Europe's Sentinel Earth Satellites: Monitoring Oceans from Space | EUMETSAT

Europe's Sentinel Earth Satellites: Monitoring Oceans from Space | EUMETSAT

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. Discover how we keep an eye on them from space! This video explores the vital role of the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) in operating the ocean monitoring Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 satellites, part of Europe’s Copernicus Program. From tracking sea surface temperatures and ocean color to monitoring sea level rise, these satellites provide essential marine data to scientists, governments, and climate services around the globe. Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s space program, looking at our planet and its environment.

The European Union has entrusted EUMETSAT with operating the four Sentinel missions dedicated to monitoring the Earth's atmosphere, oceans and climate on its behalf. EUMETSAT carries out these tasks in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and is already responsible for the Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 marine missions, and in 2025, it will operate Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5.

EUMETSAT has established cooperation with Earth observation satellite operators in Europe, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Learn more:
https://www.eumetsat.int/who-we-are

https://www.eumetsat.int/what-we-monitor/ocean

United Nations: What is Climate Change?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Video Credit: EUMETSAT
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 11, 2025

#NASA #ESA #EUMETSAT #Space #Science #Satellites #Planet #Earth #Oceans #SeaLevels #SeaTemperatures #Oceanography #Environment #Weather #Meteorology #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #SentinelSatellites #Sentinel3 #Sentinel6 #EarthObservation #Europe #EuropeanUnion #InternationalCooperation #CivilianSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-4 Mission: Crew Payload Training | NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Ax-4 Mission: Crew Payload Training | NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Before going into quarantine, Axiom Space's Ax-4 crew stopped by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to complete their training in the Payload Operations Center. 

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are reviewing launch opportunities no earlier than Thursday, June 19, 2025, for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.

On June 12, NASA and Axiom Space delayed the mission as the agency continued to work with Roscosmos to understand the most recent repair efforts to seal small leaks. The leaks, located in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module, have been monitored by flight controllers for the past few years.

Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable. Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed. Teams are also considering the stable pressure could be the result of a small amount of air flowing into the transfer tunnel across the hatch seal from the main part of space station. By changing pressure in the transfer tunnel and monitoring over time, teams are evaluating the condition of the transfer tunnel and the hatch seal between the space station and the back of Zvezda.

Ax-4 will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.

The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. 

Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.

The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.

Ax-4 Crew

Peggy Whitson (United States)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson

Shubhanshu Shukla (India)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/shubhanshu-shukla

Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/slawosz-uznanski

Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/tibor-kapu

Learn more about Ax-4: 
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4

Video Credit: Axiom Space
Duration: 40 seconds
Release Date: June 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #Europe #MSFC #Huntsville #Alabama #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Launches Satellite for Natural Disaster Monitoring in Partnership with Italy

China Launches Satellite for Natural Disaster Monitoring in Partnership with Italy

China launched an electromagnetic monitoring satellite on Saturday, June 14, 2025. It is expected to enhance the country's "space-air-ground" integrated monitoring capabilities for major natural disasters. A Long March-2D carrier rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 15:56 (Beijing Time), successfully sending the Zhangheng 1-02 satellite into its planned orbit, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).  The CNSA said that this marks a significant step forward for China in the field of space-based observation of the Earth's physical fields.

Named after the ancient Chinese inventor Zhang Heng, who created the world's first seismoscope over 1,800 years ago, the satellite was jointly developed by China and Italy. It is the first operational satellite dedicated to exploring the Earth's physical fields under China's medium and long-term civil space infrastructure development plan, according to the CNSA.

With a designed lifespan of six years, the satellite is equipped with nine payloads, including an electric field detector co-developed by China and Italy, as well as a high-energy particle detector developed by Italy.

It will carry out quasi-real-time monitoring of global electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, the ionosphere and the neutral atmosphere, detecting electromagnetic anomalies caused by geological and human activities, as well as monitoring thunderstorm and lightening activity, according to the CNSA.

"One of its functions is to monitor the electromagnetic waves and electromagnetic fields of the Earth, as these influence the crustal activities and electromagnetic patterns on Earth. Another function of the satellite is to detect the ionosphere and the neutral atmosphere structure, mainly serving for [monitoring] extreme weather conditions," said Peng Wei, deputy director of the system engineering department of the CNSA.

Peng said that scientists will use these data to study the correlation between changes in the Earth's physical fields and geological activities, and to support research on the prediction of earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, extreme weather, and space weather disasters.

The satellite will significantly enhance China's early perception, risk assessment, and monitoring and early warning capabilities for major natural disasters, Peng added.

It will also provide data support for emergency management, resource mapping, and communications and navigation industries, while fostering scientific and technological cooperation in related fields among countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Zhangheng 1-02 satellite is an updated version developed based on the Zhangheng 1-01 satellite, which is a scientific research satellite with the main task of verifying related technologies. The 02 satellite, an operational one built on the capabilities of the 01 satellite, will be more extensively involved in practical application.

The Zhangheng 1-01 satellite, launched in 2018, remains in normal operation, while the new satellite has richer physical measurements. Working in tandem, the two satellites will conduct collaborative observations, effectively improving the horizontal spatial and temporal resolution of observations, according to Peng.

"The operational satellite largely inherits the state of the scientific research satellite, with most aspects being similar, but it has a different payload - an ionospheric optical instrument. This payload mainly can measure certain parameters of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere structure more accurately, and we expect it will improve the precision of these measurements by an order of magnitude," said Peng.

Saturday's launch marked the 581st mission of China’s Long March rocket series.

 

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: June 14, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Space #Satellite #Zhangheng102Satellite #Science #Sun #SpaceWeather #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #NaturalDisasters #Geology #Earthquakes #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #Italy #Italia #LongMarchRocket #LongMarch2D #JSLC #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Shape of Sagittarius in Three Dimensions | Space Telescope Science Institute

The Shape of Sagittarius in Three Dimensions | Space Telescope Science Institute

This visualization reveals stars of the Sagittarius constellation in three dimensions. Watch as the familiar pattern on the sky distorts into a whole new perspective.

The sequence starts with a view of the asterism called the "Teapot", the most recognizable feature of the constellation Sagittarius. In the background, like steam coming out of the spout of the teapot, is our galaxy, the Milky Way. That same spout, or the tip of the arrow of the archer, points towards the bright center of the Milky Way, covered by deep layers of interstellar dust. To the right of Saggitarius, between it and the constellation Scorpius, the Messier 7 star cluster is easily visible, over 900 ly away.

As the camera starts to orbit around the stars of Sagittarius, the true depth of the layers of dust covering the center of the Milky Way begins to reveal itself in three-dimensional space and the constellation slowly morphs into an elongated shape.

This visualization features over 11 million stars down to a magnitude of 13.5 across the sky. The positions, colors, and luminosities are based on the Gaia and Hipparcos star catalogs, complemented by the HYG Database. This includes data from the Yale and Gliese catalogs. Insterstellar dust is visualized using the Edenhofer map out to a distance of 1.25 kiloparsecs (~4,000 ly) from the Sun. The rest of the Milky Way plane is recreated using simulated spiral galaxy data for stars and dust from the Horizon GalMer database.

Video Credits: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Visualization: Christian Nieves, Frank Summers (STScI)
Motion Graphics: Ralf Crawford (STScI)
Data: 
Gaia DR3 – ESA/Gaia/DPAC 
Hipparcos Catalog – ESA
HYG-Database (v4.1) – Astronexus CC BY-SA 4.0 
Edenhofer et al (2023). A Parsec-Scale Galactic 3D Dust Map out to 1.25 kpc from the Sun -- Dataset for the 1.25 kpc 3D Dust Map and the 2 kpc 3D Dust Map (v1.0.2) [Data set]. Zenodo. 
Horizon GalMer Database – Chilingarian I. V., Di Matteo P., Combes F., Melchior A.-L., Semelin B., 2010, A&A, 518, A61
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 2, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #SagittariusConstellation #Sagittarius #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #Visualization #3D #HD #Video

New Expedition#73 Crew Photos: Part 2 | International Space Station

New Expedition#73 Crew Photos: Part 2 | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain celebrates her 46th birthday with a cake, gifts, and cards aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers cleans and services life support components that are part of the Oxygen Generation System rack located inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim stows research samples inside a cryogenic storage unit for installation inside a science freezer for preservation inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. Offically called the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS, or MELFI, the ultra-cold storage unit enables space biology research by preserving biological samples for analysis including blood, saliva, urine, microbes, and more.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander is pictured during maintenance operations on the Japanese robotic arm's Small Fine Arm inside the Kibo laboratory module. The Small Fine Arm is used for precise and dexterous robotic maneuvers when grappling small components or payloads on the outside of the International Space Station. There are two other robotic arms on the outside of the orbital outpost including the Canadarm2 robotic arm and the European robotic arm (ERA). Canadarm2 can be used to maneuver spacecraft, spacewalkers, and large payloads. ERA can also be used to maneuver spacewalkers and space station components.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain checks out a pair of spacesuits during routine maintenance operations inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers works inside the Kibo laboratory module to test imaging operations of a 3D research microscope, also known as the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System, or ELVIS. The specialized 3D imaging device, located in Kibo's Life Science Glovebox, could be used to monitor water quality, detect potentially infectious organisms, and study liquid mixtures and microorganisms in space and on Earth.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim works on spacesuit maintenance operations inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers checks out a spacesuit stowed inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.

A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Dates: May 29-June 10, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

New Expedition#73 Crew Photos: Part 1 | International Space Station

New Expedition#73 Crew Photos: Part 1 | International Space Station

NASA astronauts (left to right) Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both Expedition 73 Flight Engineers, pose for a portrait together aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. Moments earlier, Ayers finished trimming McClain's hair using an electric razor with a suction hose attached that collects the loose hair to protect the station's atmosphere.

Astronauts Takuya Onishi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Nichole Ayers of NASA, Expedition 73 Commander and Flight Engineer respectively, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. Ayers trims Onishi's hair using an electric razor with a suction hose attached that collects loose hairs to protect the station's atmosphere.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim repairs ethernet cables aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module.

Astronauts Jonny Kim of NASA and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Expedition 73 flight engineer and commander respectively, work inside the International Space Station's Harmony module gathering and organizing cargo to be packed inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft before its departure.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain works inside the Destiny laboratory module's Materials Science Research Rack and swaps filters inside the Kermit microscope. Kermit is an all-in-one fluorescence microscope system used to conduct biological, physical, and materials science research.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers conducts research operations inside the Kibo laboratory module's Life Science Glovebox aboard the International Space Station. Ayers was processing samples of deep-sea bacteria to test a specialized 3D microscope for its ability to monitor water quality, detect potentially infectious organisms, and study liquid mixtures and microorganisms in space and on Earth.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers replaces components on an experimental carbon dioxide removal device. Also called the Thermal Amine Scrubber, the advanced life support mechanism is testing a new method that removes carbon dioxide from the station’s atmosphere and recovers water for oxygen generation.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers works inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft readying the vehicle to be packed with completed science experiments, time-critical research samples, and International Space Station hardware before its departure.

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Dates: May 14-31, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: June 5-12, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: June 5-12, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4566—"White-balanced image"

Mars 2020 - sol 874

Mars 2020 - sol 1531

MSL - sol 4568

MSL - sol 4562

MSL - sol 4560

MSL - sol 4562

MSL - sol 4564

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 4+ 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

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: June 5-12, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

New Powerful Lasers for World's Largest Optical Telescope | ESO

New Powerful Lasers for World's Largest Optical Telescope | ESO

Ground-based telescopes have a trick up their sleeve to deal with atmospheric turbulence—lasers. By creating artificial stars in the sky and monitoring how blurred they are, we can obtain very sharp images of the cosmos. Together with our industrial partners, we are now testing next-generation lasers for our Very Large Telescope (VLT) and our Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).

Credit: ESO
Directed & Edited by: Angelos Tsaousis 
Written by: Bárbara Ferreira
Footage and photos: ESO, Luis Calçada, Angelos Tsaousis, Jose Porte, Mahdi Zamani, Christoph Malin, Daniele Gasparri, Sebastian Kammann (LJMU)/ Nick Risinger
Acknowledgements: TNO, TOPTICA
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Atmosphere #AstronomicalObservatories #Lasers #LaserTechnology #AdaptiveOptics #Telescopes #VLT #ELT #Nebulae #Stars #Exoplanets #Galaxies #Universe #Technology #Engineering #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

How Massive Can Black Holes Become? | European Southern Observatory

How Massive Can Black Holes Become? | European Southern Observatory

Black holes are objects so massive and compact that not even light can escape from inside them. How massive can they get? In this episode of Chasing Starlight we take you on a tour of the most extreme black holes we know of.

Video Credit: ESO
Directed by: L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser
Hosted by: S. Randall
Written by: L. Spillman, A. I. López
Editing: M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada
Videography: A. Tsaousis
Animations & footage: ESO, M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada, M. Zamani, NASA / CXC / MIT / M.McDonald et al, NASA/STScI, N. Risinger, DSS, Space Engine, Jordy Davelaar et al./Radboud University/BlackHoleCam, ISTA, VVV Survey/D. Minniti, Nogueras-Lara et al., Schoedel, NACO, GRAVITY Collaboration, EHT Collaboration
Scientific consultant: P. Amico
Filming locations: ESO Supernova
Produced by the European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: June 13, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #BlackHoles #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #ChasingStarlight #Animation #HD #Video

China's CAS Space: 1st Stage Rocket Static Fire for Commercial Cargo Spacecraft

China's CAS Space: 1st Stage Rocket Static Fire for Commercial Cargo Spacecraft

🔥CAS Space has successfully completed the first static fire of Kinetica-2's first stage core at its rocket engine testing center located in Conghua, Guangzhou province in southern China. This represents a major step towards the demonstration launch of the Qingzhou-1 commercial cargo spacecraft for the China Space Station. CAS Space is competing with AVIC Chengdu's "HaoLong" cargo shuttle for commercial contracts.

Qingzhou, meaning "Light Ship" in Chinese, has been designed to be smaller in size and lighter in weight, compared to the existing Tianzhou (Sky Ship) cargo spacecraft. Developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the new commercial launch vehicle weighs about 5 tonnes and is capable of sending at least 1.8 tonnes of supplies into space. It features an internal volume of 27 cubic meters. It can accommodate up to 300 liters for cold-chain transportation, enabling taikonauts to enjoy more and fresher fruits and vegetables during their space missions. According to Shu Rong, commander of the Qingzhou project, the spacecraft has been developed at a lower cost, thanks to numerous technological innovations and a more efficient launch process.

The CAS Space rocket test center is currently the only engine and propulsion system test center in southern China. The complex is capable of 200t-grade liquid engine testing and 400t-grade comprehensive propulsion system testing.

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Video Credit: CAS Space

Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 11, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #LaunchVehicle #SolidFuelRocket # Lijian2Rocket #Qingzhou1 #CommercialCargo #ChinaSpaceStation #天宫 #CommercialSpace #CAS #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: On The Run | Week of June 13, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground: On The Run | Week of June 13, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.

A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.

Follow Expedition 73:

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Axiom4Mission #Ax4 #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Long Exposure Photographic Treasures | International Space Station

Long Exposure Photographic Treasures | International Space Station

"Taking photos is one of the leisure activities that astronauts enjoy, but how they enjoy it varies from person to person.

I got into long exposure photography last weekend.

The view is completely different from what you see with the naked eye, and the results vary each time depending on the camera settings, the position and phase of the moon, the lights on the ground, etc., making it fun like opening a treasure chest."

"The previous photo was taken about 15 minutes [before this one].

For this photo, the shutter was open for about two and a half minutes.

The atmosphere is different, but which one do you prefer?

Well then, everyone, have a great weekend ♪"

Expedition 73 commander and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi shares recent examples of his long exposure photography aboard the International Space Station.

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/JAXA/T. Onishi
Release Date: June 7, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Sun #Planet #Earth #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #TimelapsePhotography #TakuyaOnishi #大西卓哉 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #UnitedStates #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

NASA PACE Earth Mission Sees Plants in Hyperspectral Color | NASA Goddard

NASA PACE Earth Mission Sees Plants in Hyperspectral Color | NASA Goddard

NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Mission Update: Researchers have gathered a complete year of PACE data to evaluate the health of land vegetation by detecting slight variations in leaf colors.

Previous missions allowed scientists to observe broad changes in chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color and that allows them to perform photosynthesis. PACE permits scientists to track three pigments in vegetation: chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. 

The combination of these three pigments helps scientists pinpoint greater information about plant health.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: 
https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov

Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Producers: Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Interviewees:
Morgaine McKibben (SSAI)
Fred Huemmrich (UMBC)
Videographer: John Philyaw (eMITS)
Writers:
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Morgaine McKibben (SSAI)
Fred Huemmrich (UMBC)
Editor: Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Animator: Chris Burns (eMITS)
Narrator: Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Scientists: 
Morgaine McKibben (SSAI)
Fred Huemmrich (UMBC)
Animator: Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Visualizers: Kel Elkins (SSAI)
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: June 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #Planet #Earth #Land #Biology #Botany #Plants #Chlorophyll #PACEMission #EarthObservation #EarthScience #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #JPL #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Electron Liftoff: Japan QPS-SAR-11 Earth Observation Satellite | Rocket Lab

Electron Liftoff: Japan QPS-SAR-11 Earth Observation Satellite | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab successfully launched its 66th Electron to deploy the latest satellite to orbit for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS)—Rocket Lab’s second launch in less than a month for iQPS and its fourth overall with 100% mission success. ‘The Mountain God Guards’ Mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 15:31 UTC on June 11th, 2025, to deploy a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite named QPS-SAR-11 (nicknamed Yamatsumi-I for the Japanese god of mountains) to a 575km circular Earth orbit for iQPS. The mission is the latest in a series of dedicated Electron launches for iQPS to develop its Earth-imaging constellation providing high resolution images and Earth monitoring services globally.

With this mission, Electron has now deployed half of iQPS’s constellation of satellites operating on orbit. These include the ‘The Moon God Awakens’ that was successfully launched in December 2023; and ‘The Lightning God Reigns’, ‘The Sea God Sees’, and now ‘The Mountain God Guards’, each deployed in the first half of 2025. Another four dedicated missions with QPS-SAR satellites are scheduled to launch on Electron across the remainder of this year and 2026, making Rocket Lab the "most relied-upon launch provider to accelerate the build out of iQPS’s constellation with repeatability and precision."

iQPS is developing a constellation of synthetic aperture radar imaging satellites. The company has eight operational satellites with plans to grow its constellation to 24 satellites by 2027 and ultimately to 36 spacecraft. This is the fourth iQPS satellite launched by Electron and the third in three months, after launches March 14 and May 17. An Electron also launched an iQPS satellite in December 2023. The last three launches are part of a multi-launch contract that includes a total of eight launches, extending into 2026. This was the eighth launch so far this year for Rocket Lab.

Learn more about iQPS:
https://i-qps.net/en/

Learn more about Rocket Lab:
https://www.rocketlabusa.com

Image Credit: Rocket Lab
Capture Date: June 11, 2025

#NASA #Space #Aerospace #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #SAR #LEO #iQPS #QPSSAR11 #Japan #日本 #RocketLab #ElectronRocket #RocketLaunch #MahiaPeninsula #NewZealand #CommercialSpace #PeterBeck #STEM #Education

Electron Launch: Japan QPS-SAR-11 Earth Observation Satellite | Rocket Lab

Electron Launch: Japan QPS-SAR-11 Earth Observation Satellite | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab successfully launched its 66th Electron to deploy the latest satellite to orbit for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS)—Rocket Lab’s second launch in less than a month for iQPS and its fourth overall with 100% mission success. ‘The Mountain God Guards’ Mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 15:31 UTC on June 11th, 2025, to deploy a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite named QPS-SAR-11 (nicknamed Yamatsumi-I for the Japanese god of mountains) to a 575km circular Earth orbit for iQPS. The mission is the latest in a series of dedicated Electron launches for iQPS to develop its Earth-imaging constellation providing high resolution images and Earth monitoring services globally.

With this mission, Electron has now deployed half of iQPS’s constellation of satellites operating on orbit. These include the ‘The Moon God Awakens’ that was successfully launched in December 2023; and ‘The Lightning God Reigns’, ‘The Sea God Sees’, and now ‘The Mountain God Guards’, each deployed in the first half of 2025. Another four dedicated missions with QPS-SAR satellites are scheduled to launch on Electron across the remainder of this year and 2026, making Rocket Lab the "most relied-upon launch provider to accelerate the build out of iQPS’s constellation with repeatability and precision."

iQPS is developing a constellation of synthetic aperture radar imaging satellites. The company has eight operational satellites with plans to grow its constellation to 24 satellites by 2027 and ultimately to 36 spacecraft. This is the fourth iQPS satellite launched by Electron and the third in three months, after launches March 14 and May 17. An Electron also launched an iQPS satellite in December 2023. The last three launches are part of a multi-launch contract that includes a total of eight launches, extending into 2026. This was the eighth launch so far this year for Rocket Lab.

Learn more about iQPS:
https://i-qps.net/en/

Learn more about Rocket Lab:
https://www.rocketlabusa.com

Video Credit: Rocket Lab
Duration: 22 seconds

Capture Date: June 11, 2025

#NASA #Space #Aerospace #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #SAR #LEO #iQPS #QPSSAR11 #Japan #日本 #RocketLab #ElectronRocket #RocketLaunch #MahiaPeninsula #NewZealand #CommercialSpace #PeterBeck #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"First" Audio Recording of a Rocket's Second Stage | Rocket Lab

"First" Audio Recording of a Rocket's Second Stage | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab's CEO Peter Beck: "For the first time in history, you can hear what a 2nd stage sounds like with our new live audio from space. We use structure born vibe to recreate audio. Listen for stage sep, electric pumps spool up and ignition. Pretty cool!"

Rocket Lab successfully launched its 66th Electron to deploy the latest satellite to orbit for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS)—Rocket Lab’s second launch in less than a month for iQPS and its fourth overall with 100% mission success. ‘The Mountain God Guards’ Mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 15:31 UTC on June 11th, 2025, to deploy a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite named QPS-SAR-11 (nicknamed Yamatsumi-I for the Japanese god of mountains) to a 575km circular Earth orbit for iQPS. The mission is the latest in a series of dedicated Electron launches for iQPS to develop its Earth-imaging constellation providing high resolution images and Earth monitoring services globally.

With this mission, Electron has now deployed half of iQPS’s constellation of satellites operating on orbit. These include the ‘The Moon God Awakens’ that was successfully launched in December 2023; and ‘The Lightning God Reigns’, ‘The Sea God Sees’, and now ‘The Mountain God Guards’, each deployed in the first half of 2025. Another four dedicated missions with QPS-SAR satellites are scheduled to launch on Electron across the remainder of this year and 2026, making Rocket Lab the "most relied-upon launch provider to accelerate the build out of iQPS’s constellation with repeatability and precision."

iQPS is developing a constellation of synthetic aperture radar imaging satellites. The company has eight operational satellites with plans to grow its constellation to 24 satellites by 2027 and ultimately to 36 spacecraft. This is the fourth iQPS satellite launched by Electron and the third in three months, after launches March 14 and May 17. An Electron also launched an iQPS satellite in December 2023. The last three launches are part of a multi-launch contract that includes a total of eight launches, extending into 2026. This was the eighth launch so far this year for Rocket Lab.

Learn more about iQPS:
https://i-qps.net/en/

Learn more about Rocket Lab:
https://www.rocketlabusa.com

Video Credit: Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
Duration: 22 seconds

Capture Date: June 11, 2025

#NASA #Space #Aerospace #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #SAR #LEO #iQPS #Japan #日本 #RocketLab #ElectronRocket #RocketLaunch #SecondStage #SecondStageAudio #MahiaPeninsula #NewZealand #CommercialSpace #PeterBeck #STEM #Education #HD #Video