dwarf depends on the strength of the white dwarf star’s magnetic field. In the case of EX Hydrae, its magnetic field is not strong enough to focus matter completely at the star’s poles. But, it is still rapidly adding mass to the accretion disk, earning the classification “intermediate polars. This artist’s concept depicts a smaller white dwarf star pulling material from a larger star, right, into an accretion disk. Earlier this year, scientists used NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer) to study a white dwarf star and its X-ray polarization. MIT/Jose-Luis Olivares By Michael Allen For the first time, scientists have used NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer) to study a white dwarf star. Using IXPE’s unique X-ray polarization capability, astronomers examined a star called the intermediate polar EX Hydrae, unlocking the geometry of energetic binary systems. In 2024, IXPE spent nearly one week focused on EX Hydrae, a white dwarf star system located in the constellation Hydra, approximately 200 light-years from Earth. A paper about the results published in the Astrophysical Journal. Astrophysics research scientists based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge led the study, along with co-authors at the University of Iowa, East Tennessee State University, University of Liége, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. A white dwarf star occurs after a star runs out of hydrogen fuel to fuse in its core but is not massive enough to explode as core-collapse supernovae. What remains is very dense, roughly the same diameter as Earth with as much mass as our Sun. EX Hydrae is in a binary system with a main sequence companion star, from which gas is continuously falling onto the white dwarf. How exactly the white dwarf is accumulating, or accreting, this matter and where it arrives on the white dwarf depends on the strength of the white dwarf star’s magnetic field. In the case of EX Hydrae, its magnetic field is not strong enough to focus matter completely at the star’s poles. But, it is still rapidly adding mass to the accretion disk, earning the classification “intermediate polars. In an intermediate polar system, material forms an accretion disk while also being pulled towards its magnetic poles. During this phenomenon, matter reaches tens of millions of degrees Fahrenheit, bouncing off other material bound to the white dwarf star, creating large columns of gas that emit high-energy X-rays – a cosmic situation perfect for IXPE to study. “NASA IXPE’s one-of-a-kind polarimetry capability allowed us to measure the height of the accreting column from the white dwarf star to be almost 2,000 miles high – without as many assumptions required as past calculations,” said Sean Gunderson, MIT scientist and lead author on the paper. “The X-rays we observed likely scattered off the white dwarf’s surface itself. These features are far smaller than we could hope to image directly and clearly show the power of polarimetry to ‘see’ these sources in detail never before possible.” Information from IXPE’s polarization data of EX Hydrae will help scientists understand other highly energetic binary systems. More about IXPE The IXPE mission, which continues to provide unprecedented data enabling groundbreaking discoveries about celestial objects across the universe, is a joint NASA and Italian Space Agency mission with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. It is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. BAE Systems, Inc., headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Learn more about IXPE’s ongoing mission here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Credit: NASA NASA announced Monday the selection of industry proposals to advance technologies for the agency’s Habitable Worlds Observatory concept – the first mission that would directly image Earth-like planets around stars like our Sun and study the chemical composition of their atmospheres for signs of life. This flagship space telescope also would enable wide-ranging studies of our universe and support future human exploration of Mars, our solar system, and beyond. “The Habitable Worlds Observatory is exactly the kind of bold, forward-leaning science that only NASA can undertake,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Humanity is waiting for the breakthroughs this mission is capable of achieving and the questions it could help us answer about life in the universe. We intend to move with urgency, and expedite timelines to the greatest extent possible to bring these discoveries to the world.” To achieve its science goals, the Habitable Worlds Observatory would need a stable optical system that moves no more than the width of an atom while it conducts observations. The mission also would require a coronagraph – an instrument that blocks the light of a star to better see its orbiting planets – thousands of times more capable than any space coronagraph ever built. The Habitable Worlds Observatory would be designed to allow servicing in space, to extend its lifetime and bolster its science over time. To further the readiness of these technologies, NASA has selected proposals for three-year, fixed-price contracts from the following companies: Astroscale U.S. Inc., Denver BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, Inc., Boulder, Colorado Busek Co. Inc, Natick, Massachusetts L3 Harris Technologies Inc., Rochester, New York Lockheed Martin Inc., Palo Alto, California Northrop Grumman Inc., Redondo Beach, California Zecoat Co. Inc., Granite City, Illinois “Are we alone in the universe? is an audacious question to answer, but one that our nation is poised to pursue, leveraging the groundwork we’ve laid from previous NASA flagship missions. With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA will chart new frontiers for humanity’s exploration of the cosmos,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Awards like these are a critical component of our incubator program for future missions, which combines government leadership with commercial innovation to make what is impossible today rapidly implementable in the future.” The newly selected proposals build on previous industry involvement, which began in 2017 under NASA’s “System-Level Segmented Telescope Design” solicitations and continued with awards for large space telescope technologies in 2024. The newly selected proposals will help inform NASA’s approach to planning for the Habitable Worlds Observatory concept, as the agency builds on technologies and lessons learned from its Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, and upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. To learn more about NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsScience Mission DirectorateAstrophysics DivisionMissions View the full article

Jupiter beams bright, Saturn and the Moon cozy up, and the Beehive Cluster appears Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest all year, the Moon and Saturn pair up, and the Beehive Cluster buzzes into view. Skywatching Highlights Jan. 10: Jupiter at opposition Jan. 23: Saturn and Moon conjunction Jan. (throughout): Beehive Cluster Transcript Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest The Moon and Saturn share the sky And the beehive cluster makes an appearance That’s what’s up, this January January 10, Jupiter will be at its most brilliant of the entire year! This night, Jupiter will be at what’s called “opposition,” meaning that Earth will be directly between Jupiter and the Sun. NASA/JPL-Caltech In this alignment, Jupiter will appear ******* and brighter in the night sky than it will all year – talk about starting off the new year bright! To see Jupiter at its best this year, look to the east and all evening long, you’ll be able to see the planet in the constellation Gemini. It will be one of the brightest objects in the night sky (only the moon and Venus will be brighter) Saturn and the Moon will share the sky on January 23rd as part of a conjunction! NASA/JPL-Caltech A conjunction is when objects in the sky look close together even though they’re actually far apart. To spot the pair, look to the west and you’ll see Saturn just below the moon, sparkling in the night sky. The beehive cluster will be visible in the night sky throughout January! The beehive cluster, more formally known as Messier 44, or M44, is made of at least 1,000 stars It’s an open star cluster, meaning it’s a loosely-bound group of stars. There are thousands of open star clusters like the beehive in the Milky Way Galaxy! NASA/JPL-Caltech To see the beehive cluster, look to the eastern night sky after sunset and before midnight throughout the month – especially great nights to spot the cluster are around the middle of January when the cluster isn’t too high or low in the sky to see. With dark skies you might be able to spot the beehive with just your eyes, but binoculars or a small telescope will help. Here are the phases of the Moon for January. NASA/JPL-Caltech You can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Chelsea Gohd from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA What’s Up Skywatching Galaxies Stars View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2026 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland *****@*****.tld Amy Oliver Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian Cambridge, Massachusetts Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Binary Stars Goddard Space Flight Center Stars The Universe

4 Min Read I Am Artemis: Jacki Mahaffey Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II chief training officer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, stands in front of the Orion mockup in Johnson's Space Vehicle Mockup Center. Credits: NASA/Rad Sinyak Listen to this audio excerpt from Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II chief training officer: 0:00 / 0:00 Your browser does not support the audio element. When the Artemis II crew travels around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, they will have spent countless hours training for their lunar mission, and Jacki Mahaffey will have played a role in preparing them for their journey. As the Artemis II chief training officer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mahaffey manages the planning, development, and implementation of the astronauts’ training and integrated simulations. Her job is to ensure that when the Artemis II crew travels around the Moon inside Orion, the astronauts and flight controllers are ready for every moment — expected and unexpected. Training is all risk mitigation for the mission. By preparing the astronauts and flight controllers for what they might encounter, we enable mission success. Jacki Mahaffey Artemis II Chief Training Officer The Artemis II crew began their rigorous training in 2023, but the work of Mahaffey and her team started long before that. Years before the training began, her team gathered the experts on how to operate the different aspects of Orion, and what the crew will need to know to execute their mission. “One of my favorite moments from that process was when we all got together in one room, and everyone brought a piece of paper for every single lesson or training event that they expected to do with the crew,” Mahaffey said. “And we laid the entire thing out to figure out what’s the most logical order to put all of this training in, to help build that big picture for the crew.” Training for Artemis II began shortly after the crew was announced, with Mahaffey and her team introducing the astronauts to Orion’s systems and operational basics. Once the necessary simulators and mockups were ready, the crew transitioned into hands-on training to build familiarity with their spacecraft. At Johnson, Mahaffey’s team utilizes a range of specialized facilities, including the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, where astronauts rehearse living and working inside the Orion mockup; the Orion Mission Simulator, which replicates flight software and displays; and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, where the crew practices water survival techniques for post-splashdown scenarios. Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II Chief Training Officer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, stands in front of the Orion mockup in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.NASA/Rad Sinyak “We try to simulate as much as we can here on Earth,” said Mahaffey. “But we still have gravity, so we rely on the crew’s experience to imagine how they’ll use the space in microgravity” Three of the four Artemis II astronauts have flown in space before, and Mahaffey sees their experience as a powerful asset. They bring insights that shape procedures and training plans, and they learn from each other’s unique problem-solving styles. “They are teaching us back about how to have that crew perspective of working in space and the things that are going to matter most,” she said. Mahaffey’s journey began with a love for engineering and a role as a flight controller in Johnson’s Mission Control Center. She found joy in training others and eventually transitioned into a full-time training role. Now, she leads a team of about 100 contributors, all working to prepare the crew for their historic mission. “I didn’t start out wanting to be a trainer — I studied engineering because I loved physics and math,” she said. “But as the job shifted toward applying that engineering knowledge, communicating, and planning how to operate a spacecraft, the natural next step was teaching others.” In our organization, once you’ve learned to fish, you teach someone else to fish. Jacki Mahaffey Artemis II Chief Training Officer For Mahaffey, Artemis is a bridge connecting her family’s legacy with the future of space exploration. Her grandfather worked on control systems for Apollo, and she sees her work as a continuation of that story, now with more advanced technology and new frontiers. “We’re doing some of the same things Apollo did, but expanding on them,” she said. “We’re learning more about the Moon, our Earth’s history, and how we’ll get to Mars.” Her role during Artemis II also includes serving as an Artemis capcom, short for capsule communicator, the position in mission control that directly communicates with the crew members. Mahaffey plans to work the entry shift for Artemis II — helping to guide the crew to splashdown and ensuring their safe recovery. The moment will be a culmination of her entire team’s hard work. “I’ll feel good when the recovery forces report that the hatch is open,” Mahaffey said. “That moment will be incredible.”  The Artemis II crew’s Chief Training Officer Jacki Mahaffey smiles during post insertion and deorbit preparation training at Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas. The crew practiced getting the Orion spacecraft configured once in orbit, how to make it habitable, and suited up in their entry pressure suits to prepare for their return from the Moon. Credit: NASA/Mark Sowa About the AuthorErika Peters Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2026 Related TermsI Am ArtemisArtemis 2Johnson Flight OperationsOrion Multi-Purpose Crew VehicleOrion Program Explore More 3 min read I Am Artemis: Jen Madsen and Trey Perryman Article 1 week ago 3 min read Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Anne McClain is pictured near one of the International Space Station’s main solar arrays during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost’s power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.Credit: NASA NASA astronauts will conduct two spacewalks Thursday, Jan. 8, and Thursday, Jan. 15, outside the International Space Station, and the agency will provide comprehensive coverage. The first spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. EST on Jan. 8 and last about six hours and 30 minutes. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 6:30 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. During U.S. spacewalk 94, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman will exit the station’s Quest airlock to prepare the 2A power channel for future installation of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays. Once installed, the array will provide additional power for the orbital laboratory, including critical support of its safe and controlled deorbit. Fincke will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes, while Cardman will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. This spacewalk will be Cardman’s first and Fincke’s 10th, tying him for the most spacewalks by a NASA astronaut. The second spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7:10 a.m. on Jan. 15 and last about 6 hours and 30 minutes. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 5:40 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. During U.S. spacewalk 95, two NASA astronauts will replace a high-definition camera on camera port 3, install a new navigational aid for visiting spacecraft, called a planar reflector, on the Harmony module’s forward port, and relocate an early ammonia servicer jumper — a flexible hose assembly that connects parts of a fluid system — along with other jumpers on the station’s S6 and S4 truss. NASA will announce which astronauts are scheduled for the second spacewalk after the Jan. 8 spacewalk. The spacewalks will be the 278th and 279th in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades. Also, they are the first two International Space Station spacewalks of 2026, and the first by Expedition 74. Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at: [Hidden Content] -end- Josh Finch / Jimi Russell Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)Johnson Space Center View the full article

Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 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 Dark Matter Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Related Links and Documents Science Paper: “The First RELHIC? Cloud-9 is a Starless Gas Cloud” by G. Anand et al., PDF (15.34 MB) Release on ESA/Hubble website

NASA/Scott Battaion A scientific balloon starts its ascent into the air as it prepares to launch carrying NASA’s Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) mission. The mission lifted off from Antarctica at 5:56 a.m. NZST, Saturday, Dec. 20 (11:56 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19 in U.S. Eastern Time). The PUEO mission is designed to detect radio signals created when highly energetic particles called neutrinos from space hit the ice. The PUEO payload will collect data that give us insight into events like the creation of ****** holes and neutron star mergers. Alongside the PUEO mission are two other balloons carrying calibration equipment sending test signals to help scientists make sure the payload equipment is working correctly when it tries to detect real signals from space. Track the balloons in realtime. Image credit: NASA/Scott Battaion View the full article

Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory An Amphitheater of Rock at… 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 Search 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 June 18, 2025 When people stand at the rim of the amphitheater in Utah’s Cedar Breaks National Monument and look down on an otherworldly landscape of multicolored rock spires, pinnacles, and other geologic oddities, they’re looking across tens of millions of years of Earth’s history. The same can be said when viewing the bowl-shaped escarpment from space. The OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 captured this view of the amphitheater’s semicircular rim and deeply eroded drainages on June 18, 2025. The erosive power of water from Ashdown Creek and several tributaries, along with relentless physical and chemical weathering, is evident in the many channels, cliffs, and canyons that radiate outward from the rim and define the escarpment and amphitheater. The feature’s striking rock formations are composed of sedimentary rock layers laid down roughly 50 to 25 million years ago within a basin that, at times, held a large body of water called Lake Claron. Many of the amphitheater’s limestone layers began as sediments that settled on its lakebed as carbonate-rich muds. Differences in rock type and color, evident in the layering seen in ground photographs and to a degree in Landsat images, reflect differences in environmental conditions during deposition. Lake Claron, for instance, was sometimes quite deep, but during dry periods it was shallow or nonexistent. In wet conditions, iron in muddy sediments was scarce or had too little exposure to oxygen to oxidize, or rust, leaving the resulting rock white or gray. During drier periods, iron in sediments had greater exposure to oxygen, forming minerals that turned layers red and orange. After deposition, slow-moving tectonic forces lifted all these rock layers upward, ultimately putting them at the top of the Grand Staircase—an immense sedimentary sequence that stretches south from Cedar Breaks and Bryce Canyon, through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Zion Canyon, and finally into the Grand Canyon. Younger rock layers are found at the top of the sequence and older layers at the bottom. The rim at Cedar Breaks, the top of the staircase, sits about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level, roughly 7,000 feet above the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The high elevation influences everything from the weather to the plants and animals that live there. Winters are long, cold, and snowy, with nearby Brian Head seeing 30 feet (10 meters) of snowfall each year on average. While the cool temperatures and short growing season are an impediment to many types of vegetation, the slow-growing and notoriously long-lived bristlecone pines found along the escarpment’s rim use the harsh conditions to their advantage. Slow growth makes their wood unusually dense, which protects the trees from disease and insects. Likewise, their ability to survive in thin soils, on mostly barren limestone outcrops where little else can grow, protects them from wildfires. Some of the oldest bristlecones in the monument are more than 1,700 years old. Sitting atop the sedimentary layers, signs of a more volcanically active ******* also appear in the image. The dark basaltic lava flows visible to the east of the amphitheater formed between 5 million and 10,000 years ago, when several volcanoes on the Markagunt Plateau erupted regularly. Areas of soft, gray rock around the summit of Brian Head—now the site of a ski resort—formed when pyroclastic flows left deposits of tuff strewn across the landscape. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland. References & Resources Cedar Breaks National Monument Bristlecone Pines. Accessed December 18, 2025. Global Volcanism Program (2013) Markagunt Plateau. Accessed December 18, 2025. NASA Earth Observatory (2025) U.S. National Parks from Space. Accessed December 18, 2025. National Park Service (2025) Cedar Breaks National Monument. Accessed December 18, 2025. National Park Service (2025) Grand Staircase. Accessed December 18, 2025. National Park Service (2006) Cedar Breaks National Monument Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Accessed December 18, 2025. Zion Natural History Association, via Internet Archive (1985) Geologic Cross Section of the Cedar Breaks-Zion-Grand Canyon Region. Accessed December 18, 2025. Downloads June 18, 2025 JPEG (9.75 MB) 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. Browns Canyon National Monument 2 min read The remote and rugged landscape in central Colorado is known for outdoor recreation by day and exceptional stargazing by night. Article Dark Skies Over the Great Basin 5 min read Far from large urban areas, Great Basin National Park offers unencumbered views of the night sky and opportunities to study… Article Fire Burns Through Olympic Wilderness 2 min read The Bear Gulch fire spread through dense forest and filled skies with smoke in northwestern Washington 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 View the full article

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy NGC 4388, a member of the Virgo galaxy cluster.ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. Veilleux, J. Wang, J. Greene A sideways spiral galaxy shines in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. Located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (the Maiden), NGC 4388 is a resident of the Virgo galaxy cluster. This enormous cluster of galaxies contains more than a thousand members and is the nearest large galaxy cluster to the Milky Way. NGC 4388 appears to tilt at an extreme angle relative to our point of view, giving us a nearly edge-on prospect of the galaxy. This perspective reveals a curious feature that wasn’t visible in a previous Hubble image of this galaxy released in 2016: a plume of gas from the galaxy’s nucleus, here seen billowing out from the galaxy’s disk toward the lower-right corner of the image. But where did this outflow come from, and why does it glow? The answer likely lies in the vast stretches of space that separate the galaxies of the Virgo cluster. Though the space between galaxies appears empty, this space is occupied by hot wisps of gas called the intracluster medium. As NGC 4388 moves within the Virgo cluster, it plunges through the intracluster medium. Pressure from hot intracluster gas whisks away gas from within NGC 4388’s disk, causing it to trail behind as NGC 4388 moves. The source of the ionizing energy that causes this gas cloud to glow is more uncertain. Researchers suspect that some of the energy comes from the center of the galaxy, where a supermassive ****** hole spins gas around it into a superheated disk. The blazing radiation from this disk might ionize the gas closest to the galaxy, while shock waves might be responsible for ionizing filaments of gas farther out. This image incorporates new data, including several additional wavelengths of light, that bring the ionized gas cloud into view. The image holds data from several observing programs that aim to illuminate galaxies with active ****** holes at their centers. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. Veilleux, J. Wang, J. Greene View the full article

Explore This Section Earth Earth Observer Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam Announcements More Archives Conference Schedules Style Guide 2 min read 2025 AAS Town Hall Schedule 247th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 8:30AM – 6:0PM NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) 301D Josh Pepper, Dawn Gelino, Karl Stapelfeldt, Nick Siegler, Jessie Christiansen SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 8:30AM – 12:15PM NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) 301D 9:00AM – 2:00PM NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (COPAG) Peter Kurczynski 7:30PM – 9:30PM NASA’s Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG) Francesca Civano NASA’s Joint Program Analysis Group Shawn Domagal-Goldman MONDAY, JANUARY 5 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM NASA Update West Building 301AB Shawn Domagal-Goldman 2:00 PM- 3:30 PM Beyond the Mid-Decadal: Community Inputs for Space Mission Concepts Toward Astro 2030 335B TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 9:30AM – 10:30AM Active Galatic Nuclei SIG 131A 10:00AM – 11:30AM NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory 224 B Robert Zellem 10:00AM – 11:30AM A NICER Look at the Energetic Universe 225 B 5:30PM – 6:30PM NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory Exhibit Hall B/C/D 6:00PM – 8:00PM NASA-DARES Community Update 126 C WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 9:30AM – 10:00AM NASA Cosmic Pathfinders Program 127 A/B 10:00AM – 11:30AM NASA Infrared Science and Technology Interest Group 231 A/B/C 10:00AM – 11:30AM Introducing NASA’s Astrophysics Cross-Observatory Science Support (ACROSS) Facility 226 B Brian Humensky 1:00PM – 2:30PM Get Involved with NASA Citizen Science 226 C 2:00PM – 3:30PM Meeting of NASA’s Active Galactic Nuclei Science Interest Group (AGN SIG) TBD 3:00PM – 4:30PM Get Involved with NASA Citizen Science Exhibit Hall B/C/D 5:30PM – 6:00PM NASA Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology Interest Group 231 A/B/C View the full article