Close-up: R Coronae Australis Star-forming Region | ESO’s La Silla Observatory

Close-up: R Coronae Australis Star-forming Region | ESO’s La Silla Observatory

The nearby star-forming region around the star R Coronae Australis imaged by the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. R Coronae Australis (R CrA) is a variable binary star system in the constellation Corona Australis.

This picture, covers a field of 33.7 x 31.9 arcminutes (about the diameter of the full Moon), is a combination of twelve CCD frames, 67 megapixels each, taken through B, V and R filters, with four exposures of five minutes each.

Learn more about the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: June 30, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #RCoronaeAustralis #BinaryStarSystems #HIIRegion #StellarNurseries #Nebulae #ReflectionNebulae #CoronaAustralisConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #MPGESOTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Meir & Menon Spacewalk: Cosmonaut Anna Kikina View | International Space Station

Meir & Menon Spacewalk: Cosmonaut Anna Kikina View | International Space Station

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Perspective is everything.🌍Gazing down at Earth from above offers an incredibly profound one, as does looking back at the International Space Station from a window in the Russian segment. Our crewmate Anna Kikina captured this incredible footage during NASA astronaut Anil Menon and my spacewalk on Aug. 6. Even suited up in our bulky spacesuits, we look like tiny little worker bees at the hive given the massive scale of the station."

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3 p.m. EDT on August 6, 2026. It was Menon’s first spacewalk and Meir’s sixth. During the 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Meir and Menon completed their primary objectives. They included preparing the 3B power channel. This work was necessary for the installation of roll-out solar arrays, called IROSA, to provide additional power for the orbiting laboratory, supporting critical systems and the safe, controlled deorbit of the space station.

This was the 281st spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. 

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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/A. Kikina
Duration: 37 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #Spacewalks #EVA #JessicaMeir #AnilMenon #CosmonautVideography #Cosmonauts #AnnaKikina #АннаЮрьевнаКикина #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars Images: Aug. 18-20, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Aug. 18-20, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4988

MSL - sol 4985

MSL - sol 4988

MSL - sol 4988 

Mars 2020 - sol 1955

MSL - sol 4987

MSL - sol 4986

MSL - sol 4986

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Celebrating 14+ Years on Mars (2012-2026)

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

Release Dates: Aug. 18-20, 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 #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

IC 883 in Canes Venatici: A Galactic Merger Remnant | Hubble Space Telescope

IC 883 in Canes Venatici: A Galactic Merger Remnant | Hubble Space Telescope

IC 883 displays a very disturbed, complex central region with two tidal tails of approximately the same length emerging at nearly right angles—one diagonally to the top right of the frame and the other to the bottom right. The twin tidal tails suggest that IC 883 is the remnant of the merger of two gas-rich disc galaxies. The collision appears to have triggered a burst of star formation, indicated by a number of bright star clusters in the central region. IC 883 is 300 million light-years away toward the constellation of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs. It is Number 193 in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

Release Date: April 24, 2008

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #Galaxies #Arp193 #IC883 #InteractingGalaxies #GalacticMergers #CanesVenaticiConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

China Landspace Zhuque-3 Y2 Reusable Rocket: Payload Capacity Upgrades

China Landspace Zhuque-3 Y2 Reusable Rocket: Payload Capacity Upgrades

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket has undergone multiple technological upgrades, ranging from its nozzle to the landing legs, to boost its payload capacity, said Dai Zheng, engineering chief for the Zhuque-3.

The rocket blasted off at 7:35am Beijing Time Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China.

Its land-based recovery was completed as planned, with the rocket's first stage touching down smoothly at the designated position in the recovery site, and the second stage sending the onboard Honghu-03 satellite into the preset orbit.

The flight mission was a complete success.

It marked China's first land-based controlled recovery of a rocket's first stage using deployable landing legs, highlighting a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology.

Compared with the Zhuque-3 Y1, the Zhuque-3 Y2 optimized its landing propulsion system and adopted a vacuum nozzle design with a larger area ratio. This improves engine performance and rocket payload capacity, explained Dai.

"The second-stage vacuum nozzle is a large vacuum nozzle, whose area ratio has been increased from 50 in Y1 to 100 in Y2. What are the benefits of a larger area ratio? It increases the specific impulse of the second-stage engine, allowing for more complete convective expansion. A larger specific impulse also increases thrust, thus enhancing the overall payload capacity of the rocket," said Dai.

The landing legs are the main qualification focus for Y2. It had gone through numerous tests to ensure their performance and the mission success, said Dai.

"For the landing legs, we conducted numerous ground tests, including drop tests, deployment tests and locking tests. We also ran reliability verification to confirm they can perform their task at the very last moment," he said.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Aug. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #InternetSatellites #Honghu03Satellite #HongqingTechnology #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #ZQ3 #Zhuque3Y2Rocket #ReusableRockets #SpaceTechnologies #JSLC #InnerMongolia #Gansu #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Single Engine Static Fire Pre-flight Test#14

SpaceX Starship Single Engine Static Fire Pre-flight Test#14

Ahead of SpaceX's Flight Test#14 on Thursday, August 20, 2026, "Starship completed a single engine static fire demonstrating a deorbit burn for upcoming orbital missions."

Starship Flight Test#13 Summary:

On Friday, July 24, 2026, at 5:51 p.m. CT, Starship lifted off from Starbase, Texas on its thirteenth flight test. This was the second flight of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles and the first Starship flight to deploy the next generation Starlink V3 satellites.

The flight test began with Super Heavy igniting all 33 Raptor 3 engines and ascending over the Gulf of America. The successful first-stage ascent was followed by a hot-staging maneuver with Starship’s upper stage igniting its six Raptor engines to continue its flight to space.

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster performed a directional flip maneuver. The startup sequence was modified for this flight to be more robust to timing variability in engine startup and flip in the desired direction. This is done to increase overall performance. The booster successfully completed the high thrust portion of the boostback burn with all 33 engines, the first time with a Super Heavy V3, before ending the burn early. It attempted to relight its engines for the landing burn with a subset successfully igniting before experiencing a hard splashdown in the Gulf.

After completing a full-duration ascent burn on all six Raptor engines, Starship achieved its planned velocity and trajectory. Starship then successfully deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX engineers were able to successfully communicate with every satellite using radio frequency and laser links and downloaded key telemetry from the satellites. The Starlink satellites were deployed on the pre-planned trajectory and are expected to have demised upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment.

The vehicle also reignited a single Raptor engine in an in-space demonstration of a core capability for future orbital missions.

Starship re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and was able to gather critical data on the performance of its heatshield before executing a dynamic banking move to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly. Starship then guided itself using its four flaps to the pre-planned splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean. After relighting all three Raptor engines, Starship executed a landing flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown, coming to rest intact in the Indian Ocean and providing critical views of an intact heatshield for the first time.

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.

Learn more about Starship:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: SpaceX
Duration: 16 seconds
Date: Aug. 20, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #FlightTest13 #ReusableSpacecraft #SuperHeavy #SuperHeavyV3 #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-field view: Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Wide-field view: Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This image shows the area around flocculent spiral galaxy NGC 2841. It is produced from Digitized Sky Survey 2 images. The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Star formation is one of the most important processes shaping the Universe. It plays a pivotal role in the evolution of galaxies and it is also in the earliest stages of star formation that planetary systems first appear. Yet there is still much that astronomers do not understand, such as how do the properties of stellar nurseries vary according to the composition and density of gas present, and what triggers star formation in the first place? The driving force behind star formation is particularly unclear for a type of galaxy called a flocculent spiral, such as NGC 2841 shown here, which features short spiral arms rather than prominent and well-defined galactic limbs when viewed close-up.

Distance from Earth: 65 million light years

Credit: NASA, ESA and the Digitized Sky Survey 2

Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2841 #SpiralGalaxies #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Journey to Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Journey to Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Star formation is one of the most important processes shaping the Universe. It plays a pivotal role in the evolution of galaxies and it is also in the earliest stages of star formation that planetary systems first appear. Yet there is still much that astronomers do not understand, such as how do the properties of stellar nurseries vary according to the composition and density of gas present, and what triggers star formation in the first place? The driving force behind star formation is particularly unclear for a type of galaxy called a flocculent spiral, such as NGC 2841 shown here, which features short spiral arms rather than prominent and well-defined galactic limbs.

Distance from Earth: 65 million light years

Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgments: M. Crockett and S. Kaviraj (Oxford University, UK), R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), B. Whitmore (STScI) and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee

Duration: 37 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2841 #SpiralGalaxies #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Star formation is one of the most important processes shaping the Universe. It plays a pivotal role in the evolution of galaxies and it is also in the earliest stages of star formation that planetary systems first appear. Yet there is still much that astronomers do not understand, such as how do the properties of stellar nurseries vary according to the composition and density of gas present, and what triggers star formation in the first place? The driving force behind star formation is particularly unclear for a type of galaxy called a flocculent spiral, such as NGC 2841 shown here, which features short spiral arms rather than prominent and well-defined galactic limbs.

Distance from Earth: 65 million light years

Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgments: M. Crockett and S. Kaviraj (Oxford University, UK), R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), B. Whitmore (STScI) and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee

Duration: 38 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2841 #SpiralGalaxies #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Flocculent Spiral NGC 2841 in Ursa Major | Hubble Space Telescope

Star formation is one of the most important processes shaping the Universe. It plays a pivotal role in the evolution of galaxies and it is also in the earliest stages of star formation that planetary systems first appear. Yet there is still much that astronomers do not understand, such as how do the properties of stellar nurseries vary according to the composition and density of gas present, and what triggers star formation in the first place? The driving force behind star formation is particularly unclear for a type of galaxy called a flocculent spiral, such as NGC 2841 shown here, which features short spiral arms rather than prominent and well-defined galactic limbs.

Distance from Earth: 65 million light years

Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgments: M. Crockett and S. Kaviraj (Oxford University, UK), R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), B. Whitmore (STScI) and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee.
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2841 #SpiralGalaxies #UrsaMajorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Private Chinese firm lands Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on its legs for first time

Private Chinese firm lands Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on its legs for first time

China successfully achieved its first-ever land-based recovery of a commercial first-stage booster after it launched the Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket into orbit on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, 2026. Landing a rocket upright on its legs is incredibly difficult, a move previously mastered by only a few groups like Elon Musk's SpaceX. 

This mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the Long March-10B's first stage on July 10.

Rivaling SpaceX's Falcon 9, the Zhuque-3, developed by Chinese commercial aerospace company LandSpace, leverages advanced materials and cleaner fuels. Unlike conventional single-use rockets, LandSpace can reuse this booster for no less than 20 times, making space travel much cheaper.

Industry experts believe it will help accelerate the deployment of China's low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations.

The Honghu 03 satellite that was launched into its designated orbit by Zhuque-3 will trial its unfoldable thermal radiator, sizeable solar panels, electric propulsion system, and a 100-gigabit optical laser link ahead of mass production for Internet connectivity constellations. 

This Landspace mission was the second for the partially reusable Zhuque-3, and LandSpace’s 10th orbital launch attempt in the company’s history. This was also the 59th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: SMG
Duration: 1 minute, 48 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #InternetSatellites #Honghu03Satellite #HongqingTechnology #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #ZQ3 #Zhuque3Y2Rocket #ReusableRockets #SpaceTechnologies #JSLC #InnerMongolia #Gansu #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

The California Nebula: NGC 1499 in Perseus | Kitt Peak National Observatory

The California Nebula: NGC 1499 in Perseus | Kitt Peak National Observatory

This "stately" nebula resides about a thousand light years away towards the outer (Orion) arm of our galaxy. The glowing portion of the nebula is around 100 light years in extent. However, this entire region is filled with galactic gas and it is a place where many massive and luminous stars have formed. This family of young and bright stars in this spiral arm of our galaxy is called the Perseus OB2 association. 

The bright star to the right of the nebula in this image is Zeta Persei. It is a member of the Perseus OB2 group and it is probably responsible for making the California nebula glow. This nebula is a well-known example of one that not only glows strongly due to H-alpha emission, but also H-beta. The emission of photons by the hydrogen atoms in this gas are caused by the elevation and subsequent drop in energy level of electrons. The electrons gain energy by collision and (most importantly in this case) by interacting with energetic photons (coming from Zeta Persei). The larger the "fall" or number of energy levels an electron drops to, the more energetic the photon that is released. In this case H-alpha photons are released when an electron falls one level (from n3 to n2 with a wavelength of 6563 angstroms). H-beta photons are released when the electron falls two levels (from n4 to n2 with a wavelength of 4861 angstroms). In most nebulae, the conditions for electrons to fall one level (H-alpha) are easier to have, so most nebulae are not strong emitters in H-beta. In addition to this nebula, the Horsehead Nebula is another well-known example that is a good H-Beta emitter.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Adam Block
Release Date: June 9, 2014

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Nebulae #CaliforniaNebula #NGC1499 #EmissionNebulae #Stars #ZetaPersei #PerseusOB2 #PerseusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Does the Milky Way's central black hole rotate? This star could tell us | ESO

Does the Milky Way's central black hole rotate? This star could tell us | ESO

Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star in our galaxy, the Milky Way, orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at its center. The star, named S301, was detected with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and it reaches speeds of more than 8% the speed of light. It comes closer to the black hole than any other star observed before, so close that it feels the effects of the black hole’s rotation. This video summarizes the discovery.

0:00 - Tracking the S301 star

1:19 - How did S301 get there?

2:30 - Testing General Relativity

4:37 - Twisting space-time

5:43 - How to measure the spin of Sgr A*

Credit: ESO 
Directed by: M. Wallner, M. Kornmesser
Hosted by: S. Randall
Written by: E. Elkington, S. Randall, B. Ferreira
Editing: M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada
Videography: A. Tsaousis
Animations & footage:
ESO, L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser, GRAVITY collaboration, American Institute of Physics (AIP), Apical, Cimolai, Nobel Foundation archive, A. Tsaousis
Scientific consultants: P. Amico
Promotion: J. C. Muñoz Mateos and O. Sandu
Filming Locations: ESO Supernova
Based on research by the GRAVITY collaboration
Duration: 7 minutes
Release Date: Aug. 19, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #MilkyWay #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #StarS301 #Astrophysics #GeneralRelativity #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #VLTI #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Landspace Reusable Rocket Mission Recap: Launch & First Stage Landing

China Landspace Reusable Rocket Mission Recap: Launch & First Stage Landing

🚀China achieved its first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land after launching and recovering part of the Zhuque-3 reusable rocket on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, 2026. The Landspace Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 rocket blasted off at 07:35 (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, placing the Honghu03 satellite into its designated orbit. The flight mission was a complete success.

This mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the China Long March-10B rocket's first stage on July 10.

Today marked China's first successful land-based controlled recovery of a rocket's first stage using deployable landing legs, highlighting a major breakthrough in the country's reusable rocket technology.

Approximately 137 seconds after lift-off, the first and second stages separated. The second stage continued its flight and successfully delivered the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its assigned orbit. At approximately 07:41, the first stage performed a successful soft touchdown at the LandSpace Landing Site#1 in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following the planned trajectory.

The Landspace ZhuQue-3 Y2 reusable launch vehicle achieved full success in orbital insertion and first-stage recovery with the power of its nine TQ-12A engines.

🎉This is China's first successful flight verification of land recovery for the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle, as well as its first successful verification of a landing using deployable landing legs.

The Honghu 03 satellite will trial its unfoldable thermal radiator, sizeable solar panels, electric propulsion system, and a 100-gigabit optical laser link ahead of mass production for connectivity constellations. 

This Landspace mission was the 2nd for the partially reusable Zhuque-3, and LandSpace’s 10th orbital launch attempt in the company’s history. This was also the 59th launch from China in 2026.

Video: Landspace

Duration: 2 minutes, 25 seconds

Date: Aug. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #InternetSatellites #Honghu03Satellite #HongqingTechnology #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #ZQ3 #Zhuque3Y2Rocket #ReusableRockets #JSLC #InnerMongolia #Gansu #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Expedition 75: Menon & Adenot on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Expedition 75: Menon & Adenot on Spacewalk | International Space Station

From left, Expedition 75 flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA (partially obscured and wearing the spacesuit with a red stripe on the legs) and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) work together during a six‑hour and 23‑minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

Expedition 75 flight engineer Anil Menon of NASA exits the International Space Station’s Quest airlock after beginning a six‑hour and 23‑minute spacewalk.

From top, Expedition 75 flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) are suited up inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock preparing for a spacewalk.

From top, Expedition 75 flight engineers Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Anil Menon of NASA are suited up inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock preparing for a spacewalk.

Expedition 75 flight engineers Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) practices suiting up three days before her first spacewalk

Flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) completed a six-hour and 23-minute spacewalk on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. During their extravehicular activity (EVA), the duo finished the removal of a failed space-to-ground antenna and performed a long-duration tie down of the unit on the space station truss structure. The crew members needed more time than expected to disconnect electrical cables and loosen bolts, delaying work to install a replacement antenna. The installation work is expected to be undertaken during another spacewalk.

U.S. Spacewalk 97 was Menon’s second career spacewalk and first for Adenot. She is the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk. It also was the 282nd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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
Image Date: Aug. 18, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #Spacewalks #USSpacewalk97 #EVAs #Spacesuits #AnilMenon #SophieAdenot #France #CNES #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Plans for Studying Dark Energy | NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Plans for Studying Dark Energy | NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Scientists have discovered that a mysterious pressure dubbed “dark energy” makes up about 68% of the total energy content of the cosmos. 

Exploring the nature of dark energy is one of the primary reasons NASA built the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Its measurements will help illuminate the dark energy puzzle. 

What exactly is dark energy? 

More is unknown than known, but theorists are chasing down a couple of possible explanations. Discovering how dark energy has affected the universe’s expansion in the past will shed some light on how it will influence the expansion in the future. One theory suggests dark energy would eventually become dominant over the fundamental forces, causing everything that is currently bound together—galaxies, planets, people—to break apart. 

Exploring dark energy will allow us to investigate, and possibly even foresee, the universe’s fate.

The Roman telescope and the discoveries it will support:
https://www.stsci.edu/roman

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/

Dr. Nancy Grace Roman: 
https://science.nasa.gov/people/nancy-roman/

Download the free Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope poster here: 

Print high resolution PDF (144.47 MB) 
https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/rst/science/ROMAN-poster-24x36-2026.pdf

Print high resolution image PNG (45.60 MB)
https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/rst/science/ROMAN-poster2026.png

Smaller image for web view PNG (3.75 MB)
https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/rst/science/ROMAN-poster2026-web.png

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Animator: Krystofer Kim (eMITS)
Narrator: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Sound effects editor: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Science writer: Ashley Balzer (eMITS)
Science writer: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: Aug. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASARoman #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #DarkEnergy #Astrophysics #Cosmology #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAGoddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video