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Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated & Rideshare (VADR) Launch Services | NASA
Happy Star Wars Day! "Not in a galaxy far far away, but right here with NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP)! Our Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated & Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract provides low-cost launch services for high-risk tolerant payloads." #MayThe4thBeWithYou
Shenzhou-20 Crew to Conduct New Cytology Experiments | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-20 crew will conduct three new cytology experiments during their mission in China's space station.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 24, 2025, sending astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie to space.
The three astronauts took over the space station from the Shenzhou-19 crew on April 27. They will gradually start assigned space experiments, including those related to cell science.
The samples for the cytology experiments were delivered to the spacecraft only 6.5 hours before the launching, while the ground-based researchers simulated the sample loading process before that to make sure the samples can be in the best state.
"We loaded the cells at the last minute before launching, aiming to provide them with the most suitable and optimal environmental conditions. During this process, we try to keep the cells in a dormant state as much as possible, so that their response to the environment can be minimized. After entering the orbit, we have specialized cell culture incubators inside the space medicine experiment cabinet, which are set to 37 degrees Celsius. This is when we activate the cells," said Li Yinghui, a researcher from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
Cytology has always been an important component of China's space medicine experiments. The research primarily focuses on studying the effects of space environment on cells, as well as the characteristics and patterns of cellular responses.
Li introduced the focuses and targets of the three new cytology experiments.
"In space, there have been examples of astronauts developing blood clots, so we are focusing on the mechanisms of thrombosis. We have chosen cardiac muscle cells and endothelial cells to conduct co-cultivation, to observe their interactions under microgravity conditions. Additionally, for the first time internationally, we will co-culture three types of brain region cells, those of cortex, thalamus and cerebellum, into a tri-brain-like organoid to study their interactions from the perspective of motor ability under weightlessness. Furthermore, we have selected classical clinical formulas from traditional medicine. By regulating neural cells, we hope to see whether they can have a better effect on improving memory," said Li.
In previous manned spacecraft missions, China had sent 19 types of cells, including human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, skin stem cells, osteoblasts, human skeletal muscle satellite cells and artificial blood vessel chips, into space.
A total of 22 cytology experiments were conducted in orbit, achieving a series of innovative results in areas such as experimental technology, experimental models and scientific research. Some of these results have already contributed to enhancing public health, providing a research platform for exploring health issues such as osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular decline and cognitive function decline.
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 2 minutes Release Date: April 28, 2025
Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 flight engineer Jonny Kim discusses life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview at 12:10pm ET April 29, 2025, with students attending Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California.
We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities. Join us as we apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth, and strive to land the next humans on the Moon with the Artemis program.
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.
NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket: ICPS Integration | Kennedy Space Center
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program have finished integrating the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle stage adapter on Thursday, May 1, 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
Astrophotographer Sacha Layos: "Thwarted from going to sleep like a regular human by these skies! The twilight skies of spring bring about some of the most beautiful pink and purple displays! We are nearly out of skies dark enough for aurora for the season so I have to take it where I can get it."
Auroras happen when charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth's magnetic field, creating dazzling light shows in the sky. The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, occurs in an upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere called the ionosphere.
Salty Emi Koussi: Volcano in Sahara Desert | International Space Station
The volcano Emi Koussi appears as a brown circular feature in this astronaut photograph. The volcano's caldera appears as a smaller circle in the center of the image. A white area—a bed of salt—is visible in the lowest part of the caldera.
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of Emi Koussi, a large volcano in the central Sahara Desert in northern Chad. The volcano’s cone measures 70 kilometers (43 miles) in diameter and displays several dark-toned lava flows on its slopes.
The photo is centered on the volcano’s summit. It lies along the rim of an elliptical caldera that casts dark shadows. The summit reaches an elevation of 3,415 meters (11,204 feet), making it the highest peak in the Sahara Desert. The surrounding desert flats are marked by light-toned sands.
A prominent feature in the caldera is the white salt-covered bed of a small dry lake. This salt bed lies at the caldera’s lowest point, many meters (approximately 745 meters/2,450 feet) below the summit of Emi Koussi. Several circular volcanic vents within the caldera can be seen in the high-resolution version of the image.
Numerous dry stream channels appear as thin lines on the flanks of the volcano, radiating away from the caldera. Despite very low rainfall in the region, geologists think that such channels were formed by water-driven erosion that occurred over thousands of years. Several channels on the lower slopes, including those toward the bottom of the image, are marked by shadows.
A line of small, circular cones and vents appears on the volcano’s north flank. The line runs toward the slopes of Tarso Ahon, another large volcanic mountain. A depression between Emi Koussi and Tarso Ahon is occupied by deep canyons that cast the largest shadows. One canyon is 600 meters (2,000 feet) deep and leads water west, while the other is 250 meters (700 feet) deep and leads water east. The canyons formed in the depression due to the concentration of water runoff from both Emi Koussi and Tarso Ahon.
In northern Chad, the tallest peak in the Sahara Desert is topped with a patch of salt, not snow.
Image Credit: Astronaut photograph ISS072-E-423041 was acquired on December 29, 2024, with a Nikon Z9 digital camera using a focal length of 200 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. Image Date: Dec. 29, 2024
Post-Spacewalk: Ayers & McClain Spacesuit Processing | International Space Station
NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 flight engineer Jonny Kim: "M+23: An EVA (spacewalk) is a long day for all involved—flight control and EVA teams, spacewalkers, and IV teams. NASA TV captures the 6.5–7-hour EVA, but not the extensive same-day preparations or the hours of post-mission cleanup. This is a time-lapse of Takuya Onishi and me welcoming spacewalkers Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain back to the airlock after their successful mission."
"We assist them in removing their spacesuits and organize the airlock. In the coming days, Anne and Vapor will undertake critical tasks to prepare their suits and the airlock for future spacewalks, ensuring readiness for upcoming missions."
"Similarly, ground teams will conduct post-mission analysis and debriefings, sharing lessons learned to enhance future operations."
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.
Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy
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.
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
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