China Space-Based Computing Industry Ready for Take Off

China Space-Based Computing Industry Ready for Take Off

China's space-based computing is moving beyond research and development and entering a critical phase of building out in-orbit computing capabilities. China now operates more than 640 civil or commercial remote-sensing satellites in orbit, the second most of any nation in the world.

These satellites generate massive amounts of data every day, but less than five percent is actually transmitted back to Earth because of constraints on the transmission bandwidth from orbiting satellites. Coordinating emergency disaster relief, improved by satellite monitoring, calls for instantaneous processing of data gathered in orbit. However, conventional satellite transmission links do not currently allow for such a speedy turnaround of data.

Chinese scientists are now working on solutions to this, using artificial intelligence-powered in-orbit computing that can quickly filter data and select the most important information to send back to analysts on the ground.

"In terms of operational models, China is pioneering the shift from a 'space sensing, ground computing' model' to 'in-orbit data-processing'. Satellites complete AI processing directly in-orbit after capturing data, eliminating the need to downlink the full volume of raw data to the ground and greatly conserving satellite-to-ground transmission bandwidth. On the planning front, the 'Three-Body Computing Constellation project' aims to achieve a thousand-satellite-scale network by 2032," said Xie Lina, deputy director of the Cloud Computing and Big Data Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology (CAICT).

China's space-based computing industry is entering a period of rapid growth. Industry experts say that over the medium-to-long term, space-based computing is expected to evolve in three phases: single-satellite computing, networked constellations, and integrated space-ground collaboration.

Researchers are prioritizing developing applications for addressing problems that poorly served by ground-based computing power, such as intelligent remote-sensing interpretation, disaster prevention and mitigation, and open-ocean monitoring.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Oct. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #DisasterPrevention #OceanMonitoring #ComputingSatellites #SpaceBasedComputing #ThreeBodyConstellation #LEO #China #中国 #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars Images | United Arab Emirates Hope Mission

Planet Mars Images | United Arab Emirates Hope Mission

The Emirates Mars Mission is a United Arab Emirates Space Agency uncrewed space exploration mission to Mars. The Hope orbiter was launched on July 19, 2020, and went into orbit around Mars on February 9, 2021. The mission design, development, and operations are led by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). The spacecraft was assembled in the United States at the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) with support from Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of California, Berkeley.

Learn more about the Emirates Mars Mission:
https://emiratesmarsmission.ae

Image Credit: Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) / CU/LASP /EXI ITF

Processing: Kevin Gill

Text Credit: Wikipedia

Image#1 Date: May 9, 2025

Image#2 Date: Nov. 30 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Planets #Mars #RedPlanet #UAE #Dubai #HopeMission #EmiratesMarsMission #EMM #MarsOrbiter #InterplanetarySpacecraft #Geology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Emirates #UnitedArabEmirates #KevinGill #CitizenScience #STEM #Education  #مشروع الإمارات لاستكشاف المريخ  #مسبار الأمل 

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Discusses "Space Food" | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 Discusses "Space Food" | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts held a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on October 15, 2026. This was a week after returning to Earth following more than seven months aboard the International Space Station. The crew reflected on their scientific research, daily life in space, and the importance of protecting Earth and of fostering unity among humanity.

On October 8, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, splashed down successfully off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

This completed 237 days at the International Space Station for the four-person crew. Meir has logged 440 total days in space, placing her in NASA’s Top 10 for cumulative days in space. The Crew-12 mission was the first time Hathaway and Adenot had been to space, while it was the second time for Fedyaev. The crew also conducted four spacewalks during their nearly eight-month mission.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA

Duration: 2 minutes, 27 seconds

Date: Oct. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #SpaceFood #Crew12 #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Satellite Launch | Korea AeroSpace Administration

Close-up: KSLV-II ('Nuri') Rocket Satellite Launch | Korea AeroSpace Administration

South Korea's 200-ton, three-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) KSLV-II rocket launched a record 15 satellites on its fifth flight: five NeonSat Earth observation smallsats, South Korea's first constellation launch, plus ten university-built CubeSats on Oct 7, 2026, at 12:25pm Korea Standard Time (KST) from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, south of the capital Seoul. Despite one cubesat failing to deploy, this marked a significant milestone for South Korea’s space program.

The Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II) ('Nuri') rocket was built by Hanwha Aerospace. Nuri, means “world” in Korean.

This was the first time that Nuri has deployed multiple main satellites in a single flight. The five NeonSats are the start of South Korea's first constellation launched on its own rocket. Each one weighs under 100 kg (220 pounds) and can spot objects about 1 meter across. Five more go up on Nuri's sixth flight next year. Once all ten are deployed, South Korea can image the entire peninsula three or more times a day.

Video Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
Duration: 19 seconds
Date: Oct. 7, 2026

#NASA #KASA #KARI #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Rockets #KSLVII #KSLVIIRocket #Nuri #누리 #HanwhaAerospace #한화에어로스페이스 #LG #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #NaroSpaceCenter #Goheung #SouthKorea #대한민국 #Spaceports #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Cluster PSZ2 G138: Six billion light-years away in Andromeda | Hubble

Galaxy Cluster PSZ2 G138: Six billion light-years away in Andromeda | Hubble

This intriguing image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope shows a massive galaxy cluster called PSZ2 G138.61-10.84, about six billion light-years away (notice the small dark burnt-orange points of light scattered around this image in the background). Galaxies are not randomly distributed in space, but rather aggregated in groups, clusters, and superclusters. The latter span over hundreds of millions of light-years and contain billions of galaxies.

Our own galaxy, for example, is part of the Local Group that in turn is part of the giant Laniakea Supercluster. It was thanks to Hubble that we were able to study massive galactic superstructures, such as the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall; a giant galaxy cluster that contains billions of galaxies and extends 10 billion light-years across—making it the biggest known structure in the Universe.

This image was taken by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide-Field Camera 3 as part of an observing program called Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS).

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, RELICS
Release Date: April 16, 2018

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #PSZ2G138611084 #PSZ2G138 #AndromedaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #EarlyUniverse #Cosmology #Astrophysics #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Two Final Roll Out Solar Arrays Delivered Today | International Space Station

Two Final Roll Out Solar Arrays Delivered Today | International Space Station

At 10:27 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew. This is SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA.

Aboard the Dragon spacecraft is the final set of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, or IROSAs, which will be installed later this fall.

Sunlight flares across the International Space Station’s solar arrays.

NASA astronauts perform a spacewalk to install an International Space Station Roll Out Solar Array with the assistance of the Canadarm2 robotic arm in 2022.

Expedition 75 emblem

Another power upgrade is coming.⚡The final pair of IROSAs have arrived at the International Space Station aboard the latest SpaceX Dragon resupply mission. From the International Space Station’s unique position 250 miles above Earth, the Sun is a vital source of energy. Solar power supports the station’s life support systems, daily activities, and hundreds of research investigations that improve life on Earth and prepare humans for deep space exploration. Over the past five years, NASA augmented the station’s power generation and distribution capability with next-generation International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs).

In 2017, a technology demonstration conducted aboard the space station tested the effectiveness of the arrays. The lightweight, compact design launches as a cylinder and unfurls like a yoga mat after installation. This advanced design reduces mass and volume at launch and uses an autonomous, self-deploying system that minimizes risks during rollout.

The technology is also scalable to meet mission requirements. The IROSAs are about half the size of the station’s legacy arrays. Despite being smaller, the arrays are capable of producing about 28 kilowatts of additional power.

Six IROSAs were installed outside of the space station between 2021 and 2023. In 2023, power projections prompted a request for another set of IROSAs that launched in Dragon spacecraft’s trunk during the SpaceX 35th commercial resupply services mission to space station for NASA. Together, the eight IROSAs will increase power by more than 160kW for research and operations.

With the full upgrade in place, the space station’s revitalized power system not only supports NASA’s legacy in low Earth orbit but also helps advance technology that will extend the agency’s reach into the solar system. From planetary defense demonstrations, like the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, to future human exploration efforts, the space station is an essential testbed for the technologies needed for expeditions beyond Earth’s orbit.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Release Date: Oct. 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #IROSA #SpaceXCargoDragonSpacecraft #CRS35Mission #CRS35 #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

“Space Jellyfish”: SpaceX Falcon 9 NASA Cargo Launch | International Space Station

“Space Jellyfish”: SpaceX Falcon 9 NASA Cargo Launch | International Space Station

Many of you are talking about the “space jellyfish” following a recent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. A jellyfish happens near sunrise or sunset when the exhaust plume from the rocket becomes brightly illuminated, creating a glowing shape resembling a jellyfish.

At 6:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 13, 2026, more than 6,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of the company’s 35th commercial resupply services (CRS) mission for NASA.

About nine minutes after launch, Dragon separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, opened its nosecone, and began a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station.

At 10:27 a.m. EDT on October 15, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew.

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

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA/Bill White, SpaceX

Date: Oct. 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Falcon9Rocket #SpaceXCargoDragonSpacecraft #SpaceJellyfish #CRS35Mission #CRS35 #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Messier 12 Star Cluster in Ophiuchus: "Serenity hiding a violent past" | Hubble

Messier 12 Star Cluster in Ophiuchus: "Serenity hiding a violent past" | Hubble

The high concentration of stars within globular clusters, like Messier 12, shown here in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, makes them beautiful photographic targets. However, the cramped living quarters in these clusters also makes them home to exotic binary star systems where two stars are locked in tight orbits around each other and matter from one is gobbled up by its companion, releasing x-rays. It is thought that such x-ray binaries form from very close encounters between stars in crowded regions, such as globular clusters, and even though Messier 12 is fairly diffuse by globular cluster standards, such x-ray sources have been spotted there.

Messier 12 lies about 23,000 light-years away in the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer). 

Astronomers have also discovered that Messier 12 is home to far fewer low-mass stars than was previously expected. In a recent study, astronomers used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope at Cerro Paranal, Chile, to measure the brightness and colors of more than 16,000 of the globular’s 200,000 stars. They speculate that nearly one million low-mass stars have been ripped away from Messier 12 as the globular has passed through the densest regions of the Milky Way during its orbit around the galactic center.

It seems that the serenity of this view of Messier 12 is misleading and the object has had a violent and disturbed past.

This image was taken using the Wide Field Channel of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. The color image was created from exposures through a blue filter (F435W, colored blue), a red filter (F625W, colored green) and a filter that passes near-infrared light (F814W colored red). The total exposure times were 1360 s, 200 s and 364 s, respectively. The field of view is about 3.2 x 3.1 arcminutes .

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA 
Release Date: March 28, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #Messier12 #M12 #OphiuchusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #HubbleACS #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Star-Birth “Fireworks”: Herbig-Haro 24 Complex in Orion | Gemini North Telescope

Star-Birth “Fireworks”: Herbig-Haro 24 Complex in Orion | Gemini North Telescope

This Gemini North Telescope image reveals no less than six gas jets emerging at supersonic speeds from the reddish Herbig-Haro 24 (HH 24) complex—a small cluster of young stars embedded in a molecular cloud around 1,300 light years distant in the constellation Orion. It is the most detailed image ever obtained from the ground of this remarkable region. It contains the highest concentration of jets known anywhere. One jet is highly disturbed, suggesting that the source may be a close binary whose orbit perturbs the jet body. This dynamic environment also may be responsible for expelling the lowest mass stars in the area. 

Most puzzling are the five very-low-mass protostars seen well outside the star-forming cloud core. As the gas is far too tenuous for the stars to have formed in their present locations, these orphaned protostars were most likely ejected shortly after birth from the core that hosts a small multiple protostellar system known as SSV 63. Such ejections may occur when the crowded stars start moving around each other in a chaotic dance, ultimately leading to the ejection of the smallest ones. The bright nebulous star to the south is the visible T Tauri star SSV 59.

T Tauri stars (TTS) are a class of variable stars that are less than about ten million years old. This class is named after the prototype, T Tauri, a young star in the Taurus star-forming region. They are found near molecular clouds and identified by their optical variability and strong chromospheric lines. T Tauri stars are pre-main-sequence stars in the process of contracting.

Learn more about the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-north/

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Reipurth, C. Aspin & T. Rector
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Protostars #Nebulae #HerbigHaro24 #HH24 #TTauriStars #TTS #SSV59 #SSV63 #OrionConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #GeminiNorthGMOS #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Massive antenna, silent mirror in Chile | European Southern Observatory

Massive antenna, silent mirror in Chile | European Southern Observatory

In this picture, the decommissioned Swedish-European Southern Observatory Submillimeter Telescope (SEST), at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, shows its 15-meter diameter surface, reflecting the starry night sky of one of the most pristine sites for astronomical observations on Earth.

SEST was, at the time of its first light in 1987, the only large telescope in the southern hemisphere designed for submillimeter astronomy. It studied radiation with longer wavelengths than visible light, coming from cold clouds of gas and dust where stars form. To catch these weak signals and produce sharp images, large collecting areas are needed, resulting in telescopes as massive as SEST. “Despite knowing about its 15-meter diameter beforehand, I was amazed by its size,” says José Rodrigues, visiting astronomer at La Silla and photographer who captured this image.

While no longer in operation, SEST remains a silent mirror of La Silla’s dark night sky, colored here by the faint natural airglow coming from atoms in our atmosphere.

The gorgeous orange tint of the night sky seen here is due to a phenomenon called airglow. Airglow is primarily caused when sunlight excites atoms and molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere by transferring energy to them. This excess energy is released as a particle of light called a photon. The frequency of each photon determines which captivating color will appear. It is possible to see this light with the naked eye under very dark skies, but a camera can capture it more easily. 

Image Description: The image shows a reflective telescope dish, occupying a large portion of the frame. A person is standing close to the telescope, with their back to the camera, and wearing darker clothes. The sky in the background is filled with stars and orange to green undertones, and a white telescope, as well as a white container building, can be seen.

Image Credit: J. Rodrigues/ESO
Date: Oct. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Earth #Airglow #SEST #SubmillimeterAstronomy #Sweden #Sverige #Cosmos #Universe #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

China LandSpace Zhuque-2E Y4 Three-Body Computing Constellation Launch

China LandSpace Zhuque-2E Y4 Three-Body Computing Constellation Launch

A China LandSpace Zhuque-2E rocket lifted off from Launch Area 96A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 19:40pm China Standard Time (12:40pm Universal Coordinated Time) on October 14, 2026, heading for sun-synchronous orbit with a group of eight new computing satellites and two test spacecraft—LandTower's LT-03 and LT-04.

The eight ADA Space satellites aboard—XSD-39 and XSD-44 through XSD-50—were independently developed by ADA Space and will primarily conduct technology verification of high-performance computing payloads, high-speed inter-satellite and satellite-to-ground laser communication, and large radiator wings.

As the primary customers, ADA Space and Zhejiang Lab’s Three-Body Computing Constellation had eight new computing satellites delivered as part of its Group-02. Those launched were given the serial numbers of 44 through 50 as well as 39. Now in orbit, they expand the constellation to 20 satellites.

In the coming days, the new satellites will connect to the existing ones, ahead of demonstrating their expanded onboard compute capabilities and new laser communication links that can now connect to the ground and unfurl cooling radiators.

China's Three-Body Computing Constellation has demonstrated its ability to task terrestrial robots from orbit and to sustain laser links for multiple days with near constant uptime.

This launch was Zhuque-2E’s fourth of the year, and the second time flying within two months, following on from last month’s connectivity-constellation carrying mission. That is also the second time the launch vehicle has flown back-to-back this year, as it did so in May and June.

Today’s mission was the 7th flight of Zhuque-2E, the 10th flight of LandSpace’s Zhuque-2 series, and LandSpace’s 13th orbital launch attempt. This was also the 72nd launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: LandSpace
Text Credit: Jack C.

Date: Oct. 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #ComputingSatellites #ThreeBodyConstellation #ADASpace #ZhejiangLab #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY4 #RocketLaunches #JSLC #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education

China LandSpace Zhuque-2E Y4 Three-Body Computing Constellation Launch

China LandSpace Zhuque-2E Y4 Three-Body Computing Constellation Launch

A China LandSpace Zhuque-2E rocket lifted off from Launch Area 96A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 19:40pm China Standard Time (12:40pm Universal Coordinated Time) on October 14, 2026, heading for sun-synchronous orbit with a group of eight new computing satellites and two test spacecraft—LandTower's LT-03 and LT-04.

The eight ADA Space satellites aboard—XSD-39 and XSD-44 through XSD-50—were independently developed by ADA Space and will primarily conduct technology verification of high-performance computing payloads, high-speed inter-satellite and satellite-to-ground laser communication, and large radiator wings.

As the primary customers, ADA Space and Zhejiang Lab’s Three-Body Computing Constellation had eight new computing satellites delivered as part of its Group-02. Those launched were given the serial numbers of 44 through 50 as well as 39. Now in orbit, they expand the constellation to 20 satellites.

In the coming days, the new satellites will connect to the existing ones, ahead of demonstrating their expanded onboard compute capabilities and new laser communication links that can now connect to the ground and unfurl cooling radiators.

China's Three-Body Computing Constellation has demonstrated its ability to task terrestrial robots from orbit and to sustain laser links for multiple days with near constant uptime.

This launch was Zhuque-2E’s fourth of the year, and the second time flying within two months, following on from last month’s connectivity-constellation carrying mission. That is also the second time the launch vehicle has flown back-to-back this year, as it did so in May and June.

Today’s mission was the 7th flight of Zhuque-2E, the 10th flight of LandSpace’s Zhuque-2 series, and LandSpace’s 13th orbital launch attempt. This was also the 72nd launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: LandSpace
Text Credit: Jack C.

Duration: 42 seconds
Date: Oct. 14, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #ComputingSatellites #ThreeBodyConstellation #ADASpace #ZhejiangLab #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque2Rocket #Zhuque2EY4 #RocketLaunches #JSLC #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Auroras over Alberta

Auroras over Alberta

Astrophotographer Jessica Fridrich: "Here are some more bread crumbs from the still elevated speed from last night. It only took about an hour of slightly negative Bz. Once Bz dropped, the substorm unleashed almost immediately. A gorgeous dance of greens and columns reaching high into the sky at 54N."

Notes: "Bz is the north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) carried by the solar wind. When Bz turns southward (negative), it triggers aurora activity—this is the single most important real-time indicator."

Known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Alberta is a province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, the Northwest Territories to its north, and the U.S. state of Montana to its south.

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country by total area with the longest coastline of any country. Its border with the United States is the longest international land border.

Image Credit: Jessica Fridrich
Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Photographer's website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/186268707@N07/
Date: Oct. 12, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Sun #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Aurorae #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticFields #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #Astrophotography #JessicaFridrich #Astrophotographers #CitizenScience #Edmonton #Alberta #Canada #NorthAmerica #STEM #Education

Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft: Before & After Undocking | International Space Station

Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft: Before & After Undocking | International Space Station

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft is held in the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was soaring 264 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean at the time of this photograph. 

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft departs the International Space Station 263 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean after being released from the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Cygnus XL reentered Earth's atmosphere three days later burning up harmlessly over the Pacific Ocean completing a six-month resupply mission at the orbital outpost.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, with its prominent cymbal‑shaped UltraFlex solar arrays, is pictured berthed to the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Hurricane Lowell was a Category 4 storm in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Hawaii when this photograph was captured from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above Earth.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft fires its engines while berthed to the Unity module, lifting the International Space Station’s orbit. The orbital reboost placed the station at the correct altitude for the rendezvous and docking of the Progress 96 resupply ship. 

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft is pictured berthed to the International Space Station's Earth-facing port on the Unity module. At the bottom is one of two cymbal‑shaped UltraFlex solar arrays attached to Cygnus XL's service module that provide navigation, power, and propulsion for the spacecraft. The orbital outpost was soaring 257 miles above the Arabian Sea, heading into an orbital sunset at the time of this photograph.

At 12:44 p.m. EDT, October 9, 2026, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after it detached from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Cygnus XL successfully departed the orbiting laboratory nearly six months after arriving with about 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA and its international partners as part of the Commercial Resupply Services Mission 24 (CRS-24).

Mission controllers commanded the spacecraft to deorbit on Monday, Oct. 12, carrying several thousand pounds of disposal items and other unneeded cargo into Earth’s atmosphere, where it "harmlessly" burned up during re-entry. NASA did not provide coverage of the deorbit. 

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

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center, A. Menon, S. Adenot

Image Dates: Aug. 27-Oct. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #NorthropGrumman #CygnusXLCargoSpacecraft #CRS24 #Astronauts #ESA #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The 'Treble Clef' Galaxy Cluster's Collision in Camelopardalis | NASA Chandra

The 'Treble Clef' Galaxy Cluster's Collision in Camelopardalis | NASA Chandra

Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef” because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol.

The research team figured out that an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters is the likely cause of the Treble Clef. Scientists want to know more about galaxy clusters because they are among the largest structures in the universe, containing hundreds of individual galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated gas.

It has been particularly difficult to find an explanation for the Treble Clef because the cluster lies almost directly behind the plane of the Milky Way from the vantage point of Earth. This means that the stars, gas, and dust from our home galaxy largely block our view. However, by using telescopes like Chandra that can peer through the intervening material, a team of researchers was able to identify what is responsible for this uncommon clef-like structure.

The researchers used data Chandra and another X-ray telescope called eROSITA to uncover diffuse, hot gas at the location of the Treble Clef. This shows that a galaxy cluster hosts the unusually-shaped object in radio waves. The X-ray data also revealed that the Treble Clef is, in fact, located in two clusters in the process of merging.

After piecing all of the information together, the team concluded that the Treble Clef formed in a two-stage process. First, an outburst from supermassive black hole in the galaxy cluster’s center many millions of years ago drove clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields away at close to the speed of light. This led to a type of cosmic crescendo and initially produced bright radio waves that later faded as the particles lost energy. Next, there was a second act when the cloud became compressed or reenergized by the collision between the two clusters and became brighter again in radio waves. Shock waves—similar to the sonic booms from supersonic jets—from the collision may have played a role in this reenergizing process.

Of course, there is not really a giant treble clef in space. This is a case of pareidolia, the phenomenon when people see familiar shapes in random data, since there is no scientific connection to the musical notation. Other people have had other pareidolia reactions to this radio emission structure, seeing a Welsh dragon that is being viewed from the side. Whatever you see or do not see in this image, astronomers have worked hard to find out what made it . . .

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 14, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #VLSSJ031895755 #TheTrebleClefCluster #Pareidolia #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAChandra #eROSITA #XrayAstronomy #CXC #UnitedStates #MPE #Germany #Deutschland #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship 40 of Flight Test#13 Returns from Indian Ocean | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship 40 of Flight Test#13 Returns from Indian Ocean | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Update: "The first Starship to return to its launch site, Ship 40's journey took it across air, space, and sea. Now that it is vertical alongside three other Starships in a Megabay at Starbase, it will provide first-of-its-kind data on a flown Starship heatshield, Raptor engines, avionics, and more."

SpaceX Starship Flight Test 13 involved the launch of Ship 40 on July 24, 2026. This flight test was notable for being the first to deploy operational Starlink V3 satellites and successfully completed a full-duration ascent burn. The test demonstrated the vehicle's ability to survive reentry and was a significant milestone in SpaceX's efforts to develop the Starship program. 

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.

Learn more about Starship:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2026 

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Starlink #Earth #Mars #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #StarshipRecovery #FlightTest13 #IndianOcean #ReusableSpacecraft #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education