NASA

At NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, a team of engineers and pilots led by Derek Abramson, Justin Hall, and Justin Link are working on advanced navigation systems for future landings on the Moon and Mars. The team, with a shared passion for flight, has been building and flying radio-controlled aircraft since childhood. Their expertise in technical oversight, management, and system design is now being applied to the development of the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) experiment. This experiment, installed on the Alta-X drone, will help spacecraft land precisely and detect and avoid potential hazards. The team's work continues to support NASA's missions across aeronautics, science, and exploration.

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.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II mission that launched on April 1, 2026, will appear at the Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints game on September 20. The 27‑year Navy veteran, who spent 175 days in space across two missions, will highlight America’s strengths in space exploration and aeronautics innovation. Wiseman will be available for media interviews inside the stadium at 12:20 p. m. , while NASA team members will engage fans at the Experience Zone outside the stadium from 10 a. m. to 1 p. m. Visitors can learn about the Artemis program, play interactive games, and capture photos at a selfie station. The Inspiration Tour will culminate in the MAX POWER exposition on November 7‑8 at Kennedy Space Center, showcasing next‑generation aircraft, spacecraft, and autonomous vehicles.

NASA’s STS‑8 shuttle mission, launched on August 30, 1983, returned to Earth on September 5, 1983, marking the first time a space shuttle was launched and landed at night. The decision to schedule the mission for nighttime was guided by an Indian connection that dictated the timing of both launch and recovery. The mission’s night operations required precise coordination of ground support, crew readiness, and orbital mechanics, setting a new operational benchmark for the Space Shuttle program. While the specific nature of the Indian involvement is not detailed in the source, the fact that it influenced the mission schedule underscores the growing role of international partners in U. S. spaceflight operations. The successful night launch and landing demonstrated the shuttle’s flexibility and the viability of non‑standard launch windows for future missions.

NASA Ames Science Directorate announced its September 2026 Stars of the Month, honoring seven individuals for their technical expertise and collaborative work across multiple divisions. Space Biosciences Star Steve Ormsby, a project engineer with Amentum, led safety oversight and infrastructure maintenance, ensuring operational readiness of division facilities. Facility Service Manager Aphrodite Kostakis maintained building N239, prepared for VPP inspections, and implemented infrastructure improvements. Astrophysics Stars Alejandro Borlaff and Sarah Nickerson advanced data processing for Hubble, Roman, and SOFIA missions, improving detection of faint astronomical features and providing high‑level data products to the global community. Planetary Science Fellow Martina Caussi used finite‑element simulations to show topographic relaxation shapes Europa’s Tegid crater, informing Europa Clipper science planning. Earth Science Stars Keiko Nomura and Stephen Broccardo led the NEX‑GeoAI project and sustained Ames’ atmospheric remote‑sensing capabilities, positioning NASA as a ground‑truthing authority for GeoAI modeling and future satellite validation. The awards underscore the agency’s commitment to safety, data quality, and mission readiness across its flagship programs.

NASA will host an International Observe the Moon Night celebration on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 5:30 to 8 p. m. CST at the U. S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The free event invites the public to learn about lunar science, space exploration, and cultural connections to the Moon. Experts will give talks, including highlights of lunar observations made by the Artemis II crew in April. Media coverage is requested by 3 p. m. Friday, Sept. 18, and must report to the Davidson Center. Attendees can participate in hands‑on STEM activities, a science stage show, a photo booth, face‑painting, and guided telescope tours by the Von Braun Astronomical Society. The evening is presented by NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office and features Janet Ivey, host of “Janet’s Planet.”

On September 2, 2026, the entire crew and backup crew members of the Artemis III mission visited NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Bob Hines, along with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, inspected the Vehicle Assembly Building. They viewed the progress on solid rocket booster integration in High Bay 3. This visit marks the first time the entire crew has visited Kennedy. The Artemis III mission aims to launch four crew members aboard the Orion spacecraft to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, starting with Artemis IV.

On September 19, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, opened its Visitor Center for the annual International Observe the Moon Night. The free, family‑friendly event ran from 6 p. m. to 9 p. m. EDT and featured hands‑on activities, craft stations, a photo kiosk, and telescopes set up outside (weather permitting). Inside, visitors could view a real Apollo 14 Moon rock and hear Dr. Amanda Nahm discuss lunar science from Artemis II, followed by a technical presentation from visualizer Ernie Wright on how data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is turned into imagery. The program highlighted NASA’s ongoing lunar missions and offered a behind‑the‑scenes look at what made Artemis II’s first lunar orbit a success. Registration was optional, and the event was open rain or shine with free parking. For those unable to attend, NASA provided virtual participation options and a global call to observe the Moon.

NASA's National Travel Service Center (NSSC) has introduced a new method for submitting travel vouchers, particularly for Change of Station (COS) travelers. This development aims to streamline the reimbursement process for authorized Agency travel, including domestic, foreign, local, Extended Temporary Duty (ETDY), and COS. Travelers can now submit their vouchers through the NSSC Travel website, in addition to the existing methods. The updated process includes new forms and instructions for COS travelers, such as the OF 1012 Travel Voucher and the NF513 Service Agreement and Duplicate Reimbursement Disclosure Statement. Travelers are advised to review NASA's Guide to a Successful Move, which provides detailed information on COS and ETDY travel. The NSSC has also updated its website with new resources, including the latest Taxability Change Notice for Change of Station travelers and information on Relocation Income Tax Allowance.

On September 14, 2026, a rare daytime eclipse occurred when the Moon passed in front of Venus, a phenomenon visible to only about 10% of the planet. The event was first noted near noon over the small village of Cessy, France, where the Moon’s faint crescent—illuminated by roughly 10% of the Sun—was barely discernible behind clouds. Soon after, a bright dot appeared from behind the Moon: Venus, showing a crescent about 25% illuminated. Venus’s greater brightness stems from its proximity to the Sun and highly reflective cloud cover, contrasting with the Moon’s darker surface. The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) image, credited to Arnaud Mariat and produced by NASA’s Astrophysics Science Division, captures both bodies in a single exposure. NASA’s APOD site is transitioning from apod. nasa. gov to science. nasa. gov/apod.

NASA has awarded the contract to build, launch, and operate a $700 million Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft to Blue Origin, after a competitive procurement process that also involved Rocket Lab. The decision, announced earlier this month, gives Blue Origin responsibility for a spacecraft that will orbit Mars and relay data between the planet and Earth‑based antennas. Rocket Lab, which had submitted a competing proposal, expressed strong dissatisfaction and filed a formal protest with the U. S. Government Accountability Office on Friday. The protest challenges the award’s fairness and the evaluation criteria used by NASA. The outcome will determine which company leads the next generation of deep‑space communications infrastructure. The protest underscores the high stakes of NASA’s commercial partnerships and the scrutiny of procurement procedures in large space projects.

NASA's Earth Science Division has been exploring the use of commercial satellite data through the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. Established to advance Earth science research and application objectives, the program aims to identify and acquire cost-effective data from commercial providers. During a recent webinar, speakers shared an update on the program's activities and progress. They covered the range of data modalities available, introduced a new calibration and validation initiative, and provided updates on the data evaluation process. The program leadership also discussed end-user licensing agreements, data availability and access, and new data archive and tasking capabilities through the Satellite Data Explorer. CSDA vendors, including Airbus, BlackSky, and Planet, were also mentioned. The webinar aimed to engage users and provide new learning resources. The CSDA program continues to explore the use of commercial satellite data to supplement NASA's Earth observations.

NASA announced the selection of 12 new investigations to support human exploration. Six focus on producing food off‑planet, studying edible plants, microbial communities, resurrection plants, and algae genetics. The other six target astronaut health, examining lunar dust effects, drug repurposing, radiation stressors, and molecular changes. Principal investigators come from 10 institutions; nine are first‑time recipients. Funding of more than $7 million will be distributed through fiscal years 2026‑2030 under the ROSES‑2024 program. The studies aim to enhance life‑support systems, reduce health risks, and develop early‑warning detection for crew. They represent a coordinated effort to apply biological research in space to enable sustainable lunar and Mars missions.

On September 14, 2026, Djibouti became the 72nd nation and the eighth African country to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D. C. The Accords establish practical principles for transparency, safety, and coordination among countries exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson welcomed the new member, noting that the U. S. will lead but will not act alone, and that Artemis Accords nations can contribute hardware, scientific payloads, technology demonstrations, CubeSats, and other capabilities to future missions. Djibouti’s national space program, launched in 2020, has already launched two satellites—Djibouti 1A and Djibouti 1B—on Falcon 9 rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Ambassador Mohamed Siad Douale signed on behalf of Djibouti, expressing a desire to deepen partnership with the United States and the global space community, and to build opportunities in scientific research, satellite applications, education, and technical training for Djibouti’s students, researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched on August 30, 2026, will study the universe's biggest mysteries, including dark energy and galaxy formation. It will also search for exoplanets using an unusual method: gravitational microlensing. This phenomenon occurs when a star's gravity bends light from a distant star, making it appear brighter. By monitoring hundreds of millions of stars, Roman will watch for these temporary brightenings, which can indicate the presence of a planet. The telescope's sharp infrared vision and wide field of view make it well-suited for this task. Roman will observe six fields of view toward the Milky Way's crowded center, monitoring stars roughly once every 12 minutes during six intensive observing seasons. This will allow it to discover thousands of planets on relatively wide orbits, particularly valuable because most known exoplanets orbit close to their stars. Roman will also measure the brightness of hundreds of millions of stars, revealing around 100,000 transiting planets.

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 14, 2026, traced the sources of the elements that compose the human body. It explained that the hydrogen found in every water molecule originates from the Big Bang, with no other significant cosmic source. Carbon and oxygen were forged by nuclear fusion inside stars, while iron was produced in supernova explosions long ago. Gold likely formed in neutron‑star collisions that produced short‑duration gamma‑ray bursts or gravitational‑wave events. The brief also noted that elements such as phosphorus and copper, though present in small amounts, are essential to life, yet their precise nuclear origins remain uncertain and are active research topics. Additionally, NASA announced the APOD archive will move from apod. nasa. gov to science. nasa. gov/apod.

NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite captured two images of the Coppermine River in Nunavut, Canada, showing a dramatic shift from green to vivid red, orange, and yellow between July 27 and September 6, 2026. Analysis of seven years of satellite data shows that tundra foliage begins to change in early September, peaks mid‑month, and then fades within a week or less—making Nunavut one of the first North American regions to display fall color. The color change occurs as chlorophyll breaks down when temperatures drop and daylight shortens, revealing carotenoids and anthocyanins that give leaves their yellow and red hues. Citizen scientists can now contribute to NASA’s long‑term environmental database by recording leaf color changes through the GLOBE North American Phenology Campaign, helping researchers track plant responses to climate shifts.

NASA has launched a new project, Artifact InSPECtor, which invites the public to help refine data from space telescopes. The project aims to improve the accuracy of data collected by the Euclid space telescope and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Volunteers will learn how to recognize artifacts in data, such as signals from things other than real astronomical objects, and verify whether artificial intelligence tools have correctly identified them. The work will be used to improve the instructions guiding the AI tool, allowing it to better distinguish between real and artificial signals. By participating in Artifact InSPECtor, volunteers can contribute to the discovery of the mysteries of dark energy and the expansion of the universe. The project is open to anyone with a smartphone or laptop and can be accessed through the NASA website.

NASA has issued a new document outlining the early stages of the proposed United States Space Academy, signaling a rapid push to establish the institution. The agency’s timeline calls for a groundbreaking of a permanent campus no later than next year, with the first cohort of students enrolling in temporary facilities in 2028. A full transition to the permanent campus is slated for 2031. The plan reflects NASA’s intent to create a dedicated training hub for U. S. space professionals, positioning the academy as a central pillar in the nation’s space workforce development. By setting clear milestones, NASA aims to accelerate the academy’s operational readiness and ensure a steady pipeline of skilled personnel for future space missions.

NASA hosted two virtual workshops from July 28 to September 8, 2026, to advance the Artemis Accords’ key tenet of timely scientific data release. The sessions, attended by 71 signatory nations, covered open‑science principles, implementation practices, and tools. NASA showcased the Planetary Data System, its open‑lunar data archive, and data‑visualization and analysis tools, offering a real‑world example of how the agency structures, curates, and shares planetary science data. The first session promoted interoperability, reproducibility, and transparency, while the second delivered a working model for signatories to build or refine their own data‑sharing frameworks. By making all Artemis program data freely available, NASA invites partners—including ISRO—to innovate together, accelerating lunar research and setting a foundation for future human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day features a breathtaking image of the spiral galaxy M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel. Located approximately twelve million light-years away in the constellation Hydra, this galaxy is a mere 40,000 light-years across, smaller than the Milky Way. The image showcases prominent spiral arms, dark dust lanes, and blue star clusters, earning M83 its popular name. Additionally, reddish star-forming regions dot the galaxy's spiral arms, suggesting another nickname, the Thousand-Ruby Galaxy. The core of M83 is bright at x-ray energies, indicating a high concentration of neutron stars and black holes. The image also features foreground Milky Way stars and distant background galaxies. This stunning view was captured by a ground-based telescope.

The Republic of Djibouti will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington on September 14. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson will host Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States Mohamed Siad Douale, along with U. S. State Department Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Frank Garcia. The event is in person only, and media must RSVP by 8 a. m. on September 14 to attend. The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 to enhance the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The accords were introduced by the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, in response to growing interest in lunar activities by governments and private companies. The signing ceremony will mark Djibouti's commitment to the accords, which aim to promote international cooperation in space exploration.

A personal locator beacon (PLB) developed by NASA and its partners has saved thousands of lives in remote areas where cell signals cannot reach. The device sends a distress signal to satellites, which are then relayed back to Earth, launching a rescue operation. Easton Barrett, a fisherman, credits a PLB with saving his life and the lives of his crew after their boat sank off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The PLB, developed by ACR Electronics Inc. , sends a signal to the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system, which alerts rescue coordination centers to mobilize search and rescue crews. The SARSAT system, developed partly by NASA, has saved over 63,000 lives since its inception in 1982. The system is an international collaboration with 45 nations contributing services, from operating ground stations to providing rescue crews.

On September 11, 2026, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a sharp image of IRS 3, a late‑stage star located in the dense starfield surrounding Sagittarius A*. Webb’s mid‑infrared observations revealed a clear signature of oxygen‑rich silicate dust in the star’s surrounding envelope and, for the first time, detected water vapor within that same dust cloud. The discovery confirms that water can survive in the harsh, high‑energy environment near the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. It also provides a new laboratory for studying the chemistry of dust and gas in the Galactic Center, where conditions differ markedly from the quieter regions of the galaxy.

NASA will launch a series of flyovers, astronaut appearances, and fan‑engagement activities at four NFL games this fall, marking the agency’s first season of on‑field outreach. The partnership, announced by Administrator Jared Isaacman, will feature NASA’s high‑speed aircraft and other test platforms, demonstrating technologies used for astronaut training and high‑altitude research. Scheduled games include Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13, Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints on Sept. 20, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4, and New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns in East Rutherford on Oct. 11. Each event will highlight NASA’s work on lunar missions, fission‑powered spacecraft, and aeronautics innovation. The tour will conclude with MAX POWER, a two‑day public exposition at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 7‑8, showcasing next‑generation aircraft, autonomous vehicles, and space‑transportation technologies.

Five months after returning from the Moon, Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover have joined NASA’s newly created emeritus program. The program lets them remain active at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they can train and mentor the current workforce, while still being free to pursue employment and opportunities outside the agency. Glover explained that the emeritus designation is a retirement program similar to what scientists receive when they move to academia to teach or conduct research. The move marks the first time astronauts have been granted this status, signaling a new way for NASA to retain veteran expertise without full retirement.

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day features the Giraffe Nebula, a stunning dark nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The image, captured by astrophotographer Alessandro Merga, showcases the nebula's intricate details and its resemblance to a giraffe. The Giraffe Nebula is an object in the Lynds Catalogue of Dark Nebulas, compiled by American astronomer Beverly Lynds in 1962. Dark nebulas are interstellar clouds of dust and gas that block the visible light of stars behind them. The tendency to see animal shapes and faces in nebulas and clouds is attributed to pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon that may have provided animals with an evolutionary advantage in identifying predators. The image is a testament to the beauty and complexity of the universe, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of exploring and understanding our cosmic surroundings.

On September 5, 2026, NASA’s Terra satellite recorded a dust plume sweeping across Mali and neighboring West African countries. The image, taken with the MODIS instrument, shows a dense cloud of aerosols that later spread westward, drifting over the Atlantic Ocean. Atmospheric scientist Tianle Yuan notes that such events are often driven by haboobs—intense convective winds that lift loose sediment. While a full transatlantic dust transport is unlikely, the plume’s westward movement illustrates the regional reach of Saharan dust. Yuan also warned that the developing El Niño could alter the Sahel’s dust activity by shifting the Intertropical Convergence Zone, potentially changing both the amount of loose sediment available and the frequency of convective storms. The observation underscores the need for continuous monitoring of dust transport to anticipate its climatic and air‑quality impacts.

NASA has awarded a Launch Services (NLS) II contract to Relativity Space Inc. , granting the agency access to its Terran R launch vehicle. The NLS II is a multiple‑award, indefinite‑delivery/indefinite‑quantity agreement with an ordering period that runs through June 2030 and a performance period ending December 2032. An on‑ramp provision in the contract allows NASA to annually invite new launch providers and lets existing contractors introduce new vehicles, such as Terran R, into the program. The Terran R will be available for NASA missions and can also be offered to other government agencies, including NOAA. The Launch Services Program Office at Kennedy Space Center manages the contract, supporting the Human Spaceflight, Science, and Research & Technology Mission Directorates.

On September 1, 2026, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission—astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—arrived in Huntsville, Alabama. They met with the NASA workforce at the Marshall Space Flight Center, where the astronauts shared firsthand accounts of their mission and reflected on their time in space. The visit included an engaging question‑and‑answer session, allowing ground personnel to learn directly from the crew about operational challenges and successes. The event highlighted the close partnership between astronauts and the teams that support them, offering the workforce valuable insights into mission execution and crew needs.

NASA has announced that astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, who flew the Artemis II mission, will assume emeritus status at the Johnson Space Center in September. In the new role, the pair will mentor current crews and share expertise on Orion and lunar operations while retaining flexibility to pursue other endeavors. Glover, a former naval aviator and Crew‑1 astronaut, will focus on aerospace leadership and public outreach, whereas Wiseman will concentrate on flight‑control experience ahead of Artemis III’s low‑Earth‑orbit rendezvous tests. Their transition follows a 10‑day lunar‑orbit flight that marked the first human travel to the Moon in more than five decades. The agency said the astronauts’ continued involvement will help prepare for Artemis IV’s 2028 lunar‑surface landing and future missions.

On August 29, 2026, NASA’s Curiosity rover marked 5,000 Martian days—more than 5,137 Earth days—since landing in Gale crater. The rover has climbed over 1 km above its touchdown point, a record for a Mars rover. Curiosity is now examining a wind‑formed, long, narrow ripple named “Chocolatal” on the slopes of Mount Sharp. Planned science activities include ChemCam LIBS analyses of the ripple’s top and surrounding sand, APXS measurements of its coarse surface, and Mastcam and MAHLI mosaics to assess layering and grain size. The MAHLI mosaics are named in honor of late colleague Paul Geissler, a TAR expert. The mission team looks forward to the next 5,000 sols of exploration.

Jaden Caradine, a Marine Corps mechanic turned aerospace engineering student, earned a NASA Pathways internship at Langley Research Center. While working with the in‑space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) team, he curated the annual State of Play document that catalogs ISAM capabilities across government, academia, and industry. To accelerate future updates, Caradine developed an automated web‑scraping tool that collects relevant aerospace news, compiles it into organized tables, and generates a readable summary on a regular cadence. The tool replaces the manual effort of team members scrolling through news feeds, cutting daily research time from 30–40 minutes to a few seconds. Caradine’s work demonstrates how data‑driven tools can streamline the synthesis of rapidly evolving space‑infrastructure information, supporting NASA’s decision‑making on in‑space servicing projects.

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 Hubble and James Webb telescopes jointly surveyed a patch of sky beyond Neptune, revealing 27 previously unseen trans‑Neptunian objects (TNOs). The faintest of these has a diameter of only about 3 miles (5 km), a size that ground‑based telescopes cannot detect. Contrary to expectations, the survey found fewer small TNOs than planet‑formation models predict. Color measurements show that the smallest bodies share the same surface hues as larger TNOs, suggesting that collisions have not significantly altered their surfaces. Size‑distribution analysis indicates that both dynamically cold and hot populations exhibit similar patterns, implying that planetesimal formation produced comparable size ranges regardless of the disk’s temperature or density. These observations refine our understanding of the early solar‑system environment and the processes that built the building blocks of planets.

Gene Roddenberry's 'Star Trek' series, which premiered in 1966, has had a lasting impact on NASA and space exploration. The show's creator established relationships with NASA personnel, and the agency provided photographs, advice, and stock footage for the series. 'Star Trek' inspired generations of space professionals, including astronauts, engineers, and flight surgeons, with its message of infinite diversity in infinite combinations. The show's influence can be seen in NASA's decision to name its first space shuttle Enterprise and its efforts to increase diversity in its astronaut corps. However, the Trump administration's recent orders to dismantle NASA's diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs and policies have undone institutional support for 'Star Trek's' vision of acceptance and inclusivity.

The Pelican Nebula, a region of active star formation and evolving gas clouds, is slowly being transformed by the light from young energetic stars. The advancing boundary between cold and hot gas, known as an ionization front, is visible in bright orange on the upper right of the nebula. The transformation is expected to continue for millions of years, resulting in a significantly different appearance.

On Aug 12, NASA’s WB‑57F high‑altitude research aircraft flew at 50,000 feet off Iceland’s coast to observe a total solar eclipse. The aircraft followed the precise path of totality, allowing its high‑resolution cameras to record the solar corona above clouds, dust, and water vapor that normally hinder ground‑based observations. An inflight video shows the corona emerging as the Moon’s shadow darkens the sky, with Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury visible in the frame. The data provide a clearer view of the eclipse’s atmospheric effects and help refine eclipse‑prediction models.

The NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley will conduct aircraft firefighting training from September 8 to 11. The training will use a propane-fueled simulator and take place from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. PDT. Although very little smoke is expected, flames may be visible to drivers on U. S. Highway 101. The training aims to prepare first responders for various aircraft firefighting scenarios.

On June 17, 2026, a daytime lunar occultation of Venus was observed from the United States and parts of Canada, including the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Moon moved directly in front of Venus, briefly hiding the planet from view. This event marked the first of three occultations scheduled for 2026. The next two will occur on September 14, visible from Asia, Africa, Europe, and western Russia, and on November 7, visible from southern South America.

NASA will stream the launch of the unpiloted Progress 96 cargo spacecraft at 12:15 p. m. EDT on September 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Soyuz‑launched vehicle carries roughly three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the International Space Station crew. After a two‑day transit, Progress 96 will autonomously dock to the Poisk module’s space‑facing port at 2:37 p. m. on September 11. The spacecraft will remain attached for about five months before re‑entering the atmosphere and burning up over the Pacific. The previous Progress 94 will depart the station on September 7, but its undocking will not be streamed.

NASA scientists have identified a massive ten‑sided atmospheric pattern encircling Saturn’s south pole, mirroring the planet’s well‑known northern hexagon. Hubble Space Telescope observations indicate the decagon began forming within the last few years and is intensifying. The feature’s rapid development and increasing strength suggest a dynamic change in the planet’s polar weather system. Researchers plan ongoing monitoring to determine the mechanisms behind its sudden appearance and to assess whether the pattern will endure for decades. The discovery adds a new element to Saturn’s atmospheric behavior, offering fresh data for planetary science studies.

Australian start-up Hypersonix Launch Systems is making waves in the hypersonic sector with its innovative hydrogen-powered Spartan scramjet engines. Currently, the company is focusing on developing uncrewed vehicles in partnership with allied militaries and NASA. However, its long-term goal is to bring hypersonic travel to commercial passenger aviation. The company's portfolio includes the DART, VISR, and Delta Velos demonstrator vehicles, all powered by its Spartan engines. These vehicles are designed to operate at hypersonic speeds, paving the way for faster and more efficient travel. While the company is still in the development stage, its technology has the potential to revolutionize the travel industry.

On August 30, 2026, NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The 7:26 a. m. EDT launch set the telescope on a three‑month, million‑mile transit to its final orbit. Roman combines a wide field of view with high‑resolution infrared imaging to survey large areas of the sky and probe deep into the universe’s past. The mission will investigate dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets beyond our solar system. It is NASA’s fourth primary mission to use Falcon Heavy, and the launch was advanced this year to meet an earlier completion schedule.

A team of scientists has used thousands of NASA Landsat images to track the color of Adélie penguin guano across Antarctica, a proxy for the birds’ diet. The study shows that colonies with more sea ice feed on small fish, while those in ice‑free areas rely more on krill. The shift is linked to the rapid sea ice decline since the 2010s, which reduces fish availability and results in lighter chicks that are less likely to survive. Populations in fish‑rich colonies remain stable or grow, whereas those feeding mainly on krill have declined over recent decades. The research demonstrates how satellite data can monitor wildlife diets in remote regions and highlights the broader impact of climate change on the Southern Ocean food web.

A recent total solar eclipse in Poland provided a unique opportunity for scientists to study animal behavior during the event. According to NASA, animals reacted to the eclipse by exhibiting unusual daytime behaviors, such as nighttime sounds from crickets and frogs, and birds becoming quiet in the dark. Some birds, including ducks, prepared to sleep on one leg, while songbirds resumed their dawn songs when sunlight returned. The brief period of totality allowed scientists to observe these changes in animal behavior.

NASA's Earth Observatory reports that peatland fires are burning across the island of Borneo, producing thick gray plumes of smoke. The fires, which burn in dried wetland soils, are slow-burning and highly polluting. According to NASA, peat fires generate more fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, organic carbon, methane, and carbon monoxide than other tropical forest fires. The Indonesian government is using NASA and NOAA observations to track active fires in near-real-time, but detecting fires through thick smoke or clouds can be difficult. The large-scale construction of irrigation canals and drainage of peat swamps in the 1990s has contributed to the flammability of the region today. Efforts to improve firefighting capacity and reduce accidental ignitions have been made since the 2015 fire season, but the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen.

NASA has decided to use a simpler spacesuit for its initial missions to the lunar surface, announced in an internal meeting this week. The agency will partner with Axiom Space to develop a "Sortie Suit" variant of the planned lunar surface suit. The new design will be used on the first landing missions flown on landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The initiative aims to lower suit mass, reduce complexity, and simplify interfaces between the suits and the landers. The change is intended to accelerate the Artemis program’s goal of landing humans at the Moon’s South Pole as early as 2028.

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) released on September 2, 2026, showcases a spliced image of the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse, capturing the Sun’s disappearance and the bright ring that remains. The accompanying explanation notes that the event has long been a source of cultural meaning. In ancient Greece, the eclipse was seen as the Sun abandoning humanity, while the Diné people of North America observe a period of renewal, staying indoors to avoid the dangerous light. The Batammariba of Benin and Togo view the eclipse as a cosmic battle that encourages peace among their communities. The image and text illustrate how astronomy continues to inform diverse cultural practices.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has identified a 10‑sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn’s south pole, a feature never seen before in the planet’s southern hemisphere. The decagon, first hinted in ground‑based images in 2024 and 2025, appears to be strengthening and extends through multiple layers of the planet’s atmosphere, indicating a vertically‑extended jet. Hubble’s long‑term Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program provided images from 2023 onward, confirming the structure’s presence and allowing scientists to track its evolution. Researchers plan to continue observations with Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, and to run computer models to determine the decagon’s lifespan and its relation to Saturn’s northern hexagon.

On 1 September, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir finished US EVA‑99 at 21:29 CEST. The mission marked Adenot’s third spacewalk and the 33rd EVA conducted by a European astronaut. The joint effort was part of routine maintenance and scientific work aboard the International Space Station. The successful completion underscores the continued collaboration between ESA and NASA in extravehicular activities and adds to the growing body of experience for European crews in spacewalk operations.

NASA‑funded research indicates that Earth's past climate was shaped by the Sun's passage through dense Milky Way regions and by powerful superflares during the Sun's early, more active phase. These solar influences could explain the timing of ancient ice ages and the maintenance of liquid water on early Earth despite a fainter Sun. The findings suggest that variations in solar activity and galactic environment have played a significant role in Earth's thermal history.

NASA technicians have begun installing the four RS-25 engines in the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis III mission. The engines, with unique serial numbers, previously powered multiple space shuttle missions. Engine 2048, for example, helped launch NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik's mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis during STS-129 and flew on Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-95 in 1998, carrying 77-year-old space pioneer U. S. Sen. John Glenn into orbit.

NASA and SpaceX have postponed the Crew‑13 launch after detecting an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system during pre‑launch preparations. The four‑person crew, bound for the International Space Station, will not depart until engineers resolve the issue. The leak was discovered while the vehicle was being readied for flight, prompting an immediate halt to the launch schedule. Investigators are examining the propulsion system to determine the cause and ensure the spacecraft’s safety before the next launch attempt.

NASA has successfully brought two of the Swift observatory’s telescopes back online after technical issues derailed a commercial rescue mission that aimed to lift the aging spacecraft to a higher orbit. The Swift satellite, designed to study high‑energy phenomena, has been experiencing faster‑than‑expected atmospheric drag, pulling it down toward Earth. Scientists now estimate that Swift could fall below its critical operating altitude within the next month or two. If the orbit decays further, the observatory will lose its ability to function, effectively ending its scientific operations.

NASA APOD highlights the 2026 lunar eclipse, a celestial event visible from the half of Earth facing the Moon. The eclipse, which lasted several hours, can be seen with the unaided eye and photographed without special equipment. The featured image, captured from Portugal, demonstrates the event’s global accessibility. APOD’s main NASA site is migrating from apod. nasa. gov to science. nasa. gov/apod, ensuring continued daily access to space imagery. The move supports broader outreach and aligns with NASA’s commitment to public engagement. Viewers can enjoy the eclipse from any location on the visible hemisphere, making it one of the most commonly witnessed astronomical events.

On August 31, 2026, the Republic of Türkiye became the 71st country to sign NASA’s Artemis Accords at the agency’s Washington headquarters. Turkish officials Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Yusuf Kıraç signed the agreement, which outlines principles for peaceful, transparent exploration of the Moon and beyond. The accord invites signatories to contribute hardware, scientific payloads, and other capabilities to future Artemis missions. Türkiye has already sent astronauts to the International Space Station in 2024 and plans to launch its first lunar mission, AYAP‑1, later this year. The country will also host the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya in October, where many Accords signatories are expected to convene.

NASA Earth Observatory has released a new satellite image as part of its monthly puzzler series. The image, featured above, challenges viewers to identify the location shown. To participate, individuals can submit their response using a provided form, including their preferred name or alias. The submission should include the location guess, along with any notable clues or interesting aspects of the area. While no prize money or trips to space are offered, participants can earn puzzler bragging rights by being the first to correctly identify the location. NASA will post the answer and a link to an Image of the Day story explaining the image in more detail about a week after the challenge. The agency may also highlight readers who share thoughtful or interesting answers.

The Roman Space Telescope, launched earlier, has started its three-month journey to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). During this time, the telescope is undergoing commissioning, where systems are being turned on, adjusted, and calibrated. The process involves deploying the solar panels, sunshade, and antenna, and preparing the primary mirror for science operations. Roman will have a stable, halo orbit around L2, offering a relatively steady orbit, stable optical performance, and an unobstructed view of the sky. This location also reduces the effect of heat from Earth, the Sun, and the Moon on infrared telescopes.

NASA has launched the Roman Space Telescope, a powerful observatory that will position itself in orbit beyond the Moon. The telescope is engineered to study cosmic mysteries, including dark energy and dark matter. Its deployment marks a shift from its origins as a spy satellite to a scientific instrument aimed at expanding our understanding of the universe. By operating in a stable, far‑from‑Earth environment, the Roman Space Telescope will provide clearer, more precise data on the large‑scale structure of space. The mission is expected to deliver unprecedented insights into the forces shaping cosmic expansion and the distribution of unseen matter.

On August 30, 2026, NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. RST’s primary mirror matches the size of the Hubble Space Telescope but is more curved, its secondary mirror is positioned closer, and its camera is larger, allowing the telescope to cover 100 times more sky in each snapshot. Unlike Hubble, RST will orbit the Sun, similar to the James Webb Space Telescope. The expanded survey capability is expected to increase the detection of supernovae, providing tighter constraints on the universe’s expansion rate, and to identify many more exoplanets, advancing the search for life beyond Earth.

NASA has successfully launched the Roman Space Telescope from Florida. The telescope is designed to survey the Milky Way galaxy and provide insights into dark energy. According to NASA, one month of observations with the Roman Space Telescope can cover the entire home galaxy. The telescope's advanced technology will enable scientists to study the universe in unprecedented detail. The Roman Space Telescope is a major upgrade to NASA's space-based observatories, and it is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the cosmos. The telescope will be used to study the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as the properties of dark energy. The launch marks a major milestone in NASA's efforts to explore the universe and expand our knowledge of the cosmos.

A recent NASA photo shows five 34‑meter antennas at the Deep Space Network’s Goldstone complex near Barstow, California. The new 34‑meter beam‑waveguide antenna, Deep Space Station 23 (DSS‑23), sits in the foreground. The other three 34‑meter dishes—DSS‑26, DSS‑25, and DSS‑24—are visible to the left. A smaller 26‑meter Apollo Antenna, built in 1967, appears at the far right. DSS‑23 was completed on Aug. 25, 2026, and a ceremonial ribbon‑cutting was held with NASA leadership, personnel, and dignitaries. The antenna is the latest addition under the Deep Space Network’s Aperture Enhancement Project. The project, launched in 2009, added six new 34‑meter multifrequency beam‑waveguide antennas to the DSN. The network, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, tracks, commands, and receives data from distant spacecraft.

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 officials and JPL staff cut the ribbon at the newly completed Deep Space Station 23 (DSS‑23) antenna in Goldstone, California. DSS‑23 is the latest addition to the Deep Space Network’s Aperture Enhancement Project, which began in 2009 and adds six 34‑meter multifrequency beam‑waveguide antennas. The new dish will increase the network’s ability to track, command, and receive data from spacecraft operating at multiple radio frequencies. Managed by JPL under NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program, DSS‑23 will support current and future missions that rely on deep‑space communications. The installation marks a key milestone in expanding the DSN’s capacity to serve the growing number of interplanetary probes.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will embark on a three-month journey to its final orbit. The mission aims to explore dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets, and will provide a new atlas of the universe. The telescope's large field of view and crisp infrared vision will enable it to survey vast swaths of the sky and probe deeply into cosmic history.

The Justice Department issued a revised statement on Friday, correcting earlier claims that China had hacked U. S. government agencies. The new statement lists the U. S. Senate, the Federal Reserve, NASA, and other agencies as "among the targets of QTFY," a Chinese spy platform. The revision clarifies that these entities were targeted but does not confirm that they were compromised. The change follows a prior assertion that China had successfully infiltrated these agencies. The updated language reflects a more cautious stance on the extent of Chinese cyber operations against U. S. institutions and may influence future cybersecurity policy and diplomatic engagement.

On August 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The award honored the crew’s historic Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1, 2026, and returned on April 10 after a 252,756‑mile lunar flyby and a total of 695,081 miles—surpassing the Apollo 13 record. The ceremony highlighted the crew’s first flight on the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, and celebrated the engineers, scientists and international partners who enabled the mission’s success. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that Artemis II sets the stage for the 2027 Artemis III test flight and the 2028 Artemis IV lunar surface landing, advancing plans for a long‑term Moon base and future Mars exploration.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday at Johnson Space Center to establish a commission tasked with creating the United States Space Academy. The new academy, which will operate under NASA, is described as a national institution rather than a traditional military service academy. Trump said the academy is needed to educate and train a generation of skilled service members, engineers, and civil operators for space activities. The commission will begin the process of developing the academy’s structure, curriculum, and admission criteria. The initiative follows growing federal interest in expanding the U. S. space workforce and ensuring the country maintains a competitive edge in space exploration and operations.

On August 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the United States Space Academy at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The order aims to strengthen the U. S. space workforce and develop future leaders in engineering, science, and operations. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will chair a Presidential Commission on the Academy, with Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson as executive director. The commission will include Vice Chairs Michael Kratsios and Kevin Hassett, and other White House and interagency representatives. The commission must submit a report to the President within 120 days, outlining governance, service obligations for graduates, location, and legislative requirements. The signing followed the presentation of the Artemis II crew with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

NASA’s National Space Science Center (NSSC) has moved all agency grants and cooperative agreements to a single, consolidated award model. The change is intended to streamline processes, improve data quality, and create economies of scale. Meanwhile, the Payment Management System (PMS) is experiencing technical problems that prevent the generation of Federal Financial Reports (FFR). NASA has confirmed that affected grant recipients will not be marked noncompliant while the issue is resolved. The agency is working with PMS to restore full functionality and will post updates on its website. Grant recipients can request status information by completing the NASA General Information Request Form, which triggers an automated email response. NASA also issued a memorandum directing grant recipients to suspend DEIA activities pending further guidance.

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for launch later this year, will provide imaging with Hubble‑level resolution while covering a field of view 100 times larger. The expanded coverage will allow astronomers to survey vast regions of the sky in a single observation, increasing the efficiency of detecting new exoplanets and cataloguing distant galaxies. The telescope’s wide‑field camera will also map the distribution of billions of cosmic objects, offering a detailed view of large‑scale structure. By tracing the arrangement of visible matter, scientists aim to refine models of dark matter and dark energy, key components that shape the universe’s expansion. The instrument’s capabilities promise a rapid expansion of data available for cosmological research.

Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in Chile have captured a stunning image of star trails above the observatory. The image, composed of 300 consecutive exposures, reveals the apparent rotation of the night sky due to Earth's rotation. The star trails are centered at the south celestial pole, with one of the observatory's auxiliary telescopes visible in the foreground.

NASA successfully demonstrated a new navigation system that lets spacecraft determine their position without relying on GPS. The system uses other satellites and space debris as reference points. During a three‑day trial, the FALCON platform autonomously refined the orbital data for over 200 objects, improving accuracy for tracking and collision avoidance. The test shows that autonomous, GPS‑independent navigation can enhance situational awareness in crowded low‑Earth orbit.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been transported to the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The telescope is set to be mated to a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, with a targeted liftoff date of no earlier than Sunday, August 30, 2026. The Roman Space Telescope is designed to study dark energy and dark matter, with a focus on understanding the universe's expansion and galaxy formation.

NASA’s Earth‑Science Division has expanded its strategic planning with the NASA Earth Science Strategic Integration Environment (NESSIE) team at Langley. Pathways intern Lindsey Jacobson is developing analysis tools that map potential mission delays, on‑orbit events, and lifetime extensions across the portfolio of Earth‑observing satellites. By modeling where data gaps could appear and outlining mitigation options—such as switching to alternate sensors or extending existing missions—NASA’s senior leaders now have a set of pre‑approved responses. The approach mirrors hurricane‑season preparation, keeping data streams to climate, weather, and land‑use communities uninterrupted. The work also incorporates emerging AI tools and commercial data sources, positioning NASA to adapt to a rapidly evolving space‑science landscape.

On August 27, 2026, NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) featured a 5‑second exposure of a colorful aurora over Iceland’s Skógafoss waterfall, captured by a photographer in April 2025. The display of red, green, blue, and pink hues illustrates the collision of charged solar‑wind particles with atmospheric gases—oxygen producing red and green, nitrogen producing blue and pink—at altitudes near the Earth’s magnetic poles. Auroras require high solar activity, clear dark skies, and high‑latitude viewing, making the northern lights more accessible than their southern counterparts due to the Southern Hemisphere’s limited landmass. The APOD site is also transitioning from apod. nasa. gov to science. nasa. gov/apod.

Researchers employed an AI system to evaluate over 100 million combinations of 3D‑printing parameters for the high‑performance NASA alloy GRCop‑42. The algorithm required only 40 physical experiments before pinpointing six viable configurations. One of these settings achieved successful printing at a record‑low power consumption of 500 watts. The discovery suggests that GRCop‑42, which is currently difficult and costly to produce, could be manufactured using more common, less energy‑intensive equipment. This breakthrough could streamline production and lower the barrier to using NASA‑grade materials in commercial and industrial applications.

NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley has hosted its largest swearing-in ceremony for new civil servants. The event took place on August 24, 2026, in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 80-by-120-foot test section, N221. The ceremony marked a significant milestone for the center, which has been in operation for nearly 87 years. The new civil servants were sworn in alongside guests and center leadership, marking a new chapter in the center's history.

On Monday, Aug. 31, NASA Headquarters hosted the signing of the Artemis Accords by Turkey, making it the 71st country to join the agreement. The ceremony, scheduled for 2:30 p. m. EDT, was led by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and featured Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, alongside U. S. Department of State officials. The event is in person only; media must RSVP by 11 a. m. on Aug. 31 to hq-media@mail. nasa. gov. The Accords, first established in 2020 by NASA and the State Department with seven founding nations, set practical principles to enhance safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA is gearing up to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a flagship space telescope that combines spy technology with sophisticated infrared detectors. The telescope was developed by the National Reconnaissance Office and transferred to NASA in 2012. After over a decade of modifications, the telescope is set to launch as early as August 30, 2026. Once in position, the telescope will survey a billion galaxies, tracing the universe's evolution over time. It will study the three-dimensional distribution of dark matter, measure the expansion rate of the universe, and monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The Roman telescope's coronagraph instrument will test technology for detecting Earth-like planets around other stars.

NASA has unveiled a fresh black‑and‑white livery with blue and red stripes on one of its T‑38 trainer jets, marking the first redesign of the aircraft in decades. The new paint scheme, designed by T‑38 project pilot Sean Brady, incorporates the Artemis program logo on the rear fuselage and a moon illustration on both sides. The update coincides with the agency’s push to return astronauts to the Moon under the Artemis program. The aircraft will continue to serve as a primary training platform for astronauts, now carrying the new visual identity during flight operations and public displays.

Satellite data from NASA’s Earth Observatory show a sharp fall in surface chlorophyll across the Central Pacific as the 2026 El Niño intensifies, compared with neutral conditions in June 2025. The pigment drop signals a reduction in phytoplankton, the base of the ocean’s food chain. Oceanographers explain that weaker easterly trade winds during El Niño slow upwelling, keeping nutrient‑rich cold water below the surface and extending the warm layer. As the event progresses, chlorophyll concentrations are expected to fall further over a wider area. The resulting nutrient shortfall will limit food for zooplankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals, echoing past declines in Peru’s anchovy fisheries during earlier El Niño events.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim has left the agency after nearly a decade of service, including an eight-month science expedition aboard the International Space Station. He will continue serving as lieutenant commander in the U. S. Navy. Kim's contributions to the space station advanced critical science that will shape NASA's future missions. He oversaw operations across the station's international modules and commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm during the first capture of Northrop Grumman's new Cygnus XL spacecraft. Kim was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017 and completed two years of astronaut candidate training.

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has been secured inside the Falcon Heavy fairing, positioning it for a forthcoming launch that will enable the search for thousands of exoplanets. The telescope’s advanced instrumentation is designed to detect distant worlds and characterize their atmospheres, potentially revealing habitable environments beyond our solar system. In addition to exoplanet hunting, Roman will conduct surveys to probe the nature of dark matter and dark energy, aiming to clarify the mechanisms driving the universe’s accelerating expansion. The mission’s dual focus on planetary science and cosmology underscores its potential to answer fundamental questions about both alien worlds and the cosmos itself.

The FBI announced it has seized the domains that served as the command‑and‑control infrastructure for a Chinese‑backed botnet that was used to breach multiple U. S. government agencies, including NASA, the Department of Justice and the Senate. The seizure was part of a broader effort to dismantle the botnet’s ability to distribute malware and exfiltrate data. By taking control of the domains, U. S. law enforcement aims to cut off the botnet’s communications with its compromised hosts, thereby preventing further exploitation of federal networks. The operation underscores the growing threat posed by state‑backed cyber actors and the importance of proactive domain takedowns in national cybersecurity strategy.

On Tuesday, 25 August, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Anil Menon successfully finished US EVA-98 at 20:57 CEST. The mission marked Adenot’s second spacewalk and the 32nd extravehicular activity conducted by a European astronaut. The joint effort demonstrated continued international cooperation aboard the U. S. space station and contributed to ongoing maintenance and scientific work in orbit. The EVA’s success underscores the growing role of European astronauts in long‑duration space missions.

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.

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has received clearance for final launch preparations, with a scheduled liftoff on August 30 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. The observatory, designed to deliver unprecedented insights into the universe, will focus on studying cosmic expansion, the universe’s history, and distant exoplanets. Its advanced instrumentation promises to deepen our understanding of how the cosmos evolved and to identify new worlds beyond our solar system. The mission marks a significant step forward in astronomical research, leveraging cutting‑edge technology to answer fundamental questions about the universe’s origins and structure.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 30. The telescope will explore the universe's biggest mysteries, including dark energy and dark matter. Coverage plans are in place for the prelaunch and launch activities, including a mission science briefing, prelaunch news conference, and postlaunch news conference. The launch will be streamed live through various platforms, and the public can also attend virtually through NASA's Virtual Guest Program. The Roman Space Telescope will travel to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, about one million miles from Earth, and will have a five-year primary lifetime with a goal of operating for 10 years.

NASA's plans for cislunar exploration, following the 1969 moon landing, are expected to yield significant scientific discoveries and strategic national security advantages. The agency is focusing on technology and talent development to drive progress. However, details of the plans are not yet available. The outcome of these efforts is likely to be substantial, building on the achievements of the past.

NASA's Artemis II crew members, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, will be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Donald J. Trump on August 28. The ceremony will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew completed a 10-day mission around the Moon in April, marking a historic test flight as the first astronauts to fly aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft. They traveled farther in space than humans have ever before, exceeding 50 years of lunar travel.

On August 6, 2026, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recorded an infrared image of a section of the Carina Nebula, a prominent star‑forming region that also hosts the Cosmic Cliffs. The image highlights a feature dubbed the “Treasure Chest,” which is a cometary globule—a compact cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. This isolated structure provides a clear view of the morphology of such globules within a complex nebular environment, offering astronomers a new perspective on the dynamics of star‑forming clouds.

After a brief detour to investigate an erosional surface, NASA's Curiosity rover has returned to its regularly scheduled programming on Mars. The rover is now back on course to ascend Mount Sharp, a key geological feature in the Gale Crater. Curiosity's recent activities include capturing images of unique geologic features, conducting contact science on bedrock targets, and monitoring the atmosphere for dust storms. The rover's Mastcam took a near-field mosaic of the erosional ridge, dubbed 'Los Toldos,' and a mosaic of further away bedrock exposure above the erosional surface, named 'Los Ladrillos. ' Curiosity also drove 100 feet to a new location, where it conducted contact science on two bedrock targets and imaged the calibration target. The rover will continue to climb Mount Sharp, with a planned drive distance of 150 feet.

NASA’s long‑used Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code has been upgraded from the legacy CEA2 Fortran implementation to CEA v3, a Fortran 2008, object‑oriented package. The new version adds a subroutine interface that allows direct use from Python, C, MATLAB, and Excel, enabling automated parametric sweeps and integration into modern engineering workflows. Backward compatibility is preserved through a legacy command‑line interface, so existing input files and workflows can be carried forward with minimal disruption. The thermodynamic database now includes green propellants such as ADN, HAN, and LMP‑103S, as well as sustainable aviation fuels like n‑butanol. While single calculations are slightly slower, large‑scale sweeps are dramatically faster—an 800‑fold reduction in runtime for a 108,500‑case benchmark. NASA recommends using CEA v3 for new analyses, especially for green propellant and sustainable aviation fuel studies, while retaining the classic interface for legacy continuity.

NASA researchers and photographers captured the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, from various locations, including Spain, Iceland, and northern Maine. The agency's WB-57F research jet flew through the eclipse's shadow, capturing high-resolution images of the corona and prominences. Students participating in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project launched scientific balloons to study the eclipse's effects on the atmosphere. NASA astronauts on the International Space Station also observed the partial eclipse from space.

Astronomers at the Valašské Meziříčí Observatory in Czechia recorded the peak activity of the 2026 Perseid Meteor Shower on August 12-13. Images from four dedicated meteor-monitoring cameras were combined to create an all-night, all-sky view. The total count came to 1,706 meteors, with most being Perseids. Their trails can be seen tracing back to a single radiant in the constellation Perseus. Other meteors from less active showers, such as the Kappa Cygnids, can also be identified by finding their radiants. The antihelion complex, a region near Aquarius, is a weak source for meteors.

On August 5, a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 first‑stage booster struck the lunar surface, forming a new crater roughly 60 feet wide. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured detailed images of the impact site, revealing bright and dark streaks of debris scattered across the surrounding regolith. The images also show fresh material exposed beneath the Moon’s weathered exterior, providing a rare glimpse of subsurface composition. The event marks the first known instance of a human‑made rocket stage creating a measurable crater on the Moon, offering scientists a unique opportunity to study impact processes and lunar geology.

NASA announced on 19 August that it would no longer attempt to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a rapid‑response telescope that has been in orbit since 2004. The rescue effort relied on the LINK spacecraft, built by start‑up Katalyst Space, which was launched in July to dock with Swift and boost it into a higher orbit. Shortly after launch, LINK spun out of control; although Katalyst later stabilized the craft, it had expended too much fuel to provide the required boost. As a result, Swift will re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up by the end of the year, with no replacement telescope in development. The mission’s cancellation underscores the challenges of extending the life of aging space assets.

On August 20 2026, NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) featured the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula, a striking 20‑light‑year‑long structure within the IC 1396 emission region of the Cepheus constellation. The nebula, also known as vdB 142, lies roughly 3,000 light‑years from Earth and is part of a young star‑cluster complex that spans over five degrees of sky. The high‑resolution image reveals bright, swept‑back ridges and pockets of cool interstellar dust and gas. The dark, tendril‑shaped clouds contain the raw material for star formation and hide protostars, offering a vivid glimpse into the early stages of stellar birth. The view covers nearly one degree of the sky—just under the angular size of two full moons—highlighting the nebula’s impressive scale.

NASA’s Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation have announced the sixth NASA TechLeap Prize, the Orbital Clarity Challenge. The competition seeks low‑cost, scalable methods for measuring thermospheric density, pressure, or drag in low Earth orbit—data essential for predicting orbital drag caused by solar‑induced atmospheric heating. Teams will advance through three phases, with up to four concepts moving to a flight‑ready solution within 12 months. Winners may receive up to $500,000 in prizes and a free test flight. Registration opens today, with Phase 1 submissions due November 11, 2026. The challenge aims to enable commercial payloads to host affordable atmospheric sensors, improving space‑weather forecasting and satellite orbit maintenance.

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced that the robotic rescue mission for the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has been abandoned. The rescue satellite, Link, launched on July 3, was designed to rendezvous with Swift, use three robotic arms to capture it, and then boost the telescope into a higher, safer orbit with its xenon‑fueled electric thrusters. Katalyst cited ongoing attitude‑control problems that would prevent Link from completing the capture and boost. The spacecraft remains operational, and the company plans to use its remaining capacity to approach Swift and demonstrate its close‑in navigation system. The cancellation means Swift will likely reenter the atmosphere as its orbit decays, ending its decade‑long contribution to gamma‑ray astronomy.

Katalyst Space and NASA have canceled plans to use the Link spacecraft to reboost the Swift gamma-ray observatory. The decision was made due to attitude-control problems with the Link spacecraft. The Swift observatory, a NASA mission, relies on periodic reboosts to maintain its orbit. The cancellation of these plans may impact the observatory's future operations. Details on alternative reboost methods or timelines are not available at this time.

Ars Technica reports that China’s rapid progress in space technology has sparked debate in the Western space community. While some view the nation’s potential lunar landing as a symbolic triumph, others warn it could eclipse NASA’s historic Apollo legacy. If China successfully lands astronauts on the Moon before the United States returns, it would signal a decisive geopolitical win, allowing Beijing to claim it has not only caught up to but surpassed U. S. space dominance. Such a shift would bolster China’s propaganda narrative of becoming the century’s superpower and could reshape the balance of influence in space exploration and related technologies.

NASA’s Curiosity rover marked its 14th landing anniversary on Aug. 6, 2026, a milestone celebrated by the Earth team and the rover’s crew in the control room. On Sol 4976, the rover’s arm deployed to the target “Tunas Khasa” for an APXS measurement while climbing Mount Sharp. The mission continued its routine of science and housekeeping: ChemCam probed “Lago Rupanco” and “Chulipa Punta,” MAHLI captured high‑resolution images of bedrock layers, Mastcam mosaicked nearby outcrops, and SAM performed a column‑cleaning. Environmental monitoring—dust‑devil surveys, wind, atmospheric opacity, and radiation by RAD—remained active. The week’s activities underscored Curiosity’s ongoing exploration of Mars’ geological history and its enduring engineering performance.

NASA has awarded the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract on‑ramp provision to four companies—All Points Logistics, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, and L3Harris Technologies—to provide commercial payload processing services for agency missions. The contract enables qualified providers to perform prelaunch processing of spacecraft and rocket hardware at launch sites that lacked such capabilities when the original contract was awarded. It is a multiple‑award, commercial, firm‑fixed‑price, indefinite‑delivery/indefinite‑quantity vehicle with a $100 million ceiling and an ordering period through February 1, 2033. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center will manage the contract, helping NASA and partners launch science payloads from various locations.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse was observed from Spain, where the corona appeared unusually golden. The eclipse occurred as the Sun set near the horizon, causing sunlight to travel through a thick layer of air that scatters blue wavelengths. In addition, smoke from nearby forest fires acted as a second filter, further removing blue light and deepening the gold‑dominated glow. The high‑dynamic‑range, multi‑exposure image was captured from Benavente, Spain, and featured a bright pink hydrogen prominence that retained its original color. NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day highlighted the event, noting its scientific interest and the unique visual effect produced by atmospheric conditions.

NASA announced on Aug. 14 that the agency will host MAX POWER, a two‑day public exposition and airshow at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 7 and 8. The event will open the historic Shuttle Landing Facility and other sites to visitors, showcasing next‑generation aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, and related technologies. Activities include an air show featuring NASA aircraft and the U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds, guest speaker sessions with NASA experts and Apollo and Artemis astronauts, and special exhibits of historic and current NASA hardware. Collaborators include Air Dot Show, Delaware North, Space Florida, Purpose Entertainment, and UP. Summit. The event aims to inspire the public and highlight America’s aerospace heritage and future plans, including lunar return and a Moon Base.

A breathtaking 16-image panorama of the Milky Way over Yellowstone National Park has been featured by NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. The image, taken in 2014, showcases the vibrant colors of Silex Spring, a hot spring in the park, illuminated by artificial light. The spring's colors are caused by layers of bacteria that grow in the hot water. In the distance, the central band of the Milky Way Galaxy arches high overhead, lit by billions of stars. The image highlights the unique natural beauty of Yellowstone and the surrounding landscape.

NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars recorded a rare celestial event: Earth shrinking to a single point of light and briefly disappearing behind the planet’s moon Phobos. The alignment, visible from nearly 195 million miles away, produced an unusual cosmic portrait of our planet as seen from another world. The image, captured by Perseverance’s cameras, showcases the dynamic interplay of celestial bodies and demonstrates the rover’s capability to observe Earth from Mars.

NASA announced plans to award three additional lunar missions this year through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Among the new contracts is an orbiter slated to replace the existing Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The CLPS initiative seeks to leverage commercial partners for lunar exploration, expanding the range of scientific instruments and payloads that can be delivered to the Moon. The new orbiter will continue the mapping and observation work begun by LRO, ensuring continuity of lunar data collection for future research and mission planning.

Paragon, a subcontractor working on a module for NASA’s planned lunar Gateway, has announced the layoff of 70 employees following the agency’s decision to halt work on the Gateway program. The layoffs reflect the immediate impact on the company’s workforce as the project’s funding and development were abruptly terminated. Paragon’s role in the Gateway effort had positioned it to contribute to the construction of a lunar orbiting station that would support future missions to the Moon and beyond. The cancellation has therefore not only affected the company’s staff but also the broader supply chain involved in the Gateway initiative.

NASA is hosting the 2027 edition of the student challenge, RASC-AL, which invites U. S. -based collegiate teams to submit original concepts for a future on the Moon. The competition focuses on aerospace innovation and explores new operations paradigms and technologies needed for sustained operations in the lunar South Pole region. Themes include prospecting in permanently shadowed regions of lunar craters and advancing critical infrastructure for future astronauts. Teams will submit proposals and accompanying video submissions by February 24, 2027, and finalists will present their concepts at the 2027 RASC-AL Forum in June 2027. The top two teams will receive additional monetary awards and invitations to present at an aerospace conference. The competition aims to accelerate technology for lunar exploration and provide opportunities for future aerospace innovators and leaders.

Solar storms can unleash bursts of protons that raise astronauts’ cancer risk or cause radiation sickness. While Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field shield us, crews heading to the Moon or Mars lack that protection, and existing spacecraft do not have sufficient shielding. In 1972, a solar storm hit during the gap between Apollo 16 and Apollo 17, highlighting the danger. Israeli‑American startup StemRad, led by Jordan Houri and Oren Milstein, proposed shielding astronauts with personal protective gear instead of relying on spacecraft shielding. To test the idea, StemRad’s team sent its wearable radiation‑shielding vest, AstroRad, aboard NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission to the Moon and back. Flight data were then used to model the vest’s performance during a real solar storm. The results showed that AstroRad would protect astronauts roughly as well as the heavily shielded onboard shelter in the Orion spacecraft that crews would use to wait out a storm. This demonstrates that a lightweight, personal vest can provide comparable protection to the bulkier spacecraft shielding, offering a practical solution for future deep‑space missions.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse swept across northern Spain, Greenland, and Iceland, offering a rare view of the Sun’s corona. In San Millán de los Caballeros, a town south of León, skywatchers witnessed the Moon’s umbra block the Sun for about two minutes, beginning at 8:28 p. m. local time. A composite image taken from a field of themed flowers captured the eclipse before, during, and after totality, revealing a glowing solar prominence extending into the corona. NASA’s Earth Observatory documented the event, noting that the partial eclipse began at 7:32 p. m. and ended at 9:22 p. m. , just before sunset. In Iceland, science teams used NASA‑supported WB‑57 high‑altitude jets to image the corona in visible and infrared light, while the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project launched scientific balloons to measure atmospheric changes as the Sun was temporarily blocked. The eclipse was visible as a partial event across much of Europe, Africa, Canada, and the U. S. NASA’s image library now holds photos and video of the total and partial eclipse. The next total solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, with a path of totality crossing southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

NASA’s observation team captured a striking image of the Orion constellation framed by two Perseid meteors on August 12, 2018, at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. The Perseids, one of the year’s brightest and most popular meteor showers, have been intensifying since early July and are expected to continue dazzling skies through the end of August. The shower reached its peak on the night of August 12, extending into the early morning of August 13, offering stargazers a spectacular display of shooting stars. The photo, credited to NASA/Bill Dunford, showcases the meteors’ bright streaks against Orion’s familiar stars, highlighting the shower’s prominence. Viewers can rewatch the August 13 meteor shower online, providing an opportunity to experience the event in real time or through recorded footage. This celestial event underscores the ongoing allure of meteor showers for both amateur astronomers and the general public, reminding us of the dynamic nature of our night sky.

A newly painted NASA 737 aircraft sits on a ramp in Oklahoma as the agency prepares it for reduced‑gravity missions that will support the Artemis program. The aircraft, formerly owned by the U.S. Air Force, was transferred to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in June. The paint job, completed this week, marks the final cosmetic step before the plane undergoes modifications for use as a reduced‑gravity test platform. NASA plans to conduct lunar‑gravity parabolic flights at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the aircraft will validate astronaut lunar suits and crew systems essential for Artemis missions. In addition to suit testing, the plane will serve as a key asset for systems‑integration research, including flight‑testing autonomy, sensors, and other digital systems. The project underscores NASA’s commitment to ensuring that equipment and personnel are fully prepared for the challenges of lunar exploration. The 737’s role in these simulations will help identify potential issues in a controlled environment, reducing risk for future crewed lunar missions. By integrating advanced digital systems into the aircraft, NASA aims to refine autonomous flight capabilities that could be critical for long‑duration space operations. The paint job also symbolizes the transition of the aircraft from a military asset to a civilian research platform dedicated to advancing human spaceflight. With the Artemis program targeting a crewed lunar landing in the coming years, the successful adaptation of the 737 for reduced‑gravity testing is a pivotal step toward achieving those objectives.

Fletcher Newell, a West Virginia native, was sworn in as a NASA civil servant at the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. Newell, a systems engineer, had previously worked at the facility as a contractor and intern. He was hired as part of NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's directive to strengthen NASA's technical core competencies. Newell's interest in space exploration began at a young age, and he cultivated his programming skills through self-study. He worked on various projects, including AI safety and autonomous space docking, and was named IV&V Engineer of the Year in 2025. Newell's colleagues praised his exceptional talent, curiosity, and passion for NASA's mission. The ceremony was part of NASA's workforce directive to bring core, mission-critical positions into the civil service. Newell looks forward to expanding his responsibilities, particularly in helping NASA return to the Moon.

NASA has been collecting data on the Moon for decades, providing a wealth of information for commercial space companies. The agency's data is being used by Lunar Station Corp. to help plan missions, including scientific research for mining operations. The company is using NASA's data to create terrain maps and identify indicators for shallow pits of lunar water. This information will aid in determining the best locations for landing pads, roving paths, and communication strategies. The MoonHacker program, developed by Lunar Station, uses proprietary geospatial analytics and advanced algorithms to fuse NASA's lunar data, making it easier for companies to plan their missions. This collaboration between NASA and commercial space companies is an example of the agency's Technology Transfer program, which aims to use space-based solutions to improve life on Earth. The program has been documenting the everyday benefits of space technology for 50 years through its Spinoff publication.

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible from San Millán de los Caballeros in Spain, according to a NASA announcement. The event occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, completely obscuring the Sun’s face for observers within the narrow path of totality. The eclipse’s path of totality will cross parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. In addition, a partial eclipse will be seen across portions of the United States, most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa. NASA has made a recording of the eclipse available on its YouTube channel, allowing people worldwide to view the phenomenon even if they are outside the path of totality. The announcement was released by NASA on August 12, 2026, and includes a photograph taken by Bill Ingalls.