Moon Science: Fences on the Moon? | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Fences on the Moon? | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mysterious farside impact melt deposits, image width 12 kilometers at center, looking west-to-east, north is to the left, M1451669615LR.

Full-resolution view showing impact melt that ponded in the bottom of a 10-kilometer diameter crater. The dark lines (fences) formed as impact melt flow fronts solidified, not quite making it down to crater bottom. The flow fronts are so dark because they are very blocky and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) was looking back towards the Sun enhancing topographic shadows. The flat ponded impact melt rock deposit is 600 meters by 800 meters wide, north is to the left NAC M1451669615

This complete Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) oblique perspective shows a portion of the enigmatic highland pond area. Image width is approximately 72 kilometers in the center; north is to the left, NAC M1451669615LR

Fences on the Moon?

Early in the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) images of the central farside revealed impact melt deposits with no prominent source crater. Very mysterious. Soon, scientists noticed that these enigmatic deposits were found at the Tycho crater antipode (opposite side of the Moon). Perhaps the Tycho forming event was so energetic that it ejected melt to the opposite side of the Moon, a distance of 5400 kilometers requiring a time-of-flight of 164 minutes. M1451669615, looking west-to-east, acquired 2023-10-11, incidence angle 60°, slew angle 47°, phase angle 110°, spacecraft altitude 112 kilometers, image width 12 kilometers.

Details in the first image highlight what appear to be "fences". Then, the full-resolution view (second image) shows impact melt that ponded in the bottom of a 10-kilometer diameter crater. The dark lines (fences) formed as impact melt flow fronts solidified, not quite making it down to crater bottom. The flow fronts are so dark because they are very blocky and LROC was looking back towards the Sun enhancing topographic shadows. The flat ponded impact melt rock deposit is 600 meters by 800 meters wide, north is to the left NAC M1451669615.

The third image is a complete Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) oblique view presenting a portion of the enigmatic highland pond area. Image width is approximately 72 kilometers in the center; north is to the left, NAC M1451669615LR. 

This year, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) celebrates its 16th anniversary orbiting the Moon (2009-2026). This mission has given scientists the largest volume of data ever collected by a planetary science mission at NASA. Considering that success and the continuing functionality of the spacecraft and its instruments, NASA awarded the mission an extended mission phase to continue operations. LRO continues to be one of NASA's most valuable tools for advancing lunar science.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Text Credit: Mark Robinson

Release Date: April 25, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Geology #Geoscience #Craters #ImpactCraters #MeltDeposits #ArtemisProgram #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LROC #NAC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Planet Mars: Layering in Holden Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Layering in Holden Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Much of planet Mars is covered by sand and dust. However, places exist where stacks of sedimentary layers are visible. In this image, exquisite layering is revealed emerging from the sand in southern Holden Crater. Sequences like these offer a window into Mars’ complicated geologic history. 

Holden is a 140 km wide crater situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of Mars, located with the southern highlands. It is named after American astronomer Edward Singleton Holden. This crater was once a candidate landing area for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), and is still an intriguing choice today.

This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 257 km (160 mi).

The MRO is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs
Image Date: April 13, 2020

Duration: 33 seconds
Release Date: May 26, 2020

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #SouthernHighlands #ImpactCraters #HoldenCrater #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: Layering in Holden Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Layering in Holden Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Much of planet Mars is covered by sand and dust. However, places exist where stacks of sedimentary layers are visible. In this image, exquisite layering is revealed emerging from the sand in southern Holden Crater. Sequences like these offer a window into Mars’ complicated geologic history. 

Holden is a 140 km wide crater situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of Mars, located with the southern highlands. It is named after American astronomer Edward Singleton Holden. This crater was once a candidate landing area for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), and is still an intriguing choice today.

This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 257 km (160 mi).

The MRO is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Image Date: April 13, 2020
Release Date: July 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #SouthernHighlands #ImpactCraters #HoldenCrater #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Solar System Path

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Solar System Path

It came from outer space. An object from outside our Solar System is now passing through at high speed. Classified as a comet because of its gaseous coma, 3I/ATLAS is only the third identified macroscopic object as being so alien. The comet's trajectory is shown in white on the featured map, where the orbits of Jupiter, Mars, and Earth are shown in gold, red, and blue. 

When discovered it was about 410 million miles (670 million kilometers) away from the Sun, within the orbit of Jupiter. Comet 3I/ATLAS' closest approach to our Sun is expected to be within the orbit of Mars in late October 2025. Projected to pass near Mars and Jupiter, 3I/ATLAS is not expected to pass close to the Earth. The origin of Comet 3I/ATLAS remains unknown. Although initial activity indicates a relatively normal comet, future observations about 3I/ATLAS' composition and nature will surely continue.

Since this is the third interstellar object ever discovered, its name begins with the number 3 and the letter I. Scientists will have several months to observe and study the comet as it passes through our solar system and before it exits. Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no known threat to Earth. Meanwhile, it provides a fascinating and rare opportunity for scientists to study these interstellar interlopers.

Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech
Release Date: July 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #InterstellarObjects #InterstellarComet3I #Planets #Jupiter #Earth #ATLAS #RioHurtado #Chile #PlanetaryDefense #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #Infographic #SolarSystemMap #STEM #Education

Ax-4 Mission: "Building Opportunities for Earth" | Axiom Space

Ax-4 Mission: "Building Opportunities for Earth" | Axiom Space

"Hear from the Ax4 astronauts about the significance of the mission and how we are expanding access to low Earth orbit (LEO) for countries to pursue their space exploration goals, leading to advancements for Earth. We are building era-defining space infrastructure that drives exploration and fuels a vibrant space economy for the benefit of every human everywhere."

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary have been aboard the International Space Station after launching June 25, 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Axiom Mission 4.

The private astronauts are spending about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Ax-4 Mission “realizes 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 is 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.

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

Video Credit: Axiom Space
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: July 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #LEO #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #Astronauts  #CommercialAstronauts #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #Expedition73 #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Link Between Fast X-ray Transients & Explosive Death of Massive Stars | NOIRLab

Link Between Fast X-ray Transients & Explosive Death of Massive Stars | NOIRLab

Using a combination of telescopes, including the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab, and the SOAR telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, astronomers have characterized the closest supernova linked to a fast X-ray transient. The observations reveal that these bright blasts of X-rays may be the result of a ‘failed’ explosive death of a massive star.

Credit:
International Gemini Observatory/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Image processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Acknowledgment: PI: J. Rastinejad (Northwestern University)
Motion graphics: Mik Garrison
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: July 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernovae #FastXrayTransients #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #SOARTelescope #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory to Search for Life

NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory to Search for Life

Finding signs of life on planets outside our solar system will require a more powerful space telescope than any ever built. NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory will draw on technologies proven by the agency’s Hubble, Webb, and upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes to peer into the cosmos and find the unique signatures of planets that can support life as well as possibly life itself.

The mission’s main objective would be to identify and directly image at least 25 potentially habitable worlds. It would then use spectroscopy to search for chemical “biosignatures” in these planets’ atmospheres, including gases, such as oxygen and methane, that could serve as critical evidence for life. The observatory would introduce new capabilities to study the universe with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, giving us important new insights into the evolution of cosmic structures, including how galaxies form and develop over time.

Actor John Rhys-Davies narrates this short video about the mission and its objectives.

Learn more about NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory:
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Narrator: John Rhys-Davies
Animators:   
Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Jonathan North (eMITS)
Jenny McElligott (eMITS)
Producers:
Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Audio engineer: Jacob Pinter (eMITS)
Writers:
Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Scientists:
Aki Roberge (NASA/GSFC)
Giada Arney (NASA/GSFC)
Duration: 3 minute, 39 seconds
Release Date: July 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Cosmos #Universe #SearchForLife #HabitableWorlds #Planets #Exoplanets #HabitableWorldsObservatory #SpaceTelescopes #Astrobiology #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Portrait of a Galaxy Cluster: Abell 209 in Cetus | Hubble Space Telescope

Portrait of a Galaxy Cluster: Abell 209 in Cetus | Hubble Space Telescope

A massive, spacetime-warping cluster of galaxies is the setting of this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture. The galaxy cluster in question is Abell 209. It is located 2.8 billion light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale).

This Hubble image of Abell 209 shows more than a hundred galaxies, but there is more to this cluster than even Hubble’s discerning eye can see. Abell 209’s galaxies are separated by millions of light-years, and the seemingly empty space between the galaxies is actually filled with hot, diffuse gas that can be spotted only at X-ray wavelengths. An even more elusive occupant of this galaxy cluster is dark matter: a form of matter that does not interact with light. The Universe is understood to be comprised of 5% normal matter, 25% dark matter, and 70% dark energy

Hubble observations like the ones used to create this image can help astronomers answer fundamental questions about our Universe, including mysteries surrounding dark matter and dark energy. These investigations leverage the immense mass of a galaxy cluster. This can bend the fabric of spacetime itself and create warped and magnified images of background galaxies and stars in a process called gravitational lensing.

While this image lacks the dramatic rings that gravitational lensing can sometimes create, Abell 209 still shows subtle signs of lensing at work, in the form of streaky, slightly curved galaxies within the cluster’s golden glow. By measuring the distortion of these galaxies, astronomers can map the distribution of mass within the cluster, illuminating the underlying cloud of dark matter. This information, which Hubble’s fine resolution and sensitive instruments help to provide, is critical for testing theories of how our Universe has evolved.

Image Description: A cluster of distant, mainly elliptical galaxies. They appear as brightly shining points radiating golden light that each take the shape of a smooth, featureless oval. They crowd around one that is extremely large and bright. A few spiral galaxies of comparable size appear too, bluer in color and with unique shapes. Of the other, more small and distant galaxies covering the scene, a few are warped into long lines.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Postman, P. Kelly
Release Date: July 7, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #Abell209 #Cetus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Space Weather Report: June 27-July 3, 2025 | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

Space Weather Report: June 27-July 3, 2025 | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

It’s SunDay! This video from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows the week’s activity (June 27 - July 3, 2025).

This week’s space weather report includes:

· 0 M-class flares
· 1 C-class flare
· 25 coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
· 0 geomagnetic storms

Learn more about solar flares & coronal mass ejections: http://go.nasa.gov/3Naeuv9

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. 

NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Image Credit: NASA/SDO

Duration: 3 minutes
Capture Date: July 6, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #SolarFlares #CME #Sunspots #UltravioletAstronomy #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Spacecraft #Satellites #ElectricalGrids #SDO #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: Faint Traces of Dark Flows | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Faint Traces of Dark Flows | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

This image shows some faint traces of dark flows along the headwall of an impact crater. These are relics of seasonal recurring slope lineae (RSL) that formed on an equator-facing slope.

They are not expected to be active yet, so we will have to wait until later in the Martian spring for any changes. However, we like to monitor these sites as they progress through the seasons, and fully formed RSL have been identified at this site before.

This is because RSL recur each Mars year at the same places, like this crater wall. RSL activity often happens at predicted temperatures approaching minus 20 degrees Celsius (or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). An intermittent flow of brines is possible but dry flow of granules is an alternative explanation to explain RSL formation. Because of this uncertainty, the science community is debating whether these regions should be regarded as “special regions” where rovers or others landers are restricted.

This HiRISE image was captured when the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 287 km (179 mi).

The MRO is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Image Date: April 5, 2020

Release Date: July 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #ImpactCraters #RSL #DarkFlows #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Diplomats Visit China's Leading Space Company—CASC

Diplomats Visit China's Leading Space Company—CASC

Fifty-five diplomats visited the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on Monday, June 30, 2025, where the country's leading space enterprise demonstrated its latest technologies and reaffirmed its commitment to global cooperation. CASC is a main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has subsidiaries that design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground equipment.

Their first stop was the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology. It has played a critical role in developing satellite communications, remote sensing, and microelectronics. It has also trained more than 2,000 international professionals, making it a major hub for global knowledge-sharing in aerospace technology.

Elia Kaiyamo, Namibia's Ambassador to China, highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries,

"Namibia and China for the past 25 years have been cooperating. One of our important cooperation and agreement with two countries is the Swakopmund tracking station. We want more people from Namibia to join this important technology," said Kaiyamo.

The second stop, the China Academy of Space Technology, or CAST, is the backbone of China's space engineering efforts. Many of its programs already involve global partners.

Bilal Chaudhary, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China, revealed the latest developments in the China-Pakistan space partnership.

"We are currently in the process of the selection of those astronauts. They will come here and get the training at the Chinese academies. Then they will go in space alongside Chinese astronauts. So once again that will be another historic occasion in our collective journey into space," said Chaudhary.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Release Date: July 1, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #SpaceTechnology #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #CAAET #中国航天电子技术研究所 #CAST #中国空间技术研究院  #SpaceExploration #LunarExploration #CLEP #InternationalCooperation #UnitedNations #UNOOSA #Namibia #Pakistan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Moon Science: Impact Crater & Ejecta | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Impact Crater & Ejecta | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Fresh concentric impact crater (245 m diameter) found in northwest Mare Nubium. Note concentric ring inside the crater wall, the circular flat floor and the dark central pit. Blocks are strewn along the bright crater rays extending away from the rim. 

NAC M1287235559L

The 245 m concentric crater under late afternoon illumination  highlighting the topography. NAC M181230113L

Boulders up to about 10 m in diameter where ejected from the crater. Upon impact, the boulders skidded across the surface leaving a trough behind them.

Mare Nubium (Latin "sea of clouds") is a lunar mare in the Nubium basin on the Moon's near side. The mare is located just to the southeast of Oceanus Procellarum. The unique morphology of craters, such as this one (-17.25°S, 350.46°E), is the result of a contrast in the strength of a surface layer (in this case, the unconsolidated regolith) and a stronger underlying layer (here, mare basalt). The relatively weak regolith is more easily excavated than the basalt, resulting in the distinct "inner ring". For a given thickness of regolith (typically meters thick), craters formed entirely within the regolith are bowl-shaped. At increasing diameters, the crater excavates below the regolith into the stronger basalt flows, and they exhibit a central mound, a flat floor, and finally a concentric ring inside the crater rim.

Immediately inside the rim is a ridge with a diameter of about 167 m; the ridge itself is about 50-70 m wide and stands about 20 m above the adjacent crater floor. The center of the crater is marked by a low-reflectance rough area about 36 m in diameter, surrounded by a subtle ridge.

Scattered across the inner ridge and crater rim and extending beyond the crater rim is bright, bouldery ejecta. Boulders as large as 11 m have been ejected from the crater. The bright ejecta forms a more or less continuous blanket around the rim extending to 90-150 m. At greater distances, the ejecta breaks up into a series of rays of finer material that extend as much as 1 km from the rim.

Several of the larger boulders lie at the end of shallow troughs, indicating that they slid across the surface upon landing.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #NearSide #MareNubium #ImpactCraters #Ejecta #LRO #LunarOrbiter #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Commercial Earth Observation Satellite Views | China Space Station

Commercial Earth Observation Satellite Views | China Space Station

The China Space Station (2021-), officially the Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace") Space Station, is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Tiangong is a modular design, with modules docked together while in low Earth orbit, between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. It is China's first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program. It has a pressurized volume of 340 m3 (12,000 cu ft), slightly over one third the size of the International Space Station that is shared between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. China's space station provides opportunities for space-based experiments and serves as a platform for building capacity for scientific and technological innovations. Astronauts from Pakistan are scheduled to become the first international visitors to China's space station.

The first module, the Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens") core module, was launched on April 29, 2021. This was followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and the addition of two laboratory cabin modules. The first, Wentian ("Quest for the Heavens"), launched on July 24, 2022; the second, Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens"), launched on October 31, 2022. New station expansion modules are under development. 

China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station 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

Image Credits: Maxar Technologies, BlackSky
Release Date: July 3, 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 #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #MaxarTechnologies #BlackSky #EarthObservationSatellites #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #Pakistan #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

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

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

Mars 2020 - sol 1555

Mars 2020 - sol 1552

MSL - sol 4588

MSL - sol 4588

Mars 2020 - sol 1555

MSL - sol 4589

MSL - sol 4588

Mars 2020 - sol 1555 (Nighttime—in white LED light)

Support FriendsofNASA.org

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: July 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

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson Shares Photos | International Space Station

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson Shares Photos | International Space Station

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "There are no bad views from the International Space Station."

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "Say Cheese. What should I photograph next?"

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "Today's view from the International Space Station. Earth is absolutely stunning!"

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "I've missed this view!"

Peggy Whitson is the commander of the the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4.

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

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary have been aboard the International Space Station after launching June 25, 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Axiom Mission 4.

The private astronauts are spending about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Ax-4 Mission “realizes 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 is 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.

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

Image Credit: Axiom Space/Peggy Whitson

Capture Dates: June 27- July 6, 2025

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Solar Panels Moved Before Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

Solar Panels Moved Before Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

The International Space Station crew prepared for the arrival of the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft by securing the station's solar panels to prevent thruster activity from accidentally damaging them. Spacecraft thrusters can impact station surfaces with high-speed droplets of unburned and partially burned propellant, potentially causing erosion damage to solar cells and other sensitive hardware.

The unpiloted Progress 92 spacecraft successfully arrived at the space-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Poisk module at 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5, 2025. The spacecraft was launched at 3:32 p.m. EDT on July 3 (12:32 a.m. Baikonur time, July 4) via a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Roscosmos spacecraft delivered about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station. It will remain docked for approximately six months before departing for a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. 

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

Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/TOnishi

Duration: 5 seconds

Capture Date: July 5, 2025

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