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ISS National Lab Reaches 1,000-Payload Milestone, Highlighting Commercialization in Low Earth Orbit

ISS National Lab Reaches 1,000-Payload Milestone, Highlighting Commercialization in Low Earth Orbit

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, is celebrating 15 years of operations and has reached a significant milestone: over 1,000 ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads delivered to the orbiting laboratory. This achievement occurred during NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission. These payloads encompass a wide range of scientific and technological fields, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, advanced materials, Earth observation, physical sciences, in-space manufacturing, and student-led investigations. The research conducted through these payloads has resulted in over 675 peer-reviewed publications, with more than 20% appearing in top-tier journals. When CASIS began managing the ISS National Lab, there were only two commercially owned and operated facilities on the space station; now, there are 24, significantly expanding research capabilities and supporting the growth of commerc...

NASA Awards Blue Origin Contract for Mars Telecommunications Network Development

NASA Awards Blue Origin Contract for Mars Telecommunications Network Development

NASA has awarded Blue Origin a contract to develop the agency's Mars Telecommunications Network. This next-generation communications system is designed to provide reliable, high-bandwidth communication and navigation services for current and future Mars missions. The firm-fixed-price contract has a potential value of approximately $700 million, with Blue Origin tasked to deliver a high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter to NASA by December 31, 2028. Blue Origin will be responsible for the design, development, integration, launch, and operation of this network, which will be a part of NASA's broader space communications and navigation infrastructure. The network will feature a high-performance telecommunications spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitting science data, imagery, navigation information, and critical mission communications for spacecraft operating on and around the planet. This initiative follows NASA's request for proposal issued in May and aligns with the agency's strategy to expand comm...

Scientists find a huge 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn's south pole

Scientists find a huge 10-sided wave pattern swirling in the clouds over Saturn's south pole

Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee Commends NASA's Roman Telescope Launch and Discloses Q2 Fundraising

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee Commends NASA's Roman Telescope Launch and Discloses Q2 Fundraising

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, alongside Representative Zoe Lofgren, congratulated NASA and its partners on the successful launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Kennedy Space Center. Foushee lauded the launch as a 'historic achievement,' acknowledging the contributions from NASA Goddard, contractors, academic partners, and scientists from Duke and North Carolina Central University. This new flagship observatory is designed to explore significant questions in astronomy, including the study of galaxies, dark matter, black holes, and exoplanets. In other news, Foushee's Q2 FEC disclosure, filed on July 15, 2026, revealed $88.6K in fundraising, with 49.2% originating from individual donors. She also reported $71.4K in spending and $47.8K in cash on hand at the end of the filing period. Her estimated net worth is $207.5K as of September 1, 2026.

NASA Research Indicates Human Microbes May Survive on Moon's South Pole, Raising Contamination Concerns for Future Missions

NASA Research Indicates Human Microbes May Survive on Moon's South Pole, Raising Contamination Concerns for Future Missions

A recent NASA study, published in Science Advances, suggests that human-related microbes could survive for extended periods on the lunar surface, particularly in the Moon's south polar regions. Researchers, led by Prabal Saxena of Goddard Space Flight Center, mapped where five common human-associated microbes (three bacteria: Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Deinococcus; and two fungi: Aspergillus, Fusarium) could withstand the Moon's harsh conditions, specifically ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Contrary to expectations that survivable microbes would cluster only in permanently shadowed regions, the study found survivable pockets spread across the entire polar regions. This is largely due to the lower UV radiation levels at the poles compared to the equator, and the ability of even small surface features to cast shadows that offer protection. The fungus Aspergillus demonstrated the highest survivability, lasting for a week or longer in some areas. The study highlights that spacesuits are not completely sealed and ca...

The Columbus Dispatch

Carl Walz went from watching Neil Armstrong to setting a space record

Carl Walz went from watching Neil Armstrong to setting a space record

Astronaut Carl Walz applied multiple times to NASA's astronaut program before he was finally accepted.

Sierra Space Secures National Security and Commercial Contracts for Dream Chaser's Inaugural Flight

Sierra Space Secures National Security and Commercial Contracts for Dream Chaser's Inaugural Flight

Sierra Space, a defense-tech space company based in Colorado, has announced securing contracts with undisclosed national security and commercial customers for payloads on the inaugural flight of its Dream Chaser spaceplane. The Dream Chaser is a unique commercial, reusable, and runway-capable orbital spaceplane designed to return cargo from orbit at less than 1.5g and land on any 737-capable runway. This inaugural mission is significant as it will serve national security, commercial, and civil customers, including NASA's Cargo Resupply Services program, on a single flight. According to Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Sierra Space, this establishes a new operational model where one platform serves multiple customer types, highlighting the multi-use space economy. The spaceplane's design allows for hardware with partial space certification, reducing development costs and accelerating time to orbit. Sierra Space is currently finalizing the manifest for this mission, which will launch from Kennedy Space Center, conduct ...

NASA Opens New Vertical Wind Tunnel at Langley Research Center, Enhancing Aerospace Testing Capabilities

NASA Opens New Vertical Wind Tunnel at Langley Research Center, Enhancing Aerospace Testing Capabilities

NASA has inaugurated its first major new wind tunnel in over 40 years, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF), at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This facility replaces two older Langley tunnels, the 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel and the 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel, which had been in operation since 1941 and 1939, respectively. The FDRF features a 20-foot-wide test chamber where four 750-horsepower motors drive fans to push air upwards at speeds up to 117 mph. This vertical airflow allows engineers to test models of aircraft and spacecraft in free-flight conditions, simulating stalls, spins, and atmospheric entry without physical restraints. The facility integrates major test rigs, instruments, and data systems from its predecessors, aiming to reduce costs and development time. This new wind tunnel is designed to provide a physical environment for testing that complements computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, offering real-world data on how air interacts with objects.

MIT Researchers Propose High-Orbit Laser Satellites for Lunar Navigation

MIT Researchers Propose High-Orbit Laser Satellites for Lunar Navigation

Researchers at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory are proposing a new deep-space navigational system called LIght High-Orbit Utility Signal Emitter (LightHOUSE) to address the growing infrastructure complications in cislunar space. The current Deep Space Network (DSN), developed in the 1950s, is becoming overwhelmed by the increasing number of missions, leading to hours-long delays in obtaining precise orbital locations for spacecraft. LightHOUSE would involve launching a fleet of three satellites into an orbit approximately 1.6 million kilometers above Earth's surface, significantly farther than the Earth-Moon distance. This system aims to provide a GPS-like navigation capability for lunar and deep-space missions, improving efficiency and precision compared to the Earth-bound DSN.

NASA's Roman telescope is in space. But don't expect photos until 2027

NASA's Roman telescope is in space. But don't expect photos until 2027

Here's what to know about the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, as well as what's next for NASA's latest astronomical observatory.

NASA's Voyager 1 Probe Carried Censored Image of Human Reproduction

NASA's Voyager 1 Probe Carried Censored Image of Human Reproduction

In 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 probe, now venturing into interstellar space, carried a Golden Record intended to communicate humanity's story to potential extraterrestrial civilizations. This record, curated by astronomer Carl Sagan, included 116 images, sounds, music, and greetings. Among the images considered, a photograph depicting a naked man and a naked pregnant woman was initially selected to illustrate human reproduction. However, at the last moment before launch, NASA prohibited this image. This decision was influenced by previous controversies surrounding naked human silhouettes on the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes. As a compromise, a stylized outline of a couple with a fetus was used instead of the photograph, reflecting a tension between scientific accuracy and societal modesty.

A rare all-female spacewalk happens today. Here's how to watch live

A rare all-female spacewalk happens today. Here's how to watch live

NASA's Jessica Meir and the ESA's Sophie Adenot will take part in just the sixth-ever spacewalk outside the ISS exclusively featuring women.