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NASA Announces New Opportunity for Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science

NASA Announces New Opportunity for Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science

NASA has released Amendment 68 to the ROSES-2025, introducing the D.8 Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigations (HWO-PSI). This initiative aims to advance the scientific foundation for a potential future mission designed to search for life outside our solar system. The HWO mission concept, recommended by the National Academies' decadal survey, would perform transformative science across astrophysics and planetary science. Proposals for the HWO-PSI program are due by October 26, 2026, and will undergo dual anonymous peer review.
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NASA Releases Detailed Schedule for Ad ASTRA Community Workshop

NASA Releases Detailed Schedule for Ad ASTRA Community Workshop

NASA has announced the detailed schedule for the upcoming Ad ASTRA Community Workshop, set to take place from September 1-3, 2026. The workshop, part of the Astrophysics Strategic Technology & Research Accelerator (ASTRA) initiative, will feature a series of talks and poster presentations. The abstracts for these presentations have been sorted and are available in a PDF booklet on the workshop's webpage. The event aims to bring together members of the astrophysics community to discuss advancements and strategies in the field. Dr. Ron Gamble and Dr. Bernard Kelly, support scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, are involved in organizing the workshop.
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Jupiter's Moon Europa: New Measurement Reveals Thick Ice Shell Over Saltwater Ocean

Jupiter's Moon Europa: New Measurement Reveals Thick Ice Shell Over Saltwater Ocean

Recent measurements from NASA's Juno mission have revealed that Jupiter's moon Europa has a thick ice shell, estimated to be about 29 kilometers thick, covering a vast saltwater ocean. This ice layer is significantly thicker than previously thought, posing challenges for future missions aiming to explore the ocean beneath. The data was collected using Juno's Microwave Radiometer, which measured microwave emissions to estimate the ice's thickness. This finding contributes to the ongoing debate about the thickness of Europa's ice shell and its implications for the moon's potential habitability.
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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns to Earth After Completing ISS Mission

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns to Earth After Completing ISS Mission

NASA astronaut Chris Williams has returned to Earth after an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, landed safely in Kazakhstan on July 26, 2026. The mission, which began on November 27, 2025, involved extensive scientific research and station maintenance. During their 241 days in space, the crew completed 3,856 orbits of Earth, covering over 102 million miles. Williams participated in two spacewalks, contributing to the station's power system upgrades and the maintenance of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The mission aimed to advance scientific understanding and prepare for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
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NASA's Juno Reveals Unexpected Heat in Io's Subsurface

NASA's Juno Reveals Unexpected Heat in Io's Subsurface

NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered that Jupiter's moon Io is hotter beneath its surface than previously predicted by scientific models. During two recent flybys, Juno detected subsurface temperatures that exceeded expectations, despite Io's known extreme volcanic activity. The findings also revealed that large areas of Io's surface are smoother than anticipated. These observations are significant as Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system, with its internal heat driven by tidal forces from Jupiter's gravity. The data collected will help refine models of heat distribution and surface dynamics on Io.
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NASA's Hubble Telescope Reveals Decline in Star Formation in Andromeda Galaxy

NASA's Hubble Telescope Reveals Decline in Star Formation in Andromeda Galaxy

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided new insights into the Andromeda galaxy, revealing a significant decline in star formation over the past 500 million years. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, utilized data from two Hubble surveys to map two-thirds of Andromeda's disk in detail, measuring about 200 million individual stars. The findings indicate that Andromeda, a spiral galaxy similar in size to the Milky Way and located approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth, has experienced a steep drop in star formation, particularly in the last 40 million years. The research team, led by astronomers from the University of Washington, discovered that the rate of star formation has decreased from about one solar mass per year 500 million years ago to about one-fifth of a solar mass per year currently. The decline is primarily observed in a star-forming ring located 32,000 light-years from the galaxy's center.
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NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Viking 1's Historic Mars Landing

NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Viking 1's Historic Mars Landing

NASA commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Viking 1 mission, which marked humanity's first successful landing on Mars and the transmission of images from the Martian surface. Viking 1 landed on July 20, 1976, and provided the first view of Mars' surface, revealing a rocky terrain. The mission was a significant milestone in space exploration, paving the way for future Mars missions. Viking 1's success demonstrated the feasibility of landing on another planet and conducting scientific experiments remotely.
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NASA Prepares Roman Space Telescope for August Launch with Successful Fueling

NASA Prepares Roman Space Telescope for August Launch with Successful Fueling

NASA has successfully fueled the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, marking a significant step towards its scheduled launch in late August. The fueling process involved loading 290 gallons of hydrazine fuel into the observatory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This fuel will power the telescope's thrusters, enabling it to maintain its orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, located about one million miles from Earth. The Roman Space Telescope is designed to study thousands of exoplanets and the mystery of dark energy, with a primary mission duration of five years and potential for an additional five years. The launch is set for August 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns After Successful ISS Mission

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns After Successful ISS Mission

NASA astronaut Chris Williams has returned to Earth after an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts, landed safely in Kazakhstan on July 26, 2026. The mission involved extensive scientific research, station maintenance, and international collaboration. Williams participated in two spacewalks, contributing to the station's power system upgrades and the maintenance of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The mission aimed to advance scientific understanding and prepare for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
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NASA Announces New Deadline for Heliophysics Research Proposals

NASA Announces New Deadline for Heliophysics Research Proposals

NASA has announced a new deadline for the submission of Step-2 proposals for the Heliophysics Foundational Research (HFR) program. The deadline is now set for September 25, 2026. This program is part of NASA's efforts to advance the understanding of the Sun-Heliosphere-Planetary system, focusing on the fundamental physical processes that govern heliophysical phenomena. The announcement also includes updates to the requirements for Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support, which are detailed in the Requirements for Expertise and Resources Document. Only those who submitted a Step-1 proposal and were invited to proceed can submit a Step-2 proposal. This initiative is part of NASA's broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2025 program.
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NASA Announces New Due Date for Heliophysics Research Proposals, Updates Submission Requirements

NASA Announces New Due Date for Heliophysics Research Proposals, Updates Submission Requirements

NASA has announced a new due date for the Step-2 proposals of the B.2 Heliophysics Foundational Research (HFR) program, which is now set for September 25, 2026. This program is part of NASA's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2025 initiative. The HFR program focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of the Sun-Heliosphere-Planetary system, emphasizing the drivers and processes that shape heliophysical phenomena. Only those who submitted a Step-1 proposal and were invited can submit a Step-2 proposal. Additionally, NASA has updated the requirements for Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending Support, as detailed in the Requirements for Expertise and Resources Not Anonymized (E&R) Document.
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NASA's Juno Mission Unveils Io's Subsurface Heat Dynamics

NASA's Juno Mission Unveils Io's Subsurface Heat Dynamics

NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided new insights into the subsurface heat dynamics of Jupiter's moon Io. During close flybys, Juno's Microwave Radiometer (MWR) detected a steep temperature gradient beneath Io's surface, indicating significant internal heat flow. This discovery suggests that Io's volcanic activity is driven by tidal heating, a process where gravitational interactions with Jupiter and other moons generate internal friction and heat. The findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, reveal that Io's surface temperature rises by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit within several feet, a phenomenon not solely attributable to solar heating.