Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has unveiled a new ultraprecise satellite‑tracking method that pinpoints Earth’s center of mass with a precision of fractions of an inch. By combining GPS data with observations from low‑Earth‑orbit satellites and accounting for crustal deformation, the technique halves the previously estimated seasonal swing of the planet’s mass center. The study, published in Geophysical Journal International, shows that snow buildup in North America and Eurasia shifts the center about 3 mm toward the North Pole, while Amazon rainwater moves it 2. 2 mm toward South America, and monsoon water adds a smaller shift in Southeast Asia. These movements, driven by oceans, atmosphere, and continental water, are now measured with millimeter‑scale accuracy, matching GRACE‑FO observations. The refined reference point will enhance satellite navigation, elevation measurements, and global positioning systems used in shipping, agriculture, and mapping.

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has reached a significant milestone, capturing its 5,000th day on the planet. While parked at a sand ridge nicknamed 'Chocolatal,' the rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to take panoramas at two times of day. The images, taken on August 30 and September 2, were merged together and color was added for an artistic interpretation. The resulting 'postcard' shows the rover's deck, including its can-shaped UHF antenna and nuclear power source, as well as its tracks trailing off in the distance. Curiosity is situated in the lower foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall mountain within Gale Crater. The rover was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is part of the Mars Exploration Program portfolio.

A digital method developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, called decorrelation stretch, has made invisible murals at the Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat visible. The technique, originally designed to enhance satellite images of Mars, was adapted by retired rock‑art enthusiast Jon Harman, who created a plug‑in for the open‑source ImageJ program. Harman applied the algorithm to photographs of the temple’s central tower, exposing thousands of visitors’ unnoticed images of horseback riders and musical ensembles. Since 2010, the tool has been used at sites in Norway, Egypt, Canada, and Mexico, and has helped locate buried Greek structures and examine mummified tattoos. The method now allows archaeologists to recover and study artwork that had faded beyond recognition, opening new avenues for cultural analysis.

NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) has commissioned a new 34‑meter multifrequency beam‑waveguide antenna, DSS‑23, at its Goldstone complex in California. The antenna was completed in August 2026 and was formally opened with a ribbon‑cutting ceremony on August 25. DSS‑23 is part of the Aperture Enhancement Project, which began in 2009 and has added six new 34‑meter dishes to the DSN. The new antenna increases the network’s overall capacity and improves its ability to track, command, and receive data from spacecraft operating across multiple radio frequencies. The upgrade is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the Space Communications and Navigation Program.

On August 25, 2026, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory celebrated the completion of Deep Space Station 23 (DSS‑23) at the Goldstone complex near Barstow, California. The new 34‑meter multifrequency beam‑waveguide antenna, part of the Aperture Enhancement Project that began in 2009, was commissioned after a testing campaign from May to July and began operations on August 3, tracking the Chandra X‑ray Observatory. Since then, DSS‑23 has communicated with dozens of spacecraft, including Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Psyche, Juno, and Voyager 1. The antenna’s design directs signals to a climate‑controlled underground room, simplifying maintenance and allowing easy upgrades. DSS‑23 joins three existing 34‑meter dishes and one 70‑meter antenna at Goldstone, and will be the fifth enhancement‑project antenna. When the final sixth antenna, DSS‑33, comes online at Canberra in 2029, the network will have 13 34‑meter dishes, providing greater redundancy and capacity for NASA’s expanding fleet of deep‑space missions.