Friends of NASA

Monday, August 17, 2026

Rock 'Gardens' of Planet Mars | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Rock 'Gardens' of Planet Mars | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4982

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1951

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

Mars 2020 - sol 1950

Mars 2020 - sol 1949

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Celebrating 14+ Years on Mars (2012-2026)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life.

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Release Dates: Aug. 14-16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Continues Operational Testing after First Supersonic Flight

NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Continues Operational Testing after First Supersonic Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft can be seen flying along the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor in California and above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during flight testing in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. NASA continues X-59 flight days during envelope expansion testing as teams work to better understand how the aircraft responds throughout its operating range.

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more about NASA's Quesst mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Keep up with the latest about X-59:
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Image Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)/Jim Ross
Release Date: April 28-June 10, 2026

#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #Sonicbooms #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis III SLS Solid Rocket Boosters | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis III SLS Solid Rocket Boosters | Kennedy Space Center

The left, with black stripe, and right aerodynamic forward assemblies for the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis III arrive at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. The nose cones will be integrated atop the SLS boosters to provide a smooth, pointed shape that allows the boosters to cut through the atmosphere efficiently, reducing drag and keeping the rocket stable during ascent.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left and right aft center booster segments for Artemis III are lowered onto their aft assembly segments for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left aft center booster segment for Artemis III is integrated onto its aft assembly segment on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Monday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right aft center booster segment for Artemis III is lowered onto its aft assembly segment to prepare for integration on the mobile launcher for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

The twin boosters, comprising of five segments each manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s total thrust at launch. NASA's Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and two commercial lunar landers needed to land astronauts on the Moon. Planned to launch in 2027, Artemis III will carry out a series of objectives in low Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities NASA needs to return—this time to stay.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credits: NASA/Cory Huston//Clayton Rougelot
Image Dates: Aug. 10-13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #SRBs #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #MoonExploration #NASAKennedy #VAB #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on European Robotic Arm | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on European Robotic Arm | International Space Station

Expedition 71/72 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Don Pettit: "Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on the European Robotic Arm (ERA) during a space walk on Expedition 72 to ISS. A gibbous moon is framed beneath the elbow joint. Photo by Ivan Vogner."

The European Robotic Arm (ERA) is a robotic arm that is attached to the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of the International Space Station. Launched to the ISS in July 2021; it is the first robotic arm that is able to work on the Russian Segment of the station. The arm supplements the two Russian Strela cargo cranes. The ERA was developed for the European Space Agency (ESA).

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

Follow Expedition 75:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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.

Credit: NASA/JSC/D. Pettit
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Moon #Astronauts #DonPettit #Cosmonauts #AlekseyOvchinin #IvanVogner #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4621 in Virgo: A Luminous Orb | Hubble Space Telescope

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4621 in Virgo: A Luminous Orb | Hubble Space Telescope

This luminous orb is the galaxy NGC 4621, better known as Messier 59. As this latter moniker indicates, the galaxy was listed in the famous catalog of deep-sky objects compiled by French comet-hunter Charles Messier in 1779. However, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Koehler is credited with discovering the galaxy just days before Messier added it to his collection.

Modern observations show that Messier 59 is an elliptical galaxy, one of the three main kinds of galaxies along with spirals and irregulars. Ellipticals tend to be the most evolved of the trio, full of old, red stars and exhibiting little or no new star formation. Messier 59, however, bucks this trend somewhat; the galaxy does show signs of star formation with newborn stars residing within a disc near the core.

Located in the 2,000-strong Virgo Cluster of galaxies within the constellation of Virgo (The Virgin), Messier 59 lies approximately 50 million light-years away from us. This image was taken by the NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Cote
Release Date: May 27, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC4621 #Messier59 #EllipticalGalaxies #VirgoConstellation #VirgoCluster #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ACS #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Sunday, August 16, 2026

China Long March-12 Rocket Rollout for Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

China Long March-12 Rocket Rollout for Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

🚀Have you walked your rocket today?

China sent a new batch of nine Internet satellites into orbit from Launch Pad 2 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan. The satellites, the 24th group of the low-Earth orbit Internet satellites, lifted off aboard this Long March-12 carrier rocket at 12:10 Beijing Time (04:10 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 16, 2026, and entered their preset orbits successfully. This video shows the rocket being moved to its launch pad the day before.

Being brought into orbit by the launch vehicle was the twenty-fourth group of GuoWang satellites, made up of nine spacecraft made by the China Academy of Space Technology.

With today’s launch, 195 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it is planned that 310 satellites will be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

GuoWang satellites launched atop of the Long March 12 and the Long March 8A use the mega-constellations’ small satellite platform, weighing about 695 kilograms each.

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet services; for now, China-focused services are the immediate priority.

On the market side of the launch, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Commercial Launch Vehicle Group Co. Ltd. procured the Long March 12 on behalf of China Satellite Network Group as a suitable launch solution for their spacecraft. In July, the Shanghai Academy acquired a majority stake in the Commercial Launch Vehicle Group to better commercialize its launch vehicles.

This mission was the 7th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 9th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, and the 663rd launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 57th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: JAMYGoNg

Text Credit: CCTV/Jack C.
Duration: 57 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup24 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y8 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China sent a new batch of nine Internet satellites into orbit from Launch Pad 2 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan. The satellites, the 24th group of the low-Earth orbit Internet satellites, lifted off aboard a Long March-12 carrier rocket at 12:10 Beijing Time (04:10 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 16, 2026, and entered their preset orbits successfully.

Being brought into orbit by the launch vehicle was the twenty-fourth group of GuoWang satellites, made up of nine spacecraft made by the China Academy of Space Technology.

GuoWang satellites launched atop of the Long March 12 and the Long March 8A use the mega-constellations’ small satellite platform, weighing about 695 kilograms each.

Image Credit: CGTN,

Text Credit: CCTV/Jack C.
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2026

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China sent a new batch of nine Internet satellites into orbit from Launch Pad 2 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan. The satellites, the 24th group of the low-Earth orbit Internet satellites, lifted off aboard a Long March-12 carrier rocket at 12:10 Beijing Time (04:10 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 16, 2026, and entered their preset orbits successfully.

Being brought into orbit by the launch vehicle was the twenty-fourth group of GuoWang satellites, made up of nine spacecraft made by the China Academy of Space Technology.

GuoWang satellites launched atop of the Long March 12 and the Long March 8A use the mega-constellations’ small satellite platform, weighing about 695 kilograms each.

Video Credit: CCTV

Text Credit: CCTV/Jack C.
Duration: 55 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2026

Comet 220P/McNaught | View from Namibia

Comet 220P/McNaught | View from Namibia

220P/McNaught, is a Jupiter-family comet with a 5.5-year orbit around the Sun. It is one of several comets discovered by Australian astronomer, Robert H. McNaught. It reached perihelion on June 14, 2026, two weeks after a large outburst where the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times.

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Image Credit: Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger

Image Details: Telescope: ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Mount: ASA DDM 85 Exp.Time: LRGB 23/9/9/9 min
Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia

Date: Aug. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #Comet220PMcNaught #JupiterFamilyComets #JFc #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #GeraldRhemann #MichaelJäger #Astrophotographers #Namibia #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-23 Performs Science Experiments, In-Orbit Training | China Space Station

Shenzhou-23 Performs Science Experiments, In-Orbit Training | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-23 astronauts have spent more than 80 days aboard the Tiangong Space Station, where they have advanced a broad slate of scientific experiments and operational training drills over the past week as the mission progresses steadily.

Last week, the three astronauts, namely Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying, carried out multiple parallel space science experiments and tests, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The crew completed in-orbit electroencephalogram (EEG) tests and behavioral experiments for the microgravity intuitive physics project, examining how prolonged spaceflight affects astronauts' brain functional networks and their ability to form intuitive physical representations.

They also collected and processed blood samples for research programs, including bone metabolism interactive regulation and space integrative omics, supporting studies on the changing patterns of the human skeletal, nervous and other physiological systems during long-duration spaceflight.

In addition, kinematic characteristic experiments were conducted to provide support for ergonomic design and evaluation.

In the field of psychological and behavioral research, the trio finished an emergency decision-making capability assessment and an in-orbit emotional state test, part of ongoing work to track changes in crew performance and mental status throughout long-term on-orbit missions.

Alongside scientific endeavors, the astronauts pushed ahead with scheduled in-orbit training and emergency drills to reinforce their operational skills and response readiness.

Footage from the orbital complex shows the crew honing their skills on the on-orbit teleoperation rendezvous and docking training system, practicing manual docking, teleoperated docking and manual evacuation maneuvers by operating translation and attitude control handles.

They also completed in-orbit medical rescue training to familiarize themselves with rescue procedures and force application characteristics in a microgravity environment.

Furthermore, the crew carried out the second full-system pressure emergency drill, further consolidating their emergency handling capabilities and improving space-ground coordination efficiency.

China launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship on May 24. The mission includes a one-year in-orbit study designed to gather data for future long-duration human space missions.

Shenzhou-23 Crew
Zhu Yangzhu 朱杨柱, Commander & Flight Engineer (second spaceflight)
Zhang Zhiyuan 张志远, Pilot (first spaceflight)

Lai Ka-ying/Li Jiaying 黎家盈, Payload Specialist (first spaceflight) [Hong Kong SAR]

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 45 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou23Mission #神舟二十三号 #Shenzhou23 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhuYangzhu #ZhangZhiyuan #LiJiaying #LaiKaying #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Saturday, August 15, 2026

To the Edge of Space: The Journey of a NASA Scientific Balloon Payload

To the Edge of Space: The Journey of a NASA Scientific Balloon Payload

Follow the journey of a NASA scientific balloon launching to the edge of space.

Learn more:
https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons/

Video Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
Producer/Editor: Jackson Thierfeldt
Release Date: Aug. 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #SolarSystem #Science #Earth #EarthScience #ScientificBalloons #BalloonScience #ScientificPayloads #HighAltitudeResearch #WallopsIsland #WFF #NASAWallops #Virginia #NASAGoddard #UnitedStates #HiWind #NewZealand #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Japanese Astronaut Ayu Yoneda: Spacesuit Training | NASA's Johnson Space Center

Japanese Astronaut Ayu Yoneda: Spacesuit Training | NASA's Johnson Space Center

How do you put on a spacesuit? 👩‍🚀🚀

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Ayu Yoneda/米田あゆ can be seen practicing putting on a spacesuit at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Deniz Burnham also make appearances. Menon is currently on his first spaceflight mission to the International Space Station as part of Expedition 75. Burnham is currently training with cosmonauts in Russia to join the Soyuz MS-29 crew on their upcoming space station mission for Expedition 76.

Ayu Yoneda was born in 1995. She joined JAXA in April 2023. After basic training as an astronaut candidate, she was certified as a JAXA astronaut in October 2024. She is currently training for her first spaceflight assignment aboard the International Space Station. She may also become one of the first Japanese astronauts to land on the Moon under NASA's Artemis program for international lunar exploration.

Learn more:

https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/yoneda-ayu/

Video Credit: JAXA/A. Yoneda

Duration: 1 minute, 35 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #ArtemisProgram #Moon #Science #Astronauts #AyuYoneda #米田あゆ #AnilMenon #DenizBurnham #AstronautTraining #Spacesuits #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #NASAJohnson #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Total Solar Eclipse: View from Greenland

Total Solar Eclipse: View from Greenland

On August 12, 2026, the Moon's shadow reached out to touch our fair planet. Beginning in the Arctic Ocean, it swept along a narrow track that led the dark lunar umbra across parts of Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic, Portugal, and northern Spain. And for a moment, denizens of Earth found themselves with clear skies under the shadow of the Moon could witness a total solar eclipse.

After dodging the weather by sea and making a landing along Rype Fjord on the Greenland east coast (at 71.07055N, 27.71252W), this hard-won snapshot was captured at 17:33:26 UTC. This was near the initial reach of clearing skies along the path of totality, so the image is likely one of the first unobstructed views of the totally eclipsed Sun. Through a break in the clouds, the stunning photo also records one of this eclipse's transient diamond rings and the magnificent solar corona emerging near the moment totality began.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

Greenland (called Tartupaluk in Inuktitut and Greenlandic) is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest of the kingdom's three constituent parts by land area, the others being Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. It shares a small 1.2 km border with Canada on Hans Island. It is the world's largest island and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Image Credit & Copyright: Aditya Madhavan
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #RypeFjord #Greenland #Grønland #KalaallitNunaat #Iceland #Europe #Portugal #Spain #NASAGoddard #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Spiral Galaxy NGC 5468 in Virgo: Host of Multiple Supernovae | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 5468 in Virgo: Host of Multiple Supernovae | Hubble

Among the most dramatic events in the Universe occur when certain stars die—and explode catastrophically in the process. Such explosions, known as supernovae, mainly occur in a couple of ways—either a massive star depletes its fuel at the end of its life, become dynamically unstable and unable to support its bulk, collapses inwards, and then violently explodes; or a white dwarf in an orbiting stellar couple syphons more mass off its companion than it is able to support, igniting runaway nuclear fusion in its core and beginning the supernova process. Both types result in an intensely bright object in the sky that can rival the light of a whole galaxy.

In the last 20 years the galaxy NGC 5468, visible in this image, has hosted a number of observed supernovae of both the aforementioned types: SN 1999cp, SN 2002cr, SN2002ed, SN2005P, and SN2018dfg. Despite being just over 130 million light-years away, the orientation of the galaxy with respect to us makes it easier to spot these new ‘stars’ as they appear; we see NGC 5468 face on, meaning we can see the galaxy’s loose, open spiral pattern in beautiful detail in images, such as this one from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al.

Acknowledgements: Judy Schmidt (Geckzilla)
Release Date: Dec. 2, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC5468 #SpiralGalaxies #VirgoConstellation #Supernovae #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Friday, August 14, 2026

NASA Artemis III Crew Training | Johnson Space Center

NASA Artemis III Crew Training | Johnson Space Center

Artemis III crew members (from left, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik) participate in a habitation skills training inside the Orion spacecraft mockup located in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Artemis III crew members participate in a "Meet Orion" training with the Orion spacecraft mockup located in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik and Frank Rubio participate in an Artemis III training course covering an introduction to Orion ascent, burns, and entry at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Artemis III crew members participate in a "Meet Orion" training with the Orion spacecraft mockup located in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano participate in still camera skills training inside the Orion spacecraft mockup located in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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 will launch the Artemis III SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft alongside its commercial partners to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV in 2028.

Planned to launch in 2027, the Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credits: NASA/James Blair/Luna Posadas Nava/Bill Stafford

Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #OrionSpacecraft #OrionServiceModules #Astronauts #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #MoonExploration #NASAJohnson #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Canadarm2 Robotic Arm | International Space Station

Canadarm2 Robotic Arm | International Space Station

The Canadarm2 robotic arm’s latching end effector grapples visiting spacecraft, such as Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo vehicle, to capture or release them from the International Space Station. It also attaches to power and data grapple fixtures on the orbital outpost for stability and maneuvers astronauts during spacewalks.

The 17-meter-long (55+ feet) Canadarm2 robotic arm with the 3.7m (12 feet) high Dextre fine-tuned robotic hand attached is pictured here. Canadarm2 and Dextre are part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Canadarm2 was extensively involved in the assembly of the orbiting laboratory.

Discover more about Canadian space robotics:
https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/robotics/default.asp

Follow Expedition 75:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

Credit: NASA
Image Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Canadarm2 #Dextre #Robotics #CSA #Canada #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

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