Nasa

• NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. • The crew focused on installing critical mounting hardware required for an upcoming solar array upgrade. • This mission is a vital step in enhancing the station's power capabilities to support ongoing research and operations.

• NASA successfully executed a risky "Big Bang" energy-saving maneuver on the Voyager 2 spacecraft, extending its operational power for another year. • The 50-year-old probe is running low on power for its science instruments as it continues its journey through interstellar space. • This success provides a critical proof-of-concept for NASA engineers seeking to prolong the mission of the twin spacecraft.

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers have successfully optimized power management on Voyager 2 to extend its operational lifespan. • The team freed up critical electrical power, allowing the spacecraft to continue operating its scientific instruments longer than previously expected. • This effort is vital because Voyager 2 is traveling in interstellar space, far from the sun, and relies on a dwindling supply of power from its radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

• On August 6, 2012, NASA successfully landed the Curiosity rover on Mars using an innovative, rocket-powered "sky crane" maneuver. • The landing followed a high-stakes descent sequence known as the "7 minutes of terror," marking the first time this complex delivery method was attempted. • This mission was critical as it deployed a much larger, more sophisticated rover than previous missions to investigate Martian geology and climate.

• NASA utilized advanced mini-laboratories on the International Space Station to automate research, specifically through the 2021 ADSEP-UMAMI study on bobtail squid. • The research discovered that symbiotic interactions with beneficial microbes can reduce a host animal's stress responses to spaceflight and accelerate the growth of neurons and tissues. • These findings are critical because they highlight the importance of symbiotic relationships within closed ecosystems, such as spacecraft.

• In 2026, NASA successfully flew astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over fifty years, marking a major milestone in human space exploration. • Simultaneously, the White House proposed some of the deepest budget cuts in the agency's history, specifically targeting science and climate research programs. • The proposed cuts would disproportionately impact robotic probes and telescopes, which are the most cost-effective tools for NASA's scientific discoveries.

• NASA has updated the ROSES-25 A.1 Earth Science Research Overview to require that all proposals requesting high-end computing, networking, and storage resources explicitly include associated costs. • This requirement ensures that the critical infrastructure needed for processing complex Earth science data is properly budgeted and accounted for during the proposal phase. • The update highlights the essential role of high-performance computing in enabling advanced research and data analysis for NASA's scientific missions.

• NASA introduced the SpaceX Crew-13 team during a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as they prepare for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station. • Current Expedition 75 crew members are focusing on health research and spacewalk preparations, including tests on the new European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) in the Columbus module. • Astronaut Hathaway conducted hardware removal in the Kibo laboratory to conclude technology studies focused on advanced computing and imaging in a vacuum.

• On August 3, 2004, NASA launched the MESSENGER spacecraft, marking the first mission designed to orbit the innermost planet, Mercury. • The spacecraft was specifically tasked with exploring the planet's composition and hunting for evidence of water. • This mission was significant as it provided the first detailed orbital data on Mercury, helping scientists understand the planet's geological history and magnetic field.

• Engineers from Katalyst are working from a control center near Denver to recover the Link satellite, which was deployed to support NASA's Swift mission. • The team is currently implementing a technical fix to regain control of the Link satellite after it encountered critical issues. • This recovery effort is vital because the Link satellite is essential for the continued success and operational stability of the Swift mission.

• NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered a vast "sea" of tiny, polygon-shaped fractures forming a honeycomb landscape within a Martian valley. • The patterns are only a few inches wide and are so extensive that they wrap around a nearby 20-foot-tall butte. • This finding adds to a long series of unexpected geological discoveries made by the rover since its landing on August 6, 2012.

• NASA is scheduled to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30, 2026, using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. • The telescope features a mirror similar in size to Hubble's but possesses a field of view approximately 100 times wider, allowing it to map dark energy and search for exoplanets. • By monitoring roughly 200 million stars for gravitational microlensing, the mission aims to discover over 1,000 planets, specifically targeting cold, distant worlds that current detection methods often miss.

• NASA interns at the Johnson Space Center are collaborating with engineers, scientists, and communicators to contribute to real-world space exploration projects. • One featured intern, Landon, a visualization student from Texas A&M University, is applying her background in art and gaming to NASA's creative technical needs. • This program allows students to bridge the gap between academic study and professional application, diversifying the skill sets used in space mission planning.

• NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is analyzing "little red dots" (LRDs), a class of distant objects first discovered in 2022. • Researchers are using high-resolution data to trace the "family tree" of these objects, identifying how LRDs evolve into progeny galaxies. • This study builds upon earlier findings from the retired Spitzer Space Telescope, which first hinted at the existence of dust-obscured, compact galaxies in the lower-redshift universe.

• NASA has announced 18 new awards through its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to fund visionary aerospace technology ideas. • The selected projects focus on a broad range of goals, including enhancing the exploration of the solar system and deepening the scientific understanding of the universe. • These awards are critical for fostering high-risk, high-reward research that can lead to breakthroughs in space travel and observation.

• NASA is preparing to launch the Roman Space Telescope on August 30, marking the arrival of the agency's next major space observatory. • The telescope is designed for unprecedented efficiency, capable of completing Milky Way observations in one month that would take the Hubble Space Telescope approximately a century to finish. • This mission matters because it will enable astronomers to perform tasks and observations that are currently impossible with existing technology.

• NASA has successfully supplied the fuel for the next-generation Roman Space Telescope in preparation for its upcoming mission. • The telescope is currently scheduled for launch in August, marking a significant milestone in the agency's deep-space observation capabilities. • This mission is critical for advancing astronomical discoveries and expanding our understanding of the universe's evolution.

• NASA's Accelerating Earth Solutions (AES) initiative is working to integrate Earth-observing satellite measurements more effectively into decision-making processes. • Recent astronomical findings include a 500-million-year decline in star formation within the Andromeda galaxy as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. • Other key missions highlighted include the Parker Solar Probe's historic flight through the Sun's corona and the Juno spacecraft's ongoing study of Jupiter since 2016.

• NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected a "wandering" or "orphan" mega black hole as it shredded and consumed a star on the outskirts of a distant galaxy. • This rare event, known as a tidal disruption event, occurred when the black hole's gravity tore the star apart, creating a massive flare of light. • The discovery is significant because it identifies a black hole that is not located at the center of its galaxy, challenging typical models of galactic structure.

• NASA's Viking landers were launched on an audacious mission to search for signs of past or present life in Martian soil. • While most experts agree the twin spacecraft failed to find definitive evidence of organisms, some scientists argue the results were misinterpreted. • This debate highlights a tension between cautious scientific consensus and the belief that evidence of life may have already been overlooked.

• NASA astronaut Chris Williams and his crewmates returned to Earth on Sunday after completing an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). • The crew participated in a long-duration expedition focused on conducting research and scientific breakthroughs that are impossible to achieve in Earth's gravity. • This mission contributes to over 25 years of continuous human habitation on the ISS, maintaining a permanent presence in low-Earth orbit.

• NASA has joined the Genesis Mission, a national initiative designed to accelerate scientific and engineering breakthroughs through the integration of artificial intelligence. • The agency will contribute its extensive mission data and technical expertise to help develop powerful AI tools capable of solving complex global challenges. • This collaboration matters as it aims to speed up the pace of discovery and unlock fundamental mysteries of the universe for the benefit of the American public.

Astronauts for America liken effort to instill trust and faith back in constitution’s principles and democratic institutions to ‘making a course correction’Orbiting 250 miles above the US in the international space station, astronaut Cady Coleman did not look down and see red or blue states, sanctuary cities or communities occupied by thousands of federal immigration enforcement agents in camouflage uniforms and automatic weapons.What she saw was a single land, from Pacific to Atlantic, no borders or partitions, just a united America, and a population valuing its equality while convinced that what brought them together was far greater than anything that divided them. Continue reading...

• NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth on Sunday, July 26, after spending 241 days aboard the International Space Station. • The crew departed the station via the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, which undocked at 3:03 a.m. ET. • The return journey concluded with a successful landing approximately 3 hours and 24 minutes after undocking.

• NASA's Juno probe has successfully measured temperatures beneath the surface of Io, Jupiter's most volcanically active moon. • This mission provides the first-ever direct glimpse of the hidden heat sources that drive the moon's intense volcanic activity. • The discovery is significant because it could transform the scientific understanding of volcanic processes across the solar system, including those on Earth.

• NASA has issued Amendment 66 regarding the B.2 Heliophysics Foundational Research (HFR) solicitation, which focuses on advancing the physical understanding of the Sun-Heliosphere-Planetary system. • The update specifically announces the due date for "Step-2" proposals and includes a necessary correction to the previous solicitation guidelines. • This process is critical for selecting scientific investigations that will drive foundational research in heliophysics and space weather.

• NASA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input on a potential upcoming prize competition focused on science and innovation. • Interested parties must submit responses to specific topics, with a character limit of 3,000 (approximately 500 words) per response. • This process allows NASA to solicit external expertise and innovative ideas to help the agency explore the unknown in air and space for the benefit of humanity.

• NASA commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Viking I landing, a milestone mission that fundamentally transformed the scientific search for extraterrestrial life on Mars. • Alongside Viking II, these missions provided the first successful long-term operations on the Martian surface and conducted critical biological experiments to detect organic compounds. • The legacy of the Viking program continues to influence modern research, including recent studies in Communications Earth & Environment regarding perchlorate brine formation at the Viking 2 site.