Falcon 9 & The Sun: Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Launch | International Space Station

Falcon 9 & The Sun: Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Launch | International Space Station

At 7:41 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 11, 2026, more than 11,000 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo launched to the International Space Station aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft for the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. The spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams will capture Cygnus XL using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 12:50 p.m. on Monday, April 13. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port and will remain at the station until October. NASA will not provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s installation.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: SpaceX

Duration: 14 seconds

Date: April 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #CygnusXLCargoSpacecraft #CRS24 #NorthropGrumman #Canadarm2 #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #JackHathaway #UnitedStates #ESA #France #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Landspace Lijian-1 Y12 Commercial Launch of Earth Observation Satellites

China Landspace Lijian-1 Y12 Commercial Launch of Earth Observation Satellites

A CAS Space Lijian-1 Y12 carrier rocket (also known as Kinetica-1 Y12) blasted off at 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time on April 14, 2026 from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, delivering eight satellites, including the Jixing Gaofen 07A02 into their planned orbits. The launch mission was a complete success. Lijian-1 successfully launched "One Arrow, Eight Satellites".  

This was the Lijian-1 rocket's 12th successful mission with a total of 92 satellites and more than 12 tonnes of payload launched. Developed by CAS Space, this rocket targets the microsatellite market with quick one-month turnaround times and double-digit annual production. It also plans for sea launches, signaling China's push toward high-frequency, flexible access to space.

The Youchuyinhang (Postal Savings Bank of China, PSBC) series of satellites were also delivered in this flight. Kinetica-1 is now producing ten flights per year using pulse-line manufacturing. Manufacturing is divided into several key nodes, operating in parallel to improve efficiency and quality control.

The rocket put into orbit eight Earth remote sensing satellites with a resolution of <0.5 m: 

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07A02"

"Gaofen 07A03/Yuchu Yinghan"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07A04"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B02"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B03"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B04"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07C02"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07C03".

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, 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).

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese launch firms, like CAS Space.

Video Credit: CAS Space
Duration: 1 minute

Date: April 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Kinetica1 #Lijian1 #Lijian1Y12Rocket #Lijian1Y12 #LaunchVehicles #SolidFuelRockets #SatelliteLaunches #CommercialSpace #CAS #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Landspace Lijian-1 Y12 Commercial Launch of Earth Observation Satellites

China Landspace Lijian-1 Y12 Commercial Launch of Earth Observation Satellites

A CAS Space Lijian-1 Y12 carrier rocket (also known as Kinetica-1 Y12) blasted off at 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time on April 14, 2026 from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, delivering eight satellites, including the Jixing Gaofen 07A02 into their planned orbits. The launch mission was a complete success. Lijian-1 successfully launched "One Arrow, Eight Satellites".  

This was the Lijian-1 rocket's 12th successful mission with a total of 92 satellites and more than 12 tonnes of payload launched. Developed by CAS Space, this rocket targets the microsatellite market with quick one-month turnaround times and double-digit annual production. It also plans for sea launches, signaling China's push toward high-frequency, flexible access to space.

The Youchuyinhang (Postal Savings Bank of China, PSBC) series of satellites were also delivered in this flight. Kinetica-1 is now producing ten flights per year using pulse-line manufacturing. Manufacturing is divided into several key nodes, operating in parallel to improve efficiency and quality control.

The rocket put into orbit eight Earth remote sensing satellites with a resolution of <0.5 m: 

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07A02"

"Gaofen 07A03/Yuchu Yinghan"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07A04"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B02"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B03"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07B04"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07C02"

"Jilin-1 Gaofen 07C03".

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, 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).

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese launch firms, like CAS Space.

Image Credit: CAS Space

Date: April 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Kinetica1 #Lijian1 #Lijian1Y12Rocket #Lijian1Y12 #LaunchVehicles #SolidFuelRockets #SatelliteLaunches #CommercialSpace #CAS #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education

New Lunar Flyby Images Released | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

New Lunar Flyby Images Released | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is in nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.

The Orion spacecraft is seen in the foreground lit up by the Sun. A waxing gibbous Moon is visible in the background. Orientale basin, a 600-mile-wide impact crater ringed by mountains, is visible toward the center bottom of the Moon. This basin straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. To the left of Orientale, which has a patch of ancient lava in its basin, is the far side; this is the hemisphere we don’t get to see from Earth. To the right of Orientale is the near side, the hemisphere we see every day from Earth. The nearside is notable for giant, dark patches of ancient lave flows that cover its surface.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen in the foreground, lit up by the Sun. A first quarter Moon is visible behind it, with sunlight coming from the right. Near the bottom right edge of the Moon, Orientale basin stands out with a black patch of ancient lava in its center. A 600-mile-wide impact crater ringed by mountains, Orientale straddles the near and far sides of the Moon.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft captures the Moon and the Earth in one frame during the Artemis II crew’s deep space journey at 6:42 p.m. ET on the sixth day of the mission. The right side of NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen lit up by the Sun. A waxing crescent Moon is visible behind it. And then, a crescent Earth, tiny compared to the Moon, is about to set below the Moon’s horizon on the right.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft captures the Moon and the Earth in one frame during the Artemis II crew’s deep space journey at 6:39 p.m. ET on the sixth day of the mission. The right side of NASA’s Orion spacecraft is seen lit up by the Sun. A waxing crescent Moon is visible behind it. And then, a crescent Earth, tiny compared to the Moon, is about to set below the Moon’s horizon on the right.

Earthrise captured from a camera mounted on one of the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate sliver with the portion on the left darkened by shadow and a portion on the right tucking away behind the Moon. A closer look reveals that the Moon occupies the bottom right portion of the photo, identifiable by the edge of it seen in visible light near the bottom corner.

The solar eclipse captured from a camera mounted on one of the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. The science community is investigating whether the glow around the Moon is from zodiacal light—interstellar dust that is reflecting sunlight—the solar corona, or a combination of the two. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew saw the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. In this image, Venus can be spotted on the left, and Saturn on the right of the Moon.

A portion of the Moon’s farside is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface. A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under grazing illumination. This lighting enhances contrast across the cratered terrain, highlighting variations in surface features and providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history.

The Artemis II Mission wrapped up a historic seven-hour lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, marking humanity’s first return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and capturing images of the lunar far side. During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

As the lunar observation period ended, the crew witnessed a nearly hour-long solar eclipse as the spacecraft, the Moon and the Sun aligned. With a view of a mostly darkened Moon, the crew analyzed the solar corona—the Sun’s outermost atmosphere—as it appeared around the Moon’s edge.

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century.

Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston. Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Get ready for NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Dates: April 6-7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Earthset #SolarEclipse #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Supernova Remnant SN 1006 in Centaurus: Stars and a Stripe | Hubble

Supernova Remnant SN 1006 in Centaurus: Stars and a Stripe | Hubble

A delicate ribbon of gas floats eerily in our galaxy. A contrail from an alien spaceship? A jet from a black hole? Actually this image, taken by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, is a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1,000 years ago.

On or around 1 May 1006 A.D., observers from Africa to Europe to the Far East witnessed and recorded the arrival of light from what is now called SN 1006, a tremendous supernova explosion caused by the final death throes of a white dwarf star nearly 7,000 light-years away. The supernova was probably the brightest star ever seen by humans, and surpassed Venus as the brightest object in the night time sky, only to be surpassed by the Moon. It was visible even during the day for weeks, and remained visible to the naked eye for at least two and a half years before fading away.

SN 1006 resides within our Milky Way Galaxy. Located more than 14 degrees off the plane of the galaxy's disk, there is relatively little confusion with other foreground and background objects in the field when trying to study this object. In the Hubble image, many background galaxies (orange extended objects) far off in the distant universe can be seen dotting the image. Most of the white dots are foreground or background stars in our Milky Way galaxy.

This image is a composite of hydrogen-light observations taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in February 2006 and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observations in blue, yellow-green, and near-infrared light taken in April 2008. The supernova remnant, visible only in the hydrogen-light filter was assigned a red hue in the Heritage color image.

Image Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: W. Blair (Johns Hopkins University)
Release Date: July 1, 2008

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #SupernovaeRemnants #SN1006 #CentaurusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HydrogenLightObservations #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #History #STEM #Education

"Welcome to The Artemis Generation" | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

"Welcome to The Artemis Generation" | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

"The world watched."

"Artemis II carried humans farther into space than we’ve ever been in over half a century and showed a new generation what exploration looks like."

"The journey back to the Moon is underway."

"Artemis III is up next."

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century. 

During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston. Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce. The crew now will begin their postflight reconditioning, medical and human performance evaluations, and lunar science debriefs.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Get ready for NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Video Credit: NASA
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 13, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #JSC #ArtemisGeneration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Young Stars Reduce X-ray Emissions Surprisingly Quickly | NASA Chandra

Young Stars Reduce X-ray Emissions Surprisingly Quickly | NASA Chandra

Scientists have found that young stellar cousins of our Sun are calming down and dimming in their x-ray output more quickly than previously thought, according to a new study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

This quieting of young stars is a benefit for the prospects for life on orbiting planets around these stars—not a threat.

Astronomers used Chandra and other telescopes to monitor how powerful radiation from young stars—often in the form of dangerous x-rays—can pummel planets surrounding them. They did not know, however, how long this high-energy barrage continued.

This latest study looked at eight clusters of stars between the ages of 45 million and 750 million years old. The researchers found that Sun-like stars older than about 100 million years in these clusters unleashed only about a quarter to a third of the x-rays they expected. For context, our Sun is about 4.6 billion years old, so significantly older than the stellar cousins in this study.

These real observations reveal a natural ‘quieting’ of young Sun-like stars in x-rays. The researchers found the generation of magnetic fields inside the stars becomes less efficient.

In fact, this calming could be a boon to the formation of life on planets around stars that are younger versions of our own Sun. This is because large amounts of x-rays can erode a planet’s atmosphere and prevent formation of molecules necessary for organic life as we know it. On average, three million year old stars with a mass equal to the Sun produce about a thousand times more x-rays than today's Sun. Meanwhile, 100 million year old solar-mass stars are about 40 times brighter in x-rays than the present Sun.

The scientists in this new study suggest it is possible that humans owe our existence to our Sun quieting down several billion years ago. 

By studying X-rays from stars that are hundreds of millions of years old, we have filled in a large gap in our understanding of stellar evolution.

Trumpler 3 and NGC 2353 are so-called open clusters that contains hundreds of young stars. These stars are tied to each other through gravity, having been formed from the same clouds of gas. Many of these stars have masses that are similar to our Sun, but are much younger. 

In these new composite images of Trumpler 3 and NGC 2353, X-rays from Chandra (purple) have been combined with an optical image from the PanSTARRS telescope in Hawaii (red, green, and blue). Another star cluster from the new Chandra study, NGC 2301 is shown in the same color schemes with the X-ray and optical data.

Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: April 14, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #Trumpler3 #NGC2353 #NGC2301 #YoungStars #Xrays #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #PanSTARRSTelescope #UH #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China's Coastal Launchpad for Commercial Space: Haiyang in Shandong Province

China's Coastal Launchpad for Commercial Space: Haiyang in Shandong Province

The Oriental Aerospace Port in Haiyang, east China's Shandong province, is now a key hub for China's commercial space sector with rapid progress in satellite launches, rocket manufacturing, and offshore recovery.

Shandong is a coastal province in East China. It is on the eastern edge of the North China Plain and in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and extends out to sea as the Shandong Peninsula. Shandong borders the Bohai Sea to the north, Hebei to the northwest, Henan to the west, Jiangsu to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the northeast, east and southeast. It shares a short border with Anhui between Henan and Jiangsu.

Credit: New China TV
Duration: 3 minutes, 37 seconds
Release Date: April 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #CASC #Spaceflight #SpaceTechnology #CommunicationSatellites #SatelliteInternetTechnology #CommercialSpace #TSLC #Haiyang #Shandong #YellowSea #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Smart Dragon-3 Commercial Rocket Sea Satellite Launch: April 11, 2026

China Smart Dragon-3 Commercial Rocket Sea Satellite Launch: April 11, 2026

🚀 Liftoff at 7:32 p.m. (Beijing Time), 11:32 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on April 11, 2026, Smart Dragon 3 launched a group of demo Internet satellites from the sea near Yangjiang, Guangdong province, sending a test satellite into orbit to boost satellite Internet technology.

The Smart Dragon-3 is a four-stage, solid-propellant carrier rocket designed primarily for commercial launch missions. It can be launched from sea and land.

Smart Dragon has the capability to deliver 1,560 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit. Smart Dragon-3 has a length of approximately 31 meters with a weight of 140 tons at liftoff.

The Jielong-3 rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s state-owned main space contractor. The four-stage rocket is operated by China Rocket Co. Ltd., a commercial spinoff from CASC.

This commercial launch mission with multiple satellites onboard, showcases the Smart Dragon's core advantages in payload adaptability, application scenarios, and commercial service capabilities.

Image Credit: CGTN
Date: April 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #CASC #Spaceflight #SpaceTechnology #CommunicationSatellites #SatelliteInternetTechnology #CommercialSpace #Yangjiang #Guangdong #STEM #Education

Mars Images: April 9-14, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: April 9-14, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4863

Mars 2020 - sol 1823

Mars 2020 - sol 1827

MSL - sol 4863

MSL - sol 4860

MSL - sol 4863

Mars 2020 - sol 1825

MSL - sol 4861

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Celebrating 13+ Years on Mars (2012-2025)

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 5+ 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, Martian-Observer

Release Dates: April 9-14, 2026

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

NASA Artemis II Crew Recovery: Orion Spacecraft Hatch Opening

NASA Artemis II Crew Recovery: Orion Spacecraft Hatch Opening

NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman thanks members of the United States Navy dive medical team that opened the hatch of their Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, after splashdown: "Jesse, Steve, Laddy, and Vlad . . . such an incredible feeling to welcome you aboard Integrity after a nearly 700,000 mile journey. Forever thankful for your service to our crew and the nation."

Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wang, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Laddy Aldridge, Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Steve Kapala made up the dive medical team  assigned to open the Orion crew capsule upon its return to Earth to make initial medical assessments of the Artemis II crew, and to assist them out of the capsule safely and efficiently.

The medical team entered the capsule to conduct initial exams for the crew, provide triage care as necessary, and assist the astronauts in egress onto the inflatable raft set up outside by Navy divers. The first-contact medical providers then prepared the crew to be airlifted by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 back to amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) for follow on evaluations.

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century. 

During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston. Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce. The crew now will begin their postflight reconditioning, medical and human performance evaluations, and lunar science debriefs.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Get ready for NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Image Credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: April 14, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #ParachuteLanding #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #PacificOcean #California #USNavy #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Final Testing Pre-launch

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Final Testing Pre-launch

As staff at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center wrap up final testing and prepare the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope for shipment to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, watch how its hardware testing proceeded.

On track to launch in fall 2026, the Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission. An infrared survey telescope with the same resolution as Hubble but at least 100 times the field of view, Roman is being built and tested at NASA Goddard. Partners worldwide are contributing to this effort.  

The Roman telescope and the discoveries it will enable: 
https://www.stsci.edu/roman

Dr. Nancy Grace Roman: 
https://science.nasa.gov/people/nancy-roman/

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds
Release Date: April 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASARoman #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAGoddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs: View from Namibia

Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs: View from Namibia

Astrophotographer Gerald Rhemann: "Although the comet was very low in Namibia, we gave it a try."

Discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in September 2025, the comet is diving toward its closest approach to the sun (0.50 AU) on April 19, 2026, bringing it well inside the orbit of Venus. If current trends continue, the comet could brighten to magnitude +2, easily seen and photographed in the pre-dawn sky.

The comet's brightness will receive a further boost between April 24-25 when it passes almost directly between Earth and the Sun. The process is called "forward scattering." Sunlight passing through the comet's dusty atmosphere could be amplified 100-fold or more.

We will not be able to see the April 24 surge from Earth. The comet will be too close to the Sun. However, coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) will have a great view of what could briefly become a truly magnificent object.

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Image Credits: Gerald Rhemann and Michael Jäger

Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia

Image Details: Telescope - ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Mount: ASA DDM 85 Exp.Time: LRGB 120/120/120/120 sec.

Gerald & and Michael Website: https://www.astrostudio.at

Text Credits: Gerald Rhemann, Spaceweather[dot]com

Date: April 13, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025R3Panstarrs #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #MichaelJaeger #GeraldRhemann #Astrophotographers #FarmTivoli #Namibia #Africa #STEM #Education

CRS-24 Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

CRS-24 Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft grappled by Canadian Space Agency's Canadarm2 robotic arm

Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft prior to being grappled by Canadarm2

Expedition 74 flight engineers and NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway (left) and Chris Williams (right) after CRS-24 Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft arrival

Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station

Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station

Northrop Grumman NG-24 emblem

Expedition 74 emblem

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Congratulations to NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway on their first cargo vehicle capture using the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station! Mission accomplished today. Hatch opening and cargo ops, including many scientific experiments (and even some fresh food), commence early tomorrow. We’re very excited for the science, hardware, and supplies that she brings! Well done, Northrop Grumman, NASA & SpaceX!" 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft was installed to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port of the International Space Station on Monday, April 13, 2026. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 (CRS-24), or as the Northrop Grumman NG-24 Mission.

Filled with more than 11,000 pounds of research and supplies, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, carried on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched at 7:41 a.m. EDT on April 11, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. This mission is the second flight of the Cygnus XL, the larger, more cargo-capable version of the company’s solar-powered spacecraft.

Cygnus will remain at the International Space Station until October when it departs the orbiting laboratory. It will then dispose of several thousand pounds of debris through its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere where it will harmlessly burn up.

Learn more about NASA's Commercial Resupply Missions:
https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/J. Meir

Date: April 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #CygnusXLCargoSpacecraft #CRS24 #NorthropGrumman #CSA #Canadarm2 #Canada #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #JackHathaway #UnitedStates #ESA #France #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis II Mission: Moments Around the Moon | Johnson Space Center

NASA Artemis II Mission: Moments Around the Moon | Johnson Space Center

Key moments from the Artemis II Mission capturing the astronauts’ journey . . .

The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT April 1, 2026, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century. 

During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach. 

Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston. Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce. The crew now will begin their postflight reconditioning, medical and human performance evaluations, and lunar science debriefs.

Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Get ready for NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: April 13, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #CSA #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planetary Defense: 3D Animation of Asteroids Discovered by Vera Rubin Observatory

Planetary Defense: 3D Animation of Asteroids Discovered by Vera Rubin Observatory

This animation shows the inner Solar System populated with known asteroids in dark blue and asteroids discovered by Rubin in light teal. As the discovered objects appear, their locations are shown at the time of each object's discovery. Over the course of the 1.6 years that the animation spans, the newly discovered asteroids disperse.

A total of 12,700 asteroids discovered with Rubin are shown here during the 1.6 years of observation. The discoveries come in three bursts: 73 were discovered during the first early test observations using Rubin’s Commissioning Camera in late 2024 and released as part of Rubin’s Data Preview 1 in Summer 2025. 1514 were discovered during First Look observations in April and May 2025, and the recent 11,000+ asteroids were discovered in Rubin’s early optimization surveys in Summer 2025.

Note that the number of asteroid discoveries may decrease with time as a portion may be connected to earlier observations by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Minor Planet Center, and hence reclassified as “recovered asteroids” and not discoveries.

Learn more about the Vera Rubin Observatory:

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/R. Proctor
Star map: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio. Gaia DR2: ESA/Gaia/DPAC
Image Processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: April 2, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NEOs #Asteroids #PlanetaryDefense #SolarSystem #Universe #LSST #SimonyiSurveyTelescope #RubinObservatory #VeraRubin #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DOE #AURA #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualizations #Animations #HD #Video