Axiom 4 Mission Crew: Ready for Launch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Axiom 4 Mission Crew: Ready for Launch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland

From left to right: Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States

From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland

From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland

Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India

Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States

Axiom Mission 4 Patch

The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. 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, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

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

Image Credit: SpaceX/Axiom Space
Release Date: June 9, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #Europe #KSC #Florida #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-20 Crew Completes Ten+ Experiments & Tests | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 Crew Completes Ten+ Experiments & Tests | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-20 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station, conducted over ten scientific experiments and tests last week, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Since entering the station on April 25, 2025, the three astronauts have completed a series of tasks in orbit.

During the past week, they successfully carried out the collection and processing of blood samples, a crucial step towards understanding the changes in astronauts' skeletal and nervous systems during long-duration space mission.

Utilizing fine motor measurement devices, the crew undertook memory slide tests, with the test results expected to provide valuable insights into the changes in astronauts' fine motor control and adaptive learning mechanisms.

Moreover, a study on the kinematic characteristics of astronauts in orbit was conducted. This study, focusing on observing astronauts' movements and operations within the space station, aims to offer valuable data support for ergonomics design and assessment, as well as the optimization of on-orbit task planning.

The crew also completed the collection and preservation of samples from a small aquatic ecosystem experiment unit. These samples will be significant in elucidating the regulatory role of protein homeostasis on the bone loss and cardiovascular dysfunction induced by weightlessness.

Additionally, the crew replaced the sampling cover of the experimental plugin in the combustion experiment cabinet and conducted maintenance on the containerless experiment cabinet. This included cleaning the experimental chamber, replacing samples, and ensuring the proper functioning of its axis mechanism.

They also replaced liquid bags in the fluids physics experiment cabinet to study the thermocapillary migration of droplets in microgravity condition.

Moreover, examination of the space radiation biology exposure device was finished inside the cabin.

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: 1 minute, 47 seconds
Release Date: June 9, 2025

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

Close-up: Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major | Hubble

Close-up: Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major | Hubble

This serene spiral galaxy hides a cataclysmic past. The galaxy IC 758 in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

In this Hubble image captured in 2023, IC 758 appears peaceful, its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred center. However, in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy: supernova SN 1999bg. SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun.

It is not yet known how massive this star was before it exploded. Researchers will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighborhood. This will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion. This would give additional clues about the star’s life and death.

A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star—it is also a powerful force that can shape its neighborhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, its outer layers rebound off its shrunken core. The explosion stirs the interstellar soup of gas and dust that new stars form from. This interstellar shakeup can scatter and heat nearby gas clouds, preventing new stars from forming, or it can compress them, creating a burst of new stars. The cast-off layers also become ingredients for new stars.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy with a generally soft and slightly faint appearance. It glows most brightly around the pale yellow bar across its center. It has two spiral arms which wrap around the center, quickly broadening out to join a wide, faint circular halo around the galaxy. Glowing, sparkling patches in the disc show stars forming in nebulae. Behind the galaxy, distant galaxies appear as orange dots on a black background.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: June 9, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #Galaxies #Galaxy #IC758 #SpiralGalaxy #Supernovae #SN1999bg #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major: "Stirring the Interstellar Soup" | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major: "Stirring the Interstellar Soup" | Hubble

This serene spiral galaxy hides a cataclysmic past. The galaxy IC 758 in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

In this Hubble image captured in 2023, IC 758 appears peaceful, its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred center. However, in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy: supernova SN 1999bg. SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun.

It is not yet known how massive this star was before it exploded. Researchers will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighborhood. This will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion. This would give additional clues about the star’s life and death.

A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star—it is also a powerful force that can shape its neighborhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, its outer layers rebound off its shrunken core. The explosion stirs the interstellar soup of gas and dust that new stars form from. This interstellar shakeup can scatter and heat nearby gas clouds, preventing new stars from forming, or it can compress them, creating a burst of new stars. The cast-off layers also become ingredients for new stars.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy with a generally soft and slightly faint appearance. It glows most brightly around the pale yellow bar across its center. It has two spiral arms which wrap around the center, quickly broadening out to join a wide, faint circular halo around the galaxy. Glowing, sparkling patches in the disc show stars forming in nebulae. Behind the galaxy, distant galaxies appear as orange dots on a black background.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick
Release Date: June 9, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #Galaxies #Galaxy #IC758 #SpiralGalaxy #Supernovae #SN1999bg #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Orbital Night Life over Southeast Asia & Australia | International Space Station

Orbital Night Life over Southeast Asia & Australia | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim: "My first time-lapse. Thanks to some instruction and tips from Nichole Ayers, I caught my first aurora. After seeing the result, I told her this felt like fishing. Prepping the camera, the angle, the settings, the mount, then setting your timer and coming back to hope you got a catch. And after catching my first fish, I think I’m hooked. Thanks, Vapor! Beautiful auroras passing over southeastern Asia and Australia."

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

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)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/Jonny Kim

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #SoutheastAsia #Australia #AuroraAustralis #Astronauts #JonnyKim #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

Central Mexico at Night with Airglow | International Space Station

Central Mexico at Night with Airglow | International Space Station

The International Space Station was soaring 259 miles above central Mexico with a faint atmospheric glow crowning Earth's horizon at approximately 2:58 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken. The city lights of Mexico City, the nation's capital and largest city with a population of 9.21 million, and its surrounding suburbs dominate the nightscape.

You will also notice reddish airglow in this image. Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. 

Unlike episodic and fleeting auroras, airglow shines constantly throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and the result is a tenuous bubble of light that closely encases our entire planet. (Auroras, on the other hand, are usually constrained to Earth’s poles.) Just a tenth as bright as all the stars in the night sky, airglow is far more subdued than auroras, too dim to observe easily except in orbit or on the ground with clear, dark skies and a sensitive camera.

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 
Release Date: May 16, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Airglow #NorthAmerica #Mexico #MexicoCity #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Aurora Australis at The South Pole | International Space Station

Aurora Australis at The South Pole | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers: "I love looking out the side window of the cupola on the International Space Station. This particular view is looking starboard toward Antarctica to catch the aurora—and look at the star movement! I’ve seen a lot of reds and greens in the aurora, but this one had some purple hues, as well. It’s just gorgeous."

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

Earth auroras have different names depending on the pole where they occur. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

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)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center / Nichole Ayers

Duration: 40 seconds

Release Date: June 2, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #SouthPole #Antarctica #Atmosphere #Aurora #AuroraAustralis #Astronauts #NicholeAyers #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Hungarian Students Connect with Shenzhou-20 Astronauts | China Space Station

Hungarian Students Connect with Shenzhou-20 Astronauts | China Space Station

More than 300 students, scientists, and government officials gathered Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for a special space science question and answer session with Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station. 

Dubbed the "Tiangong Classroom," the event was co-hosted by the China Manned Space Agency, the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It aimed to deepen growing cooperation between China and Hungary in the fields of aerospace, education, and innovation.

During the session, Shenzhou-20 crew members Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie responded to questions submitted in advance by students representing over 100 Hungarian schools, touching on a wide range of space science topics including the space station operation and the life in orbit.

Many Hungarian students were thrilled to see their questions answered directly by astronauts in space. In a pre-recorded video, the astronauts also demonstrated zero-gravity science experiments, captivating the audience with examples from space.

"My first question is how the absence of a natural day-night rhythm affects the health and daily life of astronauts. They said it had no impact, and it's not a big issue for them. This event is awesome. In my opinion, it exceeded the national standards. I think the overall experience was excellent," said 15-year-old student Bence Kovacs who focused on the circadian cycle in space. "The astronauts came to explain in person, which completely satisfied my curiosity. I got the answer to my question."

"I asked to what extent an astronaut's spinal column will grow in space when the compression on the intervertebral disc is relatively smaller than that on the earth, and their real feelings of this. I asked this question because I used to read an article in a contest about this. I'm very happy to be awarded and chosen to be involved in this event. I really can't wait to explore more. In the future, I definitely want to engage in astronomy work. I have been very interested in astronomy since I was a child. I have always loved it since then," said Sara Lovati, another student.

Kiss Áron Keve, the person in charge of Svábhegy Observatory in Hungary, one of the event organizers, highlighted the significance of the event. He said China's space industry has developed at an astonishing speed and is remarkable, adding that through this event, Hungarian students had the opportunity to personally participate in the space project, which was of great significance.

"I think apart from inspiring those students who raised specific questions, this activity itself is also of great significance. It provides each student with an excellent opportunity to think about how to participate in space projects and the aerospace industry. Even if they are not astronauts, they can contribute to this booming field from the perspective of researchers. I can see the future. It's very inspiring," he said.

The three-member crew aboard the Tiangong space station was sent into space on April 24 for a six-month mission.

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

Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes, 37 seconds
Release Date: June 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Hungary #Magyarország #Students #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 #HD #Video

Axiom 4 Crew Mission: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Prepared | Kennedy Space Center

Axiom 4 Crew Mission: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rollout | NASA's Kennedy Space Center

The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, 2025. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX have set the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station for 8:22 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 10.

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, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

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

Image Credit: SpaceX
Release Date: June 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #Europe #KSC #Florida #STEM #Education

The Pacific Coast of South America before Sunrise | International Space Station

The Pacific Coast of South America before Sunrise | International Space Station

The International Space Station was soaring 261 miles above the Pacific coast of South America into an orbital sunrise at approximately 4:09 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken. Lima (upper right), Peru's capital and largest city with a population of 10.1 million, represents the brightest lights on the Peruvian coast.

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
Image Date: May 16, 2025 

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #SouthAmerica #Lima #Peru #Airglow #Sunrise #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Atlantic Ocean Storms: Lightning & Clouds | International Space Station

Atlantic Ocean Storms: Lightning & Clouds | International Space Station

This nebula-like formation is actually lightning illuminating the clouds during a storm off the coast of North Carolina in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

Lightining illuminates the cloud tops during a storm underneath Earth's atmospheric glow in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas.

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
Image Dates: May 15-18, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #AtlanticOcean #LightningStorms #Airglow #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

China Makes Progress in Power Generation & Storage for Mars Infrastructure

China Makes Progress in Power Generation & Storage for Mars Infrastructure

Chinese scientists have made progress in power generation and storage on Mars in terms of how to effectively use resources there to ensure the energy supply for conducting long-term research and stationing researchers on the planet in the future.

Experts have pointed out that in the future, leveraging gases on Mars for energy and resource utilization, including power generation, energy storage, heating, oxygen production, and fuel production, could enable the development of an integrated energy system utilizing the atmospheric environment of Mars.

For example, the average temperature on the surface of Mars is approximately minus 63 degrees Celsius. The waste heat from the low-temperature range of a power generation system could address the thermal energy supply at research stations on Mars.

Additionally, the mid-temperature and high-temperature ranges of Martian gases can respectively serve as reaction gases for methane production and high-temperature electrolysis for oxygen production. This process transforms the abundant carbon and oxygen atoms in Martian gases into valuable resources, such as oxygen and methane fuel essential for exploration missions.

"To conduct research on Mars, we need a multitude of detection equipment, and research stations to be set up. These research stations and detection equipment rely on energy as a fundamental guarantee. When considering setting up an energy system on Mars, we need to devise solutions in line with local conditions. This research marks a new starting point. It can be said that there is still a long way to go," said Shi Lingfeng, a researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes 34 seconds
Release Date: June 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Mars #RedPlanet #Atmosphere #PowerGeneration #PowerStorage #PowerInfrastructure #CNSA #China #中国 #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Booster Static Fire: Pre-10th Flight | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Booster Static Fire: Pre-10th Flight | Starbase Texas

A Starship Super Heavy Booster completed a long duration six-engine static fire on June 6, 2025, and is undergoing final preparations for the tenth SpaceX Starship flight test.

Read SpaceX's Ninth Test Flight Report: 

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-9

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Key Starship Parameters:

Height: 123m/403ft
Diameter: 9m/29.5ft
Payload to LEO: 100–150t (fully reusable)

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."

Learn more about Starship:

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration: 20 seconds

Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #Spacecraft #Starship10 #StarshipTestFlight10 #SuperHeavyBooster #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth Weather Satellites Monitor Canadian Wildfires & Smoke | NOAA

Earth Weather Satellites Monitor Canadian Wildfires & Smoke | NOAA

Since mid-May, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites have been closely monitoring heat signatures and thick plumes of smoke (several stretching thousands of miles) from wildfires burning across Canada. 

Driven by heat, drought, and dry conditions, more than 160 fires kicked off the country’s wildfire season, primarily in Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. More blazes soon erupted in other provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The escalating situation forced thousands to evacuate, prompted states of emergency in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and has been impacting air quality in the United States as the smoke drifts southward.

Learn more about this event and how NOAA satellites have been monitoring the blazes: 
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-satellites-monitor-canadian-wildfires-and-smoke

Video Credits: NOAA, NASA, The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 5, 2025

#NASA #NOAA #Space #Satellites #GOESEast #GOESWest #Science #Earth #Planet #Canada #Ontario #Manitoba #Saskatchewan #Wildfires #Smoke #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Atmosphere #AirQuality #Weather #Meteorology #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #CIRA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

¿Qué pasa en el cielo en junio?

¿Qué pasa en el cielo en junio?

¡Atención, exploradores del cielo! Este mes, la galaxia nos muestra todo su esplendor. 🔭 

• Junio marca el inicio de la temporada principal para admirar la Vía Láctea: esa banda brumosa que se arquea por el cielo durante toda la noche. Solo necesitarás un cielo oscuro, lejos de las luces de la ciudad. 

• A mediados de mes, Marte pasará muy cerca de Regulus, el corazón de la constelación de Leo. Con binoculares o telescopio, podrás verlos a una distancia tan corta como el ancho de la luna llena. 

• Y el 20 de junio, llega el solsticio: el día más largo del año en el hemisferio norte, y el más corto en el sur.  

Aprende más sobre el cielo y encuentra más consejos y guías para disfrutarlo en https://ciencia.nasa.gov/observaciondelcielo/

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/NASA en Español
Duration: 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #NASAenespañol #español #Moon #Planets #Saturn #Venus #SolarSystem #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #California #Skywatching #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars Images: June 3-6, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: June 3-6, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - Sol 4558

MSL - Sol 4561

MSL - Sol 4561

MSL - Sol 4559

Mars 2020 - Sol 1526

MSL - Sol 4560

Mars 2020 - Sol 1524

Mars 2020 - Sol 1523

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Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 4+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

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

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

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: June 3-6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education