Steady Progress in Scientific Research & Applications in 2025 | China Space Station

Steady Progress in Scientific Research & Applications in 2025 | China Space Station

China's Tiangong Space Station, launched in 2021, made steady progress in the development of scientific research and its application during 2025, according to a report issued by China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

The report focuses on areas, such as space life sciences and human research, microgravity physics, and new space technologies and applications. It features 33 representative scientific research and application outcomes that have shown remarkable progress, alongside relevant popular science activities.

Since China's crewed space program entered the application and development phase, China has successfully completed six crewed spaceflight missions, four cargo supply missions, and five spacecraft return missions. Notably, it has successfully conducted its first emergency mission.

Six astronaut crews, totaling 18 astronauts, have been stationed in orbit, performing 13 extravehicular activities (EVAs) and multiple EVAs using payloads, in addition to numerous extravehicular maintenance tasks. These efforts have reset the world record for the longest single extravehicular activity (spacewalk) by astronauts.

The selection of the fourth batch of reserve astronauts, including payload experts from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs), was completed, and the development of a low-cost cargo transportation system was initiated.

Preliminary statistics indicate that in 2025, scientific teams across various fields published over 230 high-level SCI papers and obtained more than 70 patents. Through in-depth experimental research and application exploration, several results have been transferred, converted, and promoted, significantly advancing the rapid development of space science and applications in China.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 29 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 9, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #CSU #CAS #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #CMSEO #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Aurora Borealis over Tromsø, Norway | Earth Science

Aurora Borealis over Tromsø, Norway | Earth Science

Astrophotographer Eva Kristiansen: :"Frozen at minus ten degrees, wrapped in absolute silence, the heavens burn as the northern lights spilled their colors across the night."

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field that acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

Earth auroras have different names depending on the pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

The Colors of the Aurora (U.S. National Park Service)

https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast.

Image Credit: Eva Kristiansen

Eva's website: https://www.instagram.com/xevitak/

Image Details: Nikon D850 Nikkor 14-24mm
Image Date: Jan. 8, 2026

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

Earth City Lights & Starlink Satellites with Star Trails | International Space Station

Earth City Lights & Starlink Satellites with Star Trails | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and former International Space Station flight engineer Don Pettit: "Starlink satellites cutting white flashes into a star trail time exposure, creating unique photographic artifacts."

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/D. Pettit
Release Date: Dec 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarTrails #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceX #StarlinkSatellites #Atmosphere #Airglow #Aurora #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

Deep Space & Earth Airglow Views | International Space Station

Deep Space & Earth Airglow Views | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and former International Space Station flight engineer Don Pettit: "Deep space views orbiting the Pacific Ocean. The two vastest frontiers we have known, waiting to be explored!"

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

You will notice red and green airglow in this image. Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. 

Unlike episodic and fleeting auroras, airglow shines constantly throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and the result is a tenuous bubble of light that closely encases our entire planet. (Auroras, on the other hand, are usually constrained to Earth’s poles.) Just a tenth as bright as all the stars in the night sky, airglow is far more subdued than auroras, too dim to observe easily except in orbit or on the ground with clear, dark skies and a sensitive camera.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/D. Pettit
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #DeepSpace #ISS #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Airglow #PacificOcean #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

Catching Light Day & Night | Gemini South Telescope in Chile

Catching Light Day & Night | Gemini South Telescope in Chile

Optical telescopes use mirrors to capture as much light as possible from the night sky. The larger the mirror, the more light it can collect and the more distant, dim, and detailed targets the telescope can resolve. Gemini South is no exception. Perched on the mountain of Cerro Pachón in Chile, Gemini South is one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

The starry sky keeps Gemini busy throughout the night, but the light collection does not stop at sunrise. Gemini South is surrounded by an array of 668 solar panels. These panels collect enough energy from the sunlight to cover 28% of the power required to operate Gemini South. Solar panels at telescopes operated by NSF NOIRLab and other upgrades are part of a wider observatory plan to improve the efficient use of energy across all NOIRLab locations.

Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiSouthTelescope #GMOS #OpticalAstronomy #SolarPanels #Astrophotography #PetrHorálek #Astrophotographer #GeminiObservatory #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #CerroPachón #Chile #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China's Zhurong Mars Rover Finds Longer Liquid Water Existence | CNSA

China's Zhurong Mars Rover Finds Longer Liquid Water Existence | CNSA

Photo released on June 11, 2021 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows a 'selfie' of China's first Mars rover Zhurong with the landing platform.

Zhurong rover image from December 2021.

Zhurong rover image showing its landing platform from June 2021.

Zhurong rover image from June 2021.

Zhurong rover image from June 2021.

Zhurong rover panorama from July 2021.

Zhurong rover panorama from December 2021.

Tianwen-1/Zhurong Rover Mars Mission emblem

Summary: Data from China’s Zhurong Mars rover show that significant water-related activity existed on Mars about 750 million years ago, much later than previously believed. Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar detected a uniform sedimentary layer about 4 meters thick at its landing site in Utopia Planitia, indicating formation in a shallow sea or large lake. The rover traveled 1,921 meters between 2021 and 2022, collecting key data that challenge the view that Mars became fully arid around 3 billion years ago. Researchers said the findings provide new evidence for Mars’ climatic evolution and potential habitability.

China was the first country to successfully send an orbiter, lander, and rover to Mars on its first attempt. China is only the second country after the United States to successfully land and operate a spacecraft on Mars. 

The 240-kilogram Zhurong rover is solar-powered, carries six scientific instruments, and traveled up to 200 meters per Martian day.

By studying the detection data of China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, Chinese geologists have found that the Martian surface had still exhibited significant aqueous activity approximately 750 million years ago.

This discovery shows that water existed on Mars several hundred million years longer than previously thought.

The study, conducted by a research team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in the National Science Review, provides new evidence useful for a better understanding of Martian climatic evolution, geological processes, and potential habitability.

Zhurong successfully landed in the southern Utopia Planitia on Mars in May 2021. It had traveled 1,921 meters on the red planet by May 2022, collecting abundant scientific data in the process.

Zhurong also conducted a high-frequency quad-polarized ground-penetrating radar survey on Mars, similar to performing a detailed CT scan.

Previously, it was widely believed that Mars had entered a global arid phase about 3 billion years ago. However, data from Zhurong reveals that its landing site is extensively covered with a uniform sedimentary layer approximately 4 meters thick underground, including craters buried beneath.

"The uniform thickness and continuity of the sedimentary rule out the possibility of volcanic eruptions or wind-driven processes. The only reasonable explanation is that this area was in an aqueous sedimentary environment at that time, similar to a shallow sea or a large lake," said Liu Yike, the first author and corresponding author of the study.

Meanwhile, the radar also captured centimeter-scale layered sediments that formed in a water-based sedimentary environment, further supporting the existence of a shallow aquatic environment in this region in the past.

"Comprehensive analysis indicates that the landing site of Zhurong underwent a significant resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period, and that sustained aqueous activity still existed on Mars during this period," said Liu.

Zhurong Rover Mars Landing Date: May 14, 2021

Study Credit: Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), Chinese Academy of Sciences

Image Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #国家航天局 #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #天问 #UtopiaPlanitia #Atmosphere #Water #Lakes #WaterIce #Geology #Astrobiology #ZhurongRover #祝融 #Tianwen1 #天问一号 #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #China #中国 #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Scientists #STEM #Education

Nightflight: USA, Canada, Europe & The Middle East | International Space Station

Nightflight: USA, Canada, Europe & The Middle East | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui: "Today, I'd like to introduce a timelapse of the path from the United States across the Atlantic to Europe and the Middle East. I hope this video gives you all a boost of energy! Let's do our best today, too!"

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

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: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/K. Yui
Duration: 35 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #MiddleEast #Astronauts #AstronautVideography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Storm Goretti over Western Europe | Europe's Meteosat-12 Weather Satellite

Storm Goretti over Western Europe | Europe's Meteosat-12 Weather Satellite

This image shows Storm Goretti, a deep low-pressure system that is expected to bring very strong winds, rain, and snow to parts of Ireland, the UK, and France. Coastal areas, particularly in northern France, are also facing flood warnings.

The Meteosat weather satellites provide imagery for the early detection of fast-developing severe weather, weather forecasting and climate monitoring.

The image was captured by the  Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) instrument onboard Meteosat-12 on January 8, 2026. Meteosat-12 is in a geostationary orbit at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometers.

Launched on December 13, 2022, Meteosat-12 scans the full Earth disc every 10 minutes, delivering data more frequently and in sharper detail than its predecessor. It carries two main instruments: the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI). The FCI delivers imaging data in twice as many spectral channels than its predecessor and with an improved spatial resolution, providing more detailed views of fast-changing weather such as storms, fog, and rapidly forming clouds. The satellite also carries the LI, Europe’s first space-based instrument to detect lightning across Europe and Africa, day and night, helping forecasters assess storm development, intensity, and risk.

EUMETSAT has established cooperation with Earth observation satellite operators in Europe, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Learn more:
https://www.eumetsat.int/who-we-are

United Nations: What is Climate Change?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Image Credit: European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
Release Date: Jan. 8, 2026

#NASA #ESA #EUMETSAT #Space #Science #Satellites #Planets #Earth #WesternEurope #StormGoretti #LowPressureSystems #Weather #Meteorology #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Meteosat12 #MeteosatSatellites #EarthObservation #Europe #EuropeanUnion #InternationalCooperation #CivilianSpace #STEM #Education

Mount Everest: New Year Views | International Space Station

Mount Everest: New Year Views | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman: "Chomolungma, Everest from space. My first photo from our first orbit in 2026 was of sunrise painting the Himalaya. It’s a place I’ve never been, though I hope this isn’t the closest I’ll ever get to such mountains. From this distance, even Earth’s tallest peaks look like not much more than a wrinkled bedsheet, but my imagination is easily lost in the view. What incredible sculptures by the artist time. I’m left feeling both very big and very small, all at once. Happy New Year to all on my favorite planet!"

Mount Everest (known locally as Sagarmāthā[a] in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its summit. Its height was most recently measured in 2020 by Chinese and Nepali authorities as 8,848.86 m (29,031 ft 8+1⁄2 in).

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

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/ Z. Cardman 
Release Date: Jan. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #MountEverest #Chomolungma #Nepal #TibetAutonomousRegion #西藏自治区 #China #中国 #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy IC 342: Hidden by Gas & Dust in Camelopardalis

Spiral Galaxy IC 342: Hidden by Gas & Dust in Camelopardalis

Similar in size to large, bright spiral galaxies in our neighborhood, IC 342 is a mere 10 million light-years distant toward the long-necked, northern constellation Camelopardalis. A sprawling island universe, IC 342 would otherwise be a prominent galaxy in our night sky, but it is hidden from clear view and only glimpsed through the veil of stars, gas and dust clouds along the plane of our own Milky Way galaxy. Even though IC 342's light is dimmed and reddened by intervening cosmic clouds, this sharp telescopic image traces the galaxy's own obscuring dust, young star clusters, and glowing star forming regions along spiral arms that wind far from the galaxy's core. IC 342 has undergone a recent burst of star formation activity and is close enough to have influenced the evolution of the local group of galaxies and the Milky Way.

Image Credit & Copyright: Gaetan Maxant

Gaetan's website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/Gmaxt
Release Date: Jan. 8, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #IC342 #Caldwell5 #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #GaetanMaxant #CitizenScientist #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Spiral Galaxy IC 342 in Camelopardalis | Mayall Telescope

Spiral Galaxy IC 342 in Camelopardalis | Mayall Telescope

Spiral Galaxy IC 342 is located roughly 10 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis, “the giraffe.” Its face-on appearance in the sky—as opposed to our tilted and edge-on views of many other nearby galaxies, such as the large spiral galaxy Andromeda (M31)—makes IC 342 a prime target for studies of star formation and astrochemistry. The image, obtained in late 2006, was taken using the 64-megapixel Mosaic-1 digital imager on the Mayall 4-meter telescope. 

IC 342 (also known as Caldwell 5) is an intermediate spiral galaxy located relatively close to the Milky Way. Despite its size and actual brightness, its location behind dusty areas near the galactic equator makes it difficult to observe, leading to the nickname "The Hidden Galaxy", although it can readily be detected even with binoculars. If the galaxy were not obscured, it would be visible by naked eye. The dust makes it difficult to determine its precise distance; modern estimates range between 7 to 10 million light-years. The galaxy was discovered by William Frederick Denning in 1892. It is one of the brightest in the IC 342/Maffei Group, one of the closest galaxy groups to the Local Group. Edwin Hubble first thought it to be in the Local Group, but it was later determined not to be a member.

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after the American observational astronomer of the same name. The telescope saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest in the world at that time.

Learn more about the Mayall Telescope: 
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/kpno/telescopes/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope

Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T.A. Rector (NSF NOIRLab/University of Alaska Anchorage) & H. Schweiker (WIYN/NSF NOIRLab) 
Release Date: Feb. 21, 2007

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #IC342 #Caldwell5 #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #MayallTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

European Space Agency Year 2026 Event Preview

European Space Agency Year 2026 Event Preview

"As a new year begins, let us take a look at what is ahead for the European Space Agency in 2026. From Earth to the farthest reaches of the Solar System, 2026 marks a year of firsts that continue to shape the future of space."

Learn more here: https://www.esa.int

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 6 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #ISS #SophieAdenot #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #DeepSpace #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #HeraMission #Dimorphos #BepiColumboMission #Mercury #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Year 2026 Earth Views | China Space Station

New Year 2026 Earth Views | China Space Station

The China Manned Space Engineering Office on January 7, 2026, released footage of the Earth taken by the country's Tiangong Space Station.

The footage was captured by a camera held by an astronaut in the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong Space Station, showcasing a backdrop of a blue and green planet occasionally obscured by vast clouds.

The Tiangong Space Station is now crewed by the Shenzhou-21 mission. Three astronauts were sent to space on October 31, 2025, for a six-month stay.

The Shenzhou-21 crew consists of mission commander Zhang Lu, along with astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. The trio serve respectively as space pilot, flight engineer and payload specialist, representing the three categories of Chinese astronauts currently employed in the country's space program.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #EarthObservation #AstronautVideography #China #中国 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #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

Southern Greenland | NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis: STS-45 Science Mission

Southern Greenland | NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis: STS-45 Science Mission

Greenland (called Tartupaluk in Inuktitut and Greenlandic) is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest of the kingdom's three constituent parts by land area, the others being Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. It shares a small 1.2 km border with Canada on Hans Island. Citizens of Greenland are full citizens of Denmark and of the European Union. Greenland is one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union and is part of the Council of Europe. It is the world's largest island and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Image Description: The southern tip of Greenland is seen in this high-oblique, almost colorless, stark photograph of the world's largest island. The blackness of space contrasts sharply with the whiteness of clouds, ice, and snow. The only true color is the blue of the Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea. Cloud-free conditions existing along the southern coastal area emphasize the deeply indented fjords along the coast. A close look at the white areas reveals three different features—snow and ice on the land; cloud formations over the central region and the eastern and western sides of the island; and wispy-looking ice floes off the southeast and the southwest tip of the fjord-lined coast that are moved by the East Greenland Current to the south-southwest, and larger ice packs developing north along the east coast. Greenland has the only surviving continental glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. This ice sheet covers seven-eighths of Greenland's surface and contains an estimated 11 percent of the world's fresh water. In addition, the ice in the center of Greenland is 10,000 feet thick. Godthab, the main town on Greenland, lies at 64 N.

This spectacular north looking view of south Greenland (62.0N, 46.0W) shows numerous indentations along the coastline. Many contain small settlements. These indentations are fiords carved by glaciers of the last ice age. Even today, ice in the center of Greenland is as much as 10,000 ft. thick and great rivers of ice continuously flow toward the sea, where they melt or break off as icebergs—examples can be seen floating offshore.

STS-45 was a 1992 NASA Space Shuttle mission using the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Its almost nine-day scientific mission was with a non-deployable payload of instruments. It was the 46th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th for Atlantis. 

The mission carried the first Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-1) on Spacelab pallets mounted in the orbiter's cargo bay. The non-deployable payload, equipped with 12 instruments from the U.S., France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Japan, conducted studies in atmospheric chemistry, solar radiation, space plasma physics and ultraviolet astronomy.

Crew size: 7 Members

Crew

Commander: Charles Bolden
Pilot: Brian Duffy
Mission Specialist 1: Kathryn D. Sullivan
Mission Specialist 2: David Leestma
Mission Specialist 3: Michael Foale (U.S/UK)
Payload Specialist 1: Dirk Frimout (ESA - Belgium)
Payload Specialist 2: Byron K. Lichtenberg

Mission duration: 8 days, 22 hours, 9 minutes, 27 seconds

Orbits completed: 143

Distance travelled: 5,211,340 km (3,238,180 mi)

Launch date: March 24, 1992

Landing date: April 2, 1992

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Image Date: March 1992

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ATLAS1 #Earth #AtlanticOcean #ArcticOcean #Greenland #Tartupaluk #Grønland #Denmark #Danmark #EuropeanUnion #EU #SpaceShuttle #SpaceShuttleAtlantis #STS45 #AstronautPhotography #Astronauts #UnitedStates #ESA #Belgium #UK #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Europe and East Asia with Satellite Constellations | International Space Station

Europe and East Asia with Satellite Constellations | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui: "January is busy, and I might not have much time for shooting, so there may be cases where I can't introduce the latest photos or videos. With that said, today I'd like to introduce a time-lapse I shot the other day. It's a route that starts from Europe, passes through Japan, and reaches the Pacific Ocean. In the latter half, you can also see a lot of population satellites flying around."

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

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: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/K. Yui
Duration: 32 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Europe #EastAsia #PacificOcean #SatelliteConstellations #Astronauts #AstronautVideography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Caracas: Capital of Venezuela | International Space Station

Caracas: Capital of Venezuela | International Space Station

Caracas, officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern part of Venezuela within the Caracas Valley of the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley is close to the Caribbean Sea on the north, separated from the coast by a steep 2,200-meter-high (7,200-foot) mountain range, Cerro El Ávila. To the south there are more hills and mountains. The Metropolitan Region of Caracas has an estimated population of almost 5 million people.

The historic center of the city is the Cathedral, located on Bolívar Square, although some consider the center to be Plaza Venezuela, located in the Los Caobos area. Businesses in the city include service companies, banks, and malls. Caracas has a largely service-based economy, apart from some industrial activity in its metropolitan area. The Caracas Stock Exchange and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) are headquartered in Caracas. Empresas Polar is the largest private company in Venezuela. 

Caracas is Venezuela's cultural capital with many restaurants, theaters, museums, and shopping centers. Caracas has some of the tallest skyscrapers in Latin America, such as the Parque Central Towers. The Museum of Contemporary Art of Caracas is one of the most important in South America.

Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea.

This image was captured by NASA astronauts aboard Expedition 40—the 40th expedition to the International Space Station. 

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)
JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev
NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

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 Details: Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera Focal Length: 200mm, Photo center point: 10.5° N, 67.0° W

Spacecraft Altitude: 224 nautical miles (415km)
Image Date: Sept. 6, 2014

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