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NASA Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Move: Preparing for Moon Rocket Integration
Crews transport NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft from the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) to the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. Technicians will integrate Orion with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system designed to carry the crew to safety in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and return them safely back home.
Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett Image Date: Aug. 10, 2025
The light from an orbital sunrise refracts through a window inside the International Space Station's "window to the world," the Cupola. At bottom, a portion of the orbital outpost's U.S. segment is illuminated including the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's forward port. The station was soaring 259 miles above the Republic of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 3:40 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken.
The Cupola is a panoramic control tower for the International Space Station—a dome-shaped module with windows that allows operations on the outside of the station to be observed and guided. It is a pressurized observation and work area that accommodates command and control workstations and other hardware. The Cupola offers a 360 degree view.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center Image Date: June 13, 2025
Galaxy NGC 2146 | Hubble & Chandra [Budget Alert: Chandra to be Canceled)
NGC 2146 is a spiral galaxy with one of its dusty arms blocking the view of the galaxy’s center from Earth’s perspective. X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show double star systems and hot gas that is being driven away from the galaxy by supernova explosions and winds from giant stars.
X-rays from Chandra show as pink and purple, while optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Las Cumbres Observatory in Chile and infrared data from the National Science Foundation’s Kitt Peak Observatory are in red, green, and blue.
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. NASA's science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%. NASA's total budget will become the lowest since 1961, after accounting for inflation.
Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe budget cuts at NASA:
NGC 2146 is classified as a barred spiral due to its shape, but the most distinctive feature is the dusty spiral arm that has looped in front of the galaxy's core as seen from our perspective. The forces required to pull this structure out of its natural shape and twist it up to 45 degrees are colossal. The most likely explanation is that a neighboring galaxy is gravitationally perturbing it and distorting the orbits of many of NGC 2146’s stars. It is probable that we are currently witnessing the end stages of a process which has been occurring for tens of millions of years.
NCG 2146 is undergoing intense bouts of star formation, to such an extent that it is referred to as a starburst galaxy. This is a common state for barred spirals, but the extra gravitational disruption that NGC 2146 is enduring no doubt exacerbates the situation, compressing hydrogen-rich nebulae and triggering stellar birth.
Measuring about 80,000 light-years from end to end, NGC 2146 is slightly smaller than the Milky Way. It lies approximately 70 million light-years distant in the faint northern constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). Although it is fairly easy to see with a moderate-sized telescope as a faint elongated blur of light it was not spotted until 1876 when the German astronomer Friedrich Winnecke found it visually using just a 16 cm telescope.
Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Infrared: NSF/NOAO/KPNO
Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare Release Date: Aug. 11, 2025
NASA's SpaceX Crew-10: Helicopter Flight Post-splashdown Off California Coast
NASA astronaut Anne McClain is seen inside an elevator onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon that will take her up to a waiting helicopter to fly to Long Beach, California
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers is helped aboard a helicopter on the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon to fly to Long Beach, California
NASA astronaut Anne McClain is helped aboard a helicopter on the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon to fly to Long Beach, California
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi is helped aboard a helicopter on the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon to fly to Long Beach, California
Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia is seen inside an elevator onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon that will take him up to a waiting helicopter to fly to Long Beach, California
The helicopter carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia takes off from the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon shortly after they landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.
From right to left, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Aki Hoshide, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev of Russia are seen aboard a helicopter en route to stage for the landing of the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft
At 11:33 a.m. EDT, on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California. This completes a stay in space of 148 days for the four-person crew. After egressing the spacecraft, the crew received medical checks before being flown via helicopter to meet up with a NASA aircraft in Long Beach, California, bound for Houston.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Returns to Ellington Field | Johnson Space Center
Video coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 returning at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, on August 9, 2025. Footage includes aircraft approach, landing, and taxi, as well as NASA leadership and fellow NASA astronauts greeting NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia as the crew exits the aircraft.
Crew-10 completed a long-duration science mission aboard the International Space Station and spent a total of 148 days in space. After undocking from the orbiting laboratory, Crew-10 splashed down at 11:33 a.m. EDT on Saturday, August 9, 2025, in the in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Time: 3 minutes
Capture Date: Aug. 9, 2025 Release Date: Aug. 11, 2025
Gemini South Observatory's Laser Guide Star | NOIRLab
The Gemini South Telescope, half of the International Gemini Observatory, shines a low power laser into the sky to create a laser guide star. This laser guide star serves as a reference for the telescope's adaptive optics system so that it can 'cancel out' the effect of atmospheric turbulence on the images of its actual targets. The Gemini South telescope is located on a mountain in the Chilean Andes called Cerro Pachón, where very dry air and negligible cloud cover make this another prime telescope location.
Inside the Vera Rubin Auxiliary Telescope in Chile | NOIRLab
Bask in the red lights and enjoy a night inside the Rubin Auxiliary Telescope. As the telescope slews to its various targets, the Large Magellanic Cloud (0:03) and the Milky Way (0:08) peek through the dome slit.
The jointly funded National Science Foundation (NSF) and United States Department of Energy Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a brand new astronomy and astrophysics facility that is nearing completion on Cerro Pachón in Chile. It is named after the astronomer Vera Rubin. She provided the first convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter.
Learn more about Vera Rubin and the Rubin Auxiliary Telescope:
NASA Artemis II Orion Spacecraft: Moon Rocket Integration Prep | NASA Kennedy
NASA engineers and technicians pose for a photograph in front of the agency’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion arrived at the MPPF in early May for fueling and processing and will next head to the spaceport’s Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) to be integrated with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
The Artemis II crew will be sent on a ten-day Moon journey no earlier than April 2026.
Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:
Galaxy NGC 45 in Cetus: "Low brightness, High interest" | Hubble
This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture zooms in on the feathery spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 45. It lies just 22 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale).
The data used to create this portrait were drawn from two complementary observing programs. The first took a broad view of 50 nearby galaxies, leveraging Hubble’s ability to observe light from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared in order to study star formation in these galaxies. The second program examined many of the same nearby galaxies as the first, narrowing in on a particular wavelength of red light called H-alpha. Star-forming nebulae are powerful producers of H-alpha light, and several of these regions can be identified across NGC 45 by their bright pink-red color.
These observing programs aimed to study star formation in galaxies of various sizes, structures, and degrees of isolation. NGC 45 is a particularly interesting target. Alhough it may appear to be a regular spiral galaxy, NGC 45 is actually a remarkable type called a low surface brightness galaxy.
Low surface brightness galaxies are fainter than the night sky itself, making them incredibly difficult to detect. They appear unexpectedly faint because they have relatively few stars for the amount of gas and dark matter they carry. In the decades since the first low surface brightness galaxy was serendipitously discovered in 1986, researchers have learned that 30–60% of all galaxies may fall into this category. Studying these hard-to-detect galaxies is key to understanding how galaxies form and evolve, and Hubble’s sensitive instruments are equal to the task.
Image Description: This Hubble image features a close-up view of the outer arms of the spiral galaxy NGC 45. These spiral arms are filled with tiny blue dots—stars—and glowing pink clouds—star-forming nebulae. This is shown against a dark background.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Calzetti, R. Chandar Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç Release Date: Aug. 11, 2025
"Catch a Falling Meteor" | International Space Station
Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui: "Today, please enjoy watching a shooting star falling to the ground under the gaze of Aldebaran and the Pleiades . . . I hope everyone’s wishes come true!" —Kimiya Yui 油井 亀美也
A meteor, also known as a shooting star or falling star, is a visible passage of a glowing meteoroid, micrometeoroid, comet or asteroid through Earth's atmosphere. The meteoroid is heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a streak of light via its rapid motion and sometimes also by shedding glowing material in its wake. The short-lived trail of light the burning meteoroid produces is called a meteor. Shooting stars are not actually stars, but meteoroids consisting of small rocks and dust that sometimes enter the Earth's atmosphere.
"Catch a Falling Star" is a song written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. It was made famous by Perry Como. He recorded and released his version in late 1957.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Welcome Home: Japanese Astronaut Takuya Onishi Readapting to Earth Gravity
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, former Crew-10 member and commander of Expedition 73 at the International Space Station: "About 10 hours after returning, I was able to walk this much, but I’m desperately trying to keep my balance. Everyone living in such a harsh environment, you’re truly amazing. I feel like just “being” in this world consumes so much energy. 😅 I get tired and sleepy after a little activity, so I feel like a baby."
At 11:33 a.m. EDT, on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California. This completed a stay in space of 148 days for the four-person crew. After egressing the spacecraft, the crew received medical checks. They were then flown via helicopter to meet up with a NASA aircraft bound for Houston.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
View of Zodiacal Light in The Canary Islands (AI Narration)
What's that strange light down the road?
Dust orbiting the Sun. At certain times of the year, a band of sun-reflecting dust from the inner Solar System appears prominently just after sunset—or just before sunrise—and is called zodiacal light. Although the origin of this dust is still being researched, a leading hypothesis holds that zodiacal dust originates mostly from faint Jupiter-family comets and slowly spirals into the Sun. Recent analysis of dust emitted by Comet 67P, visited by the European Space Agency's robotic Rosetta spacecraft, bolsters this hypothesis. Pictured when climbing a road up to Teide National Park in the Canary Islands of Spain, a bright triangle of zodiacal light appeared in the distance soon after sunset. Captured on June 21, 2019, the scene includes bright Regulus, the alpha star of the constellation Leo, standing above center toward the left. The Beehive Star Cluster (M44) can be spotted below center, closer to the horizon and also immersed in the zodiacal glow.
Image Credit & Copyright: Ruslan Merzlyakov Ruslan's website:
Dust orbiting the Sun. At certain times of the year, a band of sun-reflecting dust from the inner Solar System appears prominently just after sunset—or just before sunrise—and is called zodiacal light. Although the origin of this dust is still being researched, a leading hypothesis holds that zodiacal dust originates mostly from faint Jupiter-family comets and slowly spirals into the Sun. Recent analysis of dust emitted by Comet 67P, visited by the European Space Agency's robotic Rosetta spacecraft, bolsters this hypothesis. Pictured when climbing a road up to Teide National Park in the Canary Islands of Spain, a bright triangle of zodiacal light appeared in the distance soon after sunset. Captured on June 21, 2019, the scene includes bright Regulus, the alpha star of the constellation Leo, standing above center toward the left. The Beehive Star Cluster (M44) can be spotted below center, closer to the horizon and also immersed in the zodiacal glow.
Image Credit & Copyright: Ruslan Merzlyakov Ruslan's website:
Shenzhou-20 Crew Achieves Progress on Range of Tasks | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-20 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station completed a variety of tasks last week, including unpacking new extravehicular spacesuits and advancing multiple scientific experiments and tests, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The astronaut trio—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie—entered the Tiangong space station on April 25 this year. They have completed a series of duties in orbit since then.
Last week, the crew unpacked two new sets of extravehicular spacesuits transported by the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft, and conducted functional performance tests and maintenance.
The design lifespan of the two suits, designated D and E, has been significantly extended from 15 extravehicular activities (EVAs) within three years to 20 EVAs within four years.
Meanwhile, a series of on-orbit experiments progressed steadily.
In the field of space life science and biotechnology, the crew used organ-on-a-chip technology to study the effects of the space environment on the blood-brain barrier and brain function at cellular, tissue, and organ levels, while exploring the underlying mechanisms.
This research will help predict health risks and develop related interventions for astronauts during long-term space missions.
The crew completed several space medical experiments as well, such as investigating bone metabolism regulation and studying microbiota and nutritional metabolism.
Crew commander Chen Dong used Raman spectroscopy to analyze urinary metabolic components, providing important data to support ground researchers in refining the assessment system for space metabolic indicators.
The three astronauts also conducted research on the impact of respiratory microorganisms on the respiratory system in the space environment by collecting throat swab samples.
In terms of new technology and applications, the crew conducted microbial control experiments in the extraterrestrial habitat. They used bacterial detection plates to compare microbial levels on the selected module before and after disinfection, thus evaluating the effectiveness of the disinfection process.
The trio also installed the experimental setup for the material-energy conversion and regeneration system. Through comparative space-ground experiments, the research team will verify the wastewater purification and energy recovery performance of microbial fuel cells in space.
In the field of microgravity physical science, the crew completed combustion experiments, which included replacing the burner within the experimental module.
During the trial operation of the on-orbit mixed reality (MR) training device, the astronauts wore portable MR glasses and achieved seamless interaction with the MR system through simple voice or gesture commands.
Furthermore, the crew completed the installation and testing of a -80 degrees Celsius space refrigerator in the Wentian lab module, and carried out the replacement of the core module's sleeping compartment door.
Additionally, the trio conducted comprehensive health monitoring, including bone density and muscle volume measurements, maximal isometric strength testing, and audiometric examinations, while actively performing exercises to cope with weightlessness.
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: 3 minutes Release Date: Aug. 10, 2025
NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon Spacecraft Recovery Off California Coast
Support teams work around the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia aboard in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.
Support teams raise the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft aboard the recovery ship Shannon shortly after it landed.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft is seen as it lands.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Emblem
At 11:33 a.m. EDT, on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California. This completes a stay in space of 148 days for the four-person crew. After egressing the spacecraft, the crew received medical checks before being flown via helicopter to meet up with a NASA aircraft bound for Houston.
NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
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