NASA Missions
49 reportsAstrophysics missions and science payloads frame the evidence. The analysis addresses how mission costs are tracked and which missions NASA operates, separating design goals from performance demonstrated in operation.
NASA Invites Public to Identify August 2026 Satellite Image
NASA Earth Observatory has released a new satellite image challenge for August 2026, inviting the public to analyze a puzzling landform and submit their interpretations based on visible clues and scientific reasoning
NASA's PUNCH Mission Narrows Solar Storm Arrival Forecasts
NASA's PUNCH mission has enabled scientists to predict the arrival of a solar eruption near Earth with a margin of just 30 minutes, using continuous 3D imaging of coronal mass ejections as they travel through the inner solar system
NASA Tracks Falcon 9 Rocket Stage Ahead of Planned Lunar Impact
NASA and SpaceX are monitoring a spent Falcon 9 upper stage expected to strike the Moon near Einstein and Bell craters, using ground and space-based telescopes to gather data and refine tracking methods
Europa Clipper May Miss Ocean Water Rising Through Europa's Ice
Computer simulations suggest turbulent water rising through Europa's ice would freeze its pathways shut, making shallow surface pools poor indicators of the moon's buried ocean
NASA's NavCube3-mini Heads to a Commercial Lunar Relay
NASA has handed a compact GNSS navigation payload to Intuitive Machines for installation on Altus-1, testing whether Earth-based positioning signals can support spacecraft operating near the Moon
Apollo 15's Moon Liftoff Became Television's First From Another World
On Aug. 2, 1971, Apollo 15 transmitted the first live television view of a spacecraft leaving the moon, using a rover-mounted camera that revealed both the mission's ingenuity and its limits
Hubble Finds Andromeda's Star Formation Is Winding Down
A Hubble analysis of about 200 million stars shows Andromeda has sharply reduced its star-making rate over the past 500 million years, while NASA's Roman telescope prepares to map the galaxy more completely
NASA Tests Fire-Resistant Webbing for Moon and Mars Missions
NASA testing found that a natural gold-colored Kevlar(R) and PBI webbing met flammability criteria in a high-oxygen environment, though complete softgoods assemblies still require configuration and wear testing
NASA's Roman Telescope Will Carry 1.35 Million Names to L2
A memory card carrying 1,350,144 names has been mounted on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope ahead of its planned launch to an orbit about one million miles from Earth
Apollo 15's Lunar Rover Turned Moonwalking Into Exploration
Apollo 15's Lunar Roving Vehicle gave astronauts their first way to travel extensively across the moon's surface, extending scientific exploration beyond the immediate landing site in July 1971
NASA's SARP Students Launch Ozone Sensors in Gulf Coast Field Campaign
Undergraduates in NASA's Student Airborne Research Program deployed ozonesonde balloons and flew on science aircraft to collect atmospheric data over the Texas Gulf Coast, gaining hands-on experience with field instruments and satellite validation
Satellite Images Reveal Penguin Diet Shifts on Antarctica's Danger Islands
NASA's Landsat 8 satellite and drone surveys have enabled researchers to monitor Adélie penguin colonies on the Danger Islands by analyzing the color of their guano, offering new insight into how changing sea ice may affect Antarctic food webs
Webb Telescope Maps Dusty Structures in Active Galaxy Centaurus A
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured a detailed mid-infrared image of Centaurus A, revealing complex dust lanes and energetic activity in this nearby galaxy using its MIRI instrument
NASA Prepares Roman Space Telescope for Early Launch to L2 Orbit
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set for launch on August 30, aiming to deliver wide-field infrared surveys and exoplanet imaging from a stable orbit beyond the Moon
NASA Funds 18 Early-Stage Space Technology Concepts for 2026
NASA has selected 18 new Phase I projects under its Innovative Advanced Concepts program, providing $3.2 million to support early-stage studies of technologies for future space exploration and astrophysics missions
NASA's Swift Boost Mission Faces Setback After Spacecraft Malfunction
NASA's Swift Boost mission, launched to extend the life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, has encountered a critical control issue with its LINK spacecraft, raising uncertainty about the planned orbital rescue operation
Webb Telescope Study Links Little Red Dots to Black Hole Activity
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have traced the origins of mysterious 'little red dots' in deep space, suggesting these compact sources are linked to phases of intense supermassive black hole activity
NASA Prepares Roman Space Telescope for 2026 Launch to L2 Orbit
NASA has fueled the Roman Space Telescope, a next-generation infrared observatory scheduled for launch in August 2026, aiming to collect hundreds of terabytes of cosmic data annually and expand studies of dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets
NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Completes First ISS Mission After Eight Months
NASA astronaut Chris Williams has returned to Earth after spending eight months aboard the International Space Station, supporting scientific research and technology upgrades during Expedition 74
NASA Prepares High-Altitude Observations for August 2026 Solar Eclipse
NASA-funded teams will use a high-altitude jet and scientific balloons to study the Sun's corona and atmospheric changes during the total solar eclipse crossing Greenland, Iceland, and Spain on August 12, 2026
NASA Moon Tree Planted in Manhattan Grew from Lunar-Orbiting Seed
A young American sweet gum tree in Madison Square Park was grown from a seed that orbited the Moon aboard NASA's Artemis I mission, highlighting the intersection of space exploration and urban ecology
Viking 1's First Mars Surface Image Revisited on 50th Anniversary
NASA has released the original images captured by Viking 1 after its 1976 Mars landing, offering a detailed look at the Red Planet's surface and the mission's scientific legacy
Soyuz MS-28 to Return NASA and Roscosmos Crew from ISS July 26
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are scheduled to depart the International Space Station aboard Soyuz MS-28, with landing expected in Kazakhstan on July 26
NASA's ESCAPADE Spacecraft Captures Earth and Moon in Dual Light
NASA's ESCAPADE mission has imaged Earth and the Moon in both visible and thermal infrared light, providing a rare calibration opportunity for its cameras as the spacecraft prepares for its journey to Mars
Expedition 74 Crew Begins Science Operations on International Space Station
Expedition 74 astronauts Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov, and Anil Menon have joined the International Space Station, starting an eight-and-a-half-month mission focused on microgravity research and operational adaptation
NASA Assigns SunRISE Mission to SpaceX Falcon Heavy After Vulcan Issues
NASA's SunRISE mission, designed to study solar radio bursts, will now launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy after technical concerns paused United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur flights
NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Ends ISS Mission After Eight Months
Chris Williams is set to return from his first mission aboard the International Space Station, where he supported experiments on cancer therapies, semiconductor materials, and robotic systems during an eight-month stay
MAVEN Data Reveals Earth-Like Aurora Mechanism on Mars
NASA's MAVEN orbiter has provided evidence that localized auroras on Mars are powered by a process similar to Earth's Dungey cycle, offering new insight into Martian atmospheric loss and magnetic field interactions
NASA Moves Artemis IV Hydrogen Tank for Core Stage Testing
A 130-foot liquid hydrogen tank for Artemis IV was transported at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, marking a key step toward core stage testing for the Space Launch System rocket
Artemis IV Landing Debate: South Pole or Lunar Equator for Crew Safety
NASA's Artemis IV mission faces a critical decision: whether to target the moon's challenging south pole or opt for a safer equatorial landing, as astronaut Victor Glover urges a reassessment of mission priorities and safety constraints
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