Friends of NASA

Friday, July 18, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Can I Get Involved with NASA Science? We Asked a NASA Expert

How Can I Get Involved with NASA Science? We Asked a NASA Expert

Want to do real NASA science? You can. Right now, dozens of NASA projects need your help. From spotting asteroids to searching for planets beyond our solar system, and so much more, there are projects for everyone. And you do not need a PhD to get involved, just your curiosity!

A NASA expert explains how to get involved.

Start exploring: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/

Credit: NASA
Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessie Wilde
Editor: Daniel Salazar
Duration: 1 minute, 39 seconds
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #CitizenScience #ResearchProjects #ScienceProjects #Scientists #Stars #Sun #Eclipses #Planets #Exoplanets #Earth #EarthScience #Asteroids #SolarSystem #Cosmos #Universe #DarkEnergy #SpaceExploration #Students #HighSchool #University #AdultLearners #ContinuousEducation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Moon Science: Silicic Volcanoes | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Silicic Volcanoes | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

The silicic volcano Mairan T (41.79°N, 311.61°E) stands over 600 meters tall and in stark albedo contrast to the surrounding dark mare basalts of Oceanus Procellarum. The view is from west-to-east and this scene is 6.6 kilometers wide.

Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Moon. It is the only one of the lunar maria to be called an "Oceanus" (ocean), due to its size. Oceanus Procellarum is the largest of the maria ("seas"), stretching more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi) across its north–south axis and covering roughly 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), accounting for 10.5% of the Moon's total surface area.

The Mairan T dome is a large silicic volcanic structure with a pronounced summit depression. Remote sensing indicates that the composition of the volcanic material (lava) making up the dome is enriched in silica (SiO2). This rock type would be classified as either rhyolite or dacite on Earth, and the composition starkly contrasts with the dark, iron-rich mare basalts that embay the Mairan T dome. Most of the volcanism on the Moon is basaltic or iron-rich. Still, silicic volcanism also occurred on the Moon. Indeed, bits and pieces of similar materials were found in the Apollo samples; however, all are small fragments delivered to the Apollo sites as material ejected from distant impact events. One of the great questions for lunar science is how the silicic materials formed. On Earth, specific tectonic settings and higher water contents in the rocks favor the formation of such lavas; however, the Moon lacks plate tectonics and water-rich sediments. NASA is planning a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander mission to another, larger silicic volcano, one of the Gruithuisen domes, to address this question.

The Mairan T dome formed before the emplacement of the surrounding mare basalts. The large central depression represents the collapse of the central vent during the final stages of eruption. The volcano may also have spewed material—ash and dust—over the surrounding plains, but evidence of such erupted materials, known as pyroclastic deposits, would have been long since covered over by the basaltic lavas. Since then, continued degradation of the steep slopes of the cone by small impact events has spread silicic materials out onto the nearby basaltic plains. Explore this magnificent oblique view and see if you can find evidence for this late-stage mass wasting.

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.

Learn more about NASA's LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, NAC M1387416559LR
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Release Date: Oct. 11, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Geology #Geoscience #OceanusProcellarum #Volcanism #SilicicVolcanoes #Volcanoes #Silica #SiO2 #MairanT #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LunarSpacecraft #LROC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Mars: Giant Gully in Kaiser Crater Dunes | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars: Giant Gully in Kaiser Crater Dunes | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

HiRISE has been monitoring this dune field since 2008, and it changes every year from gully erosion in the winter and blowing sand in the summer. Kaiser Crater is 207km in diameter (129 miles) and is located in Noachis Terra west of Hellas Planitia. Noachis Terra is an extensive southern landmass (terra) of the planet Mars. It lies west of the giant Hellas impact basin, roughly between the latitudes −20° and −80° and longitudes 30° west and 30° east. It is in the Noachis quadrangle.

This cutout shows an especially large gully. The bright white materials are seasonal frost, persisting on shaded slopes.

This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 252 kilometers (156 miles).

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: Dec. 29, 2019
Release Date: May 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #SouthernHemisphere #NoachisTerra #ImpactCraters #KaiserCrater #Dunes #Gullies #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: July 17-18, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: July 17-18, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - Sol 4602

Mars 2020 - Sol 1566

Mars 2020 - Sol 1567

MSL - Sol 4600

Mars 2020 - Sol 1567

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 17-18, 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

Tianzhou 1 to 9: The Rise of China's Space Cargo Program | China Space Station

Tianzhou 1 to 9: The Rise of China's Space Cargo Program | China Space Station

China's "Space Express" program has made remarkable strides! From the pioneering Tianzhou-1 to the cutting-edge Tianzhou-9, these cargo spacecraft have evolved from experimental deliveries to regular high-capacity supply missions for the Tiangong Space Station.

Curious about the groundbreaking highlights of each mission? Let our AI robot, Taikobot, guide you through the fascinating journey of how these spacecraft were transformed.

China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-9 in the early morning on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

At 08:52, the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft docked at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module, said the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-20 crew members aboard the space station will sequentially transfer the items from the cargo spacecraft to the station.

The Tianzhou-9 was launched into space atop a Long March-7 Y10 carrier rocket at 05:34 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

The cargo spacecraft was loaded with approximately 6.5 tonnes of supplies, including life-support materials for the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 astronaut crews, two new sets of Feitian extravehicular spacesuits, a core exercise equipment, and scientific payloads related to space medicine and other experimental fields.

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: CGTN
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: July 16, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarch7Y9Rocket #Tianzhou9 #TianzhouCargoSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou20 #神舟二十号 #Shenzhou20Crew #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

Close-up: Dueling Dust 'Dragons' in Ara | Victor Blanco Telescope

Close-up: Dueling Dust 'Dragons' in Ara | Victor Blanco Telescope

The Fighting Dragons of Ara, formally designated NGC 6188, is an emission nebula located about 4,000 light-years away near the edge of a large molecular cloud in the constellation Ara (the Altar). The nebula was given its name for its resemblance to two ‘dragons’ emerging from within the ominous dark dust clouds to face off with one another. This image is of their ‘profiles’ pointed squarely at each other, captured by the U.S. Department of Energy-built Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

The reddish glow of the dragons’ backs is ionized hydrogen, ‘lit up’ by light from the bright young stars—only a few million years old—in the nebula. Of these young stars, 27 form the beaming open cluster NGC 6193. This gives a background glow that further defines the outline of the dragons. These young stars have also been blowing off intense stellar winds since they ignited, sculpting and shaping the gas and dust into the mythical ‘duel’ that we see today.

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Credits:
Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: R. Colombari and M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)
Release Date: July 9, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC6188 #StellarNursery #Ara #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DECam #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Farewell to Pluto | NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft (Budget Alert: To Be Canceled)

Farewell to Pluto | NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft (Budget Alert: To Be Canceled)

This is the highest-resolution color departure shot of Pluto's receding crescent from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, taken when the spacecraft was 120,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) away from Pluto. Shown in approximate true color, the picture was constructed from a mosaic of six black-and-white images from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), with color added from a lower resolution Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) color image, all acquired between 15:20 and 15:45 UT—about 3.5 hours after closest approach to Pluto—on July 14, 2015. The resolution of the LORRI images is about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) per pixel; the sun illuminates the scene from the other side of Pluto and somewhat toward the top of this image.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. New Horizons has enough fuel left to explore another Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) in the outer solar system. NASA's overall science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%.

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe science budget cuts at NASA: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request

https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/

The image is dominated by spectacular layers of blue haze in Pluto's atmosphere. Scientists believe the haze is a photochemical smog resulting from the action of sunlight on methane and other molecules in Pluto's atmosphere, producing a complex mixture of hydrocarbons such as acetylene and ethylene. These hydrocarbons accumulate into small haze particles, a fraction of a micrometer in size, which preferentially scatter blue sunlight—the same process that can make haze appear bluish on Earth.

As they settle down through the atmosphere, the haze particles form numerous intricate, horizontal layers, some extending for hundreds of miles around large portions of the limb of Pluto. The haze layers extend to altitudes of over 120 miles (200 kilometers). Pluto's circumference is 4,667 miles (7,466 kilometers).

Adding to the beauty of this picture are mountains and other topographic features on Pluto's surface that are silhouetted against the haze near the top of the image. Sunlight casts dramatic and beautiful finger-like shadows from many of these features onto the haze (especially on the left, near the 11 o'clock position), forming crepuscular rays like those often seen in Earth's atmosphere near sunrise or sunset.

Learn more about New Horizons:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
Release Date: July 14, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NewHorizonsMission #Pluto #DwarfPlanet #Planet #KuiperBeltObjects #KBO #Arrokoth #NewHorizonsSpacecraft #JPL #SolarSystem #MSFC #JohnsHopkinsUniversity #JHUAPL #SwRI #SouthwestResearchInstitute #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Robotics #STEM #Education

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Moon Science: Three Impact Events | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Three Impact Events | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Spectacular 4500-meter diameter crater (10.67°S, 225.82°E) formed at the intersection of the rims of Lowell W crater (18-kilometer diameter) and the Orientale basin (750-kilometer diameter). Impact melt and debris spilled from the low point of this not-named crater, 1800-meters downslope from the crater rim high point. East-to-west view, spacecraft altitude 76 kilometers, M1231377442LR

Full oblique image of this dramatic corner of the Orientale basin; east-to-west view, spacecraft altitude 76 kilometers, acquired on October 17, 2016, M1231377442LR

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) World Aeronautical Charts (WAC) topographic map highlighting the location of the 4500-meter diameter crater shown in the opening image (arrow), Lowell W, and Orientale basin rim that runs from the upper center to the lower left. Contour interval 500 meters, map width 140 kilometers

The face of the Moon has been predominantly shaped by three processes: impact, volcanism, and tectonism. The trio of impact events that resulted in this spectacular corner of the Moon occurred over nearly four billion years of lunar history; first, the Orientale basin (>3.7 billion years), Lowell W (one to three billion years), and finally, this unnamed crater (likely <100 million years).

Explore the complex scenery of this landscape; in particular, notice the giant slump block (landslide) that spilled onto the basin floor when Lowell W formed.

Learn more about NASA's LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Geology #Geoscience #Volcanism #ImpactCraters #OrientaleBasin #LowellW #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LROC #NAC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests | NASA Armstrong

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests | NASA Armstrong

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has started taxi tests, marking the first time this one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has moved under its own power. The aircraft completed its first low-speed taxi test, allowing engineers and flight crews to monitor how it handled moving across the runway under its own power. Taxi tests mark the final major ground test before flight operations begin. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. It aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight by reducing the loud sonic boom to a quieter “thump”. Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s first flight is expected to occur in 2025.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more here:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
https://www.nasa.gov/flightlog

X-59 Free Maker Bundle (STEM Education):
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/x-59-maker-bundle-v8.pdf

Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Release Date: July 10, 2025

#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #F15DAircraft #Sonicboom #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #SkunkWorks #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Palmdale #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests | NASA Armstrong

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests | NASA Armstrong

The X-59’s first flight is expected to occur in 2025.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more here:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
https://www.nasa.gov/flightlog

X-59 Free Maker Bundle (STEM Education):
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/x-59-maker-bundle-v8.pdf

Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: July 17, 2025

Planet Mars Images: July 16-17, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: July 16-17, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4600

Mars 2020 - sol 1565

MSL - sol 4600

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 16-17, 2025

Faces of Technology: Meet Scientist Laura Judd | NASA's Langley Research Center

Faces of Technology: Meet Scientist Laura Judd | NASA's Langley Research Center

Meet Laura Judd, a research project scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center. Laura maps air pollution over cities at 28,000 ft.as part of an integrated observing system to better understand air quality. Working with NASA's Health and Air quality Earth Action program, she and others on the team help public health and air quality managers use NASA data to make informed decisions about the air we breathe.

To learn more about how NASA uses air quality data to solve today's challenges, visit: https://haqast.org

Video Credit: NASA Space Technology
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: July 16, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #AirborneScience #Earth #Planet #Environment #Atmosphere #AirPollution #AirQuality #HumanHealth #HAQAST #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #AppliedSciences #NASALangley #LRC #LauraJudd #Scientist #Women #Professional #WomenInSTEM #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Prepares for Launch | International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Prepares for Launch | International Space Station

The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission pose for a photo during a training session for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui.

The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission train for their upcoming trip to the International Space Station at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui.

Crew-11 Emblem

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station will see four people complete a long-duration science expedition in low Earth orbit. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke are serving as commander and pilot of the mission. The crew also has two mission specialists, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia. They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the orbiting lab, they will spend the next eight months conducting science experiments and technology demonstrations.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than July 31 at 12:09 p.m. EDT for Crew-11 Mission launch, pending mission readiness. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A.

The flight is the 11th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon, as well as benefit people on Earth.

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

Image Credits: SpaceX

Capture Date: July 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew11 #SpaceXDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #JAXA #KimiyaYui #Japan #日本 #Cosmonaut #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

SpaceX Crew Dragon Earth Reentry: Part 2 | Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission

SpaceX Crew Dragon Earth Reentry: Part 2 | Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission

Expedition 73 Commander, flight engineer, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi on the International Space Station: "The Ax-4 Dragon 'Grace' re-entering atmosphere. I was watching it from another Dragon in space. It was one of the most amazing scenes I’d ever watched. Congratulations to the Axiom team on a successful mission!"

"'Grace' decreasing its speed as it penetrated through thick atmosphere over the west coast of the United States."

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

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

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

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/T. Onishi
Duration: 1 minute, 12 seconds
Release Date: July 15, 2025

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

SpaceX Crew Dragon Earth Reentry: Part 1 | Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission

SpaceX Crew Dragon Earth Reentry: Part 1 | Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission

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

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

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

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

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds
Release Date: July 15, 2025

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