Friends of NASA: 2025

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The Sculptor Galaxy in a Myriad of Colors | European Southern Observatory

The Sculptor Galaxy in a Myriad of Colors | European Southern Observatory

This animation shows the depth of information that is contained in a new portrait of the Sculptor galaxy. While a normal image contains information in just a handful of colors, here we see the Sculptor Galaxy in thousands of them.

The data were captured with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). As the video goes through colors (or wavelengths), the galaxy lights up as we see the specific color emitted by certain elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen. We also see one side of the galaxy light up before the other. This is due to the Doppler effect: as the galaxy rotates, one side of the galaxy is moving towards us, and its light is shifted to bluer wavelengths, whereas the light from the receding side is shifted to redder wavelengths.

Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/E. Congiu et al.
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 18, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #SculptorGalaxy #NGC253 #Sculptor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #MUSE #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Astronomers Capture Sculptor Galaxy in Thousands of Colors | ESO

Astronomers Capture Sculptor Galaxy in Thousands of Colors | ESO

Astronomers have captured a unique thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy. To create this highly detailed image, the team of researchers spent over 50 hours observing the galaxy with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). By mapping this galaxy at thousands of colors or wavelengths astronomers can know everything about the stars, gas and dust in this galaxy.

Credit: ESO
Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner
Editing: Angelos Tsaousis
Written by: Amy Briggs and Sean Bromilow
Footage and photos: ESO / Luis Calçada, Cristoph Malin, Angelos Tsaousis, Mahdi Zamani, Enrico Congiu et al
Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 18, 2025

Journey to a Thousand-color Image of The Sculptor Galaxy | ESO

Journey to a Thousand-color Image of The Sculptor Galaxy | ESO

Fly with us to the relatively nearby Sculptor Galaxy . . . 11 million light years away from us.

This galaxy is the subject of a highly detailed portrait, an image that astronomers made containing thousands of colors. To capture the galaxy in this light, the team of researchers observed it for over 50 hours with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT).

This zoom was created with images from multiple telescopes stitched together, covering progressively smaller areas in the sky, ending on the final portrait in all its glory.

Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/N. Risinger/Digitized Sky Survey 2/E. Congiu et al

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 18, 2025

Rotation of The Sculptor Galaxy: Animation | European Southern Observatory

Rotation of The Sculptor Galaxy: Animation | European Southern Observatory

This animation shows the motion of the Sculptor Galaxy based upon the data gathered with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The underlying images are real, and they have been animated in 3D using actual velocity data obtained with MUSE. The first part of the clip shows already-formed stars within the galaxy, and then we overlay the distribution of gas in star-forming regions.

Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/E. Congiu et al.

Duration: 8 seconds
Release Date: June 18, 2025

The Sculptor Galaxy: New Color Views | European Southern Observatory

The Sculptor Galaxy: New Color Views | European Southern Observatory

MUSE view of the Sculptor Galaxy

This image shows a detailed, thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Regions of pink light are spread throughout this whole galactic snapshot, which come from ionized hydrogen in star-forming regions. These areas have been overlaid on a map of already formed stars in Sculptor to create the mix of pinks and blues seen here.

MUSE view of ionized gas in the Sculptor Galaxy

This image shows the Sculptor Galaxy in a new light. This false-color composition shows specific wavelengths of light released by hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen. These elements exist in gas form all over the galaxy, but the mechanisms causing this gas to glow can vary throughout the galaxy. The pink light represents gas excited by the radiation of newborn stars, while the cone of whiter light at the center is caused by an outflow of gas from the black hole at the galaxy’s core.

Wide-field view of the Sculptor Galaxy

Astronomers have created a galactic masterpiece: an ultra-detailed image that reveals previously unseen features in the Sculptor Galaxy. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they observed this nearby galaxy in thousands of colors simultaneously. By capturing vast amounts of data at every single location, they created a galaxy-wide snapshot of the lives of stars within Sculptor.

To create this map of the Sculptor Galaxy, which is 11 million light-years away and is also known as NGC 253, the researchers observed it for over 50 hours with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s VLT. The team had to stitch together over 100 exposures to cover an area of the galaxy about 65,000 light-years wide.

A galaxy’s building blocks—stars, gas and dust—emit light in a variety of colors. Therefore, the more shades of color there are in an image of a galaxy, the more we can learn about its inner workings. While conventional images contain only a handful of colors, this new Sculptor map comprises thousands. This tells astronomers everything they need to know about the stars, gas and dust within, such as their age, composition, and motion.

"Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand," says ESO researcher Enrico Congiu, who led a new Astronomy & Astrophysics study on Sculptor. Reaching hundreds of thousands of light-years across, galaxies are extremely large, but their evolution depends on what’s happening at much smaller scales. “The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot,” says Congiu. “It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.”

According to co-author Kathryn Kreckel from Heidelberg University, Germany, this makes the map a potent tool: “We can zoom in to study individual regions where stars form at nearly the scale of individual stars, but we can also zoom out to study the galaxy as a whole.”

In their first analysis of the data, the team uncovered around 500 planetary nebulae, regions of gas and dust cast off from dying Sun-like stars, in the Sculptor Galaxy. Co-author Fabian Scheuermann, a doctoral student at Heidelberg University, puts this number into context: “Beyond our galactic neighborhood, we usually deal with fewer than 100 detections per galaxy.”

Because of the properties of planetary nebulae, they can be used as distance markers to their host galaxies. “Finding the planetary nebulae allows us to verify the distance to the galaxy—a critical piece of information on which the rest of the studies of the galaxy depend,” says Adam Leroy, a professor at The Ohio State University, USA, and study co-author.

Future projects using the map will explore how gas flows, changes its composition, and forms stars all across this galaxy. “How such small processes can have such a big impact on a galaxy whose entire size is thousands of times bigger is still a mystery,” says Congiu.

Credit: ESO/E. Congiu et al.
Release Date: June 18, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #SculptorGalaxy #NGC253 #Sculptor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #MUSE #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Liftoff—Escape System Flight Test: New China Space Station/Moon Crew Spacecraft

Liftoff—Escape System Flight Test: New China Space Station/Moon Crew Spacecraft

The new Mengzhou crewed spacecraft will be used for Lunar landing missions (up to 3 crew members) and low Earth orbit (LEO) China Space Station missions (up to 7 crew members). China successfully conducted an escape flight test of its new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou at zero altitude on June 17, 2025, taking an important step forward in its human lunar exploration program.

The test was carried out at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu, China, at 12:30 Beijing time (0430 GMT). The spacecraft's escape engine ignited successfully, propelling the capsule-tower assembly upward. About 20 seconds later, the return capsule separated from the escape tower at the predetermined altitude. Two minutes later, the capsule landed safely in the designated area using an airbag cushioning system.

The flight test marked a major milestone in the development of China's crewed lunar mission. It was the country's first zero-altitude escape test for a manned spacecraft in 27 years, following a similar test for its current-generation Shenzhou spacecraft in 1998.

Video Credit: CNSA

Duration: 52 seconds
Capture Date: June 17, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Earth #ChinaSpaceStation #Moon #LunarMissions #CrewModules #CrewSpacecraft #Mengzhou #LongMarch10Rocket #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #SpaceExploration #JSLV #STEM #Education #SlowMotion #HD #Video

Escape System Flight Test: New China Space Station & Moon Crew Spacecraft

Escape System Flight Test: New China Space Station & Moon Crew Spacecraft

Video Credit: CNSA

Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds
Capture Date: June 17, 2025

Escape System Flight Test for New China Space Station & Moon Crew Spacecraft

Escape System Flight Test for New China Space Station & Moon Crew Spacecraft

The new Mengzhou crewed spacecraft will be used for Lunar landing missions (up to 3 crew members) and low Earth orbit (LEO) China Space Station missions (up to 7 crew members). China successfully conducted an escape flight test on its new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou at zero altitude on June 17, 2025, taking an important step forward in its human lunar exploration program.

The test was carried out at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:30 Beijing time (0430 GMT). The spacecraft's escape engine ignited successfully, propelling the capsule-tower assembly upward. About 20 seconds later, the return capsule separated from the escape tower at the predetermined altitude. Two minutes later, the capsule landed safely in the designated area using an airbag cushioning system.

Image Credit: CGTN
Image Date: June 17, 2025

The Next Steps in Lunar Exploration | NASA's Johnson Space Center

The Next Steps in Lunar Exploration | NASA's Johnson Space Center

NASA is preparing to send its first astronauts to the Moon’s South Pole. Learn about examples of current developments—the testing, and training of lunar spacesuits, tools, and lunar rovers occurring at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and its supporting training facilities. Listen as Apollo and Artemis astronauts, as well as subject matter experts, discuss the challenges of exploring the Moon in preparation for Mars. Experts emphasize the extreme lunar conditions that astronauts will experience, such as dramatic and diminished lighting conditions, lunar dust challenges, and extreme temperatures.

Artemis II will launch no earlier than April 2026.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA Johnson
Duration: 15 minutes
Release Date: June 18, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #LockheedMartin #CrewedMission #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

NASA's Student Launch Canceled | NASA Education Budget Deleted in FY 2026

NASA's Student Launch Canceled | NASA Education Budget Deleted in FY 2026

"Student Launch" (Year 2000-2025) was a nine-month-long challenge that tasked student teams from across the U.S. to design, build, test, and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a scientific or engineering payload. It was a hands-on, research-based, engineering activity that culminated each year with a final launch in Huntsville, Alabama, home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

NASA's entire education budget has been eliminated in its Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request.

Learn more about this cancelled NASA Education program here: nasa.gov/studentlaunch

Moreover, NASA's total science budget is being cut nearly 50%. This will result in the cancellation of 19 active science missions and end several planned ones deemed crucial by the National Academy of Sciences, including those involving partnerships with international space agencies. Many eliminated science missions support irreplaceable Earth and climate science. NASA's new budget will become the smallest since 1961, when adjusted for inflation, according to The Planetary Society:
https://www.planetary.org/press-releases/the-planetary-society-reissues-urgent-call-to-reject-disastrous-budget-proposal-for-nasa

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns for NASA's future:
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

Review NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PDF) Documents:
https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/

Video Credit: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: June 17, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #Aerospace #Rocketry #Rockets #RocketLaunch #RocketCompetition #Students #Teamwork#StudentLaunch #CancelledFY2026 #ArtemisGeneration #Universities #Colleges #HighSchools #MiddleSchools #NASAMarshall #MSFC #Huntsville #Alabama #UnitedStates #Technology #Engineering #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Japan's Honda Test Launches & Lands Experimental Reusable Rocket

Japan's Honda Test Launches & Lands Experimental Reusable Rocket

Honda R&D Co., Ltd., a research and development subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket*1 (6.3 m in length, 85 cm in diameter, 900 kg dry weight/1,312 kg wet weight) in Hokkaido, Japan, developed independently by Honda. The test was completed successfully, the first time Honda landed a rocket after reaching an altitude of 300 meters.

This test marked the first launch and landing test conducted by Honda with an aim to demonstrate key technologies essential for rocket reusability, such as flight stability during ascent and descent, as well as landing capability. Through this successful test, Honda achieved its intended rocket behaviors for the launch and landing (reaching an altitude of 271.4 m, and landing at 37cm of the target touchdown point, flight duration 56.6 sec), while obtaining data during the ascent and descent.

Overview: Launch and landing test of a Honda reusable rocket

・Purpose: Establishment of key technologies necessary for a reusable rocket

・Location: Honda facility in Taiki Town*2, Hiroo District, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan

・Date/Time: June 17, 2025. Launch time: 16:15

A reusable rocket, also known as a reusable launch vehicle (RLV), is a type of rocket that, unlike a conventional expendable launch vehicle (ELV), can be used repeatedly in a short period of time. A reusable rocket is launched in a vertical position, reaches an altitude of around 100 kilometers, and then lands back on earth, while maintaining a vertical position.

Taiki Town, located in southeastern Hokkaido, Japan, has been developing itself as a “space town” through the joint efforts of public and private sectors, and various aviation/space related tests are being conducted by a wide range of organizations including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), businesses and universities.

Since 2024, Honda has been safely conducting engine combustion tests and hovering tests for its reusable rockets in Taiki Town in Hiroo District, Hokkaido, Japan.

Honda's rocket research initiatives

As announced in 2021, Honda has been pursuing research and development in the field of space technologies while viewing it as a place to take on challenges to realize the “dreams” and “potential” of people worldwide, while leveraging its core technologies. Honda has the aim to enable people to transcend the constraints of time, place or ability and make people’s daily lives more enjoyable. Examples of Honda initiatives toward creating new value in the ultimate environment of outer space include research into a circulative renewable energy system, key robotic technologies for use in outer space and reusable rockets.

Inspired by the dream of young Honda engineers that wanted to build rockets by utilizing core technologies amassed by Honda through product development, such as combustion and control technologies, Honda started rocket research to contribute to compatible business services. For example, reusable rockets will contribute to achieving sustainable transportation.

Although Honda rocket research is still in the fundamental research phase, and no decisions have been made regarding commercialization of these rocket technologies, Honda will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realizing technological capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029.

Comments by Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda:

“We are pleased that Honda has made another step forward in our research on reusable rockets with this successful completion of a launch and landing test. We believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavor that leverages Honda’s technological strengths. Honda will continue to take on new challenges—not only to offer our customers various services and value through our products, while addressing environmental and safety issues, but also to continue creating new value which will make people’s time and place more enjoyable.”

Example services this rocket can support include remote sensing to monitor Earth conditions, such as global warming and extreme weather, as well as satellite constellations that enable wide-area communication. This is an essential component for connected features of mobility products.

Video Credit: Honda R&D Co., Ltd.
Duration: 1 minute
Capture Date: June 17, 2025

#NASA #Space #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #Rockets #ReusableRockets #RLV #Japan #日本 #Honda #本田技研工業株式会社 #RocketTests #ExperimentalResearch #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #Video

Main Structure of Under-Construction Mega Radio Telescope Capped in Xinjiang

Main Structure of Under-Construction Mega Radio Telescope Capped in Xinjiang

The main structure of a mega fully steerable radio telescope was capped in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday, marking another step forward in the construction of the major scientific research infrastructure project in the country.

Located in the foothills of the Tianahan Mountains in Qitai County, the telescope will feature a single dish measuring 110 meters in diameter and weigh more than 6,000 tons. The fully steerable dish will allow the telescope to observe 75 percent of celestial bodies in the sky.

Construction on the 110-meter-diameter telescope started in September 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2028.

Once operational, it will become a world-leading, large-aperture, fully steerable radio telescope with high sensitivity and multidisciplinary capabilities. In addition to supporting scientific observation and research, the facility will also serve as a hub for local science education and outreach, offering space for public engagement and hands-on activities.

One of Northwest China's key geographic advantages, especially in Xinjiang, is its vast, sparsely populated terrain, ideal for astronomical observation. The remoteness helps minimize human activities and electromagnetic interference, a critical factor that affects radio telescope performance, Yuan Lanfeng, according to a research fellow at the Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale under the University of Science and Technology of China.

China is also building another fully steerable radio telescope with a diameter of 120 meters, so far the world's largest, in northeast China's Jilin Province.

The Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the United States, currently holds the title as the world's largest operational fully steerable radio telescope, with its dish measuring 100 meters by 110 meters.

Compared with fixed radio telescopes of the same size, fully steerable radio telescopes can observe a larger part of the sky.

The next phase of the construction will involve equipment installation and system testing.

Credits: CCTV/Global Times
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 8, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #RadioTelescopes #RadioTelescope #Astrophysics #TianahanMountains #QitaiCounty #XinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion #XUAR #China #中国 #NAOC #CAS #STEM #Education #HD #Video

From Space to Soil: How NASA Sees Earth's Forests | NASA Goddard

From Space to Soil: How NASA Sees Earth's Forests | NASA Goddard

As part of its Earth System Observatory, NASA uses satellite Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to study Earth’s forests that are key carbon sinks. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Mission maps forest height and biomass from the International Space Station, while ICESat-2 fills polar data gaps. Together, they enable a first-of-its-kind global biomass map, guiding smarter forest conservation and carbon tracking.

The ICESat-2 Mission is being cancelled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, according to NASA Watch.

See NASA budget details here: https://www.friendsofnasa.org/2025/06/19-active-science-missions-cancelled-in.html

ICESat-2 Mission
https://icesat-2.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Mission

https://gedi.umd.edu/

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio
Emme Watkins (eMITS): Producer
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS): Producer
Aaron E. Lepsch (eMITS): Technical Support
Emme Watkins (eMITS): Editor
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS): Videographer
Laura Duncanson (University of Maryland College Park): Interviewee
Amy Neuenschwander (University of Texas at Austin): Interviewee
Kel Elkins (USRA): Visualizer
Michala Garrison (SSAI): Visualizer
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: June 17, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Satellites #ICESat2 #Planet #Earth #ISS #GEDI #LIDAR #Biomass #Forests #RadarSatellites #SyntheticApertureRadar #SAR #PBand #ElectromagneticSpectrum #Atmosphere #Climate #ClimateChange #Environment #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Interstellar Mapping & Acceleration Probe (IMPA): Launch Preparations

NASA's Interstellar Mapping & Acceleration Probe (IMPA): Launch Preparations

As a modern-day celestial cartographer, NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will explore and chart the vast range of particles in interplanetary space, helping to investigate two of the most important issues in heliophysics: the energization of charged particles from the Sun and the interaction of the solar wind with interstellar space. The IMAP mission plans to provide near real-time information about the solar wind to improve advanced space weather warnings from its location at Lagrange Point 1, or L1, located about one million miles away, between the Earth and Sun.

Technicians removed the IMAP spacecraft from its shipping container on Thursday, May 29, 2025, after transferring it from the airlock into the high bay at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The IMAP spacecraft arrived at the facility on May 10, coming by truck from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Over the next several months, technicians will prepare the IMAP observatory for launch. Key upcoming milestones include loading the spacecraft with propellant, joining it with two other spacecraft catching a ride on the same rocket, and encapsulating all three spacecraft together inside the protective payload fairing. Technicians then will transport the encapsulated spacecraft to a hangar at NASA Kennedy, where the team will integrate the spacecraft with its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is targeting launch no earlier than September 2025 from Launch Complex 39A.

Launching with IMAP are NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On L1 satellite, both of which will arrive in Florida later this year. This mission will be NASA’s Launch Services Program’s 9th mission to fly on a Falcon 9 rocket.

The IMAP mission is the fifth mission in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes Program within the agency’s Heliophysics Division. Princeton University professor David J. McComas leads the IMAP mission with an international team of 25 partner institutions. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, built the spacecraft and operates the mission. The Explorers and Heliophysics Project Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the program for the agency’s Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA Kennedy, manages the launch service for the mission.

Learn more about IMAP visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/imap/
https://imap.princeton.edu/

Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman
Release Dates: June 2-3, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #IMAPMission #IMAP #Stars #InterstellarMedium #ISM #Sun #Heliophysics #Heliosphere #Planets #Earth #SolarSystem #SolarPlasma #SolarWind #SpaceWeather #Astrophysics #Princeton #GSFC #NASAKennedy #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #Infographics #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Member Training | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 Member Training | International Space Station

From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui pose for a photo after participating in a training simulation inside a mockup at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut and commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission Zena Cardman is photographed during an interview in a studio at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before her upcoming mission to the International Space Station.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission Kimiya Yui poses for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission Oleg Platonov of Russia poses for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut and pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission Mike Fincke is photographed during an interview in a studio at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before his upcoming mission to the International Space Station.

The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station pose for a group photo after participating in a water survival demonstration at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station participate in a water survival demonstration at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission, four crew members from three space agencies will launch to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronauts Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov of Russia will join crew members aboard the space station no earlier than July 2025.

The flight is the 11th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon, as well as benefit people on Earth.

Cardman previously was assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, and Fincke previously was assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. NASA decided to reassign the astronauts to Crew-11 in overall support of planned activities aboard the International Space Station. Cardman carries her experience training as a commander on Dragon spacecraft, and Fincke brings long-duration spaceflight experience to this crew complement.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/zena-cardman/

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cardman-z.pdf

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/michael-e-fincke/

https://www.nasa.gov/people/edward-michael-mike-fincke/

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/fincke_e_michael.pdf

With 142 days in space, this will be Yui’s second trip to the space station. After his selection as a JAXA astronaut in 2009, Yui flew as a flight engineer for Expedition 44/45 and became the first Japanese astronaut to capture JAXA’s H-II Transfer Vehicle. In addition to constructing a new experimental environment aboard Kibo, he conducted a total of 21 experiments for JAXA. In November 2016, Yui was assigned as chief of the JAXA Astronaut Group. He graduated from the School of Science and Engineering at the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1992. He later joined the Air Self-Defense Force at the Japan Defense Agency (currently Ministry of Defense). In 2008, Yui joined the Air Staff Office at the Ministry of Defense as a lieutenant colonel.

JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui biography:

https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/yui-kimiya/

The Crew-11 mission will be Platonov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, Platonov earned a degree in Engineering from Krasnodar Air Force Academy in Aircraft Operations and Air Traffic Management. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in State and Municipal Management in 2016 from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Assigned as a test cosmonaut in 2021, he has experience in piloting aircraft, zero gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.

Image Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz/Bill Stafford

Release Dates: Feb. 24-May 14, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #JAXA #KimiyaYui #Japan #日本 #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China's Crewed Moon Spacecraft Completes Zero-Altitude Escape Flight Test

China's Crewed Moon Spacecraft Completes Zero-Altitude Escape Flight Test

China successfully conducted an escape flight test on its new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou at zero altitude on June 17, 2025, taking an important step forward in its human lunar exploration program.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: June 17, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #LunarMissions #CrewModules #Mengzhou #LongMarch10Rocket #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Monday, June 16, 2025

China-Italian Space Agency Satellite Builds on Historical & Cultural Connections

China-Italian Space Agency Satellite Builds on Historical & Cultural Connections

The China-Italy Zhangheng 1-02 electromagnetic satellite was launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Saturday, June 14, 2025. It takes the name of the famous Chinese inventor of the seismograph.

However, the Zhangheng satellites have a different project name in Italy: "Limadou" or Matteo Ricci, taking after the cultural ambassador. Limadou refers to the Chinese Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) program—a collaborative mission between China and Italy. The name "Limadou" honors the Italian Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci. He played a significant role in the development of relations between China and Italy. The Italian contribution includes the design and construction of the High Energetic Particle Detector (HEPD) that is part of the satellite's payload. This initiative aims to study Earth's geophysical properties from space using non-imaging remote sensing methods.

Named after the ancient Chinese inventor Zhang Heng, who created the world's first seismoscope over 1,800 years ago, the satellite was jointly developed by China and Italy. It is the first operational satellite dedicated to exploring the Earth's physical fields under China's medium and long-term civil space infrastructure development plan, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Zhangheng 1-02 will carry out quasi-real-time monitoring of global electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, the ionosphere and the neutral atmosphere, detecting electromagnetic anomalies caused by geological and human activities, as well as monitoring thunderstorm and lightening activity.

With a designed lifespan of six years, the satellite is equipped with nine payloads, including an electric field detector co-developed by China and Italy, as well as a high-energy particle detector developed by Italy.

"One of its functions is to monitor the electromagnetic waves and electromagnetic fields of the Earth, as these influence the crustal activities and electromagnetic patterns on Earth. Another function of the satellite is to detect the ionosphere and the neutral atmosphere structure, mainly serving for [monitoring] extreme weather conditions," said Peng Wei, deputy director of the system engineering department of the CNSA.

Peng said that scientists will use these data to study the correlation between changes in the Earth's physical fields and geological activities, and to support research on the prediction of earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, extreme weather, and space weather disasters.

The satellite will significantly enhance China's early perception, risk assessment, and monitoring and early warning capabilities for major natural disasters, Peng added.

It will also provide data support for emergency management, resource mapping, and communications and navigation industries, while fostering scientific and technological cooperation in related fields among countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Zhangheng 1-02 satellite is an updated version developed based on the Zhangheng 1-01 satellite, which is a scientific research satellite with the main task of verifying related technologies. The 02 satellite, an operational one built on the capabilities of the 01 satellite, will be more extensively involved in practical application.

The Zhangheng 1-01 satellite, launched in 2018, remains in normal operation, while the new satellite has richer physical measurements. Working in tandem, the two satellites will conduct collaborative observations, effectively improving the horizontal spatial and temporal resolution of observations, according to Peng.

"The operational satellite largely inherits the state of the scientific research satellite, with most aspects being similar, but it has a different payload—an ionospheric optical instrument. This payload mainly can measure certain parameters of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere structure more accurately, and we expect it will improve the precision of these measurements by an order of magnitude," said Peng.

Saturday's launch marked the 581st mission of China’s Long March rocket series.

Learn more: https://www.iaps.inaf.it/en/progetti-di-ricerca/limadou-2-en

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 16, 2025

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China-Italian Space Agency Partnership for Earth Natural Disaster Monitoring

China-Italian Space Agency Partnership for Earth Natural Disaster Monitoring

The Zhangheng 1-02 satellite was launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Saturday, June 14, 2025, seven years after the Zhangheng 1-01 satellite was sent into orbit. Now working in tandem, the two satellites carry high expectations—and for good reason. The 01 satellite has already made significant contributions.

It will carry out quasi-real-time monitoring of global electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, the ionosphere and the neutral atmosphere, detecting electromagnetic anomalies caused by geological and human activities, as well as monitoring thunderstorm and lightening activity, according to the CNSA.

The satellite will significantly enhance China's early perception, risk assessment, and monitoring and early warning capabilities for major natural disasters, Peng added.

Saturday's launch marked the 581st mission of China’s Long March rocket series.

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 16, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Space #Satellite #Zhangheng102Satellite #Science #Sun #SpaceWeather #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #NaturalDisasters #Geology #Earthquakes #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #Italy #Italia #LongMarch2DRocket #JSLC #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Proba-3 Mission Achieves Artificial Solar Eclipse | European Space Agency

Proba-3 Mission Achieves Artificial Solar Eclipse | European Space Agency

The Sun’s inner corona appears greenish in this image taken on May 23, 2025 by the ASPIICS coronagraph aboard Proba-3, the European Space Agency’s formation-flying mission capable of creating artificial total solar eclipses in orbit.

This image, captured in the visible light spectrum, shows the solar corona similarly to how a human eye would see it during an eclipse through a green filter. The hair-like structures were revealed using a specialized image processing algorithm.

Solar corona viewed by Proba-3’s ASPIICS coronagraph

The Sun and its corona viewed by Proba-2, Proba-3, and SOHO

Proba-3 infographic: New views of the Sun and space weather

Proba-3 infographic: Precision achieved

“I was absolutely thrilled to see the images, especially since we got them on the first try,” comments Andrei Zhukov, Principal Investigator for ASPIICS at the Royal Observatory of Belgium. “Now we are working on extending the observation time to six hours in every orbit.”

These new images of the Sun were processed by the ASPIICS Science Operations Centre (SOC) hosted by the Royal Observatory of Belgium. Here, a dedicated team of scientists and engineers creates operational commands for the coronagraph based on requests from the scientific community and shares the resulting observations.

Andrei explains: “Each full image—covering the area from the occulted Sun all the way to the edge of the field of view—is actually constructed from three images. The difference between those is only the exposure time, which determines how long the coronagraph’s aperture is exposed to light. Combining the three images gives us the full view of the corona.

“Our ‘artificial eclipse’ images are comparable with those taken during a natural eclipse. The difference is that we can create our eclipse once every 19.6-hour orbit, while total solar eclipses only occur naturally around once, very rarely twice a year. On top of that, natural total eclipses only last a few minutes, while Proba-3 can hold its artificial eclipse for up to 6 hours.”

Proba-3 mission manager Damien Galano notes: “Having two spacecraft form one giant coronagraph in space allowed us to capture the inner corona with very low levels of stray light in our observations, exactly as we expected.

“Although we are still in the commissioning phase, we have already achieved precise formation flying with unprecedented accuracy. This is what allowed us to capture the mission’s first images, which will no doubt be of high value to the scientific community.

“The formation flying we have achieved so far was performed autonomously, but under supervision of the ground control team, who were ready to intervene to correct any potential deviations. Our one remaining task is to achieve full autonomy, when our confidence in the system will be such that we will not even routinely monitor from the ground.”

Proba-3’s breathtaking images are also sparking a small revolution in the way computer models simulate the solar corona and create ‘digital eclipses’.

Over the past years, several institutes around Europe have developed models to simulate these observations and give scientists the means to look at the Sun, but the source material needed to create these simulations is lacking.

“Current coronagraphs are no match for Proba-3, which will observe the Sun’s corona down almost to the edge of the solar surface. So far, this was only possible during natural solar eclipses,” says Jorge Amaya, Space Weather Modelling Coordinator at the European Space Agency (ESA).

“This huge flow of observations will help refine computer models further as we compare and adjust variables to match the real images. Together with the team at KU Leuven, which is behind one such model, we have been able to create a simulation of Proba-3’s first observations.”

KU Leuven’s ‘COCONUT’ software is one of multiple solar coronal models integrated within ESA's Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre (VSWMC). It can be combined with a vast array of computer models describing other physical processes connecting the Sun to Earth. All together, they help to offer a comprehensive image of the solar phenomena impacting our planet and help citizens and industry prepare against them.

The Proba-3 mission is led by ESA and put together by a consortium managed by Spain’s Sener, with participation of more than 29 companies from 14 countries and with key contributions from GMV and Airbus Defence and Space in Spain and Redwire Space and Spacebel in Belgium. The mission was launched on December 5, 2024 on a PSLV-XL launcher from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

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

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/About_Proba-3

Credit: ESA/Proba-3/ASPIICS/WOW algorithm
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence
Release Date: June 16, 2025

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Life after Spaceflight: Katya Echazarreta | Blue Origin

Life after Spaceflight: Katya Echazarreta | Blue Origin

After becoming the first Mexican-born woman to fly to space in 2022, Katya Echazarreta launched a mission back on Earth by founding a non-profit that creates space education opportunities for students in Mexico.

Learn more about Katya: https://www.katechazarreta.com

Blue Origin: https://www.blueorigin.com

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 16, 2025

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Ax-4 Mission: Crew Centrifuge Training | Axiom Space | International Space Station

Ax-4 Mission: Crew Centrifuge Training | Axiom Space | International Space Station

To get ready for the gravitational forces they will experience on their journey to and from space, the Ax-4 crew participated in centrifuge training, helping equip the crew to handle the G-forces during launch and landing.

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are reviewing launch opportunities no earlier than Thursday, June 19, 2025, for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.

On June 12, NASA and Axiom Space delayed the mission as the agency continued to work with Roscosmos to understand the most recent repair efforts to seal small leaks. The leaks, located in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module, have been monitored by flight controllers for the past few years.

Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable. Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed. Teams are also considering the stable pressure could be the result of a small amount of air flowing into the transfer tunnel across the hatch seal from the main part of space station. By changing pressure in the transfer tunnel and monitoring over time, teams are evaluating the condition of the transfer tunnel and the hatch seal between the space station and the back of Zvezda.

Ax-4 will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.

The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.

The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.

Ax-4 Crew

Peggy Whitson (United States)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson

Shubhanshu Shukla (India)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/shubhanshu-shukla

Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/slawosz-uznanski

Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/tibor-kapu

Learn more about Ax-4:
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4

Video Credit: Axiom Space
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds

Release Date: June 16, 2025

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