Planet Mars Images: July 10-13, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers
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Monday, July 14, 2025
Planet Mars Images: July 10-13, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers
Expedition 73 & Ax-4 Crew Photos | International Space Station
Expedition 73 & Ax-4 Crew Photos | International Space Station
Expedition flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim: "We don’t get in our flight suits often, but chance had us all decked out so we took advantage and took some photos with our new crewmates."
"In this picture we have eight astronauts representing the United States, Japan, India, Hungary and Poland. It’s been a pleasure getting to know and work with these professionals, and it’s been amazing to watch the ground collaboration for research between our partner nations."
"If you’ve ever wondered how we take these photos, we set a camera time-lapse on a wall mounted tripod with a quick interval."
Learn more about Ax-4:
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Release Date: July 13, 2025
Ax-4 Mission: Peggy Whitson & Shubhanshu Shukla | International Space Station
Ax-4 Mission: Peggy Whitson & Shubhanshu Shukla | International Space Station
Learn more about Ax-4:
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4
Duration: 10 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: July 14, 2025
Globular Star Cluster NGC 1786: A Galactic Time Capsule | Hubble
Globular Star Cluster NGC 1786: A Galactic Time Capsule | Hubble
In this Hubble picture, we gaze upon the field of stars that is NGC 1786. This object is a globular cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy that is approximately 160,000 light-years away from Earth. NGC 1786 itself is in the constellation Dorado. It was discovered in the year 1835 by John Herschel.
The data for this image comes from an observing program comparing old globular clusters in nearby dwarf galaxies—the LMC, the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy—to the globular clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy contains over 150 of these old, spherical collections of tightly-bound stars. They have been studied in depth—especially with Hubble Space Telescope images like this one, showing them in previously-unattainable detail. Being very stable and long-lived, they act as galactic time capsules, preserving stars from the earliest stages of a galaxy’s formation.
Astronomers once thought that the stars in a globular cluster all formed together at about the same time, but study of the old globular clusters in our galaxy has uncovered multiple populations of stars at a rnage of ages. In order to use globular clusters as historical markers, we must understand how they form and where these stars of varying ages come from. This observing program examined old globular clusters like NGC 1786 in these external galaxies to see if they, too, contain multiple populations of stars. This research can tell us more not only about how the LMC was originally formed, but the Milky Way Galaxy, too.
Image Description: A cluster of stars in space. It is bright in the center, where the stars are densely packed together in the cluster’s core, and grows dimmer and more diffuse out to the edges, as the stars give way to the dark background of space. A few orange stars are spread across the cluster, but most are pale, bluish-white points of light. Three large stars with cross-shaped spikes around them lie between us and the cluster.
ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Monelli
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç
Release Date: July 14, 2025
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #NGC1786 #Dorado #Constellation #LMC #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Moon Science: Malapert Massif | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Moon Science: Malapert Massif | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Malapert massif (informal name) is thought to be a remnant of the South Pole-Aitken basin rim. It formed more than 4 billion years ago. More recently, this magnificent peak (lower left) was selected as an Artemis 3 candidate landing region. Image is 25 kilometers wide in the center.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) shuttered this Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) view on March 3, 2023, when the spacecraft was about 170 kilometers beyond Shackleton crater (sub-spacecraft point was 84.10°S, 129.1°E) looking towards the nearside. From this viewpoint, we see the back side of Malapert massif assuming an Earth-centric reference.
Imagine the view from the summit; it rises more than 5000 meters (16,400 feet) above its base. Off in the distance, you could see a 3500 meter (11,480 feet) tall cliff. One could argue that the sheer grandeur of this region makes it a prime candidate.
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.
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Release Date: March 14, 2023
Planet Mars: Dust Devil Dance | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Planet Mars: Dust Devil Dance | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Dune fields in the high southern latitudes of Mars tell a mostly similar story during local summer. The dark dunes grow warmer than the surrounding bright plains because they absorb more sunlight.
Dust devils form over the warm dunes but then dance out over the plains, spinning and performing pirouettes and leaving conspicuous dark tracks as bright dust is lifted from the surface. Loops in the tracks can often be used to discern the direction traveled by the dust devils, where in certain cases, one track clearly overprints the other.
This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 249 kilometers (155 miles).
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.
Image Date: Sept. 3, 2020
Release Date: July 13, 2025
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #DustDevils #Wind #Dust #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education
Anatomy of a NASA Space Shuttle (1981-2011)
Anatomy of a NASA Space Shuttle (1981-2011)
This illustration shows the parts of a space shuttle orbiter. About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment (normally carrying up to seven crew members), the cargo bay, and the three main engines mounted on its aft end. The orbiter was the heart and brains of the space shuttle and served as the crew transport vehicle that carried astronauts to and from space. The space shuttle was comprised of the orbiter, the main engines, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters. The space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft and the first spacecraft in history that could carry large satellites to and from orbit. The official NASA program name was the Space Transportation System (STS).
NASA’s shuttle fleet achieved numerous firsts and opened up space to more people than ever before during the Space Shuttle Program’s 30 years of missions.
From the first launch on April 12, 1981 to the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASA's space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations.
Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space to date, the International Space Station. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended July 21, 2011 when Atlantis rolled to a stop at its home port, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image Description: An illustration of a space shuttle orbiter on a white background. There are cutaways revealing parts of the orbiter, like the hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide tanks, engines, and thrusters at left, and the flight deck, mid-deck, and nose gear at front. The orbiter is white and in the middle, has a U.S. flag on it as well as the words "United States" and the initials "USA."
Recycling shuttle parts for NASA's Artemis Human Spaceflight Program to The Moon: For Artemis I to Artemis IV Moon Missions, recycled Shuttle main engines will be used before manufacturing new engines. From Artemis I to Artemis III, recycled Shuttle solid rocket boosters' engines and steel casings are to be used before building new ones. From Artemis I to Artemis VI, the Orion main engine will use six previously flown Space Shuttle orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines.
https://www.nasa.gov/space-shuttle/
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Planetary Nebula Menzel 3 | Hubble Space Telescope
Planetary Nebula Menzel 3 | Hubble Space Telescope
From ground-based telescopes, the so-called "ant nebula" (Menzel 3, or Mz 3) resembles the head and thorax of a garden-variety ant. This dramatic NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image, showing ten times more detail, reveals the "ant's" body as a pair of fiery lobes protruding from a dying, Sun-like star in the constellation Norma within our Milky Way galaxy.
Distance: 8,000 light years
The Hubble images directly challenge old ideas about the last stages in the lives of stars. By observing Sun-like stars as they approach their deaths, the Hubble Heritage image of Mz 3—along with pictures of other planetary nebulae—shows that our Sun's fate probably will be more interesting, complex, and striking than astronomers imagined just a few years ago.
Planetary nebula Mz3 is being cast off by a star similar to our Sun that is, surely, round. Why then would the gas that is streaming away create an ant-shaped nebula that is distinctly not round? Clues might include the high 1,000-kilometer per second speed of the expelled gas, the light-year long length of the structure, and the magnetism of the star featured here at the nebula's center. One possible answer is that Mz3 is hiding a second, dimmer star that orbits close in to the bright star. A competing hypothesis holds that the central star's own spin and magnetic field are channeling the gas. Since the central star appears to be so similar to our own Sun, astronomers hope that increased understanding of the history of this giant space ant can provide useful insight into the likely future of our own Sun and Earth.
Release Date: July 13, 2025
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #Menzel3 #PNMz3 #AntNebula #Norma #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #APoD #HD #Video
Planetary Nebula Menzel 3 | Hubble Space Telescope
Planetary Nebula Menzel 3 | Hubble Space Telescope
From ground-based telescopes, the so-called "ant nebula" (Menzel 3, or Mz 3) resembles the head and thorax of a garden-variety ant. This dramatic NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image, showing ten times more detail, reveals the "ant's" body as a pair of fiery lobes protruding from a dying, Sun-like star in the constellation Norma within our Milky Way galaxy. Distance: 8,000 light years
The Hubble images directly challenge old ideas about the last stages in the lives of stars. By observing Sun-like stars as they approach their deaths, the Hubble Heritage image of Mz 3—along with pictures of other planetary nebulae—shows that our Sun's fate probably will be more interesting, complex, and striking than astronomers imagined just a few years ago.
Planetary nebula Mz3 is being cast off by a star similar to our Sun that is, surely, round. Why then would the gas that is streaming away create an ant-shaped nebula that is distinctly not round? Clues might include the high 1,000-kilometer per second speed of the expelled gas, the light-year long length of the structure, and the magnetism of the star featured here at the nebula's center. One possible answer is that Mz3 is hiding a second, dimmer star that orbits close in to the bright star. A competing hypothesis holds that the central star's own spin and magnetic field are channeling the gas. Since the central star appears to be so similar to our own Sun, astronomers hope that increased understanding of the history of this giant space ant can provide useful insight into the likely future of our own Sun and Earth.
Release Date: Feb. 1, 2001
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #Menzel3 #PNMz3 #AntNebula #Norma #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education
Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission & Expedition 73 Crew Photos | International Space Station
Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission & Expedition 73 Crew Photos | International Space Station
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
Release Dates: July 10-12, 2025
#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #Ax4 #Ax4Crew #Ax4Mission #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #ESA #Poland #Hungary #ISRO #India #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education
Rehearsal for Tianzhou-9 Cargo Mission Completed | China Space Station
Rehearsal for Tianzhou-9 Cargo Mission Completed | China Space Station
China successfully conducted a joint rehearsal on Sunday morning, July 13, 2025, for the upcoming launch of the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft. It is tasked with carrying supplies to the Tiangong space station, confirming all systems ready for launch.
Under the coordination of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, the Wenchang Space Launch Site, the Xi'an Satellite Control Center and the mission's sub control stations simulated the pre-launch procedures, the launch procedures, and the spacecraft flight at around 08:20 Sunday. The full-area rehearsal assessed the compatibility and coordination among the different systems.
"The Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft is the one with the highest payload among the latest modified versions, carrying hundreds more of kilograms than its predecessors. The Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft is also the first spacecraft equipped with emergency launch capabilities. The emergency launch capabilities were available at the time when the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft was launched. This time, we will launch it under normal conditions," said Li Zhiyong, a researcher with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
The full-area rehearsal is the most comprehensive simulation exercise for the Tianzhou-9 mission with the maximum number of participating systems and elements, except for the ignition launch.
The successful completion of the rehearsal means that all systems are ready for the launch.
"We've finished all preparations that follow the transfer of the spacecraft and rocket combination to the launch tower. We are about to start the final electrical tests and the cargo-loading drill before the launch. We've made all necessary preparations to ensure that the launch mission proceeds smoothly as planed," Li said.
At present, the space station combination is working normally, and the Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew is also conducting manual remote operation training in orbit to prepare for the arrival of the Tianzhou-9.
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: July 13, 2025
Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission | Farewell Ceremony | International Space Station
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
Duration: 15 minutes
Capture Date: July 13, 2025
#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #Ax4 #Ax4Crew #Ax4Mission #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Planet Mars: Cliffs in Ancient Ice | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Planet Mars: Cliffs in Ancient Ice | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 250 kilometers (155 miles).
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.
Image Date: August 15, 2020
Release Date: July 12, 2025
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #Ice #IceCliffs #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education
Manitoba Burning | NASA Aqua Earth Satellite (Alert: Set for Budget Cancelation)
Manitoba Burning | NASA Aqua Earth Satellite (Alert: Set for Budget Cancelation)
Large fires have burned in Canada’s Manitoba province since May 2025, but the intensity of activity escalated in July. The province’s wildfire service reported 98 active fires burning on July 8, including 16 that were listed as out of control across the northern, western, and eastern parts of the province. Lightning, drought, heat, and strong winds have contributed to the intensity of the latest fire outbreak.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of smoke and fires in northern Manitoba on July 9, 2025. At the time the image was acquired, dense smoke plumes from several of the largest fires streamed north. However, satellites have often observed plumes from Manitoba’s fires blowing east in recent weeks and months.
NASA’s Aqua Earth satellite is one of nineteen active NASA science missions being canceled in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. NASA's total science budget is being reduced by 47%.
https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/
Several communities and more than 10,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, according to officials. Among them were Snow Lake, Garden Hill, Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids, Split Lake, and Pukatawagan. According to news reports, several homes were destroyed in Split Lake, also called Tataskweyak, a Cree Nation community in northern Manitoba.
As of July 9, fires in 2025 had charred 4.8 million hectares across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. That’s an area about twice the size of New Jersey and nearly four times the 25-year average. Manitoba accounted for about 1 million hectares of burned area, about 20 times more than at the same point in 2024 and 13 times more than the 25-year average.
NASA’s satellite data are part of a global system of observations that are used to track fire behavior and analyze emerging trends. Among the real-time wildfire monitoring tools that NASA makes available are Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), the Worldview browser, and the Fire Event Explorer. Data from several NASA missions and projects also contribute to web tools and models relevant to the study of air quality.
Image Date: July 9, 2025
Release Date: July 11, 2025
#NASA #Space #Earth #Planet #Satellites #Science #Atmosphere #Weather #Meteorology #Canada #Manitoba #Wildfires #Fires #Smoke #Clouds #Pyrocumulonimbus #PyroCb #AquaSatellite #MODIS #EarthObservingSystem #EarthObservation #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Environment #RemoteSensing #STEM #Education
Shenzhou-19 Astronauts Share Experience of 183-Day Mission | China Space Station
Shenzhou-19 Astronauts Share Experience of 183-Day Mission | China Space Station
The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou-19 crewed mission shared their unique experience of their six-month stay at the Tiangong Space Station, when meeting with the press in Beijing on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, their first public appearance after returning to Earth in April 2025.
All three crew members—Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze—are in good physical and psychological health. Their muscle strength, endurance and exercise cardiopulmonary function have basically returned to pre-flight levels.
After completing the work during the recovery period and health recovery assessment, the three astronauts will return to normal training.
"The Shenzhou-19 mission marks the fourth crewed flight since China's space station entered its application and development phase. During our stay in orbit, we successfully conducted three extravehicular activities (EVAs) and completed multiple experimental tests and research projects across various fields, many of which were implemented for the first time in the space station's application and development phase. It's fair to say that the Shenzhou-19 mission is an exceptionally intensive and particularly significant flight," said Cai, commander of the Shenzhou-19 mission.
Song Lingdong, the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs in space, recalled the first spacewalk of their mission. They worked for nine hours on completing multiple tasks, including the installation of space-debris protection devices, setting a new record for the duration of extravehicular activities by Chinese astronauts.
"With the rapid development of China's manned space program, more and more young people, particularly those born in the 1990s, are joining this endeavor and gradually shouldering the mission of our generation. During our extravehicular activity, the mission commander and I executed every operation with precision. I mounted over 100 handrails on the exterior of the station and coordinated with the commander to reach multiple work points. After more than nine hours of spacewalk, we successfully completed the installation of the space-debris protection devices, and the inspections and maintenance of external equipment," Song said.
Wang Haoze, the country's first female space engineer, was mainly responsible for space experiment projects and the management of materials and space station affairs during the Shenzhou-19 mission.
"We executed a total of 88 space science experiments and six payload transfer operations with about half representing first-of-their-kind tests aboard the space station. These projects have now yielded phased achievements. As a space engineer, I truly understand that the results of scientific research are not easily attained, which makes me treasure every single experiment we conduct," she said.
China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft on Oct. 30, 2024. The trio returned to Earth on April 30, 2025, after 183 days in orbit.
Shenzhou-19 Crew:
Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)
Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)
Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: July 10, 2025
#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou19Mission #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ChenDong #ChenZhongrui #WangJie #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiements #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video
NASA Astronaut Reunion: Ayers, Whitson & McClain | International Space Station
NASA Astronaut Reunion: Ayers, Whitson & McClain | International Space Station
Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anne McClain: "They say you live with your choices . . . well, we certainly are doing just that! Peggy Whitson was on the astronaut selection committee that selected me in 2013, and I was on the selection committee that selected astronaut Nichole Ayers in 2021. Now, we all are living and working together aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 73 and Ax-4 missions (and having a LOT of fun in the process). When you reach your goals, send the elevator back down!"
Peggy Whitson (United States) Biography
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson
Astronaut Anne McClain NASA Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/anne-c-mcclain/
Mission managers have given the “go” for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and undock from the International Space Station’s space-facing port on the Harmony module at 7:05 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 14. Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson will lead Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu back to Earth completing a two-and-a-half-week research mission aboard the orbiting lab.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)
Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Release Date: July 10, 2025
#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #Ax4Commander #AnneMcClain #NicholeAyers #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education
















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