KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

"The research team that has worked together for the successful flight of KSLV-II gathered in one place for the launch quick review."

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Image Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Launch of 14 Satellites | Korea AeroSpace Administration

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Video Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
Duration: 1 minute
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Multicolored Northern Lights over Finland

Multicolored Northern Lights over Finland

    

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "The CME arrived late, but it did not disappoint. The colors were visible to the naked eye. Simply stunning. Even blue colors were present."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Levi is located in Finnish Lapland. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger

Location: Levi, Finland

Dates: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Levi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

More Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

More Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "Around midnight bright ribbons appeared that danced all over the sky in green and pink hues."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Levi is located in Finnish Lapland. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger

Location: Levi, Finland

Dates: Oct. 8-9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Levi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

Martian Moon Phobos & A 'Mini' Planet Saturn | Europe's Mars Express

Martian Moon Phobos & A 'Mini' Planet Saturn | Europe's Mars Express

Can you spot planet Saturn here?

Phobos is a small, irregularly shaped object with a mean radius of 11 km (7 mi). Phobos orbits 6,000 km (3,700 mi) from the Martian surface, closer to its primary body than any other known planetary moon. It is so close that it orbits Mars much faster than Mars rotates, and completes an orbit in just 7 hours and 39 minutes. As a result, from the surface of Mars it appears to rise in the west, move across the sky in 4 hours and 15 minutes or less, and set in the east, twice each Martian day.

Phobos is one of the least reflective bodies in the Solar System, with an albedo of just 0.071. Surface temperatures range from about −4 °C (25 °F) on the sunlit side to −112 °C (−170 °F) on the shadowed side. The defining surface feature is the large impact crater, Stickney, which takes up a substantial proportion of the moon's surface. The surface is also home to many grooves, with there being numerous theories as to how these grooves were formed.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express Mission (2003-2026) was launched on June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage. In addition to being Europe’s first mission to Mars, Mars Express is the first fully European mission to any planet. The orbiter has been successfully performing scientific measurements since early 2004, namely, high-resolution imaging and mineralogical mapping of the surface, radar sounding of the subsurface structure down to the permafrost, precise determination of the atmospheric circulation and composition, and study of the interaction of the atmosphere with the interplanetary medium. Due to the valuable science return and the highly flexible mission profile, Mars Express has been granted several mission extensions.

The orbiter will continue its study of Mars until at least the end of 2026 with an indicative extension from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028 to support the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-led Mars Moons eXploration (MMX) mission (Japan), followed by two years of post-operations.

Mars Express has conducted data relay for seven rovers and landing platforms and has supported scientific work with a further five orbiters.

The past 20 years of observations from Mars Express have solidified our picture of Mars as a once-habitable planet with warmer and wetter epochs that may have been oases for ancient life. This is a monumental shift from our previous view of the planet that characterized it as an eternally cold and arid world.

Learn more: 
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express

Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY

License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
Raw Data: HR898_0005_SR3, 02-04-2026
Image Processing: Andrea Luck
ESA Release Date: Sept. 15, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Saturn #Moons #Phobos #MarsExpress #MarsExpressSpacecraft #MarsOrbiters #HRSC #Europe #DLR #FUBerlin #Berlin #Germany #Deutschland #CitizenScience #AndreaLuck #CitizenScientists #STEM #Education

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) & The Witch Head Nebula: View from Australia

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) & The Witch Head Nebula: View from Australia

Astrophotographer Trevor Dobson: "Taken back in May this year at Lake Clifton, an hour south of Perth in Western Australia . . ."

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 Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) located at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA, consists of astronomical cameras, telescopes and a computing facility that is surveying the sky for moving or variable objects on a continual basis, and also producing accurate astrometry and photometry of already-detected objects. The Pan-STARRS Project is a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Maui High Performance Computing Center and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The NASA Near Earth Object Observation Program is the main funder for the operation of the Pan-STARRS telescopes.

IC 2118 (also known as Witch Head Nebula due to its shape) is an extremely faint reflection nebula believed to be an ancient supernova remnant or gas cloud illuminated by nearby supergiant star Rigel in the constellation of Orion. The nebula lies in the Eridanus constellation, about 900 light-years from Earth.

Image Credit: Trevor Dobson

Image Date: May 7, 2026

Image Details: Seestar S30 Pro, 160mm (520mm equivalent), ISO 200, f/5, 110 x 20 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Nebulae #IC2118 #WitchHeadNebula #EridanusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #TrevorDobson #Astrophotographers #LakeClifton #WesternAustralia #Australia #STEM #Education

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀🛰️China launched the Long March-12 Y10 carrier rocket on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an Internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 03:27am China Standard Time and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit Internet satellites, into the preset orbit. Nine more GuoWang satellites are now in space from this SatNet LEO Group 27 launch. The satellites were made by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Weighing about 695 kilograms each, the platforms utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

After today’s launch, 222 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it was expected that 3102 satellites would be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

With today’s launch, the Long March 12 rocket has flown three times in the last three months with August and September missions prior, for the second time in its almost two years of flight history.

This mission was the 9th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 11th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 279th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 671st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 71st launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Text Credit: CCTV, Jack C.
Date: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup27 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y10 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China's Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀🛰️China launched the Long March-12 Y10 carrier rocket on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an Internet satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 03:27am China Standard Time and successfully placed the payload, the 27th group of low-orbit Internet satellites, into the preset orbit. Nine more GuoWang satellites are now in space from this SatNet LEO Group 27 launch. The satellites were made by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Weighing about 695 kilograms each, the platforms utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

After today’s launch, 222 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it was expected that 3102 satellites would be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

With today’s launch, the Long March 12 rocket has flown three times in the last three months with August and September missions prior, for the second time in its almost two years of flight history.

This mission was the 9th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 11th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 279th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 671st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 71st launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV
Text Credit: CCTV, Jack C.
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup27 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y10 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Exit Dragon on Recovery Ship | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Exit Dragon on Recovery Ship | International Space Station

At 11:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) on October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, splashed down successfully off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

Teams aboard the recovery ship, named Shannon, including two fast boats, secured the SpaceX Dragon and ensured the spacecraft was safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams completed their work, the recovery ship moved into position and hoisted Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew exited the spacecraft one-by-one.  

This completed 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA

Duration: 9 minutes

Date: Oct. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Continental America by Night | International Space Station

Continental United States by Night | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and former Expedition 75 flight engineer: "Can you spot Florida and the Keys in this timelapse over the American continent?"

The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. 

The continental United States is the area of the United States that is located in the continent of North America. It includes 49 of the 50 U.S. states (48 are located south of Canada and north of Mexico, known as the "lower 48 states," the other being Alaska) and the District of Columbia, which contains the federal capital, Washington, D.C. The only state that is excluded is Hawaii. It is a state consisting of islands in the Pacific Ocean that are not part of North America but rather, Oceania.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot

Duration: 1 minute

Date: Oct. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Florida #FloridaKeys #AtlanticOcean #Astronauts #SophieAdenot #AstronautVideography #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

United Nations Space Chief Calls for Closer Space Governance Partnerships

United Nations Space Chief Calls for Closer Space Governance Partnerships

Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), has highlighted the importance of international cooperation on space exploration and called for closer space governance communications to protect spacecraft from collisions.

Speaking in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress, running in Antalya, Türkiye between Oct. 5 and 9, Holla-Maini spoke highly of China's role in promoting space cooperation, describing the country as an indispensable partner of the UNOOSA.

"We are really intensifying our collaboration with different Chinese entities. During the recent Nepal tragedy, we shifted more than 100 Chinese datasets within a few days, not weeks, days, to support the disaster. So, China is an extremely important partner for us. We believe not only in having access to Chinese imagery, but also doing a lot more capacity building," she said.

The Nepal disaster refers to the deadly cross-border mudslides triggered by a glacier collapse in northern Nepal on Aug. 26, 2026, that left thousands of people dead and even more missing in both Nepal and China.

The UN space chief mentioned China's recent donation of a lunar sample collected by the Chang'e-6 mission to UNOOSA as a milestone in multilateral space cooperation, saying the move shows China's open attitude and willingness to share its space development achievements with the international community.

"It's not natural to see generosity and international collaboration in such a divisive climate. But just two weeks ago, we received a sample from the far side of the Moon from the Chang'e mission—gifted to the UNOOSA in the Vienna International Center in Austria. We know how rare this sample is. It is very precious. It could be used for scientific research, to further our understanding, but China is doing that, and they are also giving a sample to us. It reminds people of the power of collaboration, the power of the United Nations, and also the importance and the power of one country to bring others together. And we really appreciate this, and we welcome this, and we don't take it for granted," Holla-Maini said.

Regarding China's plan to send a Pakistani astronaut to its Tiangong Space Station, Holla-Maini said this bilateral space cooperation program set a valuable precedent for developing nations.

"I'm delighted to see that China is taking an astronaut from Pakistan with them. We are all about 'access to space for all.' This is the principle, the fundamental principle of space law. It's what the United Nations stands for, and we're proud to see that member states are creating these opportunities. So, I wish that mission all the best of luck, and I hope it's the first of many foreign astronauts that get the opportunity to travel into space. And when other developing countries see examples like this, see precedents like this, it gives them hope. It gives them inspiration to aspire for being better, for being more, to really go for STEM education and to dream," she said.

Holla-Maini also underscored space traffic coordination as one of the top priorities for updating international space governance frameworks.

"So, I think the major priorities right now, with so many satellites being launched into space, is first of all space traffic coordination. We must prevent the creation of new debris, and that means we must minimize collision risks. Therefore, we must make sure that we maximize the communication and coordination of objects—active satellites in particular—that are orbiting the Earth," she said.

Video Credits: CCTV, CGTN
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #History #Satellites #SpaceTraffic #SpaceDebris #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceExploration #SpaceGovernance #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #UnitedNations #UN #UNOOSA #AartiHollaMaini #Türkiye #IAC #IAC2026 #China 中国 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon Spacecraft Landing | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon Spacecraft Landing | International Space Station

Support teams work around the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia aboard in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles, California, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft is seen as it lands with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia aboard in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles, California, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026.

Crew-12 emblem

At 11:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) on October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully splashed down off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

This completed 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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/Keegan Barber

Date: Oct. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Spacewalkers Install High-Speed Antenna | International Space Station

Spacewalkers Install High-Speed Antenna | International Space Station

In this image, NASA astronaut Anil Menon is attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it guides him toward the worksite where he and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot (out of frame) installed a space-to-ground antenna. Menon and Adenot concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 2:57 p.m. EDT on August 25, 2026.

NASA astronaut Anil Menon: "In front of Dragon is the antenna we installed together." At 8:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 7, 2026, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Expedition 75 Mission Highlights: In the first image, NASA astronaut Anil Menon is attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it guides him toward the worksite where he and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot (out of frame) installed a space-to-ground antenna. Menon and Adenot concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 2:57 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on August 25, 2026.

During the 6‑hour, 30‑minute spacewalk, Menon and Adenot successfully installed and connected the spare Space‑to‑Ground antenna, a critical link that enables high‑speed data transmission between NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston and the orbital complex. Afterward, they secured the failed unit that was removed and temporarily stowed during the duo’s spacewalk on Aug. 18, to a spare‑parts platform on the station’s truss structure.

Initial checkouts of the newly installed antenna showed good power and data transmission. Flight controllers on the ground will continue testing the antenna overnight to ensure full functionality. 

U.S. spacewalk 98 was Menon’s third career spacewalk and the second for Adenot. It also was the 283rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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, NASA astronaut Anil Menon

Image Dates: Aug. 25, 2026 & Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

At 8:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 7, 2026, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

At 11:34 a.m. EDT (8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) on October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully splashed down off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

This completed 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center, NASA astronaut Anil Menon

Duration: 9 seconds
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

Pink Aurora Borealis over Finland

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "The night began relatively quiet and I was about to call it when the sky suddenly exploded in bright pink colors."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger

Location: Levi, Finland

Date: Oct. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Levi #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Recovery Operations | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Recovery Operations | International Space Station

Support teams work around the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft shortly after it landed

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

The NASA “Worm” logotype is seen as support teams onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon work around the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft shortly after it landed

The NASA “Worm” logotype is seen as support teams onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON work around the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft shortly after it landed

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon

At 11:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) on October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, splashed down off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

Teams aboard the recovery ship, including two fast boats, secured the SpaceX Dragon and ensured the spacecraft was safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams completed their work, the recovery ship moved into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew exited the spacecraft.  

This completes 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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/Keegan Barber

Date: Oct. 8, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceXCrewDragonSpacecraft #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education