NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

May 31, 2025

Afterimage Sunset

On May 7, the Sun setting behind a church bell tower was captured in this filtered and manipulated digital skyscape from Ragusa, Sicily, planet Earth. In this version of the image the colors look bizarre. Still, an intriguing optical illusion known as an afterimage can help you experience the same scene with a more natural looking appearance. To try it, find the sunspots of active region AR4079 grouped near the bottom of the blue solar disk. Relax and stare at the dark sunspot group for about 30 seconds, then close your eyes or shift your gaze to a plain white surface. In a moment an afterimage of the sunset should faintly appear. But the afterimage sunset will have this image's complementary colors and a more normal yellow Sun against a familiar blue sky.

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

2 trailblazing NASA astronauts inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

May 31, 2025 12:35am EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Two pioneering NASA astronauts — Dr. Bernard Harris and Dr. Peggy Whitson — are the newest members of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

What we know:

Dr. Bernard Harris and Dr. Peggy Whitson were officially inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Harris is recognized as the first Black NASA astronaut to perform a spacewalk, while Whitson holds the record for the most cumulative days in space by any woman — 665 in total — along with more than 60 hours of spacewalking experience.

The backstory:

Dr. Harris became an astronaut in 1991 and was inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, which he watched as a child. Dr. Whitson, a biochemist by training, completed three long-term missions aboard the International Space Station and has played a pivotal role in advancing life sciences in microgravity environments.

Both astronauts broke barriers in their respective careers, helping pave the way for broader representation and expanded research in human spaceflight.

What they're saying:

The induction of Harris and Whitson highlights the growing diversity and resilience of NASA’s astronaut corps. Their achievements symbolize historical milestones.

"I’ve been fascinated with science and science fiction since I was a kid," said Dr. Harris. "When I was 13 years old in 1969… I saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon, and I was hooked."

"The thing that has been most important for me was actually challenging myself to do something I wasn’t sure I would be successful at," said Dr. Whitson.

"It showed me I was actually even more capable than I ever imagined."

Whitson also encouraged others to grow through discomfort. "Live a little bit outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself."

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/2-trailblazing-nasa-astronauts-inducted-u-s-astronaut-hall-fame

Week Ends with Vein Scans, Brain Research, and 3D Microscope Test

May 30, 2025

Vein scans and hearing checks were the main human research activities aboard the International Space Station on Friday ensuring the Expedition 73 crew remains healthy.

The orbital residents also tested a 3D microscope and kept up the maintenance of the orbital outpost at the end of the week.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim activated the Ultrasound 2 device inside the Columbus laboratory module and scanned the neck, shoulder, and leg veins of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy.

Afterward, station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) took control of the biomedical activities and scanned the veins of Kim.

Doctors on the ground monitored the downlinked ultrasound imagery in real time gaining insight into the condition of the crew’s cardiovascular system in microgravity.

Kim also took turns with Ryzhikov and Zubritskiy and participated in a computerized hearing exam with remote support from doctors on the ground.

Space station systems run continuously at different volumes and researchers are studying how the orbiting lab’s acoustic environment affects a crew member’s hearing.

NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers worked on a pair of different studies on Friday, first looking at how blood flows from the brain to the heart then demonstrating the operation of an advanced biology microscope.

Ayers began the day attaching sensors to her neck and chest measuring the volume of blood flowing back and forth. Scientists are using the data to test a tool that can check an astronaut’s cardiovascular health in different gravity environments.

Next, Ayers treated samples of deep-sea bacteria that will be viewed inside a holographic, fluorescence imaging microscope.

Known as the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System, or ELVIS, the specialized 3D imaging device could be used to monitor water quality, detect potentially infectious organisms, and study liquid mixtures and microorganisms in space and on Earth.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain spent her day on lab maintenance. She began her shift monitoring the airflow between the modules of the station’s U.S. segment ensuring the operability of the ventilation system.

Next, she verified the functionality of computer tablets that will be used once the private crew of Axiom Mission-4 arrives at the station in June.

At the end of her shift, McClain downloaded data collected from wearable radiation detectors, documented her meals for the day, and swapped drying agents inside a science freezer.

Before his vein scans, Ryzhikov, a three-time station resident, tested communication systems in the Zvezda service module then charged Soyuz spacecraft phone batteries.

Zubritskiy inspected the Zarya module’s power supply system with an infrared camera as part of troubleshooting procedures.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov turned off ultraviolet atmospheric observation gear after an overnight imaging session then inventoried medical hardware in the station’s Roscosmos segment.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/30/week-ends-with-vein-scans-brain-research-and-3d-microscope-test/

Sols 4554–4555: Let’s Try That One Again…

May 30, 2025

Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025

We came in early this morning and learned that part of Tuesday’s plan didn’t execute on Mars due to a temporary issue with the arm.

We collected APXS data on the target “Palo Verde Mountains,” but were not able to take the corresponding MAHLI images or drive away.

So it was a straightforward decision for the planning team today to pick up where we left off yesterday, giving ourselves a second chance to collect the MAHLI observation and then complete the same 29.5-meter drive to the west (about 97 feet) that we had planned on Tuesday.

We love making lemonade from lemons when things don’t go exactly as expected in rover tactical planning, and today was no exception.

Since we’re sticking around for a little bit longer, the science team decided to collect additional mosaics of impressive nearby features, including a 15x2 Mastcam mosaic of the “Mishe Mokwa” hill and an 11x2 Mastcam mosaic of fractures near “Lake Cachuma.”

We’re also having another go at taking the epically long, long-distance RMI mosaic of a crater 91 kilometers away from Curiosity (almost 57 miles) that we planned yesterday, and we’re playing around with the focus settings to see if we can get a sharper image.

The team also had time for a second RMI mosaic of our very well-imaged “Texoli” butte, and a ChemCam LIBS observation on a target named “Santa Monica Bay,” which is just above the “Sisquoc River” target we observed yesterday on the bumpy rock in our workspace.

As usual, we will also continue to monitor the environment around us with REMS, RAD, Navcam, and Mastcam observations.

https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4554-4555-lets-try-that-one-again/

New Data in Action: VIIRS/DNB Imagery May Enhance Space Weather Forecasts

May 30, 2025

A new Data in Action story, VIIRS Day/Night Band Data Augments Aurora Forecast Model Predictions, highlights how Day/Night Band (DNB) imagery can be used to determine whether a source of light is the result of human activity or an effect of naturally-occurring aurorae.

VIIRS DNB imagery is extremely versatile in its applications and helps researchers track urban growth, assess electrification, monitor disasters, and study the biological impacts of light pollution.

However, on nights when an aurora occurs, this natural light can interfere with accurate tracking of anthropogenic light sources.

Conversely, researchers focused on space weather would benefit from characterizing spatially explicit auroral activity.

To solve this problem, a research team created an aurora binary mask of VIIRS DNB observations and used it to flag aurora-contaminated observations in the nighttime lights data products.

This technique may enhance space weather forecast models—and demonstrates yet another useful application of this versatile remote sensing data.

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/new-data-action-viirs-dnb-imagery-may-enhance-space-weather-forecasts

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/data-in-action/viirs-day-night-band-data-augments-aurora-forecast-model-predictions

President Trump Proposes $1 Billion For Private Sector Mars Exploration: Report

May 30, 2025 10:55 PM

In a boost to Tesla Inc. and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Mars ambitions, President Donald Trump is seeking to involve private companies in Mars exploration.

What Happened: The White House’s 2026 budget proposal, unveiled on Friday, includes over $1 billion for Mars initiatives, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The budget outlines the creation of NASA’s Commercial Mars Payload Services Program (CMPS), which would grant contracts to companies working on spacesuits, communication systems, and a human-rated landing vehicle.

This initiative is part of a proposed $18.8 billion NASA budget, representing a 25% reduction from the previous year, significantly impacting the agency’s science portfolio.

The proposal builds on an earlier budget outline and is modelled after NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which has seen mixed success.

SpaceX, led by Musk, is already developing a version of its Starship rocket for moon missions under NASA’s Artemis program.

Jared Isaacman, Trump’s nominee for NASA administrator, indicated that the agency could pursue lunar and Martian missions simultaneously.

However, the proposed cuts to NASA’s science budget have drawn criticism from space industry figures and lawmakers, including former Republican Congressmen Newt Gingrich and Bob Walker.

Why It Matters: The proposed budget shift towards Mars exploration comes amidst significant changes at NASA. Earlier this month, it was reported that NASA is preparing for a $6 billion budget cut.

Meanwhile, SpaceX’s recent Starship test flight faced setbacks, highlighting the challenges in achieving Musk’s ambitious timeline for Mars missions.

Musk has previously suggested that human landings on Mars could begin as early as 2029, though some experts, like former NASA astronaut José Hernández, believe such travel is still 15 years away.

https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/05/45708311/president-trump-proposes-1-billion-for-private-sector-mars-exploration-report

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-30/trump-wants-1-billion-for-private-sector-led-mars-exploration?srnd=homepage-americas

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/appendix_fy2026.pdf

Blue Origin’s New Shepard Completes 32nd Flight, Has Now Flown 64 People to Space

May 31, 2025

Today, Blue Origin successfully completed its 12th human spaceflight and the 32nd flight for the New Shepard program.

The crew included: K-12 STEM teacher Aymette Medina Jorge, radiologist turned explorer Dr. Gretchen Green, former Panamanian ambassador to the United States Jaime Alemán, businessman Jesse Williams, aerospace executive Mark Rocket, and entrepreneur Paul Jeris.

Including today’s crew, New Shepard has now flown 64 people into space—including four who have flown twice—among them scientific researchers, educators, physicians, explorers, and entrepreneurs.

“We thank our customers for trusting us to give them the opportunity to appreciate Earth’s fragility from above, an experience that truly transforms those who embark on it,” said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard.

“We look forward to seeing what our remarkable crew will do with this experience. I am proud of our team’s dedication in making these moments possible.”

Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is Blue Origin’s fully reusable, autonomous suborbital rocket system built to fly humans and scientific payloads to space.

The rocket is powered by one BE-3PM engine, which is fueled by a highly efficient and clean combination of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

During flight, the only byproduct of New Shepard’s engine combustion is water vapor, with no carbon emissions.

https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-32-mission

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNfUra5FBaA