Close-up: Galaxy Centaurus A—A Galactic Merger | Victor Blanco Telescope

Close-up: Galaxy Centaurus A—A Galactic Merger | Victor Blanco Telescope

The galaxy Centaurus A, located over 12 million light-years away in the direction of the southern-hemisphere constellation Centaurus (The Centaur), is the leading light of this striking image. This image provides a view of the luminous glow of stars and dark tendrils of dust that hide the bright center of the galaxy. This dust is the result of a past galactic collision, where a giant elliptical galaxy merged with a smaller spiral galaxy. As well as large amounts of gas and dust, Centaurus A’s dust lane contains widespread star formation, as indicated by the red clouds of hydrogen and by the large numbers of faint blue stars visible at each end of the dust lane.

Centaurus A was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia.

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA 
Acknowledgments: 
PI: M. Soraisam (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/NSF NOIRLab) 
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 31, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #CentaurusA #NGC5128 #Caldwell77 #InteractingGalaxies #BlackHoles #CentaurusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #DECam #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Centaurus A: The Result of a Galactic Merger | Victor Blanco Telescope

Galaxy Centaurus A: The Result of a Galactic Merger | Victor Blanco Telescope

The galaxy Centaurus A, located over 12 million light-years away in the direction of the southern-hemisphere constellation Centaurus (The Centaur), is the leading light of this striking image. This image provides a view of the luminous glow of stars and dark tendrils of dust that hide the bright center of the galaxy. This dust is the result of a past galactic collision, where a giant elliptical galaxy merged with a smaller spiral galaxy. As well as large amounts of gas and dust, Centaurus A’s dust lane contains widespread star formation, as indicated by the red clouds of hydrogen and by the large numbers of faint blue stars visible at each end of the dust lane.

Centaurus A was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia.

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA 
Acknowledgments: 
PI: M. Soraisam (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/NSF NOIRLab) 
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab) 
Release Date: Aug. 31, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #CentaurusA #NGC5128 #Caldwell77 #InteractingGalaxies #BlackHoles #CentaurusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #DECam #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Expedition 75 Crew Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 75 Crew Photos | International Space Station

The official portrait of the seven‑member Expedition 75 crew that now live and work aboard the International Space Station. From left, are Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov (Russia); NASA astronaut Anil Menon; Station commander & Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov (Russia); NASA astronaut Luke Delaney; Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina (Russia); NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins; and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk

Eight Expedition 75 crew members gather inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module for a daily planning conference at the end of their shift. Clockwise from left are NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Teteryatnikov and Anna Kikina of Russia, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, and Jack Hathaway.

Two crews swapping places aboard the International Space Station pose together for a portrait inside the station’s Kibo laboratory module. In the front row are the members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 mission with, from left, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev (Russia), NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot. Hathaway and Meir hold a photograph of SpaceX personnel standing in front of a Falcon 9 rocket. In the back are the Crew‑13 members with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov (Russia), NASA astronauts Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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.

Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center, A. Menon

Dates: Oct. 4-7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #ESA #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Lunar Farside | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2009-2026)

Lunar Farside | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2009-2026)

Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker, making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the surface and form dark, smooth maria.

Learn more about LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has made a 3-D map of the Moon's surface at 100-meter resolution and 98.2% coverage (excluding polar areas in deep shadow), including 0.5-meter resolution images of Apollo landing sites.

LRO has been studying the Moon from up close since 2009, making it the longest-lived lunar orbiting mission ever. The orbiter has mapped the Moon’s surface and measured its temperature, composition, and radiation environment in unprecedented detail. Data from LRO enables NASA, and our international and commercial partners, to select locations on the lunar surface where spacecraft and astronauts can safely land. The orbiter is also helping NASA identify areas near the Moon’s South Pole with crucial resources like water and extended sunlight that provides power for equipment and supports exploration activities.

Learn more about LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Text Credit: J. Stopar

Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Robert Nemiroff, Keighley Rockcliffe

A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Technological University (MTU)

Release Date: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #FarSide #Geology #Geoscience #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LROC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #NASAGoddard #GSFC #ASU #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #LunarExploration #STEM #Education #APoD

South Korea's KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Prelaunch | Korea AeroSpace Administration

South Korea's KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Prelaunch | Korea AeroSpace Administration

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Video Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

Duration: 44 seconds
Date: Oct. 6, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education #HD #Video

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

"The research team that has worked together for the successful flight of KSLV-II gathered in one place for the launch quick review."

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Image Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Video Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
Duration: 1 minute
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Multicolored Northern Lights over Finland

Multicolored Northern Lights over Finland

    

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "The CME arrived late, but it did not disappoint. The colors were visible to the naked eye. Simply stunning. Even blue colors were present."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

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

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Levi is located in Finnish Lapland. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger

Location: Levi, Finland

Dates: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Levi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

More Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

More Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "Around midnight bright ribbons appeared that danced all over the sky in green and pink hues."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

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

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Levi is located in Finnish Lapland. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger

Location: Levi, Finland

Dates: Oct. 8-9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Levi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

Martian Moon Phobos & A 'Mini' Planet Saturn | Europe's Mars Express

Martian Moon Phobos & A 'Mini' Planet Saturn | Europe's Mars Express

Can you spot planet Saturn here?

Phobos is a small, irregularly shaped object with a mean radius of 11 km (7 mi). Phobos orbits 6,000 km (3,700 mi) from the Martian surface, closer to its primary body than any other known planetary moon. It is so close that it orbits Mars much faster than Mars rotates, and completes an orbit in just 7 hours and 39 minutes. As a result, from the surface of Mars it appears to rise in the west, move across the sky in 4 hours and 15 minutes or less, and set in the east, twice each Martian day.

Phobos is one of the least reflective bodies in the Solar System, with an albedo of just 0.071. Surface temperatures range from about −4 °C (25 °F) on the sunlit side to −112 °C (−170 °F) on the shadowed side. The defining surface feature is the large impact crater, Stickney, which takes up a substantial proportion of the moon's surface. The surface is also home to many grooves, with there being numerous theories as to how these grooves were formed.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express Mission (2003-2026) was launched on June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage. In addition to being Europe’s first mission to Mars, Mars Express is the first fully European mission to any planet. The orbiter has been successfully performing scientific measurements since early 2004, namely, high-resolution imaging and mineralogical mapping of the surface, radar sounding of the subsurface structure down to the permafrost, precise determination of the atmospheric circulation and composition, and study of the interaction of the atmosphere with the interplanetary medium. Due to the valuable science return and the highly flexible mission profile, Mars Express has been granted several mission extensions.

The orbiter will continue its study of Mars until at least the end of 2026 with an indicative extension from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028 to support the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-led Mars Moons eXploration (MMX) mission (Japan), followed by two years of post-operations.

Mars Express has conducted data relay for seven rovers and landing platforms and has supported scientific work with a further five orbiters.

The past 20 years of observations from Mars Express have solidified our picture of Mars as a once-habitable planet with warmer and wetter epochs that may have been oases for ancient life. This is a monumental shift from our previous view of the planet that characterized it as an eternally cold and arid world.

Learn more: 
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express

Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY

License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
Raw Data: HR898_0005_SR3, 02-04-2026
Image Processing: Andrea Luck
ESA Release Date: Sept. 15, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Saturn #Moons #Phobos #MarsExpress #MarsExpressSpacecraft #MarsOrbiters #HRSC #Europe #DLR #FUBerlin #Berlin #Germany #Deutschland #CitizenScience #AndreaLuck #CitizenScientists #STEM #Education

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) & The Witch Head Nebula: View from Australia

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) & The Witch Head Nebula: View from Australia

Astrophotographer Trevor Dobson: "Taken back in May this year at Lake Clifton, an hour south of Perth in Western Australia . . ."

C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet. It passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on April 19, 2026, when it was 0.499 astronomical units (AU) (75 million kilometers) from the Sun. The comet was discovered by PanSTARRS in images obtained on September 8, 2025.

The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) located at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA, consists of astronomical cameras, telescopes and a computing facility that is surveying the sky for moving or variable objects on a continual basis, and also producing accurate astrometry and photometry of already-detected objects. The Pan-STARRS Project is a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Maui High Performance Computing Center and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The NASA Near Earth Object Observation Program is the main funder for the operation of the Pan-STARRS telescopes.

IC 2118 (also known as Witch Head Nebula due to its shape) is an extremely faint reflection nebula believed to be an ancient supernova remnant or gas cloud illuminated by nearby supergiant star Rigel in the constellation of Orion. The nebula lies in the Eridanus constellation, about 900 light-years from Earth.

Image Credit: Trevor Dobson

Image Date: May 7, 2026

Image Details: Seestar S30 Pro, 160mm (520mm equivalent), ISO 200, f/5, 110 x 20 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Nebulae #IC2118 #WitchHeadNebula #EridanusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #TrevorDobson #Astrophotographers #LakeClifton #WesternAustralia #Australia #STEM #Education

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀🛰️China launched the Long March-12 Y10 carrier rocket on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an Internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 03:27am China Standard Time and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit Internet satellites, into the preset orbit. Nine more GuoWang satellites are now in space from this SatNet LEO Group 27 launch. The satellites were made by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Weighing about 695 kilograms each, the platforms utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

After today’s launch, 222 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it was expected that 3102 satellites would be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

With today’s launch, the Long March 12 rocket has flown three times in the last three months with August and September missions prior, for the second time in its almost two years of flight history.

This mission was the 9th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 11th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 279th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 671st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 71st launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Text Credit: CCTV, Jack C.
Date: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup27 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y10 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀🛰️China launched the Long March-12 Y10 carrier rocket on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an Internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 03:27am China Standard Time and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit Internet satellites, into the preset orbit. Nine more GuoWang satellites are now in space from this SatNet LEO Group 27 launch. The satellites were made by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Weighing about 695 kilograms each, the platforms utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

After today’s launch, 222 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it was expected that 3102 satellites would be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

With today’s launch, the Long March 12 rocket has flown three times in the last three months with August and September missions prior, for the second time in its almost two years of flight history.

This mission was the 9th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 11th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 279th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 671st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 71st launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV
Text Credit: CCTV, Jack C.
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup27 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y10 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Exit Dragon on Recovery Ship | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Exit Dragon on Recovery Ship | International Space Station

At 11:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) on October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, splashed down successfully off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

Teams aboard the recovery ship, named Shannon, including two fast boats, secured the SpaceX Dragon and ensured the spacecraft was safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams completed their work, the recovery ship moved into position and hoisted Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew exited the spacecraft one-by-one.  

This completed 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA

Duration: 9 minutes

Date: Oct. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Continental America by Night | International Space Station

Continental United States by Night | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and former Expedition 75 flight engineer: "Can you spot Florida and the Keys in this timelapse over the American continent?"

The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. 

The continental United States is the area of the United States that is located in the continent of North America. It includes 49 of the 50 U.S. states (48 are located south of Canada and north of Mexico, known as the "lower 48 states," the other being Alaska) and the District of Columbia, which contains the federal capital, Washington, D.C. The only state that is excluded is Hawaii. It is a state consisting of islands in the Pacific Ocean that are not part of North America but rather, Oceania.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot

Duration: 1 minute

Date: Oct. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Florida #FloridaKeys #AtlanticOcean #Astronauts #SophieAdenot #AstronautVideography #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

United Nations Space Chief Calls for Closer Space Governance Partnerships

United Nations Space Chief Calls for Closer Space Governance Partnerships

Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), has highlighted the importance of international cooperation on space exploration and called for closer space governance communications to protect spacecraft from collisions.

Speaking in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress, running in Antalya, Türkiye between Oct. 5 and 9, Holla-Maini spoke highly of China's role in promoting space cooperation, describing the country as an indispensable partner of the UNOOSA.

"We are really intensifying our collaboration with different Chinese entities. During the recent Nepal tragedy, we shifted more than 100 Chinese datasets within a few days, not weeks, days, to support the disaster. So, China is an extremely important partner for us. We believe not only in having access to Chinese imagery, but also doing a lot more capacity building," she said.

The Nepal disaster refers to the deadly cross-border mudslides triggered by a glacier collapse in northern Nepal on Aug. 26, 2026, that left thousands of people dead and even more missing in both Nepal and China.

The UN space chief mentioned China's recent donation of a lunar sample collected by the Chang'e-6 mission to UNOOSA as a milestone in multilateral space cooperation, saying the move shows China's open attitude and willingness to share its space development achievements with the international community.

"It's not natural to see generosity and international collaboration in such a divisive climate. But just two weeks ago, we received a sample from the far side of the Moon from the Chang'e mission—gifted to the UNOOSA in the Vienna International Center in Austria. We know how rare this sample is. It is very precious. It could be used for scientific research, to further our understanding, but China is doing that, and they are also giving a sample to us. It reminds people of the power of collaboration, the power of the United Nations, and also the importance and the power of one country to bring others together. And we really appreciate this, and we welcome this, and we don't take it for granted," Holla-Maini said.

Regarding China's plan to send a Pakistani astronaut to its Tiangong Space Station, Holla-Maini said this bilateral space cooperation program set a valuable precedent for developing nations.

"I'm delighted to see that China is taking an astronaut from Pakistan with them. We are all about 'access to space for all.' This is the principle, the fundamental principle of space law. It's what the United Nations stands for, and we're proud to see that member states are creating these opportunities. So, I wish that mission all the best of luck, and I hope it's the first of many foreign astronauts that get the opportunity to travel into space. And when other developing countries see examples like this, see precedents like this, it gives them hope. It gives them inspiration to aspire for being better, for being more, to really go for STEM education and to dream," she said.

Holla-Maini also underscored space traffic coordination as one of the top priorities for updating international space governance frameworks.

"So, I think the major priorities right now, with so many satellites being launched into space, is first of all space traffic coordination. We must prevent the creation of new debris, and that means we must minimize collision risks. Therefore, we must make sure that we maximize the communication and coordination of objects—active satellites in particular—that are orbiting the Earth," she said.

Video Credits: CCTV, CGTN
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2026

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