A Gold Mine of Galaxy Nuggets

Astronomers mine data from the Planck and Herschel missions to find a treasure chest of galaxy clusters.

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Image Browser update: approach to comet, plus cruise phase images!

The Rosetta downlink and archive teams at ESAC are pleased to announce that the next set of NAVCAM image data are now available in ESA’s Planetary Science Archive (PSA) and via the new NAVCAM Image Browser tool. The Image Browser was launched earlier this month with NAVCAM image data from the first half of 2014. The latest set of 214 images, taken between 2 July and 1 August, cover the period when Rosetta moved from 42 980 km to 848 km from the comet, and the shape of 67P/C-G was finally revealed. During this phase, 4-5 images were taken per day for navigation, with one image taken every 30 minutes from 30 July to 1 August. As an added bonus, the Image Browser has now also been updated with images from the cruise phase of the mission (the underpinning data was already accessible via the PSA). That is, the NAVCAM images taken during the swing-bys of Earth and Mars, and asteroids Steins and Lutetia are now also available via the Image Browser (although note that the cruise phase datasets for Steins and Lutetia only contain navigation images from a far distance, so the asteroids are not resolved). The next NAVCAM data release is expected on 30 April. For background information about the Image Browser, see our introductory blog post here or go directly to the Browser here.



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NASA Announces New Partnerships with U.S. Industry for Key Deep-Space Capabilities

Building on the success of NASA’s partnerships with commercial industry to date, NASA has selected 12 Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) to advance concept studies and technology development projects in the areas of advanced propulsion, habitation and small satellites.



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Saturn Spacecraft Returns to the Realm of Icy Moons

A dual view of Saturn's icy moon Rhea marks the return of NASA's Cassini spacecraft to the realm of the planet's icy satellites.

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NASA Administrator, President’s Science Advisor to Speak with Astronaut on Yearlong Space Station Mission

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be joined by John Holdren, science advisor to President Obama and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and former astronaut Mark Kelly for the first public conversation with astronaut Scott Kelly from the International Space Station on Monday, March 30.



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CometWatch 22 March

This single frame Rosetta Navigation Camera image was taken on 22 March 2015 at a distance of 77.8 km from the centre of Comet 67P/C-G. The image scale is 6.6 m/pixel and the 1024 x 1024 pixel image measures 6.8 km across. The image above has been processed to bring out the details of the comet’s activity, while also emphasising details on the nucleus. The image presents another interesting view of regions previously cast in shadow, particularly on the small lobe around Hatmehit, and of the topography on the large lobe close to Aker and Khepry. (The 9 March image also offered a new view of these regions, from a slightly different angle). At the bottom right, the large lobe is casting a shadow over the broader ‘atmosphere’ around the comet. The original 1024 x 1024 image is provided below.



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It's 'Full Spin Ahead' for NASA Soil Moisture Mapper

The rotating "golden lasso" reflector antenna on NASA's new soil moisture mapping mission is now fully spun up to its design rate in preparation for science operations.

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Rover Amnesia Event Follows Latest Memory Reformatting

The team operating the Mars Rover Opportunity learned that it experienced a brief amnesia event related to its flash memory, the first since a reformatting a week earlier.

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Year in Space Starts for One American and One Russian

Three crew members representing the United States and Russia are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:42 p.m. EDT Friday (1:42 a.m., March 28 in Baikonur).



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Scars on Mars from 2012 Rover Landing Fade -- Usually

A series of observations from Mars orbit show how dark blast zones that were created during the August 2012 landing of NASA's Curiosity rover have faded inconsistently.

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NASA Asteroid Hunter Spacecraft Data Available to Public

Millions of images of celestial objects, including asteroids, observed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft now are available online to the public. The data was collected following the restart of the asteroid-seeking spacecraft in December 2013 after a lengthy hibernation.



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NASA Asteroid Hunter Spacecraft Data Available to Public

Millions of images of celestial objects, including asteroids, observed by NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft now are available online to the public.

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Take a Spin With NASA Cutting-edge Mars Landing Technology

Tune in to a live, interactive broadcast from JPL where a test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator project is being prepped for its next test flight in June.

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NASA’s Hubble, Chandra Find Clues that May Help Identify Dark Matter

Using observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found that dark matter does not slow down when colliding with itself, meaning it interacts with itself less than previously thought. Researchers say this finding narrows down the options for what this mysterious substance might be.



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NASA Announces Next Steps on Journey to Mars: Progress on Asteroid Initiative

NASA Wednesday announced more details in its plan for its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which in the mid-2020s will test a number of new capabilities needed for future human expeditions to deep space, including to Mars.

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Astronomers Upgrade Their Cosmic Light Bulbs

A new report identifies top-of-the-line tools for studying the fabric of space.

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NASA Announces Next Steps on Journey to Mars: Progress on Asteroid Initiative

NASA Wednesday announced more details in its plan for its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which in the mid-2020s will test a number of new capabilities needed for future human expeditions to deep space, including to Mars. NASA also announced it has increased the detection of near-Earth Asteroids by 65 percent since launching its asteroid initiative three years ago.



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NASA to Discuss Progress Today on Asteroid Initiative

NASA will host a media teleconference at 2:30 p.m. EDT today to discuss the selection of an Asteroid Redirect Mission concept and other advances supporting the agency’s journey to Mars.



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NASA's New Soil Moisture Mapper Goes for a Spin

NASA's new soil moisture mapping mission has moved a step closer to starting science operations following the partial spin-up of its "golden lasso" reflector antenna.

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NASA's Opportunity Mars Rover Passes Marathon Distance

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity completed its first Mars marathon Tuesday -- 26.219 miles (42.195 kilometers) - with a finish time of roughly 11 years and two months.

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Curiosity Rover Finds Biologically Useful Nitrogen on Mars

A team using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite aboard NASA's Curiosity rover has made the first detection of nitrogen on the surface of Mars from release during heating of Martian sediments.

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NASA's Opportunity Mars Rover Finishes Marathon, Clocks in at Just Over 11 Years

There was no tape draped across a finish line, but NASA is celebrating a win. The agency’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity completed its first Red Planet marathon Tuesday -- 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) – with a finish time of roughly 11 years and two months.



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NASA Reformats Memory of Longest-Running Mars Rover

Operators of NASA's Opportunity Mars rover have reformatted the rover's onboard flash memory so the team can resume storing data overnight on the rover.

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Kepler Wins National Air and Space Museum Trophy

The team in charge of NASA's Kepler mission will receive the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's highest group honor at a ceremony in Washington on March 25.

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NASA Satellites Catch a 'Growth Spurt' from a Newborn Protostar

A sudden eruption around an exceptionally young star surprises astronomers.

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NASA Announces Teams for 2015 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Nearly 100 high school and college teams from around the world will race against each other during NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge April 17-18 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Participating teams are from 15 states and Puerto Rico, as well as international teams from Mexico, Germany, India and Russia.



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CometWatch 14 March – 6 hours later

This single frame NAVCAM image was taken on 14 March at a distance of 81.4 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. At this distance, the resolution of NAVCAM is 7.3 m/pixel. The image is cropped and measures 6.4 × 5.9 km (the original picture, uncropped, is provided at the end of the post and measures 7.1 km across). The image was taken on the same day as Wednesday's CometWatch entry, but six hours later – roughly half a comet day. In this unusual orientation, the comet's large lobe is up and the small lobe down, while the neck region is cast in shadows. The Lightroom processed version shows beautiful structures of outflowing material from the neck, as well as from the large lobe. There is also a more general ‘glow’ around the comet, suggestive of generally increasing activity all over the surface. Finally, the large lobe can be seen casting a shadow over the nebulosity beneath it. On the large lobe, another striking feature catches the eye: the Aten region, an elongated depression between Ash, to the left, and Khepry, to the right. The original 1024 x 1024 pixel frame is provided below (click on the image for full resolution):



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Waiting patiently for Philae

For the past eight days, Rosetta has been sending signals to Philae and listening for a response, but the lander has not yet reported back. This report is provided by the German Aerospace Center, DLR. Perhaps it is still too cold for the Philae lander to wake up on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Maybe its power resources are not yet sufficient to send a signal to the team at the DLR Lander Control Center. On 12 March 2015, the Rosetta orbiter began to send signals to the lander and listen for a response, but Philae has not yet reported back. “It was a very early attempt; we will repeat this process until we receive a response from Philae,” says DLR Project Manager Stephan Ulamec. “We have to be patient.” On 20 March 2015 at 05:00 CET, the communication unit on the Rosetta orbiter was switched off. Now, the DLR team is calculating when the next favourable alignment between the orbiter and the lander will occur, and will then listen again for a signal from Philae. The next chance to receive a signal from the lander is expected to occur during the first half of April. After it landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014, Philae operated continuously for 54 hours; all 10 instruments were used and sent data back to Earth. Then, the lander’s battery was exhausted and Philae went into hibernation at its rather shadowed location. Now, it needs an internal temperature above -45 degrees Celsius and at least five watts of power to automatically turn on. Until it can generate a total of 19 watts, it cannot send signals to Earth via the orbiter. For the months of January and February, the engineers at DLR could definitely rule out the ending of hibernation: “Our simulations clearly showed that Philae […]



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Space Radar Helps Track Underground Water Pollution Risk

Satellite observations provide a new and more accurate way to assess where underground water in northern Italy is most at risk from pollutants.

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NASA’s SOFIA Finds Missing Link Between Supernovae and Planet Formation

Using NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an international scientific team discovered that supernovae are capable of producing a substantial amount of the material from which planets like Earth can form.



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Successful Test Flights for Mars Landing Technology

The ADAPT test system can help a spacecraft divert its course and make a smooth, pinpoint landing. Two technology demonstration test flights were completed in California in 2014.

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One-Year Crew Set for Launch to Space Station; NASA TV to Air Live Coverage

The first one-year crew for the International Space Station is set to launch Friday, March 27. NASA Television will provide extensive coverage of the launch and the crew’s arrival to the orbital laboratory.



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CometWatch 14 March

Today’s CometWatch entry was taken by Rosetta's Navigation Camera (NAVCAM) on 14 March at a distance of 85.7 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This single frame NAVCAM image has been processed in Lightroom to bring out the comet's activity and then slightly cropped. The scale is 7.3 m/pixel and the image measures 6.4 × 6.3 km. The original picture (uncropped) is provided at the end of the post and measures 7.5 km across. In this orientation, the comet's small lobe is up and the large lobe down. On the comet's neck, the Anuket region can be seen on the right, while Hathor on the left is shielded from visibility due to a combination of shadows cast by the small lobe and of the nebulosity arising from activity near the neck region. The comet's glowing 'atmosphere' is particularly pronounced around the small lobe and neck. Some of the regions on the surface of Comet 67P/C-G are indicated in this annotated image (the approximate boundaries are marked on the regional maps here and here). On the small lobe, the flat and smooth plain of the Serqet region, punctuated by a few boulders, is visible on the right, just above the sharp boundary that separates this region from Anuket on the neck. Two neighbours of Serqet are also visible: the smaller region, Nut, and some portions of Ma'at. Separating the small and large lobe, some parts of the smooth, dust-covered Hapi are visible. On the large lobe, the circular features of Seth catch the eye in the central part, while the smoother plains on the sides belong to Ash (lower left) and Anubis (right). The original 1024 x 1024 pixel frame is provided below (click on the image for full resolution):



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NASA Spacecraft Detects Aurora and Mysterious Dust Cloud around Mars

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft has observed two unexpected phenomena in the Martian atmosphere: an unexplained high-altitude dust cloud and aurora that reaches deep into the Martian atmosphere.



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UTexas-NASA Study Sees New Threat to East Antarctic Ice

Researchers have discovered two seafloor troughs that could allow warm ocean water to reach the base of Totten Glacier, East Antarctica's largest and most rapidly thinning glacier.

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CometWatch: Focus on Hapi’s boulders

With today’s CometWatch entry, we take a dip into the past, presenting a single frame NAVCAM image obtained on 17 October 2014, when Rosetta was in a bound orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image was taken from a distance of 10.0 km from the centre of the comet, and at that distance, the resolution of NAVCAM is 85 cm/pixel and the full field of view spans 870 metres. The image offers a stunning view on the row of ‘boulders’ lying in the Hapi region on the comet’s neck. A small portion of the Ma’at region on the smaller ‘head’ lobe of the comet is visible in the top-right corner, casting a shadow down the lower right side. As shown in this graphic featuring a full comet view taken by NAVCAM on 19 August 2014 from a distance of about 79 km from the centre, Hapi is a narrow region connecting the large and small lobes of the comet. The smooth appearance of Hapi suggests that it is likely covered in dust and other material that might have fallen from either of the two lobes, including the small and large boulders featured in detail in today’s CometWatch. Hapi also appears to be the most active region on the comet’s surface so far, and last week’s colour image from OSIRIS shows this region to be somewhat bluer than the rest of the comet, suggestive of ice just below the surface. Observations with the VIRTIS imaging spectrometer should be able to confirm or contradict this hypothesis. The original 1024 x 1024 pixel image is provided below:



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New Desktop Application Has Potential to Increase Asteroid Detection, Now Available to Public

A software application based on an algorithm created by a NASA challenge has the potential to increase the number of new asteroid discoveries by amateur astronomers.



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Let It Go! SMAP Almost Ready to Map Frozen Soil

Those who feel as though they've been living in the never-ending winter of the movie "Frozen" this year, this could be welcome news.

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Houston-area Conference to Feature Planetary Science Results

NASA researchers and other scientists will present early science results from the agency’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Rosetta mission, and an exploration of the evolution of Mars’ climate and atmosphere during the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference March 16-20.



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New NASA Mission to Study Ocean Color, Airborne Particles and Clouds

NASA is beginning work on a new satellite mission that will extend critical climate measurements of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere and advance studies of the impact of environmental changes on ocean health, fisheries and the carbon cycle.



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NASA Spacecraft in Earth’s Orbit, Preparing to Study Magnetic Reconnection

Following a successful launch at 10:44 p.m. EDT Thursday, NASA’s four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft are positioned in Earth’s orbit to begin the first space mission dedicated to the study of a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. This process is thought to be the catalyst for some of the most powerful explosions in our solar system.



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Experience NASA at the 2015 SXSW Interactive Festival

NASA returns to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival March 13-18, in Austin, Texas to share with festival attendees how technology drives exploration, how we are exploring Earth, the solar system and beyond, updates on the journey to Mars, and how anyone can get involved with NASA.



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Rover Arm Delivers Rock Powder Sample

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its robotic arm Wednesday, March 11, to sieve and deliver a rock-powder sample to an onboard instrument.

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On Pi Day, How Scientists Use This Number

The world celebrates the number pi on Pi Day: March 14, 2015 (3/14/15). Here's how pi is used in science and engineering.

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NASA’s Hubble Observations Suggest Underground Ocean on Jupiter's Largest Moon

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has the best evidence yet for an underground saltwater ocean on Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon. The subterranean ocean is thought to have more water than all the water on Earth's surface.



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NASA Challenge Invites Students to Help Design Journey to Mars Systems

College students have the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation for NASA’s journey to Mars by designing systems for future space habitats and exploration systems through the agency’s Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge.



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Space Station Crew Returns to Earth, Lands Safely in Kazakhstan

Three crew members returned to Earth Wednesday after a 167-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS) that included hundreds of scientific experiments and several spacewalks to prepare the orbiting laboratory for future arrivals by U.S. commercial crew spacecraft.



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Spacecraft Data Suggest Saturn Moon's Ocean May Harbor Hydrothermal Activity

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has provided scientists the first clear evidence that Saturn’s moon Enceladus exhibits signs of present-day hydrothermal activity which may resemble that seen in the deep oceans on Earth. The implications of such activity on a world other than our planet open up unprecedented scientific possibilities.



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Spacecraft Data Suggest Saturn Moon's Ocean May Harbor Hydrothermal Activity

The hidden ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus could be home to present-day hydrothermal activity, according to two new studies by scientists with NASA's Cassini mission.

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Future Space Station Crew to Participate in NASA TV Briefing, Media Interviews

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, part of the crew that’s scheduled to launch to the International Space Station in May, will take part in a NASA Television news conference and media interviews Wednesday, March 18, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.



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NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Ground Test

The largest, most powerful rocket booster ever built successfully fired up Wednesday for a major-milestone ground test in preparation for future missions to help propel NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to deep space destinations, including an asteroid and Mars.



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NASA Announces Small Business Industry Awards

The winners of the 2014 Agency-Level NASA Small Business Industry Awards (SBIA) were announced Tuesday at NASA Headquarters in Washington during the spring 2015 NASA Industry Forum meeting, hosted by the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs.



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NASA Holds Teleconference on Hubble Observations of Jupiter’s Largest Moon

NASA will host a teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 12, to discuss Hubble Space Telescope’s observations of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon. These results will help scientists in the search for habitable worlds beyond Earth.



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NASA Launches 2015 Space Apps Challenge to Spark Innovation

NASA and other space agencies around the world are preparing for the fourth annual International Space Apps Challenge, which will be held April 10-12 at more than 135 locations worldwide, including New York, host of the event’s Global Mainstage.



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NASA Media Teleconference Today on First Spacecraft to Successfully Enter Orbit Around a Dwarf Planet

NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EST today to discuss the historic arrival of the agency’s Dawn spacecraft at the dwarf planet Ceres



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CometWatch 28 February

Today’s CometWatch entry is a single frame NAVCAM image obtained on 28 February from a distance of 102.6 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image has a resolution of 8.7 m/pixel and measures 9.0 km across. The view shows the large lobe of the comet to the upper right, with the small lobe to the lower left and the regions adjacent to the comet's neck cast in shadow. This complements the images published earlier this week as CometWatch 26 February and 25-26-27 February, providing yet another perspective on the comet's activity. Like the four NAVCAM images posted last Wednesday, this image was also taken in support of the observations of the Alice spectrograph. For similar reasons, parts of the image depicting the nucleus are saturated, so we decided again to process the image with a focus on the activity, bringing out the elaborate geometry of the jets of dust emanating from the surface of the nucleus. The curved shape of the outflowing material likely results from a combination of several factors, including the rotation of the comet, differential flows of near-surface gas, and gravitational effects arising due to the uneven shape of the comet. The viewing perspective of the image might also distort the true shape of the outflowing material. We have also prepared an annotated view of today's CometWatch to help you locate some of the regions shown in the image. You can also find regional maps of Comet 67P/C-G here and here. The original image is provided below:



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NASA Spacecraft Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has become the first mission to achieve orbit around a dwarf plan-et.

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NASA Spacecraft Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has become the first mission to achieve orbit around a dwarf planet. The spacecraft was approximately 38,000 miles (61,000) kilometers from Ceres when it was captured by the dwarf planet’s gravity at about 4:39 a.m. PST (7:39 a.m. EST) Friday.



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Rover Examining Odd Mars Rocks at Valley Overlook

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is investigating unusual rocks before reformatting the rover's memory and continued driving toward "Marathon Valley."

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NASA Research Suggests Mars Once Had More Water than Earth’s Arctic Ocean

A primitive ocean on Mars held more water than Earth’s Arctic Ocean, according to NASA scientists who, using ground-based observatories, measured water signatures in the Red Planet’s atmosphere.



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Single Site on Mars Advanced for 2016 NASA Lander

NASA's next mission to Mars, InSight, is on track to launch a year from today and to study the Red Planet's interior to learn about how rocky planets like Earth evolved.

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Planet 'Reared' by Four Parent Stars

Astronomers have discovered the second known case of a planet in a quadruple star system.

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NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Next SpaceX Space Station Mission Launch

Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's next commercial cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA soon will set an April target date for launch of the company’s Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.



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NASA Television to Air Major SLS Booster Test Firing Events, Media Invited

The largest, most powerful booster ever built for NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), will fire up for a ground test at 11:30 a.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. MDT) Wednesday, March 11, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems’ test facilities in Promontory, Utah.



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NASA’s Chandra Observatory Finds Cosmic Showers Halt Galaxy Growth

Astronomers have found that the growth of galaxies containing black holes can be slowed down by a phenomenon referred to as cosmic precipitation.



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NASA Television to Air Space Station Change of Commander, Return of Three Crew Members

Three International Space Station crew members are scheduled to leave the orbiting laboratory Wednesday, March 11 after almost six months in space performing scientific research and technology demonstrations.



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All-round activity – CometWatch 25-26-27 February

Today’s CometWatch features not one, but four single-frame NAVCAM images taken between 25 and 27 February at distances around 80 to 100 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. More details on the distance, size, and resolution for the individual images are provided in the captions below. While most of Rosetta’s NAVCAM images are taken for navigation purposes, these images were obtained to provide context in support of observations performed at the same time with the Alice ultraviolet (UV) imaging spectrograph on Rosetta. Alice makes its observations through a narrow, long slit (you can read about Alice’s first far-UV spectra and find an animation showing the size and shape of its field of view in an earlier blog post), and scientists use NAVCAM images taken at the same time as the spectra to identify where the slit was located on the comet, including which parts were pointing to an illuminated portion of nucleus, which to a region in shadow, or off the nucleus altogether. Earlier in the mission, these NAVCAM context images were taken as strips centred on the position of the Alice slit, but lately full-frame NAVCAM images have been taken in support of the Alice observations instead. The exposure time used for the four images in today’s CometWatch post was roughly 2 seconds. Also, the phase angle was very small at the time, meaning that the Sun was illuminating the comet from behind Rosetta. This geometrical configuration combined with the relatively long exposure time has caused some parts of the nucleus to be slightly over-exposed. The over-exposure is not a concern for Alice, as the scientists only need these images to locate the position of the slit with respect to the comet’s nucleus. However, as the images are partly saturated, we decided to process them in a way […]



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NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly Available for Interviews before One-Year Space Station Mission

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is making final preparations for his launch this month to spend a year living and working on the International Space Station, will be available for live satellite interviews from 5:30 to 7 a.m. EDT Monday, March 9.



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NASA Hosts Events to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of NACA

NASA is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its antecedent, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), with several events highlighting the historic committee’s contribution to the nation’s space program and aeronautics research.



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Media Invited to See Bigelow Expandable Space Station Module Ahead of Shipment to NASA

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace invite media to a photo and interview opportunity at 10 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 12, at Bigelow Aerospace’s North Las Vegas facility to mark the completion of all major milestones on the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM).



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NASA, Honeywell Bring Hip-Hop Education Show to Northeast U.S. Schools

NASA and Honeywell kicks off the spring 2015 tour of "FMA Live! Forces in Motion" Monday with shows at Talley Middle School in Wilmington, Delaware, marking the 11th year of this innovative collaboration designed to ignite students' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).



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NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson Visits Washington with Open Media Events

NASA astronaut Steve Swanson, who returned in September 2014 from 169 days of living and working aboard the International Space Station, is visiting the Washington area today through Thursday, March 5, to discuss with students and local innovators research being done on the station.



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NASA Spacecraft Nears Historic Dwarf Planet Arrival

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned new images captured on approach to its historic orbit insertion at the dwarf planet Ceres, scheduled for Friday, March 6.

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NASA Administrator Lauds Senator Mikulski for Championing America’s Space Program

Statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Monday’s announcement by Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski of her plan to retire from Congress in 2016.



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NASA Spacecraft Nears Historic Dwarf Planet Arrival

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has returned new images captured on approach to its historic orbit insertion at the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn will be the first mission to successfully visit a dwarf planet when it enters orbit around Ceres on Friday, March 6.



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NASA Astronauts on Space Station to Speak Live with Dallas Students

NASA astronauts on the International Space Station will speak with students and faculty from the School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG Magnet) at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in Dallas at 12:15 p.m. EST (11:15 a.m. CST) Thursday, March 5.



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