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Thursday, November 27, 2025

Moon, Earth & Spacecraft Views | International Space Station

Moon, Earth & Spacecraft Views | International Space Station

The waxing gibbous Moon rises above Earth’s blue atmosphere in this photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above a cloudy Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Quebec, Canada.

The Soyuz MS-27 crew spacecraft is pictured docked to the International Space Station's Prichal module as the orbital outpost soared 257 miles above a gleaming blue Atlantic Ocean, north of the Dominican Republic.

This Russian Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft launched three Expedition 73 crew members to the International Space Station. It is pictured docked to the Prichal module. Prichal is itself connected to the Nauka science module on the station’s Roscosmos (Russian) segment. Below, the Pacific Ocean fades from view as an orbital sunset descends 258 miles beneath the orbiting complex.

This view of the International Space Station’s Roscosmos segment shows (from left) the Russian Soyuz MS-27 crew spacecraft docked to the Prichal module. Prichal is connected to the Nauka science module, which in turn is attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zvezda service module. At the time of this photograph, the orbital complex was soaring into a sunset 270 miles above the Indian Ocean, between South Africa and Antarctica, at approximately 8:22 p.m. local time.

The Canadarm2 robotic arm, with Dextre—its fine-tuned robotic hand—attached, extends from the International Space Station’s Harmony module as the orbital outpost soars 263 miles above Kazakhstan. At upper center is Lake Balkhash, notable for its two distinct segments: the western portion contains freshwater, while the eastern portion holds saltwater due to a combination of geography, hydrology, and limited water circulation.

The HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pictured attached to the Earth-facing port on the Harmony module while in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The International Space Station was orbiting 271 miles above New Zealand at the time of this photograph.

A yellow-green airglow blankets Earth’s horizon beneath a star-filled sky in this long-exposure photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 265 miles above the cloudy Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile. In the right foreground, the Russian Soyuz MS-27 crew spacecraft is docked to the Prichal module, which is itself attached to the Nauka science module.

The Progress 93 resupply ship from Roscosmos (Russia), carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew, is pictured automatically approaching the International Space Station before docking to the Zvezda service module's rear port for six months of cargo activities.

Expedition 73 wrapped up the work week on November 27, 2025, at 10:16 a.m. EST, the hatch opened between the International Space Station and the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

The spacecraft arrived at the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module at 7:34 a.m., after launching at 4:27 a.m. (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev aboard. The trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the space station before returning to Earth in summer 2026.

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

Expedition 73 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)
JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Zubritskiy, Oleg Platonov
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Release Dates: Nov. 25-27, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

2025 Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season Wrap Up | NOAA/NASA/CIRA

2025 Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season Wrap Up | NOAA/NASA/CIRA

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on November 30, 2025. It demonstrated near-normal activity, marked by periods of very strong storms. While the climatological peak of the hurricane season (September 10) was quiet with no tropical activity, the season as a whole generated three Category 5 hurricanes. No other year with similar or less total activity has had three Category 5 storms. The Atlantic season was notable for its striking contrast—wavering between periods of relative calm and bursts of intense activity, generating very powerful storms.

Nevertheless, the overall season fell within the predicted ranges for named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center in the August Outlook.

The Atlantic basin produced 13 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of these five became hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater) and four intensified to major hurricanes with winds reaching 111 mph or greater. No hurricanes made landfall in the continental U.S. for the first time since 2015. An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

Learn more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/2025-atlantic-hurricane-season-marked-high-powered-storms-no-us-landfalling-hurricanes

Credits: NOAA, NASA, The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
Duration: 2 minutes, 19 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 25, 2025

#NASA #NOAA #Space #Satellites #GOES #JPSS #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Oceans #AtlanticOcean #GulfOfMexico #SeaTemperatures #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Environment #Hurricanes #HurricaneSeason #Florida #UnitedStates #Animation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Artemis III Moon Rocket Liquid Oxygen Tank | NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility

Artemis III Moon Rocket Liquid Oxygen Tank | NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility

The liquid oxygen tank for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage for the Artemis III Moon landing mission is lifted into a production cell at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Nov. 7, 2025. Move crews use an overhead crane system to lift the tank from the mobile transporter that carried it from another area of the factory and set it atop the previously loaded intertank. Once the liquid oxygen tank is mated to the intertank, team will mate the stage’s forward skirt atop the tank to complete the forward join.

The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Over the course of about 30 days, the Artemis III astronauts will travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend approximately a week near the South Pole of the Moon conducting new science before returning to lunar orbit to join their crew for the journey back to Earth. Launch is currently scheduled for mid-2027.

Follow updates on the Artemis blog:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)
https://www.nasa.gov/sls

NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Read the Artemis Plan (74-page PDF Free Download):
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF)
https://www.nasa.gov/michoud-assembly-facility/

Image Credit: NASA/Steven B. Seipel
Image Date: Nov. 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisIII #SLS #SLSRocket #CoreStage #LiquidOxygenTank #O2Tank #Boeing #ULA #CrewedMissions #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #MSFC #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Expedition 74 Crew Liftoff: Russian Soyuz Spacecraft | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Liftoff: Russian Soyuz Spacecraft | International Space Station

The crewed Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft safely reached orbit and headed for the International Space Station for a planned eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS), following a launch at 4:27 a.m. EST (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia) and Sergei Mikaev (Russia) aboard.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

Selected as a candidate in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.

Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed medical physics residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut candidate.

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

Expedition 73 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)
JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Zubritskiy, Oleg Platonov
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke

Video Credit: Roscosmos

Duration: 25 seconds
Date: Nov. 27, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS28Crew #SoyuzCrewSpacecraft #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #SergeyMikaev #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #JSC #UnitedStates #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition73 #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 74 Crew Liftoff & Prelaunch Highlights | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Liftoff & Prelaunch Highlights | International Space Station

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev (Russia), top, NASA astronaut Chris Williams, middle, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), wave farewell prior to boarding the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft for launch, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 74 crew members: NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia) and Sergei Mikaev (Russia), onboard, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Russian Orthodox Priest blesses the Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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

Image Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls/Victor Zelentsov
Dates: Nov. 26-27, 2025

Expedition 74 Crew Press Conference Prelaunch | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Press Conference Prelaunch | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Chris Williams, left, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), and Sergei Mikaev (Russia), right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, at the conclusion of a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams, left, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), and Sergei Mikaev (Russia), right, are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams is seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams, left and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 74 backup crew member Anna Kikina of Roscosmos (Russia) is seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 74 backup crew members Anil Menon of NASA, left, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Petr Dubrov (Russia), and Anna Kikina (Russia) are seen in quarantine, behind glass, during a press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 a the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz MS-28 prime and backup crews have completed final pre-flight training ahead of the scheduled Nov. 27, 2025, launch of NASA’s Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia) and Sergei Mikayev (Russia) for a planned eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The training activities that took place Nov. 11 through Nov. 21 include the rollout of the Soyuz 2.1a launch vehicle to its launch pad in Baikonur Nov. 24.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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

Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: Nov. 26, 2025

Expedition 73 Crew Celebrates International Space Station's 25th Anniversary

Expedition 73 Crew Celebrates International Space Station's 25th Anniversary

The seven-member Expedition 73 crew poses for a portrait commemorating 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. In the front row from left are, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, Roscosmos cosmonaut and station Commander Sergey Ryzhiokov (Russia), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky (Russia). In the back row are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (Russia), NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui.

All seven members of the Expedition 73 crew gather for a portrait during dinnertime at the galley inside the International Space Station’s Unity module. In the foreground, holding the camera for a group selfie, is Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky (Russia). In the back, from left, are the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut and station commander Sergey Ryzhikov (Russia), NASA astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (Russia).

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman is pictured inside the International Space Station’s Unity module opening the hatch to Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Mike Fincke gives a “thumbs up” while holding a High Definition Extravehicular Mobility Unit Camera, or HECA. The spacesuit helmet-mounted camera streams real-time, high-definition video of spacewalk activities to mission controllers on the ground.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman inspects a spacesuit helmet during maintenance activities inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Zena Cardman poses for a playful portrait before closing the hatch to Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft attached to the International Space Station's Unity module.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui shows off production bags containing bioengineered yeasts and probiotic cultures for the BioNutrients-3 investigation. Yui conducted passaging and straw tests to demonstrate how astronauts could grow and safely consume fresh vitamins and nutrients on demand helping researchers plan future missions farther from Earth.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both Expedition 73 flight engineers, pose for a fun portrait inside the International Space Station’s Unity module shortly after the arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft. The duo had just begun unpacking several tons of new science experiments, supplies, and hardware.

International Space Station - 25 Years in Orbit (2000-2025)

The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Elements of the station were under construction throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe beginning in the late 1980s.

The International Space Station Program brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch and flight operations, training, engineering, and development facilities, communications networks, and the international scientific research community.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-facts-and-figures/

Follow Expedition 73:

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Zubritskiy, Oleg Platonov

NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke

Image Credit: NASA/JSC

Release Dates: Nov. 19-26, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #ISS25 #Astronauts #MikeFincke #JonnyKim #ZenaCardman # #UnitedStates KimiyaYui #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #SergeyRyzhikov #AlexeyZubritskiy #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-21 Astronauts Carrying out Planned Tasks in Orbit | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Astronauts Carrying out Planned Tasks in Orbit | China Space Station

Members of China's Shenzhou-21 space crew are in good condition and are carrying out their tasks as planned, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said, adding that the damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft will remain in orbit to continue its assigned experiments.

The three Shenzhou-21 astronauts boarded China's Tiangong Space Station and rendezvoused with the Shenzhou-20 crew early on the morning of November 1, 2025, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-20 crew opened the hatch at 04:58 (Beijing Time) and greeted the new arrivals, according to the CMSA.

The six crew members then took group pictures to commemorate the seventh in-orbit astronaut "meet-up" in China's aerospace history.

The return of China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to the suspected impact of tiny space debris on the craft, according to the CMSA.

In response, emergency protocols were immediately activated, and a comprehensive simulation analysis, testing and safety assessment of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft were conducted to determine the safest course for the astronauts' return.

Following the review, the CMSA announced that the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft no longer meets the stringent safety standards required for re-entry. As a result, it will remain in orbit to continue its experiments.

The three astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission landed safely back on Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on November 14, marking the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.

Due to the postponed return of the Shenzhou-20 crew, both crew members were in orbit together for two weeks, during which the six astronauts collaborated on various tasks.

"After the handover ceremony, our crews began their respective tasks. The Shenzhou-21 crew members mainly focused on established platform maintenance experiments, as well as preparations for significant missions, which outline their objectives. And the Shenzhou-20 crew members primarily focused on work related to preparations before their return . . . since the return spacecraft had changed. So they mainly focused on their respective tasks. Of course, when communication was needed, they gathered for discussions during their breaks and then shared meals together. This meant they spent more time together," said Zhang Jianli, associate researcher with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

After the Shenzhou-20 crew departed from the space station, the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts continued with their assigned tasks.

"After the departure of the Shenzhou-20 crew, they needed to resume work, and organize supplies. Because the important work for our astronauts currently in orbit is also sorting and organizing. After that, the main focus will be on the pre-determined in-orbit experimental projects," Zhang said.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-21 crew members are scheduled to carry out a total of 27 new in-orbit experiments, including in space life sciences and biotechnology, space medicine, space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and new space technologies.

The Shenzhou-21 crew have been carrying out scientific experiments involving mice during their stay on China's space station, the first time China has conducted experiments involving rodents in space.

The in-orbit study will focus on examining the effects of space conditions, such as microgravity and enclosed space, on the behavior of these animals.

Four of the mice returned to Earth with the Shenzhou-20 crew on November 14, bringing back highly valuable experimental data after two weeks in orbit.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 26, 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

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

NASA Astronaut Profile of Chris Williams: Pre-flight | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Profile of Chris Williams: Pre-flight | International Space Station

Long before he became a NASA astronaut, Chris Williams learned through his time in Boy Scouts a very valuable lesson . . . “you can do a whole lot more than you think you can.” The variety of accomplishments and skills acquired as a scout set a foundation of learning throughout Williams’ life, as he pursued a career in astrophysics, switched gears to become a medical physicist for cancer therapy, and now as an astronaut as he trained for his mission to the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams can be seen here training for his first mission to the International Space Station. He will launch aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia, becoming a flight engineer on Expedition 73/74 after arriving at the station. During his approximately eight-month mission, Williams will conduct numerous scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, and help maintain the space station.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz MS-28 prime and backup crews completed final pre-flight training ahead of the scheduled Nov. 27, 2025, launch of NASA’s Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev for a planned eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The training activities that took place Nov. 11 through Nov. 21 include the rollout of the Soyuz 2.1a launch vehicle to its launch pad in Baikonur Nov. 24.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025

Journey to The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Telescope | NOIRLab

Journey to The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Telescope | NOIRLab

To celebrate 25 years since the completion of the International Gemini Observatory, students in Chile voted for the Gemini South telescope to image the NGC 6302—a billowing planetary nebula that resembles a cosmic butterfly. The International Gemini Observatory is partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

NGC 6302 is a bipolar planetary nebula that lies between 2,500 and 3,800 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. Sources report various dates of discovery, but credit typically goes to a 1907 study by American astronomer Edward E. Barnard, though Scottish astronomer James Dunlop may have discovered it in 1826. Its official name is NGC 6302, but it is also referred to as the Butterfly Nebula, Bug Nebula, or Caldwell 69.

A planetary nebula is a type of emission nebula consisting of a massive star near the end of its life that is expelling material, surrounded by an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas. Typically, these mesmerizing structures have a planet-like round shape. This is why they were named ‘planetary nebulae’ by the early astronomers who observed them through their telescopes.

You may notice, though, that the Butterfly Nebula does not resemble a round planet, but instead a "winged creature caught mid-flight." The formation of this unique structure is driven by a star at the nebula’s center that is casting off layers of gas and dust as it nears the end of its life.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #ButterflyNebula #NGC6302 #PlanetaryNebulae #Scorpius #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiSouthTelescope #GMOS #OpticalAstronomy #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #CerroPachón #Chile #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Telescope | NOIRLab

Close-up: The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Telescope | NOIRLab

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025

The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Observatory | NOIRLab

The Butterfly Nebula in Scorpius | Gemini South Telescope | NOIRLab

NGC 6302 is a bipolar planetary nebula that lies between 2500 and 3800 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. Sources report various dates of discovery, but credit typically goes to a 1907 study by American astronomer Edward E. Barnard, though Scottish astronomer James Dunlop may have discovered it in 1826. Its official name is NGC 6302, but it is also referred to as the Butterfly Nebula, Bug Nebula, or Caldwell 69.

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #ButterflyNebula #NGC6302 #PlanetaryNebulae #Scorpius #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiSouthTelescope #GMOS #OpticalAstronomy #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #CerroPachón #Chile #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-22 Launch Highlights Space Emergency Readiness | China Space Station

Shenzhou-22 Launch Highlights Space Emergency Readiness | China Space Station

The successful launch of China's Shenzhou-22 spacecraft on November 25, 2025, demonstrated the Long March-2F carrier rocket's rapid-response capability for space station emergencies. It took only 16 days for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to respond after tiny cracks were found in the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft's return capsule docked at the China Space Station, most probably caused by an external impact from space debris.

The replacement Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking the first emergency launch mission in the country's crewed space program.

The country introduced the "one launch, one on standby" arrangement, a rolling backup system for the Long March-2F as early as the launch of the Shenzhou-12 mission, with the backup rocket fully prepared to launch on short notice should the space station require urgent assistance. Tuesday's mission marked the first time this emergency mechanism was put into actual use.

Under this emergency scheme, there are always a standby Long March-2F rocket and a standby Shenzhou spacecraft inside a dedicated facility at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Long March-2F Y22 rocket used in the mission was such a backup vehicle, maintained in full readiness for precisely such emergency deployment.

"We ensure that one rocket is always in a ready-to-launch state. All work on this rocket is conducted as if it were performing a formal task. Tasks such as rollout and quality verification are all carried out in accordance with the standards for official tasks. By completing much of the work in advance, we can shorten the preparation window when an actual emergency need rises," said Zeng Yaoxiang, an engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

According to Zeng, the team reduced a normal test-to-launch cycle of more than 30 days to just 16, making the standby rocket ready to launch.

He said the mission was not only a test of the rocket's reliability but also a demanding challenge for the team's coordination and workflow optimization.

"The whole period from tests to launch is 16 days, which is a very short window. It requires full concentration and strict adherence to the plan, and uncompromising quality control," Zeng said.

Although Shenzhou-22 is an uncrewed spacecraft, the rocket retained its full crewed-mission configuration, including the escape tower, ensuring it could undertake a manned emergency rescue at any moment.

Meanwhile, the next rocket in the series, the Long March-2F Y23, is undergoing assembly and test in Beijing. It will be transferred to the launch site upon completion of related work and will be on standby status for emergency response following the Shenzhou-22 mission.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 27 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou22 #神舟二十二号 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #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

How to Eat in Space | Artemis II Moon Mission | NASA's Johnson Space Center

How to Eat in Space | Artemis II Moon Mission | NASA's Johnson Space Center

During their mission around the Moon and back, the Artemis II crew will need to be nourished inside their Orion spacecraft. The food the four astronauts will eat will play a key role in maintaining their health and ensuring they can perform their mission objectives to the best of their abilities. Long before launch, teams at Johnson Space Center prepare so that the crew has everything they need to enjoy their “around-the-Moon-meals.”

It starts with Johnson’s Space Food Systems Laboratory, which supports the development and production of space food, menus, packaging, and food-related hardware for all NASA programs, including Artemis. The crew also spends time practicing how they will use equipment aboard Orion to rehydrate and warm their food inside a full-size Orion mockup at Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. During the mission, the crew will use a potable water dispenser to rehydrate their chosen food and drink packages and a briefcase-style food warmer for warming them up.

This is how NASA’s Artemis II astronauts will eat in space.

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Writer: Erika Peters
Editor: Phil Sexton
Producers: Rad Sinyak, Erika Peters
Duration: 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025

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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams in Training Pre-launch | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams in Training Pre-launch | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Chris Williams trains for his first mission to the International Space Station. He will launch aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia, becoming a flight engineer on Expedition 73/74 after arriving at the station. During his approximately eight-month mission, Williams will conduct numerous scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, and help maintain the space station.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 28 minutes
Release Date: Nov. 25, 2025

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