Globular Star Cluster NGC 6397 in Ara | Hubble Space Telescope

Globular Star Cluster NGC 6397 in Ara | Hubble Space Telescope

This glittering image captures a globular cluster called NGC 6397 (also known as Caldwell 86) that was discovered by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1752. It sits 7,800 light-years away within the Milky Way galaxy, making it one of the closest globular clusters to Earth in the constellation Ara.

The cluster's blue stars are near the end of their lives. These stars have used up their hydrogen fuel that makes them shine. Now they are converting helium to energy in their cores. This fuses at a higher temperature resulting in a blue color.

The reddish glow is from red giant stars that have consumed their hydrogen fuel and have expanded in size. The myriad small white objects include stars like our Sun.

Learn more: "How White Dwarfs Get Their ‘Kicks’"
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/how-white-dwarfs-get-their-kicks/

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and H. Richer (University of British Columbia)
Capture Date: Dec. 4, 2007

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #NGC6397 #Caldwell86 #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #Ara #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Talks with Seattle TV | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Talks with Seattle TV | International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 72 flight engineer Anne McClain of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview March 31, 2025, with Fox13 News, Seattle. McClain is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.  

Veteran Astronaut Anne McClain NASA Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/anne-c-mcclain/
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/anne-c-mcclain/

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 19 minutes
Release Date: March 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #DonPettit #AnnMcClain #NicholeAyers  #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition72 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth Aurora: Part 2 | International Space Station

Earth Aurora: Part 2 | International Space Station

Expedition 72 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Don Pettit on April 5, 2025: "Green vaporous turbulence; tonight’s show of aurora from 

the International Space Station."

Learn more about aurora:
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Expedition 72 Updates:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 13 seconds
Release Date: April 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Aurora #Astronauts #DonPettit #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition72 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth Aurora: Part 1 | International Space Station

Earth Aurora: Part 1 | International Space Station

Expedition 72 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Don Pettit on April 4, 2025: "Aurora seen today from the International Space Station while orbit was passing between Australia and Antarctica; photographer Jannicke Mikkelsen now on the private FRAM2 space mission will be having an even better view in their polar orbit."

Learn more about aurora:
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Expedition 72 Updates:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 17 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Aurora #Astronauts #DonPettit #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition72 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-19 Crew: Mechanical, Robotic & Medical Tests | China Space Station

Shenzhou-19 Crew: Mechanical, Robotic & Medical Tests | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-19 crew, who has worked in the Tiangong Space Station for more than 150 days, performed a series of scientific experiments and tests last week, covering fields, such as mechanics, robotics and medicine.

The experiments were conducted by the three astronauts—Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, after they completed the third extravehicular activities.

The trio carried out experiments on equipment withdrawal, sample collection, and component reassembly and reuse, aiming to provide data support for the research and development of high-performance space components.

They tested pipe inspection robots and achieved a image detection of ventilation ducts, laying a technical foundation for the space station to realize self-examinations in the future.

They also completed medical experiments such as blood collection, centrifugal treatment, and cryopreservation, and coordinated an eye tracker and a laptop to record data on their eye movements in the station's microgravity environment.

They maintained the regenerative life support system in the space station and conducted physical examinations for themselves, including blood routine and blood biochemistry tests, body weight measurement, and intraocular pressure and fundus checks.

With the assistance of the station's exercise equipment, they gathered data on what effects the zero-gravity environment has on human bodies.

Besides experiments and tests, the astronauts underwent emergency response trainings, such as quickly putting on and taking off pressure suits to enhance their capability to respond the emergency situations in a zero-gravity conditions and provide data for the improvement of emergency withdrawal pre-planning.

The Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on October 30, 2024.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:
Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)
Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)
Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: April 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #MicrogravityResearch #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Fram2 Mission Crew Visit NASA's Johnson Space Center for Medical Research

Fram2 Mission Crew Visit NASA's Johnson Space Center for Medical Research

The Fram2 Mission crew members were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space. The Earth's poles are subject to higher rates of radiation and have been avoided until this mission. After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, the Fram2 crew and their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast.

The University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine in Canada has performed studies of accelerated and permanent bone loss among astronauts due to prolonged weightlessness. Their studies have been funded by the Canadian Space Agency in partnership with the European Space Agency, NASA and have involved astronauts from North America, Europe, and Asia.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission was named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Image Credit: Fram2 Mission

Release Date: April 6, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education    

Gazing at Supernova Explosions | European Southern Observatory

Gazing at Supernova Explosions | European Southern Observatory

When massive stars die, they go out with a bang! These cosmic explosions are called supernovae, and this video shows you some of the beautiful scenery they leave in their wake. They are so powerful that elements like carbon and nitrogen are forged within them, and they are so bright that astronomers can even see supernovae exploding in other galaxies. 

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Images: ESO / VPHAS+ team. Ackn. Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit / NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), F. Vogt et al., Ackn. M. Zamani / R. Fosbury (ST-ECF)
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Wallner

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #FoN #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernova #Supernovae #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

The Official Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Patch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The Official Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Patch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The official Artemis II mission crew patch. The Artemis II test flight begins when a mighty team launches the first crew of the Artemis generation. This patch designates the mission as “AII,” signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all. Framed in Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise photo, the scene of the Earth and the Moon represents the dual nature of human spaceflight, both equally compelling: The Moon represents our exploration destination, focused on discovery of the unknown. The Earth represents home, focused on the perspective we gain when we look back at our shared planet and learn what it is to be uniquely human. The orbit around Earth highlights the ongoing exploration missions that have enabled Artemis to set sights on a long-term presence on the Moon and soon, Mars.

Artemis II Insignia "Honors All": Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The crew unveiled their patch in this April 2, 2025, photo.

The official Artemis II mission crew insignia is projected on the exterior of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, April 4, 2025.

The four astronauts that will be the first to fly to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign have designed an emblem to represent their mission that references their distant destination and the home they will return to.

The crew explained the patch’s symbolism, and its play on the abbreviation of Artemis II to AII, with the following description: The Artemis II test flight begins when a mighty team launches the first crew of the Artemis generation. This patch designates the mission as “AII,” signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all. Framed in Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise photo, the scene of the Earth and the Moon represents the dual nature of human spaceflight—equally compelling: The Moon represents our exploration destination, focused on discovery of the unknown. The Earth represents home, focused on the perspective we gain when we look back at our shared planet and learn what it is to be uniquely human. The orbit around Earth highlights the ongoing exploration missions that have enabled Artemis to set sights on a long-term presence on the Moon and soon, Mars.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will venture around the Moon in 2026 on Artemis II. The 10-day flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Image Credits: NASA/Johnson Space Center/Robert Markowitz

Text Credit: Brandi Dean, Courtney Beasley

Release Date: April 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #ArtemisIIEmblem #ArtemisIIInsignia #ArtemisIILogo #OrionSpacecraft #CrewedMission #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars  #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Mars Images: April 4-5, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: April 4-5, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

MSL - sol 4500

Mars 2020 - sol 1466

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Mars 2020 - sol 1465

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 4+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: April 4-5, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

¿Qué pasa en el cielo este mes? | NASA/JPL

¿Qué pasa en el cielo este mes? | NASA/JPL

¡Atención, exploradores del cielo! Con brillantes planetas y estrellas fugaces, abril viene cargado de razones para mirar hacia arriba. Durante la noche del 21 y en la madrugada del 22, prepárate para una modesta lluvia de meteoros, las líridas. Se observan mejor desde el hemisferio norte, pero también puedes verlas desde el sur del ecuador.

Créditos: Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL) de la NASA / Preston Dyches
Adaptación al idioma español por el equipo de NASA en español.

Duration: 2 minutes, 47 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #NASAenespañol #español #Meteors #LyridMeteorShower #Moon #Planets #SolarSystem #GlobularClusterM3 #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #California #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 73 Soyuz Rocket Rollout in Kazakhstan | International Space Station

Expedition 73 Soyuz Rocket Rollout in Kazakhstan | International Space Station

The Soyuz rocket is seen as the service structure is closed around it at the launch pad at Site 31, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Workers are seen in a gantry around the Soyuz rocket as the service structure is closed around it at the launch pad at Site 31.

The Soyuz rocket is seen at the launch pad at Site 31 after being rolled out by train.

The Soyuz rocket is seen as it is raised into the vertical position at the launch pad.

Expedition 73 crew members: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy of Russia, are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, 2025. They will orbit Earth twice before docking to the Pirs docking compartment just over three hours later. The trio will stay in space for an eight-month research mission.

Less than two weeks after the new crew’s arrival, NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit will return to Earth with Expedition 72 Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner. Ovchinin and Vagner are Roscosmos cosmonauts. The veteran crewmates will board the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, undock from the Rassvet module, and parachute to a landing in the steppe of Kazakhstan less than three-and-a-half hours later ending a seven-month mission.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi will take over command of the space station from Ovchinin the day before he leaves with Pettit and Vagner. Expedition 72 will end and Expedition 73 will officially begin the moment the Soyuz MS-26 undocks from Rassvet.

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Ivan Vagner, Kirill Peskov
NASA Flight Engineers: Don Pettit, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers 

JAXA Flight Engineer: Takuya Onishi

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Release Date: April 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #SoyuzRocket #SoyuzMS27Spacecraft #Союз #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #Cosmonauts #SergeyRyzhikov #AlexeyZubritskiy #Astronaut #JonnyKim #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Expedition73 #SpaceLaboratory #STEM #Education

The Framonauts Return Home | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

The Framonauts Return Home | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, the Fram2 crew and their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. The crew members are seen here inside the Dragon spacecraft shortly after landing.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission crew members were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission was named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: SpaceX/Fram2 Mission

Duration: 10 seconds

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #PacificOcean #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dragon Spacecraft Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Dragon Spacecraft Landing | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

SpaceX Updates: "Dragon and the Framonauts splashed down off the coast of California earlier today, completing the first human spaceflight mission to explore the Earth’s polar regions! The Framonauts flew aboard Dragon’s 17th human spaceflight mission—with 66 crewmembers now having flown aboard the spacecraft—and became the first Dragon crew to splash down in the Pacific Ocean."

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch a replay of the landing webcast:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Image Credit: SpaceX/Fram2 Mission

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #PacificOcean #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education

Hickson 44 Galaxy Group in Leo

Hickson 44 Galaxy Group in Leo

Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44. The galaxy group is about 100 million light-years distant, far beyond the spiky foreground Milky Way stars, toward the constellation Leo. 

The two spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the bright elliptical, NGC 3193 (above and left) they are also known as Arp 316. The spiral toward the lower right corner is NGC 3185, the 4th member of the Hickson group. Like other galaxies in Hickson groups, these show signs of distortion and enhanced star formation, evidence of a gravitational tug of war that will eventually result in galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale. The merger process is now understood to be a normal part of the evolution of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. For scale, NGC 3190 is about 75,000 light-years across at the estimated distance of Hickson 44.

Image Credit & Copyright: Jiang Wu

Jiang's website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/175892800@qq.com#gallery
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Hickson44 #NGC3190 #NGC3187 #NGC3193 #Arp316 #NGC3185 #GalaxyGroup #Leo #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #JiangWu #Astrophotography #CitizenScience #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Splashdown Recovery Test-12

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Splashdown Recovery Test-12

Preparations for NASA’s next Artemis flight recently took to the seas as a joint NASA and U.S. Navy team, led by NASA's Ground Exploration Systems (EGS), spent a week off the coast of California practicing procedures for recovering the Artemis II spacecraft and crew.

NASA and European Space Agency astronauts took part in practicing Artemis recovery operations during Underway Recovery Test-12 onboard USS Somerset off the coast of California. During the test, NASA and Department of Defense teams practiced recovery procedure validation as NASA plans to send the Artemis II astronauts around the Moon and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. 

The Artemis II test flight will be sending NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back.

Artemis II will launch no earlier than April 2026.

Check out more on this year's URT-12: https://go.nasa.gov/4i3fGxv

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 44 seconds
Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #CrewedMission #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars  #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #USNavy #DoD #California #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dragon Spacecraft Splashdown | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

Dragon Spacecraft Splashdown | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Polar Regions | SpaceX

After nearly four days of flying in a polar orbit to explore the Earth’s polar regions for the first time, Dragon and the Fram2 crew successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025, splashing down off the coast of California after 9am this morning Pacific Time. This was the first Dragon human spaceflight mission to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as Dragon recovery returns to the West Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Fram2 on Monday, March 31 at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Watch the live landing webcast (and replay) here:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=fram2

The Fram2 Mission's crew were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.

After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.

The Crew
This is the first human spaceflight for Mission Commander Chun Wang (Malta), Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen (Norway), Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge (Germany), plus Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia).

The Fram2 Mission is named in honor of Fram "Forward", the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica between 1893 and 1912. Framonaut Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway carried a small piece of that ship to orbit.

Learn more about the Fram2 Mission and its crew: 

https://f2.com

Video Credit: Fram2 Mission

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: April 4, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Fram2 #Arctic #Antarctica #PolarOrbit #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Astronauts #ChunWang #JannickeMikkelsen #RabeaRogge #EricPhilips #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #California #UnitedStates #Germany #Deutschland #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education #HD #Video