Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.
Planet Mars: "Once Upon a Martian Lake" | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
While there was not much by way of science rationale for this observation, Terra Sirenum is a large area of Mars in the Southern Hemisphere and is believed to have once held a lake that eventually drained through Ma’adim Vallis. The THEMIS instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter has detected evidence of chloride-based minerals dated well over 3.5 billion years. This image shows some lighter-toned bedrock that may represent these minerals.
This is a non-narrated clip with ambient sound. Enhanced color image is less than 1 km (under 1 mi) across and the spacecraft altitude was 255 km (158 mi).
Technical details:
Latitude (centered)
-31.564°
Longitude (East)
180.965°
Image Acquisition date
July 7, 2022
Spacecraft altitude
254.7 km (158.3 miles)
The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, that was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.
Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Ready for Launch| China Space Station
Preparing for launch! On January 15, 2024, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft and Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket combination were transported vertically to the launch area at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China's southernmost tropical island province of Hainan on Monday morning, Jan. 15, 2024. This marks the first launch of China's human spaceflight project in 2024, kicking off four flight missions for this year. Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.
The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.
The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.
Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:
Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander
Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist
Xinlin Jiang (江新林) - Mission Specialist
Video Credit: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)/CNSA Watcher
This image features a relatively small galaxy known as UGC 5189A. It is located about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy was observed by Hubble to study a supernova explosion in 2010 known as SN 2010jl. This particular supernova was notable for having been an exceptionally luminous supernova event. In fact, over a period of three years, SN 2010jl released at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy alone than our Sun emitted over the same timeframe across all wavelengths.
Even after supernovae have faded to non-observable levels, it can still be of interest to study the environments where they occurred. This can provide astronomers with valuable information. Supernovae can take place for a variety of reasons, and understanding the environments where they took place can help improve our understanding of the conditions necessary for them to be triggered. Furthermore, follow-up studies after supernovae can improve our understanding of the immediate aftermath of such events, from their potent effects on the gas and dust around them, to the stellar remnants they leave behind.
To this end, UGC 5189A has been observed many times by Hubble since 2010. This image is from data collected in three of the latest Hubble studies of UGC 5189A. It also examined several other relatively nearby galaxies that recently hosted supernovae—‘relatively nearby’, in this context, meaning roughly 100 million light years away.
Image Description: A galaxy that is flat and misshapen. Above and on its right it is covered by plumes of shining gas and dust, while its center and left side are more dim and patchy. A trail of dark, dim dust stretches from below the galaxy up and off to the left, where there are three more bright patches. The background around the galaxy is quite dark, with only a few small background galaxies and one star visible.
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko
European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden |Axiom-3 Mission
European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt looks up as he stands next to the SpaceX Dragon capsule that will take him to the International Space Station
Marcus Wandt training inside a SpaceX Dragon vehicle in Hawthorne, California
Marcus Wandt close to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt from Sweden - Official portrait
Marcus Wandt Mission Specialist from Sweden - Official Ax-3 portrait
Axiom 3 Mission crew training inside a SpaceX Dragon vehicle in Hawthorne, California. From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, and mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı.
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt's first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin—Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolize the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.
According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as passion and emotion, linking to Marcus’s enthusiasm for spaceflight.
The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.
The Axiom-3 Mission with European Space Agency Project Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Marcus will join Andreas Morgensen, ISS commander, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.
Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.
Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency's astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.
Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.
Read official biographies of Wendt on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:
A Nordic Warm Welcome from Huginn to Muninn | International Space Station
From the International Space Station to Earth, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen talks about what kind of person his fellow Scandinavian and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt is. The Axiom-3 mission with Marcus onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station for a 14-day mission, where Marcus will join Andreas, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.
Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.
Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.
Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received various honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.
Read official biographies on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:
The Vela Supernova Remnant: "Like a Giant Ghostly Bird" | ESO
The Vela constellation is visible with the naked eye in the southern sky, but you might miss a lot of details hidden there. This is a small patch of the Vela supernova remnant, the intricate leftovers of the explosion of a massive star 11,000 years ago. The Vela supernova remnant is one of the closest known to us. This image is part of a huge and detailed mosaic captured with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), hosted at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in the Chilean desert.
Pink and orange filamentary clouds swarm around in this picture, resembling the ghostly shadow of a cosmic bird with wide orange wings, a long pink body, and a bright pinkish star as an eye. A myriad of stars are sprinkled all over the image.
At the center of the image, there is a pink network of filaments, elongated from upper-left to lower-right. In the upper part of these filaments, in the opposite direction, from upper-right to lower-left, filamentary orange clouds fill the space. Nearby, dark red filaments and clouds fill the space. There are clouds that have a well-defined filamentary shape, while others are more blurred and cloudy-shaped. Spread all over the picture, bright yellow, blue and reddish stars populate the image. The dark background is almost completely hidden by all these features.
When massive stars reach the end of their life they explode as supernovae, expelling their outer layers. These explosions send out shock waves that move through the surrounding gas, compressing and reshaping it. This is what creates the intricate structure of filaments seen here. They shine brightly because of the energy released during the explosion.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/VPHAS+ Team
Watch 'Majestic' Tianzhou-6 Cargo Spacecraft Undocking | China Space Station
The Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft successfully undocked from the rear docking port of the Tianhe Core Module of China's Tiangong Space Station on January 12, 2024, at 08:02 UTC (16:02 China Standard Time), according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Tianzhou-6 has started an “independent flight stage” that will continue until the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft docks with China's space station.
The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard the station is conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.
The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.
Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:
Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander
Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist
Xinlin Jiang (江新林) - Mission Specialist
Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)/CNSA Watcher Archives
New View of The Light, Dark & Dusty 'Cave Nebula': Sharpless 2-155 in Cepheus
This colorful skyscape spans about three full moons across nebula rich starfields along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the royal northern constellation Cepheus. Near the edge of the region's massive molecular cloud some 2,400 light-years away, bright reddish emission region Sharpless (Sh) 2-155 is at the center of the frame, also known as the Cave Nebula. About 10 light-years across the cosmic cave's bright walls of gas are ionized by ultraviolet light from the hot young stars around it.
Dusty bluish reflection nebulae, like vdB 155 at the left, and dense obscuring clouds of dust also abound on the interstellar canvas. Astronomical explorations have revealed other dramatic signs of star formation, including the bright reddish fleck of Herbig-Haro (HH) 168. At the upper left in the frame, the Herbig-Haro object emission is generated by energetic jets from a newborn star.
Meet the Ax-3 Mission Crew | Press Conference | Countdown to Launch
As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) will "redefine the pathway to low-Earth orbit for nations around the globe." This mission is an opportunity for more countries to join the international space community and access low-Earth orbit to advance exploration and research in microgravity.
The Ax-3 Mission crew is expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Their Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft will have a day-and-a-half-long ride to the International Space Station.
"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. . . . Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
NASA’s X-59 Supersonic Aircraft: Test Pilot Inspection | The Quesst Mission
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California during sunrise, shortly after completion of painting. With its unique design, including a 38-foot-long nose, the X-59 was built to demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, while reducing the typically loud sonic boom produced by aircraft at such speeds to a quieter sonic “thump”.
This is the X-59, a single-seat X-plane aiming to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a mere thump. It opens the possibility for commercial supersonic flights over land, which has been prohibited since 1973. Be on the lookout for the first flight!
NASA test pilots Nils Larson (left) and Jim “Clue” Less (right), and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan “Dog” Canin pose with the newly-painted X-59 as it sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land, currently banned in the United States, by making sonic booms quieter.
NASA Test Pilot Checks Out Painted X-59
NASA test pilot Nils Larson gets an initial look at the painted X-59 as it sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. Larson, one of three test pilots training to fly the X-59 inspects the side of the 38-foot-long nose
NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less poses with the newly-painted X-59 as it sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California.
The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land, currently banned in the United States, by making sonic booms quieter.
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is the product of decades of aeronautics and supersonic flight research. The X-59 is designed to be able to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without producing a loud sonic boom, which occurs when aircraft fly at such speeds. Instead, the X-59 is designed to reduce that boom to a quieter sonic “thump.”
The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.
Have you ever seen a dragon in the sky? Although real flying dragons do not exist, a huge dragon-shaped aurora developed in the sky over Iceland in 2019. The aurora was caused by a hole in the Sun's corona that expelled charged particles into a solar wind that followed a changing interplanetary magnetic field to Earth's magnetosphere. As some of those particles then struck Earth's atmosphere, they excited atoms which subsequently emitted light—aurora. This iconic display was so enthralling that the photographer's mother ran out to see it and was captured in the foreground. Our active Sun continues to show an unusually high number of prominences, filaments, sunspots, and large active regions as solar maximum approaches in 2025.
On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.
Earth auroras have different names depending on which pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.
Alper Gezeravcı: Ax-3 Mission Specialist | International Space Station
As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) will "redefine the pathway to low-Earth orbit for nations around the globe." This mission is an opportunity for more countries to join the international space community and access low-Earth orbit to advance exploration and research in microgravity.
The Ax-3 Mission crew is expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Their Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft will have a day-and-a-half-long ride to the International Space Station.
Born December 1979 in Silifke, Türkiye, Alper Gezeravcı attended the Air Force Academy in Istanbul, Türkiye, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering. In addition, he completed a master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
As a fighter pilot with the Turkish Air Force, Gezeravcı has 15 years of flying experience on multiple aircraft, including the T-41, SF-260, T-37, T-38, F-5, KC-135 and F-16 . In addition, he served as a captain with Turkish Airlines for seven years. Gezeravcı has also served as a flight leader, flight safety officer, and commercial airlines captain.
Gezeravcı is honored and excited for the opportunity to be a part of the historic Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) as the first Turkish astronaut to go to space. Gezeravcı will serve as a mission specialist for Ax-3.
Read his full biography on the Axiom Space website here:
"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
Marcus Wandt: Ax-3 Mission Specialist | International Space Station
As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) will "redefine the pathway to low-Earth orbit for nations around the globe." This mission is an opportunity for more countries to join the international space community and access low-Earth orbit to advance exploration and research in microgravity.
The Ax-3 Mission crew is expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Their Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft will have a day-and-a-half-long ride to the International Space Station.
Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.
Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received various honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.
Wandt will be the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3.
Read his full biography on the Axiom Space website here:
"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
Walter Villadei: Ax-3 Mission Pilot | International Space Station
As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) will "redefine the pathway to low-Earth orbit for nations around the globe." This mission is an opportunity for more countries to join the international space community and access low-Earth orbit to advance exploration and research in microgravity.
The Ax-3 Mission crew is expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Their Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft will have a day-and-a-half-long ride to the International Space Station.
Born April 1974 in Rome, Italy, Walter Villadei is a colonel in the Italian Air Force (ItAF) and is currently the head of ItAF’s representative office in the U.S., overseeing commercial spaceflight initiatives. He has extensive experience in Italian space programs, including multiple assignments as a member of the scientific committee of the Italian Space Agency and national representative for the European Commission for the Space Surveillance and Tracking Program.
In 2011, Villadei received cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia as a Soyuz flight engineer and in advanced Orlan and International Space Station (ISS) Russian segment systems. In 2014 and 2018, he completed pre-assignment and multiple analog training, which included centrifuge, hypoxia chamber, and survival training.
In 2021, Villadei was selected to fly on Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered flight, Unity 23, the first commercial, human-tended research mission for the company. The mission Vitute-1 was carried out in June 2023, and the crew conducted 12 experiments aboard Unity 23, to include materials, technology, and human physiology research. Villadei served as mission lead and tended to the rack-mounted payloads during the weightless portion of the flight while wearing a smart suit to measure his physiological responses.
Villadei has a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Naples and a specialization in astronautical engineering from the University of Rome.
He is fluent in reading, writing, and speaking in English and his native Italian, along with extensive experience speaking Russian.
With a love for space, stars, aviation, and science combined with Russian cosmonaut and Italian Air Force training, Villadei is honored to have been chosen as the pilot for Axiom Space’s third commercial astronaut mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).
Read his full biography on the Axiom Space website here:
"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
Michael López-Alegría: Ax-3 Mission Commander | International Space Station
As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) will "redefine the pathway to low-Earth orbit for nations around the globe." This mission is an opportunity for more countries to join the international space community and access low-Earth orbit to advance exploration and research in microgravity.
The Ax-3 Mission crew is expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, January 18, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Their Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft will have a day-and-a-half-long ride to the International Space Station.
Michael López-Alegría was born in Madrid, Spain, and immigrated to the U.S. as a young boy with his family. He has over 40 years of aviation and space experience with the U.S. Navy and NASA in a variety of roles, including Naval Aviator, engineering test pilot, NASA astronaut, and commander of the International Space Station (ISS).
Read his full biography on the Axiom Space website here:
"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
Rollout of NASA's Experimental Supersonic X-59 Plane | This Week @NASA
Week of January 12, 2024: Rollout of NASA's experimental supersonic X-59 aircraft, schedule updates for future Artemis missions, and another year of global record heat . . . a few of the stories to tell you about —This Week at NASA!
Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
2-155%20-%20G%C3%A1bor%20Galambos%20(01-10-24).jpg)
APoD.jpg)