NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Spacesuit Training in Houston | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Spacesuit Training in Houston | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins (center) assists Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk (left) and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney (right) as they practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas. Astronauts familiarize themselves with spacesuit systems and procedures and practice Quest airlock operations before conducting spacewalk training at JSC’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in simulated microgravity

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk (left) and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney (right), with assistance from training specialists, practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator

NASA astronaut Luke Delaney practices suiting up in a spacesuit in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas.

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk practices suiting up in a spacesuit 

In these images, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins (center) assists Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney as they practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas. Astronauts familiarize themselves with spacesuit systems and procedures and practice Quest airlock operations before conducting spacewalk training at JSC’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in simulated microgravity.

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.

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.

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

Image Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
Image Date: May 5, 2026

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

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier | JPL

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier | JPL

In this animated selfie, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover looks down at a rocky outcrop nicknamed “Arethusa” and then appears to look into the camera. This video sequence is composed of 61 images taken March 11, 2026, during the rover’s deepest push west beyond Jezero Crater.

The agency’s six-wheeled geologist took this self-portrait during its survey of an ancient landscape that may predate the formation of Jezero Crater itself. The sweeping backdrop represents ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls “Lac de Charmes.” On this rocky outcrop, the Perseverance Mars rover made a circular abrasion patch with the western rim of Jezero Crater stretching into the background. The selfie was captured on March 11, the 1,797th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, during the rover’s deepest push west beyond the crater.

Perseverance is in its fifth science campaign, known as the Northern Rim Campaign, of its mission on the Red Planet. The Lac de Charmes region is an example of one of the most scientifically compelling terrain the rover has visited.

“We took this image when the rover was in the ‘Wild West’ beyond the Jezero Crater rim—the farthest west we have been since we landed at Jezero a little over five years ago,” said Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We had just abraded and analyzed the ‘Arethusa’ outcrop, and the rover was sitting in a spot that provided a great view of both the Jezero Rim and the local terrain outside of the crater.”

During abrading, the rover grinds down a portion of the rock’s surface, allowing the science team to analyze what is inside. The technique enabled the team to determine that the Arethusa outcrop is composed of igneous minerals that likely predate the formation of Jezero Crater. Igneous rocks with large mineral crystals form underground as molten rock cools and solidifies.

Perseverance acquired the selfie—its sixth since landing on Mars in 2021—using the Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera mounted at the end of its robotic arm that made 62 precision movements over approximately one hour to build the composite image.

Learn more about how rover selfies are made: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/watch-and-hear-how-nasas-perseverance-rover-took-its-first-selfie/

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

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Release Date: May 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #PerseveranceRover #RoverSelfie #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Galaxy Cluster "Relaxed Now, but Wild Before" | NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory

Galaxy Cluster "Relaxed Now, but Wild Before" | NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory

The galaxy cluster Abell 2029 has sometimes been described as “the most relaxed cluster in the Universe.” This moniker does not arise from a sort of mellow vibe, but rather because of how calm and undisturbed the superheated gas that pervades the cluster appeared to be.

Now, new observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory clearly show that Abell 2029 had a much more colorful history than its current state suggests. The latest study finds that Abell 2029 is still settling down after a raucous collision with another smaller cluster about four billion years ago.

Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity. They are made up of hundreds or even thousands of galaxies, dark matter detected only by its gravitational effects, and a huge amount of gas that fills in the space between the galaxies. This gas is typically heated to millions of degrees. This makes it glow in X-ray light.

The Chandra data reveal clear signs that this cluster did not have a mundane history. Evidence for the cluster’s previous shenanigans comes from the nautilus-like shape in the Chandra data. A team of researchers that analyzed the data think the spiral shape in the hot gas formed when gas in the cluster sloshed to the side because of the gravitational effects of the cluster collision—similar to how wine moves in a wine glass. The sloshing spiral in Abell 2029 is one of the longest ever seen, extending about two million light-years from the center of the cluster.

Computer simulations of the collision suggest that the smaller cluster was about ten times less massive than the larger cluster. The sloshing spiral formed when the smaller cluster made its first pass through the larger cluster, pulling its gas sideways. The gravity of the larger cluster then caused the other cluster to slow down and get pulled back in for a second collision. This drove a shock front and left behind a wake of material, forming the splash region.

Video Credit: NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory 
Duration: 2 minutes, 34 seconds
Release Date: May 12, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #Abell2029 #InteractingGalaxyClusters #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC ##UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III Rocket Core Stage Processing | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis III Rocket Core Stage Processing | Kennedy Space Center

In this edited timelapse video, technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida complete operations of lifting and lowering the agency’s Artemis III Space Launch System (SLS) core stage into High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Monday, May 4, 2026. Using a one-of-a kind lifting beam designed to lift the core stage from the transfer aisle to High Bay 2 for additional assembly, teams will connect the core stage to the engine section. This marks the first time core stage assembly operations being conducted at the spaceport for future Artemis missions.

Artemis III will launch astronauts into Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS in 2027 to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and other commercial spacecraft that are needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.

Artemis III Misson:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Video Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Date: May 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #MoonLanders #CommercialSpacecraft #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CoreStage #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #VAB #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III Rocket Core Stage Processing | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis III Rocket Core Stage Processing | Kennedy Space Center

Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida complete operations of lifting and lowering the agency’s Artemis III Space Launch System (SLS) core stage into High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Monday, May 4, 2026. Using a one-of-a kind lifting beam designed to lift the core stage from the transfer aisle to High Bay 2 for additional assembly, teams will connect the core stage to the engine section. This marks the first time core stage assembly operations being conducted at the spaceport for future Artemis missions.

Artemis III will launch astronauts into Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS in 2027 to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and other commercial spacecraft that are needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.

Artemis III Misson:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Image Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
Date: May 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #MoonLanders #CommercialSpacecraft #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #CoreStage #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #VAB #NASAKennedy #KSC #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

An Earth Night of Aurora & Storms | International Space Station

An Earth Night of Aurora & Storms | International Space Station

Auroras, thunderstorms, and brightly lit cities streak across this nighttime timelapse captured by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot during the 2026 Lyrids meteor shower.

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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.

Credit: NASA/JSC/ESA/S. Adenot

Duration: 52 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ISS #Earth #Aurora #LightningStorms #MeteorStorms #Lyrids #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #SophieAdenot #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Version 3 Launch Rehearsal: Pre-Flight 12 | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship Version 3 Launch Rehearsal: Pre-Flight 12 | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Update: "Launch rehearsal complete. During a flight-like countdown, more than 5,000 metric tonnes (11+ million pounds) of propellant were loaded on the fully stacked Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles for the first time."

As of October 13, 2025, the SpaceX Starship has been "launched 11 times with 6 successes and 5 failures." SpaceX has developed Starship with the intention of lowering launch costs using economies of scale. It aims to achieve this by reusing both rocket stages, increasing payload mass to orbit, increasing launch frequency, creating a mass-manufacturing pipeline and adapting it to a wide range of space missions.

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission 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

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Date: May 11, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #StarshipV3 #StarshipFlight12 #ReusableSpacecraft #SuperHeavy #SuperHeavyV3 #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Moscow, Russia at Night | International Space Station

Moscow, Russia at Night | International Space Station

This oblique view of Moscow, Russia, was photographed at approximately 1:56 a.m. local time from the International Space Station as it soared 263 miles above Europe into an orbital sunrise. Moscow’s sodium‑vapor streetlights create an amber hue, revealing the city’s web‑like structure in this nighttime view.

Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva River in Central Russia. Moscow is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely in Europe, the largest urban and metropolitan area in Europe, and the largest city by land area on the European continent.

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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.

Credit: NASA/Chris Williams
Date: May 3, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ISS #Earth #Moscow #Москва #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #ChrisWilliams #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

Planet Earth Lightning Flash | International Space Station

Planet Earth Lightning Flash | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Toward the end of a recent nighttime timelapse from a SpaceX Dragon window, I caught this impressive lightning flash. I was astounded by the size and intensity of this monster thundercloud. The things we witness from our vantage point on the International Space Station never cease to amaze me."

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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.

Credit: NASA/JSC/Jessica Meir

Release Date: May 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ISS #Earth #LightningStorms #LightningFlashes #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

Comet Panstarrs C/2025R3 and The Witch Head Nebula: View from Namibia

Comet Panstarrs C/2025R3 and The Witch Head Nebula: View from Namibia

Astrophotographer Dominique Dierick: "Bright tail, nearly 10 degrees in my image, but it continued for at least another 10 degrees or more. Imaged remote in Namibia from home."

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 Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) is an extremely faint reflection nebula located in the Eridanus (The River) constellation about 800 light-years away. Astronomers are still learning about this molecular cloud, but research indicates that the wind-swept appearance may have formed from stellar wind of nearby, highly luminous stars.

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.

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Image Credit: Dominique Dierick (Belgium)
Capture Location: Namibia
Date: May 6, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #WitchHeadNebula #IC2118 #EridanusConstellation #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #OortCloud #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #DominiqueDierick #Astrophotographers #Namibia #Belgium #STEM #Education

Long March-7 Rocket Launches Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft | China Space Station

Long March-7 Rocket Launches Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft | China Space Station

China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-10 on Monday morning, May 11, 2026, to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong Space Station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Long March-7 Y11 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-10, blasted off at 08:14 Beijing Time from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

After about 10 minutes, Tianzhou-10 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo spacecraft later conducted a rendezvous and docking with the China Space Station at 13:11 Beijing Time on Monday via the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module.

Afterwards, the Shenzhou-21 crew that boarded the space station on Nov 1, 2025, will soon enter the cargo spacecraft and transfer the items as scheduled.

The Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft has delivered nearly 6.2 tonnes of supplies to the space station, including a new extravehicular spacesuit, a space treadmill, about 700 kilograms of propellant, essential living materials for the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 crews, and over 220 items of maintenance spare parts for astronaut systems, station systems, cargo systems and application missions.

The mission is the fifth cargo resupply flight of China's crewed space program since the space station entered the application and development phase. It is also the 641th mission of the Long March rocket series.

This time, Tianzhou-10 is set to remain in-orbit for 12 months, longer than previous missions that stayed nine to 10 months at the space station.

Image Credit: CMSA
Release Date: May 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch7Rocket #Tianzhou10 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #WenchangSLS #Hainan #STEM #Education

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft Docks Successfully | China Space Station

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft Docks Successfully | China Space Station

China's Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the orbiting Tiangong Space Station on May 11, 2026, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). 

At 13:11 on Monday, the Tianzhou-10 docked at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module.

The Shenzhou-21 crew members aboard the space station will sequentially transfer the items from the cargo spacecraft to the station.

The Tianzhou-10 was launched atop a Long March-7 Y11 rocket at 08:14 on Monday from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

The Tianzhou-10 is loaded with essential supplies, including one extravehicular spacesuit, consumables for the crew's on-orbit stay, propellants, and payloads for scientific experiments.

The mission is the fifth cargo resupply flight of China's crewed space program since the space station entered the application and development phase. It is also the 641st mission of the Long March rocket series.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: May 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Tianzhou10 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft Launched to Deliver Supplies | China Space Station

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft Launched to Deliver Supplies | China Space Station

China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-10 on Monday morning, May 11, 2026, to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong Space Station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Long March-7 Y11 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-10, blasted off at 08:14 Beijing Time from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

After about 10 minutes, Tianzhou-10 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo spacecraft will later conduct a rendezvous and docking with the space station combination.

Afterwards, the Shenzhou-21 crew that boarded the space station on Nov 1, 2025, will enter the cargo spacecraft and transfer the items as scheduled.

The Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft will deliver nearly 6.2 tonnes of supplies to the space station, including a new extravehicular spacesuit, a space treadmill, about 700 kilograms of propellant, essential living materials for the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 crews, and over 220 items of maintenance spare parts for astronaut systems, station systems, cargo systems and application missions.

The mission is the fifth cargo resupply flight of China's crewed space program since the space station entered the application and development phase. It is also the 641th mission of the Long March rocket series.

This time, Tianzhou-10 is set to remain in-orbit for 12 months, longer than previous missions that stayed nine to 10 months at the space station.

The Tianzhou-9 separated from the orbiting Tiangong space station combination on May 6 and re-entered the atmosphere under controlled conditions on May 7. The space station has thus cleared a docking port to make room for the Tianzhou-10, according to the CMSA.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: May 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch7Rocket #Tianzhou10 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #WenchangSLS #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft to Deliver 6 Tons of Supplies | China Space Station

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft to Deliver 6 Tons of Supplies | China Space Station

China's Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft is set to deliver over 220 items of supplies weighing nearly 6.3 tons to the Tiangong Space Station to support the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 astronauts' on-orbit life and work.

The cargo spacecraft is 10.6 meters long and adopts a two-module configuration, consisting of a cargo module and a propulsion module. It is specifically designed to deliver supplies to the China Space Station with a launch weight of approximately 14 tons, making it the most capable space cargo ship currently in service.

"Supplies include several categories. The first category consists of essential living supplies for the astronauts, such as food and water. Another category includes instruments, equipment, accessories and spare parts needed for the daily operation and maintenance of the space station. In addition, we have also replenished nearly 700 kilograms of propellants for the space station this time," said Yu Lei, chief designer of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The cargo spacecraft is also scheduled to deliver a new set of extravehicular spacesuit. Together with the two sets previously sent up by Tianzhou-9, there are now three new extravehicular spacesuits in total in the space station. This will fully replace and upgrade the original spacesuits.

In addition, the cargo spacecraft will also carry a new space treadmill to meet the astronauts' exercise needs in orbit.

"The main structure of the space treadmill and orbital replacement units (ORUs) will be launched. Based on in-orbit validation and application results, over 10 technical optimizations and improvements have been made to the space treadmill, enhancing the running experience and exercise intensity. This mission will also deliver fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, cherry tomatoes, green grapes, and flat peaches, as well as frozen steak and frozen chicken wings, improving the diversity of the food menu and the dining experience," said Zheng Zehao, a researcher from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

Meanwhile, for biological samples that require low-temperature refrigerated storage, the cargo spacecraft will also carry a space freezer.

Yu also said that the number of payload devices carried by Tianzhou-10 this time is also the largest since the construction of the space station began.

"Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft will carry a large number of payload devices this time, making it the mission with the most payload equipment since the space station construction mission began. After entering orbit, we will carry out in-orbit validation of some new technologies and new products," Yu said.

In addition, Tianzhou-10 will also help the space station to carry out the orbit control and attitude adjustment during the mission.

"Since the space station's engines cannot be replaced or repaired and have limited operating life, whenever possible, the cargo spacecraft's engines are used for attitude adjustment and orbit control," said Wang Xi, an expert from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The combination of the Tianzhou-10 cargo craft and a Long March-7 carrier rocket was vertically transferred to the launch site on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The cargo spacecraft will be launched at a proper time in the near future, the CMSA said.

Currently, the facilities and equipment at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan are in good condition, and comprehensive functionality checks and joint tests are scheduled to proceed as planned ahead of the launch, the CMSA added.

The Tianzhou-9 separated from the orbiting Tiangong space station combination on Wednesday and re-entered the atmosphere under controlled conditions on Thursday. The space station has thus cleared a docking port to make room for the Tianzhou-10, the CMSA noted.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 45 seconds
Release Date: May 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch7Rocket #Tianzhou10 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #WenchangSLS #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft at Launch Pad in Hainan | China Space Station

Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft at Launch Pad in Hainan | China Space Station

Long March-7 Y11 rocket, carrying China's Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft

Tianzhou-10 emblem

The Long March-7 rocket, carrying China's Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft, has been successfully transferred to the launch area at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 8, 2026. The mission will deliver fresh supplies to China's Tiangong Space Station, including a new extravehicular spacesuit and a space treadmill.

The cargo spacecraft will be launched at a proper time in the coming days, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Currently, the facilities and equipment at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site are in good condition, and comprehensive functionality checks and joint tests are scheduled to proceed as planned ahead of the launch, the CMSA added.

The cargo ship carries over 220 items of supplies weighing nearly 6.3 tons, including 700 kilograms of propellants, to support the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 astronaut crews' on-orbit life and work.

Its predecessor Tianzhou-9 separated from the orbiting Tiangong Space Station combination on Wednesday and re-entered the atmosphere under controlled conditions on Thursday. The space station has thus cleared a docking port to make room for the Tianzhou-10, the CMSA noted.

Image Credit: CMSA
Release Date: May 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch7Rocket #Tianzhou10 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou21 #神舟二十一号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #WenchangSLS #Hainan #STEM #Education

SpaceX Starship & Super Heavy Version 3 Arrival: Pre-Flight 12 | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship & Super Heavy Version 3 Arrival: Pre-Flight 12 | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Update: "Starship and Super Heavy V3 together at the Starbase launch pad for the first time."

As of October 13, 2025, the SpaceX Starship has been "launched 11 times with 6 successes and 5 failures." SpaceX has developed Starship with the intention of lowering launch costs using economies of scale. It aims to achieve this by reusing both rocket stages, increasing payload mass to orbit, increasing launch frequency, creating a mass-manufacturing pipeline and adapting it to a wide range of space missions.

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission 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

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Date: May 9, 2026

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