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Spacewalkers: NASA Astronauts McClain & Ayers | International Space Station
NASA astronauts and Expedition 73 flight engineers Nichole Ayers (left) and Anne McClain (right) are pictured.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 flight engineer Nichole Ayers on spacewalk.
NASA astronauts and Expedition 72 flight engineers Nichole Ayers (left) and Anne McClain (right) are pictured.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 flight engineer Anne McClain at work on spacewalk with robotic help from the Canadian Space Agency's Canadarm2.
NASA astronauts and Expedition 73 flight engineers Nichole Ayers (right-center) and Anne McClain (left-center) are pictured with Expedition 73 Station Commander and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi (background-center) and NASA astronauts and Expedition 73 flight engineer Jonny Kim (forground-far right).
Spacewalkers: NASA astronauts and Expedition 73 flight engineers Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain captured this Earth view during their extravehicular activity (EVA)
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers concluded their spacewalk at 2:49 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2025. The total time was 5 hours and 44 minutes. It was the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers, and the 275th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
McClain and Ayers completed their primary objectives, including relocating a space station communications antenna and the initial mounting bracket installation steps for an IROSA that will arrive on a future SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. Additionally, the astronaut pair completed a pair of get ahead tasks, including installing a jumper cable to provide power from the P6 truss to the International Space Station’s Russian segment and another to remove bolts from a micrometeoroid cover.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
Star Trails over Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile
Countless star trails appear as colorful brushstrokes spread across the night sky above NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. This mesmerizing image was created using long-exposure photography, a technique where a photographer allows light to enter their camera lens for a period of several minutes to several hours. The camera captures the subject’s movements, and the resulting image shows the flow of time in a single shot.
During its decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Rubin will use a technique known as difference imaging: equipped with the largest camera ever built, Rubin will image the southern sky every few nights. Scientists will stack the best images in each filter each year into ultra-long exposures and create template images of the southern sky. When this template is compared to individual images, scientists will be able to identify ‘movements’ in the night sky, such as new supernovae or the 'pulsations' of variable stars. After 10 years and thousands of exposures, Rubin will produce an unprecedented ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse record of our Universe—the ultimate 'movie' of the night sky.
This image was captured by Hernán Stockebrand, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
Cosmic Community of Abell 1489 in Coma Berenices | Gemini North Telescope
Punctuating the deep black of this image are hundreds of blobs of light, each one an entire galaxy in our Universe. Many of the yellowish points are members of the galaxy cluster Abell 1489, imaged here using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab.
Galaxy clusters are immense neighborhoods of galaxies gravitationally bound together. These massive formations serve as tools for astronomers to understand the Universe’s dark matter distribution, structure, and overall evolution. Astronomers classify galaxy clusters in several ways and have compiled multiple catalogs of clusters. This particular cluster has been labeled using the Abell classification scheme. Within this scheme, clusters are mainly sorted by their richness—the number of galaxies they contain—and their distance from us. Abell 1489 was categorized with a richness of Group 4. This means it has between 200 and 299 galaxies and makes it one of the richer clusters in the Abell catalog.
Abell 1489 appears fainter in most telescopes than other galaxy clusters, indicating that the structure is immensely distant from Earth. Yet images like this demonstrate the sensitivity of instruments like GMOS to resolve this cluster’s distant light and reveal its richness. This abundance is of particular importance for future study: the mass of all these galaxies together makes this cluster behave as a ‘magnifying glass’ to view light sources that are even farther away. These effects of gravitational lensing are visible as arcs of light, such as in the upper middle section of this image. The Gemini telescopes are among the few telescopes that can show lensing in such clarity.
Credits: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) Acknowledgments: PI: Adi Zitrin (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Release Date: April 30, 2025
Installing the Giant Doors of The Extremely Large Telescope | ESO
Our Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) needs extremely large doors. We are currently installing the giant sliding doors that will protect the ELT from the elements during the day, and open up at night to observe the Universe. The ELT dome has now reached its highest point—80 m. We celebrated this symbolic milestone in a ceremony, known as "tijerales" in Chile, raising the European Southern Observatory and Chilean flags atop the dome.
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is truly a massive building. The ELT is almost as tall as London's Big Ben clock tower and larger than Rome's Colosseum. The construction materials used for the ELT include: 10,000 tons of steel, 30 million bolts or 500 km of cables. Even compared to other large telescopes, the ELT is a one-of-a-kind.
The ELT can be seen including its dome, central structure, and base of the M1 mirror. The ELT stands at Cerro Armazones in Chile's Atacama Desert and will be one of the main flagships of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) for the next two decades.
In 2006, approval was given for the construction of the largest optical telescope on Earth—the ELT.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO) Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis Editing: Angelos Tsaousis Written by: Bárbara Ferreira Footage and photos: ESO, Luis Calçada, Angelos Tsaousis, Jose Porte, Max Nadjar
NASA Astronauts McClain & Ayers on Spacewalk | International Space Station
NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Anne McClain is pictured near one of the International Space Station's main solar arrays during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain points a camera towards herself and takes a "space-selfie" during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna. Reflected in her helmet's visor is fellow spacewalker and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers.
Astronaut Nichole Ayers is pictured during a spacewalk working to upgrade the orbital outpost's power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.
This photograph from NASA spacewalker Nichole Ayers looks to the forward portion of the International Space Station and highlights the Kibo laboratory module with the Japanese robotic arm, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port, and the partially obscured SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to Harmony's forward port. The International Space Station was orbiting 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean east of the Hawaiian island chain.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers concluded their spacewalk at 2:49 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2025. The total time was 5 hours and 44 minutes. It was the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers, and the 275th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
McClain and Ayers completed their primary objectives, including relocating a space station communications antenna and the initial mounting bracket installation steps for an IROSA that will arrive on a future SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. Additionally, the astronaut pair completed a pair of get ahead tasks, including installing a jumper cable to provide power from the P6 truss to the International Space Station’s Russian segment and another to remove bolts from a micrometeoroid cover.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
United Nations Supports China's International Partnerships for Space Exploration
Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), commends China's open attitude demonstrated through its Chang'e-6 Moon Mission in 2024. She emphasizes that such international cooperation is fundamental to advancing global space exploration.
China's Chang'e-6 Moon Mission carried scientific payloads from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan, including the French radon gas detector (CNES), the European Space Agency/Swedish ion analyzer, and the Italian Space Agency's laser corner reflector (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana).
The Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 3, 2024. It touched down on the far side of the Moon on June 2. During its two-day stay, Chang'e-6 used a scoop and drill, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of lunar material. On June 25, its returner brought back the samples and made a landing in north China.
Chang'e-6 successfully deployed Pakistan's ICUBE-Q satellite, releasing it into lunar orbit on May 8, 2024. The 15.4-pound (7 kilogram) small satellite captured images of the Moon and Sun and collected magnetic field data.
Video Credit: CGTN Duration: 1 minute, 37 seconds Release Date: May 1, 2025
NASA Artemis II Orion Moon Spacecraft: Handover to NASA | Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin: "We have completed assembly and testing of NASA's Orion spacecraft for Artemis II and have officially transferred possession to the NASA Ground Systems team!"
"Take a look back at the development of the Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts back to the Moon."
The Artemis II test flight will be sending NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back.
Artemis II will launch no earlier than April 2026.
Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:
NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket: ICPS Integration - Stacking | Kennedy Space Center
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program begin integrating the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle stage adapter on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four-story propulsion system, built by Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA), is powered by an RL10 engine that will enable the Orion spacecraft to build up enough speed for the push toward the Moon during the Artemis II crewed test flight.
The Artemis II test flight will be sending NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back.
Artemis II will launch no earlier than April 2026.
Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls
Artemis Moon Program: Meet Lindsay Kaldon | NASA's Glenn Research Center
Meet Lindsay Kaldon, Fission Surface Power, Project Manager at NASA's Glenn Research Center. Lindsay and her team are working on a safe, efficient system to power Artemis habitats and rovers on the Moon.
Biomass Earth Satellite Launch | European Space Agency
The European Space Agency’s new Biomass satellite was launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on April 29, 2025, at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
In orbit, this mission will provide vital insights into the health and dynamics of the world’s forests, revealing how they are changing over time and, critically, enhancing our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle. It is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band synthetic aperture radar for interferometric imaging. Thanks to the long wavelength of P-band, around 70 cm, the radar signal can slice through the entire forest layer to measure the ‘biomass’, meaning the woody trunks, branches and stems. This is where trees store most of their carbon.
Vega-C is the next evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance and greater payload volume.
Credits: ESA - S.Corvaja Release Date: April 29, 2025
NASA's Space to Ground: "Power Moves" | Week of May 2, 2025
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what is happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers concluded their spacewalk at 2:49 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2025. The total time was 5 hours and 44 minutes. It was the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers, and the 275th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
McClain and Ayers completed their primary objectives, including relocating a space station communications antenna and the initial mounting bracket installation steps for an IROSA that will arrive on a future SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. Additionally, the astronaut pair completed a pair of get ahead tasks, including installing a jumper cable to provide power from the P6 truss to the International Space Station’s Russian segment and another to remove bolts from a micrometeoroid cover.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
Mysterious X-ray Signal in Dying Star Points to Destroyed Planet | NASA Chandra
Astronomers have discovered a likely explanation for a fracture in a huge cosmic “bone” in the Milky Way galaxy, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio telescopes.
The bone appears to have been struck by a fast-moving, rapidly spinning neutron star, also known as a pulsar. Neutron stars are the densest known stars and form from the collapse and explosion of massive stars. They often receive a powerful kick from these explosions, sending them away from the explosion’s location at high speeds.
Enormous structures that resemble bones or snakes are found near the center of the Galaxy. These elongated formations are seen in radio waves and are threaded by magnetic fields running parallel to them. The radio waves are caused by energized particles spiraling along the magnetic fields.
This image shows one of these cosmic “bones” called G359.13 for short in X-rays from Chandra and radio data from the MeerKAT radio array in South Africa. Another name for G359.13 is the Snake. At about 230 light-years long, G359.13 is one of the longest and brightest of these structures in the Milky Way. To put this into context, there are over 800 stars within that distance from Earth. G359.13 is located about 26,000 light-years from Earth, near the center of the Milky Way
Astronomers examined this image closely and found what appears to be a break, or fracture, in the otherwise continuous length of G359.13. The combined X-ray and radio data provides clues to the cause of this fracture.
The researchers recently discovered an X-ray and radio source at the location of the fracture, using the data from Chandra and MeerKAT and the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array. They think a pulsar likely caused the fracture by smashing into G359.13 when it struck the cosmic bone at a speed between one million and two million miles per hour. This collision distorted the magnetic field in the bone, causing the radio signal to also become warped.
Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Credits:
X-ray: NASA/CXC/Northwestern Univ./F. Yusef-Zadeh et al
Esta animación, narrada por la directora de vuelo de la NASA Diana Trujillo, muestra los pasos principales de la caminata espacial (o actividad extravehicular) del 1 de mayo de 2025.
What's Up: May 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL
Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in May 2025?
Find a pair of planets in the sky in the evenings and mornings, have a look for the Eta Aquarid meteors, and join the watch for the brief and brilliant appearance of a "new star"—an anticipated nova explosion in the Corona Borealis constellation.
0:00 Intro
0:12 May planet viewing
1:03 Eta Aquarid meteor shower
1:48 Waiting for a nova
3:49 May Moon phases
Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Duration: 4 minutes Release Date: May 1, 2025
Shenzhou-19 Space Experiment Samples Delivered to Chinese Scientists
Samples from experiments in space, which returned to Earth on Wednesday with the crew of China's Shenzhou-19 space mission, have been transferred to scientists in Beijing for further research.
Shenzhou-19 astronauts brought back 22 types of experiment samples of space materials that are in four categories. These samples will be transported to Beijing together with the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft.
They include tungsten high entropy alloy, high-strength steel, lunar soil reinforcement material, and gel composite lubricating material.
The Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the studies of these experiment samples will promote the production and application of key materials including those for the next-generation aero-engine turbine blades and nano-electronic components.
"We have been using some characteristics of the space environment. For instance, multiple alloys can be well mixed together in space, which ensures high quality and purity with few defects. In this way, we can produce in space some urgently needed materials which are difficult to prepare on Earth. In addition, if we go further to the Moon and Mars in the future, can we use resources on them to produce materials we need? So the ongoing experiments onboard the space station will provide some solutions to us," said Zhang Wei, a researcher with the center.
Some of the space material samples had undergone in-orbit exposure experiments, which can reveal the mechanisms that caused damage to the samples' microstructures, their performance degradation, as well as functional failure in space.
According to relevant statistics, over 70 percent of the malfunctions of spacecraft were directly or indirectly caused by the space environment.
"Through research on these samples which had undergone exposures to the space environment outside of the space station, we will promote space applications of high-performance and durable lunar soil reinforcement materials, some large and foldable structural materials like flexible solar wings, and some high-performance and long-life lubricating materials. These will provide very important technical support for our deep space explorations and human space activities," said Ma Ping, a senior designer with the center.
The Shenzhou-19 mission generated over 102 samples of 13 types, which have been returned to Earth for in-depth analyses by scientists. These studies are expected to produce scientific outcomes in fundamental research, new materials, space radiation effects and hypomagnetic biological mechanisms.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 1 minute, 28 seconds Release Date: May 1, 2025