APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 18 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. Messier 33: The Triangulum Galaxy Explanation: The small, northern constellation Triangulum harbors this magnificent face-on spiral galaxy, Messier 33. Its popular names include the Pinwheel Galaxy or just the Triangulum Galaxy. M33 is over 50,000 light-years in diameter,…
Read MoreNASA Awards Launch Services for StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector
Credit: NASA NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the agency’s StarBurst mission, a small satellite designed to investigate neutron star mergers and the origins of short gamma-ray bursts. StarBurst will launch aboard a Bandwagon rideshare mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida no earlier than 2028. The selection is a firm-fixed-price task order under NASA’s VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract. This indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract allows NASA to acquire launch services during…
Read MoreNASA Invites Media to SpaceX’s 35th Resupply Launch to Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on May 15, 2026, carrying about 6,500 pounds of science, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station during the company’s 34th commercial resupply mission for NASA. Credit: NASA Media accreditation is open for the next cargo launch that will deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. The 35th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for NASA will lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than October to launch…
Read MoreNASA Unveils Enterprise, the First Space Shuttle
The rollout ceremony for NASA’s first space shuttle, OV-101, coincided with Constitution Day of the nation’s bicentennial on Sept.17, 1976. Although the orbiter was originally planned to be named Constitution, Star Trek fans successfully convinced President Gerald Ford to name it Enterprise after the series’ fictional starship.
Read MoreAPOD: 2026 September 17 – A Treasure Chest in the Carina Nebula
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 17 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. A Treasure Chest in the Carina Nebula Explanation: This treasure chest is full of stars. The featured image was obtained with NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope and shows a dust pillar in the Carina Nebula inside our…
Read MoreSummer Goes Out With a Heat Dome
Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Summer Goes Out With a Heat Dome Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search An area of high pressure over the south-central U.S. produced unseasonable and, in some places, record-breaking…
Read MorePassion Meets Precision at NASA’s Flight Research Lab
4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Derek Abramson, Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory chief engineer, left, communicates with the Edwards Air Force Base air traffic control tower for approval to fly the Alta-X drone near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. Justin Link, small uncrewed aircraft pilot, second from left, and laboratory chief pilot Justin Hall await flight clearance. Researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston developed the advanced guidance and navigation system known as the…
Read MoreIndonesia’s Anak Krakatau
Anak Krakatau erupts ash and volcanic gases in this image acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 on Sept. 5, 2026.
Read MoreNASA Visits Schools Strengthening Florida’s Skilled Workforce
NASA recently awarded $10.5 million to seven organizations nationwide through its new State Hubs initiative. Space Florida was selected for Project ORBIT, which aims to expand opportunities for middle and high school students, boost enrollment in key career and technical programs, and create a statewide portal connecting skilled workers with aerospace employers. Elaine Ho, right, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, discusses training software with a student at Lyman High School in Longwood, Florida on on Aug. 27, 2026. Credit: NASA/Clayton Rougelot Elaine Ho, associate administrator for NASA’s…
Read MoreNASA’s Integrated Medical Model (IMM)
2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) iss075e0088825 (Sept. 4, 2026) — Expedition 75 flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA and Anna Kikina and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos smile for a portrait as they check out emergency medical equipment inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module. NASA Discover the IMM reports and clinical information HERE! Planning crewed missions to the Moon and Mars involves preparing for the medical realities of long-duration space travel. Factors like cosmic radiation, microgravity, and distance from Earth create unique health…
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