Photo of the Day What are these little red dots (LRDs)? Nobody knows. Discovered only last year, hundreds of LRDs have now been found by the James Webb Space Telescope in the early universe. Although extremely faint, LRDs are now frequently identified in deep observations made for other purposes. A wide-ranging debate is raging [...]
NASA/Adeline Morgan Santa Claus (NASA engineer Guy Naylor) poses with NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft and SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 11, 2025. The Orion spacecraft was stacked atop the SLS in October 2025. Set to launch in early 2026, the [...]
Photo of the Day What's happening in the sky? Lightning. The most commonly seen type of lightning involves flashes of bright white light between clouds. Over the past 50 years, though, other types of upper-atmospheric lightning have been confirmed, including tentacled red sprites and ringed ELVES. Although both last only a small fraction of [...]
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 5 min read OPERA: Addressing Societal Needs with Satellite Data Introduction The Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA) project represents a strategic initiative designed [...]
3 Min Read Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew Members of the Artemis II closeout crew, from left, William Sattler; Tyler Sutherland; Michael Heinemann; Christian Warriner; Jenni Gibbons, Artemis II backup crew member; Bill Owens; Taylor Hose; and Andre Douglas, Artemis II backup crew member, pose for a photo with [...]
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani From left to right, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman stand outside before boarding their Orion spacecraft inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. [...]
SWE member Sweety Seelam discusses how women in engineering can rebuild their confidence, communication, and career resilience. Source
3 Min Read Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch NASA’s launch and mission teams, along with the Artemis II crew, completed a key test Dec. 20, a countdown demonstration test, ahead of the Artemis II flight around the Moon early next year. The astronauts, supported by launch and flight control [...]
NASA Astronaut Nick Hague NASA astronaut Brig. Gen. Nick Hague has retired from the agency, concluding a distinguished career that included two spaceflight missions, 374 days in space, and multiple spacewalks in support of the International Space Station. Hague continues service in the U.S. Space Force. Hague launched aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft in March 2019 from [...]
3 Min Read I Am Artemis: Grace Lauderdale Grace Lauderdale, exploration project manager for the Training Systems Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, sits inside the Orion Mission Simulator used for training the Artemis II crew and flight control team. Credits: NASA/Rad Sinyak Listen to this audio excerpt from Grace Lauderdale, exploration project manager for [...]
