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Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket

This astronaut set to make history during next spacewalk outside ISS

This astronaut set to make history during next spacewalk outside ISS

The ESA's Sophie Adenot will become the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk during the next excursion outside the International Space Station.

A SpaceX rocket slammed into the moon. NASA's new photos show aftermath

A SpaceX rocket slammed into the moon. NASA's new photos show aftermath

NASA's lunar orbiter returned photos from the crash site where a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket had left a 60-foot crater on the surface of the moon.

Palm Springs Desert Sun

SpaceX plans Vandenberg rocket launch tonight. How to watch live

SpaceX plans Vandenberg rocket launch tonight. How to watch live

Another SpaceX rocket launch is on tap today (Aug. 18) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Here's how you can watch a livestream.

NASA's Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Titan Confirmed for July 2028 Launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy

NASA's Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Titan Confirmed for July 2028 Launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy

NASA's Dragonfly mission, a nuclear-powered rotorcraft designed to explore Saturn's moon Titan, is scheduled for launch in July 2028 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. The mission involves a six-and-a-half-year journey, with arrival at Titan anticipated in December 2034. Dragonfly will then embark on a nominal surface mission of approximately 3.3 years. The rotorcraft, weighing about 875 kilograms and featuring eight 1.35-meter coaxial rotor blades, is engineered to fly through Titan's dense atmosphere, land, collect and analyze samples, and then relocate to new sites. This capability allows for comparative analysis across various terrains, including dunes, interdunes, and crater ejecta. The mission's total cost baseline, established in 2024, is approximately $3.35 billion, reflecting previous schedule adjustments due to funding, pandemic impacts, supply-chain issues, and development challenges. Recent progress includes the completion of structural testing f...

NASA and University of Copenhagen Researchers Uncover Clues to Astronaut Constipation in Space

NASA and University of Copenhagen Researchers Uncover Clues to Astronaut Constipation in Space

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with NASA, have identified potential reasons behind the common issue of constipation among astronauts in space. By analyzing blood samples from 52 astronauts who spent months on the International Space Station (ISS), the study found that changes in gut bacteria activity begin relatively soon after entering space. Within weeks of leaving Earth, astronauts showed increased protein fermentation in their intestines, a process that continued throughout their missions and normalized upon their return. This phenomenon is believed to be linked to the absence of gravity, which may slow down the movement of food through the digestive system, leading gut bacteria to break down protein instead of fiber. The study utilized a non-targeted metabolomics approach, analyzing a wide range of metabolites in the blood to identify changes associated with spaceflight, and found consistent increases in markers of protein fermentation across a relatively large sample ...

NASA Johnson Space Center Photographers Document Human Spaceflight Milestones

NASA Johnson Space Center Photographers Document Human Spaceflight Milestones

Photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston are actively documenting critical moments in human spaceflight, capturing everything from astronaut training and engineering tests to mission control operations and milestone celebrations. This team, including Robert Markowitz, Bill Stafford, James Blair, Helen Arase Vargas, and Luna Posadas Nava, preserves the history of space exploration and highlights the individuals and teams driving future missions. Robert Markowitz, with over three decades of experience, has documented the space shuttle program, 25 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station, and the Artemis II mission. Bill Stafford focuses on framing images to convey the significance of moments, while James Blair brings a photojournalism background to document people and technology. Helen Arase Vargas, with a background in photojournalism and aerospace photography, emphasizes public interest and the ethical aspects of her work. Luna Posadas Nava, who joined before the...

Hubble and James Webb Telescopes Collaborate to Capture 'Black Eye Galaxy' Image

Hubble and James Webb Telescopes Collaborate to Capture 'Black Eye Galaxy' Image

The Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have collaborated to produce a composite image of the 'Black Eye Galaxy,' also known as Messier 64. This spiral galaxy is situated 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy is notable for its unique internal motion, where the gas in its outer regions rotates in the opposite direction to the gas and stars closer to its core. To create this detailed image, astronomers combined observations from JWST, which captured near and mid-infrared wavelengths, with Hubble's data from ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. This joint effort showcases the complementary capabilities of these powerful space observatories.

ESCAPADE Mission to Search for Visible Martian Auroras with Advanced Cameras

ESCAPADE Mission to Search for Visible Martian Auroras with Advanced Cameras

The ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission, led by the University of California, Berkeley, is equipped with Visible and Infrared Observation System cameras to detect visible Martian auroras and analyze the thermal properties of Mars' surface and atmosphere. These cameras, provided by Northern Arizona University, recently captured images of Earth and the Moon from a distance of 363,250 miles and 115,600 miles, respectively. These images, taken on July 3, serve as a calibration check for the mission's instruments. The spacecraft are currently in a 'loiter' orbit around Lagrange point 2 and are scheduled to use Earth's gravity in November 2026 to slingshot towards Mars, arriving in September 2027. The mission aims to study the interaction between solar wind and the Martian environment, specifically how it contributes to atmospheric loss on the Red Planet. The ESCAPADE mission is funded by NASA’s Heliophysics Division and is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Plane...

NASA's Pioneer Network Gave Scientists Multiple Views of Solar Activity

NASA's Pioneer Network Gave Scientists Multiple Views of Solar Activity

The Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9 space probes, part of NASA's broader Pioneer program, represented a significant leap in humanity's ability to understand...

Four NASA Probes Gave Scientists a New View of the Sun's Magnetic Field

Four NASA Probes Gave Scientists a New View of the Sun's Magnetic Field

The Pioneer 6, 7, 8, and 9 space probes, launched by NASA as part of the broader Pioneer program, were specifically designed to unlock the mysterie...

Hubble and James Webb Telescopes Collaborate to Capture 'Black Eye Galaxy' in Composite Image

Hubble and James Webb Telescopes Collaborate to Capture 'Black Eye Galaxy' in Composite Image

The Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have combined their observations to create a new composite image of the 'Black Eye Galaxy,' also known as Messier 64. This spiral galaxy, located 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices, is notable for its distinctive appearance and unusual internal motion. Discovered in 1779, the Black Eye Galaxy is characterized by gas in its outer regions rotating in the opposite direction to the gas and stars closer to its center, creating a unique 'hypnotizing stare.' The composite image was created by integrating near and mid-infrared wavelength observations from JWST with ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared observations from Hubble, showcasing the complementary capabilities of these powerful space telescopes.