NASA’s X-59 Flies Supersonic for First Time | Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s X-59 Flies Supersonic for First Time | Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first supersonic flight Friday, June 5, 2026, marking the first time the aircraft exceeded the speed of sound in support of NASA’s Quesst Mission. The milestone represents a major step in flight testing as the aircraft expands into the supersonic portion of its flight envelope. The display shows Mach 1.07, but the aircraft is actually at Mach 1.0. The difference comes from the system's calibration. This makes the shown value slightly higher than the true speed. The calibration will continue fine-tuning as we expand the X-59's flight envelope.

Keep up with the latest about X-59: 
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

Learn more about NASA's Quesst mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Duration: 44 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #Sonicbooms #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Long March-8 Launch: New Satellites for Commercial SpaceSail Constellation

China Long March-8 Launch: New Satellites for Commercial SpaceSail Constellation

China launched a Long March-8 carrier rocket on Friday, June 5, 2026, in the southern island province of Hainan, sending a new satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 2:34 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The satellite group, the 12th batch that will make up the SpaceSail  (Qianfan) Constellation, entered into the preset orbit successfully. After the latest launch, the total number of satellites in the SpaceSail Constellation has reached 200, accelerating the formation of China's large-scale commercial low-orbit satellite network.

The Long March-8 is a new-generation medium-lift liquid-fueled carrier rocket, primarily developed for commercial satellite constellation deployment missions. This launch marked the third flight of the Long March-8 rocket in 2026, just 18 days after its previous mission on May 17.

The Long March-8, together with the Long March-8A carrier rocket, have payload capacities of 5 tonnes and 7 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit, respectively. This underscores China's upgraded launch capabilities for deploying satellites into medium and low Earth orbits.

This year, the Long March 8 rockets will enter a high-density launch schedule, continuing to support the development of China's low-Earth orbit satellite Internet constellations and the high-quality development of the country's commercial space sector. 

Image Credit: CGTN
Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SpaceSailConstellation #QianfanConstellation #千帆星座 #China #中国 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #Rockets #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭  #MediumLiftRockets #CASC #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China Long March-8 Liftoff: New Satellites for Commercial SpaceSail Constellation

China Long March-8 Liftoff: New Satellites for Commercial SpaceSail Constellation

China launched a Long March-8 carrier rocket on Friday, June 5, 2026, in the southern island province of Hainan, sending a new satellite group into space. The rocket lifted off at 2:34 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The satellite group, the 12th batch that will make up the SpaceSail  (Qianfan) Constellation, entered into the preset orbit successfully. After the latest launch, the total number of satellites in the SpaceSail Constellation has reached 200, accelerating the formation of China's large-scale commercial low-orbit satellite network.

The Long March-8 is a new-generation medium-lift liquid-fueled carrier rocket, primarily developed for commercial satellite constellation deployment missions. This launch marked the third flight of the Long March-8 rocket in 2026, just 18 days after its previous mission on May 17.

The Long March-8, together with the Long March-8A carrier rocket, have payload capacities of 5 tonnes and 7 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit, respectively. This underscores China's upgraded launch capabilities for deploying satellites into medium and low Earth orbits.

This year, the Long March 8 rockets will enter a high-density launch schedule, continuing to support the development of China's low-Earth orbit satellite Internet constellations and the high-quality development of the country's commercial space sector. 

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 24 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SpaceSailConstellation #QianfanConstellation #千帆星座 #China #中国 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #Rockets #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭  #MediumLiftRockets #CASC #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Young Stars of Orion Molecular Cloud-2 | James Webb Space Telecope

Young Stars of Orion Molecular Cloud-2 | James Webb Space Telecope

The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has captured a picture of Orion Molecular Cloud-2. This area of the sky is full of star-forming clouds that make up a complex hundreds of light-years across. We find ourselves in the giant molecular cloud Orion A where the Orion Nebula (also known as M42) is just a part.

Behind the stars, gas, and dust of M42 is a long, massive filament of cold gas and dust called the Orion Molecular Clouds, divided into four parts, OMC-1 through OMC-4. OMC-1 sits immediately behind M42, to the north are OMC-2 and OMC-3, and OMC-4 lies to the south.

This image shows just a small, northern portion of OMC-2, located 1280 light-years from Earth and a little north of the Orion Nebula. Every stage of star formation—from the youngest stellar embryos, to protoplanetary discs, to newly-minted pre-main sequence stars—is contained within just this scene, stretching 150 light-years across. The intense star-forming activity has produced an impressive display of billowing outflows and sparkling stars atop swirling layers of gas and dark, obscuring clouds.

Molecular clouds, such as OMC-2, are vast clumps of gas much more dense than the rest of interstellar space. This density allows complex molecules to form, protected from the radiation given off by other stars, and it means that gravity can cause the cloud to collapse and form stars. The earliest stage of this process is a protostar—a growing star that is being fed gas from the surrounding cloud through a spinning disc of gas. As gas falls onto the protostar, it heats up, powering the glow of the protostar. The immense amount of energy acquired during this process is unleashed in fierce jets of gas from the poles of the star, frequently seen as twin glowing outflows that mark the location of a protostar.

The abundance of protostars forming here in OMC-2 has created many spectacular outflows, large and small. Jets emitted from the young stars form high-speed shockwaves that sweep through the dense material around them; where the shockwaves are impacting the gas, it heats up and glows brightly, creating sharp ridges. Zoom in to observe the fine details in these shockwaves, as well as spot the smaller outflows from younger protostars. See if you can spot the location of hidden protostars, still so deeply obscured by their dusty cradles that they cannot be seen directly, by following outflows. Compare these very young protostars to the most evolved examples: the large, bright stars have cleared away the clouds that surrounded them and now illuminate OMC-2.

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) was used to capture this view of OMC-2. The thick gas and dust in and around the Orion Nebula blocks any light coming from OMC-2 at visible wavelengths, and the clouds in OMC-2 itself obscure the protostars that astronomers really want to find. Only in the infrared do we see these protostars begin to shine out from their cocoons of dust. In many places, the cold dust is so dense that it absorbs all or almost all light, creating dark globules. Orange, brown and some of the red colors mark warmer dust that absorbs light and emits its own. The yellow to green gradient is largely emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while light from stars and protostars scattered by dust grains is seen here primarily as blue and cyan hazes. Gas heated by the outflows creates the detailed, glowing red ridges.

Video Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, T. Megeath, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb) 
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 1 minute, 18 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StellarNurseries #OrionMolecularClouds #OMC2 #OrionConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Journey to Young Stars in Orion Molecular Cloud-2 | Webb Telescope

Journey to Young Stars in Orion Molecular Cloud-2 | Webb Telescope

This video takes the viewer on a journey through space to the constellation Orion (the Hunter). The final image is a NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture of Orion Molecular Cloud-2. This area of the sky is full of star-forming clouds that make up a complex hundreds of light-years across. We find ourselves in the giant molecular cloud Orion A where the Orion Nebula (also known as M42) is just a part.

Behind the stars, gas, and dust of M42 is a long, massive filament of cold gas and dust called the Orion Molecular Clouds, divided into four parts, OMC-1 through OMC-4. OMC-1 sits immediately behind M42, to the north are OMC-2 and OMC-3, and OMC-4 lies to the south.

This image shows just a small, northern portion of OMC-2, located 1280 light-years from Earth and a little north of the Orion Nebula. Every stage of star formation—from the youngest stellar embryos, to protoplanetary discs, to newly-minted pre-main sequence stars—is contained within just this scene, stretching 150 light-years across. The intense star-forming activity has produced an impressive display of billowing outflows and sparkling stars atop swirling layers of gas and dark, obscuring clouds.

Molecular clouds, such as OMC-2, are vast clumps of gas much more dense than the rest of interstellar space. This density allows complex molecules to form, protected from the radiation given off by other stars, and it means that gravity can cause the cloud to collapse and form stars. The earliest stage of this process is a protostar—a growing star that is being fed gas from the surrounding cloud through a spinning disc of gas. As gas falls onto the protostar, it heats up, powering the glow of the protostar. The immense amount of energy acquired during this process is unleashed in fierce jets of gas from the poles of the star, frequently seen as twin glowing outflows that mark the location of a protostar.

The abundance of protostars forming here in OMC-2 has created many spectacular outflows, large and small. Jets emitted from the young stars form high-speed shockwaves that sweep through the dense material around them; where the shockwaves are impacting the gas, it heats up and glows brightly, creating sharp ridges. Zoom in to observe the fine details in these shockwaves, as well as spot the smaller outflows from younger protostars. See if you can spot the location of hidden protostars, still so deeply obscured by their dusty cradles that they cannot be seen directly, by following outflows. Compare these very young protostars to the most evolved examples: the large, bright stars have cleared away the clouds that surrounded them and now illuminate OMC-2.

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) was used to capture this view of OMC-2. The thick gas and dust in and around the Orion Nebula blocks any light coming from OMC-2 at visible wavelengths, and the clouds in OMC-2 itself obscure the protostars that astronomers really want to find. Only in the infrared do we see these protostars begin to shine out from their cocoons of dust. In many places, the cold dust is so dense that it absorbs all or almost all light, creating dark globules. Orange, brown and some of the red colors mark warmer dust that absorbs light and emits its own. The yellow to green gradient is largely emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while light from stars and protostars scattered by dust grains is seen here primarily as blue and cyan hazes. Gas heated by the outflows creates the detailed, glowing red ridges.

Video Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, T. Megeath, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)  

Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StellarNurseries #OrionMolecularClouds #OMC2 #OrionConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Young Stars across Each Formation Stage in Orion | Webb Telescope

Close-up: Young Stars across Each Formation Stage in Orion | Webb Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). This area of the sky is full of star-forming clouds that make up a complex hundreds of light-years across. We find ourselves in the giant molecular cloud Orion A where the Orion Nebula (also known as M42) is just a part.

Behind the stars, gas, and dust of M42 is a long, massive filament of cold gas and dust called (somewhat confusingly) the Orion Molecular Clouds, divided into four parts, OMC-1 through OMC-4. OMC-1 sits immediately behind M42, to the north are OMC-2 and OMC-3, and OMC-4 lies to the south.

This image shows just a small, northern portion of OMC-2, located 1280 light-years from Earth and a little north of the Orion Nebula. Every stage of star formation—from the youngest stellar embryos, to protoplanetary discs, to newly-minted pre-main sequence stars—is contained within just this scene, stretching 150 light-years across. The intense star-forming activity has produced an impressive display of billowing outflows and sparkling stars atop swirling layers of gas and dark, obscuring clouds.

Molecular clouds, such as OMC-2, are vast clumps of gas much more dense than the rest of interstellar space. This density allows complex molecules to form, protected from the radiation given off by other stars, and it means that gravity can cause the cloud to collapse and form stars. The earliest stage of this process is a protostar—a growing star that is being fed gas from the surrounding cloud through a spinning disc of gas. As gas falls onto the protostar, it heats up, powering the glow of the protostar. The immense amount of energy acquired during this process is unleashed in fierce jets of gas from the poles of the star, frequently seen as twin glowing outflows that mark the location of a protostar.

The abundance of protostars forming here in OMC-2 has created many spectacular outflows, large and small. Jets emitted from the young stars form high-speed shockwaves that sweep through the dense material around them; where the shockwaves are impacting the gas, it heats up and glows brightly, creating sharp ridges. Zoom in to observe the fine details in these shockwaves, as well as spot the smaller outflows from younger protostars. See if you can spot the location of hidden protostars, still so deeply obscured by their dusty cradles that they cannot be seen directly, by following outflows. Compare these very young protostars to the most evolved examples: the large, bright stars have cleared away the clouds that surrounded them and now illuminate OMC-2.

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) was used to capture this view of OMC-2. The thick gas and dust in and around the Orion Nebula blocks any light coming from OMC-2 at visible wavelengths, and the clouds in OMC-2 itself obscure the protostars that astronomers really want to find. Only in the infrared do we see these protostars begin to shine out from their cocoons of dust. In many places, the cold dust is so dense that it absorbs all or almost all light, creating dark globules. Orange, brown and some of the red colors mark warmer dust that absorbs light and emits its own. The yellow to green gradient is largely emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while light from stars and protostars scattered by dust grains is seen here primarily as blue and cyan hazes. Gas heated by the outflows creates the detailed, glowing red ridges.

The data was collected in observing program #5804. It aims to study the star formation in OMC-2 and its immediate neighbor, OMC-3. Since these molecular clouds are so near to Earth, they are excellent laboratories to learn about the earliest stages of stellar evolution. Astronomers will use the data from Webb to investigate how the many outflows affect star formation in the two regions, how the ultraviolet emission from the young stars impacts chemistry in the circumstellar discs that one day will form planets, and how gas and dust accretes onto the tens of protostars in the region.

Image Description: An area inside a star-forming molecular cloud. The background is covered with layers of gas and dust in blue, green, and yellowish colors. Thicker clumps of cold dust, dark brown to black, block out light completely. Stars lie among and atop the clouds, from small orange ones to large white or blue ones. Waves and streams of glowing whitish gas are created by jets from protostars colliding with the surrounding material.

Image Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, T. Megeath, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) 
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StellarNurseries #OrionMolecularClouds #OMC2 #OrionConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Young Stars across Each Formation Stage in Orion | James Webb Space Telescope

Young Stars across Each Formation Stage in Orion | James Webb Space Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). This area of the sky is full of star-forming clouds that make up a complex hundreds of light-years across. We find ourselves in the giant molecular cloud Orion A where the Orion Nebula (also known as M42) is just a part.

Behind the stars, gas, and dust of M42 is a long, massive filament of cold gas and dust called (somewhat confusingly) the Orion Molecular Clouds, divided into four parts, OMC-1 through OMC-4. OMC-1 sits immediately behind M42, to the north are OMC-2 and OMC-3, and OMC-4 lies to the south.

This image shows just a small, northern portion of OMC-2, located 1280 light-years from Earth and a little north of the Orion Nebula. Every stage of star formation—from the youngest stellar embryos, to protoplanetary discs, to newly-minted pre-main sequence stars—is contained within just this scene, stretching 150 light-years across. The intense star-forming activity has produced an impressive display of billowing outflows and sparkling stars atop swirling layers of gas and dark, obscuring clouds.

Molecular clouds, such as OMC-2, are vast clumps of gas much more dense than the rest of interstellar space. This density allows complex molecules to form, protected from the radiation given off by other stars, and it means that gravity can cause the cloud to collapse and form stars. The earliest stage of this process is a protostar—a growing star that is being fed gas from the surrounding cloud through a spinning disc of gas. As gas falls onto the protostar, it heats up, powering the glow of the protostar. The immense amount of energy acquired during this process is unleashed in fierce jets of gas from the poles of the star, frequently seen as twin glowing outflows that mark the location of a protostar.

The abundance of protostars forming here in OMC-2 has created many spectacular outflows, large and small. Jets emitted from the young stars form high-speed shockwaves that sweep through the dense material around them; where the shockwaves are impacting the gas, it heats up and glows brightly, creating sharp ridges. Zoom in to observe the fine details in these shockwaves, as well as spot the smaller outflows from younger protostars. See if you can spot the location of hidden protostars, still so deeply obscured by their dusty cradles that they cannot be seen directly, by following outflows. Compare these very young protostars to the most evolved examples: the large, bright stars have cleared away the clouds that surrounded them and now illuminate OMC-2.

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) was used to capture this view of OMC-2. The thick gas and dust in and around the Orion Nebula blocks any light coming from OMC-2 at visible wavelengths, and the clouds in OMC-2 itself obscure the protostars that astronomers really want to find. Only in the infrared do we see these protostars begin to shine out from their cocoons of dust. In many places, the cold dust is so dense that it absorbs all or almost all light, creating dark globules. Orange, brown and some of the red colors mark warmer dust that absorbs light and emits its own. The yellow to green gradient is largely emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while light from stars and protostars scattered by dust grains is seen here primarily as blue and cyan hazes. Gas heated by the outflows creates the detailed, glowing red ridges.

The data was collected in observing program #5804. It aims to study the star formation in OMC-2 and its immediate neighbor, OMC-3. Since these molecular clouds are so near to Earth, they are excellent laboratories to learn about the earliest stages of stellar evolution. Astronomers will use the data from Webb to investigate how the many outflows affect star formation in the two regions, how the ultraviolet emission from the young stars impacts chemistry in the circumstellar discs that one day will form planets, and how gas and dust accretes onto the tens of protostars in the region.

Image Description: An area inside a star-forming molecular cloud. The background is covered with layers of gas and dust in blue, green, and yellowish colors. Thicker clumps of cold dust, dark brown to black, block out light completely. Stars lie among and atop the clouds, from small orange ones to large white or blue ones. Waves and streams of glowing whitish gas are created by jets from protostars colliding with the surrounding material.

Image Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, T. Megeath, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) 
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç
Release Date: June 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StellarNurseries #OrionMolecularClouds #OMC2 #OrionConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

China Long March-6 Rocket Launch of SpaceSail Constellation Satellites

China Long March-6 Rocket Launch of SpaceSail Constellation Satellites

🚀🛰️A modified Long March-6A Y25 carrier rocket with a new satellite group blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province at 7:39 pm Beijing time on June 4, 2026. This marks the 648th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. It was also the 36th launch from China in 2026. The Shanghai-supported satellite group is the 11th batch of the Spacesail (Qianfan) Constellation, a mega commercial Chinese low-orbit satellite network. 

The Long March-6 (Chang Zheng 6), abbreviated LM-6 internationally or CZ-6 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fueled launch vehicle of the Long March family, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The first-stage is powered by two YF-100 engines, generating a combined thrust of approximately 244 tons using rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen. The first-stage is augmented by four solid rocket boosters, each producing 124 tons of thrust from an unspecified solid propellant, resulting in a combined booster thrust of 492 tons. Together, the first-stage and boosters generate a total thrust of 736 tons. The second stage is powered by a single YF-115 engine, producing 18 tons of thrust also burning rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen.

The Long March 6A is the first new-generation launch vehicle in China to utilize a combination of solid and liquid propellants. This vehicle was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology and utilizes a two-and-a-half-stage design. The boosters burn an unspecified solid propellant with the first and second stages burning rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen.

On the launchpad, the Long March 6A is understood to be up to 52 meters tall, a handful of fairings are available, and weighs 530,000 kilograms when fully fuelled. The first and second stages of the vehicle have a diameter of 3.35 meters, while the solid-fuelled boosters have a diameter of 2 meters, the fairing has a diameter of 4.2 meters.

The Long March-6's payload capacity is currently:
8,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit
4,500 kilograms to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

The Spacesail (Qianfan) satellites are manufactured by commercial space firm Genesat (格思航天). This satellite launch brings the constellation’s total spacecraft count up to 182, surpassing GuoWang’s (国网) state-backed constellation of 168 for the first time in over seven months.

Each Qianfan satellite is reported to weigh 300 kilograms with a ‘flat pack’ design and a single solar array to fit as many satellites as possible inside the rocket fairing within two parallel stacks. For maneuvering in orbit, each satellite has an electric hall-effect thruster burning krypton to generate 20 millinewtons of thrust with a specific impulse of 1,385 seconds.

The Qianfan (千帆) mega-constellation, sometimes referred to as SpaceSail, is operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co. Ltd. (上海垣信卫星科技有限公司). It aims to provide space-based Internet connectivity services in China and abroad in places, including Brazil, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and via airlines, as soon as the end of this year. The current deployment plan seeks to launch 324 satellites in 2026, another 324 in 2027, and 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, followed by 5,000 in 2030, with 15,000 total satellites approved to operate.

There have been three SpaceSail (Qianfan) satellites launches in the past 30 days.

Image Credits: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Date: June 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SpaceSailConstellation #SpaceSailGroup11 #QianfanConstellation #千帆星座 #China #中国 #Rockets #LongMarch6Rockets #长征六号运载火箭 #LongMarch6ARockets #SAST #CASC #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #Spaceports #Shanxi #STEM #Education

China Long March-6 Rocket Launch of SpaceSail Constellation Satellites

China Long March-6 Rocket Launch of SpaceSail Constellation Satellites

🚀🛰️A modified Long March-6A Y25 carrier rocket with a new satellite group blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province at 7:39 pm Beijing time on June 4, 2026. This marks the 648th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. It was also the 36th launch from China in 2026. The Shanghai-supported satellite group is the 11th batch of the Spacesail (Qianfan) Constellation, a mega commercial Chinese low-orbit satellite network. 

The Long March-6 (Chang Zheng 6), abbreviated LM-6 internationally or CZ-6 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fueled launch vehicle of the Long March family, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The first-stage is powered by two YF-100 engines, generating a combined thrust of approximately 244 tons using rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen. The first-stage is augmented by four solid rocket boosters, each producing 124 tons of thrust from an unspecified solid propellant, resulting in a combined booster thrust of 492 tons. Together, the first-stage and boosters generate a total thrust of 736 tons. The second stage is powered by a single YF-115 engine, producing 18 tons of thrust also burning rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen.

The Long March 6A is the first new-generation launch vehicle in China to utilize a combination of solid and liquid propellants. This vehicle was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology and utilizes a two-and-a-half-stage design. The boosters burn an unspecified solid propellant with the first and second stages burning rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen.

On the launchpad, the Long March 6A is understood to be up to 52 meters tall, a handful of fairings are available, and weighs 530,000 kilograms when fully fuelled. The first and second stages of the vehicle have a diameter of 3.35 meters, while the solid-fuelled boosters have a diameter of 2 meters, the fairing has a diameter of 4.2 meters.

The Long March-6's payload capacity is currently:
8,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit
4,500 kilograms to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

The Spacesail (Qianfan) satellites are manufactured by commercial space firm Genesat (格思航天). This satellite launch brings the constellation’s total spacecraft count up to 182, surpassing GuoWang’s (国网) state-backed constellation of 168 for the first time in over seven months.

Each Qianfan satellite is reported to weigh 300 kilograms with a ‘flat pack’ design and a single solar array to fit as many satellites as possible inside the rocket fairing within two parallel stacks. For maneuvering in orbit, each satellite has an electric hall-effect thruster burning krypton to generate 20 millinewtons of thrust with a specific impulse of 1,385 seconds.

The Qianfan (千帆) mega-constellation, sometimes referred to as SpaceSail, is operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co. Ltd. (上海垣信卫星科技有限公司). It aims to provide space-based Internet connectivity services in China and abroad in places, including Brazil, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and via airlines, as soon as the end of this year. The current deployment plan seeks to launch 324 satellites in 2026, another 324 in 2027, and 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, followed by 5,000 in 2030, with 15,000 total satellites approved to operate.

There have been three SpaceSail (Qianfan) satellites launches in the past 30 days.

Video Credits: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Duration: 34 seconds
Date: June 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SpaceSailConstellation #SpaceSailGroup11 #QianfanConstellation #千帆星座 #China #中国 #Rockets #LongMarch6Rockets #长征六号运载火箭 #LongMarch6ARockets #SAST #CASC #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #Spaceports #Shanxi #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Observing The Milky Way's Black Hole “Breathing” | ALMA

Observing The Milky Way's Black Hole “Breathing” | ALMA

By creating the most detailed map ever of cold gas around Sagittarius A*, astronomers have provided compelling evidence for a long-sought black-hole wind.

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have finally found clear evidence that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*(Sgr A*), is blowing a hot cosmic wind—something scientists have been hunting for over 50 years. Astronomical theory says that when a black hole feeds on gas, it should also blow some material back out as winds or jets. Until now, the wind coming from our own Galaxy’s black hole had never been seen clearly. Using several years of highly detailed ALMA observations, astronomers mapped cold gas within just a few light‑years of Sgr A*. After carefully removing the black hole’s bright radio glow, they uncovered a giant, cone‑shaped hole in the cold gas, pointing straight at the black hole—the unmistakable imprint of a large, hot, active wind launched from Sgr A*.  

With over five years of ALMA observations (made at a wavelength of 1.3 millimeters) astronomers mapped emission from carbon monoxide (CO) molecules, a classic tracer of cold molecular gas, within only about three light‑years of Sgr A*. By carefully modeling and subtracting the black hole’s own rapidly varying radio emission, they were able to reveal extremely faint, intricate structures in the surrounding gas. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory show hot gas filling the same region, confirming that this is a black hole–powered outflow, not something caused by nearby stars.  

The resulting map is roughly 100 times more sensitive and 80 times higher in angular resolution than previous CO maps of the region, making it the most sensitive, highest‑resolution map of cold gas within three light‑years of Sgr A* ever obtained. This discovery relied not only on years of ALMA observations but also innovative data‑processing techniques to model and subtract Sgr A*’s rapidly variable emission, revealing fainter structures in the surrounding gas.  

The team estimates this wind has been blowing for at least 20,000 years, but it is relatively gentle compared to the dramatic jets seen in other galaxies. By revealing this long‑sought wind, ALMA (and Chandra) have helped solve a decades‑old mystery and given scientists their clearest view yet of how a supermassive black hole can feed on and reshape its surroundings at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy.

Image Description: This composite image overlays data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory. It shows evidence for a wind blowing away from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole in the center of our galaxy. The white dot in the center of the image shows Sgr A*. In orange is data from ALMA radio telescopes in Chile, mapping the location of cold gas composed of carbon monoxide in the image. In blue is X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. A large cone-shaped cavity, visible as an absence of cold gas in the ALMA data, is filled by hot X-ray-emitting gas in the Chandra data. Researchers think a hot, energetic wind blowing from Sgr A* created this structure by sweeping the cold gas away or heating it up.

The study appears as “The Discovery of a Large Active Wind from the Milky Way's Central Black Hole” by M. Gorsky and E. Murchikova in The Astrophysical Journal Letters: 
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10615

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in Taiwan and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).  

Learn more about the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA):
https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/about-alma/

Image Credit: Northwestern Univ./M. Gorski; X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Radio: ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/ALMA 
Release Date: June 4, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #BlackHoles #BlackHoleWinds #SagittariusA #SgrA #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophysics #Universe #ALMA #RadioAstronomy #NSF #AUI #NRAO #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #UnitedStates #Chile #STEM #Education

Rainbow Cloud Spectacle over China's Inner Mongolia Region | Earth Science

Rainbow Cloud Spectacle over China's Inner Mongolia Region | Earth Science

A breathtaking "rainbow cloud" phenomenon graced the skies over Ergun City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on May 27, 2026, captivating locals and visitors alike. Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) is an autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia, as well as a small section with Russia (Zabaykalsky Krai).

A rainbow cloud can occur because of something called cloud iridescence. It usually happens in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds. Iridescent clouds happen because of diffraction—a phenomenon that occurs when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun's light.

You have probably seen a rainbow before. When sunlight passes through raindrops in the sky, the light is split into the colors the rainbow. If you have the right angle, you can see the full band of rainbow stretch across the sky. Sometimes you can even see the mirror image of the band, or the full double rainbow.

Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow Cloud?
This can happen because of something called cloud iridescence. It usually happens in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds. Iridescent clouds happen because of diffraction—a phenomenon that occurs when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun's light.

Why Does This Not Happen More Often?
Cloud iridescence is relatively rare. The cloud must be thin and have lots of water droplets or ice crystals of about the same size. When that happens, the sun's rays encounter just a few droplets at at time. For this reason, semi-transparent clouds or clouds that are just forming are the ones most likely to have iridescence.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 44 seconds
Release Date: May 30, 2026

#NASA #NOAA #Science #Planets #SolarSystem #Sun #Earth #Atmosphere #Clouds #IridescentClouds #RainbowClouds #CloudIridescence #WaterDroplets #Diffraction #China #中国 #InnerMongolia #内蒙古自治区 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Prepares for Newest Wind Tunnel in 40 Years | Langley Research Center

NASA Prepares for Newest Wind Tunnel in 40 Years | Langley Research Center

"We are putting the finishing touches on NASA’s newest wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF). The FDRF is a cutting-edge vertical wind tunnel that will power the next generation of aerospace innovation."

"In this behind the scenes look, filmed while the facility was still under construction, you will hear how the FDRF will combine and expand the capabilities of two historic wind tunnels at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia."

"David Storch, FDRF project manager during its first phase of construction, explains how improved airflow quality, faster speeds, and temperature controlled testing will enable the FDRF to push the boundaries of flight and exploration like never before."

Read the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF) Fact Sheet:
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/fdrf-factsheet-09-25-508.pdf

NASA’s Langley Research Center: 
https://www.nasa.gov/langley/

Video Credit: NASA's Langley Research Center
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: June 4, 2026

#NASA #Science #Technology #Engineering #Aviation #Aircraft #WindTunnels #FDRF #FlightResearch #UAVs #Drones #AircraftManufacturers #Aerospace #AerospaceIndustry #CommercialAviation #NASALangley #LRC #Hampton #Virginia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy IC 4653 in Ara: A Familiar Sight | Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxy IC 4653 in Ara: A Familiar Sight | Hubble Space Telescope

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope shows IC 4653, a galaxy just above 80 million light-years from Earth. This may sound like quite a distance, but it is not that far on a cosmic scale. At these kinds of distances, the types and structures of the objects we see are similar to those in our local area.

Thie galaxy's whirling arms tells us a story about what is happening inside this galaxy. Stars are generally brighter and bluer when they are younger, so the blue patches mark sites of new star formation. Studying the structures of other galaxies is a key way to learn about the structure of our own, given that humans cannot leave the Milky Way to look back and see what it looks like from the outside. It helps to compare our observations of our home galaxy with those of nearby galaxies we can see in their entirety. 

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Rosario (CEA, Durham University)
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #IC4653 #SpiralGalaxy #AraConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC: 50th Anniversary (1976-2026)

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC: 50th Anniversary (1976-2026)

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Join us to celebrate the last 50 years and look forward to the next 50.

Visit and learn more: https://airandspace.si.edu/

Video Credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: June 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASM #NASM50thAnniversary #Smithsonian #Museums #PublicEducation #Aerospace #History #NationalArtifacts #Earth #Moon #ApolloProgram #SpaceShuttles #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Washington #WashingtonDC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov & Mikaev on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov & Mikaev on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (left/red stripes) and Sergei Mikaev (right/blue stripes) of Russia, Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer respectively

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (left) and Sergei Mikaev (right) of Russia, Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer respectively

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev of Russia works outside the International Space Station in his Orlan spacesuit

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (left) and Sergei Mikaev (right) of Russia, Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer respectively

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (left/red stripes) and Sergei Mikaev (right/blue stripes) of Russia, Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer respectively

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (left/red stripes) and Sergei Mikaev (right/blue stripes) of Russia, Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer respectively

Expedition 74 emblem

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 4:23 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, lasting 6 hours, 5 minutes.

Kud-Sverchkov and Mikayev finished their major objectives, including collecting two completed science experiments and installing a new one. They removed a microorganism study from the exterior of the Poisk module and retrieved a cassette from the Nauka module containing data on how semiconductor materials form in microgravity. The crew also installed a device on the Zvezda service module to measure bursts of solar radiation from solar flares.

During the spacewalk, the duo photographed one of two Kurs rendezvous antennas on the Progress 94 cargo spacecraft that failed to deploy following its March launch to the space station. After collecting the imagery, they secured the antenna with a tie‑down for future dynamic operations.

This was the second spacewalk for Kud-Sverchkov and the first for Mikayev. It also was the 279th spacewalk supporting space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

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 Credits: Roscosmos, NASA/JSC, ESA/Sophie Adenot
Date: May 27, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #ISS #Earth #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #SergeiMikaev #EVA #Spacewalks #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #STEM #Education

Strong X-Flare Erupts from Sun | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

Strong X-Flare Erupts from Sun | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 7:28 a.m. ET on June 3, 2026. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) watches the Sun constantly and captured an image of the event.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare—visible as the bright flash toward the upper right—on June 3, 2026. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and is colorized in red.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.0 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

The largest X-class flares are by far the largest explosions in our solar system. NASA states:

"Made visible to us by sun-observing satellites, solar flares involve loops of solar material, called plasma, that leap off the sun’s surface and expand to ten times the size of Earth. Powerful flares can produce as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs."

The frequency of solar flares waxes and wanes in an 11-year cycle.

Image Description: The Sun, shown against the black backdrop of space. The Sun is colorized in red, with dark freckles spotting it and brighter, more orange areas representing active regions. Toward the upper right, there is a bright white region, showing a flash shaped like an X. This is the solar flare.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts.

NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: June 3, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SpaceWeather #Sun #Stars #SolarMaximum #SolarFlares #Plasma #MagneticFields #Radiation #Earth #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Physics #Spacecraft #Satellite #HumanSpaceflight #SDO #GSFC #NOAA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education