New NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Photos

New NASA Artemis II Moon Crew Photos

NASA astronaut Christina Koch smiles at the camera as she holds a pipette and saliva booklet for the Artemis II Immune Biomarkers study. Samples will be analyzed for proteins, enzymes, and other biomarkers that monitor immunity, inflammation, nutritional status, bone health, and radiation effects, to determine how crewmembers adapted to deep spaceflight conditions.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman holds a sample booklet as he prepares to collect a saliva sample aboard the Orion spacecraft. 

NASA astronaut Victor Glover shows off the sample bag for the Immune Biomarkers study aboard the Orion spacecraft. During the Artemis II mission, the crew collected saliva samples for this study. Samples will be analyzed for proteins, enzymes, and other biomarkers that monitor immunity, inflammation, nutritional status, bone health, and radiation effects, to determine how crewmembers adapted to deep spaceflight conditions.

Artemis II emblem

During the nearly 10-day Artemis II Moon Mission, crew members blotted saliva samples on special paper for the Immune Biomarkers study. On Earth, scientists are analyzing those samples, looking at proteins, enzymes, and other biomarkers to understand how the crew adapted to deep space conditions aboard Orion. These biomarkers give insight into crews' immune health, inflammation, nutritional status, bone health, and more. 

The Orion spacecraft successfully splashed down on Friday, April 10, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean following its journey around the Moon, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century. 

The crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Image Credit: NASA

Date: April 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAKennedy #KSC #MPPF #MerrittIsland #Florida #Spaceport #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

The Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 carrier rocket blasted off at 11:00 am Beijing time on May 14, 2026, from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, delivering a 2.8-ton test payload into a 900 km orbit, paving the way for satellite constellation networking.

What’s New in the ZQ-2E Y5 Rocket?

• Increased propellant capacity & structural optimization

The extended first-stage tanks, combined with full subcooled propellant loading, increased propellant capacity by ~15%. Structural mass is further reduced through partial insulation removal, optimized cable routing fairings, and removeal of first-stage fins, reflecting a system-level design optimization approach.

• Three-ignition second stage with high-orbit disposal

ZQ-2E Y5 pioneers, among China’s commercial missions, a three-ignition second-stage flight profile featuring tank-pressure ignition + high altitude deorbit. This approach ensures ignition reliability while enabling rapid high-altitude deorbit, addressing traditional challenges and supporting space debris mitigation requirements.

• Toward “Smart Launch Vehicles”

The first stage introduces in-flight engine anomaly detection and thrust self-correction, while the second stage debuts a propellant utilization system. These enable autonomous diagnosis and response to off-nominal conditions (e.g., thrust deviation, mixture ratio shifts), significantly improving flight reliability and service capability.

• Rapid launch capability

Leveraging mature mission operations, the campaign achieved a 13-day launch cycle and ~1.5-hour pre-launch fueling timeline, laying the foundation for high-frequency launch operations with both ZQ-2E and ZQ-3.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone is located near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in nortwestern China that was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Credit: Landspace

Date: May 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY5 #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #JSLC #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #STEM #Education

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

China Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 Launch of Constellation Test Satellite

The Landspace Zhuque-2E Y5 carrier rocket blasted off at 11:00 am Beijing time on May 14, 2026, from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, delivering a 2.8-ton test payload into a 900 km orbit, paving the way for satellite constellation networking.

What’s New in the ZQ-2E Y5 Rocket?

• Increased propellant capacity & structural optimization

The extended first-stage tanks, combined with full subcooled propellant loading, increased propellant capacity by ~15%. Structural mass is further reduced through partial insulation removal, optimized cable routing fairings, and removeal of first-stage fins, reflecting a system-level design optimization approach.

• Three-ignition second stage with high-orbit disposal

ZQ-2E Y5 pioneers, among China’s commercial missions, a three-ignition second-stage flight profile featuring tank-pressure ignition + high altitude deorbit. This approach ensures ignition reliability while enabling rapid high-altitude deorbit, addressing traditional challenges and supporting space debris mitigation requirements.

• Toward “Smart Launch Vehicles”

The first stage introduces in-flight engine anomaly detection and thrust self-correction, while the second stage debuts a propellant utilization system. These enable autonomous diagnosis and response to off-nominal conditions (e.g., thrust deviation, mixture ratio shifts), significantly improving flight reliability and service capability.

• Rapid launch capability

Leveraging mature mission operations, the campaign achieved a 13-day launch cycle and ~1.5-hour pre-launch fueling timeline, laying the foundation for high-frequency launch operations with both ZQ-2E and ZQ-3.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone is located near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in nortwestern China that was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Credit: Landspace

Time: 1 minute
Date: May 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #SatelliteConstellations #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY5 #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #JSLC #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Edge-on Spiral Galaxy NGC 3432 in Leo Minor | Hubble Space Telescope

Edge-on Spiral Galaxy NGC 3432 in Leo Minor | Hubble Space Telescope

Believe it or not, this long, luminous streak, speckled with bright blisters and pockets of material, is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way. 

How could that be? 

It turns out that we see this galaxy, named NGC 3432, orientated directly edge-on to us from our vantage point here on Earth. The galaxy’s spiral arms and bright core are hidden, and we instead see the thin strip of its very outer reaches. Dark bands of cosmic dust, patches of varying brightness, and pink regions of star formation help with making out the true shape of NGC 3432. However, it is still somewhat of a challenge! This is because observatories such as the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope have seen spiral galaxies at every kind of orientation, astronomers can tell when we happen to have caught one from the side.

The galaxy is located in the constellation of Leo Minor (The Lesser Lion).

Distance from Earth: 27-40 million light years

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko, R. Jansen
Release Date: July 29, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3432 #SpiralGalaxies #LeoMinorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Russian Soyuz MS-29 Crew Member Portraits | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-29 Crew Member Portraits | International Space Station

Soyuz MS-29 prime crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina of Russia pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz MS-29 flight engineer Anna Kikina of Russia poses for a portrait in her Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City.

NASA astronaut and Soyuz MS-29 flight engineer Anil Menon poses for a portrait in his Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz MS-29 commander Pyotyr Dubrov of Russia poses for a portrait in his Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Soyuz MS-29 crew emblem

Expedition 75 emblem

The official portrait of the seven‑member Expedition 75 crew that will live and work aboard the International Space Station. From left, are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon; Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Andrey Fedyaev, and Anna Kikina of Russia; NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot.

Official portraits of three members in their Soyuz MS-29 spacesuits from the seven‑member Expedition 75 crew that will live and work aboard the International Space Station: NASA astronaut Anil Menon, plus Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina of Russia.

The Soyuz MS-29 mission, targeted to launch Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from Kazakhstan will carry NASA astronaut Anil Menon and his crewmates, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina of Russia, to the International Space Station for an eight-month stay as part of Expeditions 74/75. It will be Menon’s first spaceflight.

NASA astronaut Anil Menon's biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-anil-menon/

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

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, 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 Credits: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), NASA/Josh Valcarcel
Dates: Aug. 14, 2020-July 2, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Earth #ISS #SoyuzMS29CrewSpacecraft #Astronauts #AnilMenon #Cosmonauts #PyotrDubrov #AnnaKikina #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

Following the Stars with America's New Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Following the Stars with America's New Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Are you dizzy yet? Mesmerizing star trails spin above Cerro Pachón, a mountain in northern Chile and home to NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE/SC). Rubin is a joint program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that cooperatively operate Rubin.

The star trails in this image suggest the multitude of colors and brightnesses of stars. This extra-long-exposure image also captures the stars’ apparent movement (as well as other moving objects, such as air traffic and satellites). At the center of the circular star trails is the southern celestial pole, residing in the dim constellation of Octans (the Octant). 

By observing characteristics of stars with observatories like Rubin, scientists can gain insight into stellar evolution. Rubin is expected to observe and measure about 17 billion stars during its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Additionally, when Rubin detects a change in a star’s brightness, it will send out an alert within minutes. This will allow astronomers to investigate both short and long-term changes in stars that are difficult to monitor without continuous survey operations. These include flickers or pulses that precede supernovae, new variable stars with multi-year periods of variation, and rare events like the merging of dense neutron stars. The dazzling night will yield dazzling discoveries.

Hernán Stockebrand, the photographer, is a DevOps Engineer with Rubin Observatory and a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

Learn more about the new Vera Rubin Observatory:

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/H. Stockebrand
Date: May 13, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SolarSystem #Cosmos #Universe #LSSTCam #SimonyiSurveyTelescope #RubinObservatory #VeraRubin #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Returns to Earth in 2020 | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Returns to Earth in 2020 | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Christina Koch completed a record 328-day mission in space returning to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz crew spacecraft with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov, both of whom completed 201 days in space. They landed in Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch spent many of her hours on science activities aboard the International Space Station and wore many hats: farmer, biologist, physicist, engineer, test subject and many more.

Six years before her Artemis II Moon Mission, NASA astronaut, scientist, mission specialist, flight engineer, and spacewalker Christina Koch spent almost a year in space on International Space Station Expeditions 59-61 (March 2019-February 2020), before coming home. During the longest-ever single spaceflight by a female astronaut, NASA astronaut Christina Koch also completed six spacewalks. 

When Koch returned to Earth, she set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Additionally, Christina participated in the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, currently serving aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 74.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

How to Become a NASA Astronaut:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut/

Video Credit: NASA/JSC

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Feb. 6, 2020

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SoyuzCrewSpacecraft #Russia #Roscosmos #Expedition59 #Expedition60 #Expedition61 #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #Scientists #ElectricalEngineers #WomenInSTEM #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #UnitedStates #Kazakhstan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-Field View: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Wide-Field View: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

This image from the Digitized Sky Survey shows galaxy NGC 7714 and its surroundings. This galaxy is in the process of merging with its neighbor NGC 7715, also visible in this wide-field image. Together, these two form the merging pair Arp 284.

NGC 7714 is a spiral galaxy 100 million light-years from Earth—a relatively close neighbor in cosmic terms. The galaxy has witnessed violent and dramatic events in its recent past.

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, Digitized Sky Survey 2

Release Date: Jan. 29, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Arp284 #NGC7714 #NGC7715 #NGC7176 #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Journey to Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Journey to Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

This video zooms in on NGC 7714, one of a pair of merging galaxies. The sequence begins with a view of the night sky near the constellation of Pisces. It then zooms through observations from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and ends with a view of the galaxy obtained by Hubble. NGC 7714 is a spiral galaxy 100 million light-years from Earth—a relatively close neighbor in cosmic terms. The galaxy has witnessed violent and dramatic events in its recent past. Tell-tale signs of this can be seen in NGC 7714's strangely shaped arms, and in the smoky golden haze that stretches out from the galactic center—caused by an ongoing merger with its smaller galactic companion NGC 7715, outside the frame of this image.

Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 and A. Fuji

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Arp284 #NGC7714 #NGC7715 #NGC7176 #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble image of NGC 7714 is a spiral galaxy 100 million light-years from Earth—a relatively close neighbor in cosmic terms. The galaxy has witnessed violent and dramatic events in its recent past. Tell-tale signs of this can be seen in NGC 7714's strangely shaped arms, and in the smoky golden haze that stretches out from the galactic center—caused by an ongoing merger with its smaller galactic companion NGC 7715, outside the frame of this image.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA), NASA

Acknowledgement: A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science)

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Arp284 #NGC7714 #NGC7715 #NGC7176 #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7714 in Pisces | Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble image of NGC 7714 is a spiral galaxy 100 million light-years from Earth—a relatively close neighbor in cosmic terms. The galaxy has witnessed violent and dramatic events in its recent past. Tell-tale signs of this can be seen in NGC 7714's strangely shaped arms, and in the smoky golden haze that stretches out from the galactic center—caused by an ongoing merger with its smaller galactic companion NGC 7715, outside the frame of this image.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA), NASA

Acknowledgement: A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science)
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Arp284 #NGC7714 #NGC7715 #NGC7176 #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion Nebula: Indian Ocean Island View

Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion Nebula: Indian Ocean Island View

"Orion never had a sword like this. As Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) heads out of the inner Solar System, it is putting on quite a show for long exposure cameras. Currently seen toward the constellation of Orion the Hunter, the distant Orion Nebula is visible on the upper right. Comet R3 PanSTARRS is now showing two distinct tails: a short dust tail pointing toward the top of the image and a long and wavy ion tail trailing off toward the upper left. The ion tail points away from the Sun and glows blue from excited carbon monoxide. Large particles in the dust tail somewhat resist the radiation pressure that push them away from the Sun and so retain a bit of the comet's orbit. The dust tail shines by reflected sunlight. This image was taken a few days ago from France's Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean."

C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet. It passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on April 19, 2026, when it was 0.499 astronomical units (AU) (75 million kilometers) from the Sun. The comet was discovered by PanSTARRS in images obtained on September 8, 2025.

Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France within the African region. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately 679 kilometers (367 nautical miles) east of the island of Madagascar and 175 kilometers (94 nmi) southwest of the island of Mauritius.

Image Description: A starfield appears featuring a comet with a long tail that extends from the lower right to the upper left. To the left of the comet is a bright star, and above the comet and to the right is a red and white nebula. 

Image Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot (TWAN)
Luc's website: https://www.lucperrot.fr/bio
Release Date: May 10, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #OrionNebula #Messier42 #M42 #NGC1976 #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #LucPerrot #Astrophotographers #IndianOcean #ReunionIsland #France #STEM #Education #APoD

Comet C/2025 R3 and Orion Molecular Cloud Complex: View from Argentina

Comet C/2025 R3 and Orion Molecular Cloud Complex: View from Argentina

This image shows Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS setting above the western horizon alongside the Orion molecular cloud complex during twilight on May 8, 2026. The comet appears near Rigel, while the frame also contains the Orion Nebula (M42), the Flame Nebula, and the Horsehead Nebula. An old windmill in the foreground helped provide a sense of scale beneath one of the last clear autumn skies before clouds covered the region. What made the moment especially challenging was its short duration. Shortly after the imaging session began, clouds advanced rapidly from the southeast and completely covered the sky, leaving only a brief window to capture the alignment. Although the comet was barely visible to the naked eye, the camera revealed it clearly through stacked exposures—one of the aspects of astrophotography that still feels almost magical. 

C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet. It passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on April 19, 2026, when it was 0.499 astronomical units (AU) (75 million kilometers) from the Sun. The comet was discovered by PanSTARRS in images obtained on September 8, 2025.

The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex (OMC) is a vast star-forming region located in the Orion constellation, approximately 1,000 to 1,400 light-years from Earth and stretching across hundreds of light-years. It is one of the most active nearby stellar nurseries, hosting both protoplanetary discs and very young stars.

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern cone of South America. Argentina shares the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, and is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south.

Image Details: The final image is a blend of 40 exposures of 15 seconds for the sky 10 exposures of 20 seconds for the foreground. All frames were captured using: Canon EOS R7 Sigma 105mm f/1.4 Art SkyGuider Pro mount

Image & Text Credit: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau 

Location: Capilla Fassi, Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina

Date: May 8, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #OrionNebula #FlameNebula #HorseheadNebula #OMC #OrionConstellation #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #EduardoSchabergerPoupeau #Astrophotographers #CapillaFassi #SantaFe #Argentina #STEM #Education

NASA's CRS-34 Falcon-9 Cargo Dragon Pre-launch | International Space Station

NASA's CRS-34 Falcon-9 Cargo Dragon Pre-launch | International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical at Pad 40 in Florida ahead of the scheduled launch of Dragon’s 34th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) Mission to the International Space Station at 6:50 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Teams are keeping an eye on weather. 

Watch the Launch here: http://spacex.com/launches/crs-34

The uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft is slated to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket packed with about 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and lab hardware destined for the Expedition 74 crew. Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) will be on duty monitoring Dragon during its automated rendezvous and docking.

NASA's Commercial Resupply Missions:
https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/

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

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, 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: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Image Dates: May 11-12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Falcon9Rocket #CargoDragonSpacecraft #CRS34Mission #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Spacesuit Training in Houston | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Spacesuit Training in Houston | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins (center) assists Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk (left) and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney (right) as they practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas. Astronauts familiarize themselves with spacesuit systems and procedures and practice Quest airlock operations before conducting spacewalk training at JSC’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in simulated microgravity

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk (left) and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney (right), with assistance from training specialists, practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator

NASA astronaut Luke Delaney practices suiting up in a spacesuit in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas.

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk practices suiting up in a spacesuit 

In these images, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins (center) assists Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Josh Kutryk and NASA astronaut Luke Delaney as they practice suiting up in spacesuits in an International Space Station airlock simulator at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Houston, Texas. Astronauts familiarize themselves with spacesuit systems and procedures and practice Quest airlock operations before conducting spacewalk training at JSC’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in simulated microgravity.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. They will be joined by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia that will serve as mission specialists. After arriving at the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will become members of the space station’s Expedition 75.

This flight is the 13th crew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). NASA is advancing the launch date of Crew-13 from November to help increase the frequency of U.S. crew rotation missions to the space station. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

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/Josh Valcarcel
Image Date: May 5, 2026

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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier | JPL

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier | JPL

In this animated selfie, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover looks down at a rocky outcrop nicknamed “Arethusa” and then appears to look into the camera. This video sequence is composed of 61 images taken March 11, 2026, during the rover’s deepest push west beyond Jezero Crater.

The agency’s six-wheeled geologist took this self-portrait during its survey of an ancient landscape that may predate the formation of Jezero Crater itself. The sweeping backdrop represents ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls “Lac de Charmes.” On this rocky outcrop, the Perseverance Mars rover made a circular abrasion patch with the western rim of Jezero Crater stretching into the background. The selfie was captured on March 11, the 1,797th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, during the rover’s deepest push west beyond the crater.

Perseverance is in its fifth science campaign, known as the Northern Rim Campaign, of its mission on the Red Planet. The Lac de Charmes region is an example of one of the most scientifically compelling terrain the rover has visited.

“We took this image when the rover was in the ‘Wild West’ beyond the Jezero Crater rim—the farthest west we have been since we landed at Jezero a little over five years ago,” said Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We had just abraded and analyzed the ‘Arethusa’ outcrop, and the rover was sitting in a spot that provided a great view of both the Jezero Rim and the local terrain outside of the crater.”

During abrading, the rover grinds down a portion of the rock’s surface, allowing the science team to analyze what is inside. The technique enabled the team to determine that the Arethusa outcrop is composed of igneous minerals that likely predate the formation of Jezero Crater. Igneous rocks with large mineral crystals form underground as molten rock cools and solidifies.

Perseverance acquired the selfie—its sixth since landing on Mars in 2021—using the Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera mounted at the end of its robotic arm that made 62 precision movements over approximately one hour to build the composite image.

Learn more about how rover selfies are made: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/watch-and-hear-how-nasas-perseverance-rover-took-its-first-selfie/

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Release Date: May 12, 2026

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