Monday, April 27, 2026

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: A Milky Way Twin with Differences | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: A Milky Way Twin with Differences | Hubble

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image shows a spiral galaxy known as NGC 7331. First spotted by the prolific galaxy hunter William Herschel in 1784, NGC 7331 is located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus (The Winged Horse). Facing us partially edge-on, the galaxy showcases its beautiful arms that swirl like a whirlpool around its bright central region.

Astronomers took this image using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), as they were observing an extraordinary exploding star—a supernova that can still be faintly seen as a tiny red dot near the galaxy’s central yellow core. Named SN2014C, it rapidly evolved from a supernova containing very little hydrogen to one that is hydrogen-rich—in just one year. This rarely observed metamorphosis was luminous at high energies and provides unique insight into the poorly understood final phases of massive stars.

NGC 7331 is similar in size, shape, and mass to the Milky Way. It also has a comparable star formation rate, hosts a similar number of stars, has a central supermassive black hole and comparable spiral arms. The primary difference between our galaxies is that NGC 7331 is an unbarred spiral galaxy—it lacks a “bar” of stars, gas and dust cutting through its nucleus, as we see in the Milky Way. Its central bulge also displays a quirky and unusual rotation pattern, spinning in the opposite direction to the galactic disc itself.

By studying similar galaxies we hold a scientific mirror up to our own, allowing us to build a better understanding of our galactic environment that we cannot always observe, and of galactic behavior and evolution as a whole.


Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA/D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University)
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2018

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC7331 #Supernovae #SN2014C #BarredSpiralGalaxies #PegasusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Sunday, April 26, 2026

Astronaut Christina Koch’s Memorable International Space Station Moments: Part 2

Astronaut Christina Koch’s Memorable International Space Station Moments: Part 2

NASA astronaut Christina Koch looks back over her long duration mission on the International Space Station and recalls examples of favorite moments, including her favorite meal and most memorable view from orbit.

Six years before her Artemis II Moon Mission, NASA astronaut, scientist, mission specialist, flight engineer, and spacewalker Christina Koch spent almost a year in space on International Space Station Expeditions 59-61 (March 2019-February 2020), before coming home. 

When Koch returned to Earth after her long-duration human spaceflight mission, she had lived in space for 328 days, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. During this time, Koch spent many of her hours on science activities aboard the International Space Station and wore many hats—farmer, biologist, physicist, engineer, test subject and many more. 

Christina also participated in the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, currently serving aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 74.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 39 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2020

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Expedition59 #Expedition60 #Expedition61 #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #Scientists #ElectricalEngineers #EVAs #Spacewalks #WomenInSTEM #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars Images: April 23-26, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: April 23-26, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4875
Mars 2020 - sol 1841
MSL - sol 4875
Mars 2020 - sol 1839
Mars 2020 - sol 1840
Mars 2020 - sol 1841
Mars 2020 - sol 1841
Mars 2020 - sol 1841

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Celebrating 13+ Years on Mars (2012-2025)
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 5+ 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
Release Dates: April 23-26, 2026

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

China Long March 6 Commercial Launch of Pakistan's PRSC‑EO3 Earth Satellite

China Long March 6 Commercial Launch of Pakistan's PRSC‑EO3 Earth Satellite





A China Long March 6 rocket blasted off at 8:15 pm Beijing Time (BJT) on April 25, 2026, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi province, delivering the Pakistani-built PRSC-EO3 Electro-Optical Satellite (EO-3) into its planned orbit.

The launch of the third Pakistani satellite marks a new chapter in China-Pakistan space cooperation. China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has successfully placed three Pakistani satellites into their assigned orbits. According to an agreement in 2022, CGWIC has provided three successful launch services to the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), contributing to the deployment of the PRSC-EO satellite constellation. This satellite group will improve "urban planning, disaster management, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and national development."

This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. 


Image Credit: CGTN, SUPARCO
Date: April 25, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch6Rocket #Pakistan #PRSCEO3 #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #CommercialSpace #CGWIC #InternationalCooperation #TaiyuanSatelliteLaunchCenter #TSLC #Shanxi #STEM #Education

China Long March 6 Commercial Launch of Pakistan's PRSC‑EO3 Earth Satellite

China Long March 6 Commercial Launch of Pakistan's PRSC‑EO3 Earth Satellite

A China Long March 6 rocket blasted off at 8:15 pm Beijing Time (BJT) on April 25, 2026, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi province, delivering the Pakistani-built PRSC-EO3 Electro-Optical Satellite (EO-3) into its planned orbit.

The launch of the third Pakistani satellite marks a new chapter in China-Pakistan space cooperation. China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has successfully placed three Pakistani satellites into their assigned orbits. According to an agreement in 2022, CGWIC has provided three successful launch services to the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), contributing to the deployment of the PRSC-EO satellite constellation. This satellite group will improve "urban planning, disaster management, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and national development."

This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. 


Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 19 seconds
Release Date: April 25, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch6Rocket #Pakistan #PRSCEO3 #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #CommercialSpace #CGWIC #InternationalCooperation #TaiyuanSatelliteLaunchCenter #TSLC #Shanxi #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Cosmonaut Photos: Farewell Wishes to Comet C/2025 R3 | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Photos: Farewell Wishes to Comet C/2025 R3 | International Space Station




Expedition 74 station commander and cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "A Traveler We'll Never See Again. Have you ever seen a comet with your own eyes? Until last week, I hadn't. If you look closely, you can see a small bright dot with a long trail in the center of the image. That's comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). This comet came to us from the Oort Cloud—a hypothetical distant region surrounding the Solar System, extending from 2,000 AU to 50,000 AU (AU = astronomical unit, equal to the distance from the Sun to Earth. For example, the distance from the Sun to Uranus is 19.2 AU). Objects from the formation of the Solar System still exist there, making them very interesting to scientists. Visitors from this region have orbits that allow them to spend most of their time outside our solar system and can have orbital periods of thousands or millions of years. According to some calculations, our wanderer has an orbital period of about 160,000 years, while others suggest it has an open parabolic trajectory, meaning it will never return. On April 26, it will pass 73 million km from Earth, and this was the only chance for living Earthlings to see it."

Discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in September 2025, the comet dived toward its closest approach to the Sun (0.50 AU) on April 19, 2026, bringing it well inside the orbit of planet Venus.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

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: Roscosmos/Sergey-Kud Sverchkov
Release Date: April 22, 2026 (EDT)

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #SolarSystem #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautVideography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

Cosmonaut Video: Farewell Wishes to Comet C/2025 R3 | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Video: Farewell Wishes to Comet C/2025 R3 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 station commander and cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "A Traveler We'll Never See Again. Have you ever seen a comet with your own eyes? Until last week, I hadn't. If you look closely, you can see a small bright dot with a long trail in the center of the image. That's comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). This comet came to us from the Oort Cloud—a hypothetical distant region surrounding the Solar System, extending from 2,000 AU to 50,000 AU (AU = astronomical unit, equal to the distance from the Sun to Earth. For example, the distance from the Sun to Uranus is 19.2 AU). Objects from the formation of the Solar System still exist there, making them very interesting to scientists. Visitors from this region have orbits that allow them to spend most of their time outside our solar system and can have orbital periods of thousands or millions of years. According to some calculations, our wanderer has an orbital period of about 160,000 years, while others suggest it has an open parabolic trajectory, meaning it will never return. On April 26, it will pass 73 million km from Earth, and this was the only chance for living Earthlings to see it."

Discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in September 2025, the comet dived toward its closest approach to the Sun (0.50 AU) on April 19, 2026, bringing it well inside the orbit of planet Venus.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

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.


Video Credit: Roscosmos
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 22, 2026 (EDT)

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #SolarSystem #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautVideography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NGC 3972 in Ursa Major: A Galaxy Full of Cosmic Lighthouses | Hubble

NGC 3972 in Ursa Major: A Galaxy Full of Cosmic Lighthouses | Hubble


This enchanting spiral galaxy can be found in the constellation of Ursa Major (the Great Bear). Star-studded NGC 3972 lies about 65 million light-years away from the Earth, meaning that the light that we see now left it 65 million years ago, just when the dinosaurs became extinct. It was discovered by William Herschel on April 14, 1789.  NGC 3972 is receding from us with a heliocentric radial velocity of 846 km/s. It is a member of the NGC 3992 Group of galaxies.

NGC 3972 has had its fair share of dramatic events. In 2011, astronomers observed the explosion of a type Ia supernova in the galaxy (not visible in this image). These dazzling objects all peak at the same brightness, and are brilliant enough to be seen over large distances. NGC 3972 also contains many pulsating stars called Cepheid variables. These stars change their brightness at a rate matched closely to their intrinsic luminosity, making them ideal cosmic lighthouses for measuring accurate distances to relatively nearby galaxies.

Astronomers search for Cepheid variables in nearby galaxies that also contain a type Ia supernova so they can compare the true brightness of both types of stars. That brightness information is used to calibrate the luminosity of Type Ia supernovae in far-flung galaxies so that astronomers can calculate the galaxies' distances from Earth. Once astronomers know accurate distances to galaxies near and far, they can determine and refine the expansion rate of the Universe.

This image was taken in 2015 with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, as part of a project to improve the precision of the Hubble constant—a figure that describes the expansion rate of the Universe.


Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Riess (STScI/JHU)
Release Date: March 5, 2018

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC3972 #Supernovae #CepheidVariables #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Russian Progress 95 Cargo Spacecraft Launch | International Space Station

Russian Progress 95 Cargo Spacecraft Launch | International Space Station


The Roscosmos Progress 95 cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to resupply the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station. The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 95 spacecraft is safely in orbit and headed to the International Space Station following its launch at 6:21 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (3:21 a.m. Baikonur time Sunday, April 26, 2026) on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously at about 8:01 p.m. EDT Monday, April 27, to the aft port of the space station’s Zvezda module.

Progress 95 is delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

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.


Video Credit: Roscosmos
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 25, 2026 (EDT)

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Progress95 #Прогресс #SoyuzRocket #Союз #CargoSpacecraft #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China-Europe SMILE Solar Science Mission: Protecting Earth from Space Weather

China-Europe SMILE Solar Science Mission: Protecting Earth from Space Weather

A space mission jointly developed by China and Europe is set to offer a new way of looking at how the Sun interacts with our planet.

For the first time, the SMILE mission will capture images of the Earth’s magnetic boundary in action.

This is expected to help scientists better understand so-called “space weather” and its impact on modern life.

CGTN correspondent Li Jianhua spoke to the principal investigator of the soft X-ray imager—one of the four instruments mounted on the spacecraft to find out more.

The European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) are joining hands to uncover how Earth defends itself against dangerous particles and radiation from the Sun.

It is the first time we will have images and videos of what happens when the solar wind crashes into Earth's magnetic field. SMILE will witness this interaction in action using four onboard instruments.

Life can only exist, as we know it, when nestled safe inside this giant magnetic bubble surrounding our planet. By imaging the bubble as a whole for the first time, SMILE will help us build up our fundamental understandingof space weather forecasting.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is responsible for providing SMILE’s payload module (carrying three of the four science instruments), one of the spacecraft’s four science instruments (the soft X-ray imager, SXI), the launcher, and the Assembly Integration and Testing facilities and services. ESA contributes to a second science instrument (the ultraviolet imager, UVI) and the mission operations once SMILE is in orbit.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences provides the other three science instruments and the spacecraft platform, and is responsible for operating the spacecraft in orbit.

SMILE is part of ESA's Cosmic Vision program, principally contributing to answering the question ‘How does the Solar System work?’

SMILE is now scheduled to launch via a Vega-C rocket on May 19, 2026.


Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 6 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: 
April 24, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Sun #Earth #SpaceWeather #SolarRadiation #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #Europe #China #中国 #CAS #中国科学院 #SMILEMission #Heliophysics #Physics #VegaCRocket #Arianespace #GuianaSpaceCentre #FrenchGuiana #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in Hangar Pre-launch: ViaSat-3 F3 Communications Satellite

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in Hangar Pre-launch: ViaSat-3 F3 Communications Satellite

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket can be seen in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of the upcoming Viasat-3 F3 Mission. Launching on a Falcon Heavy rocket reduces time to orbit by delivering the satellite to a more favorable transfer orbit where this satellite’s electric propulsion will take over to place ViaSat-3 F3 into a geostationary orbit. Following launch, the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite will spend several months traveling to geostationary orbit before arriving at its reserved orbital slot. It will go through rigorous in-orbit testing of both the bus and payload before entering service, expected to occur by late summer 2026. ViaSat-3 satellites are each designed to provide regional coverage with ViaSat-3 F3 expected to cover the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 27, 2026, for a Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 85-minute launch window opens at 10:21 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). If needed, a backup opportunity is available Tuesday, April 28 during an 85-minute window that opens at 10:17 a.m. ET.

One of the side boosters on this mission previously supported SDA-0A, SARah-2, Transporter-11, and 18 Starlink missions, and the second previously supported launch of the GOES-U mission. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 2 and 40 (LZ-2 and LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida.


Video Credit: SpaceX
Duration: 14 seconds
Release Dates: April 24, 2026

#NASA #Space #CommercialSpace #SpaceX #SpaceXFalconHeavy #HeavyLiftRockets #ReusableRockets #Satellites #CommunicationSatellites #ViaSat #ViaSat3F3Mission #NASAKennedy #KSC #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in Hangar Pre-launch: ViaSat-3 F3 Communications Satellite

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in Hangar Pre-launch: ViaSat-3 F3 Communications Satellite

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Florida
SpaceX Falcon Heavy in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Florida
Illustration: ViaSat-3 F3 is expected to cover the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket can be seen in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of the upcoming Viasat-3 F3 Mission. Launching on a Falcon Heavy rocket reduces time to orbit by delivering the satellite to a more favorable transfer orbit where this satellite’s electric propulsion will take over to place ViaSat-3 F3 into a geostationary orbit. Following launch, the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite will spend several months traveling to geostationary orbit before arriving at its reserved orbital slot. It will go through rigorous in-orbit testing of both the bus and payload before entering service, expected to occur by late summer 2026. ViaSat-3 satellites are each designed to provide regional coverage with ViaSat-3 F3 expected to cover the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 27, 2026, for a Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 85-minute launch window opens at 10:21 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). If needed, a backup opportunity is available Tuesday, April 28 during an 85-minute window that opens at 10:17 a.m. ET.

One of the side boosters on this mission previously supported SDA-0A, SARah-2, Transporter-11, and 18 Starlink missions, and the second previously supported launch of the GOES-U mission. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 2 and 40 (LZ-2 and LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida.


Image Credits: SpaceX, ViaSat Inc.
Release Dates: April 20-24, 2026

#NASA #Space #CommercialSpace #SpaceX #SpaceXFalconHeavy #HeavyLiftRockets #ReusableRockets #Satellites #CommunicationSatellites #ViaSat #ViaSat3F3Mission #NASAKennedy #KSC #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Astronaut Christina Koch’s Memorable International Space Station Moments: Part 1

Astronaut Christina Koch’s Memorable International Space Station Moments: Part 1

Six years before her Artemis II Moon Mission, NASA astronaut, scientist, mission specialist, flight engineer, and spacewalker Christina Koch spent almost a year in space on International Space Station Expeditions 59-61, before coming home. 

When Koch returned to Earth after her long-duration human spaceflight mission, she had lived in space for 328 days, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. During this time, Koch spent many of her hours on science activities aboard the International Space Station and wore many hats—farmer, biologist, physicist, engineer, test subject and many more. 

Christina also participated in the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, currently serving aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 74.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: J
an. 9, 2020

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Expedition59 #Expedition60 #Expedition61 #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #Scientists #ElectricalEngineers #EVAs #Spacewalks #WomenInSTEM #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Space Day Highlights: Space Station Tour plus New Mars & Moon Missions

China Space Day Highlights: Space Station Tour plus New Mars & Moon Missions

China just celebrated its 11th Space Day in Chengdu. Visitors stepped into a life-size replica of the Tianhe, the foundational core module of China’s Tiangong Space Station. They got to experience the exact layout used by astronauts in orbit, from the straps to move through cabins to the specialized space kitchen.

Meanwhile, scientists are revealing a new lunar mineral found in soil returned by the Chang’e-5 mission. Named Changesite-(Y), these column-shaped crystals are very tiny, about one-third to one-thirtieth the thickness of a human hair. This discovery, the fourth lunar mineral identified by China, gives experts a new “fingerprint” to understand how the Moon evolved.

China’s space agency also laid out its plan for the next five years, including flight tests for reusable launchers. Five collaborative projects for the Tianwen-3 Mars mission were selected, featuring payloads like spectrometers and laser arrays developed with partners from Italy, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR to search for life and map Martian resources.

China’s lunar program has officially gone global, with the upcoming Chang’e-8 mission set to carry payloads from 11 countries across four continents, while the Chang’e-5 lunar samples have been granted to researchers from six nations for international scientific study.

Chengdu is the capital city of the Chinese southwestern province of Sichuan.


Video Credit: SMG
Duration: 2 minutes, 23 seconds
Release Date: April 24, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Earth #China #中国 #Chengdu #成都市 #SpaceDay2026 #SpaceDay #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #HumanSpaceflight #CNSA #Mars #Tianwen3MarsMission #Moon #Change8Mission #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Assignments | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Assignments | International Space Station

From left to right, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Emblem
Expedition 75 Emblem

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, four crew members from three space agencies will launch no earlier than mid-September 2026 to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. They will be joined by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia that will serve as mission specialists. After arriving at the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will become members of the space station’s Expedition 75.

This flight is the 13th crew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). NASA is advancing the launch date of Crew-13 from November to help increase the frequency of U.S. crew rotation missions to the space station. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Watkins. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. Watkins grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and earned an undergraduate degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a geologist, she studied the Martian surface and was a member of the Curiosity rover science team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Watkins first launched to the space station as a crew member aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, spending a total of 170 days in space across Expeditions 67/68 in 2022. She will be the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of North Florida and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School. The Florida native is a distinguished naval aviator. As a test pilot, Delaney evaluated developmental aircraft systems and served as a test pilot instructor. He also worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where he supported airborne science missions. This is the first spaceflight for Delaney.

The Crew-13 mission also is the first spaceflight for Kutryk. Prior to his selection as a CSA astronaut in 2017, he served as a CF-18 pilot. A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk also worked as an experimental and operational test pilot at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment in Cold Lake, Alberta. Kutryk received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and he is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot school in Edwards, California. He has master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering, and defense studies.

Crew-13 will be Teteryatnikov’s first trip to the orbiting laboratory. He graduated from the Naval Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2011 as an engineer specializing in ship power plant operations. Before his selection as a test cosmonaut, Teteryatnikov served in various naval engineering roles, including undersea vessels and specialized engine room operations. He was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2021 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station

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.


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Release Date: April 23, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CanadianSpaceAgency #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #STEM #Education

Friday, April 24, 2026

Hubble’s Highlights from its 36th Year in Orbit | Goddard Space Flight Center

Hubble’s Highlights from its 36th Year in Orbit | Goddard Space Flight Center

The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 36th year in orbit by premiering a stunning new Hubble image of the Trifid Nebula. Even after all these years, Hubble continues to uncover the mysteries of the universe. These are a few science achievements from Hubble’s latest year in orbit.

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.7 million observations to date. Almost 29,000 astronomers have published peer-reviewed science papers using Hubble data collected over the telescope’s 36-year lifetime, resulting in more than 23,000 publications, with almost 1100 in 2025 alone. Since 2022, researchers have regularly combined Hubble’s observations with those from the James Webb Space Telescope to push opportunities for discovery further.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Duration: 6 minutes
Release Date: April 24, 2026


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Hubble #Hubble36thAnniversary #Nebulae #Stars #Planets #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video