Curiosity Blog, Sols 4982–4987: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
By Allison Dries-Padilla, Missions Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 This week of Curiosity Mars rover operations takes us back to our
APOD: 2026 August 22 – Mostly Perseids
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:Recorded the
NASA Shares Views of August Solar Eclipse from Ground, Air, Space
As the Moon covered the Sun, it briefly revealed the Sun’s wispy outer atmosphere — the corona — to those in the path of totality who were lucky enough to have clear skies. NASA researchers and
TB 26-04 Updates and Modernization of NASA’s Chemical Equilibrium with Applications Code
NASA’s Chemical Equilibrium with Applications code is a foundational tool for propulsion system analysis. It provides equilibrium chemistry, rocket performance, shock, and detonation calculations
NASA’s Artemis II Crew Set to Receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Trump will award each of NASA’s Artemis II crew members the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28, during a ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in
Europe’s Scorching Summer
Western Europe got its first hint of an unusual summer in May 2026, when a heat dome producedexceptional temperaturesthat shattered records in several countries. Remarkable as it was, that earlyheat
Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall for Storytelling by NASA experts.
Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall for Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Agenda below. MONDAY, AUGUST 24,9:00 – 10:00 AMWelcomeJose NunezBryceTech’s Smallsats by the Numbers: 2026Fletcher FranklinSupply
An Uncommon Drifter in the Denmark Strait
Greenland’s jagged coastline is lined with fjords, many of them cradling marine-terminating glaciers that routinely calve icebergs into the water. It’s common to see these bergs, small and large,
Artemis Mission Patches
A jacket decorated with Artemis I and II mission patches, along with other NASA patches hangs on the back of a chair on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at
NASA Data Feeds River Forecasts as Snow Drought Effects Linger
As the effects of the 2026 snow drought in the western United States carry into summer, NASA Earth data is feeding machine-learning forecasts that inform decisions about water, power, and public
NASA Selects University Teams to Help Advance Aviation Research
NASA has selected four university teams to help the agency transform the future of aviation through projects ranging from high-supersonic propulsion systems to low-noise routes for small aircraft
The View from Above: The Gemini Visual Acuity Experiments
Gordon Cooper, Jr. took 29 color photographs of the Earth with a 70mm camera as he orbited our planet during the Mercury-Atlas 9mission in May 1963. Cooper’s view from the window of his Faith 7
APOD: 2026 August 20 – The Elephant’s Trunk in Cepheus
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:Like an
NASA TechLeap Prize: Orbital Clarity Challenge
The Orbital Clarity Challenge — the sixth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — is a collaborative effort between NASA’sHeliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for
Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds
Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon’s South Pole region, NASA scientists say. Published onAug.
NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission
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
Ancient Milky Way Merger
Thisartist’s concept, released on Aug. 17, 2026, depicts a collision between our Milky Way galaxy and a dwarf galaxy known as LKH that happened about 12 billion years ago. A study of data from
NASA Establishes State Hubs to Grow Technical Aerospace Workforce
NASA has awarded approximately $10.5 million to seven institutions to help strengthen and streamline state-based pathways for students into skilled technical jobs in the aerospace industry. The
Career Spotlight: Mechanic
They power everything from cars and boats to airplanes and even rockets. Mechanics are experts who know how machinery works, especially engines, and how to fix them. When you think of a mechanic,
Behind the Lens: Meet NASA Johnson’s Photographers
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
APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. To view this video please
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details
Between Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. The crater formed on Aug. 5, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stageimpactedthe
NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure
NASA’s next Gateways to Blue Skies competition invites collegiate teams to imagine innovative new ways aircraft could inspect land-based infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, to improve
Lala Batters Hawaii
The storm nonetheless delivered serious damage as it passed just south of the island on August 15 as a category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Lala brought rainfall totals exceeding 20
APOD: 2026 August 18 – Perseids from Perseus
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:This was a good
NASA’s B777 Gets New Coat of Paint
NASA’sBoeing 777shows off a new paint job in this Aug. 11, 2026, photo. The B777 was acquired to replace and extend the capabilities of the NASA DC-8, which wasretiredin 2024. The B777, set to begin
NASA Glenn’s Legacy Forged Through Decades of Flight Research
Many of NASA’s most important aerospace breakthroughs that began in the laboratory were ultimately proven in the sky. For decades, experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland conducted
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4975-4981: Happy 14th Landing Anniversary
By Susanne P. Schwenzer, Professor of Planetary Mineralogy at The Open University, UK Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 This week was very special for the Curiosity team here on Earth as we
NASA Selects Companies to Provide Payload Processing Services
NASA has selected four companies to provide payload processing facilities under the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract on‑ramp provision. The provision enables qualified providers to offer
NASA Mission Studies Air Pollution Over Ethiopia
A NASA-funded air pollution monitoring network has provided one of the most detailed long-term views yet of the role of black carbon, or soot produced by fires, diesel vehicles, and other combustion
Next Generation of Planetary Scientists Learn Public Engagement Skills
The NASA Science Mission Directorate Community of Practice for Education – part of the NASA Science Activation Program portfolio – enables Earth and Space Science and Engineering Subject Matter
Colorful Collage of Tarantula Nebula
Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope combine to reveal a vibrant view of 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula, in this Aug.
NSF announces $1.5B for foundational research to drive scientific breakthroughs for American technological leadership
The U.S. National Science Foundation today released 12 new notices of funding opportunity providing over $1.5 billion for foundational research, including basic and use-inspired inquiry across the
Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way’s Early Years
Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, grew to its current size in part by consuming smaller galaxies. Now, new data from NASA’sHubble Space Telescopeshows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging
NASA Challenge Tests Wheel Designs for Moon Base Mobility
As NASA prepares to establish the Moon Base, advancing surface mobility will be key to helping crews and robotic systems travel farther across the lunar surface. To help advance that capability, the
Summer Triangle Corner: Deneb
Bird constellations abound in the night sky, including Cygnus, the majestic swan. Easy to find with its dazzling stars, it is one of the few constellations that look like its namesake, and it is
Chasing Fire Clouds in Utah
Scientists have long known that volcanoes can launch large quantities of particles into thestratosphere. In the past few decades, it has become clear that wildfires do this, too, by generating
APOD: 2026 August 17 – A Golden Corona Eclipse
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:This total solar
APOD: 2026 August 16 – Milky Way over Yellowstone
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:The Milky Way
APOD: 2026 August 15 – Bright Perseids from Sweden
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:Known for its
NASA Competition Invites Students to Help Imagine a Future Enabled by Lunar Technologies
NASA is asking U.S.-based collegiate teams to submit bold, original concepts to the 2027 edition of a student challenge focused on aerospace innovation that could help the agency envision a future on
NASA Announces MAX POWER: America’s Newest Aerospace Expo, Airshow
In honor of America’s historic 250th anniversary, NASA announced on Friday MAX POWER, a public exposition of American air and space innovation, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, on and near the agency’s Kennedy
Volunteer Develops Machine-Learning Tool to Identify Rare Clouds
Certain kinds of clouds are misbehaving – appearing more often and lower in the sky than they used to. To help identify the factors influencing these changes, scientists have asked people around the
NASA’s COFFIES Uses AI to Predict Storm-Causing Active Regions on Sun
As humanity looks to the Moon and stars for future exploration, predicting space weather — conditions in space primarily driven by the Sun — is more important than ever. Now, a team of
NSF announces $83M investment in integrated data systems and services to advance AI-driven science and strengthen U.S. research infrastructure
The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced $83 million in awards through the Integrated Data Systems and Services program . The awards will expand access to data infrastructure resources
New NSF initiative aims to unlock dataset value for AI-enabled scientific discovery
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the NSF Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery program , a new investment to advance scientific community datasets and enable
NSF announces first awards to advance AI and cybersecurity education and workforce development through CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service Program
The U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for STEM Education today announced the inaugural awards under the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program, representing a major expansion of
NSF partners with universities and industry on pilot initiative for four-year Ph.D. programs with real-world research placements
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $47 million investment over five years, along with additional financial commitments from nearly three dozen universities and private industry, to launch
Building the future, atom by atom — NSF deploys $108M for materials science at 6 research centers
The U.S. National Science Foundation is pushing materials science beyond the state-of-the-art with an investment of $108 million in six advanced research centers. The centers will explore a broad
NSF stands up 2 Materials Innovation Platforms with $50M investment
The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing $50 million in research infrastructure to enable the discovery and development of materials that can withstand extreme conditions, from lightweight