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NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Gains Speed from Mars Flyby for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Gains Speed from Mars Flyby for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche spacecraft executed a successful flyby of Mars on May 15, 2026, passing approximately 4,500 kilometers from the planet's surface at a speed of about 19,848 kilometers per hour. This maneuver allowed the spacecraft to gain a gravitational boost, adjusting its trajectory towards the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. The mission aims to rendezvous with the asteroid in August 2029. The flyby is a critical step in the mission, which seeks to study the asteroid believed to be composed largely of metallic iron and nickel, offering insights into the building blocks of planet formation.
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NASA's Psyche Mission Captures Unique Crescent View of Mars

NASA's Psyche Mission Captures Unique Crescent View of Mars

NASA's Psyche mission has captured a striking image of Mars as a crescent, taken on May 15, 2026, during its approach for a gravity assist maneuver. The image, acquired by the spacecraft's multispectral imager, shows Mars illuminated by sunlight reflecting off its surface, with the crescent appearing brighter than expected due to the scattering of sunlight through the planet's dusty atmosphere. This view was the last full image of Mars before the planet began to overfill the camera's field of view. The image has been processed into a natural-color view, approximating what the human eye would see.
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NASA's Opportunity Rover Survives 14 Years on Mars Before Dust Storm Ends Mission

NASA's Opportunity Rover Survives 14 Years on Mars Before Dust Storm Ends Mission

The Opportunity rover, a solar-powered robot sent by NASA to Mars in January 2004, exceeded its expected 90-day mission by surviving for 14 years. The rover's mission ended in 2018 when a massive dust storm enveloped Mars, blocking sunlight and preventing the rover from recharging its batteries. Despite NASA's efforts to revive the rover by sending over 1,000 recovery commands, Opportunity ceased communication. During its mission, Opportunity traveled over 28 miles on Mars, providing significant data about the planet, including evidence of ancient water.
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NASA's LOXSAT Mission to Test Cryogenic Fuel Storage in Space, Aiming for Future Lunar and Mars Exploration

NASA's LOXSAT Mission to Test Cryogenic Fuel Storage in Space, Aiming for Future Lunar and Mars Exploration

NASA is set to launch the Liquid Oxygen Flight Demonstration (LOXSAT) satellite this summer, a mission designed to test the storage and transfer of super-chilled rocket fuel in zero gravity. This initiative is crucial for future space exploration, particularly for missions to the Moon and Mars. The LOXSAT mission will address the challenges of managing cryogenic liquids in space, which require freezing temperatures to remain stable. The mission is part of NASA's broader efforts to establish orbital fuel depots that could function as 'gas stations' in space, supporting long-term exploration. The satellite will be launched from Rocket Lab's site in New Zealand aboard an Electron rocket and will conduct a nine-month test run to gather data on cryogenic fuel management.
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NASA Launches Satellite to Test Cryogenic Fuel Technologies for Deep Space Missions

NASA Launches Satellite to Test Cryogenic Fuel Technologies for Deep Space Missions

NASA is set to launch the Liquid Oxygen Flight demonstration (LOXSAT) to test critical technologies for storing and transferring cryogenic fuels in space. This initiative aims to support long-term exploration missions to the moon and Mars. The satellite will be launched into low Earth orbit aboard a Rocket Lab Photon satellite bus, with the mission scheduled to last nine months. The tests will focus on 11 components of cryogenic fluid management, essential for maintaining super-chilled fuels in microgravity. This mission is part of NASA's broader Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, involving collaboration with Eta Space and several NASA centers. The project is crucial for the Artemis program, which aims to establish sustained operations on the moon by 2030.
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Reveals Water's Impact on Mars' Jezero Crater Rocks

NASA's Perseverance Rover Reveals Water's Impact on Mars' Jezero Crater Rocks

NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered that water played a significant role in forming minerals across Mars' Jezero Crater. The rover's findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, show that different rock formations in the crater share similar mineral fingerprints, indicating a watery past. The study, led by Elise Clavé, reveals that igneous and sedimentary rocks in the crater contain water-linked minerals, suggesting widespread water influence. The presence of carbonates, formed from reactions between rocks and carbon dioxide with water, points to past aqueous processes that shaped the Martian landscape.
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Curiosity Rover Resumes Drilling on Mars After Overcoming Technical Challenges

Curiosity Rover Resumes Drilling on Mars After Overcoming Technical Challenges

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has successfully resumed drilling operations on a new target after resolving issues with its drill becoming lodged in a previous site. The rover's team employed precise robotic arm maneuvers to free the drill from the 'Atacama' target, allowing Curiosity to continue its exploration of the Martian surface. This development marks a continuation of the rover's mission to gather geological samples and data, contributing to the understanding of Mars' history and potential for past life.
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Nears Marathon Milestone on Mars

NASA's Perseverance Rover Nears Marathon Milestone on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover is approaching a significant milestone, having nearly completed a marathon distance of 42 kilometers on Mars. The rover, which has been operational for over five years, is primarily a science platform focused on sample collection and geological analysis. Recently, it completed work on a rocky outcrop called Arethusa, revealing igneous minerals that predate Jezero Crater. Perseverance has also deposited sample tubes for a future Mars Sample Return mission, though the timeline and details of this mission remain uncertain.
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NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Completes New Drilling on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Rover Successfully Completes New Drilling on Mars

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has successfully completed a new drilling operation into a large block target on Mars. This achievement follows a challenging period where the rover's drill became lodged in a previous target known as 'Atacama.' The team behind Curiosity employed a series of carefully planned robotic arm maneuvers to free the drill, ensuring the health of the equipment before proceeding with the new drilling task. Michelle Minitti, Deputy Principal Investigator of Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager, highlighted the meticulous planning involved in the operation. The successful drilling marks a continuation of Curiosity's mission to explore the Martian surface, providing valuable data for ongoing scientific research.
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NASA Crew Initiates New Space Experiments Following Dragon Cargo Delivery

NASA Crew Initiates New Space Experiments Following Dragon Cargo Delivery

The International Space Station (ISS) has commenced new scientific experiments following the delivery of approximately 6,500 pounds of cargo by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on May 17. The Expedition 74 crew, including NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway, began unloading the supplies and initiating research activities. Key experiments involve studying the effects of microgravity on blood-making cells, with NASA astronaut Jessica Meir preparing samples in the Kibo laboratory module. The research aims to understand how weightlessness impacts blood clotting and immune function. Additionally, NASA astronaut Chris Williams activated student-designed experiments involving biological and material samples. The crew is also preparing for an upcoming spacewalk, with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev readying tools and spacesuits.
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SpaceX's NASA Resupply Mission Delivers Critical Scientific Payloads to ISS

SpaceX's NASA Resupply Mission Delivers Critical Scientific Payloads to ISS

SpaceX has successfully launched its 34th commercial resupply mission for NASA, delivering nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo and scientific equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, is part of NASA's ongoing efforts to support scientific research in space. The payload includes experiments to study the adaptation of red blood cells and the spleen to spaceflight, as well as instruments to analyze charged particles that can affect satellites and power infrastructure. Additionally, the mission will collect precise measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon, contributing valuable data for climate studies.
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NASA's Artemis II AVATARs Begin Analysis to Study Spaceflight Effects on Health

NASA's Artemis II AVATARs Begin Analysis to Study Spaceflight Effects on Health

NASA's Artemis II mission has returned organ chips from its AVATAR investigation to Emulate, Inc. in Boston for analysis. These organ chips, made from astronauts' own cells, are designed to study the effects of space radiation and microgravity on human health. The chips were first processed at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego before being sent to the laboratory. Scientists are examining cellular and molecular changes in the chips, comparing them to ground control samples and pre- and post-flight blood samples from astronauts. This research aims to understand individual responses to spaceflight conditions.