Japan's H3 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

Japan's H3 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

🚀 A Japanese H3 rocket (H3-22S/H3 F9) launched the 🛰️“Michibiki” No. 7/Quasi-Zenith Satellite System 7 (QZS-7), a navigation satellite, from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, on August 10, 2026, at 19:23 UTC (August 11, at 04:23 JST).

The quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS), also known as Michibiki ("guidance"), is a regional navigation satellite system (RNSS) and a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) developed by the Japanese government to enhance the United States-operated global positioning system (GPS) in the Asia-Oceania regions with a focus on Japan. The goal of QZSS is to provide highly precise and stable positioning services in the Asia-Oceania region, compatible with GPS.

The H3 is a Japanese medium-lift launch vehicle developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). A hydrolox-fuelled rocket, it is the successor to the H-IIA and H-IIB launch vehicles. The H3 uses the LE-9 main engine, which was designed to be less expensive to produce as part of a broader effort to lower launch costs. The rocket has a modular design. Its first stage is powered by two or three LE-9 engines and can be fitted with zero, two, or four SRB-3 solid rocket boosters. The second stage uses the LE-5B-3 engine, an upgraded version of the engine family used since the H-I rocket.

In addition to launching satellites into Earth orbit, the H3 is used to launch Japan's HTV-X cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Video Credit: JAXA

Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #QZS7 #MichibikiNo7 #準天頂衛星システム #みちびき7号機 #QZSS #準天頂衛星システム#H3Rockets #H3F9 #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #RocketLaunches #MitsubishiHeavyIndustries #三菱重工業株式会社 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #TanegashimaSpaceCenter #種子島宇宙センター #KagoshimaPrefecture #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet 220P/McNaught Outburst: View from Austria

Comet 220P/McNaught Outburst: View from Austria

Astrophotographer Michael Jaeger: "The structures within the coma are particularly striking. This was the first time we observed a round gas coma through a red filter; therefore, in addition to the prominent dust trail near the head, there is a second zone in white light, which appears round. The outer coma in green also exhibits two shells."

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 (closest approach to the Sun) on June 14, 2026, two weeks after a large outburst in which the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times. In August 2026 there was a second outburst brightening by a factor of about 600.

Image Credit: Michael Jaeger/Gerald Rhemann

Image Details: 1.35 UT 18x150sec 16"/3.2 Asi 2600 MC 2x2bi
Location: Astronomisches Zentrum Martinsberg (AZM), Martinsberg, Austria
Date: Aug. 9, 2026

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

Shenzhou-23 Crew Advances Space Science Experiments | China Space Station

Shenzhou-23 Crew Advances Space Science Experiments | China Space Station

The three astronauts on China's Shenzhou-23 mission performed a haul of experiments and interacted with a robotic assistant on the Tiangong Space Station over the past week as they were pressing ahead with scientific research and routine maintenance in orbit.

Last week, the three astronauts, namely Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying, made steady progress on various space science experiments and meticulously maintained the space station complex and conducted routine health management activities.

Regarding space science experiments, the crew used an ultrasound diagnostic device to assist one another in performing ultrasound scans of areas, such as the soleus muscle, quadriceps, and erector spinae, and conducted grip strength tests.

The data collected will be used for research related to a sensitive muscle group remodeling project.

In the multi-person collaboration interface experiment, the astronauts wore standalone virtual reality headsets to conduct behavioral tests, including single-person perception experiments and two-person collaboration experiments.

The three astronauts also interacted with the robot "Xiaohang" to conduct touch-based interaction tests. The collected data will be used to optimize methods for planning robotic motion behavior during future in-orbit operations.

Additionally, research in two areas—kinematic characteristics of astronauts during long-term spaceflight and dynamics of space treadmills under microgravity conditions—was conducted in tandem.

In accordance with the experimental schedule for space microgravity physical science, the crew replaced the experimental samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet, cleaned the samples in the containerless experiment chamber, performed maintenance on the electrodes of the shaft mechanism, and cleaned the window cover lenses.

Moreover, the crew carried out cleaning of the cabin environment and organized supplies.

Regarding health management, the crew completed medical checkups, including abdominal, cardiac, and vascular ultrasound scans, and actively engaged in in-orbit exercise to counteract the physiological effects of weightlessness.

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, 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 10, 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

Close-up: The Lion Nebula—NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up: The Lion Nebula—NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged planetary nebula NGC 2392. It is nicknamed the Lion Nebula due to its distinct shape. This near- and mid-infrared composite image reveals the complex structure of the nebula—the remains of a dying star. The stellar core, also known as a white dwarf, is located at the center and looks like the button nose of the lion.

Distance from Earth: 3,000-6,500 light years

The central dying star is so hot that its radiation is “cooking” everything from the inside and producing a bubble of ionized hydrogen gas as it does. The gas bubble, the lion’s “face,” features cavernous shells and rings with tendrils that are expanding and destroying dust upon encounter.

However, not all dust is obliterated from the scene. The lion’s mane is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the central star’s core. Within the mane compact clumps of dust (red and orange) have managed to survive and are protecting the material that lies behind them. Additional clumps of molecular hydrogen appear yellow.

The Lion Nebula is a snapshot in time. It has taken several thousand years for the gas and dust to be shaped in this way. It continues to change as the star drives away the material. Astronomers estimate NGC 2392 will eventually disperse in about 10,000 years, a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

Image Description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails and strands. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Galaxies appear as small yellow and orange points of light and others with visible spiral structures. A couple of the stars have diffraction spikes.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarf #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC2392 #Caldwell39 #LionNebula #GeminiConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Lion Nebula: NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The Lion Nebula: NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged planetary nebula NGC 2392. It is nicknamed the Lion Nebula due to its distinct shape. This near- and mid-infrared composite image reveals the complex structure of the nebula—the remains of a dying star. The stellar core, also known as a white dwarf, is located at the center and looks like the button nose of the lion.

Distance from Earth: 3,000-6,500 light years

The central dying star is so hot that its radiation is “cooking” everything from the inside and producing a bubble of ionized hydrogen gas as it does. The gas bubble, the lion’s “face,” features cavernous shells and rings with tendrils that are expanding and destroying dust upon encounter.

However, not all dust is obliterated from the scene. The lion’s mane is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the central star’s core. Within the mane compact clumps of dust (red and orange) have managed to survive and are protecting the material that lies behind them. Additional clumps of molecular hydrogen appear yellow.

The Lion Nebula is a snapshot in time. It has taken several thousand years for the gas and dust to be shaped in this way. It continues to change as the star drives away the material. Astronomers estimate NGC 2392 will eventually disperse in about 10,000 years, a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

Image Description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails and strands. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Galaxies appear as small yellow and orange points of light and others with visible spiral structures. A couple of the stars have diffraction spikes.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarf #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC2392 #Caldwell39 #LionNebula #GeminiConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Meir & Menon on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Meir & Menon on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on her sixth spacewalk, Aug. 6, 2026.

Expedition 75 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anil Menon on his first spacewalk, Aug. 6, 2026.

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Using our special spacewalk drill to install one of the struts for the mounting brackets, as captured by astronaut Anil Menon. And look, all of you are in this photo with me as well (Earth!)! That first spacewalk feeling! Congratulations to astronaut Anil Menon on his first spacewalk. Mission complete as we assembled the last of the mounting brackets that will hold another set of solar arrays to augment the International Space Station  power supply."

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3 p.m. EDT on August 6, 2026. It was Menon’s first spacewalk and Meir’s sixth. During the 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Meir and Menon completed their primary objectives. They included preparing the 3B power channel. This work was necessary for the installation of roll-out solar arrays, called IROSA, to provide additional power for the orbiting laboratory, supporting critical systems and the safe, controlled deorbit of the space station.

This was the 281st spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. 

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.

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center/J. Meir/A. Menon
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #Spacewalks #EVA #JessicaMeir #AnilMenon #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars: Cerberus Fossae (infrared view) | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Cerberus Fossae (infrared view) | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Visible in this observation is the eastern section of Cerberus Fossae (width approximately 250 meters), made up of a series of rifts located in Elysium Planitia just north the Martian equator. The fossae (Latin plural for a “ditch” or “depression”) are in close proximity and related to the formation of Athabasca Valles that lies to the west. These rifts are collapse features believed to form by volcanic and tectonic processes.

The Cerberus Fossae are a series of semi-parallel fissures on Mars formed by faults that pulled the crust apart in the Cerberus region. They are 1235 km across and centered at 11.28 °N and 166.37 °E. Their northernmost latitude is 16.16 °N and their southernmost latitude 6.23 °N. Their easternmost and westernmost longitudes are 174.72 °E and 154.43 °E, respectively. They can be seen in the Elysium quadrangle.

In this composite image, we can see that the rift is not continuous, but discontinuous and offset. The offset could be the result of a preexisting subsurface discontinuity, such as a fault.

The close-up view of HiRISE infrared color shows us a plethora of information about Cerberus Fossae and the great amount of detail that HiRISE captures. The clear view of boulders strewn in shadowed areas of the rift is a testament to the high signal-to-noise capability and high resolution of the HiRISE camera; aeolian dunes along with boulders deposited from erosion of the rift walls are also visible in detail.

Another remarkable aspect of this image is the stark contrasts it captures: light-toned dusty—surfaces that surround the rift versus the dark blue basaltic sands and the shadows within the rift. The detail that HiRISE can provide is indeed phenomenal, and as demonstrated here, the infrared color provides additional information. Why, for instance, is the floor of Cerberus Fossae a deep blue, and why is there such a contrast with the orange-grayish Martian surface? It is not water. The volcanic and mafic sand contains unoxidized iron that appears a deep blue, while the Martian surface is covered by oxidized iron-bearing dust which appears orange-grayish.

Using the pixel-length of the shadow within the rift, the incidence angle of the Sun at the time the image was taken, and trigonometry, the approximate depth of the various sections of Cerberus Fossae can be estimated. Based on this simple method, an approximate depth is 260 meters. This estimate suggests that the rift is as wide as it is deep.

Black & white is less than 5 km across; enhanced color is less than 1 km. 

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has spent over twenty years (2006-2026) orbiting the Red Planet, collecting valuable scientific data. 

This HiRISE enhanced color camera image (less than 1 km in size) was captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 278 km (173 miles).

Capture Date: Dec. 5, 2014
Latitude (centered): 75.597°
Longitude (East): 13.493°

The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). It was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Washington.

For more information on MRO, visit:

science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Release Date: Aug. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planets #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #Rifts #Faults #CerberusFossae #ElysiumPlanitia #NorthernHemisphere #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Astrophotographers Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger: "Comet in outburst with shockwave."

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 in which the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times. In August 2026 there was a second outburst brightening by a factor of about 600. 

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

Date: Aug. 8, 2026

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

Planet Earth as Art: Western Australia | USGS Landsat 8 Satellite

Planet Earth as Art: Western Australia | USGS Landsat 8 Satellite

An enhanced Landsat 8 satellite image of Western Australia from Earth as Art Collection 4. Yellow highlights the sand dunes of the Great Sandy Desert, red shows areas burned by grass and forest fires, and the remaining colors reveal types of surface geology.

Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Earth as Art collections showcase our planet. Satellite observations become vibrant images that highlight the beauty, patterns, and complexity of Earth's surface. Landsat data reveals Earth's landscapes in unexpected ways.

Discover more colorful views of our planet in the EROS Earth As Art collections: https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earth-as-art

The USGS EROS Center archive contains satellite and digitized film imagery available at no cost to communities and scientists studying land change around the world:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/usgs-eros-archive-products-overview

The joint NASA/USGS Landsat program (1972-2026) is the longest-running enterprise that has acquired satellite imagery of Earth.

Landsat 8 is an American Earth observation satellite that was launched in 2013. It is the eighth satellite in the Landsat program and the seventh to reach orbit successfully. It is a collaboration between NASA and the United States Geological Survey. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provided development, mission systems engineering, and acquisition of the launch vehicle, while the USGS provided for development of the ground systems and will conduct on-going mission operations.

Learn more about the Landsat-8 Satellite:

https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-8

Image Credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Release Date: Aug. 7, 2024

#NASA #USGS #Space #Planet #Earth #Geology #Australia #WesternAustralia #WA #Satellites #Landsat #Landsat8 #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #EROS #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #International #Art #STEM #Education

Space Weather: "Aurora with chance of meatballs" | International Space Station

Space Weather: "Aurora with chance of meatballs" | International Space Station

Expedition 75 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anil Menon: "Current space weather report: Aurora with chance of meatballs. (KP 3.0 / iPhone photo / mostly watched it in awe with crew-12 @ 11:50 UTC)"

This is Anil Menon's first spaceflight mission after he was selected as part of NASA’s 2021 astronaut class.

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

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's Johnson Space Center/A. Menon
Date: Aug. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Aurora #Astronauts #AnilMenon #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Aurora & Noctilucent Clouds over Alaska | Earth Science

Aurora & Noctilucent Clouds over Alaska | Earth Science

"And so it begins . . . While photographing noctilucent clouds around Glennallen, Alaska, at 2:40 am on August 7, 2026, a cute green aurora band photobombed the twilight scene. Love it when that happens! Especially since these are the first 'lights' I've spotted as darkness slowly falls across the northland. And after eight straight hours of negative/southward Bz interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), I’m glad Earth’s magnetic field finally coupled with the solar wind for this brief cameo appearance. Aurora game on."

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.

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Alaska is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost state in the United States. It borders the Canadian territory of the Yukon and the province of British Columbia to the east. It shares a western maritime border in the Bering Strait with Russia. The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the Arctic Ocean lie to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies to the south.

Image Credit: Todd Salat 
Location: Glennallen, Alaska

Todd's website: https://www.AuroraHunter.com
Date: Aug. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Sun #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroaBorealis #Weather #Meteorology #Atmosphere #WaterVapor #Clouds #IceCrystals #NoctilucentClouds #NLCs #PolarMesosphericClouds #Astrophotography #Astrophotographers #ToddSalat #CitizenScience #Alaska #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Distant Spiral Galaxy NGC 5037 in Virgo | Hubble Space Telescope

Distant Spiral Galaxy NGC 5037 in Virgo | Hubble Space Telescope

This image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 5037. It is found in the constellation of Virgo and was first documented by William Herschel in 1785. It lies about 150 million light-years away from Earth, and yet it is possible to see the delicate structures of gas and dust within the galaxy in extraordinary detail. This was made possible by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). It was used to collect the exposures that were combined to create this image. 

WFC3 is a very versatile camera, as it can collect ultraviolet, visible and infrared light, thereby providing a wealth of information about the objects that it observes. WFC3 was installed on Hubble by astronauts in 2009, during servicing mission 4. This was Hubble’s fifth and final servicing mission. Servicing mission 4 was intended to prolong Hubble’s life for another five years. Twelve years later, Hubble and WFC3 remain in active use.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Rosario
Acknowledgement: L. Shatz
Release Date: May 24, 2021

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC5037 #SpiralGalaxies #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

A Propellant-saving Orbital Maneuver | International Space Station

A Propellant-saving Orbital Maneuver | International Space Station

Expedition 71/72 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Don Pettit: "Timelapse of the ISS Optimal Propellant Maneuver (OPM)! We use this to reorient station's attitude in preparation for docking events. This one occurred over some magnificent Mediterranean city lights!"

The International Space Station (ISS) optimal propellant maneuver (OPM) is a fuel‑efficient thruster‑based reorientation method that uses pre‑planned attitude trajectories to exploit spacecraft dynamics, saving up to 93% propellant compared to conventional maneuvers.

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.

Video Credit: NASA/JSC/D. Pettit
Duration: 13 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #OPM #OrbitalManeuvers #Earth #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautVideography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Recovery after Splashdown in Indian Ocean on Flight Test#13

SpaceX Starship Recovery after Splashdown in Indian Ocean on Flight Test#13

Update: "The SpaceX recovery team is still working to recover Flight 13’s Starship from the Indian Ocean. They’ve been overcoming challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas as they attempt to guide the 52m long spacecraft to port." 

The thirteenth flight test of Starship was successfully launched on Friday, July 24, 2026. This was the second flight of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles and the first Starship flight to deploy "next generation" Starlink V3 satellites.

Watch the launch broadcast and read the full flight report here: 

https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-13

The flight test began with Super Heavy igniting all 33 Raptor 3 engines and ascending over the Gulf of Mexico. The successful first-stage ascent was followed by a hot-staging maneuver with Starship’s upper stage igniting its six Raptor engines to continue its flight to space.

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster performed a directional flip maneuver. The startup sequence was modified for this flight to be more robust to timing variability in engine startup and flip in the desired direction. This is done to increase overall performance. The booster successfully completed the high thrust portion of the boostback burn with all 33 engines, the first time with a Super Heavy V3, before ending the burn early. It attempted to relight its engines for the landing burn with a subset successfully igniting before experiencing a hard splashdown in the Gulf.

After completing a full-duration ascent burn on all six Raptor engines, Starship achieved its planned velocity and trajectory. Starship then successfully deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX engineers were able to successfully communicate with every satellite using radio frequency and laser links and downloaded key telemetry from the satellites. The Starlink satellites were deployed on the pre-planned trajectory and are expected to have demised upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment.

The vehicle also reignited a single Raptor engine in an in-space demonstration of a core capability for future orbital missions.

Starship re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and was able to gather critical data on the performance of its heatshield before executing a dynamic banking move to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly. Starship then guided itself using its four flaps to the pre-planned splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean. After relighting all three Raptor engines, Starship executed a landing flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown, coming to rest intact in the Indian Ocean and providing critical views of an intact heatshield for the first time.

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.

Learn more about Starship:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Date: Aug. 7, 2026 

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Starlink #Earth #Mars #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #StarshipRecovery #FlightTest13 #IndianOcean #ReusableSpacecraft #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

SpaceX Starship Recovery after Splashdown in Indian Ocean on Flight Test#13

SpaceX Starship Recovery after Splashdown in Indian Ocean on Flight Test#13

Update: "The SpaceX recovery team is still working to recover Flight 13’s Starship from the Indian Ocean. They’ve been overcoming challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas as they attempt to guide the 52m long spacecraft to port." 

The thirteenth flight test of Starship was successfully launched on Friday, July 24, 2026. This was the second flight of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles and the first Starship flight to deploy "next generation" Starlink V3 satellites.

Watch the launch broadcast and read the full flight report here: 

https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-13

The flight test began with Super Heavy igniting all 33 Raptor 3 engines and ascending over the Gulf of Mexico. The successful first-stage ascent was followed by a hot-staging maneuver with Starship’s upper stage igniting its six Raptor engines to continue its flight to space.

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster performed a directional flip maneuver. The startup sequence was modified for this flight to be more robust to timing variability in engine startup and flip in the desired direction. This is done to increase overall performance. The booster successfully completed the high thrust portion of the boostback burn with all 33 engines, the first time with a Super Heavy V3, before ending the burn early. It attempted to relight its engines for the landing burn with a subset successfully igniting before experiencing a hard splashdown in the Gulf.

After completing a full-duration ascent burn on all six Raptor engines, Starship achieved its planned velocity and trajectory. Starship then successfully deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX engineers were able to successfully communicate with every satellite using radio frequency and laser links and downloaded key telemetry from the satellites. The Starlink satellites were deployed on the pre-planned trajectory and are expected to have demised upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment.

The vehicle also reignited a single Raptor engine in an in-space demonstration of a core capability for future orbital missions.

Starship re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and was able to gather critical data on the performance of its heatshield before executing a dynamic banking move to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly. Starship then guided itself using its four flaps to the pre-planned splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean. After relighting all three Raptor engines, Starship executed a landing flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown, coming to rest intact in the Indian Ocean and providing critical views of an intact heatshield for the first time.

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.

Learn more about Starship:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration: 44 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 7, 2026 

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Starlink #Earth #Mars #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #StarshipRecovery #FlightTest13 #IndianOcean #ReusableSpacecraft #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-field view: Supernova SN 2026gzf in Sextans | Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Wide-field view of Star in Sextans: Pre-supernova | Vera C. Rubin Observatory

This image shows the field around the progenitor to supernova SN 2026gzf, detected by the Einstein Probe on March 21, 2026. The supernova progenitor appears as a bright blue dot within the galaxy located in the middle of the upper third at the center of this image.

This image was created by stacking multiple images taken between May 2025 and January 2026 with the LSST Camera, mounted on the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE/SC).

SN 2026gzf occurred within Rubin’s COSMOS Deep Drilling Field. Observations of this field, including this image, were recently made public as part of Rubin’s Early Data Preview 2 (EDP2) — the first data preview based on observations from the LSST Camera. EDP2 combines Rubin’s science validation observations collected between April 2025 and January 2026.

Learn more about the new Vera Rubin Observatory:

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory

The LSST Camera (LSSTCam)

https://lsstcam.lsst.io/

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA

Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WolfRayetStars #Supernovae #SN2026gzf #SextansConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #LSSTCam #SimonyiSurveyTelescope #RubinObservatory #VeraRubin #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education