4 min readPreparations 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 [...]
3 Min Read Dim Delights in Cancer 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) Cancer the Crab is a dim constellation, yet it [...]
NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir’s reflection is captured in a spacesuit helmet visor. The visor assembly is coated with a microscopic layer of gold that reflects infrared radiation to protect an astronaut’s eyes while allowing visible light to pass through. Meir was working inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock, installing [...]
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. [...]
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, [...]
The bigger 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 [...]
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2, carrying NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft, arrives Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to troubleshoot the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Once complete, the SLS rocket will roll back to Launch Complex 39B to prepare to launch four [...]
Photo of the Day If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe containing billions of stars and situated about 40 million light-years away toward the constellation of the Dolphinfish (Dorado), NGC 1566 presents a gorgeous face-on view. Classified as a grand design spiral, NGC [...]
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 [...]
2 Min Read SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PIA26731 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU 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 [...]
