NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren takes a selfie with the people behind “Project Hail Mary” and the audience during a panel about the movie at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Feb. 25, 2026. NASA/Dan Goods Real-life space exploration and big-screen science fiction will converge on Friday. As NASA prepares to launch Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the agency’s Artemis program and another step toward sending the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars, the fictional film “Project Hail Mary” premiere will take audiences on a journey into deep space.…
Read MoreNASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment
2 Min Read NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment This simulation of the Artemis I launch shows how the Space Launch System rocket’s exhaust plumes interact with the air, water, and the launchpad. Colors on surfaces indicate pressure levels—red for high pressure and blue for low pressure. The teal contours illustrate where water is present. Credits: NASA/Chris DeGrendele, Timothy Sandstrom Airflow around rockets as they travel from Earth into space can have a dramatic impact on a mission, which is why NASA used advanced simulations to provide the best possible launch conditions for the Artemis…
Read MoreNASA Glenn Opens Applications for Free Summer Engineering Institute
Students collaborate on a hands‑on STEM project, assembling and testing components during the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute at NASA’s Glenn Research Center on July 18, 2025. NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is hosting the 2026 NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this July. The hands-on learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce. Rising high school juniors and seniors can submit applications for this summer program beginning Friday, March 20, through Friday, May 1. The institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and math-focused academic and…
Read MoreHow AI Is Reshaping Astronomy
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing our world — and how we interpret the heavens above us. The post How AI Is Reshaping Astronomy appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MorePrivate South Korean rocket exploded last December due to hardware failure, investigation finds
South Korean startup Innospace says it knows what went wrong on its first-ever orbital launch attempt. Innospace sent its Hanbit-Nano rocket skyward for the first time ever on Dec. 22, from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. But the landmark flight — the first-ever orbital launch attempt by a South Korean company — didn’t last long, as the Hanbit-Nano exploded less than a minute after leaving the pad. Now Innospace has released new details about that launch failure and the results from a joint investigation, which shed light on what…
Read MoreLego’s first-ever Tintin set is coming next month and it’s a space-themed Lego Tintin Moon rocket
Available for purchase on April 1, Lego is releasing a Tintin Moon Rocket set, which is the toy brick manufacturer’s first-ever Tintin set, and it will feature 1283 pieces, six minifigures (including Snowy the dog), all in spacesuits and helmets and it will be largely designed for display purposes instead of play. Currently it’s only listed on the Lego store site, but we anticipate it to launch on regular retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target, too. Naturally, we hope to get our hands on it and review it, so we…
Read MoreExplore the Worlds of Project Hail Mary
When Andy Weir published Project Hail Mary, he based his novel on two worlds. We explore these planet candidates — and why they probably don’t exist. The post Explore the Worlds of Project Hail Mary appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreAmerican Bald Eagle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
NASA/Ben Smegelsky An American bald eagle flies away from its nest and tree at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 13, 2026. Bald eagle nesting surveys across NASA Kennedy, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Canaveral National Seashore are conducted annually to document the number of bald eagle active and inactive nests in support of wildlife management and regulatory compliance. Each year, eagles take up winter residence at the Florida spaceport, breeding and raising a new generation. See more bald eagle photos and video. Text credit: Elyna…
Read MoreHow NASA is Collecting Explosion Data for Next Generation Rockets
5 Min Read How NASA is Collecting Explosion Data for Next Generation Rockets Commercial launch providers continue to advance propulsion technology with a renewed focus on liquid oxygen and methane propelled rockets and spacecraft. As systems grow in scale, carrying millions of pounds of propellant, so too does the responsibility to fully understand the safety profile. NASA has a proven ability to safely execute high-risk testing Joe Schuyler Director, NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate Engineers at NASA, with decades of cryogenic and test operations expertise, are conducting a final…
Read MoreNASA Laser Reflecting Instrument Makes GPS Satellite More Accurate
3 min read NASA Laser Reflecting Instrument Makes GPS Satellite More Accurate A NASA laser reflecting technology that will aid Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy is now operational as of March 9. The instrument, known as a laser retroreflector array, or LRA, launched aboard GPS III SV-09, the ninth of U.S. Space Force’s Block III Global Positioning System satellites, on Jan. 27. LRAs are sets of mirrors shaped like the corners of a cube, a configuration that is designed to precisely reflect beams of light back to their source. They…
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