NASA Missions
74 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.
Artemis II Astronauts Reflect on Orion's Moon Mission and Next Steps
NASA's Artemis II crew discussed their 10-day lunar flyby, Orion spacecraft performance, and upcoming mission challenges at a public event in Colorado, highlighting both technical lessons and international collaboration
NASA's M2-F1 Lifting Body Demonstrates Controlled Glide Landing in 1963
NASA's M2-F1 prototype, a wingless lifting body aircraft, completed its first unpowered glide flight on August 16, 1963, providing early evidence that spacecraft could return to Earth with controlled landings rather than ballistic descent
NASA Backs Spherical Aerobots to Probe Titan's Subsurface Caves
A NASA-funded study is developing small, spherical flying robots designed to explore the hydrocarbon caves and sinkholes of Saturn's moon Titan, using solid-state ion propulsion to overcome terrain that would defeat conventional rovers
NASA AI Model Predicts Sunspot Emergence Hours Before Surface Appearance
A NASA-led team has developed an AI model that analyzes acoustic and magnetic data from the Sun to forecast the emergence of active regions up to 12 hours in advance, offering new potential for space weather prediction
NASA Invites India to Join Moon South Pole Base Collaboration
NASA has formally invited India to participate in developing a permanent lunar base near the Moon's south pole, marking a significant step in US-India deep-space cooperation and expanding the Artemis program's international partnerships
NASA Facility in West Virginia Expands Role in Lunar Mission Safety
NASA's Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility in West Virginia is strengthening its technical workforce to support mission assurance and AI safety for upcoming lunar exploration, with new civil servants joining the agency's core engineering teams
Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks in August Night Skies
The Perseids meteor shower, one of the brightest annual displays, reached its peak on August 12-13, with meteors visible against the backdrop of Orion. Observations were made from dark-sky sites using unaided eyes and standard cameras.
Radiation Vest Tested on Artemis I May Aid Deep Space Astronaut Safety
A hydrogen-rich plastic vest tested aboard NASA's Artemis I mission has demonstrated significant shielding against solar radiation, offering a potential solution for astronaut protection on future lunar and Mars expeditions
NASA Artemis Launch Team Welcomes New Test Project Engineer
NASA's Artemis program has added Lindsey Waitt as a test project engineer, supporting launch operations for upcoming Moon missions. Her appointment highlights the technical demands and collaborative environment of Artemis launch preparations.
NASA Prepares LEMS Seismic Station for Artemis Lunar Surface Deployment
NASA engineers have completed the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS), a compact seismic instrument suite designed for long-term deployment by Artemis astronauts near the Moon's south pole, aiming to monitor moonquakes and meteorite impacts.
NASA's Roman Space Telescope Targets Dark Energy and Exoplanets
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set for launch in 2026, will use infrared instruments to investigate dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets from a stable orbit 1.5 million kilometers from Earth
Space Station Research Advances Artemis Moon and Mars Missions
NASA's International Space Station experiments in 2026 are testing technologies and studying astronaut health to support future Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars, with new results informing spacecraft design and deep space exploration
NASA Expands Student Access to Space Missions and STEM Careers
NASA is opening new opportunities for students to participate in authentic mission experiences, technical career exploration, and citizen science, as the agency prepares for major launches and ongoing lunar and space station operations
NASA Schedules Hyperwall Science Talks for IGARSS 2026 in Vienna
NASA will present a series of Hyperwall science talks at IGARSS 2026, featuring mission updates and instrument demonstrations from Earth and planetary science experts in the exhibit hall
NASA's SkyFall Mars Helicopters to Map Subsurface Ice with Flexible Radar
NASA's upcoming SkyFall mission will deploy three mini helicopters to Mars, each equipped with lightweight, flexible radar antennas designed to detect shallow subsurface ice deposits inaccessible to orbiting spacecraft
NASA's IXPE Observes Magnetar and Tests Quantum Vacuum Theory
NASA's IXPE telescope spent over 140 hours observing magnetar 1E 1547-5408, collecting X-ray polarization data that may reveal how empty space behaves in extreme magnetic fields
NASA Extends Voyager 2 Science With Power-Saving Maneuver
NASA engineers have implemented a new power management strategy on Voyager 2, allowing the spacecraft to continue collecting scientific data for at least another year as its nuclear power source declines
NASA Astronauts Complete Spacewalk to Prepare ISS for Solar Array Upgrade
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon spent 6.5 hours outside the International Space Station installing the final mounting hardware for new roll-out solar arrays, a step toward boosting the station's power supply later this year
Perseverance Rover Captures Earth Passing Behind Mars' Moon Phobos
NASA's Perseverance rover has recorded a rare occultation event, imaging Earth as it briefly disappeared behind Mars' innermost moon Phobos using its Mastcam-Z camera system
NASA's IXPE Detects Signs of Quantum Vacuum Effect Near Magnetar
NASA's IXPE telescope has measured X-ray polarization from a magnetar, providing evidence consistent with a quantum electrodynamics effect predicted for nearly a century but never directly observed in space
Automated Mini-Labs Expand Space Station Research With Less Crew Time
Redwire's ADvanced Space Experiment Processors (ADSEPs) are enabling the International Space Station to run complex biological and materials science experiments with minimal astronaut involvement, advancing pharmaceutical and fundamental research in microgravity
NASA Joins Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Modules for Lunar Mission
Technicians at Kennedy Space Center have integrated the Orion crew and service modules for Artemis III, a key milestone ahead of the mission to test lunar landing system rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit
NASA Faces Challenge of Toxic Dust for Future Mars Astronauts
NASA's Martian Dust Limit Working Group has reviewed the health risks posed by Mars dust, which contains carcinogenic silica and heavy metals, and is developing exposure standards and mitigation strategies for future crewed missions
NASA's Juno Mission Transformed Jupiter Science After 2011 Launch
NASA's Juno spacecraft, launched in 2011 on an Atlas V rocket, reached Jupiter in 2016 and has since delivered unprecedented data and images, reshaping our understanding of the giant planet's atmosphere, magnetic field, and moons
Curiosity Rover Detects Extensive Polygon Patterns in Martian Valley
NASA's Curiosity rover has imaged a vast field of honeycomb-like polygonal fractures in Mars' Valle Grande, raising new questions about the planet's surface processes and past water activity
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
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