NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

May 20, 2025

Milky Way over Maunakea

Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light becomes visible across the sky. Soon after your eyes become dark adapted, you might spot the band for the first time. It may then become obvious. Then spectacular. One reason for your growing astonishment might be the realization that this fuzzy swath, the Milky Way, contains billions of stars. Visible in the featured image, high above in the night sky, the band of the Milky Way Galaxy arcs. Also visible are the colorful clouds of Rho Ophiuchi on the right, and the red and circular Zeta Ophiuchi nebula near the top center. Taken in late February from Maunakea, Hawaii, USA, the foreground telescope is the University of Hawaii's 2.2-Meter Telescope. Fortunately, you don’t need to be near the top of a Hawaiian volcano to see the Milky Way.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Asteroid the size of 12.5 gorillas to pass Earth Wednesday in close flyby - NASA

MAY 20, 2025 14:02

An asteroid the size of 12 and a half fully grown gorillas is set to pass the Earth on Wednesday, May 21, in a very close flyby, according to NASA's asteroid tracker.

The asteroid in question was discovered only this year and has been dubbed 2025 KF, as noted by the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

While the asteroid won't impact the Earth, its current calculated trajectory will bring it far closer than most other near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pass by our planet.

No monkey business: How big is the asteroid passing Earth?

Asteroids are usually thought of as being massive, solid rocks floating through space, coupled with the threat of potentially slamming into an unsuspecting and defenseless planet.

And asteroid 2025 KF is certainly big - relative to humans, at least. However, in terms of other asteroids, they are a bit smaller, with their estimated diameter being as much as 23 meters.

To put that in a more human perspective, let's take a look at one of the closest relatives of humanity: gorillas.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the average gorilla can grow to as much as six feet in height, or 1.8 meters when converted to the metric system and rounded down.

So if we divide 23 by 1.8, we get approximately 12.5. With that in mind, we can confidently say that asteroid 2025 KF is the size of around 12 and a half fully-grown gorillas.

Or is it?

While asteroids are often thought of as big, solid rocks, that isn't always the case. Many asteroids are actually what are known as rubble piles, which are big collections of smaller rocks and dust held together by gravity.

These are no less dangerous than other asteroids - such a huge, concentrated amount of rubble impacting a planet can still be very destructive. However, it does mean that the actual size of an asteroid is flexible.

When a rubble pile asteroid passes by a sufficient source of gravity, such as a planet or star, the pull of gravity will cause the rubble to shift, with some parts stretching out and changing shape.

This doesn't impact the volume of the asteroid, which can contain empty pockets inside, but it does change the total length and width. So who knows if it will stay the same size for long? We may need more gorillas.

100 gorillas vs one asteroid? How much damage would asteroid 2025 KF cause if it hit the Earth?

As far as asteroids go, 2025 KF is on the smaller size. Generally speaking, most asteroids burn up in Earth's atmosphere upon impact.

Should 2025 KF actually impact the Earth, the result would likely be a very loud airburst explosion, but not one that should pose significant danger, if any, to the planet.

Compare that to the power of a gorilla.

These huge, muscled primates are very strong, thought to be as much as nine times stronger than even the most trained of humans, not to mention having a bite force so strong that it puts lions to shame.

In a one-on-one fight, not many animals would easily match up to the strength of a gorilla - humans included.

https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-854712

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/perseverance-rover/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-to-take-bite-out-of-krokodillen/

NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover to Take Bite Out of ‘Krokodillen’

May 19, 2025

Scientists expect the new area of interest on the lower slope of Jezero Crater’s rim to offer up some of the oldest rocks on the Red Planet.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is exploring a new region of interest the team is calling “Krokodillen” that may contain some of the oldest rocks on Mars.

The area has been on the Perseverance science team’s wish list because it marks an important boundary between the oldest rocks of Jezero Crater’s rim and those of the plains beyond the crater.

“The last five months have been a geologic whirlwind,” said Ken Farley, deputy project scientist for Perseverance from Caltech in Pasadena.

“As successful as our exploration of “Witch Hazel Hill” has been, our investigation of Krokodillen promises to be just as compelling.”

Named by Perseverance mission scientists after a mountain ridge on the island of Prins Karls Forland, Norway, Krokodillen (which means “the crocodile” in Norwegian) is a 73-acre (about 30-hectare) plateau of rocky outcrops located downslope to the west and south of Witch Hazel Hill.

A quick earlier investigation into the region revealed the presence of clays in this ancient bedrock. Because clays require liquid water to form, they provide important clues about the environment and habitability of early Mars.

The detection of clays elsewhere within the Krokodillen region would reinforce the idea that abundant liquid water was present sometime in the distant past, likely before Jezero Crater was formed by the impact of an asteroid.

Clay minerals are also known on Earth for preserving organic compounds, the building blocks of life.

“If we find a potential biosignature here, it would most likely be from an entirely different and much earlier epoch of Mars evolution than the one we found last year in the crater with ‘Cheyava Falls,’” said Farley, referring to a rock sampled in July 2024 with chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by life long ago.

“The Krokodillen rocks formed before Jezero Crater was created, during Mars’ earliest geologic period, the Noachian, and are among the oldest rocks on Mars

Data collected from NASA’s Mars orbiters suggest that the outer edges of Krokodillen may also have areas rich in olivine and carbonate.

While olivine forms from magma, carbonate minerals on Earth typically form during a reaction in liquid water between rock and dissolved carbon dioxide.

Carbonate minerals on Earth are known to be excellent preservers of fossilized ancient microbial life and recorders of ancient climate.

The rover, which celebrated its 1,500th day of surface operations on May 9, is currently analyzing a rocky outcrop in Krokodillen called “Copper Cove” that may contain Noachian rocks.

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Ranking Mars Rocks

The rover’s arrival at Krokodillen comes with a new sampling strategy for the nuclear-powered rover that allows for leaving some cored samples unsealed in case the mission finds a more scientifically compelling geologic feature down the road.

To date, Perseverance has collected and sealed two regolith (crushed rock and dust) samples, three witness tubes, and one atmospheric sample. It has also collected 26 rock cores and sealed 25 of them.

The rover’s one unsealed sample is its most recent, a rock core taken on April 28 that the team named “Bell Island,” which contains small round stones called spherules.

If at some point the science team decides a new sample should take its place, the rover could be commanded to remove the tube from its bin in storage and dump the previous sample.

“We have been exploring Mars for over four years, and every single filled sample tube we have on board has its own unique and compelling story to tell,” said Perseverance acting project scientist Katie Stack Morgan of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

“There are seven empty sample tubes remaining and a lot of open road in front of us, so we’re going to keep a few tubes — including the one containing the Bell Island core — unsealed for now.

This strategy allows us maximum flexibility as we continue our collection of diverse and compelling rock samples.”

Before the mission adopted its new strategy, the engineering sample team assessed whether leaving a tube unsealed could diminish the quality of a sample. The answer was no.

“The environment inside the rover met very strict standards for cleanliness when the rover was built.

The tube is also oriented in such a way within its individual storage bin that the likelihood of extraneous material entering the tube during future activities, including sampling and drives, is very low,” said Stack Morgan.

In addition, the team assessed whether remnants of a sample that was dumped could “contaminate” a later sample.

“Although there is a chance that any material remaining in the tube from the previous sample could come in contact with the outside of a new sample,” said Stack Morgan, “it is a very minor concern — and a worthwhile exchange for the opportunity to collect the best and most compelling samples when we find them.”

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NASA Rover Stuff

Sol 4541: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

May 19, 2025

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 31 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this mosaic.

The seam-corrected mosaic provides a 360-degree cylindrical projection panorama of the Martian surface centered at 268 degrees azimuth (measured clockwise from north).

Curiosity took the images on May 16, 2025, Sol 4541 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 414, site number 116.

The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 2 PM to 3 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

https://science.nasa.gov/resource/sol-4541-right-navigation-camera-cylindrical-projection/

Sols 4541–4542: Boxwork Structure, or Just “Box-Like” Structure?

May 19, 2025

Today we came into another strange and interesting workspace (see image above) that is as exciting as the one we had on Monday.

This is our first arrival at a potential boxwork structure — a series of web-like, resistant ridges visible in orbital images that we have been looking forward to visiting since we first saw them.

Today’s observations will be the first step to figure out if these ridges (at least the one in front of us) is part of a boxwork structure.

Unfortunately, we can’t quite reach their targets safely today because one of the rover’s front wheels is perched on a small pebble and might slip off if we move the arm.

Instead, we will take a lot of remote sensing observations and reposition the rover slightly so that we can try again on Friday.

But before repositioning, Curiosity will start off by taking a huge Mastcam mosaic of all terrain around the rover to help us document how it is changing along our path and with elevation.

Mastcam then will look at “Temblor Range,” which is a nearby low and resistant ridge that also has some rover tracks from where we previously crossed it.

Mastcam is also imaging a trough that is similar to the other troughs we have been seeing locally and that have multiple possible origins. Then, Mastcam will image the AEGIS target from the prior plan.

ChemCam is taking a LIBS observation of “Glendale Peak,” a rugged top portion of the ridge defining the potential boxwork structure, which is to the right of the workspace, and an RMI mosaic of Texoli butte.

Mastcam follows up the ChemCam observation of Glendale Peak by imaging it.

In parallel with all the imaging is our monthly test and maintenance of our backup pump for the Heat Rejection System (the HRS) The HRS is a fluid loop that distributes the heat from the rover’s power source to help keep all the subsystems within reasonable temperatures.

We need to periodically make sure it stays in good working order just in case our primary pump has issues.

After all the imaging, the rover will bump 30 centimeters backwards (about 12 inches) to come down off the pebble and put the interesting science targets in the arm workspace.

This should leave us in a position where it is safe to unstow the arm and put instruments down on the surface.

On the second, untargeted sol of the plan, we have some additional atmospheric science including a large dust-devil survey, as well as a Navcam suprahorizon movie and a Mastcam solar tau to measure the dust in the atmosphere.

We finish up with another autonomous targeting of ChemCam with AEGIS.

https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4541-4542-boxwork-structure-or-just-box-like-structure/

Sol 4544: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

May 19, 2025

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 31 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this mosaic.

The seam-corrected mosaic provides a 360-degree cylindrical projection panorama of the Martian surface centered at 238 degrees azimuth (measured clockwise from north).

Curiosity took the images on May 19, 2025, Sol 4544 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 576, site number 116. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was 2 PM.

Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

https://science.nasa.gov/resource/sol-4544-right-navigation-camera-cylindrical-projection/

>>23059124

They didn't really explain why the conversion from giraffes to go-rillas and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it.

Another First: NASA Webb Identifies Frozen Water in Young Star System

May 19, 2025

Is frozen water scattered in systems around other stars? Astronomers have long expected it is, partially based on previous detections of its gaseous form, water vapor, and its presence in our own solar system.

Now there is definitive evidence: Researchers confirmed the presence of crystalline water ice in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star 155 light-years away using detailed data known as spectra from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

(The term water ice specifies its makeup, since many other frozen molecules are also observed in space, such as carbon dioxide ice, or “dry ice.”) In 2008, data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope hinted at the possibility of frozen water in this system.

“Webb unambiguously detected not just water ice, but crystalline water ice, which is also found in locations like Saturn’s rings and icy bodies in our solar system’s Kuiper Belt,” said Chen Xie, the lead author of the new paper and an assistant research scientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

All the frozen water Webb detected is paired with fine dust particles throughout the disk — like itsy-bitsy “dirty snowballs.” The results published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Astronomers have been waiting for this definitive data for decades.

“When I was a graduate student 25 years ago, my advisor told me there should be ice in debris disks, but prior to Webb, we didn’t have instruments sensitive enough to make these observations,” said Christine Chen, a co-author and an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

“What’s most striking is that this data looks similar to the telescope’s other recent observations of Kuiper Belt objects in our own solar system.”

Water ice is a vital ingredient in disks around young stars — it heavily influences the formation of giant planets and may also be delivered by small bodies like comets and asteroids to fully formed rocky planets.

Now that researchers have detected water ice with Webb, they have opened the door for all researchers to study how these processes play out in new ways in many other planetary systems.

Image: Debris Disk Around Star HD 181327 (Artist’s Concept)

Rocks, Dust, Ice Rushing Around

The star, cataloged HD 181327, is significantly younger than our Sun. It’s estimated to be 23 million years old, compared to the Sun’s more mature 4.6 billion years.

The star is slightly more massive than the Sun, and it’s hotter, which led to the formation of a slightly larger system around it.

Webb’s observations confirm a significant gap between the star and its debris disk — a wide area that is free of dust.

Farther out, its debris disk is similar to our solar system’s Kuiper Belt, where dwarf planets, comets, and other bits of ice and rock are found (and sometimes collide with one another). Billions of years ago, our Kuiper Belt was likely similar to this star’s debris disk.

“HD 181327 is a very active system,” Chen said. “There are regular, ongoing collisions in its debris disk. When those icy bodies collide, they release tiny particles of dusty water ice that are perfectly sized for Webb to detect.”

Frozen Water — Almost Everywhere

Water ice isn’t spread evenly throughout this system. The majority is found where it’s coldest and farthest from the star. “The outer area of the debris disk consists of over 20% water ice,” Xie said.

The closer in the researchers looked, the less water ice they found. Toward the middle of the debris disk, Webb detected about 8% water ice.

Here, it’s likely that frozen water particles are produced slightly faster than they are destroyed. In the area of the debris disk closest to the star, Webb detected almost none.

It’s likely that the star’s ultraviolet light vaporizes the closest specks of water ice. It’s also possible that rocks known as planetesimals have “locked up” frozen water in their interiors, which Webb can’t detect.

This team and many more researchers will continue to search for — and study — water ice in debris disks and actively forming planetary systems throughout our Milky Way galaxy.

“The presence of water ice helps facilitate planet formation,” Xie said. “Icy materials may also ultimately be ‘delivered’ to terrestrial planets that may form over a couple hundred million years in systems like this.”

The researchers observed HD 181327 with Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph), which is super-sensitive to extremely faint dust particles that can only be detected from space.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/another-first-nasa-webb-identifies-frozen-water-in-young-star-system/

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/webb-finds-icy-disk/

Hubble Images Galaxies Near and Far

May 20, 2025

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image offers us the chance to see a distant galaxy now some 19.5 billion light-years from Earth (but appearing as it did around 11 billion years ago, when the galaxy was 5.5 billion light-years away and began its trek to us through expanding space).

Known as HerS 020941.1+001557, this remote galaxy appears as a red arc partially encircling a foreground elliptical galaxy located some 2.7 billion light-years away.

Called SDSS J020941.27+001558.4, the elliptical galaxy appears as a bright dot at the center of the image with a broad haze of stars outward from its core.

A third galaxy, called SDSS J020941.23+001600.7, seems to be intersecting part of the curving, red crescent of light created by the distant galaxy.

The alignment of this trio of galaxies creates a type of gravitational lens called an Einstein ring.

Gravitational lenses occur when light from a very distant object bends (or is ‘lensed’) around a massive (or ‘lensing’) object located between us and the distant lensed galaxy.

When the lensed object and the lensing object align, they create an Einstein ring. Einstein rings can appear as a full or partial circle of light around the foreground lensing object, depending on how precise the alignment is.

The effects of this phenomenon are much too subtle to see on a local level but can become clearly observable when dealing with curvatures of light on enormous, astronomical scales.

Gravitational lenses not only bend and distort light from distant objects but magnify it as well. Here we see light from a distant galaxy following the curve of spacetime created by the elliptical galaxy’s mass.

As the distant galaxy’s light passes through the gravitational lens, it is magnified and bent into a partial ring around the foreground galaxy, creating a distinctive Einstein ring shape.

The partial Einstein ring in this image is not only beautiful, but noteworthy. A citizen scientist identified this Einstein ring as part of the SPACE WARPS project that asked citizen scientists to search for gravitational lenses in images.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-images-galaxies-near-and-far/

Sofia Ghouse is serving a three-month detail as Technical Assistant to the NASA Johnson Space Center Deputy Director

May 20, 2025

She began her career at Johnson Space Center in 2014 after more than a year leading an non-governmental startup focused on sustainable electricity production in third world countries.

Sofia has held multiple leadership roles within NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate, including serving as the Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) Training Group Lead, IVA Exploration Group and Orion Technical Assistant.

Over the past eight years, she has demonstrated expertise in flight control, training strategy, organizational leadership and innovation, contributing to key missions such as Artemis II, CST-100 Starliner, and the International Space Station.

She has overseen the certification of numerous flight controllers and instructors, advanced crew training methodologies, and driven cross-organizational initiatives to improve operational efficiency and technical integration.

Her efforts in mentoring, strategic planning, and innovation leadership have earned her recognition.

Sofia received a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is an inspired artist spending much of her time outside of the office painting.

https://www.nasa.gov/people/sofia-ghouse/

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154320/celebrating-a-long-career-with-roots-on-long-island

Celebrating a Long Career With Roots on Long Island

May 20, 2025

Growing up in a small village in New York five miles from Queens, 12-year-old Jack Kaye spent his days concerned with things like how to get to Shea Stadium to watch a Mets game.

Though he still loves baseball, Kaye’s focus turned to science starting in high school and continued throughout his decades-long career with NASA’s Earth science.

But whether in Washington, D.C., or traveling the planet for work, thoughts of home and Long Island were never too far from mind.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t think about the area’s vulnerability or how interconnected the suburbs and city were,” said Kaye, retired associate director for NASA’s Earth Science Division. “Now I do.”

Much of the New York City metropolitan area is visible in the image above, captured by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 on August 9, 2023.

Kaye’s hometown village of Malverne is visible, as well as the schools that played a formative role in his education.

After studying chemistry at Adelphi University and earning a doctorate in the subject from Caltech, Kaye went on to work with the stratospheric chemistry group at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

In 1989, he moved to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where for around 35 years he listened to the research community and developed strategies to help researchers characterize and understand some of the most critical Earth scientific topics of the day.

Topics ranged from the ozone hole and climate change to hurricanes and sea level change to water management and agriculture.

But one of the proudest undertakings of his NASA career, Kaye says, was providing the direction and support that has helped scientists build an increasingly detailed understanding of cities, suburbs, and the quality of the air that people breathe.

While 8.2 million people live in New York City’s five boroughs, the wider metropolitan area is home to more than twice that number of people, making it the largest megacity in the United States.

It is also the largest source of air pollution in the eastern U.S.—with plenty of it wafting into his hometown.

The sequence of images above shows a plume of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emerging from New York City around noon local time on August 9, 2023.

The reddish-brown gas, primarily a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion, is considered hazardous to human health. It also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter, which are also health hazards.

Data for the maps are from NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) sensor.

Launched in April 2023, the mission is NASA’s first Earth science research instrument in a geostationary orbit and measures several types of air pollution on an hourly basis.

TEMPO brings improved spatial and temporal resolution to satellite-based observations of air pollution over North America, helping scientists and air quality forecasters identify pollution sources and movement.

“Every day in the Mid-Atlantic region, the largest source of NO2 we see is from New York City,” said Laura Judd, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

She added that the size and location of the plume change from day to day and even from hour to hour—differences that stem from the relationship between the emission sources, weather, and atmospheric chemistry.

When Kaye was young, he says there were occasions of noticeably poor air quality on Long Island.

Situated on flat terrain, winds can easily move pollution around the region, making it less concentrated than some cities located in bowl-shaped terrain.

Still, he recalls that pollution would accumulate near incinerators or when people burned yard waste in the suburbs. “People didn’t worry about a lot of that stuff,” he said.

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>>23059221

Now, with TEMPO and other technologies, scientists have a better picture of where the pollution originates and where it is going.

On the morning of August 9, winds were out of the northwest, and NO2 built up over the city.

By the start of the time series shown above, winds had shifted and carried the NO2 eastward along Long Island throughout the afternoon.

Judd said that high pollution days of interest in the region often coincide with excess NO2 extending over Long Island Sound from the city.

Over the sound, efficient production of harmful pollutants like ozone can occur that are carried inland by sea breezes. The phenomenon has long been a motivating factor for getting detailed measurements of the region.

With its hour-by-hour observations, TEMPO is revealing unobserved patterns from an unprecedented perspective each day, which is providing new information that people are using to address air quality challenges, Judd said.

“Collecting this type of data would not have been possible without Jack Kaye’s support.”

“Part of what NASA does is make the unfamiliar familiar,” Kaye said. But he noted that it can also work the other way.

“If we look at something that has been seen before in new and different ways, especially with new observational approaches, we can recognize and begin to understand complexity that we didn’t know existed.”

Complex missions like TEMPO often include ground- and air-based components.

Kaye snapped the photo above in August 2023 during the STAQS (Synergistic TEMPO Air Quality Science) airborne campaign as the Gulfstream-III flew over Long Island.

During the NASA-NOAA campaign, instruments mounted on aircraft collected measurements that scientists later compared with observations from TEMPO and ground-based instruments.

Such comparison allows scientists to validate the accuracy of each dataset and helps them better understand the Earth system.

“We harness some of the best science and technology and bring new observational capability to the nation and world.

But we do it because there is a clear path to benefiting society with the knowledge we gain,” he said.

Though Kaye officially retired in April 2025, he plans to stay engaged with the scientific community via professional societies and lectures.

He also plans to spend some time honing his writing. Should he find himself visiting his hometown, he might even attend another Mets game with his grandchildren at Citi Field, which replaced Shea Stadium in 2009.

But knowing him, don’t be surprised if you find him at a game comparing the error rates of his beloved Mets with the latest data coming down from TEMPO to settle, once and for all, whether there is a relationship between poor air quality and dropped fly balls—something that previous research has shown may be connected.

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Space Biology Kicks Off Workweek as Crew Packs Dragon

May 19, 2025

The Expedition 73 crew kicked off the work week studying space biology to learn how to counteract the effects of weightlessness on the human body.

The International Space Station residents are also packing the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for its departure this week and practicing using the European robotic arm.

NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Anne McClain spent all day Monday testing a thigh cuff that may prevent the space-caused, upward flow of blood and other fluids toward a crew member’s upper body.

Common symptoms include head and eye pressure, as well as the notable “puffy face.” Kim wore the thigh cuff as McClain measured his blood pressure and scanned his vessels using the Ultrasound 2 device.

Doctors on the ground monitored in real time the effectiveness of the biomedical hardware to learn how to protect an astronaut’s eye structure and vision.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky started their day wearing sensors measuring their exhalation rate following a deep breath helping doctors understand how microgravity affects the respiratory system.

Next, Ryzhikov swapped neon gas bottles for argon gas bottles for the Plasma Crystal-4 space physics study investigating complex plasmas, or low-temperature gaseous mixtures such as ionized gas, neutral gas, and micron-sized particles.

Zubritsky conducted a photographic inspection inside the Zvezda service module.

Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) joined NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers inside Dragon loading cargo ahead of its undocking scheduled for 12:05 p.m. EDT on Thursday with NASA+ live coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m.

They will finalize cargo packing on Wednesday when the crew installs time critical, sample-packed portable science freezers inside Dragon for analysis back on Earth.

Onishi also processed protein crystal samples inside the inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4 to learn how to synthesize medications during deep space missions.

Ayers photographed Onishi during his science activities then joined McClain at the end of the day for a hearing exam.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov trained to use the European robotic arm (ERA) using a computer interface inside the Nauka science module.

ERA and Nauka both launched on July 21, 2021, inside a Proton rocket from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. Nauka with the ERA attached autonomously docked to Zvezda’s Earth-facing port on July 29.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/19/space-biology-kicks-off-workweek-as-crew-packs-dragon/

https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/nasas-spacex-32nd-commercial-resupply-services-undocking/

Perfect Sphere Of Plasma Discovered In Space Is A Conundrum Waiting To Be Solved

May 20, 2025

Regular geometrical shapes are such a common feature in human civilizations that we often don’t realize that they are not that common in nature. But then you see a perfect sphere of plasma in the depths of space, and, well, that is certainly strange.

An international team of astronomers led by Professor Miroslav Filipović from Western Sydney University has dubbed this object Teleios, from the ancient Greek word for perfection.

And it is indeed a perfect sphere, which really challenged the scientists in understanding how it came to be.

The sphere was discovered in the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU).

It is only visible in radio waves, which allowed the team to find a very likely culprit. This was formed by the explosion of a supernova. So far, so good. But things soon got puzzling.

The supernova remnant is not only almost perfectly symmetric, but it has one of the lowest surface brightnesses of all known supernova remnants in the Milky Way.

The team has come up with multiple scenarios to explain what they are seeing.

This might be a young supernova remnant, maybe less than 1,000 years old, located around 7,000 light-years away.

That could be the case because early on in the so-called Sedov phase, the explosion that ripped a star apart is roughly symmetrical.

It is also possible that the supernova remnant is a lot older, at a later Sedov phase, and much further away, around 25,000 light-years away.

In that scenario, the symmetry is only possible if the expanding shell of material has encountered very little interstellar stuff. And then some!

“The Sedov phase in a supernova remnant (SNRs) can last for a few tens of thousands of years.

It is not just that we need a rarified environment, but it must also have a constant density across the entire region of the SNR expansion. That is quite tricky to achieve,” Professor Filipović told IFLScience.

But maybe it is not a standard supernova explosion at all. Researchers considered a type Ia supernova where a white dwarf steals material from a companion until it passes a threshold and ends up exploding it.

Or even a type Iax when the supernova doesn’t completely annihilate the white dwarf and leaves behind a zombie star. None of these scenarios perfectly fit the observations, unfortunately.

“The initial suspicion was that this was a supernova explosion from a type Ia… But way too many other things are questioning this idea, as we also think it could be a bit smaller in size and therefore a younger (and less energetic) type Iax?

Our new and upcoming observations with MeerKAT might solve this mystery,” Professor Filipović told IFLScience.

https://www.iflscience.com/perfect-sphere-of-plasma-discovered-in-space-is-a-conundrum-waiting-to-be-solved-79285

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/alumni/gradlife/publications/astronomy-all-star

https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.04041

Quantum Space Hunts Golden Dome With MDA Vet

May 20, 2025

Growing industry interest in the Golden Dome missile defense system is only outstripped by the uncertainty about what that program will actually entail.

To help cut through the clutter, Quantum Space has hired former MDA executive Richard Matlock to lead its defense business.

Missile Zelig: Matlock’s four-decade career has taken him from the Air Force to the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (better known as the Reagan administration’s “Star Wars” program).

He’s served in a series of tech development and acquisition roles for the DoD, most recently as an advanced technology executive at the MDA.

What to watch: Matlock told Payload that the shape of the new system—including basics such as what it is and who will do it—still isn’t clear.

The key thing he’s watching for now is the appointment of a Golden Dome “czar,” a high-level executive branch official tasked with coordinating the various organizations responsible for different aspects of missile defense.

Buzzword watch: The most novel (and controversial) aspect of Golden Dome is the push to station missile interceptors in orbit.

Some “Star Wars” vets, including former NASA administrator and DoD research and engineering chief Michael Griffin, have questioned the efficacy of space-based interceptors.

But Matlock said the term of art now is “multi-domain.”

“Right now, everything’s terrestrial—ships have anti-missiles on them, we have anti-missiles in the silo, [and] we have some on trucks like the THAAD,” Matlock said.

“We’re going to be taking much greater advantage of the space domain…A single solution is probably not the best way to go after it, but how we integrate these complex effects across the board is the real systems engineering challenge.”

Another defense pivot: Space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian cofounded Quantum Space in 2022 to develop highly maneuverable satellites for a variety of in-space services, with a focus on building infrastructure around the Moon.

Now, the company is repurposing its Ranger spacecraft for defense applications, and has partnered with Astro Digital to participate in a Space Force satellite development program.

“What we’re bringing now is the adaptability to that architecture,” Matlock told Payload, “[with technologies] to maneuver and place those assets where they need to be placed, depending on the situation.”

https://payloadspace.com/quantum-space-hunts-golden-dome-with-mda-vet/

https://www.aoe.vt.edu/people/alumni/distinguished-alumni/academy/2024/richard-matlock.html

World's largest iceberg, A23a, is disintegrating into thousands of pieces alongside penguin refuge — Earth from space

May 20, 2025

A striking new satellite photo has revealed that the world's largest iceberg is starting to break apart into thousands of smaller pieces as it remains stuck alongside a wildlife refuge in Antarctica.

But it could take months, if not years, for the entire slab to disappear. The "megaberg," dubbed A23a, currently has a surface area of around 1,200 square miles (3,100 square kilometers) — roughly the size of Long Island.

It first calved off of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, but it became trapped when its underside caught on the seafloor.

It remained stranded until January 2023, when it finally began to move away from mainland Antarctica.

During this time, it has repeatedly held the title of "world's largest iceberg" as bigger bergs have come and gone, most recently regaining the title in June 2023.

The giant iceberg became trapped again in early 2024 after getting caught in a large ocean vortex.

It remained spinning on the spot for several months before eventually breaking free in December 2024 and resuming its journey north through the Drake Passage — also known as the "iceberg graveyard," where large Antarctic icebergs get swept away to their eventual doom.

The numerous new icebergs appear extremely small compared with A23a. However, "many measure at least a kilometer across and would pose a risk to ships," NASA representatives wrote.

The largest piece to break off from the megaberg, which has been dubbed A23c, has an area of around 50 square miles (130 square km) and is currently drifting south (just out of the satellite photo).

This type of iceberg disintegration is known as "edge wasting" and has shrunk A23a by around 200 square miles (520 square km) since it became stuck in March, according to NASA.

At this rate, it will likely take several months, if not years, for the berg to fully break apart, assuming larger cracks do not rip it apart first.

However, A23a may not hold its size title for long, because as of May 16, it is only around 12 square miles (31 square km) larger than the next-biggest iceberg, D15A, according to the U.S. National Ice Center.

Wildlife refuge

South Georgia is not inhabited by people, aside from a few dozen researchers who visit throughout the year. However, it is home to an abundance of wildlife, such as seals and seabirds, including more than 2 million penguins, according to BirdLife International.

Having a large iceberg moored just offshore can be problematic for these species, especially for penguins that may have to travel several hundred extra miles around the obstruction to reach their prey, depending on where the iceberg is located.

Meltwater coming from trapped bergs can also alter the temperature and salinity of their surroundings.

It is currently unclear how much of an impact A23a is having on the local wildlife. However, the iceberg is quite far off the coast, meaning it will be less disruptive than it could have been.

Some researchers have claimed the melting slab could benefit the marine ecosystem by releasing nutrients into the ocean.

This is not the first time that South Georgia has been put under siege by giant icebergs. In 2020, one of the world's previous largest icebergs, A68, became stuck even closer to the island, sparking fears that it could disrupt penguin colonies.

However, unlike A23a, it quickly broke up into dozens of sizable chunks after ocean currents ripped it in half, causing it to quickly melt away and thus averting disaster.

As human-caused climate change continues to cause increased melting of Antarctica's ice sheets, many more hefty bergs could soon pass by South Georgia in the coming decades.

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/antarctica/worlds-largest-iceberg-a23a-is-disintegrating-into-thousands-of-pieces-alongside-penguin-refuge-earth-from-space

https://usicecenter.gov/Products/AntarcIcebergs

Scientists simulate space turbulence in never-before-seen detail

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

A new simulation developed by an international team, including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), has provided new insights into how turbulence works in space.

Turbulence is not only found in the atmosphere and oceans, but also throughout our Galaxy. It impacts space weather and shapes the behaviour of the material from which stars are formed.

Now, scientists have developed the largest ever simulation of such magnetised turbulence, which describes the chaotic fluid motions influenced by magnetic fields in unprecedented detail.

Study co-author Professor Christoph Federrath from ANU said by simulating turbulence in new detail, the research team found that magnetic fields alter the way energy moves through space and time between the stars in our Galaxy – known as the Interstellar Medium.

“These are processes that ultimately lead to the formation of stars and planets in the Universe,” he said.

The simulation was so detailed that storing and processing it would have required the combined power of roughly 10,000 standard computers.

“To put these massive simulations into perspective: if we had started one on a single laptop when humans first domesticated animals, it would just be finishing now,” study lead author Dr James Beattie, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, fellow at the University of Toronto, and PhD graduate from ANU, said.

“We've already begun testing whether the model matches existing data from the solar wind and the Earth and it’s looking very good. “This is very exciting because it means we can learn about space weather with our simulation.

Space weather is very important because we’re talking about the charged particles that bombard satellites and humans in space and have other terrestrial effects.”

In addition to Dr Beattie and Professor Federrath, other co-authors include Professor Ralf Klessen, Dr Savatore Cielo and Professor Amitava Bhattacharjee.

https://science.anu.edu.au/news-events/news/scientists-simulate-space-turbulence-never-seen-detail

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02551-5

https://www.space.com/stargazing/has-polaris-always-been-the-north-star-how-earths-26-000-year-cycle-changes-the-pole-star

Has Polaris always been the North Star? How Earth's 26,000 year cycle changes the 'pole star'

May 20, 2025

Polaris, also known as the 'Pole Star' or 'North Star', is arguably the most famous stellar body to hang in the western hemisphere's night sky.

For centuries it has served as a vital waypoint for explorers navigating both Earth's physical oceans and the celestial starfield above.

Its apparent importance is reflected in the fact that the entire night sky appears to revolve around it.

This happens because Polaris' location happens to be closely aligned with Earth's north rotational axis, which is known as the celestial pole when projected outwards into space.

However, Polaris isn't the first North Star to shine down on humanity, nor will it be the last.

Earth is engaged in a constant gravitational tug of war with the moon and sun, which over time has created a bulge at our planet's equator, according to NASA.

As a result, Earth's axis of rotation has developed a distinct wobble - known to scientists as axial precession - which sees the celestial pole trace a wide, lazy circle over a roughly 26,000 year period, coming close to several other prominent stars besides Polaris.

Read on to discover more about the past, present and future North Stars, including how to find them for yourself in the night sky in the northern hemisphere.

Amateur stargazers new to the night sky may want to make use of our guide to the best stargazing apps available in 2025, many of which have free functionality, and make use of augmented reality tech to help you find Polaris and navigate the stars.

1 - Polaris - The current North Star

Polaris can be found using the 'pointer stars' Merak and Dubhe from the constellation Ursa Major. (Image credit: Starry Night)

Polaris is the logical starting point for any North Star tour, given that it is the reigning title holder and a key waypoint for many attempting to find their way around the night sky.

The current North Star can be found easily by locating the Big Dipper asterism in Ursa Minor, which is high overhead this time of year.

Draw an imaginary line from the magnitude 2.3 star Merak, which forms the outer base of the 'bowl', through Dubhe, the star positioned as the 'pouring tip' of the asterism.

Follow that line outward and the next similarly bright star you find on this path will be Polaris.

This bright point of light is in fact a triple star system, though only two of the stars are visible through a backyard telescope.

The largest of the stellar trio is a supergiant star that burns over 2,000 times brighter than our sun, according to NASA.

Polaris will continue to be the pole star for a few thousand years to come, until Earth's rotational axis wanders inexorably away on its 26,000-year wobble.

2 - Thuban

Jumping back in time, Thuban was positioned as a North Star some 4,700 years ago, as early civilizations thrived in Mesopotamia and Egypt, according to NASA.

Thuban is located some 270 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco - hence its official name of Alpha Draconis - and is comprised of a pair of stars known as an 'eclipsing binary.'

In 2020, a team of scientists revealed that these two ancient stars regularly eclipse one another over the course of their 51-day orbital period from the perspective of Earth, leading to periodic dips in brightness based on data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.

A good way to find Thuban is to locate the bright stars Phecda and Megrez that form part of the 'bowl' of the famous Big Dipper asterism in the constellation Ursa Major, which is located high overhead at this time of year.

Draw a line from Phecda through Megrez out into space continuing for twice the distance separating the two guide stars and you will find the patch of sky containing Thuban.

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3 - Kochab and Pherkad - the 'Guardians of the Pole'.

Both Kochab and Pherkad were close to the celestial pole around 3,00 years ago, granting them the moniker of 'Guardians of the Pole', according to stargazing website EarthSky.org.

Kochab came particularly close to the celestial pole between 1700 BCE-300 CE, and may even have been referred to as "Polaris" by some in antiquity, according to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The stellar duo are particularly easy to find once you know the location of Polaris, as all three belong to the same constellation of Ursa Minor, or the 'Little Bear'.

Ursa Minor boasts a pan-like outline featuring a 'bowl' and 'handle', with Polaris is located at the end of the handle, while Kochab and Pherkad form the outer edge of the 'bowl'.

Some archaeologists believe that the Ancient Egyptians may have orientated the Great Pyramids of Giza to face an alignment of the stars Kochab and Mizar - a star in the Big Dipper asterism - which were on opposite sides of the celestial pole around that era.

However, there is contention as to which stars were used to orientate the pyramids - an important distinction as it has a direct bearing of our understanding of when exactly they were built, per the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

4 - Errai.

The K-type star Errai - or Gamma Cephei to give it its official name - is the first future North Star on our list.

In just 2,200 years Errai will be situated a mere 3 degrees from the north celestial pole in the night sky, according to The University of Virginia, putting an end to Polaris reign.

Gamma Cephei is actually two stars, a binary star system located some 45 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cepheus.

Its primary star plays host to a Jupiter-like gas giant, the discovery of which was first announced in 1988, before being swiftly withdrawn due to a lack of confidence in the data, according to NASA.

Its existence was confirmed by a later study, and had it not been withdrawn, the planet - named Gamma Cephei A b would have been forever known as the first exoplanet ever discovered beyond our solar system.

Errai can be found using the same trick used to locate Polaris. Simply draw an imaginary line from Dubhe - the tip of the bowl in the Big Dipper asterism - through and past Polaris. The next bright star on that path will be Errai.

5 - Alderamin

In around 5,000 years, Alderamin - another star in the constellation Cepheus - will be crowned the North Star, per the Royal Museums Greenwich website. Many observers have likened the five stars of Cepheus to a child's drawing of a house.

Following that visualization, Errai marks the top of the roof, while the magnitude 1.5 star Alderamin forms the lower right foundation.

It can be found by locating the stars Shedar and Caph in the 'W' shaped constellation Cassiopeia. Draw a line from Shedar through Caph and beyond, and Alderamin will be directly on this path.

6 - Deneb

The magnitude 1.2 star Deneb passed close to the celestial north pole 18,000 years ago according to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and will again around the year 9,800 CE, at which point it will be around seven degrees from the pole.

To spot it, simply look to the Eastern sky after sunset during spring, where you will see the trio of bright stars that form the Summer Triangle asterism. Deneb will form the lower left point of the triangle relative to the horizon.

7 - Vega

The celestial north pole pointed to the bright star Vega some 14,000 years ago, at a time when our hunter-gathering ancestors roamed the Earth.

NASA has estimated that Vega will become the north star once again in around 12,000 years from now, as Earth's rotational axis continues its lazy wobble through the stars.

Vega is one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere, whose claim to scientific fame came in 1984, when scientists discovered the first evidence of what turned out to be an almost 100-billion-mile-diameter disk of dusty planet-forming matter in orbit around the star.

Vega is the fifth brightest star visible in the northern hemisphere. Vega forms the top point of the famous Summer Triangle.

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Curious circles on Venus suggest its surface is still changing

May 19, 2025

A new study reveals overlooked signs of geological activity on Venus — clues that the planet's mysterious surface is still changing today.

These signs, found in giant circular features called "coronae," may not only reshape our understanding of Venus, but also offer a glimpse into Earth's own ancient past.

Coronae are vast, oval-shaped structures ranging in size from dozens to hundreds of miles wide.

They are believed to form when hot, plumes from deep inside a planet push against its outer shell called the lithosphere. Imagine a slow-motion bubble of molten rock pressing upward beneath the surface, warping and cracking the crust above.

These dramatic geological features, encircled by rings of fractures, are scattered across Venus, offering a stunning window into the planet's inner workings, scientists say.

"They are very large features, and people have proposed different theories over the years as to how they formed," said coauthor Anna Gülcher, a planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, in a NASA/JPL statement.

"The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation."

These massive ovals once dotted our planet's landscape, so studying them on Venus can reveal much about both planets, scientists say.

"Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established," said the study's lead author, Gael Cascioli, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland in the statement.

"By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus."

To figure out the most likely process behind the formation of coronae on Venus, the team built a 3D computer model that simulates the flow of hot material inside the planet — like a virtual experiment of the planet's inner workings.

They tested different formation scenarios and compared their results with gravity and topography data collected by NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which mapped Venus in the early 1990s.

The gravity data, which measured the strength of gravity at different points along the planet's surface, turned out to be a game-changer.

This is because denser material pulls more strongly on nearby objects, while less dense material exerts a weaker pull.

The data helped the scientists detect hidden plumes of hot, less dense material rising from deep inside Venus, something that surface maps alone couldn't reveal.

Out of 75 coronae examined, 52 showed signs of these underground forces still at work, hinting that tectonic activity may be more widespread on Venus than previously thought.

The team believes that several tectonic processes may be shaping Venus's surface around the coronae.

In some cases, subduction-like activity — a process where one part of a planet's outer shell is forced downward into the hotter, deeper interior — occurs as hot plumes rise and push surface material outward and downward.

This is similar to how tectonic plates interact on Earth.

They also say that another process called lithospheric dripping, which involves cooler, heavier parts of the surface sinking into the hotter mantle below, could be responsible for the tectonic activity underlying the coronae.

A third possibility is that plumes beneath thicker crust trigger volcanic activity above.

Whatever the cause of the coronae might be, they suggest that Venus may be geologically active in complex and varied ways, giving researchers insight into how tectonics might work on planets without Earth-like plate boundaries — and possibly how Earth looked in its earlier, more dynamic past.

While a significant and extensive study, the team relied on old data, and higher resolution images captured by the upcoming VERITAS mission will help them clarify their results.

"The VERITAS gravity maps of Venus will boost the resolution by at least a factor of two to four, depending on location —

a level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus' geology and implications for early Earth," said study coauthor Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist at JPL and principal investigator for VERITAS, in JPL's statement.

VERITAS is set to launch in 2031.

https://www.space.com/astronomy/venus/curious-circles-on-venus-suggest-its-surface-is-still-changing

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-magellan-mission-reveals-possible-tectonic-activity-on-venus/

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt5932

https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/nasa-names-geomagnetic-storm-for-1st-time-honoring-a-space-weather-scientist-who-died-suddenly-in-2024

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024SW004016

NASA names geomagnetic storm for 1st time, honoring a space weather scientist who died suddenly in 2024

May 20, 2025

The powerful geomagnetic storm that sparked beautiful auroras across the world in May of 2024 was the first to receive a name — and its namesake is a space weather scientist who NASA scientists say was a champion in the field, and who passed away suddenly that same year.

"Jenn was an outstanding role model, colleague, and scientist who excelled in creating a sense of community across the domains of space science," her colleagues wrote in a dedication posted online in the journal Space Weather. "She will be sorely missed by many."

Dr. Jennifer Lea Gannon passed away suddenly on May 2, 2024 in Greenbelt, Maryland at the age of 45, the dedication says, commending her commitment as an editor at Space Weather.

In that position, Gannon guided more than 200 manuscripts toward publication and published many of her own editorials.

She was also the longest-serving member of the board, having held her role since April 2019 after starting under the journal's previous editor-in-chief, Delores Knipp.

A talented artist and pianist, Gannon led the scientific community with her deep-running understanding of geomagnetically induced currents, ground-based magnetic field disturbances, radiation-belt electron dynamics and geomagnetic storms.

She received her B.S. in physics and computer science from the University of Virginia in 2000, and her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2005.

She had started as the Senior Space Weather Liaison at NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)'s Office of Space Weather Observations a few months before she died.

"This awe-inspiring event is nature's way of rejoicing in the life of Dr. Jennifer Lea Gannon and sharing the profound knowledge of a Kp9 impact on our planet, just as she would have wanted," wrote NASA heliophysicist Madhulika Guhathakurta, who knew Gannon personally, in an online post.

A Kp9 impact refers to the space weather scale, ranging from one to nine, with Kp9 being the strongest.

The geomagnetic storm that sent auroras ranging from Canada to the Netherlands in May 2024 was the first to reach Kp9 since 2003 — and this strength also played a part in it being the first of its kind to be named.

These storms usually go by without informal monikers in part because most aren't significant enough to warrant naming.

While the 1859 Carrington Event, thought to be the largest geomagnetic storm ever recorded, was technically the first ever named geomagnetic storm, Storm Gannon is the first to receive a name since scientists began classifying them.

For context, geomagnetic storms are caused by fiery eruptions from the sun's surface that send charged particles zipping toward our planet.

Depending on the intensity and direction of the solar eruption, those particles can lead to powerful auroras taking shape at the polar regions of our planet. When this happens, we witness what we call the Northern and Southern Lights.

But when a very (very) powerful storm occurs, auroras can appear at lower latitudes as well — and Storm Gannon was one of those special cases.

Guhathakurta told Space.com that "one of the most severe storms in geomagnetic history" offered the space weather community the chance to connect to scientists and honor the memory of their colleague.

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"The world lost Jenn on May 2, 2024, and a week later the skies lit up with a breathtaking display of auroras, reaching as far south as Ladakh, India," she wrote.

"This felt more than just a natural phenomenon; it's nature's way of celebrating Jenn's legacy and the immense contributions she made to space weather research."

Storm Gannon became famous among the public as well as scientists because of the spectacular vistas generated across the Earth's surface, overwhelming social media websites with posts streaked with greens, reds and blues and even testing Mexico's electric grid on Mother's Day.

Geomagnetic storms are becoming more frequent because the sun is reaching its solar maximum, a period of heightened solar activity that happens every 23 years.

Strong geomagnetic storms were observed in the 1980s and in 2003, but the prevalence of smartphones means photos of the Northern Lights appearing in unusual places can easily be snapped and uploaded to social media, making the phenomena appear a bit newer than it is.

The name "Storm Gannon" quickly found its way into the scientific literature, too. The White House later used the name in a press briefing discussing the importance of then-President Biden's space weather strategy.

The name "Mother's Day Storm" also appeared, as it was called in Mexico, but quickly gave way in favor of the scientist who studied geomagnetic activity.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) decides the names of terrestrial storms, hurricanes and cyclones — restricting them to a formal list of 21 names that are usually only retired if a storm becomes particularly destructive.

There’s little convention on naming geomagnetic storms, but this instance could be the first of a new tradition led by Gannon’s colleagues at NASA.

"Jenn was a brilliant scientist and a beloved friend and colleague who dedicated her life to understanding geomagnetic storms and their impacts on Earth," wrote Guhathakurta in the dedication.

"She had an unparalleled passion for bridging the gap between scientific discovery and practical applications, and her mentorship inspired countless young scientists, especially women."

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Moon mining machine: Interlune unveils helium-3 harvester prototype

May 19, 2025

We just got our first look at a prototype for a novel moon-mining machine.

"When you're operating equipment on the moon, reliability and performance standards are at a new level," Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of the Seattle-based startup Interlune, said in a May 7 statement.

The machine is designed to churn up 110 tons (100 metric tons) of lunar dirt, or regolith, per hour to harvest helium-3, a potential fuel source for future fusion reactors.

Helium-3 is rare on Earth but is thought to be plentiful on the moon.

"The high-rate excavation needed to harvest helium-3 from the moon in large quantities has never been attempted before, let alone with high efficiency," Gary Lai, Interlune co-founder and chief technology officer, said in the same statement.

Building the prototype fostered a unique partnership between Interlune and Vermeer, a 70-year-old agriculture and industrial equipment manufacturer.

"We've been very pleased with the results of the test program to date and look forward to the next phase of development," Lai added.

Interlune said that excavation is the first step in a planned four-step system to harvest natural resources from space: excavate, sort, extract and separate.

The startup went forward with building the full-scale prototype after successfully testing a smaller version of the machine last year.

As a potential game-changing fuel source that could be used in a range of industries in the future, helium-3 — and getting it from the moon to Earth — has been a hot topic for years, and there have been American, Chinese, and Japanese efforts centered around mining the rare helium isotope.

However, the cost of harvesting helium-3 and then delivering it for use on Earth could make it cost-prohibitive as a fuel source in the immediate future, according to Ian Crawford, professor of planetary science and astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London.

In 2021, Crawford told Space.com that the "enormous amounts of investment and infrastructure necessary for the mining, extraction and transportation of lunar helium-3" means that energy sources here on Earth may be cheaper for a while.

Interlune and Vermeer are part of a larger wave of companies and organizations that are looking to help pave the way for future industries on and around the moon.

For example, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) put forth its 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study in 2023 and selected 14 companies to provide ideas about how to develop a lunar economy.

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/moon-mining-machine-interlune-unveils-helium-3-harvester-prototype-photo

https://www.interlune.space/press-release/space-resources-company-interlune-unveils-full-scale-prototype-of-excavator-for-harvesting-helium-3-from-the-moon

Watch China’s private Ceres-1 rocket launch 4 satellites from a ship at sea

May 19, 2025

The Chinese company Galactic Energy launched its solid-propellant rocket this morning (May 19) from a ship at sea.

The Ceres-1 rocket launched today from the waters off the east coast of China's Shandong Province. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center coordinated the launch, which sent four Tianqi satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).

Liftoff occurred at 3:38 a.m. EDT (0738 GMT; 3:38 p.m. local Beijing time). This was the fifth launch of Ceres-1 from a sea-based platform.

The four Tianqi satellites join a constellation of Internet of Things (IoT) data-connectivity spacecraft operated by the Beijing-based company Guodian Gaoke.

Ceres-1 is a four stage, 66-foot-tall (20 meters) launch vehicle powered by one solid rocket engine on each of its lower three stages and a hydrazine liquid engine on its fourth stage.

While today's launch was the Ceres-1's fifth liftoff at sea, it was the rocket's 20th flight overall. All but one have been successful.

Guodian Gaoke has now launched a total of 41 Tianqi satellites to LEO, completing the company's initial plans for its constellation.

The Tianqi network is designed to provide global data transmission for internet-connected smart devices, for both government and private users.

Galactic Energy has proven a successful company within China's commercial space industry. In addition to the Ceres-1, the company is developing a liquid-propellant launch vehicle, called Pallas-1, which is expected to debut later this year.

As it progresses, the Pallas-1 design will eventually incorporate a recoverable and reusable first stage.

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-chinas-private-ceres-1-rocket-launch-4-satellites-from-a-ship-at-sea-video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nSjmezumYk

SpaceX Starlink Mission

May 20, 2025

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, May 20 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Liftoff is targeted for 11:18 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:26 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

This is the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-15

https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/19/department-of-the-air-force-issues-draft-documents-for-new-spacex-launch-site-at-vandenberg-space-force-base/

Department of the Air Force issues draft documents for new SpaceX launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base

May 19, 2025

SpaceX is moving ahead with expansion plans at Vandenberg Space Force Base that will double its West Coast launch cadence and enable Falcon Heavy rockets to fly from California.

Last week, the Department of the Air Force issued its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which considers proposed modifications from SpaceX to Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg.

At the heart of the request are three key items:

Modifying the pad to support the launches of both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets

Constructing two new landing pads adjacent to SLC-6

Increasing SpaceX’s permitted launch cadence from Vandenberg from 50 launches to 100

The transformation of SLC-6 would include quite a bit of overhaul. Its most recent tenant, United Launch Alliance, previously used it for Delta 4 rockets from 2006 through its final launch in September 2022.

SpaceX received a lease from the Air Force beginning in April 2023. In order to support the launches of its Falcon rockets, SpaceX proposed that it modify the existing horizontal integration facility (HIF), similar to that at Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, along with with adding a transport road to the pad, commodity storage tanks and other ground support equipment.

An alternative would include all over the other provisions, but have SpaceX construct a new 62,000-square-foot HIF to the north of the launch pad.

The ground system overhaul includes 143,000-square-feet of commodity storage for things like liquid oxygen, rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), nitrogen, helium, water and other commodities.

“The Proposed Action is needed to meet current and near-term U.S. Government space launch requirements from the Western Range, specifically for medium and heavy-lift launches to polar, geostationary, and other orbits less reliably available elsewhere, without compromising current launch capabilities,” the summary of the Draft EIS stated.

“The Proposed Action is also needed to expand launch capacity by returning heavy-lift launch capability to the Western Range and to fulfill (in part) 10 USC Section 2276(a), ‘Commercial space launch cooperation.’”

That heavy-lift capability would come, in part, from launches of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket Meanwhile, ULA is currently renovating Space Launch Complex 3 East (SLC-3E) for the use of its Vulcan rocket, which has heavy-lift capability using up to six solid rocket boosters.

The estimated launch cadence between SpaceX’s existing West Coast pad at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) and SLC-6 would be a 70-11 split for Falcon 9 rockets in 2026 with one Falcon Heavy at SLC-6 for a total of 82 launches.

That would increase to a 70-25 Falcon 9 split in 2027 and 2028 with an estimated five Falcon Heavy launches in each of those years.

The proposed ramped-up launch cadence encompasses both SLC-4E and SLC-6. It would also allow for up to 12 landings annually at Landing Zone 4 for years 2025-2028 and up to 12 landings annually at SLC-6 for years 2026-2028.

The two new landing zones at SLC-6 would be 280 feet in diameter with each concrete pad surrounded by a 60-foot gravel apron. The total footprint of the landing site would around 16 acres.

There would also be a 50-foot-wide firebreak south of the landing zones that connects to the existing firebreak at SLC-8, which is used by Northrop Grumman to launch its Minotaur 4 rockets.

As for launch preparations, the proposal would allow for no more than 50 static fire tests between SLC-4E and SLC-6 annually. It would allow for launches from both pads on the same day as well.

A 45-day public review and comment period on the Draft EIS runs from May 23 through July 7. The Final EIS is anticipated to be published in the Fall of 2025 with a Record of Decision potentially issued no earlier than 30 days after the Final EIS is issued.

Click here for information about submitting a comment on the Draft EIS and reviewing the associated documents.

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In crafting the Draft EIS, the Air Force called upon the analysis of a variety of sources, from potential impacts to air and water quality to potential disturbances of sensitive cultural materials.

In a letter to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI), Josh Smallwood, the Vandenberg base archeologist determined that the proposed construction and increase in launch cadence “will have no potential to affect a historic property” as outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act.

Back on Jan. 21, 2025, the SYBCI stated that it had concerns with the proposed action by SpaceX and requested a site visit.

According to the Draft EIS, multiple dates in February were offered, but said despite a follow-up request for a comment and a date for the visit from the Tribe, as of April 30, the Tribe “had not scheduled a site visit or identified any perceived potential effects.”

The amount of water used at SLC-6 would be about 1.5 million gallons for each Falcon Heavy launch. It would require 200,000 gallons per Falcon 9 launch for the deluge system compared to about 70,000 gallons per launch at SLC-4E.

“More water is required at SLC-6 because the existing flame bucket is substantially larger than at SLC-4, thus requiring more water to achieve the same operational objectives in reducing vibration below the vehicle,” the Draft EIS stated.

In its analysis, the Department of the Air Force determined that the level of water use at SLC-6 “would not have detectable impacts on the San Antonio Creek basin” and therefore “not have a significant impact on surface water or groundwater resources.”

It said that SpaceX would also use so-called best management practices that would prevent significant impacts to wetlands.

As for the noise generated by both the launches themselves as well as the sonic booms from land landings of the first stage boosters, the Federal Aviation Administration determined that the maximum estimated C-weighted Day-Night Average Sound Level (CDNL) would be 58.0 dBC, which is below the FAA’s 60 dBC significant impact threshold.

Regarding wildlife impacts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that with continued species monitoring, “modifications to SLC-6 and increased Falcon launches would not be likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a federally listed threatened or endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of federally designated Critical Habitat resources.”

“In addition, these measures would decrease the potential for long-term habitat and species loss, as well as adverse effects on reproductive success, mortality rate, or ability to sustain minimum population levels, such that there would be no significant impact,” the Draft EIS stated.

The document stated that the proposed action’s impacts “may affect, but not likely to adversely affect” Endangered Species Act-listed fish species, sea turtle species and the humpback whale critical habitat.

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Part of SpaceX’s desired to add a new launch site to its three existing pads across California and Florida is to add launch capacity for both commercial and government customers.

That includes 23 missions assigned from the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2, of which 19 are still remaining. SpaceX launched the USSF-67 (Jan. 15, 2023), USSF-124 (Feb. 14, 2024), USSF-62 (Apr. 11, 2024), NROL-69 (Mar. 24, 2025) previously.

The company was also tapped as the Requirement 1 provider for the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contact, which will award about 28 missions to the company from FY25-FY29.

A necessity for this newest contract is bringing online vertical integration from the Eastern Range in Florida. Walt Lauderdale, the Chief of Falcon Systems and Operations within the Launch Execution Division of the Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space told Spaceflight Now back in December 2023 that SpaceX was looking to bring that capability online at Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

“SpaceX, knowing that this is a requirement, had done some preemptive work or some early work several years ago, extended the flame trench at 39 in order to support that capability,” Lauderdale said at the time.

“So, they basically plumbed in the basics where it was smart to do so they were ready to make that capability available for any mission we assign them.”

As of May 2025, vertical integration is not available for customers at LC-39A, like that at ULA’s Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41).

In a written response to questions from Spaceflight Now, Col. Doug Pentecost, the Deputy Program Executive Officer within AATS, clarified the vertical integration requirements from the Phase 2 and Phase 3 contracts.

“The NSSL Phase 2 contract only requires vertical integration on the Eastern Range; none of the missions assigned to SpaceX under the NSSL Phase 2 contract required vertical integration capability and there are no missions under the Phase 3 contract projected to require vertical integration capability on the Western Range (Vandenberg SFB),” Pentecost said. “Vertical integration capability on the Eastern Range (Cape Canaveral SFS or Kennedy Space Center) is a unique mission item on the Phase 3 contract.

“If a launch provider does not have a vertical integration capability certified by 1 October of each order year, then that launch provider would not be eligible to be assigned a mission requiring vertical integration.”

The proposed upgrades at SLC-6 would fulfill one of the requirements of the NSSL Phase 2 contract, which is to to bring Falcon Heavy launch capabilities online at VSFB.

As of now, Pentecost said SpaceX has not been assigned any missions that require a Falcon Heavy launch from the West Coast.

“The first projected opportunity would come in NSSL Phase 3 Order Year 4 (FY28) for a launch in FY30,” he said.

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