Introducing NASA's Artemis III Crew & Mission

Introducing NASA's Artemis III Crew & Mission

In 2027, NASA's Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. On future Artemis missions, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return and stay. NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas will join European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy on this historic mission.

NASA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to low Earth orbit. After Orion systems checkouts, the spacecraft will, for the first time, demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities with test versions from one, or both, American commercial human landing systems (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Credit: NASA

Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds

Release Date: June 9, 2026

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NASA Artemis III Crew Member Announcement

NASA Artemis III Crew Member Announcement

The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait, from left: Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio.

NASA on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, provided new Artemis III Mission details and announced the four prime crew members, including a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of tests in Earth orbit during 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the Moon's South Pole in 2028.

During Artemis III, the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to low Earth orbit. After Orion systems checkouts, the spacecraft will, for the first time, demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities with test versions from one, or both, American commercial human landing systems (HLS) in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew will test hardware integration between the Orion spacecraft and the landers, including system interfaces, software, propulsion, and communications.

Artemis III Crew:

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist

NASA astronaut Bob Hines was named as a backup crew member. The crew will begin training immediately on Orion spacecraft systems, as well as assist in the development and operations of the test versions of Blue Origin and SpaceX landers.

This also is the first time an ESA astronaut has been assigned an Artemis mission.

Engineers will connect the Orion crew module and service module this summer and integrate the spacecraft’s docking system that will fly for the first time. Heat shield testing continues with individual blocks having undergone ultra-sonic inspections and installation onto the heat shield structure.

Rocket processing also is well underway. Technicians for SLS are integrating the engine section to the rest of the core stage ahead of installing the four RS-25 engines this summer. Rocket stacking also is also scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, NASA continues design and fabrication of a spacer that will replace the upper stage on Artemis III.

Blue Origin is developing a crewed lunar version of the company’s Blue Moon lander, while SpaceX is developing a crewed lunar lander version of the company’s Starship, with both companies building test articles for Artemis III. NASA is supporting both lander providers hands-on throughout design, development, testing, and evaluation, including sharing agency expertise and capabilities gained from previous missions.

Blue Origin’s lander pathfinder, able to stay in orbit for multiple weeks, will launch first and await the crew. NASA will send the astronauts aboard Orion by SLS to orbit Earth, before rendezvousing in space with the company’s lander test article and spending about two days docked together for tests and technology demonstrations, including entering the lander.

After completing docked operations with Blue Origin, Orion will detach and await Starship. SpaceX’s Starship pathfinder will launch and meet up with Orion to spend about a day connected for checkouts and testing. After that, Orion and its crew will undock and return home, splashing safely down in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the crew is expected to remain in space for about two weeks with exact mission length to be determined in real-time based on launch, rendezvous, and docked operations.

Learn more about the Artemis III crew members:

This will be the third mission to space for Bresnik, having launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station in 2009. He later flew on the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the space station, serving as a flight engineer for the station’s Expedition 52 and commander of Expedition 53. A California native, he graduated from The Citadel with a degree in mathematics and was selected by NASA in the 2004 astronaut candidate class. A retired U.S. Marine colonel, he has logged more than 7,000 hours in 95 types of aircraft and is a fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Since 2018, he has served as assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for exploration, overseeing the development and testing of the spacecraft and systems that will operate during Artemis missions.

Artemis III also will be the third spaceflight for Parmitano. Selected by ESA as an astronaut in 2009, he first served as a flight engineer on the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) first long-duration mission to the space station, launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur in 2013. He returned to the orbital laboratory in 2019 aboard Soyuz MS-13 for his second mission, during which he served as commander of Expedition 61, becoming the third European, and the first Italian, to command the station. Parmitano earned a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the University of Naples Federico II and a master’s degree in experimental flight test engineering from the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France. A graduate of the Italian Air Force Academy, he became a test pilot in 2007 and was promoted to colonel in 2019. He has logged more than 2,000 flight hours across 40 types of aircraft.

Rubio is making his second trip to space. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from Baikonur to the space station on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days in orbit. Rubio was selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class. A Florida native, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1998, earned a doctor of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010, and has served for more than 28 years in the U.S. Army as an aviator, a physician, and an astronaut.

The mission is Douglas’ first spaceflight. Selected by NASA in the 2021 astronaut candidate class, he previously served as a backup and closeout crew member for the agency’s Artemis II mission. A Virginia native, Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and four postgraduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University. During his time in the Coast Guard, he conducted search and rescue, maritime salvage, and drug interdiction operations. Additionally, his time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory involved designing and testing multidomain autonomous vehicles, space exploration systems, and numerous undersea warfare platforms.

Serving as a backup crew member, Hines will train alongside Bresnik, Parmitano, Rubio, and Douglas. Should a primary crew member be unable to participate in the mission, he would join the Artemis III crew. Hines previously served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Selected by NASA in the 2017 astronaut candidate class, he served as a research pilot at the agency’s Johnson Space Center prior to his selection. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force with more than 27 years of service as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford

Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano is assigned to serve as pilot of NASA’s Artemis III Mission. ESA will also support the Orion III Mission with the European Service Module (ESM). NASA's Artemis III Mission will test critical operations preparing for a return to the Moon's surface. The key objective of the Artemis III Mission is to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions.

The crew of Artemis III mission will include, NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as lander specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was also assigned as a backup crew member. The crew will now begin a rigorous training schedule to learn the Orion spacecraft systems, as well as the operations of the human landing systems (HLS), to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut from Italy. He spent 366 days in space across two long-duration missions to the International Space Station, Volare and Beyond. During these missions, he supported hundreds of experiments, performed six spacewalks totalling more than 30 hours and became commander the Station. Since returning to Earth, he has served as ESA’s liaison at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as CAPCOM and training ESA astronauts for spacewalks and robotic operations. Last year, Luca participated in NASA’s Underway Recovery Test 12 off the coast of California to simulate the splashdown and recovery of Artemis astronauts from a full-scale mock-up of the Orion spacecraft.

Before joining the European astronaut corps, Luca was selected in 2007 by the Italian Air Force to become a test pilot. He trained as an Experimental Test Pilot at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres. Luca was promoted to the role of Colonel in the Italian Air Force ahead of his Beyond mission in 2019. He has logged more than 2000 hours flying time, is qualified on more than 20 types of military airplanes and helicopters and has flown over 40 types of aircraft. His technical skills as test pilot will be put to the test once again during the Artemis III mission.

Luca Parmitano: “I am honored to be part of this crew, and humbled at the same time: my crew mates bring a wealth of different experiences, and I’m looking forward to working with them, eager to learn and to contribute as much as I can in my role. As a test pilot, this is truly a dream mission, as we’ll be able to help testing systems and developing procedures so that future crews may go further and ultimately take humanity back to the Moon” said Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut. “I am very grateful to the Italian Air Force for providing me with training in my early stages; to the Italian Space Agency -and Italy as a whole- for trusting me with their very first long duration flight when I was just a rookie; and to the European Space Agency for the training, endless support and amazing opportunities I have had since I became an ESA astronaut, and to NASA for its leadership in returning humanity to the Moon. It’s the confirmation that ESA is a reliable partner, and the continuation of a strong partnership with NASA that will take a European to the Moon.” 

“Europe will play not only one but two decisive roles in this upcoming Artemis mission,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, in his piloting seat, will be responsible for the complex spacecraft maneouvering, alongside the NASA commander, which the mission will require. The European industry will also be onboard with him thanks to our European Service Module with contributions from across 13 ESA Member States, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 suppliers.”

ESA’s European Service Module supports NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon by providing power, propulsion, thermal control, air and water for the four astronauts on board. Built by European industry led by ESA, the module’s structure is produced by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, before final assembly by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, Germany. The first two European Service Modules successfully powered the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 and the crewed Artemis II mission earlier this year.

As announced by NASA, Artemis III is now planned as a crewed test flight in Earth orbit to demonstrate systems and operations required for future lunar landing missions planned from Artemis IV onwards. Following launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, the European Service Module’s engines will be used to perform key propulsion maneuvers, as well as supporting proximity operations and docking demonstrations with lunar landing system pathfinders.

The third European Service Module is currently undergoing testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The module recently completed acoustic testing and will soon be connected to the Orion crew module, forming the integrated spacecraft. The four European-built solar arrays will then be installed before Orion continues its test and integration campaign ahead of launch next year.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

NASA Artemis III Mission Pilot: European Space Agency Astronaut Luca Parmitano

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano is assigned to serve as pilot of NASA’s Artemis III Mission. ESA will also support the Orion III Mission with the European Service Module (ESM). NASA's Artemis III Mission will test critical operations preparing for a return to the Moon's surface. The key objective of the Artemis III Mission is to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions.

The crew of Artemis III mission will include, NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as lander specialists. NASA astronaut Bob Hines was also assigned as a backup crew member. The crew will now begin a rigorous training schedule to learn the Orion spacecraft systems, as well as the operations of the human landing systems (HLS), to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut from Italy. He spent 366 days in space across two long-duration missions to the International Space Station, Volare and Beyond. During these missions, he supported hundreds of experiments, performed six spacewalks totalling more than 30 hours and became commander the Station. Since returning to Earth, he has served as ESA’s liaison at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as CAPCOM and training ESA astronauts for spacewalks and robotic operations. Last year, Luca participated in NASA’s Underway Recovery Test 12 off the coast of California to simulate the splashdown and recovery of Artemis astronauts from a full-scale mock-up of the Orion spacecraft.

Before joining the European astronaut corps, Luca was selected in 2007 by the Italian Air Force to become a test pilot. He trained as an Experimental Test Pilot at EPNER, the French test pilot school in Istres. Luca was promoted to the role of Colonel in the Italian Air Force ahead of his Beyond mission in 2019. He has logged more than 2000 hours flying time, is qualified on more than 20 types of military airplanes and helicopters and has flown over 40 types of aircraft. His technical skills as test pilot will be put to the test once again during the Artemis III mission.

Luca Parmitano: “I am honored to be part of this crew, and humbled at the same time: my crew mates bring a wealth of different experiences, and I’m looking forward to working with them, eager to learn and to contribute as much as I can in my role. As a test pilot, this is truly a dream mission, as we’ll be able to help testing systems and developing procedures so that future crews may go further and ultimately take humanity back to the Moon” said Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut. “I am very grateful to the Italian Air Force for providing me with training in my early stages; to the Italian Space Agency -and Italy as a whole- for trusting me with their very first long duration flight when I was just a rookie; and to the European Space Agency for the training, endless support and amazing opportunities I have had since I became an ESA astronaut, and to NASA for its leadership in returning humanity to the Moon. It’s the confirmation that ESA is a reliable partner, and the continuation of a strong partnership with NASA that will take a European to the Moon.” 

“Europe will play not only one but two decisive roles in this upcoming Artemis mission,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, in his piloting seat, will be responsible for the complex spacecraft maneouvering, alongside the NASA commander, which the mission will require. The European industry will also be onboard with him thanks to our European Service Module with contributions from across 13 ESA Member States, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 suppliers.”

ESA’s European Service Module supports NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon by providing power, propulsion, thermal control, air and water for the four astronauts on board. Built by European industry led by ESA, the module’s structure is produced by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, before final assembly by prime contractor Airbus in Bremen, Germany. The first two European Service Modules successfully powered the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 and the crewed Artemis II mission earlier this year.

As announced by NASA, Artemis III is now planned as a crewed test flight in Earth orbit to demonstrate systems and operations required for future lunar landing missions planned from Artemis IV onwards. Following launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, the European Service Module’s engines will be used to perform key propulsion maneuvers, as well as supporting proximity operations and docking demonstrations with lunar landing system pathfinders.

The third European Service Module is currently undergoing testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The module recently completed acoustic testing and will soon be connected to the Orion crew module, forming the integrated spacecraft. The four European-built solar arrays will then be installed before Orion continues its test and integration campaign ahead of launch next year.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A Tour of the Gum 10 & 11 Nebulae in Puppis on the VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

A Tour of the Gum 10 & 11 Nebulae in Puppis on the VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

This video visits the Gum 10 & 11 nebulae, two clouds of gas in our galaxy, imaged in great detail by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in Chile. 

Imagine for a moment you are lying back, gazing up at the red-orange celestial clouds in this picture. What shapes do you see? A chicken pecking seeds on the ground, the head of a dragon, or something else entirely?

These pareidolia-inducing clouds are a pair of nebulae—collections of dust and gas in interstellar space—called Gum 10 and Gum 11. Visible mostly from the southern hemisphere, they are part of a larger complex where stars are born. Gum 10 is the brightest cloud that occupies most of the image, whereas Gum 11 is the fainter, detached cloud to the bottom-left. Their bright glow comes from a special interaction between hydrogen and the hot massive stars in each nebula. These stars emit ultraviolet light. They have enough energy to tear electrons away from their atoms, forming ions. These electrons eventually recombine with hydrogen ions. This causes the emission of the specific shade of red light seen in this image. The black lines in the nebula come from dust that blocks the light behind it.

This image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of its first light today! The VST project was a joint venture between European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Today, the VST is solely managed by INAF and is hosted by ESO at its Paranal Observatory in Chile. The data behind this picture comes from a project called VPHAS+. It uses the VST to scan across the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, intended to better understand the lifecycle of stars.

Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 9, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Pareidolia #Nebulae #Gum10 #Gum11 #HIIRegions #EmissionNebulae #PuppisConstellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #VST #VST15thAnniversary #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Stellar Titans of Pismis 24 in Scorpius | ESO's La Silla Observatory

Stellar Titans of Pismis 24 in Scorpius |  ESO's La Silla Observatory

Home to some of the largest stars ever discovered, the open stellar cluster Pismis 24 blazes from the core of NGC 6357, a nebula in the constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). Several stars in the clusters weigh in at over 100 times the mass of the Sun, making them real monster stars. The strange shapes taken by the clouds are a result of the huge amount of blazing radiation emitted by these massive, hot stars. The gas and dust of the nebula hide huge baby stars in the nebula from telescopes observing in visible light, as well as adding to the hazy appearance of the image.

Distance from Earth: 8,000 light years

This image combines observations performed through three filters in visible light (B, V, R) with the 1.5-meter Danish telescope at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Credit: ESO/IDA/Danish 1.5 m/ R. Gendler, U.G. Jørgensen, J. Skottfelt, K. Harpsøe
Release Date: April 12, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarClusters #Pismis24 #ScorpiusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #DanishTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Don’t Miss the Meteor! | Kitt Peak National Observatory

Don’t Miss the Meteor! | Kitt Peak National Observatory

A blazing meteor pops into the sky above the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. You can see an image of the sky without the meteor here. To the left is the dome of the WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope, and to the right is the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope. The WIYN telescopes are part of a partnership between Indiana University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University, NSF NOIRLab, and NASA.

Meteors are normally visible in the sky for just a few seconds, so it takes skill and a bit of luck to capture one on camera. Events like meteors, also known as shooting stars, happen a lot closer to Earth than you might think. Meteors typically become visible to the naked eye about 75–120 km (47–75 miles) above Earth’s surface. They usually disintegrate as they travel through the atmosphere at altitudes of 50–95 km (31–59 miles). For reference, the drive to NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory from Tucson, Arizona, is about 90 km (55 miles) and takes a little over an hour. 

This image also captures the constellations Orion (the Hunter, right) and his ‘sidekick’ Canis Major (the Greater Dog, left). Three red emission nebulae of the Orion molecular cloud complex are vividly captured in this photo: The Orion Nebula below Orion’s belt, Barnard’s Loop around Orion’s lower half, and the Lambda Orionis Ring around his head. 

Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

Learn more about Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO): https://kpno.noirlab.edu/

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: June 3, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #OrionNebula #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Meteors #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #PetrHorálek #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Noctilucent Clouds over Germany | Earth Science

Noctilucent Clouds over Germany | Earth Science

Photographer Andy Eichner: "Stunning first NLC Display of the Year here in central East Germany in the second part of the evening."

At high latitudes in the summer months, iridescent clouds form in a part of the atmosphere roughly 50 to 86 kilometers (30 to 54 miles) above the surface of our planet. Their high altitude allows them to reflect sunlight after the Sun has set. These are called noctilucent or polar mesospheric clouds, 

Noctilucent clouds (NLCs), or night shining clouds are tenuous cloud-like phenomena in the upper atmosphere. They consist of ice crystals and from the ground are only visible during astronomical twilight. Noctilucent roughly means "night shining" in Latin. They are most often observed during the summer months from latitudes between ±50° and ±70°. Too faint to be seen in daylight, they are visible only when the observer and the lower layers of the atmosphere are in Earth's shadow while these very high clouds are still in sunlight. Recent studies suggest that increased atmospheric methane emissions produce additional water vapor through chemical reactions once the methane molecules reach the mesosphere—creating, or reinforcing existing, noctilucent clouds.

Image Credit: Andy Eichner
Location: Meuselwitz, Thuringia, Germany
Andy's website: https://www.facebook.com/AnDymeuselwitz
Date: June 6, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Science #Sun #Planets #Earth #Weather #Meteorology #Atmosphere #WaterVapor #Clouds #IceCrystals #NoctilucentClouds #PolarMesosphericClouds #Photography #Photographer #AndyEichner #CitizenScience #Meuselwitz #Thuringia #Germany #Deutschland #STEM #Education

Nebulae Gum 10 & 11 in Puppis: Celebrating VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

Nebulae Gum 10 & 11 in Puppis: Celebrating VST's 15th Anniversary | ESO

Imagine for a moment you are lying back, gazing up at the red-orange celestial clouds in this picture. What shapes do you see? A chicken pecking seeds on the ground, the head of a dragon, or something else entirely?

These pareidolia-inducing clouds are a pair of nebulae—collections of dust and gas in interstellar space—called Gum 10 and Gum 11. Visible mostly from the southern hemisphere, they are part of a larger complex where stars are born. Gum 10 is the brightest cloud that occupies most of the image, whereas Gum 11 is the fainter, detached cloud to the bottom-left. Their bright glow comes from a special interaction between hydrogen and the hot massive stars in each nebula. These stars emit ultraviolet light. They have enough energy to tear electrons away from their atoms, forming ions. These electrons eventually recombine with hydrogen ions. This causes the emission of the specific shade of red light seen in this image. The black lines in the nebula come from dust that blocks the light behind it.

This image was taken with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of its first light today! The VST project was a joint venture between European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Today, the VST is solely managed by INAF and is hosted by ESO at its Paranal Observatory in Chile. The data behind this picture comes from a project called VPHAS+. It uses the VST to scan across the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, intended to better understand the lifecycle of stars.

Image Description: Two orange-red, almost-circular clouds are featured in this image. The large one fills the center-right area of the frame, and the smaller is on the bottom-left. The clouds also have dark spots and lines running through them. Multiple large bright points of light are in the foreground, colored yellow, pink, or bluish purple. The entirety of the frame is also filled with smaller points of light dotted across a black background.

Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team
Release Date: June 8, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Pareidolia #Nebulae #Gum10 #Gum11 #HIIRegions #EmissionNebulae #PuppisConstellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VST #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

How NASA Uses Artificial Intelligence Tools—From Earth to Mars

How NASA Uses Artificial Intelligence Tools—From Earth to Mars

Discover how NASA uses artificial intelligence (AI) to explore Mars, study natural disasters, and even search for planets beyond our solar system. From self-driving rovers to powerful data-crunching tools, AI is helping scientists make amazing discoveries every day.

Want to get involved in NASA's work using AI? 
Find out how you can get involved with the Are We Alone in the Universe citizen science project at http://arewealone.earth/!

We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities. Join us as we apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth, and strive to land the next humans on the Moon with the Artemis program.

NASA STEM resources: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/

Video Credit: Learn With NASA
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Computing #ComputerProgramming #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Planets #Exoplanets #Earth #Mars #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Axiom Space & Prada Introduce Inner Layer of NASA's 'Next-Gen' Lunar Spacesuit

Axiom Space & Prada Introduce Inner Layer of NASA's 'Next-Gen' Lunar Spacesuit

On June 7, 2026, Axiom Space and Prada unveiled the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) designed to be worn by astronauts inside the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit. Engineered as the high-performance inner layer of the AxEMU, the LCVG is built to protect astronauts from the elements when they explore the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.

The LCVG collaboration draws on Prada's expertise in engineered knitting and innovative design concepts, resulting in a next-generation garment developed through advanced 3D modeling techniques that maintain cooling and ventilation while enhancing comfort during up to eight-hour spacewalks. Prada's firmly established knowledge of high-performance materials has also supported the identification and sourcing of specialized fibers that allow the garment to be worn repeatedly across long-duration missions.

In 2024, Axiom Space and Prada unveiled the AxEMU's outer layer, where Prada's design and product development helped deliver a suit exterior built to withstand the thermal extremes and micrometeoroid environment of the lunar South Pole. Deepening the partnership to take on the LCVG was the logical progression: moving from the suit's outermost protective shell to the layer worn closest to the astronaut's body, where thermal regulation, comfort and reliability are critical.

As crew members perform spacewalks, their bodies generate significant metabolic heat. The LCVG circulates cold water through a network of tubes routed across the body's major muscle groups, absorbing and carrying the heat away to the suit's portable life-support system, where it will then be expelled into space. Unlike legacy cooling garments, the Axiom Space LCVG features a fully redundant cooling circuit, ensuring a backup system is available if the primary loop fails.

When astronauts return to the Moon during NASA’s Artemis IV mission, the LCVG will be one of the few layers standing between them and the unforgiving environment of space. The garment also serves a ventilation function, with a separate loop of tubes delivering fresh oxygen across an astronaut's face to continuously wash away exhaled carbon dioxide. The gas then routes back through the life-support system's CO2 scrubber before recirculating oxygen.

“Every minute astronauts spend outside their vehicle, the LCVG is working to keep them safe,” said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Development. “It manages their thermal environment, supports their breathing, and does it all while they're pushing their bodies to the limit. The work we have done with Prada has taken that capability to a level we could not have achieved alone.”

For more information on the AxEMU spacesuit, visit: www.axiomspace.com/axiom-suit

Image Credits: Axiom Space/Prada
Date: June 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIVMission #Astronauts #Spacesuits #EVA #AxEMU #LCVG #AxiomSpace #Prada #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #CommercialSpace #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Earth Aurora over Southern Hemisphere | International Space Station

Earth Aurora over Southern Hemisphere | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "A timelapse view from our SpaceX Dragon of the spectacular southern aurora seen in yesterday’s post, a result of a recent solar event. As opposed to the previous aurora I’ve seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show. I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon."

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: NASA/JSC/Jessica Meir

Duration: 1 minute

Date: June 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ISS #Earth #Aurorae #AuroraAustralis #SouthernLights #SouthernHemisphere #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #NASAJohnson #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceLaboratory #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s Artemis III Crew Member Announcement Coming Soon

NASA’s Artemis III Crew Member Announcement Coming Soon

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), NASA will announce the astronauts flying aboard the upcoming Artemis III Mission. They will test rendezvous and docking capabilities with commercial landers in low Earth orbit. Commercial landers are needed to bring astronauts to the lunar surface during future Artemis missions.

Credit: NASA
Duration: 45 seconds
Release Date: June 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIICrew #LunarLanders #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 4866 in Virgo: "A Stranger in the Crowd" | Hubble

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 4866 in Virgo: "A Stranger in the Crowd" | Hubble

The constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) is the largest of the Zodiac constellations, and the second largest overall after Hydra (The Water Snake). Its most appealing feature, however, is the sheer number of galaxies that lie within it. In this picture, among a crowd of face- and edge-on spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies, lies NGC 4866, a lenticular galaxy located about 80 million light-years from Earth.

Lenticular galaxies are somewhere between spirals and ellipticals in terms of shape and properties. From the picture, we can appreciate the bright central bulge of NGC 4886 that contains primarily old stars, but no spiral arms are visible. The galaxy is seen from Earth as almost edge-on, meaning that the disc structure—a feature not present in elliptical galaxies—is clearly visible. Faint dust lanes trace across NGC 4866 in this image, obscuring part of the galaxy’s light.

To the right of the galaxy is a very bright star that appears to lie within NGC 4886’s halo. However, this star actually lies much closer to us; in front of the galaxy, along our line of sight. These kinds of perspective tricks are common when observing, and can initially deceive astronomers as to the true nature and position of objects, such as galaxies, stars, and clusters.

This sharp image of NGC 4866 was captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), an instrument on the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Gilles Chapdelaine
Release Date: July 15, 2013

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC4866 #LenticularGalaxies #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ACS #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

How Europe Studies The Sun | European Space Agency

How Europe Studies The Sun | European Space Agency

This is an overview of European missions studying our closest star, from SOHO and Solar Orbiter to Proba-3 that is creating artificial solar eclipses in space seeking to unlock new insights into the Sun's mysterious corona.

The Solar Orbiter mission is a partnership between the European Space Agency and NASA, designed to observe the Sun and its inner heliosphere. The mission includes ten science instruments, all designed to provide unprecedented data about how our star operates. Solar Orbiter's unique position allows it to observe the Sun from within its perihelion, making it the first spacecraft to do so. Solar Orbiter was launched on February 10, 2020, and is planned to be operational until the end of 2026 with a potential extension until 2030. The spacecraft is equipped with a dedicated heat shield to protect it from the intense solar flux near perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun).

Learn about ESA's Solar Orbiter, Proba-3 and SOHO missions:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/SOHO

This video features European Space Agency (ESA) Reserve Astronaut Sara García Alonso of Spain:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Sara_Garcia_Alonso

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 2 minutes, 48 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Stars #Heliophysics #Astrophysics #SolarSystem #SolarWind #Planets #Earth #SpaceWeather #SolarOrbiter #SOHO #Proba3 #Europe #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

How Europe Studies The Sun | European Space Agency

How Europe Studies The Sun | European Space Agency

How does Europe study the Sun? 

This is an overview of European missions studying our closest star, from SOHO and Solar Orbiter to Proba-3 that is creating artificial solar eclipses in space seeking to unlock new insights into the Sun's mysterious corona.

The Solar Orbiter mission is a partnership between the European Space Agency and NASA, designed to observe the Sun and its inner heliosphere. The mission includes ten science instruments, all designed to provide unprecedented data about how our star operates. Solar Orbiter's unique position allows it to observe the Sun from within its perihelion, making it the first spacecraft to do so. Solar Orbiter was launched on February 10, 2020, and is planned to be operational until the end of 2026 with a potential extension until 2030. The spacecraft is equipped with a dedicated heat shield to protect it from the intense solar flux near perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun).

Learn about ESA's Solar Obiter and Proba-3:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3

This video features European Space Agency (ESA) Reserve Astronaut Sara García Alonso of Spain:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Sara_Garcia_Alonso

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 2 minutes, 48 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Stars #Heliophysics #Astrophysics #SolarSystem #SolarWind #Planets #Earth #SpaceWeather #SolarOrbiter #SOHO #Proba3 #Europe #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video