Wednesday, October 08, 2025

Virgin Galactic: The Feather | "We Build SpaceShips"

Virgin Galactic: The Feather "We Build SpaceShips"

Virgin Galactic’s spaceship adapts to its three phases of flight. It travels to space as a rocket. In space, it folds nearly in half, allowing it to steadily reenter the atmosphere. Then, it becomes a piloted glider, returning customers safely to their departure runway. A single one-of-a-kind system makes it all happen.

Welcome to Virgin Galactic - "The Spaceline for Earth".

Register for updates and learn more at: 
https://www.virgingalactic.com


Video Credit: Virgin Galactic
Duration: 6 minutes, 43 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 8, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #CommercialSpaceflight #VirginGalactic #Year2024 #DeltaSpaceship #SuborbitalFlights #Astronauts #SpaceTourism #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceportAmerica #NewMexico #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close up: The Orion Nebula (M42)—Visible Spectrum | Subaru Telescope

Close up: The Orion Nebula (M42)—Visible Spectrum | Subaru Telescope

The Orion Nebula (M42), located in the winter constellation Orion, is known as a star-forming region located relatively close to Earth, approximately 1,500 light-years away. Its large apparent size makes it easy to find with the naked eye, and a large number of stars can be seen through a telescope.

At the center of the red nebula seen in high-mass star-forming regions is the Trapezium, a cluster of newly formed stars. The ultraviolet rays from the Trapezium ionize hydrogen gas, causing it to glow red.

This image was created using a three-color composite, with the g-band (wavelength 470 nanometers), i-band (wavelength 760 nanometers), and y-band (wavelength 980 nanometers) assigned to blue, green, and red, respectively. It was taken with the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), an ultra-wide-field prime focus camera.

The Subaru Telescope is an astronomical observation facility operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). It is located at the summit of Mauna Kea at an altitude of 4,200 meters in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/


Credits: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan; Image provided by Michitaro Koike and Masayuki Tanaka
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 17, 2025


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #HSC #NAOJ #国立天文台 #Stars #TrapeziumCluster #Nebulae #OrionNebula #Messier42 #M42 #NGC1976 #Cosmos #Universe #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Orion Nebula (M42): Visible Spectrum | Subaru Telescope

The Orion Nebula (M42): Visible Spectrum | Subaru Telescope

The Orion Nebula (M42), located in the winter constellation Orion, is known as a star-forming region located relatively close to Earth, approximately 1,500 light-years away. Its large apparent size makes it easy to find with the naked eye, and a large number of stars can be seen through a telescope.

At the center of the red nebula seen in high-mass star-forming regions is the Trapezium, a cluster of newly formed stars. The ultraviolet rays from the Trapezium ionize hydrogen gas, causing it to glow red.

This image was created using a three-color composite, with the g-band (wavelength 470 nanometers), i-band (wavelength 760 nanometers), and y-band (wavelength 980 nanometers) assigned to blue, green, and red, respectively. It was taken with the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), an ultra-wide-field prime focus camera.

The Subaru Telescope is an astronomical observation facility operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). It is located at the summit of Mauna Kea at an altitude of 4,200 meters in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/


Credits: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan; Image provided by Michitaro Koike and Masayuki Tanaka
Release Date: May 1, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #HSC #NAOJ #国立天文台 #Stars #TrapeziumCluster #Nebulae #OrionNebula #Messier42 #M42 #NGC1976 #Cosmos #Universe #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

COSMOS Field of Galaxies Billions of Years Old: Deep Imaging | Subaru Telescope

COSMOS Field of Galaxies Billions of Years Old: Deep Imaging | Subaru Telescope

This COSMOS field image resembles a jewel box featuring colorful objects that reflect the 13.8 billion-year history of the Universe—from our present Universe to the distant past. The COSMOS field is renowned for its deep exploration of the distant Universe. This image was created using a long exposure of 10-20 hours and shows the vastness of our Universe—full of galaxies. It was taken with the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), an ultra-wide-field prime focus camera.

The Subaru Telescope is an astronomical observation facility operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). It is located at the summit of Mauna Kea at an altitude of 4,200 meters in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/


Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)/Tanaka Masayuki
Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 19, 2025


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #NAOJ #国立天文台 #Stars #Galaxies #COSMOSField #DeepImaging #Cosmos #Universe #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, October 07, 2025

COSMOS Field of Galaxies Billions of Years Old: Deep Imaging | Subaru Telescope

COSMOS Field of Galaxies Billions of Years Old: Deep Imaging | Subaru Telescope

This COSMOS field image resembles a jewel box featuring colorful objects that reflect the 13.8 billion-year history of the Universe, from our present Universe to the distant past. The COSMOS field is renowned for its deep exploration of the distant Universe. This image was created using a long exposure of 10-20 hours and shows the vastness of our Universe—full of galaxies. It was taken with the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), an ultra-wide-field prime focus camera.

The Subaru Telescope is an astronomical observation facility operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). It is located at the summit of Mauna Kea at an altitude of 4,200 meters in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/


Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)/Tanaka Masayuki
Release Date: Feb. 19, 2025


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #NAOJ #国立天文台 #Stars #Galaxies #COSMOSField #DeepImaging #Cosmos #Universe #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Mauna Kea, Hawaii: Home of Japan's Subaru Telescope | International Space Station

Mauna Kea, Hawaii: Home of Japan's Subaru Telescope | International Space Station



Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui: "Just earlier, I passed by the vicinity of Hawaii and took a photo of the Subaru Telescope at the National Astronomical Observatory."  

"I am proud of the Subaru Telescope that has continued to make remarkable observations for over 25 years!"

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/

Mauna Kea is a dormant shield volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi. Its peak is 4,207.3 m (13,803 ft) above sea level, making it the highest point in Hawaii and the island with the second highest high point, behind New Guinea, the world's largest tropical island with multiple peaks that are higher. Mauna Kea is about 38 m (125 ft) higher than Mauna Loa, its more massive neighbor. Hawaiʻi, sometimes written as Hawaii, is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union.


Image Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/Kimiya Yui
Image Date: Oct. 5, 2025


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #MaunaKea #Hawaii #SubaruTelescope #ISS #AstronautPhotography #Astronauts #KimiyaYui #油井亀美也 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Melting Moonbeams? Atmospheric Refraction at Moonset | International Space Station

Melting Moonbeams? Atmospheric Refraction at Moonset | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui: 
". . . This is a video of the Moon taken at the time when you all were probably gazing at it. If you couldn't see the Mid-Autumn full Moon due to bad weather, please watch this one; if you did see it, try comparing it with the ground!"


Expedition 73 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)
JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Zubritskiy, Oleg Platonov
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.

Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/Kimiya Yui
Duration: 50 seconds 
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Earth #ISS #Moon #Moonset #AstronautVideography #Astronauts #KimiyaYui #油井亀美也 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

How to Eat Mooncakes in Microgravity: Mid-Autumn Festival | China Space Station

How to Eat Mooncakes in Microgravity: Mid-Autumn Festival | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 astronauts aboard China's Tiangong Space Station indulged in Mooncake unboxing and eating activities for the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 🥮🥮🥮!  Enjoy!

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full Moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the Moon is at its fullest and brightest, coinciding with the time of harvest in the middle of autumn.

The Shenzhou-20 crew has stayed in orbit for more than 150 days, carrying out a large number of scientific experiments and technological tests.

The Shenzhou-20 astronauts entered the space station on April 25, 2025, for a mission expected to last around 6 months.

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: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)
Duration: 37 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Mooncakes #MidAutumnFestival #中秋节 #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 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Auroras over Tromsø, Norway

Auroras over Tromsø, Norway

Photographer Eva Kristiansen: "Queen Aurora didn't just dance—she reigned with all her colors and power. This was nature performing unforgettable dramas. And it's true, the autumn nights hold their own kind of magic."

Auroras are produced when the Earth's magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind that the trajectories of charged particles in solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, mainly in the form of electrons and protons, precipitate them into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) due to Earth's magnetic field, where their energy is lost. The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emits light of varying color and complexity. [Wikipedia]

Solid Colored Aurora
Green is common at the upper latitudes, while red is rare. On the other hand, aurora viewed from lower latitudes tend to be red.

Element Emission Colors
Oxygen: The big player in the aurora is oxygen. Oxygen is responsible for the vivid green (wavelength of 557.7 nm) and also for a deep brownish-red (wavelength of 630.0 nm). Pure green and greenish-yellow aurorae result from the excitation of oxygen.

Nitrogen: Nitrogen emits blue (multiple wavelengths) and red light.

Other Gases: Other gases in the atmosphere become excited and emit light, although the wavelengths may be outside of the range of human vision or else too faint to see. Hydrogen and helium, for example, emit blue and purple. Although our eyes cannot see all of these colors, photographic film and digital cameras often record a broader range of hues.

Aurora Colors According to Altitude
Above 150 miles: red, oxygen
Up to 150 miles: green, oxygen
Above 60 miles: purple or violet, nitrogen
Up to 60 miles: blue, nitrogen

The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)

Image Credit: Eva Kristiansen 
Image Details: Nikon D850 Nikkor 14-24mm Iso 1600, f/2.8, 2.5 sec.
Eva's website: https://www.instagram.com/xevitak/
Image Date: Oct. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Photography #Photographer #EvaKristiansen #Tromsø #Norway #Norge #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Journey to Didymos Asteroid System: A Year Later | Europe's Hera Mission

Journey to Didymos Asteroid System: A Year Later | Europe's Hera Mission

What a difference a year makes! Today Hera’s asteroid mission for planetary defense is cruising through deep space on the far side of the Sun, headed to its final destination: the Didymos binary asteroid system. However, a year ago, on October 7, 2024, it was uncertain if the mission was ever going to take off at all.

Its launcher was grounded due to a launch anomaly and Hurricane Milton was closing on Cape Canaveral! The mission needed to lift off then and there because it had to perform a flyby of Mars to speed it on its way to Didymos. Any delay would add years to its travel time. Thankfully, Hera received permission for launch and the heavens cleared just half an hour before launch. Liftoff happened to plan—the team had their mission in space!

Since then Hera has been testing out the ‘self-driving’ technology it will use around the asteroids on Earth and the Moon. It performed its flyby of Mars and imaged its very first asteroid from three million kilometers, proving the capability of its main Asteroid Framing Camera. Next, Hera is heading for aphelion, its furthest distance from the Sun. It will reach Didymos in autumn 2026, where it will begin its mission to find out what happened to the smaller asteroid after NASA’s DART spacecraft impacted it in September 2022.

The Hera spacecraft will revisit the Dimorphos asteroid to gather vital close-up data about the deflected body after NASA's DART Mission performed a grand-scale experiment by applying a well-understood and potentially repeatable planetary defense technique. 

On September 26, 2022, moving at 6.1 km/s, NASA’s DART spacecraft crashed into the Dimorphos asteroid. Part of our Solar System changed. The impact shrunk the orbit of the Great Pyramid-sized Dimorphos around its parent asteroid, the mountain-sized Didymos. 

The Hera Mission will also perform the most detailed exploration yet of a binary asteroid system—although binaries make up 15% of all known asteroids, one has never been surveyed in detail.

Learn more about the Hera Mission:
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera


Video Credit: European Space Agency
Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #MarsFlyby #Moons #Deimos #Asteroids #Dimorphos #Didymos #Asteroid #Hera #HeraSpacecraft #CubeSats #Earth #PlanetaryDefense #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Young Stars of The Carina Nebula | Hubble Space Telescope

Young Stars of The Carina Nebula | Hubble Space Telescope

Image Processor Judy Schmidt: "The colors here mean a mix of things. Darker parts are dust or molecular clouds for sure. I want to say the bluer things are reflection [nebulae], while the whitish patch on the right is a combination of emission, reflection, and dust all together. The mouse-shaped cloud at the bottom of the picture is surely surrounded by emission."

HD 93250 is a highly luminous hot blue binary star in the Carina Nebula in the constellation Carina. It is the brightest and slightly off-center star in the picture. Distance: 400 light years


Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Image Processing: Judy Schmidt
Release Date: Aug. 16, 2014


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #EmissionNebulae #ReflectionNebulae #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Stars #StarHD93250 #Carina #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #JudySchmidt #CitizenScience #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Monday, October 06, 2025

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: View from Austria

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: View from Austria

Comet Lemmon is brightening and moving into morning northern skies. Besides Comet SWAN25B and Comet ATLAS, Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is now the third comet currently visible with binoculars and on long camera exposures. Comet Lemmon was discovered early this year and is still headed into the inner Solar System. The comet will round the Sun on November 8, 2025, but first it will pass its nearest to the Earth—at about half the Earth-Sun distance—on October 21. 

Although the brightnesses of comets are notoriously hard to predict, optimistic estimates have Comet Lemmon then becoming visible to the unaided eye. The comet should be best seen in predawn skies until mid-October, when it also becomes visible in evening skies.

Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. Austria is bordered by Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. 


Image Credit: Michael Jaeger
Details: under best mountain conditions after Moonrise, 1.45 UT LRGB 450/90/90/90sec 16"/3.2 QHY 600 2x2 bin Michael Jäger, Gerald Rhemann G00
Capture Location: Astronomical Centre Martinsberg (AZM), Austria
Release Date: Oct. 4, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #MichaelJaeger #Astrophotographers #Martinsberg #Austria #Europe #STEM #Education

Chinese Scientists Find Moon's Far Side "Colder" than Near Side

Chinese Scientists Find Moon's Far Side "Colder" than Near Side

Chinese scientists found the far side of the Moon is colder deep within its interior than the side that always faces Earth. They discovered that the rocks were formed from lava deep within the Moon's interior at a temperature of about 1,100 degrees Celsius, about 100 degrees Celsius cooler than existing samples from the near side.

The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, come from an analysis of the rock fragments collected by China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft in 2024 from the far side of the Moon.

The research team from the China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing University and Shandong University, confirmed that the sampled rocks were about 2.8 billion years old.

Scientists also compared remote sensing data of the Chang'e-6 landing site on the far side with equivalent data from the near side. The results showed a difference of 70 degrees Celsius, closely matching the results of the sample analysis.

"The temperature of the lunar mantle on the far side of the Moon is lower than that on the near side. The basalt samples we collected were formed about 2.8 billion years ago. So the temperatures we have calculated reflect conditions in the past, not the present. They reflect conditions deep inside the Moon—the lunar mantle, not the lunar surface," said He Sheng, a researcher of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology of China National Nuclear Corporation.

China's Chang'e-6 mission in 2024 accomplished humanity's first-ever sampling from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon. The Chang'e-5 probe landed in 2020 on the northwest region of the Ocean of Storms.


Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2025


#NASA #CNSA #Change6  #嫦娥六号 #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #LunarSampleReturn #Geology #LunarNearSide #LunarFarSide #SouthPole #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #CLEP #InternationalCooperation #Pakistan #SouthAfrica #France #Italy #ASI #Sweden #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"Blinking Eye" Planetary Nebula NGC 6826 in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

"Blinking Eye" Planetary Nebula NGC 6826 in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

NGC 6826's eye-like appearance is marred by two sets of blood-red 'fliers' that lie horizontally across the image. The surrounding faint green 'white' of the eye is believed to be gas that made up almost half of the star's mass for most of its life. The hot remnant star (in the center of the blue oval) drives a fast wind into older material, forming a hot interior bubble which pushes the older gas ahead of it to form a bright rim. (The star is one of the brightest stars in any planetary nebula.) NGC 6826 is 2,200 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. This Hubble telescope observation was taken Jan. 27, 1996 with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2.


Credit: Bruce Balick (University of Washington), Jason Alexander (University of Washington), Arsen Hajian (U.S. Naval Observatory), Yervant Terzian (Cornell University), Mario Perinotto (University of Florence, Italy), Patrizio Patriarchi (Arcetri Observatory, Italy) and NASA/ESA
Image Processing: Judy Schmidt
Release Date: Sept. 3, 2013

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC6826 #Cygnus #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #JudySchmidt #CitizenScience #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

'Sunset Glow' in Orion: Reflection Nebula NGC 2023 | Hubble Space Telescope

'Sunset Glow' in Orion: Reflection Nebula NGC 2023 Hubble Space Telescope

The magnificent reflection nebula NGC 2023 lies nearly 1500 light-years from Earth. It is located within the constellation of Orion (The Hunter) in a prestigious area of the sky close to the well-known Flame and Horsehead Nebulae. The entire structure of NGC 2023 is vast at four light-years across. This NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope picture just takes in the southern part with the subtle shades of color closely resembling those of a sunset on Earth.

NGC 2023 surrounds a massive young B-type star. These stars are large, bright and blue-white in color, and have a high surface temperature, being several times hotter than the Sun. The energy emitted from NGC2023’s B-type star illuminates the nebula, resulting in its high surface brightness—good news for astronomers that wish to study it. The star itself lies outside the field of view, at the upper left, and its brilliant light is scattered by Hubble’s optical system, creating the bright flare across the left side of the picture. This is not a real feature of the nebula.

Stars are forming from the material comprising NGC 2023. This Hubble image captures the billowing waves of gas, 5,000 times denser than the interstellar medium. The unusual greenish clumps are thought to be Herbig–Haro objects. These peculiar features of star-forming regions are created when gas ejected at hundreds of kilometers per second from newly formed stars impacts the surrounding material. These shockwaves cause the gas to glow and result in the strange shapes seen here. Herbig–Haro objects typically only last for a few thousand years. This is the blink of eye in astronomical terms.

This picture was created from multiple images taken with the Wide Field Camera of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys.


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA
Image Processing: Judy Schmidt
Release Date: May 3, 2012


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #NGC2023 #ReflectionNebulae #HerbigHaroObjects #Orion #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #JudySchmidt #CitizenScience #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Mid-Autumn Festival Wishes | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Mid-Autumn Festival Wishes | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-20 crew sent their best wishes to the people and the nation for the Mid-Autumn Festival on October 6, 2025, from the orbiting space station Tiangong.

The Shenzhou-20 astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie shared their specially prepared space meals, delivering a distinctive festival greeting to their country from hundreds of kilometers away from Earth.

Early on the morning of the festival, the trio first watered the space garden. The plants growing there are not just part of scientific experiments but also carry the vitality from their earthly home, accompanying the astronauts as they enjoy the same Moon with people across the nation on Earth.

"After removing the old leaves, new leaves could stretch out well. Look at this mint plant, it's really flourishing. It has bloomed with small flowers in space, truly beautiful," said Chen Zhongrui.

"Give the larger plants more water, forming big water droplets," said Wang Jie.

The astronauts also shared their space mooncakes and specially prepared dishes.

"We also have plenty of dishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival," said Chen Dong.

"First, we have delicious white king oyster mushrooms, the second is braised bamboo shoots, the third is bean curd rolls called 'golden rolls,' the fourth is minced pork with mushrooms, and the fifth is shrimp balls with water chestnuts. We also have some side dishes like rice noodles, space zongzi, and sweet osmanthus cheese rice cakes," said Wang.

"Today we have extra dishes, several more than usual," said Chen Dong.

"The portions are very generous. Now let's look at our meat dishes. First, braised pork, this is everyone's favorite. Second, spicy lamb, mildly spicy with a small chili icon on the pack. Then we have black pepper beef fillet, and our eight-treasure chicken. All taste pretty good!" said Chen Zhongrui.

"Mooncakes are essential for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The ground crew thoughtfully prepared mooncakes for us. We naturally share all good things," said Chen Dong.

"It's delicious with the red bean paste filling," said Wang.

"Yes, It's delicious," said Chen Zhongrui.

After sharing their meal, the astronauts sent sincere cosmic-level Mid-Autumn Festival regards via camera.

"Now the space station has entered the airspace over our motherland. This is the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Although we are in our space home 400 kilometers from the Earth, we always think of our homeland. We always like to gaze through the window from one home to another. Although the Earth is always within our sight, with this concern and longing, the motherland in our eyes and minds becomes three-dimensional rather than flat, becomes vivid rather than silent. My motherland, I am proud of you. Beijing is within our camera's view," said Chen Dong.

"With the full moon in mid-autumn night, may all families be reunited," said by three astronauts together.

"Although we are in the vast space, unable to get reunited with our families, our hearts are always closely linked with our motherland and people, and with our families," said Chen Dong.

"From China's space station, we wish everyone a happy festival. May all your families enjoy your reunions, everyone keep fit, and live in harmony," said the astronauts together.


Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #MidAutumnFestival #MidAutumnFestival2025 #Shenzhou20Mission #神舟二十号 #Shenzhou20Crew #Taikonauts #ChenDong #ChenZhongrui #WangJie #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #Video