Space Debris: Is it a Crisis? | European Space Agency

Space Debris: Is it a Crisis? | European Space Agency

The European Space Agency’s short documentary film ‘Space Debris: Is it a Crisis?’ on the state of space debris premiered at the 9th European Conference on Space Debris on April 1, 2025.

Earth is surrounded by thousands of satellites carrying out important work to provide telecommunications and navigation services, help us understand our climate, and answer fundamental questions about the Universe.

However, as our use of space accelerates like never before, these satellites find themselves navigating increasingly congested orbits in an environment criss-crossed by streams of fast-moving debris fragments resulting from collisions, fragmentations and breakups in space.

Each fragment can damage additional satellites with fears that a cascade of collisions may eventually render some orbits around Earth no longer useable. Additionally, the extent of the harm of the drastic increase in launches and number of objects re-entering our atmosphere and oceans is not yet known.

So, does space debris already represent a crisis? 

This short documentary explores the current situation in Earth’s orbits and explains the threat space debris poses to our future in space. It also outlines what might be done about space debris and how we might reach true sustainability in space, because our actions today will have consequences for generations to come.

ESA’s Space Safety Program
ESA’s Space Safety Program aims to safeguard the future of spaceflight and to keep us, Earth and our infrastructure on the ground and in space safe from hazards originating in space. From asteroids and solar storms to the human-made problem of space debris, ESA works on missions and projects to understand the dangers and mitigate them. In the longer term, to ensure a safe and sustainable future in space, ESA aims to establish a circular economy in space. To get there, the Agency is working on the technology development necessary to make in-orbit servicing and zero-debris spacecraft a reality.

ESA’s Space Safety Program

https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety

9th European Conference on Space Debris

https://space-debris-conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: April 1, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatelliteConstellations #LEO #MEO #GEO #SpaceDebris #OrbitalDebris #SpaceSafety #Spaceflight #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #Europe #STEM #Education #Documentary #History #HD #Video

Download Free NASA Commercial Crew 2023 Children's Artwork Calendar

Download Free NASA Commercial Crew 2023 Children's Artwork Calendar

Download Free Adobe PDF 2023 CCP Children's Artwork Calendar (2.5MB) here (English):

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ksc_2023_ccp_childrens_artwork_calendar_508.pdf

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the 2023 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Children’s Artwork Contest! 

The contest—designed to get our youth excited about science, technology, engineering and math and to inspire our future scientists, engineers and explorers—ran from Sept. 2 through Oct. 27. The contest asked young artists ages 4-12 years old to submit unique and original masterpieces featuring NASA themes: Rockets and Spacecraft, Living and Working in Space, Exploring the Solar System, and Astronauts.

Kids from all over the world submitted 2,260 entries, which were judged on originality and composition. A total of 36 entrants were selected first, second, or third place winners in each theme and age category. 

Thank you to all our incredible artists! NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working hard to make living and working in space safe and affordable for people all around the world. When you grow up, there could be many different spacecraft taking scientists, researchers, educators, and even tourists to different low-Earth orbit destinations like space stations, laboratories, and hotels! The science NASA’s Commercial Crew Program helps enable in space is making life better here on Earth and helping explorers go back to the Moon and on to Mars.

2023 CCP Children's Artwork Calendar

Category: Rockets and Spacecraft

Ages 4 to 6

1st - SpaceX Dragon Crew-5, Kaushik, I., USA

2nd - NASA Rocket Launch Day, Kim, T., South Korea

3rd - Rockets and Spacecraft, J, Achyutkemparaj, India

KSC 2023 CCP Childrens Artwork Calendar Cover

Ages 7 to 9                                                   

1st - Artemis from the Moon to Mars, Costa, L., USA

2nd - Hello Future!, Yoo, J., South Korea

3rd - NASA & Galaxy, Yeo, S., USA

Ages 10 to 12                                                          

1st - A Long Flight to Mars, Zhang, X., USA / China

2nd - Rocket to Freedom, Wynar, M., USA

3rd - Working in Space, Lee, J., China / South Korea

Category: Exploring the Solar System

Ages 4 to 6                                                   

1st - Reach for the Stars, Chandra, A., USA      

2nd - Dancing with Planets, Jung, Y., South Korea                  

3rd - They are Smiling at Me, Zhou, C., USA     

Ages 7 to 9

1st - Exploring the Solar System, Chavala, H., USA / India     

2nd - Out in Space, Kimmel, G., USA      

3rd - My Happy Space, Sidharth, S., India          

Ages 10 to 12

1st - Puzzled Solar System, Thomas, E., USA

2nd - Each Planet has its Purpose , Lee, S., South Korea

3rd - Space Exploration of our Dreams, Yun, H., South Korea

KSC 2023 CCP Childrens Artwork Calendar Back Cover

Category: Living and Working in Space

Ages 4 to 6

1st - Dance my Dream in the Space, Zhou, E., USA

2nd - Art in Space, Yu, A., USA

3rd - Growing up in Space, Hui, M., Canada

Ages 7 to 9

1st - Atmosphere for Life, Usman Adnan Sheikh, M., Pakistan

2nd - Astronaut's Yummy Breakfast in Space, Niu, J., USA / China

3rd - IMAGI-SPACE, Christopher, N., India

Ages 10 to 12

1st - Living and Working in Space, Reddy, M., India

2nd - Daily Life in Space, Lee, M., USA

3rd - Jewelry Making Process in Space, Lee, S., South Korea

Category: Astronauts

Ages 4 to 6

1st - The Colors of the Life, Maity, A., UAE / India

2nd - Hello Astronauts, Fung, T., USA

3rd - Astronauts: Enjoying Coffee Time in Space, Mohapatra, A., India

Ages 7 to 9

1st - Astronaut on the Moon, Gleason, A., USA

2nd - World Peace on the Moon, Kim, S., USA / South Korea

3rd - Space…Playground of the Astronauts!, Rahman, A., India

Ages 10 to 12

1st - Exploring the Vast Beyond, Appou, G., USA

2nd - Me as Astronauts, Thiththika, A., India

3rd - Outer Space, Tong, S., USA

Credit: Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Thank you to SciArt Exchange for helping NASA conduct this year’s contest.

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #ISS #CommercialCrewProgram #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Boeing #Starliner #Calendar2023 #Calendar #Children #Youth #Artwork #World #Global #Contest #FreeDownload #AdobePDF #Astronauts #Earth #Moon #Planets #Mars #SolarSystem #Rockets #Spacecraft #Exploration #Learning #KSC #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education

NASA Social Media Lead Courtney Lee | Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA Social Media Lead Courtney Lee | Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

"When I started on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team, a lot of people would say that our symbol looked like the alien from Space Invader. And I thought, what if we play into that and create a video game around the idea? It took a couple of months, but I pitched it, and the team absolutely loved it. We were able to get the funding, work with the developer, and get it done; we created the Roman Space Observer video game last year and released it on June 2nd, 2022.

Roman Space Observer Video Game (retro 8-bit style): https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/game/

“I love video games and thought we should meet people where they are, which is another way of creating content with people in mind. Just because we can create content doesn't mean we should create content, so I want to ensure that everything we develop answers a question and has a purpose.

“I wanted to create a game because right now, a lot of what we [at NASA] make is geared toward people who already know science and are interested in NASA. But there are huge audiences out there who, like me, didn't realize that they could love or be intrigued with NASA because it was never where they were. It's not on these video game platforms. It's not on YouTube beauty channels. Do you know what I mean? It's not where people are watching.

“People have loved the game, both inside and outside of NASA. It's been really fun to do because who can say they worked on video games at NASA? Especially someone who loves video games! 

“I recently went to the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, and this little kid came and played the game. Then, an hour later, he brought his dad and said, 'You have to try to beat my score!' He told his dad about everything in the game, like, 'Oh, get the exoplanet, or there's a black hole going over there.' It shows we are melding two generations of people coming together to play the game. Just watching his son explain the game to him as I explained to his son and seeing that he was actually really excited to play, is why I do what I do."

– Courtney Lee, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Social Media Lead, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

[Image Description: "Courtney Lee, a Black American woman, looks happy and confident, smiling at the camera while standing in front of a Roman Telescope model. She's wearing a long sleeve black turtle neck under a yellow plaid dress. Her short, curly hair frames her face."]

The Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. The telescope has a primary mirror that is 2.4 meters in diameter (7.9 feet), and is the same size as the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror. The Roman Space Telescope will have two instruments, the Wide Field Instrument, and the Coronagraph Instrument.

Learn more about the new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope under development: 

https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov

Learn about Astronomer Nancy Grace Roman (1925-2018): "Mother of Hubble" https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/225/nancy-roman-1925-2018/

Image Credit: NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya 

Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2023

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Women #CourtneyLee #SocialMedia #Leader #AfricanAmerican #BlackAmerican #Pioneers #NancyGraceRoman #Astronomer #RomanSpaceTelescope #Stars #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

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

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #Europe #NASTAR #Southampton #Pennsylvania #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Back Row (left to right): Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia, NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Jonny Kim

Front Row (left to right): Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Astronaut and Ax-4 Pilot Shubhandshu Shukla, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Axiom Space Ax-4 Commander & Commercial Astronaut Peggy Whitson (USA) and European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut & Ax-4 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anne McClain: "Did you know that one of NASA’s missions is to enable commercial spaceflight in low Earth orbit? One of the really cool ways we get to do that on International Space Station is to host Private Astronaut Missions, or PAMs."

"This week, we bid farewell to the Ax-4 crew after their two week stay living and working alongside the Expedition 73 crew. Each individual on their crew represented a different country (USA, Hungary, India, and Poland), and a difference space agency or mission (Axiom Space, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, and HUNOR Program). The mission was a great accomplishment for each and a testament to the professionalism and excellence of agencies and individuals around the world."

"For us personally, it was a total blast. This picture will always remind me of one of my favorite space seasons, with great work done and big belly laughs on a daily basis. I hope our friendships and cooperation will pave the way for more future collaboration and exploration."

"If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together!"

After 18 days in space, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Ax-4 astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Shubhandshu Shukla (India/ISRO), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland/ESA), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) returned to Earth and splashed down off the coast of California at 2:31 a.m. PT on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Falcon 9 launched the spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, June 25 at 2:31 a.m. ET.

The private astronauts spent over two weeks aboard the International Space Station, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

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

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.

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #Russia #Cosmonauts #Россия #Roscosmos #Astronauts #CommercialAstronauts #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #ISRO #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #ESA #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #Expedition73 #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-21 Commander Ready to Lead New Mission | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Commander Ready to Lead New Mission | China Space Station

Veteran Chinese astronaut Zhang Lu is taking command of the Shenzhou-21 crewed mission, marking a significant return to space with greater responsibility and purpose.

Zhang Lu, who was a crew member of the Shenzhou-15 mission, said "after two years, being able to once again represent my country and carry out the Shenzhou-21 mission fills me with excitement and anticipation. Since the conclusion of the Shenzhou-15 mission, I've returned to intensive training with the mindset of a student. In response to the new features of the space station missions, I've devoted myself to studying and research."

Zhang Lu also reflected on his responsibility and shared how interacting with curious, space-loving children has deepened his conviction in passing the torch of China's space dreams to the next generation.

"Over the years, I've visited schools to share my spaceflight experiences with children who are passionate about space and science, passing on the spirit of exploration with eyes full of stars and oceans, hearts filled with unwavering loyalty to the motherland. The curiosity and longing for the universe in their eyes constantly remind me of the profound meaning behind passing the torch of China's space endeavor from one generation to the next," said Zhang.

He also described his deep emotional connection to China's space station and his readiness to rejoin the mission.

"I've closely followed the status of the space station, every extravehicular activity, every scientific experiment. Right now, what I'm most looking forward to is hearing those familiar call signs again: Shuguang (Dawn), Beijing, Tiangong, Yinhe (Galaxy), Tianzhou. It's been a long time. How have you all been? This is Shenzhou-21. We're on our way," said Zhang.

Astronauts on the Shenzhou-21 crew spacecraft were greeted by the Shenzhou-20 crew members they will be replacing, after successfully docking with China's Tiangong space station in orbit on November 1, 2025, to begin the handover of duties—only 3.5 hours after launch, setting a new record for the fastest docking achieved between a Shenzhou spacecraft and China’s space station.

Commander Zhang Lu, previously a member of the Shenzhou-15 mission, alongside flight engineer Wu Fei and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, who are each embarking on their first spaceflight mission, successfully entered the station's core module Tianhe. The six crew members then took group pictures for the seventh space get-together in China's aerospace history.

The Shenzhou-21 astronauts will stay on board the space station for around six months.

They are set to undertake a series of key scientific experiments during their mission that will also see them witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-10 cargo craft and later welcome the Shenzhou-22 crewed spacecraft to take over duties onboard the space station.

Shenzhou-21 is the 37th flight mission of China's human spaceflight program and the sixth crewed mission during the application and development stage of the Tiangong Space Station.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - Second spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - First spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - First spaceflight

Shenzhou-20 Crew

Chen Dong (陈冬) - Commander - Third spaceflight

Chen Zhong Rui (陈中瑞) - Operator - First spaceflight

Wang Jie (王杰) - Flight Engineer - First spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Docking #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #Shenzhou20 #神舟二十号 #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Europe’s Future Space Transport Ecosystem | European Space Agency

Europe’s Future Space Transport Ecosystem | European Space Agency

"The European Space Agency’s future launcher preparatory program is crafting a space transportation ecosystem, guiding the companies and engineers of today to develop and test the technologies required to meet future needs. Space transportation will be moving towards frequent reusable launchers supporting a complete industrial ecosystem around Earth. In the coming decades, the European Space Agency (ESA) foresees transportation hubs in orbit around our planet providing logistic services much like airports or train stations on Earth. These hubs will offer refilling and maintenance services for spacecraft and provide platforms for manufacturing and assembly and in space transportation to other destinations."

"To create this new transportation ecosystem, new technology developments are needed, such as automatic rendezvous and capturing of spacecraft, transfer of fuel and payloads between spacecraft, tugging spacecraft to other orbits around Earth or destinations in space."

"The end goal for companies working on a proof of concept is to fly a demonstrator mission in space. Together with ESA, industry will get to this point through a process that starts with discussing needs and proposing solutions, and is followed by proving their use-case and collaborating on standards and regulations.  Developing and demonstrating these new technologies is also expected to open commercial opportunities for European space transportation companies."

"Finally, the Odyssey project proposes to put all these key technologies together into one package by providing a dedicated service for transport vehicles and spacecraft in orbit: an uncrewed propellant depot offering refilling services. Called Odyssey (a loose abbreviation for Orbital Depot for Your Sustained Space Exploration & beYond) this depot would store propellant brought from visiting supply rockets and distribute it as needed to spacecraft on a stopover to destinations farther away such as the Moon or Mars, or to Earth-orbiting navigation satellites that have used all their propellant and need a refill to extend their working life."

"The Odyssey concept, if it can be demonstrated to be viable, would also be a contribution to a more sustainable use of space, by providing important elements of a future circular space economy."

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Sept. 22, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Europe #Space #Science #OdysseyProject #SpaceTransportation #SpaceTransportationSystems #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Moon #CislunarSpace #Mars #SpaceStations #ReusableRockets #LaunchVehicles #Spacecraft #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video 

2023: The European Space Agency’s Year in Space

2023: The European Space Agency’s Year in Space

2023’s highlight was the much anticipated launch of Europe’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (Juice). The Juice spacecraft was placed on course to Jupiter on the second-to-last Ariane 5 launch vehicle in April 2023. After an eight-year journey, Juice will begin observing the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons—Ganymede, Calisto and Europa.

The Euclid space telescope was launched in July 2023 with the aim of unravelling the enigmas of ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’. Euclid’s first images were released in November, revealing razor-sharp astronomical images with detail never before seen by a telescope across such a large patch of the sky.

After almost five years in space, the European Space Agency’s Aeolus wind mission was retired. This trailblazing mission was tasked with observing wind patterns from space thereby improving weather forecasts and climate models. Aeolus data and technology will have an important role to play in the accuracy of future weather forecasting. On July 28, 2023, it burned up in an assisted re-entry—the first assisted re-entry by a mission which was not designed to do so.

As space debris becomes an increasingly serious issue, the European Space Agency (ESA) is determined to search for solutions. Together with its commercial and institutional partners, ESA has developed the ‘Zero Debris Charter’, launched this year. By signing the Charter, space entities worldwide can register their intent to work together towards the sustainable use of Earth’s orbital environment.

Earlier in in 2023, MTG-I1, the first of the Meteosat Third Generation missions, sent back its first images. The satellite was launched in 2022 and carries two instruments: a flexible combined imager and a lighting imager. Both instruments performed beyond expectation and a stunning combined image from both was revealed.

Earth observation is key to keeping our planet and the population as a whole, safe. Today, monitoring earthquakes, forest fires or flooding from space already helps to coordinate rescue response but the data can also be used to better understand phenomena such as climate change and support the IPCC climate reports.

Last year, NASA’s Dart mission impacted on a small moonlet of the asteroid Didymos, changing its course. We will soon be launching ESA’s Hera spacecraft to collect data on the aftermath of this collision. The Hera spacecraft was integrated and underwent testing this year in ESA ESTEC’s test center in the Netherlands.

2023 also saw the first hardware tests for the second generation of Galileo satellites but even more importantly the Galileo High Accuracy Service was launched in January. This new service delivers centimeter accuracy from space further cementing Galileo’s reputation as the most accurate satellite navigation system in the world.

Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 8 minutes, 26 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 18, 2023

#NASA #ESA #EuropeanSpaceAgency #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Jupiter #JuiceMission  #DartMission #DidymosAsteroid #EuclidSpaceTelescope #Satellites #Highlights2023 #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Preserving for Posterity

NASA's Space to Ground: Preserving for Posterity

Week of March 25, 2022: NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 66 crew is turning its attention to the departure of three crew members late next week following the completion of a pair of spacewalks. The International Space Station is also gearing up to welcome the first private astronaut mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon vehicle in early April. 

On March 23, 2022, Expedition 66 Flight Engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) completed a 6 hour and 54 minute spacewalk in preparation for an upcoming solar array installation. It was the 248th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades and maintenance, and was the second in Chari’s career and the first for Maurer. 

Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov continued packing the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship while flight engineer Pyotr Dubrov helped the station’s three newest crew members get familiar with space station systems. Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev with first time space-flyers Sergey Korsakov and Denis Matveev are in the first week of six-and-a-half month mission that began on March 18 when they arrived aboard the Soyuz MS-21 crew ship.

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Expedition 66 Crew:

Commander: Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Pyotr Dubrov, Sergey Korsakov, Oleg Artemyev, and Denis Matveev

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer (DLR/German Aerospace Center)

NASA (U.S.) Flight Engineers: Thomas Marshburn, Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Mark Vande Hei

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: March 25, 2022

Duration: 3 minutes, 27 seconds

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #Astronaut #RajaChari #MatthiasMauer #ESA #Europe #DLR #Germany #Deutschland #FlightEngineers #EVA #Spacewalk #Science #Technology #Engineering #Spacewalk #EVA #Archaeology #Research #Laboratory #Soyuz #Russia #Россия #UnitedStates #Expedition66 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" | International Space Station

"Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!" | International Space Station

Timelapse video made during the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti’s second mission to the International Space Station, “Minerva”. Samantha shared this video on social media with the caption: “Teamwork makes the dream work! Our oxygen generation system and our life support rack had to swap places . . . and we needed all hands on deck! Wasn’t quite as fast in real time, but it all fit in the end!"

Learn about Samantha's Minerva Mission: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

Samantha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AstroSamantha

Samantha on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrosamantha

"We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related."

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 1 minute, 29 seconds

Release Date: September 25, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Planet #ESA #Astronauts #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #FlightEngineer #Minerva #Italy #Italia #ASI #Photography #Art #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition67 #Europe #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

NASA Astronauts McClain & Ayers on Spacewalk | International Space Station

NASA Astronauts McClain & Ayers on Spacewalk | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Anne McClain is pictured near one of the International Space Station's main solar arrays during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain points a camera towards herself and takes a "space-selfie" during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna. Reflected in her helmet's visor is fellow spacewalker and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers is pictured during a spacewalk working to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.

This photograph from NASA spacewalker Nichole Ayers looks to the forward portion of the International Space Station and highlights the Kibo laboratory module with the Japanese robotic arm, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port, and the partially obscured SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to Harmony's forward port. The International Space Station was orbiting 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean east of the Hawaiian island chain.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers concluded their spacewalk at 2:49 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2025. The total time was 5 hours and 44 minutes. It was the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers, and the 275th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. 

McClain and Ayers completed their primary objectives, including relocating a space station communications antenna and the initial mounting bracket installation steps for an IROSA that will arrive on a future SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. Additionally, the astronaut pair completed a pair of get ahead tasks, including installing a jumper cable to provide power from the P6 truss to the International Space Station’s Russian segment and another to remove bolts from a micrometeoroid cover.

Follow Expedition 73:

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy

NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 

Capture Date: May 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #AnneMcClain #NicholeAyers #Spacewalk #Spacewalk93 #EVA #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Cosmic & Earth Orbital Colors | International Space Station

Cosmic & Earth Orbital Colors | International Space Station

"Auroras above Andromeda Galaxy"

"The city lights of Southeast Asia beneath the Milky Way. 

Vibrant colors of LED cities, orange atmospheric airglow, and fishing fleets are blurred by my sidereal drive, while tracking stars as fixed points in space."

"From orbit, star trails streak the lights of cities at night and stamp lightning flashes into the time history, pulling spectacular colors from the darkness of space."

"SpaceX Dragon flies between the stars of deep space, and a sea of clouds lit by the red upper atmospheric airglow. This is a 20 second exposure taken with my orbital sidereal drive that tracks the stars thus allowing long exposures."

"Color of Earth meets the blackness of deep space. Stars above green and red auroras, seen as fixed points due to my homemade orbital sidereal drive."

"Dragon flying among the stars"

"Cosmic colors at sunrise; never get tired of seeing what the new day brings."

"The Milky Way from the vantage of the ISS, with stars as points, rising sun, and cities as yellow streaks below."

This is a collection of photographic highlights from Earth orbit captured by experienced NASA astronaut and former Expedition 71/72 flight engineer, Don Pettit.

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 73:

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy

NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/D. Pettit
Release Dates: Feb. 26-July 28, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #MilkyWayGalaxy #Stars #Galaxies #Earth #Aurora #Airglow #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos#HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: The To-Do List | Week of June 10, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: The To-Do List | Week of June 10, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than June 28, 2022, for the launch of the cargo Dragon spacecraft flight, designated CRS-25, to the International Space Station, pending variables, including availability on the Eastern Range and space station scheduling.

Get email or text alerts when the International Space Station is flying over your location: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)
Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)
NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)
European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 45 seconds
Release Date: June 10, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #FlightEngineers #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Engineering #Research #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #Italy #Italia #Japan #日本 #Russia #Россия #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Canadarm2: Timelapse Views | International Space Station

Canadarm2: Timelapse Views | International Space Station

Timelapse video made during the second mission (named "Alpha") by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet of France to the International Space Station. His camera was setup to take pictures at intervals of two per second. The pictures were then edited into this video playing at 25 images a second. The video is about 12 times faster than actual speed.

Thomas shared this video on social media saying:

“We often mention robotics on the International Space Station, but it doesn’t mean we are playing with robots. We have a 17-meter long, fully-articulated robotic arm on the outside, proudly built by the Canadian Space Agency. It is hugely important to our operations here. It grabs visiting vehicles, moves astronauts around during spacewalks, and does a lot of outside maintenance and logistics. It is always a fun (and to be honest, a bit tense because it’s not easy) moment when we get to fly it though our control panels and joysticks from the Cupola or the Lab (there are no windows there but we have lots of outside cameras).”

Over 200 experiments were planned during Thomas’ time in space, including forty European ones with twelve experiments led by the French space agency, CNES.

Pesquet's second mission name "Alpha" was named after Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Sun, following the French mission naming tradition.

The 17-meter-long (55+ feet) Canadarm2 robotic arm is fitted with the 3.7m (12 feet) high Dextre fine-tuned robotic hand.

Discover more about Canadian space robotics:

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/robotics/default.asp

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: ESA/NASA

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: April 29, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Astronaut #ThomasPesquet #CNES #France #AlphaMission #Expedition65 #Expedition66 #Canadarm2 #Canada #CSA #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JSC #Europe #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education #Photography #Timelapse #HD #Video

The "Peekaboo" Dwarf Galaxy HIPASS J1131–31 | Hubble Space Telescope

The "Peekaboo" Dwarf Galaxy HIPASS J1131–31 | Hubble Space Telescope

Image Description: A large bright star is centered, with four long rays extending in an X shape. A small, peanut-shaped blue galaxy appears just to the star's right, between its right-hand rays. The galaxy is speckled with bright spots. The image background is scattered with a few smaller versions of the large central star, and even smaller orange galaxies of various shapes.

Distance: about 22 million light-years

Like someone living apart from modern conveniences, a dwarf galaxy in the local universe looks like it belongs in another time—the early eras of galaxy evolution itself. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has helped confirm an example of what astronomers call an "extremely metal-poor" galaxy, which has very few of the chemical elements or "metals" that stars produce and enrich their galaxies with over time. Most intriguingly, its stars indicate that it is also one of the youngest galaxies ever detected in the local universe. 

Despite the galaxy being nearly hidden behind the glare of a foreground star—leading to its nickname, Peekaboo—Hubble was able to pick out individual stars for analysis. The discovery provides the tantalizing opportunity to study a relic of the past in fine detail, like shaking hands with an ancient ancestor. 

A large bright star is centered, with four long rays extending in an X shape. Between the rays on the right is a small blue peanut-shaped galaxy with some bright spots. Smaller similar stars and orange background galaxies fill image.

Peeking out from behind the glare of a bright foreground star, astronomers have uncovered the most extraordinary example yet of a nearby galaxy with characteristics that are more like galaxies in the distant, early universe. Only 1,200 light-years across, the tiny galaxy HIPASS J1131–31 has been nicknamed "Peekaboo" because of its emergence in the past 50-100 years from behind the fast-moving star that was obscuring astronomers' ability to detect it.

The discovery is a combined effort of telescopes on the ground and in space, including confirmation by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Together the research shows tantalizing evidence that the Peekaboo Galaxy is the nearest example of the galaxy formation processes that commonly took place not long after the big bang, 13.8 billion years ago. 

"Uncovering the Peekaboo Galaxy is like discovering a direct window into the past, allowing us to study its extreme environment and stars at a level of detail that is inaccessible in the distant, early universe," said astronomer Gagandeep Anand of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, co-author of the new study on Peekaboo's intriguing properties.

Astronomers describe galaxies like Peekaboo as "extremely metal-poor" (XMP). In astronomy, "metals" refers to all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. The very early universe was almost entirely made up of primordial hydrogen and helium, elements forged in the big bang. Heavier elements were forged by stars over the course of cosmic history, building up to the generally metal-rich universe humans find ourselves in today. Life as we know it is made from heavier element "building blocks" like carbon, oxygen, iron, and calcium.

While the universe's earliest galaxies were XMP by default, similarly metal-poor galaxies have also been found in the local universe. Peekaboo caught astronomers' attention because, not only is it an XMP galaxy without a substantial older stellar population, but at only 20 million light-years from Earth it is located at least half the distance of the previously known young XMP galaxies. 

Peekaboo was first detected as a region of cold hydrogen more than 20 years ago with the Australian Parkes radio telescope Murriyang, in the HI Parkes All Sky Survey by professor Bärbel Koribalski, who is an astronomer at Australia's national science agency CSIRO and a co-author of the latest research study on Peekaboo's metallicity. Far-ultraviolet observations by NASA's space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission showed it to be a compact blue dwarf galaxy.

"At first we did not realize how special this little galaxy is," Koribalski said of Peekaboo. "Now with combined data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), and others, we know that the Peekaboo Galaxy is one of the most metal-poor galaxies ever detected."

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was able to resolve about 60 stars in the tiny galaxy, almost all of which appear to be a few billion years old or younger. Measurements of Peekaboo's metallicity by SALT completed the picture. Together, these findings underline the major difference between Peekaboo and other galaxies in the local universe, which typically have ancient stars that are many billions of years old. Peekaboo's stars indicate that it is one of the youngest and least-chemically-enriched galaxies ever detected in the local universe. This is very unusual, as the local universe has had about 13 billion years of cosmic history to develop.

However, the picture is still a shallow one, Anand says, as the Hubble observations were made as part of a "snapshot" survey program called The Every Known Nearby Galaxy Surveyan effort to get Hubble data of as many neighboring galaxies as possible. The research team plans to use Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope to do further research on Peekaboo, to learn more about its stellar populations and their metal-makeup. 

"Due to Peekaboo's proximity to us, we can conduct detailed observations, opening up possibilities of seeing an environment resembling the early universe in unprecedented detail," Anand said. 

The results are accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.  

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

Credits: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), STScI

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2022 

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Star #TYC72151991 #Galaxy #DwarfGalaxy #HIPASSJ113131 #PeekabooGalaxy #XMPGalaxy #Hydra #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Mid-Autumn Festival Wishes | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Mid-Autumn Festival Wishes | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-20 crew sent their best wishes to the people and the nation for the Mid-Autumn Festival on October 6, 2025, from the orbiting space station Tiangong.

The Shenzhou-20 astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie shared their specially prepared space meals, delivering a distinctive festival greeting to their country from hundreds of kilometers away from Earth.

Early on the morning of the festival, the trio first watered the space garden. The plants growing there are not just part of scientific experiments but also carry the vitality from their earthly home, accompanying the astronauts as they enjoy the same Moon with people across the nation on Earth.

"After removing the old leaves, new leaves could stretch out well. Look at this mint plant, it's really flourishing. It has bloomed with small flowers in space, truly beautiful," said Chen Zhongrui.

"Give the larger plants more water, forming big water droplets," said Wang Jie.

The astronauts also shared their space mooncakes and specially prepared dishes.

"We also have plenty of dishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival," said Chen Dong.

"First, we have delicious white king oyster mushrooms, the second is braised bamboo shoots, the third is bean curd rolls called 'golden rolls,' the fourth is minced pork with mushrooms, and the fifth is shrimp balls with water chestnuts. We also have some side dishes like rice noodles, space zongzi, and sweet osmanthus cheese rice cakes," said Wang.

"Today we have extra dishes, several more than usual," said Chen Dong.

"The portions are very generous. Now let's look at our meat dishes. First, braised pork, this is everyone's favorite. Second, spicy lamb, mildly spicy with a small chili icon on the pack. Then we have black pepper beef fillet, and our eight-treasure chicken. All taste pretty good!" said Chen Zhongrui.

"Mooncakes are essential for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The ground crew thoughtfully prepared mooncakes for us. We naturally share all good things," said Chen Dong.

"It's delicious with the red bean paste filling," said Wang.

"Yes, It's delicious," said Chen Zhongrui.

After sharing their meal, the astronauts sent sincere cosmic-level Mid-Autumn Festival regards via camera.

"Now the space station has entered the airspace over our motherland. This is the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Although we are in our space home 400 kilometers from the Earth, we always think of our homeland. We always like to gaze through the window from one home to another. Although the Earth is always within our sight, with this concern and longing, the motherland in our eyes and minds becomes three-dimensional rather than flat, becomes vivid rather than silent. My motherland, I am proud of you. Beijing is within our camera's view," said Chen Dong.

"With the full moon in mid-autumn night, may all families be reunited," said by three astronauts together.

"Although we are in the vast space, unable to get reunited with our families, our hearts are always closely linked with our motherland and people, and with our families," said Chen Dong.

"From China's space station, we wish everyone a happy festival. May all your families enjoy your reunions, everyone keep fit, and live in harmony," said the astronauts together.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #MidAutumnFestival #MidAutumnFestival2025 #Shenzhou20Mission #神舟二十号 #Shenzhou20Crew #Taikonauts #ChenDong #ChenZhongrui #WangJie #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #Video

Earth from Space – Expedition 65 Edition (4K) | International Space Station

Earth from Space – Expedition 65 Edition (4K) | International Space Station

The people who get to see the Earth from space marvel at its beauty, the colors, the fragility they feel about the planet 250 miles below them. Now it is your turn. This ultra-high definition video, captured during the International Space Station’s Expedition 65 Mission, allows you an extended, appreciative view of our home planet in all its glory.  Hit play, and go into orbital mode.

This footage was shot from the International Space Station between April 17, 2021 – Oct. 17, 2021.

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 50 minutes

Release Date: August 8, 2022

#NASA #Space #Earth #Planet #ISS #Astronauts #Research #Laboratory #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Europe #Russia #Россия #Japan #日本 #Canada #UnitedStates #Expedition65 #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Hubble Watches Spun-Up Asteroid Coming Apart

Hubble Watches Spun-Up Asteroid Coming Apart

Hubble image of asteroid (6478) Gault

A small asteroid has been caught in the process of spinning so fast it’s throwing off material, according to new data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories.

Images from Hubble show two narrow, comet-like tails of dusty debris streaming from the asteroid (6478) Gault. Each tail represents an episode in which the asteroid gently shed its material—key evidence that Gault is beginning to come apart.

Discovered in 1988, the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer-wide) asteroid has been observed repeatedly, but the debris tails are the first evidence of disintegration. Gault is located 214 million miles (344 million kilometers) from the Sun. Of the roughly 800,000 known asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers estimate that this type of event in the asteroid belt is rare, occurring roughly once a year.

Watching an asteroid become unglued gives astronomers the opportunity to study the makeup of these space rocks without sending a spacecraft to sample them.

This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the gradual self-destruction of an asteroid, whose ejected dusty material has formed two long, thin, comet-like tails. The longer tail stretches more than 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long. The streamers will eventually disperse into space.

When sunlight heats an asteroid, infrared radiation escaping from its warmed surface carries off angular momentum as well as heat. This process creates a tiny torque that can cause the asteroid to continually spin faster. When the resulting centrifugal force starts to overcome gravity, the asteroid’s surface becomes unstable, and landslides may send dust and rubble drifting into space at a couple miles per hour, or the speed of a strolling human. The researchers estimate that Gault could have been slowly spinning up for more than 100 million years.

Piecing together Gault’s recent activity is an astronomical forensics investigation involving telescopes and astronomers around the world. All-sky surveys, ground-based telescopes, and space-based facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope pooled their efforts to make this discovery possible.

“Gault is the best ‘smoking gun’ example of a fast rotator right at the two-hour limit,” said team member Jan Kleyna of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

An analysis of the asteroid’s surrounding environment by Hubble revealed no signs of more widely distributed debris, which rules out the possibility of a collision with another asteroid causing the outbursts. 

The asteroid’s narrow streamers suggest that the dust was released in short bursts, lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These sudden events puffed away enough debris to make a “dirt ball” approximately 500 feet (150 meters) across if compacted together. The tails will begin fading away in a few months as the dust disperses into interplanetary space. 

Based on observations by the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, the astronomers estimate that the longer tail stretches over half a million miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long.

Only a couple of dozen active asteroids have been found so far. Astronomers may now have the capability to detect many more of them because of the enhanced survey capabilities of observatories such as Pan-STARRS and ATLAS, which scan the entire sky. “Asteroids such as Gault cannot escape detection anymore,” Hainaut said. “That means that all these asteroids that start misbehaving get caught.”

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. 

For more information about 6478 Gault and Hubble, visit:

http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2019-22

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

Credits: NASA, ESA, K. Meech and J. Kleyna (University of Hawaii), and O. Hainaut (European Southern Observatory)

Release Date: March 28, 2019

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #SolarSystem #Asteroid #Asteroid6478 #Gault #Mars #Jupiter #Sun #Telescope #ESO #Observatory #Europe #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #Exploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education