Explore

NASA Opens New Research Opportunity for Atmospheric Data Analysis

NASA Opens New Research Opportunity for Atmospheric Data Analysis

NASA has announced a new research opportunity under its ROSES-2025 program, focusing on the analysis and modeling of atmospheric data collected from airborne campaigns. The program, titled A.14 Atmosphere, invites proposals that utilize NASA-sponsored airborne data, with a preference for those incorporating satellite remote sensing data. The research aims to address scientific questions related to aerosols, clouds, radiative forcing, and atmospheric composition and dynamics. Proposals must be submitted by October 20, 2026, and will undergo a dual anonymous peer review process. This initiative is part of NASA's broader effort to enhance understanding of atmospheric processes and their implications for climate and environmental science.

NASA Study Highlights Controlled Burns as Key to Sequoia Survival Amid Wildfires

NASA Study Highlights Controlled Burns as Key to Sequoia Survival Amid Wildfires

A NASA-funded study has revealed that controlled burns significantly enhance the survival rates of giant sequoias during wildfires. The research, published in Nature Communications, analyzed data from 26,403 giant sequoias across 19 groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The study found that sequoias in areas managed with prescribed burns were nearly four times more likely to survive extreme wildfires. This method reduces tree mortality by thinning underbrush and dead wood, which are primary fuels for high-intensity fires. The study comes in the wake of the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons, which saw a record 6.8 million acres burned across California, resulting in the destruction of 19% of the mature giant sequoia population.

NASA's Artemis III Mission to Test Complex Spacecraft Coordination for Lunar Return

NASA's Artemis III Mission to Test Complex Spacecraft Coordination for Lunar Return

NASA is preparing for the Artemis III mission, which is set to be one of the most complex spaceflights in history. Scheduled for next year, the mission will involve four astronauts and three spacecraft over a two-week period in orbit. The mission aims to test NASA's Orion spacecraft as it docks and performs operations with two commercial lunar landers: SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon. This mission will be a precursor to a crewed moon landing on Artemis IV. The Artemis III mission will require a highly choreographed sequence of launches from multiple launch pads, involving significant coordination between NASA and commercial partners. The mission will test the interoperability of the spacecraft and gather data to refine the designs of the lunar landers.

International Moon Day Celebrates Apollo 11's Historic Lunar Landing

International Moon Day Celebrates Apollo 11's Historic Lunar Landing

International Moon Day is celebrated annually on July 20 to commemorate the Apollo 11 mission, which marked the first time humans landed on the Moon. The United Nations officially recognized this observance in 2021 to honor international cooperation in space exploration. The Apollo 11 mission, launched on July 16, 1969, from Kennedy Space Center, carried astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the lunar surface aboard the lunar module Eagle, while Collins remained in orbit. Armstrong's first steps on the Moon were broadcast to an estimated 600 million people worldwide, making it one of the most significant events in human history.

NASA Extends Deadline for Astrobiology Science Conference Partnership Proposals

NASA Extends Deadline for Astrobiology Science Conference Partnership Proposals

NASA's Science Mission Directorate has extended the deadline for the Announcement for Partnership Proposals (AFPP) related to the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon). The new deadline for submissions is July 31, 2026. This extension allows more time for interested parties to prepare and submit their proposals through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). The conference aims to foster partnerships and collaborations in the field of astrobiology, encouraging innovative research and exploration. NASA will provide updates and meeting details on its website, with all forums and meetings to be conducted virtually.

NASA Issues Request for Proposal for Landsat 10 Spacecraft to Enhance Earth Imaging

NASA Issues Request for Proposal for Landsat 10 Spacecraft to Enhance Earth Imaging

NASA has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of the Landsat 10 spacecraft, with proposals due by August 13, 2026. This initiative is part of the Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) Program, a collaboration between NASA and the USGS, aimed at continuing the legacy of high-quality, medium-resolution global land imaging. The Landsat 10 mission is designed to improve spatial and spectral capabilities, allowing for the detection of land features and trends previously undetectable by earlier missions. The spacecraft will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 653 km, with a global revisit time of 18 days. The mission will utilize a new Worldwide Reference System, WRS-3, to catalog and index scenes. The contract for the spacecraft's development, integration, and testing is expected to be awarded by December 30, 2026, with a launch readiness date set for no later than December 2031.

NASA says Artemis III mission on schedule as Blue Origin repairs launchpad

NASA says Artemis III mission on schedule as Blue Origin repairs launchpad

By Joe Brock FARNBOROUGH, England, July 20 (Reuters) - NASA remains on track for next year's Artemis III mission, a key test of orbital docking and lunar landers needed for future crewed moon landings, despite an explosion involving an unmanned Blue Origin rocket during a launchpad test in May, NASA

NASA Ends Draper Lunar Lander Mission Due to Development Delays

NASA Ends Draper Lunar Lander Mission Due to Development Delays

NASA has decided to terminate its lunar lander mission with Draper, a decision driven by significant delays in the spacecraft's development. The task order, known as CP-12, was initially valued at $73 million, with $43 million already paid to Draper for completed milestones. The mission, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, faced multiple redesigns and engine changes, pushing the expected landing date to 2030 or 2031. Despite the cancellation, NASA remains committed to the scientific objectives of the mission and plans to deliver the developed instruments to the moon through future CLPS landings. The agency has awarded four new lunar lander missions to companies like Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines, which may accommodate additional payloads.

Stanford Study Challenges Traditional View on River Meanders and Plant Influence

Stanford Study Challenges Traditional View on River Meanders and Plant Influence

A study by Stanford University researchers, published in August 2025, challenges the long-held belief that plants are necessary for the formation of meandering rivers. Historically, it was thought that the presence of vegetation was crucial for stabilizing riverbanks, allowing rivers to form their distinctive S-shaped meanders. However, the study suggests that meandering rivers existed long before plants colonized land. The research, which analyzed modern rivers, found that meanders can form in the absence of vegetation, as evidenced by satellite imagery of over 4,400 river bends. The study indicates that barren riverbanks can still support meandering channels, which may have been under-recognized in the geological record due to their resemblance to braided river deposits.

Meteorite Strike in New Jersey Reveals Clues About Life's Origins

Meteorite Strike in New Jersey Reveals Clues About Life's Origins

On July 16, 2024, a meteorite crashed through the roof of a home in Hillsborough, New Jersey. This meteorite, named Hillsborough, is a CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite, which is a type of space rock known for containing organic molecules. Recent analysis by an international research team has revealed that the meteorite contains a diverse range of life's building blocks, including carbon-bearing compounds, amino acids, and other prebiotic molecules. Additionally, the meteorite shows evidence of concentrated salty fluids, or brines, on its parent asteroid, which is a unique find. The study, led by Peter Jenniskens from NASA and the SETI Institute, was published in Science Advances. The meteorite's origin is traced back to the inner asteroid belt, and it provides insights into how organic matter and water were distributed in the early solar system.

NASA's Viking Mission: Reevaluation of Life Detection on Mars

NASA's Viking Mission: Reevaluation of Life Detection on Mars

Fifty years after NASA's Viking 1 mission landed on Mars, chemist Steven Benner suggests that the mission may have overlooked evidence of extant life. Benner argues that the Viking mission's experiments, which initially reported no definitive signs of life, might have been misinterpreted. He claims that the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) used in the mission detected organic materials in Martian soil, but these were dismissed as contaminants. Benner's hypothesis is that the presence of perchlorates in the Martian soil, which destroy organic materials when heated, could have led to false negatives in the experiments. This reevaluation challenges the long-standing belief that Viking found no life on Mars and suggests that microbial life could exist, potentially indicating that life is common on rocky planets.

Plurilock's Aurora Subsidiary Secures SEWP VI Contract, Expanding U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Opportunities

Plurilock's Aurora Subsidiary Secures SEWP VI Contract, Expanding U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Opportunities

Plurilock's Aurora Subsidiary Secures SEWP VI Contract, Expanding U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Opportunities