Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4893-4899: Drilling at Campo Marte and a Visit From the Psyche Spacecraft

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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4893-4899: Drilling at Campo Marte and a Visit From the Psyche Spacecraft

A black and white photo taken from the perspective of the Curiosity rover on Mars. In the center, the rover's robotic arm extends downward, hovering its instrument turret over a flat, light-colored rock. The arm casts a prominent, long shadow across the rocky and sandy terrain in the foreground. Parts of the rover's wheels are visible on the far left and right edges, and a distant, mountainous Martian horizon stretches across the background under a clear sky.
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, as the rover used its APXS instrument to measure the composition of the “Campo Marte” block in preparation for drilling. Curiosity captured the image using its Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) on May 14, 2026 — Sol 4895, or Martian day 4,895 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 16:29:02 UTC.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Earth planning date: Friday, May 15, 2026

After freeing the rover’s arm from the “Atacama” block, we are ready to drill again! The new drill target will represent the same geologic stratum as Atacama, which is the layered sulfate unit above the boxwork structures. We’ve named the new block “Campo Marte” after a natural red sandstone feature in Bolivia, following the theme of choosing target names in this Martian quadrangle from locations near the Uyuni region in South America. The name can be literally translated from Spanish as “Field of Mars” or “Mars Field,” appropriate for a target on Mars. In preparation for drilling, we measured the composition of Campo Marte with the ChemCam LIBS and the APXS as well as obtaining close-up imaging with MAHLI. Additional LIBS rasters provided geochemical data on nearby blocks, including a couple of vein and nodule-like features. As we’ve seen in several rover stops in this unit, the “Paso Malo” block and several others are covered in a prominent polygonal texture.

We’ve also imaged the Campo Marte block from several angles and determined that it’s substantially thicker than the Atacama block, so we’re hoping that its greater mass will keep it on the ground after drilling so that we can withdraw the drill bit normally this time. The team did get some interesting data on the volume and density of the Atacama block from our little adventure but we don’t feel the need to repeat that particular experiment.

In the meantime, we had a chance to support another solar system exploration mission as the Psyche spacecraft flew close by Mars in order to pick up a gravitational boost on its way to the main asteroid belt.

The Psyche spacecraft’s eventual destination is the asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the largest members of an unusual spectral category of asteroids that hasn’t yet been visited by a spacecraft. Although 16 Psyche is expected to be quite different from Mars as a science target (for example, it is too small to maintain a Mars-like atmosphere) this flyby was still a valuable opportunity to exercise the spacecraft’s instruments and data analysis pipelines, and validate their calibration. Because of this the Curiosity team planned an extra set of atmospheric observations timed to coordinate with the Psyche flyby: a zenith movie with Navcam to document clouds and a Mastcam solar observation to measure atmospheric opacity. The Mastcam was also supported by a fresh set of calibration data. Together with other coordinated observations from the Mars orbiters and Perseverance rover, these are intended to contribute to the Psyche instrument validation effort. 

A rover sits on the hilly, orange Martian surface beneath a flat grey sky, surrounded by chunks of rock.
NASA’s Curiosity rover at the base of Mount Sharp
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

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May 18, 2026

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Johnson Photographers Honored for Award-Winning Portraits 

Three photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center who inspire the world through visual storytelling earned top honors in the portrait category at the 2025 NASA Imagery Experts Program Annual Awards. 

“Congratulations to all three on this impressive achievement and for capturing such breathtaking imagery,” said Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “Their work represents the collaboration, precision, and creativity that drive human space exploration forward.” 

David DeHoyos, Josh Valcarcel, and Bill Stafford were recognized during the award ceremony held April 20, 2026, in Las Vegas. 

From engineering tests to astronaut training to mission control operations, these photographers document the people and work central to NASA’s human spaceflight mission. 

First place: David DeHoyos 

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot pauses for a pensive moment during her official NASA portrait session at Johnson Space Center.
NASA/David DeHoyos

Sophie is so kind and friendly with a beautiful presence. Being around her made everyone feel good, which allowed my creativity to flow.

David Dehoyos

David Dehoyos

NASA Photographer

Portrait of NASA photographer David DeHoyos.

A Houston native, born in 1963, David DeHoyos’ life has been deeply shaped by the city’s dual legacy of arts and aerospace.  

DeHoyos graduated from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 1981 with a specialization in photography. After spending a decade refining his technical craft in photo labs, he joined Johnson’s photography department in 1991. 

“This opportunity represented the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition,” said DeHoyos. “Growing up during the fervor of the Apollo era, I always dreamed of contributing to NASA’s mission. I am so honored and blessed to be amongst a team of wonderful people and, more importantly, friends.” 

Second place: Josh Valcarcel 

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir sits in a chair. Her body is slightly turned to the right as she looks forward. She is wearing the bottom half of a spacesuit; the top half and gloves are on the floor next to the chair.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit during an official portrait session
NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Jessica’s quiet presence reflects years of preparation, passion, and responsibility. She understands, more clearly than most of us ever will, the fragility of the body, the precision of systems, and the narrow margins within which exploration unfolds.

Josh Valcarcel

Josh Valcarcel

NASA Photographer

Portrait of NASA scientific photographer Josh Valcarcel.

Josh Valcarcel has worked as a professional photographer and videographer for over 20 years and has been a scientific photographer at Johnson since 2017. He previously served as a staff photographer and photo editor at WIRED magazine and as a mass communication specialist in the U.S. Navy, capturing stories from flight deck operations to remote island nations across the Pacific. 

“As a NASA photographer, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing impossible dreams become reality every day,” said Valcarcel. “That experience has shown me that with the right vision, culture, and trust, what once seemed impossible can become part of everyday life.” 

Third place: Bill Stafford 

Expedition 74 crew member Christopher Williams in an EMU spacesuit.
NASA/Bill Stafford

There’s a stillness and quiet resolve in Chris’ expression that says everything about who he is and what he’s about to do.

Bill Stafford

Bill Stafford

NASA Photographer

Portrait of NASA scientific photographer Bill Stafford.

A Texas native and 1999 graduate of East Texas A&M University, Bill Stafford has served as a photographer and videographer for NASA since graduation, documenting over two decades of the nation’s space exploration milestones.  

In addition to his work with NASA, Stafford teaches photography at the Gilruth Center. He is passionate about sharing his expertise and helping others develop their skills behind the lens.  

“Photography is how I find meaning in the moments around me, and working at NASA has given me a front-row seat to some of the most remarkable stories of our time,” said Stafford. “My job is to slow things down long enough to find the moment inside the moment: the small details that tell the bigger story.” 



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NASA’s MAVEN Makes 1st Discovery of Atmospheric Effect at Mars

In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected — observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planet’s atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission, scientists identified a phenomenon known to occur in Earth’s magnetosphere, where charged particles are squeezed like toothpaste coming out of a tube along magnetic structures called flux tubes. This so-called Zwan-Wolf effect aids in the deflection of solar wind around Earth and has been observed and studied there for decades. Now, a new study published in Nature Communications provides the first comprehensive observations of the same effect in Mars’ atmosphere.

a stylized, not-to-scale, image of a yellow Sun with blue-hued waves drawn in between it and reddish Mars
An artistic representation of the Zwan-Wolf effect at Mars, as observed by NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission. While this effect typically helps to deflect the solar wind at Earth, at Mars it is shown to “squeeze” the atmosphere and have implications on how space weather interacts with the planet. The yellow arrows represent the movement of the effect in the Martian atmosphere.
LASP/CU Boulder

“When investigating the data, I all of a sudden noticed some very interesting wiggles,” said Christopher Fowler, a research assistant professor at West Virginia University in Morgantown and lead author of the study. “I would never have guessed it would be this effect, since it’s never been seen in a planetary atmosphere before.”

The Zwan-Wolf effect was first discovered in 1976, and until now has only been observed in planetary magnetospheres, not their atmospheres. Unlike Earth, Mars is not protected by a global magnetic field, affecting how it interacts with the solar wind and space weather. In this new study, the Zwan-Wolf effect was observed in the ionosphere — deep within the Martian atmosphere below 200 km — which contains significant numbers of electrically charged particles. The data showed that these charged particles were being squeezed and distributed around Mars’ atmosphere.

Although Mars has an induced magnetosphere, a magnetic field generated by the solar wind interacting with the Martian ionosphere, it can greatly change in size and shape with large solar wind and space weather events. That is what Fowler and his team saw in the MAVEN data when a large solar storm hit Mars. Based on their findings, the Zwan-Wolf effect may be occurring constantly in the Martian ionosphere but at levels undetectable by MAVEN’s instrumentation. The impact of the space weather event appears to have amplified the effect, allowing the scientists to observe it in the data.

In the beginning, Fowler and his team came across some interesting-looking fluctuations in measurements of the magnetic field as the spacecraft flew through the atmosphere. To explain this, they dug into observations made by several instruments on MAVEN, including measurements of the charged particle environment in the ionosphere. Their sleuthing uncovered even more weird and interesting features in the data. After ruling out several other possibilities, the team was able to identify the culprit as the Zwan-Wolf effect, which explained all the features they were seeing.

“No one expected that this effect could even occur in the atmosphere,” said Fowler. “That’s what makes this even more exciting. It introduces interesting physics that we haven’t yet explored and a new way the Sun and space weather can change the dynamics in the Martian atmosphere.”

Understanding the Zwan-Wolf effect at Mars will further our understanding of how space weather affects the planet and provides new insight into how this effect might occur at similar unmagnetized bodies, such as Venus and Saturn’s moon Titan. Observations like this also highlight the importance of knowing how large space weather events can lead to changes in the environment at and around the Red Planet and potentially affect assets on or near Mars.

“Knowing how space weather interacts with Mars is essential,” said Shannon Curry, the principal investigator of MAVEN and research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. “The MAVEN team continues making new discoveries with our datasets and finding these links between our host star and the Red Planet.”

The MAVEN spacecraft launched in November 2013 and entered Mars’ orbit in September 2014. The mission’s goal is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind to explore the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space. Understanding atmospheric loss gives scientists insight into the history of the Red Planet’s atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planetary habitability. The MAVEN spacecraft, in orbit around Mars, experienced a loss of signal with ground stations on Earth on Dec. 6, 2025. In Feb. 2026, NASA launched an anomaly review board to assess the probable current state of the spacecraft and the likelihood of its recovery.

The MAVEN mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. The mission’s principal investigator is based at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, which is also responsible for managing science operations and public outreach and communications. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provides navigation and Deep Space Network support.  

By Willow Reed
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder

Media contacts:

Karen Fox / Alana Johnson
Headquarters, Washington
240-285-5155 / 202-672-4780
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov

Sarah Frazier
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov

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Last Updated
May 18, 2026
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Monday, 18 May 2026

NASA Selects Next Class of Space Health Postdoctoral Fellows

A view of NASA’s Orion spacecraft aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on April 1 during the launch of the Artemis II test flight.
A view of NASA’s Orion spacecraft aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on April 1 during the launch of the Artemis II test flight.
Credit: NASA

The NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) has selected two early‑career scientists for its next class of postdoctoral fellows. The new fellows will begin their projects in May, focusing on space food systems and astronaut eye health.

The TRISH Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports independent research that advances biomedical, behavioral, and technological approaches relevant to human space exploration. The selected projects should aim to reduce spaceflight-related health risks and improve human health on Earth.

The selected fellows are:

     Dr. Baiyang Liu
     Institution: Columbia University in New York City
     Project: Developing a Diazotrophic and Nutritionally Optimized Spirulina Strain for Extended      Space Missions
     Mentor: Dr. Harris Wang

     Dr. Dylan Pham     
     Institution: Texas A&M University in College Station
     Project: Impact of Simulated Microgravity and Aging on Ocular Artery and Neural Retina      Function
     Mentor: Dr. Travis Hein

“Our postdoctoral fellows bring new ideas, technical expertise, and energy to some of the most complex challenges in human spaceflight,” said Dr. Dorit Donoviel, executive director of TRISH and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “By investing in the next generation, we are building the capability required to achieve a sustained presence on the Moon and extend human exploration deeper into space.”

A virtual institute, TRISH is empowered by NASA’s Human Research Program to help solve challenges of human deep space exploration. It pursues and funds research to deliver scientific and technological solutions that advance space health and help humans thrive wherever they explore, in space or on Earth.

____

NASA’s Human Research Program

NASA’s Human Research Program pursues methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, commercial missions, the International Space Station and Artemis missions, the program scrutinizes how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research drives the program’s quest to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission ready as human space exploration expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.



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Beacon of Light

A spiral galaxy shown in mid-infrared light. The image is dominated by an extremely bright glow from the galaxy’s nucleus. Six large and two smaller rays of light emit from the center, which are diffraction spikes created by the telescope’s optics. The galaxy’s spiral arms are visible by two lines of glowing orange bubbles which whirl out into the disc. Swirling blue clouds of dust make up the rest of the galaxy.
This latest Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features Messier 77 (M77), a barred spiral galaxy famous and appreciated among astronomers for its combination of relative proximity and spectacular features to study. It is located 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale).
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy

The heart of galaxy M77 shines brightly in this May 7, 2026, image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The intense glow is due to gas being pulled by the strong gravity of the central black hole into a tight and rapid orbit around it. The motion of the gas causes it to heat up, releasing tremendous amounts of radiation.

The bright lines radiating out of the center are diffraction spikes. The spikes are not a physical feature of the galaxy, but an optical effect caused by the telescope itself.

Read more about M77.

Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy



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Saturday, 16 May 2026

NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 34th SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft atop, launched Friday, May 15, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft atop, launched Friday, May 15, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Credit: NASA+

The 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission under contract with NASA is headed to the International Space Station with new scientific experiments after lifting off at 6:05 p.m. EDT Friday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The SpaceX spacecraft, loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew, is scheduled to autonomously dock at about 7 a.m. Sunday, May 17, to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module.

Watch NASA’s live rendezvous and docking coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

In addition to cargo for the crew aboard the space station, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including a project to determine how well Earth-based simulators mimic microgravity conditions, a bone scaffold made from wood that could produce new treatments for fragile bone conditions like osteoporosis, and equipment to help researchers evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space. The Dragon spacecraft also will carry a new instrument to study charged particles around Earth that can impact power grids and satellites, an investigation that could provide a fundamental understanding of how planets form, and an instrument designed to take highly accurate measurements of sunlight reflected by Earth and the Moon.

These experiments are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that aren’t possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the station until mid-June, when it will depart and return to Earth with time-sensitive research and cargo, ahead of splashing down off the coast of California.

Learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Danielle Sempsrott / Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
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Friday, 15 May 2026

Curiosity Shakes Loose a Pesky Rock

A large, reddish-brown rock as seen by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. The rock is broken into several pieces. A drill hole is visible in the top middle piece.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

After NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drilled a sample from this rock on April 25, 2026, it withdrew its robotic arm and pulled the entire rock off the surface with it. Engineers spent several days repositioning the arm and vibrating the drill to try and get the rock loose. When it finally detached on May 1, the rock broke into pieces.

This close-up image of the rock was produced by Curiosity’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 6. Nicknamed “Atacama,” the rock is estimated to be 1.5 feet in diameter at its base and 6 inches thick. It would weigh roughly 28.6 pounds on Earth (and about a third of that on Mars). The circular hole produced by Curiosity’s drill is visible in the rock.

See Atacama stuck on Curiosity’s drill.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS



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Hubble Sights Galaxy in Transition

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Hubble Sights Galaxy in Transition

This Hubble image is of a bright lenticular galaxy (NGC 1266) seen nearly face on. Broad bright and dimmer areas of light hint at spiral structure, but there are no distinct spiral arms. Rusty-reddish-brown dust bisects the galaxy. More distant galaxies dot the black background, some even shining through the less dense regions of the bright foreground lenticular galaxy.
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope images reveals the lenticular galaxy, NGC 1266. This enigmatic post-starburst galaxy has a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no discernable spiral arms.
NASA, ESA, K. Alatalo (STScI); Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals an enigmatic galaxy with a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no obvious spiral arms. Reddish-brown clumps and filaments of dust partially obscure the galaxy’s full face, while red, blue, and orange light from distant galaxies shines through its diffuse outer regions and dots the inky-black background.

NGC 1266 is a lenticular galaxy located some 100 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus (the Celestial River). Astronomers classify lenticulars as transitional galaxies that represent an evolutionary bridge between spirals and ellipticals. Lenticulars are “lens-shaped” and have a bright central bulge and flattened disk like spirals, but they have no spiral arms and little to no star formation like ellipticals.

As interesting as this galaxy’s structure and lenticular classification are, those traits aren’t its most intriguing features. NGC 1266 is a rare post-starburst galaxy that is in transition between a galaxy that experienced a major burst of star formation and a quieter elliptical galaxy. Post-starburst galaxies have a young population of stars but few star-forming regions. Roughly one percent of the local galaxy population is a post-starburst galaxy.

Astronomers think that NGC 1266 had a minor merger with another galaxy some 500 million years ago. The merger spurred the formation of new stars and increased the mass of the galaxy’s central bulge while funneling gas into its supermassive black hole. The additional matter made the black hole much more active, creating an active galactic nucleus or AGN. The black hole’s increased activity would have generated powerful winds and jets of gas along its axis of rotation. Over time, the burst of new stars and the black hole’s powerful jets would deplete the galaxy’s reservoir of star-forming gas, while the turbulence generated in these processes suppressed new stars from forming in the gas that remained.

Observations by Hubble and other observatories reveal a strong outflow of gas from the galaxy and that the space between its stars is shocked or highly disturbed. Researchers found that any remaining stellar nurseries are in the core of the galaxy, and that very little to no star formation happens beyond that core. These observations suggest the supermassive black hole in the galaxy’s heart may be suppressing star birth by stripping or ejecting star-forming gas from the galaxy. The shockwaves from this process would create turbulence that disturbs the gas and dust between stars enough to stop any remaining matter from gravitationally condensing into infant stars.

Post-starburst galaxies like NGC 1266 are ideal subjects for astronomers to study the complex physical processes that suppress star formation. They help us better understand the evolution of galaxies and how supermassive black holes interact with their hosts.

Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov



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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4893-4899: Drilling at Campo Marte and a Visit From the Psyche Spacecraft

Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Featur...