New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

This video showcases two new Webb views of M82. It is located just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. 

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto, N. . Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Center of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | Webb Telescope

Close-up: The Center of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | Webb Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture is a nearby galaxy that outshines the Milky Way. This galaxy, called Messier 82 (M82) or the Cigar Galaxy, is situated just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. 

Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) has drawn back these clouds, revealing the full brilliance of the galactic center.

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

A previous Webb NIRCam image of M82 was released in 2024. The earlier image focused on the very core of the galaxy, where individual clusters of young stars stand out against the clumps and tendrils of gas. This new image takes a broader view of M82’s brilliant centre, capturing the light of billions of stars as well as the glow of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. 

Researchers used the new Webb data to identify plumes traced by the emission from PAH molecules. Each plume is only about 160 light-years wide, and the Webb images show that these plumes are made up of multiple individual clouds that are 16–49 light-years across—an incredible level of detail enabled by Webb’s sensitive instruments. These clouds appear to have been caught up in the galaxy’s powerful outflowing winds and whisked away from the galactic disc.

Ultimately, this phenomenon points back to the galaxy’s remarkable abundance of massive star clusters: as these massive clusters form, their newborn stars sear the surrounding gas with high-energy radiation and particles, launching the outflowing wind that is traced by this NIRCam image.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. The galaxy’s disc extends from the top to the bottom of the image, emitting a blue-white glow. Gas erupts from the brightly shining center, forming an hourglass-shaped plume of red and orange dust clouds to the left and right. Ridges and cavities in the gas are visible in great detail. Many distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as tiny pinprick stars in M82.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto, N. . Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: A Starburst Shines in Infrared | Webb Telescope

Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: A Starburst Shines in Infrared | Webb Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture is a nearby galaxy that outshines the Milky Way. This galaxy, called Messier 82 (M82) or the Cigar Galaxy, is situated just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. 

Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) has drawn back these clouds, revealing the full brilliance of the galactic center.

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

A previous Webb NIRCam image of M82 was released in 2024. The earlier image focused on the very core of the galaxy, where individual clusters of young stars stand out against the clumps and tendrils of gas. This new image takes a broader view of M82’s brilliant centre, capturing the light of billions of stars as well as the glow of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. 

Researchers used the new Webb data to identify plumes traced by the emission from PAH molecules. Each plume is only about 160 light-years wide, and the Webb images show that these plumes are made up of multiple individual clouds that are 16–49 light-years across—an incredible level of detail enabled by Webb’s sensitive instruments. These clouds appear to have been caught up in the galaxy’s powerful outflowing winds and whisked away from the galactic disc.

Ultimately, this phenomenon points back to the galaxy’s remarkable abundance of massive star clusters: as these massive clusters form, their newborn stars sear the surrounding gas with high-energy radiation and particles, launching the outflowing wind that is traced by this NIRCam image.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. The galaxy’s disc extends from the top to the bottom of the image, emitting a blue-white glow. Gas erupts from the brightly shining center, forming an hourglass-shaped plume of red and orange dust clouds to the left and right. Ridges and cavities in the gas are visible in great detail. Many distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as tiny pinprick stars in M82.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Journey of NS-33 | Blue Origin

The Journey of NS-33 | Blue Origin

When you see Earth as a single, delicate curve, it transforms you.

On June 29, 2025, Blue Origin successfully completed its 13th human spaceflight and the 33rd flight for the New Shepard program. The crew included: Allie Kuehner and her husband, Carl Kuehner, plus Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno, Jr., Owolabi Salis, and Jim Sitkin. Including this crew, New Shepard has now flown 70 people to space, including four who have flown twice.

Learn more about the NS-33 Crew:
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-33-mission

Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is Blue Origin’s fully reusable, autonomous suborbital rocket system built to fly humans and scientific payloads to space. The rocket is powered by one BE-3PM engine. It is fueled by a highly efficient and clean combination of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. During flight, the only byproduct of New Shepard’s engine combustion is water vapor, with no carbon emissions.

Fly to space: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard/fly

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 2 minutes, 15 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewShepard #NewShepardRocket #NewShepardCrewCapsule #NS33Mission #NS33Crew #AllieKuehner #CarlKuehner #JimSitkin #FreddieRescignoJr #LelandLarson #OwolabiSalis #CommercialAstronauts #CommercialSpace #LaunchSiteOne #Texas #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #JeffBezos #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Bullet Galaxy Cluster in Carina | James Webb Space Telescope

The Bullet Galaxy Cluster in Carina: Hubble & Webb Space Telescopes

The video fades between images of the Bullet Cluster taken by NASA’s Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. More distant galaxies pop into view with Webb’s near-infrared observation. This is the central region of the Bullet Cluster. It is made up of two massive galaxy clusters. Normally, gas, dust, stars, and dark matter are combined into galaxies, even when they are gravitationally bound within larger groups known as galaxy clusters. The Bullet Cluster is unusual in that the intracluster gas and dark matter are separated, offering further evidence in support of dark matter.

These galaxy clusters act as gravitational lenses, magnifying the light of background galaxies. “Gravitational lensing allows us to infer the distribution of dark matter,” said James Jee, a co-author, professor at Yonsei University, and research associate at UC Davis in California.

The Bullet Cluster is found in the Carina constellation 3.8 billion light-years from Earth. It is huge in size, even in the vast expanse of space. 

Video Credits:

NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Duration: 17 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #BulletCluster #1E065756 #Carina #Constellation #Universe #Astrophysics #DarkMatter #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #WebbSpaceTelescope #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #CSA #Canada #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Bullet Galaxy Cluster in Carina | James Webb Space Telescope

The Bullet Galaxy Cluster in Carina | James Webb Space Telescope

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured the central region of the Bullet Cluster with its NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera). The scene contains two massive galaxy clusters that sit on either side of the large, light blue spiral galaxy at the center. Webb’s extremely precise images revealed many more distant galaxies and faint objects, allowing a research team to refine the amount of mass in the two galaxy clusters.

These galaxy clusters act as gravitational lenses, magnifying the light of background galaxies. “Gravitational lensing allows us to infer the distribution of dark matter,” said James Jee, a co-author, professor at Yonsei University, and research associate at UC Davis in California.

The Bullet Cluster is found in the Carina constellation 3.8 billion light-years from Earth. It is huge in size, even in the vast expanse of space. 

Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, the European Space Agency (ESA) provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI—designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) contributed two important elements to the Webb Telescope:

- the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) allows the telescope to point at and focus on objects of interest

- the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), a scientific instrument that helps study many astronomical objects, from exoplanets to distant galaxies

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA, and the CSA.

Credits:
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, CXC
Science: James Jee (Yonsei University, UC Davis), Sangjun Cha (Yonsei University), Kyle Finner (Caltech/IPAC)

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #BulletCluster #1E065756 #Carina #Constellation #Universe #Astrophysics #DarkMatter #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #WebbSpaceTelescope #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #CSA #Canada #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Bullet Cluster in Carina: Webb & Chandra [Canceled] Space Telescopes

The Bullet Cluster in Carina: Webb & Chandra [Canceled] Space Telescopes

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. NASA's science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%. NASA's total budget will become the lowest since 1961, after accounting for inflation.

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe budget cuts at NASA:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PDF) Document Download: https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/ (See Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request Summary)

This is the central region of the Bullet Cluster. It is made up of two massive galaxy clusters. The vast number of galaxies and foreground stars in the image were captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light. Glowing, hot X-rays captured by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory appear in pink. The blue represents the dark matter, precisely mapped by researchers with Webb’s detailed imaging. Normally, gas, dust, stars, and dark matter are combined into galaxies, even when they are gravitationally bound within larger groups known as galaxy clusters. The Bullet Cluster is unusual in that the intracluster gas and dark matter are separated, offering further evidence in support of dark matter.

These galaxy clusters act as gravitational lenses, magnifying the light of background galaxies. “Gravitational lensing allows us to infer the distribution of dark matter,” said James Jee, a co-author, professor at Yonsei University, and research associate at UC Davis in California.

The Bullet Cluster is found in the Carina constellation 3.8 billion light-years from Earth. It is huge in size, even in the vast expanse of space. 

Credits:
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, CXC
Science: James Jee (Yonsei University, UC Davis), Sangjun Cha (Yonsei University), Kyle Finner (Caltech/IPAC)
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #BulletCluster #1E065756 #Carina #Constellation #Universe #Astrophysics #DarkMatter #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #WebbSpaceTelescope #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #CSA #Canada #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: June 28-29, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: June 28-29, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - Sol 4582

Mars 2020 - Sol 1548

Mars 2020 - Sol 1548

MSL - Sol 4584

Mars 2020 - Sol 1548

Mars 2020 - Sol 1548

Mars 2020 - Sol 1548

Mars 2020 - Sol 1549

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 28-29, 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

Hubble's "Artificial Intelligence Revolution" | NASA Goddard

Hubble's "Artificial Intelligence Revolution" | NASA Goddard

"Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we explore the cosmos, turning vast amounts of space data into meaningful discoveries at unprecedented speeds."

"As telescopes like the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope prepare to collect data in the petabytes, human analysis alone will not suffice. The next great astronomical discoveries will emerge from the powerful partnership between human curiosity and machine intelligence, processing in minutes what would take decades by conventional methods."

Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 
Sanchali Pothuru: Lead Producer / Editor
Paul Morris: Support
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Young Stars of Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

The Young Stars of Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

The subject of this Hubble picture is a reflection nebula, identified as GN 04.32.8. Reflection nebulae are clouds of dust in space that do not emit their own light, as other nebulae do. Instead, the light from nearby stars hits and scatters off their dust, lighting them up. Because of the way the light scatters, many reflection nebulae tend to appear blue, GN 04.32.8 included.

GN 04.32.8 is a small part of the stellar nursery known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud. At only roughly 480 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus, it is one of the best locations for studying newly forming stars. This reflection nebula is illuminated by the system of three bright stars in the center of this image, mainly the variable star V1025 Tauri in the very center. One of those stars overlaps with part of the nebula: this is another variable star that is named HP Tauri, but is classified as a T Tauri star, for its similarity to yet another variable star elsewhere in the Taurus Molecular Complex. T Tauri stars are very active, chaotic stars at an early stage of their evolution, so it is no surprise that they appear in a prolific stellar nursery like this one. The three stars are also named HP Tau, HP Tau G2 and HP Tau G3; they are believed to be gravitationally bound to each other, forming a triple system.

Eagle-eyed viewers might notice the small, squashed, orange spot, just left of center below the clouds of the nebula, that is crossed by a dark line. This is a newly-formed protostar, hidden in a protoplanetary disc that obstructs a portion of its light. Because the disc is edge-on to us, it is an ideal candidate for study. Astronomers are using Hubble here to examine it closely, seeking to learn about the kinds of exoplanets that might be formed in discs like it.

Image Description: A long, smoky, greyish-blue cloud in the center of the image curves in an arc around three bright stars, each with long cross-shaped diffraction spikes. The cloud is lit more brightly on the inner side facing the stars, and fades into the dark background on the outer side. A few other stars and points of light surround the cloud: one small star below it has a dark band crossing its center.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, G. Duchêne

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #Nebulae #Nebula #GN04328 #ReflectionNebulae #StellarNurseries #Stars #V1025Tauri #HPTauri #TTauriStars #Taurus #Constellation #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Blue Origin New Shepard Mission NS-33: Apogee

 Blue Origin New Shepard Mission NS-33: Apogee

"Welcome to apogee, where distance brings perspective." Blue Origin successfully completed its 13th human spaceflight and the 33rd flight for the New Shepard program on June 29, 2025. The crew included: Allie Kuehner and her husband, Carl Kuehner, plus Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno, Jr., Owolabi Salis, and Jim Sitkin. Including this crew, New Shepard has now flown 70 people to space, including four who have flown twice.

Learn more about the NS-33 Crew:
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-33-mission

Fly to space: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard/fly

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 31 seconds
Release Date: June 29, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewShepard #NewShepardRocket #NewShepardCrewCapsule #NS33Mission #NS33Crew #AllieKuehner #CarlKuehner #JimSitkin #FreddieRescignoJr #LelandLarson #OwolabiSalis #CommercialAstronauts #CommercialSpace #LaunchSiteOne #Texas #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #JeffBezos #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Japan H-2A Rocket Launches Earth Climate Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

Japan H-2A Rocket Launches Earth Climate Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group H-2A rocket successfully launched the GOSAT-GW, or Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse Gases and Water Cycle Earth science satellite for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on June 28, 2025. It represented the 50th and final flight of this launch vehicle that had long been the workhorse for Japan's access to space.

The H-2A lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 12:33 p.m. Eastern time. It deployed its payload, the GOSAT-GW or Ibuki GW, satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit 16 and a half minutes later. JAXA later reported that GOSAT-GW had extended its solar arrays as planned after deployment. This is the third mission in the GOSAT series.

GOSAT-GW, or Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse Gases and Water Cycle, is a 2,600-kilogram spacecraft built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for JAXA. The spacecraft carries two major instruments, a microwave scanning radiometer to measure water on land, oceans and the atmosphere, and a spectrometer to observe three greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide. GOSAT-GW has a planned seven-year lifetime.

The launch was the 50th and final flight of the H-2A, a rocket that Japan had long relied on for civil, commercial, and military satellites. The H-2A made its debut in 2001 and was successful in every launch but one, a November 2003 launch of two reconnaissance satellites that failed when one of its solid rocket boosters failed to separate.

The H-2A was primarily used for Earth and space science missions for JAXA, and for Japanese military reconnissance satellites. The vehicle did perform a handful of commercial launches, such as for satellite operators Inmarsat and Telesat, but the vehicle’s relatively high cost and low flight rate made it difficult to win orders.

The H-2A was a redesigned, upgraded version of the short-lived H-2 rocket that flew seven times from 1994 to 1999. Another variant, the H-2B, launched nine times from 2009 to 2020, each carrying an HTV cargo vehicle for the International Space Station.

The Japanese government announced plans more than a decade ago to phase out the H-2A for the H3 rocket. This would offer a higher flight rate and lower costs. The H3 made its debut in March 2023, but failed to reach orbit when its second stage failed to ignite.

The H3 made its first successful launch nearly a year later, reaching orbit with a test payload. The rocket has flown three more times since then, most recently in February 2025, all successfully.

Image Credit: JAXA/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Text Credit: William Graham/NSF
Release Date: June 28, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #GOSATGW #Science #Planets #Earth #EarthScience #MitsubishiHeavyIndustries #三菱重工業株式会社 #H2Arocket #Atmosphere #WaterCycle #Climate #GreenhouseGases #GlobalHeating #ClimateChange #Environment #Japan #日本 #TanegashimaSpaceCenter #種子島宇宙センター #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #STEM #Education

Japan H-2A Rocket Launches Earth Climate Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

Japan H-2A Rocket Launches Earth Climate Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group H-2A rocket successfully launched the GOSAT-GW, or Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse Gases and Water Cycle Earth science satellite for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on June 28, 2025. It represented the 50th and final flight of this launch vehicle that had long been the workhorse for Japan's access to space.

The H-2A lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 12:33 p.m. Eastern time. It deployed its payload, the GOSAT-GW or Ibuki GW, satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit 16 and a half minutes later. JAXA later reported that GOSAT-GW had extended its solar arrays as planned after deployment. This is the third mission in the GOSAT series.

GOSAT-GW, or Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse Gases and Water Cycle, is a 2,600-kilogram spacecraft built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for JAXA. The spacecraft carries two major instruments, a microwave scanning radiometer to measure water on land, oceans and the atmosphere, and a spectrometer to observe three greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide. GOSAT-GW has a planned seven-year lifetime.

The launch was the 50th and final flight of the H-2A, a rocket that Japan had long relied on for civil, commercial, and military satellites. The H-2A made its debut in 2001 and was successful in every launch but one, a November 2003 launch of two reconnaissance satellites that failed when one of its solid rocket boosters failed to separate.

The H-2A was primarily used for Earth and space science missions for JAXA, and for Japanese military reconnissance satellites. The vehicle did perform a handful of commercial launches, such as for satellite operators Inmarsat and Telesat, but the vehicle’s relatively high cost and low flight rate made it difficult to win orders.

The H-2A was a redesigned, upgraded version of the short-lived H-2 rocket that flew seven times from 1994 to 1999. Another variant, the H-2B, launched nine times from 2009 to 2020, each carrying an HTV cargo vehicle for the International Space Station.

The Japanese government announced plans more than a decade ago to phase out the H-2A for the H3 rocket. This would offer a higher flight rate and lower costs. The H3 made its debut in March 2023, but failed to reach orbit when its second stage failed to ignite.

The H3 made its first successful launch nearly a year later, reaching orbit with a test payload. The rocket has flown three more times since then, most recently in February 2025, all successfully.

Video Credit: JAXA
Text Credit: William Graham/NSF
Duration: 21 seconds

Release Date: June 28, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #GOSATGW #Science #Planets #Earth #EarthScience #H2Arocket #Atmosphere #WaterCycle #Climate #GreenhouseGases #GlobalHeating #ClimateChange #Environment #Japan #日本 #TanegashimaSpaceCenter #種子島宇宙センター #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Axiom Space Ax-4 Crew Arrival: New Images | International Space Station

Axiom Space Ax-4 Crew Arrival: New Images | International Space Station

Expedition 73 crew welcomes members of the Axiom Space Ax-4 Mission to the International Space Station

Ax-4 crew Dragon spacecraft approaching the International Space Station

Ax-4 Mission emblem

Expedition 73 emblem

Expedition 73 Crew Official Portrait

Seated in the front row from left, are NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain (USA). In the back row from left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov (Russia); NASA astronaut Jonny Kim (USA); Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi

At 8:14 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the hatch opened between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station following the arrival of Axiom Mission 4. Afterwards, a short welcoming ceremony for the Ax-4 crew was held. The Ax-4 crew spacecraft docked at 6:31 a.m. to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary are now aboard the International Space Station after launching at 2:31 a.m. on June 25, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4.

The private astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Ax-4 Mission “realizes 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.

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

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credits: NASA/JSC/Josh Valcarcel/Axiom Space

Capture Date: June 26, 2025 (Images 1-5)

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

Celebrating 35 Years of Hubble | NASA Glenn Research Center’s Contributions

Celebrating 35 Years of Hubble | NASA Glenn Research Center’s Contributions

NASA explores the secrets of the universe "for the benefit of all", and the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope has helped lead the way for 35 years. Launched on April 24, 1990, Hubble has transformed what we know about the universe.

NASA Glenn Research Center materials experts Kim de Groh and Sharon Miller reflect on their experiences supporting Hubble's servicing missions after launch and how their work helped protect the telescope in the harsh space environment. 

Their contributions are part of the enduring legacy of innovation and dedication that has kept Hubble going strong, continuing to advance our understanding of the cosmos.

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is a NASA center within the cities of Brook Park and Cleveland between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Rocky River Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks, with a subsidiary facility in Sandusky, Ohio. In 2010, the formerly on-site NASA Visitors Center moved to the Great Lakes Science Center in the North Coast Harbor area of downtown Cleveland.

NASA Glenn:
https://www.nasa.gov/glenn/

Video Credit: NASA's Glenn Research Center//Lily Hammel
Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: April 24, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #Stars #Nebulae #Galaxies  #BlackHoles #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #NASAGlenn #GRC #BrookPark #Cleveland #Ohio #UnitedStates #Europe #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Prepares for Robotic Moon & Mars Cave Exploration via Practical Simulations

China Prepares for Robotic Moon & Mars Cave Exploration via Practical Simulations

China has officially completed its first teaching and practice base for the "simulated Moon underground space" program by the Jingbo Lake in Mudanjiang City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

The latest scientific research indicates that there are considerable lava tube systems distributed beneath the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. These underground spaces form a sharp contrast with the extremely harsh lunar surface environment. They provide a natural barrier for cosmic rays and have significant strategic value due to the special attributes of their underground spaces.

For further research, Peking University, in collaboration with seven other universities in China, has established the country's first "simulated moon underground space" teaching and practice base in a volcanic lava cave of the Jingbo Lake, to conduct a series of forward-looking and innovative research closely related to deep space exploration.

"The underground volcanic lava tubes by the Jingbo Lake are the most similar environment on Earth to the underground space of the Moon. I hope our forward-looking research can serve China's lunar exploration program," said Li Jiaqi, a researcher of Peking University.

Inside the lava cave, two robots are conducting autonomous exploration and multi-functional operations for the "simulated moon underground space".

"Compared with traditional lunar roving vehicles and exploration robots, it has stronger environmental adaptability and flexibility. When exploring the underground space of the moon for the future, it can possess more precise perception, decision-making and operation capabilities," said Li Xianglong, a doctoral student of Harbin Institute of Technology.

Outside the cave, on the open ground, college students were seen working in collaboration to set up seismometers.

"The data we collected from deploying seismometer this time will serve as a reference for our future deployment of seismometers on the Moon," said Kang Yi, an undergraduate student of the School of Earth and Space Sciences of Peking University.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: June 29, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Mars #Moon #Geology #LavaTubes #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #CLEP #中国探月工程 #JingboLake #Mudanjiang #牡丹江市 #HeilongjiangProvince #黑龙江 #STEM #Education #HD #Video