Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The Elephant’s Trunk in Cepheus
Explanation: Like an illustration in a galactic Just So Story, the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula winds through the emission region and young star cluster complex IC 1396, in the high and far off constellation of Cepheus. Also known as vdB 142, this cosmic elephant’s trunk is over 20 light-years long. The detailed telescopic view features the bright swept-back ridges and pockets of cool interstellar dust and gas that abound in the region. But the dark, tendril-shaped clouds contain the raw material for star formation and hide protostars within. Nearly 3,000 light-years distant, the relatively faint IC 1396 complex covers a large region on the sky, spanning over 5 degrees. Top to bottom this proboscidean-like rendition reaches across an almost 1 degree wide field of view, though. That’s a little less than the angular size of 2 full moons.
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The Orbital Clarity Challenge — the sixth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. The Heliophysics Division studies space weather, including how it heats and expands Earth’s outer atmosphere during intense solar activity, creating orbital drag through atmospheric density changes. The challenge calls for low-cost methods of measuring thermospheric density, pressure, or drag in low Earth orbit. NASA is seeking approaches that are inexpensive and scalable enough to be produced in quantity and flown as hosted payloads across the commercial fleet. The challenge will unfold across three phases, advancing up to four winners’ concepts to a flight-ready solution within 12 months. At the conclusion of the challenge, NASA intends to offer each winning team a test flight at no cost.
Award: Up to four winners may receive up to $500,000 in prizes across three phases
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this artist’s concept, has orbited Earth for more than 20 years, studying the ever-changing universe.
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude to extend its science mission as planned. However, LINK still will attempt to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to demonstrate key capabilities for the future of space exploration.
“NASA should be willing to move quickly and take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and that is exactly what we did with this mission,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting. The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future. We are going to learn everything we can from LINK’s rendezvous attempt and put those lessons to work on the missions that follow.”
NASA and Katalyst are working closely to assess next steps for rendezvous and gather as much data as possible to inform future satellite servicing operations.
“We knew this was a high-risk, high-reward mission – a first-of-its kind attempt, developed on an unprecedented timeline driven by the Sun’s activity,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We were all hoping for more science from Swift. But we knew the takeaways from this mission would be worthwhile either way, and we have gained so much through the series of accomplishments up to this point.”
Without intervention, NASA anticipates Swift is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year. As part of the agency’s previous planning for Swift’s end of life, NASA will continue to prioritize finding new options to react rapidly to cosmic events, using current missions to help fill the gap in the meantime.
“Building, testing, and operating this mission has already strengthened America’s space industry pipeline, advancing in-space servicing capabilities in completely new ways,” Domagal-Goldman said. “NASA is committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they take on difficult tasks with the agency, to push the boundaries of what’s possible. We’re so proud of this team for: getting to the launch pad in record time, in a record-setting year for NASA astrophysics launches; its innovative problem-solving up to this point; and the dedication to the exciting capabilities this mission will attempt to demonstrate next.”
Swift was launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe, and other cosmic objects and events. It was designed for a two-year prime mission. After 21 years of science operations, Swift’s low Earth orbit began to rapidly decay because of increased solar activity. NASA used this opportunity to advance U.S. spacecraft servicing technology, awarding a contract to Katalyst in September 2025 to mount a robotic servicing mission for Swift in less than a year.
The LINK spacecraft launched July 3 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean. Teams established communications with LINK and conducted in-orbit checkouts over the following weeks, before the spacecraft experienced attitude control issues.
Learn more from Katalyst, and monitor NASA’s Swift blog for continued updates throughout rendezvous:
Behind the Lens: Meet NASA Johnson’s Photographers
NASA Johnson Space Center’s Imagery Acquisition Group poses for a group photo on Aug. 10, 2026.
Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz
The Imagery Acquisition Group at NASA’s Johnson Space Center poses for a group photo in Houston, Texas on Aug. 10, 2026. Back row, from left, are NASA photographers Bill Stafford, James Blair, supervisor Mark Sowa, and NASA photographers Robert Markowitz and Luna Posadas Nava. Front row, from left, are NASA photographers Morgan Gridley, Helen Arase Vargas, and former NASA photographer Josh Valcarcel.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have documented some of the most defining moments in human spaceflight.
From astronaut training and engineering tests to mission control operations and milestone celebrations, their images preserve the history of exploration while capturing the people and teams behind the missions shaping the next era.
Meet the photographers behind the lens and explore the stories behind the images that have helped tell NASA’s story.
Robert Markowitz
NASA photographer Robert Markowitz flies aboard a T-38 aircraft during flight operations.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Being able to help tell the human spaceflight story, frame by frame, has been an incredible adventure.
“My favorite part of this job has always come down to the range of assignments we take on and the people I get to work with every day,” Markowitz said.
One of Markowitz’s early career highlights came during the filming of “Apollo 13,” when he served as the behind-the-scenes still photographer for nearly every KC-135 zero-gravity flight. “Looking back as a 25-year-old photographer at Johnson, I don’t think I fully appreciated how unique an opportunity it was to be there documenting those moments,” he said.
Markowitz says the job has challenged him to grow as both a photographer and a communicator. Whether photographing dozens of individual portraits in a day or coordinating a 300-person group photo, each assignment has strengthened his ability to adapt, collaborate, and connect with people.
“This work has shaped not just my career, but my life,” he said. “Being part of a team that captures and preserves the story of human spaceflight continues to be one of the great honors of my time at Johnson.”
NASA’s Artemis II flight control team works on console in the White Flight Control Room in the Mission Control Center in Houston during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Former Expedition 1 crewmembers Yuri Gidzenko, Bill Shepherd, and Sergei Krikalev celebrate the International Space Station’s 25th anniversary of continuous human habitation at Space Center Houston on Jan. 19, 2026.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
The Counterweight-Offload Astronaut Suited Test and Evaluation Rig is displayed in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
NASA’s Artemis II training team gathers in front of the Orion spacecraft mockup at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center on May 6, 2026.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Country music artist Garth Brooks performs from mission control during a live event with the Expedition 52 crew aboard the International Space Station. From left are Dina Contella, deputy manager for the International Space Station in NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program; NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson; Garth Brooks; and Norm Knight, Flight Operations Director.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Members of the Apollo 13 movie cast and crew take part in a zero-gravity flight aboard a KC-135 aircraft, owned by NASA at the time. Floating from left are actor Tom Hanks, who portrayed astronaut Jim Lovell; director Ron Howard; actor Bill Paxton, who portrayed astronaut Fred Haise; actor Kevin Bacon, who portrayed astronaut Jack Swigert; actor Gary Sinise, who portrayed astronaut Thomas Mattingly; and executive producer Todd Hallowell.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
Bill Stafford
NASA photographer Bill Stafford photographs an event in the Teague Auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/David DeHoyos
I love figuring out how to frame a single image so it captures not just a moment, but the significance behind it.
Bill Stafford
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Bill Stafford’s path to Johnson began during his senior year of college, when a friend who was completing a photography internship at the center told him about an opening on the photography team. With a longtime interest in science and technology, Stafford saw the opportunity to combine those interests with photography in an extraordinary environment.
Stafford approaches each assignment as a technical challenge and a storytelling opportunity. Whether working around constraints in lighting, timing, or access, he uses composition, visual psychology, and an understanding of how a viewer’s eye moves through an image to shape the final photograph.
“My favorite part of the job is the problem-solving that comes with it,” Stafford said.
Working at Johnson has sharpened those instincts as he photographs spacecraft, hardware, astronauts, and the people behind NASA’s human spaceflight missions.
“So many of the subjects I photograph carry weight and history that I want the image to reflect,” he said.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (right) and Victor Glover (left) participate in an Artemis II entry simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/Bill Stafford
NASA’s Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program test team conducts a mock spacewalk to prepare for lunar surface operations and technology development for future Artemis missions.
NASA/Bill Stafford
NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 Flight Engineer Anil Menon participates in photography training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/Bill Stafford
NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit is photographed inside a thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/Bill Stafford
Participants test technology during NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) test week at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/Bill Stafford
James Blair
NASA photographer James Blair prepares to capture imagery during a flight operations assignment.
NASA
I truly enjoy capturing candid photos of people during decisive moments.
James Blair
NASA Photographer
From newspapers across the country to working as a photographer and photo editor for a publication in Ecuador, NASA photographer James Blair began his career in photojournalism. Photography has taken him around the world, a path that has continued at Johnson with assignments ranging from astronaut training to geology field training in Iceland.
“Since I was very young, I have always been fascinated by spaceflight and the technology it takes to reach beyond Earth’s atmosphere,” Blair said.
At Johnson, Blair combines that fascination with his photojournalism background to document the people and technology shaping NASA’s next era of exploration.
“I enjoy documenting the new hardware that is being developed to return us to the Moon,” he said. “From spacesuits to rovers and potential lunar habitats, I get to show the world what NASA has in store for the future of human spaceflight.”
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
NASA/James Blair
Artemis II crew members Christina Koch (middle) and Victor Glover (right) participate in an Artemis lunar imaging training using an Orion crew configuration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
NASA/James Blair
From left, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide and NASA astronaut candidates Yuri Kubo and Cameron Jones participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland.
From left, EVA task officer Bridget Scheib, chief training officer John Ray, NASA astronaut candidate Cameron Jones, geology instructor and Artemis science officer Kelsey Young, associate research scientist Patrick Whelley, geology instructor and Artemis curation lead Juliane Gross, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland.
NASA/James Blair
From left, Artemis IV chief training officer Bryce Prescott, geology instructor Jacob Richardson, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland.
NASA/James Blair
Helen Arase Vargas
NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas captures a news conference on lunar terrain vehicles for Artemis missions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 3, 2024.
NASA/Robert Markowitz
I’ve always liked the idea of my work serving the public interest.
Helen Arase Vargas
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas began her career in photojournalism and reporting in Southern California before joining Boeing’s scientific photography team in El Segundo. Her experience photographing aerospace sparked an unexpected interest that eventually led her to Johnson.
“The best part of the job is my coworkers; cheesy, but there is so much to learn from everyone,” Arase Vargas said. “Our core team has so much knowledge. They are all quick to offer help and are great humans.”
Arase Vargas says much of the work at Johnson reflects the journalism ethics she learned early in her career and fulfills her desire to serve the public interest.
The range and volume of assignments also helped her become more comfortable working in different environments while continuing to develop her craft.
For Arase Vargas, documenting the Artemis II crew’s return to Ellington Field in Houston came with a heightened sense of responsibility.
“The world is watching, and all that imagery must be rushed out by the lab,” she said. “Your photo could be the one that ends up on every news site, and you don’t want to miss capturing the joy and celebration the moment deserves.”
NASA’s Artemis II crew returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the mission on April 11, 2026.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait in Houston, Texas. In the back row, from left, are NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio. In the front row, from left, are ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot poses in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit during a portrait session at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class participates in geology training at Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico on May 20, 2026.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
The 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class poses for a holiday photo during wilderness survival training at Fort Rucker in Alabama.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
NASA teams conduct nighttime operations training with a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Ground Test Unit at Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard.
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
Luna Posadas Nava
NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava documents the Artemis II crew return at Ellington Field in Houston.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
I have used the camera as a bridge between curiosity and understanding.
Luna Posadas Nava
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava’s path to Johnson spans emerging technology, optics and imaging systems, and photographing artists across the East Coast. Her work grew from a desire to visualize and expand the boundaries of what is possible.
Joining Johnson shortly before the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, one of Posadas Nava’s first experiences was helping bring Moon Joy to the world. She documented the Science Evaluation Room, where scientists worked together to conduct real-time lunar science observations during the mission’s lunar flyby.
Posadas Nava said it was inspiring to witness the team at work and especially meaningful to see so many women contributing to the mission’s science.
Seeing the response from women in her own life and online reinforced for Posadas Nava the power of representation through photography.
“When we see ourselves in stories, we imagine new futures,” she said. “I hope my work helps more people see themselves in the story of exploration, because what we see shapes what we believe is possible.”
The Artemis II lunar science team celebrates in the Science Evaluation Room following the mission’s successful lunar flyby. Artemis II Deputy Lunar Science Lead Marie Henderson stands at left. From the right foreground are lunar science team members Ariel Deutsch; Maria Banks, behind her; Ryan Watkins, to her right; and Sara Schmidt.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
Artemis II deputy lunar science lead Jacob Richardson, left, and Artemis II lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes react to the astronauts’ verbal observations of the Moon during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
Artemis II science officer Angela Garcia, left, and lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes discuss science operations in the Science Evaluation Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
NASA engineers and teams from the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge test rover prototypes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Rock Yard in Houston on July 31, 2026.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
NASA’s Artemis III crew participates in a video shoot for the crew announcement at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on June 3, 2026.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
The Expedition 73 crew attends a debrief and awards ceremony at Space Center Houston on June 16, 2026.
NASA/Luna Posadas Nava
David DeHoyos
NASA photographer David DeHoyos is photographed during an assignment in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA
I am very aware of the importance of preserving history and what it means to others when our images are shared with the world.
David DeHoyos
NASA Photographer
Growing up in Houston during the Apollo era, NASA photographer David DeHoyos knew from an early age that he wanted to be part of the space industry. His interest in photography began with his mother’s Kodak Instamatic camera and continued through school and a decade working in photo labs. In 1991, that path brought him to Johnson’s photo lab and eventually behind the camera as a NASA photographer.
After more than three decades at Johnson, DeHoyos says connecting with people remains one of his favorite parts of the job. He enjoys learning about the people he photographs, sharing what he has learned about Johnson with visitors and new employees, and encouraging the next generation.
“I keep an assortment of NASA goodies in my camera bag, and the ultimate joy I get is giving a pin or sticker to a child and seeing their little faces just light up,” DeHoyos said. “It just warms my heart to encourage a youngster to work hard and pursue their dreams because that’s how I got here.”
For DeHoyos, photography is also about preserving moments that can take on greater meaning over time.
“I love the process of figuring out technical details to create an image that will make someone say, ‘Wow, cool shot, how did you do that?’” he said.
NASA’s Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman participates in emergency cabin leak training for the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/DavidDeHoyos
Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the crew’s nearly 10-day mission around the Moon on April 11, 2026.
NASA/David DeHoyos
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participates in emergency consultation training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA/David DeHoyos
Members of NASA Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity, Robotics, and Crew Operations Division gather for a group photo in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory high bay.
NASA/David DeHoyos
NASA astronaut Anil Menon participates in a hardware review run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston on April 23, 2025.
NASA/David DeHoyos
The Honeybee Robotics prototype undergoes lunar VSAT (Vertical Solar Array Technology) testing inside Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
