China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

 China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China successfully sent two new hyperspectral satellites to space on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The satellites, Oriental Smart Eye 01 and Oriental Smart Eye 02, were launched at 10:38 Beijing Time (0238 GMT) atop a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from waters off the coast of Haiyang, a city in east China's Shandong province. The satellites entered their planned sun-synchronous orbits.

These satellites are part of China's "Oriental Smart Eye Constellation" project. It aims to deploy more than 200 high-resolution intelligent satellites by 2030, comprising over 100 optical satellites, over 100 radar satellites, and four hyperspectral satellites.

The customers were Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency and Uzbekistan's space research agency, Uzcosmos. They purchased hyperspectral remote sensing spacecraft from commercial satellite maker STAR.VISION Aerospace.

The offshore launch mission was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Today’s launch was the 12th mission for the Jielong-3 launch vehicle. This was also the 55th launch from China in 2026.

The SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. It was developed to launch small, commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and satellite networks. It is capable of sending a payload of 1.5 tonnes into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Indonesia’s satellite is dubbed Lampung-1 and is mainly tasked with supporting the nation’s growth of its marine economy, monitoring environmental changes in support of eco-governance, and providing insights into agricultural challenges.

Known as Samarqand-2028, Uzbekistan plans to use its spacecraft for supporting the agricultural sector, ecological monitoring efforts across the nation and Central Asia.

The Indonesian and Uzbek spacecraft are twins, weighing 300 kilograms. Both can collect images at a resolution of 5 meters in a 300-kilometer-wide swath while revisiting locations every five days. Supporting that, they are equipped with local artificial intelligence systems to pre-process collected data, kept within 10 terabytes of onboard storage. 

Image Credits: CGTN, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Text Credit: Jack C./CCTV
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Indonesia #Uzbekistan #OrienSpace #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #StarVisionAerospace #地卫二空间技术 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Haiyang #Shandong #STEM #Education

China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China successfully sent two new hyperspectral satellites to space on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The satellites, Oriental Smart Eye 01 and Oriental Smart Eye 02, were launched at 10:38 Beijing Time (0238 GMT) atop a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from waters off the coast of Haiyang, a city in east China's Shandong province. The satellites entered their planned sun-synchronous orbits.

These satellites are part of China's "Oriental Smart Eye Constellation" project. It aims to deploy more than 200 high-resolution intelligent satellites by 2030, comprising over 100 optical satellites, over 100 radar satellites, and four hyperspectral satellites.

The customers were Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency and Uzbekistan's space research agency, Uzcosmos. They purchased hyperspectral remote sensing spacecraft from commercial satellite maker STAR.VISION Aerospace.

The offshore launch mission was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Today’s launch was the 12th mission for the Jielong-3 launch vehicle. This was also the 55th launch from China in 2026.

The SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. It was developed to launch small, commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and satellite networks. It is capable of sending a payload of 1.5 tonnes into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Indonesia’s satellite is dubbed Lampung-1 and is mainly tasked with supporting the nation’s growth of its marine economy, monitoring environmental changes in support of eco-governance, and providing insights into agricultural challenges.

Known as Samarqand-2028, Uzbekistan plans to use its spacecraft for supporting the agricultural sector, ecological monitoring efforts across the nation and Central Asia.

The Indonesian and Uzbek spacecraft are twins, weighing 300 kilograms. Both can collect images at a resolution of 5 meters in a 300-kilometer-wide swath while revisiting locations every five days. Supporting that, they are equipped with local artificial intelligence systems to pre-process collected data, kept within 10 terabytes of onboard storage. 

Video Credit: CCTV

Text Credit: Jack C./CCTV
Duration: 34 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Indonesia #Uzbekistan #OrienSpace #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #StarVisionAerospace #地卫二空间技术 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Haiyang #Shandong #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-field view: Lenticular Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Wide-field view: Lenticular Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This image is from the Digitized Sky Survey 2. It shows the area around lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 in the constellation Centaurus.

The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 
Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Journey to The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

Journey to The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

In the final image captured by NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, the ghostly shells of lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are visible, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credits: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI), Digitized Sky Survey 2

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

Close-up: The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The ghostly shells of lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are captured here in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI)

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Upper Stage Impacts Moon (simulation)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Upper Stage Impacts Moon (simulation)

The discarded upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the north (near) side of the Moon close to Einstein Crater at around 2:35 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, at a speed of 5,400 mph. The impact was expected to create a new crater and a detectable dust plume visible from Earth.

Einstein is a large lunar impact crater that lies along the western limb of the Moon, making it difficult to observe from the Earth. 

The rocket stage is left over from a January 15, 2025, launch that sent Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander to the Moon. Since the mission, it has remained in orbit around Earth, taking 26 days to complete each trip without falling back into the atmosphere.

Video Credit: RT
Duration: 11 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #EinsteinCrater #Falcon9Rocket #LunarImpact #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #History #STEM #Education #Animation #Simulation #HD #Video

The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The ghostly shells of  lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are captured here in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI)
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

🚀An improved China Long March 8A rocket blasted off at 16:52 Beijing time (08:52 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 4, 2026, from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan, successfully delivering nine more satellites, the 23rd batch of GuoWang low-Earth orbit (LEO) Internet satellites into orbit. The Long March 8A has further demonstrated how its payload capacity is suitable for high-density satellite constellation missions.🛰️

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise and backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet services; for now, China-focused services are the immediate priority. The mega-constellations’ small satellite platform weighs about 695 kilograms each. The satellites were made by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

After today’s launch, 186 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.

Building upon upgrades first used on the Long March 8A’s previous mission a month ago, introducing the YF-75DB engine and propellant cooling hardware, today’s saw a series of small improvements such as the introduction of electrohydraulic servos as part of mass optimizations. This launch also acted as a ‘system-wide verification’ mission for last month’s upgrades.

Meanwhile, Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. Ltd., operator of the commercial launch site, has also expanded the acceptable weather situations when this rocket can be delivered to the launch pad. Today’s was moved out on July 30th in the rain.

Back in March 2026, China Central Television reported that the Long March 8 series of launch vehicles, including the Long March 8 and 8A, is set to fly fifteen times in total this year, for eight more flights over the next five months. With current infrastructure at the launch site, the Long March 8 series is stated to be able to fly up to thirty times per year.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 17th launch of the Long March 8 series, and the 661st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 54th launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), Xinhua, Space Lens
Text Credit: CGTN/Jack C.
Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup23 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8AY10 #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

🚀An improved China Long March 8A rocket blasted off at 16:52 Beijing time (08:52 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 4, 2026, from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan, successfully delivering nine more satellites, the 23rd batch of GuoWang low-Earth orbit (LEO) Internet satellites into orbit. The Long March 8A has further demonstrated how its payload capacity is suitable for high-density satellite constellation missions.🛰️

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise and backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet services; for now, China-focused services are the immediate priority. The mega-constellations’ small satellite platform weighs about 695 kilograms each. The satellites were made by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

After today’s launch, 186 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.

Building upon upgrades first used on the Long March 8A’s previous mission a month ago, introducing the YF-75DB engine and propellant cooling hardware, today’s saw a series of small improvements such as the introduction of electrohydraulic servos as part of mass optimizations. This launch also acted as a ‘system-wide verification’ mission for last month’s upgrades.

Meanwhile, Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. Ltd., operator of the commercial launch site, has also expanded the acceptable weather situations when this rocket can be delivered to the launch pad. Today’s was moved out on July 30th in the rain.

Back in March 2026, China Central Television reported that the Long March 8 series of launch vehicles, including the Long March 8 and 8A, is set to fly fifteen times in total this year, for eight more flights over the next five months. With current infrastructure at the launch site, the Long March 8 series is stated to be able to fly up to thirty times per year.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 17th launch of the Long March 8 series, and the 661st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 54th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CGTN
Text Credit: CGTN/Jack C.
Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup23 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8AY10 #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Finishes Training in California | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Finishes Training in California | International Space Station

Members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 pose for a portrait after completing training at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are NASA astronaut and crew commander Jessica Watkins, NASA astronaut and pilot Luke Delaney, plus mission specialists Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

The Crew-13 emblem is added to others on display at SpaceX's Hawthorne, California, headquaters after their crew Dragon spacecraft training is finished. From left are NASA astronaut and crew commander Jessica Watkins, NASA astronaut and pilot Luke Delaney, plus mission specialists Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

Crew-13 members and SpaceX employees at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 emblem

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 completed training in Hawthorne, California this past week. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to launch a Dragon spacecraft and four crew members from three space agencies to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition no earlier than mid-September 2026.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. They will be joined by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia that will serve as mission specialists. After arriving at the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will become members of the space station’s Expedition 75.

This flight is the 13th crew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). NASA is advancing the launch date of Crew-13 from November to help increase the frequency of U.S. crew rotation missions to the space station. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Watkins. She will be the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice.

This is the first spaceflight for Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov. 

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.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station

Image Credit: SpaceX
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CanadianSpaceAgency #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #Hawthorne #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: July 30-Aug. 4, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity Rover

Planet Mars Images: July 30-Aug. 4, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity Rover

MSL - sol 4973 

MSL - sol 4969

MSL - sol 4972

MSL - sol 4969

MSL - sol 4972

MSL - sol 4972

MSL - sol 4972

MSL - sol 4972

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Celebrating 13+ 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

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

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

Release Dates: July 30-Aug. 4, 2026

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

Watching our Cosmic Neighborhood from Chile's Atacama Desert | ESO

Watching our Cosmic Neighborhood from Chile's Atacama Desert | ESO

This shows the stunning night sky above three of the Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs) at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory, in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Conditions at the site make it one of the best places on Earth for astronomical observations with the band of the Milky Way, as well as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, visible to the naked eye.

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way, at distances of about 160,000 and 200,000 light-years, respectively. They are irregular dwarf galaxies, gravitationally bound to our more massive home galaxy. The Small Magellanic Cloud and the lowest part of the Milky Way appear here bathed in green airglow, very faint light emitted by oxygen atoms high up in the atmosphere.

While only three telescopes are pictured in this image, there are, in total, four ATs feeding light into the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). These telescopes, each with a 1.8-meter main mirror, can be moved along tracks to thirty observing points. They all look at the same target, creating a single ‘virtual’ telescope the size of the separation between the telescopes. These separate views allow the VLTI to discern varying levels of detail. Among other breakthroughs, the ATs have taken the first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy—WOH G64, a red supergiant star in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Image Description: This image shows three white Auxiliary Telescopes, at the bottom of the frame. In the background, in blue and green colors, and yellow and red towards the horizon, the night sky is full of stars with the white Milky Way band vertically in the middle of the picture. On its right, the two white Magellanic clouds can be seen.

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the Southern Cone of western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Chile shares borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. It also administers several Pacific islands, including Juan Fernández, Isla Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas, and Easter Island, and claims about 1,250,000 square kilometers (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

Credit: ESO/N. Schafer
Release Date: July 27, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Airglow #Stars #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #LMCGalaxy #SMCGalaxy #IrregularGalaxies #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #AuxiliaryTelescopes #ATs #VLTI #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 1947 in Dorado: Faint Remnant Threads | Hubble

Lenticular Galaxy NGC 1947 in Dorado: Faint Remnant Threads | Hubble

This unusual lenticular galaxy, known as NGC 1947, has lost almost all the gas and dust from its signature spiral arms that used to orbit around its center. Discovered almost 200 years ago by James Dunlop, a Scottish-born astronomer who later studied the sky from Australia, NGC 1947 can only be seen from the southern hemisphere, in the constellation Dorado (The Dolphinfish).

Residing around 40 million light-years away from Earth, this galaxy shows off its structure by backlighting its remaining faint gas and dust disc with millions of stars. In this picture, taken with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, the faint remnants of the galaxy’s spiral arms can still be made out in the stretched thin threads of dark gas encircling it. Without most of its star-forming material, it is unlikely that many new stars will be born within NGC 1947, leaving this galaxy to continue fading with time.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Rosario
Acknowledgement: L. Shatz
Release Date: Dec. 21, 2020

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC1947 #LenticularGalaxies #DoradoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Ready. Set. Spacewalk: Spacesuit Preparation Steps | International Space Station

Ready. Set. Spacewalk: Spacesuit Preparation Steps | International Space Station

This timelapse was published on social media by European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, currently an Expedition 75 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, with the following caption:

Day 167 orbit 2587—"Movies sometimes make it look easy to put on a spacesuit and head outside the spaceship. In reality, getting two astronauts and their spacesuits ready for the vastly hostile environment just beyond the Station takes a looooong time. It requires hours of carefully rehearsed procedures, precise gestures, and endless checks to make sure everything is ready before the hatch opens."

"For this EVA-95, I had the privilege of leading the intravehicular (IV) operations, and I couldn't be happier of how well we worked together. While strictly following all procedures, we still managed to get Jessica and Chris into the airlock about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. That may not sound like much, but for the crew members in the suit, it’s 30 minutes of energy saved for the EVA marathon ahead, a huge advantage!"

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.

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/S. Adenot
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Aug. 3, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Spacewalks #EVAs #EVA95 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #ChrisWilliams #SophieAdenot #ESA #Europe #France #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

U.S. Spacewalk 97 Preview Animation: Astronauts Meir & Menon | International Space Station

U.S. Spacewalk 97 Animation: Astronauts Meir & Menon | International Space Station

On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Expedition 75 flight engineers and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon will conduct the first of a set of three U.S. spacewalks planned for the International Space Station (ISS). Meir and Menon will install hardware to prepare for installation of the next ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA). It will be the seventh of eight iROSAs to be installed over existing solar arrays to boost electrical power on the ISS. This is Meir’s sixth spacewalk and Menon’s first. The other August spacewalks are scheduled for August 13 and August 25. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is also an Expedition 75 station commander.

This animation previews an upcoming spacewalk outside the International Space Station targeted for August 13 to replace a Space-to Ground antenna on the orbital complex. The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and high-speed communications between the Mission Control Center in Houston and the space station. Naomi Plouse, spacewalk officer, narrates this animation. NASA will share additional details about U.S. spacewalk 97, including timing, assigned crew members, and coverage information, closer to each operation.

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.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: July 30, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Spacewalks #EVAs #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #AnilMenon #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Rare Planetary Parade over Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona

Rare Planetary Parade over Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona

This image captured the planetary parade of Saturn, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury on March 2, 2026.  Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

A planetary conjunction occurs when two planets appear close together in the sky along the ecliptic, though they remain millions of miles apart in space. The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of a year, forming the plane of Earth's orbit and serving as a key reference in astronomy.

Kitt Peak National Observatory is located on Kitt Peak in the Quinlan Mountains, 56 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O’odham Nation. With more than twenty optical and two radio telescopes, it is one of the largest gatherings of astronomical instruments in the Earth's northern hemisphere.

Kitt Peak National Observatory was founded in 1958. It is home to what was the largest solar telescope in the world, and many large astronomical telescopes of the late 20th century in the United States. The observatory was administered by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) from the early 1980s until 2019, after which it was overseen by NOIRLab.

Image Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: July 22, 2026

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