Crew-11 Dragon Spacecraft Re-entry over California | International Space Station

Crew-11 Dragon Spacecraft Re-entry over California | International Space Station

At 3:41 a.m. EST, on January 15, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California.

This completes a stay in space of 167 days for the four-person crew. The mission returned to Earth earlier than originally planned as teams monitored a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable. Fincke has accumulated 549 days in space placing him fourth all-time among NASA astronauts.

NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported from SpaceX's recovery ship Shannon to a local hospital for additional evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible. 

Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

Image Credit: Daryl Ross, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrew11 #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #CrewHealth #AstronautHealth #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Camarillo #California #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | Webb, Hubble & Spitzer Views

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | Webb, Hubble & Spitzer Views

This video compares images of The Helix Nebula from three observatories: Hubble’s image in visible light, Spitzer’s infrared view, and Webb’s high-resolution near-infrared look.

Distance to Earth: ~655 light years

First spotted in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in the sky as it is recognized for its striking, ring-like shape. One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the clearest infrared look at this familiar object.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, SCC, A. Pagan (STScI)
Duration: 14 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #StellarNurseries #HelixNebula #NGC7293 #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #HST #NASASpitzer #WebbTelescope #JWST #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up: The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.

Distance to Earth: ~655 light years

First spotted in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in the sky as it is recognized for its striking, ring-like shape. One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the clearest infrared look at this familiar object.

Image Description: A closeup of a small section of the Helix Nebula, an expanding shell of gas and dust. Thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream upward from the bottom, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell that forms a partial orange semi-circle at the bottom. The pillars are more numerous and denser at the bottom, and darker red. They fade to orange and then yellow in the arc. In the top two-thirds, they are thinner and more golden, and it is easier to see the black background of space. Bright blue stars, several with diffraction spikes, are scattered throughout. A few larger stars are on the right side.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #StellarNurseries #HelixNebula #NGC7293 #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #WebbTelescope #JWST #NIRCam #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #ESO #VISTA #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

Helix Nebula (NIRCam image)

This image of the Helix Nebula from the European Southern Observatory's Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of the planetary nebula, with a box highlighting the smaller field of view from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (right).

A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.

Distance to Earth: ~655 light years

First spotted in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in the sky as it is recognized for its striking, ring-like shape. One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the clearest infrared look at this familiar object.

Image Description: A closeup of a small section of the Helix Nebula, an expanding shell of gas and dust. Thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream upward from the bottom, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell that forms a partial orange semi-circle at the bottom. The pillars are more numerous and denser at the bottom, and darker red. They fade to orange and then yellow in the arc. In the top two-thirds, they are thinner and more golden, and it is easier to see the black background of space. Bright blue stars, several with diffraction spikes, are scattered throughout. A few larger stars are on the right side.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #StellarNurseries #HelixNebula #NGC7293 #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #WebbTelescope #JWST #NIRCam #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #ESO #VISTA #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Crew-11 Exits Dragon Spacecraft after Landing | International Space Station

Crew-11 Exits Dragon Spacecraft after Landing | International Space Station

At 3:41 a.m. EST, on January 15, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California.  

This completes a stay in space of 167 days for the four-person crew. The mission returned to Earth earlier than originally planned as teams monitored a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable. Fincke has accumulated 549 days in space placing him fourth all-time among NASA astronauts.

NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported from SpaceX's recovery ship Shannon to a local hospital for additional evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible. 

Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrew11 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #AstronautHealth #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Crew-11 Arrives Home on Dragon | International Space Station

Crew-11 Arrives Home on Dragon | International Space Station

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia, left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui are seen inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon shortly after having landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon

Support teams onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon work around the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft shortly after it landed

Support teams raise the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft aboard the recovery ship Shannon

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is seen as it lands

At 3:41 a.m. EST, on January 15, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California.  

This completes a stay in space of 167 days for the four-person crew. The mission returned to Earth earlier than originally planned as teams monitored a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable. Fincke has accumulated 549 days in space placing him fourth all-time among NASA astronauts.

NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported from SpaceX's recovery ship Shannon to a local hospital for additional evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible. 

Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: Jan. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrew11 #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #CrewHealth #AstronautHealth #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

Crew-11 Dragon Spacecraft Landing Zone | International Space Station

Crew-11 Dragon Spacecraft Landing Zone | International Space Station

The Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft will reenter the Earth's atmosphere and splash down off the coast of San Diego, California, at 12:41 a.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, January 15, 2026.

At 5:20 p.m. EST, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission undocked from the International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. At 3:29 p.m. EST, the crew closed the hatch between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and the return to Earth of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia. Crew-11 will soon complete a parachute-assisted landing inside Dragon with a splashdown off the coast of California. NASA and SpaceX support personnel will then retrieve Dragon and the crew from the Pacific Ocean and return them to California before the crewmates fly back to their home agencies.

On Jan. 8, 2026, NASA announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission to Earth from the International Space Station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory that is stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Release Date: Jan 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrew11 #CrewSpacecraftDeparture #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #CrewHealth #AstronautHealth #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Infographic #STEM #Education

Crawler-transporter 2: Artemis II Moon Rocket Launchpad Move | NASA Kennedy

Crawler-transporter 2: Artemis II Moon Rocket Launchpad Move | NASA Kennedy

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves toward the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The crawler will transport NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B. The Artemis II SLS together with Orion will launch Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.

Launch is currently scheduled for "no later than April 2026."

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
Image Date: Jan. 9, 2026
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #SLSRocket #CrewedMissions #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #VAB #CrawlerTransporter2 #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Crew-11 Dragon Departure: First Medical Evacuation | International Space Station

Crew-11 Dragon Departure: First Medical Evacuation | International Space Station

On Jan. 8, 2026, NASA announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission to Earth from the International Space Station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory that is stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.

At 5:20 p.m. EST, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission undocked from the International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. At 3:29 p.m. EST, the crew closed the hatch between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and the return to Earth of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov of Russia. Crew-11 will then complete a parachute-assisted landing inside Dragon with a splashdown off the coast of California less than 12 hours later at about 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15. NASA and SpaceX support personnel will retrieve Dragon and the crew from the Pacific Ocean and return them to California before the crewmates fly back to their home agencies.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration: 29 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 14, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrew11 #CrewSpacecraftDeparture #Astronauts #MikeFincke #ZenaCardman #KimiyaYui #CrewHealth #AstronautHealth #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegPlatonov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Sample Unveils Key Clues to Moon's Geological Evolution

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Sample Unveils Key Clues to Moon's Geological Evolution

A group of Chinese researchers revealed that the volatile loss from the lunar mantle was induced by the giant impact that formed the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin in the Moon's far side, providing crucial evidence for understanding the impact of large-scale collisions on the lunar evolution and for uncovering the causes of variations between the Moon's near side and far side.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

Since the formation of the Moon, asteroid impacts have been the dominant geological processes triggered by events outside the Moon, producing impact craters and basins across the lunar surface and profoundly modifying its topography and geochemical characteristics. However, the extent that large-scale impact events have affected the Moon's deep interior remains unclear.

A research team led by Tian Hengci from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined the isotopic compositions of potassium (K) in Chang'e-6 lunar basalts collected from the SPA basin.

The isotopic systems of moderately volatile elements, such as K, are prone to volatilization and fractionation under the high-temperature conditions generated by impacts. Their compositions can record information such as temperature, pressure, and material sources during impact events, making them key evidence for revealing impact scales, thermal histories, and their modifications to the lunar crust and mantle materials.

The team found that the Chang'e-6 lunar basalts exhibit significantly heavier K isotopic compositions than all previously reported lunar basalts from Apollo missions and lunar meteorites. Then they evaluated potential mechanisms that could modify K isotope composition, including long-term cosmic-ray irradiation, magmatic differentiation and impactor input. However, the result showed that such factors only exert minor effects.

Further research showed that the impact events altered the K isotope composition of the lunar mantle, leading to an increase in isotope values. During the high-temperature and high-pressure processes generated by impacts, lighter K isotopes were preferentially lost compared to heavier ones, leading to elevated isotopic ratios in the residual materials.

The study also implied that such volatile depletion may have suppressed magma generation and volcanic activity on the lunar far side, potentially contributing to the long-recognized asymmetry in volcanic activity between the near side and far side of the moon.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 13, 2026.

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: 34 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2026

#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

Evolution in Slow Motion: Interacting Galaxies NGC 3921 in Ursa Major | Hubble

Evolution in Slow Motion: Interacting Galaxies NGC 3921 in Ursa Major | Hubble

It is known today that merging galaxies play a large role in the evolution of galaxies and the formation of elliptical galaxies in particular. However there are only a few merging systems close enough to be observed in depth. The pair of interacting galaxies picture seen here—known as NGC 3921—is one of these systems. It was discovered on April 14, 1789 by William Herschel, and was described as "pretty faint, small, round" by John Louis Emil Dreyer, the compiler of the New General Catalogue (NGC).

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

NGC 3921—found in the constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear)—is an interacting pair of disc galaxies in the late stages of its merger. Observations show that both of the galaxies involved were about the same mass and collided about 700 million years ago. You can see clearly in this image the disturbed morphology, tails and loops characteristic of a post-merger.

The clash of galaxies caused a rush of star formation and previous Hubble observations showed over a thousand bright, young star clusters bursting to life at the heart of the galaxy pair.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt 
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2015

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #InteractingGalaxies #NGC3921 #UrsaMajorConsetallation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Stars Flaring to Life in The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex | Hubble

Stars Flaring to Life in The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex | Hubble

Just-forming stars, called protostars, dazzle a cloudy landscape in the Orion Molecular Cloud complex (OMC). Protostar HOPS 181 is buried in layers of dusty gas clouds, but its energy shapes the material that surrounds it.

A protostar wrapped in obscuring dust creates a cavity with glowing walls while its jet streams into space. The bright star in the lower right quadrant called CVSO 188 might seem like the diva in this image, but HOPS 310, located just to the left of center behind the dust, is the true hidden star. This protostar is responsible for the large cavity with bright walls that has been carved into the surrounding cloud of gas and dust by its jets and stellar winds. Running diagonally to the top right is one of the bipolar jets of the protostar. These jets consist of particles launched at high speeds from the protostar’s magnetic poles. Background galaxies are visible in the upper right of the image.

A protostar wrapped in obscuring dust creates a cavity with glowing walls while its jet streams into space. The bright protostar to the left in this Hubble image is located within the Orion Molecular Clouds. Its stellar winds—ejected, fast-flowing particles that are spurred by the star’s magnetic field—have carved a large cavity in the surrounding cloud. In the top right, background stars speckle the image.

These three new images from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope were taken as part of an effort to learn more about the envelopes of gas and dust surrounding the protostars, as well as the outflow cavities where stellar winds and jets from the developing stars have carved away at the surrounding gas and dust. The Orion Molecular Cloud complex (OMC) lies within the “sword” of the constellation Orion, roughly 1,300 light-years away.

Scientists used these Hubble observations as part of a broader survey to study protostellar envelopes, or the gas and dust around the developing star. Researchers found no evidence that the outflow cavities were growing as the protostar moved through the later stages of star formation. They also found that the decreasing accretion of mass onto the protostars over time and the low rate of star formation in the cool, molecular clouds cannot be explained by the progressive clearing out of the envelopes.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and T. Megeath (University of Toledo); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2026

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Protostars #OrionMolecularCloud #OMC #CVSO188 #HOPS310 #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #OrionConsetallation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

New Earth Views from Japanese Astronaut Kimiya Yui | International Space Station

New Earth Views from Japanese Astronaut Kimiya Yui | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui: ". . . this will probably be the last timelapse footage I introduce from the ISS. Please enjoy this packed nightscape full of highlights like the aurora, North America, moonrise, Central America, South America, the Milky Way, swarming satellites, sunrise, and more! Even after returning to Earth, I'll post the videos and photos I couldn't cover."

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Release Date: Jan. 9, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Moonrise #CentralAmerica #SouthAmerica #Astronauts #KimiyaYui #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

Are Lakes on Saturn's Moon Titan Teeming with Primitive Cells?

Are Lakes on Saturn's Moon Titan Teeming with Primitive Cells?

Could exotic lifeforms be brewing on Titan? Saturn’s largest moon is covered with the carbon-based building blocks of life and is the only place that we know of besides Earth with large lakes on its surface—made from super-chilled methane instead of water.

In 2017, NASA discovered that Titan’s thick, hazy atmosphere contains acrylonitrile, a lipid-like molecule that could cluster together within the moon’s lakes to form vesicles. These hollow spheres strongly resemble cell membranes on Earth, but a follow-up study determined that vesicles would be unlikely to form on Titan without an additional source of energy, casting doubt on their emergence. Now, a recent study coauthored by NASA shows that the missing spark could come from rainfall.

Learn more: https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/astrobiology/path-toward-protocells-on-titan/

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Dan Gallagher: Producer/Writer
Christian Mayer: Scientist
Conor Nixon: Scientist
Katy Mersmann: Host/Writer
Kim Dongjae: Lead Animator
Jenny McElligott: Animator
Wes Buchanan: Animator
Jonathan North: Animator
Dan Gallagher: Animator
Michael Lentz: Art Director
Walt Feimer: Project Coordinator
Caela Barry: Support
Lonnie Shekhtman: Support
Aaron E. Lepsch: Technical Support
Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Saturn #Moons #Titan #Lakes #Seas #Hydrocarbons #Methane #Acrylonitrile #Precipitation #Astrobiology #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Andromeda Galaxy | International Space Station

The Andromeda Galaxy | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui: "Tomorrow, we will finally depart from the ISS and return to Earth. Before that, I was able to capture the Andromeda Galaxy, which I wanted to photograph from space. While gazing at the light from when the history of the genus Homo began, I thought about humanity 2.5 million years from now. If we can act while considering the next generations, it will surely become an unimaginably wonderful era!"

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Mike Fincke, 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: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/K. Yui
Release Date: Jan. 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Galaxies #AndromedaGalaxy #Messier31 #M31 #NGC224 #AndromedaConstellation #Astronauts #KimiyaYui #AstronautPhotography #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

Final Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission

Final Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission

As NASA moves closer to launch of the Artemis II test flight, the agency soon will roll its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad for the first time at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals.

NASA is targeting no earlier than Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, to begin the multi-hour trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B. The four-mile journey on the crawler-transporter-2, at a careful speed of roughly 1 mile per hour, will take up to 12 hours. The massive crawler keeps the mobile launcher and rocket perfectly level throughout the trip, even on the gentle slopes of the crawlerway. Once at the pad, the stack will be secured, ground support systems will be connected, and teams will conduct a full wet dress rehearsal at the end of January to practice fueling and countdown procedures in preparation for flight.

Teams are working around the clock to close out all tasks ahead of rollout. However, this target date is subject to change if additional time is needed for technical preparations or weather.

Launch is currently scheduled for "no later than April 2026."

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Image Date: Dec. 20, 2025
Release Date: Jan. 11, 2026

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