TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
June 17, 2025
Rosette Nebula Deep Field
Can you find the Rosette Nebula? The red flowery-looking nebula just above the image center may seem a good choice, but that's not it. The famous Rosette Nebula is really located on the lower right, here colored blue and white, and connected to the other nebulas by gold-colored filaments. Because the featured image of Rosette's field is so wide, and because of its deep red exposure, it seems to contain other flowers. Designated NGC 2237, the center of the Rosette Nebula is populated by the bright blue stars of open cluster NGC 2244, whose winds and energetic light are evacuating the nebula's center. The Rosette Nebula is about 5,000 light years distant and, just by itself, spans about three times the diameter of a full moon. This flowery field can be found toward the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros).
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Hubble Studies a Spiral’s Supernova Scene
Jun 16, 2025
This serene spiral galaxy hides a cataclysmic past. The galaxy IC 758, shown in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image, is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Hubble captured this image in 2023. IC 758 appears peaceful, with its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred center.
However, in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy. The supernova SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun.
Researchers do not know exactly how massive this star was before it exploded, but will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighborhood.
These measurements will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion, which would provide additional clues about the star’s life and death.
A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star — it’s also a powerful force that can shape its neighborhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, its outer layers rebound off its shrunken core.
The explosion stirs the interstellar soup of gas and dust out of which new stars form. This interstellar shakeup can scatter and heat nearby gas clouds, preventing new stars from forming, or it can compress them, creating a burst of new star formation.
The cast-off layers enrich the interstellar medium, from which new stars form, with heavy elements manufactured in the core of the supernova.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/hubble-studies-a-spirals-supernova-scene/
Science Maintenance and Window Inspections Kick Off Week
June 16, 2025
Science maintenance supporting physics research gear and window inspections kicked off the beginning of the week for the seven-member Expedition 73 crew living and working aboard the International Space Station.
Meanwhile, NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are reviewing launch opportunities no earlier than Thursday, June 19, for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.
A fluid physics study on the orbital outpost is testing computer models that may predict the behavior of high-concentration protein fluids in microgravity.
NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers swapped syringes containing protein samples and installed test cells inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox.
The hydrodynamics investigation explores using surface tension to contain liquids and study proteins without contacting solid walls. Results may benefit pharmaceutical manufacturing and 3D printing techniques on and off the Earth.
NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim began his shift opening up the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) and removing a sample cartridge from the physics research rack.
The MSL located, in the Destiny laboratory module, uses two different furnaces operating one at a time to discover new applications for existing materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and new or improved materials.
Kim later installed tags throughout the station testing their use for a radio frequency identification system that may improve inventory management in space.
NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain started her day with a cognition test to understand how her brain function and structure is adapting to weightlessness.
Next, she jogged on a treadmill as a heart rate monitor measured her cardiac activity. At the end of her shift, McClain inspected and photographed the condition of windows inside Destiny.
Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) also inspected and cleaned windows spending his day inside the Kibo laboratory module.
He first opened up Kibo’s multipurpose small payload rack where the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace is located and cleaned glass windows on the research device’s sample cartridges.
The ELF uses containerless processing techniques to observe the thermophysical properties of material samples exposed to high temperatures in microgravity.
Next, he inspected and photographed the condition of Kibo’s internal and external windowpanes during nighttime orbital passes for clearer imagery.
Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy joined each other at the beginning of their shift attaching acoustic sensors to their necks measuring the sound as they exhaled rapidly for a respiratory study.
The duo then split up and inventoried hardware and searched for extra stowage space inside the Zvezda service module.
Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov spent his day servicing a variety of computer hardware and life support gear before pointing his camera toward Earth and photographing the mountainous area of North America near the Pacific coast.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/16/science-maintenance-and-window-inspections-kick-off-week/
NASA Seeks Commercial Feedback on Space Communication Solutions
Jun 16, 2025
NASA is seeking information from U.S. and international companies about Earth proximity relay communication and navigation capabilities as the agency aims to use private industry satellite communications services for emerging agency science missions.
“As part of NASA’s Communications Services Project, the agency is working with private industry to solve challenges for future exploration,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s SCaN Program.
“Through this effort, NASA missions will have a greater ability to command spacecraft, resolve issues in flight, and bring home more data and scientific discoveries collected across the solar system.”
In November 2024, NASA announced the TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite) system, the agency’s network of satellites relaying communications from the International Space Station, ground controls on Earth, and spacecraft, will support only existing missions.
NASA, as one of many customers, will obtain commercial satellite services rather than owning and operating a replacement for the existing satellite system.
As NASA transitions to commercial relay services, the agency will leverage commercial capabilities to ensure support for future missions and stimulate private investment into the Earth proximity region.
Commercial service offerings could become available to NASA missions as early as 2028 and will continue to be demonstrated and validated through 2031.
NASA’s SCaN issued a Request for Information on May 30. Responses are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 11.
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/nasa-seeks-commercial-feedback-on-space-communication-solutions/
https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions/communications-services-project/
NASA’s TRACERS Spacecraft Arrive at Launch Site
June 17, 2025
NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) twin spacecraft have completed the final pre-shipment tests and have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in preparations for launch later this year.
The TRACERS mission will study how the solar wind, the continuous stream of ionized particles escaping the Sun and pouring out into space, interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, the region around Earth dominated by our planet’s magnetic field.
Understanding this region and space weather patterns is paramount in our increasingly technologically driven society, as space weather events can affect our power grids and communications satellites, and create potentially hazardous conditions for astronauts.
When the solar wind first meets Earth’s magnetosphere, an explosive event called magnetic reconnection occurs.
A reconnection event can shoot solar wind particles, normally diverted around our planet, directly into our atmosphere at high speeds.
These particles provide the power that ignites the beautiful northern and southern lights, known as auroras, and help drive space weather on Earth.
After Millennium Space Systems built the two spacecraft, the team integrated the instruments, and the spacecraft passed several rigorous environmental, mechanical, and systems verification tests.
These tests are to ensure the mission is fully prepared for space, with additional pre-launch tests planned to validate final readiness.
The TRACERS’ twin satellites will fly in tandem — one behind the other — through the polar cusps, funnel-shaped regions where Earth’s magnetic field opens over the north and south poles.
This will allow scientists to observe how quickly reconnection changes and evolves by comparing data collected by each satellite.
Now at Vandenberg, technicians will integrate the TRACERS spacecraft with the launch vehicle, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and conduct final preparations for launch.
The launch window is set to open no earlier than summer 2025 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The TRACERS mission is led and managed by David Miles at the University of Iowa with support from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
NASA’s Heliophysics Explorers Program Office at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides mission oversight to the project for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the agency’s VADR (Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) contract.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/tracers/2025/06/17/nasas-tracers-spacecraft-arrive-at-launch-site/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/tracers/
NASA’s Lunar Rescue System Challenge Supports Astronaut Safety
Jun 17, 2025
NASA is preparing to make history by sending humans to the Moon’s South Pole. There, astronauts will conduct moonwalks for exploration, science experiments, and prepare humanity for the journey to Mars.
Missions of this scale require extensive planning, especially when accounting for emergency scenarios such as a crew member becoming incapacitated.
To address this critical risk, the South Pole Safety Challenge invited the public to develop a compact, effective device capable of safely rescuing astronauts during emergency situations on the Moon’s surface.
Given the harsh and unpredictable conditions of the lunar South Pole, the rescue system must be lightweight, easy to use, and able to transport an incapacitated crew member weighing approximately 755 lbs. (343 kg), representing the crew member and their suit, without the help of the lunar rover.
It must also be capable of covering up to 1.24 miles (2 kilometers) across slopes as steep as 20 degrees.
“The initiative saved the government an estimated $1,000,000 and more than three years of work had the solutions been produced using in-house existing resources,” said Ryon Stewart, acting Program Manager of NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation.
“The effort demonstrated how crowdsourcing provides NASA with a wide diversity of innovative ideas and skills.”
The global challenge received 385 unique ideas from 61 countries. Five standout solutions received a share of the $45,000 prize purse.
Each of the selected solutions demonstrated creativity, practicality, and direct relevance to NASA’s needs for future Moon missions.
First Place: VERTEX by Hugo Shelley – A self-deploying four-wheeled motorized stretcher that converts from a compact cylinder into a frame that securely encases an immobilized crew member for transport up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).
Second Place: MoonWheel by Chamara Mahesh – A foldable manual trolley designed for challenging terrain and rapid deployment by an individual astronaut.
Third Place: Portable Foldable Compact Emergency Stretcher by Sbarellati team – A foldable stretcher compatible with NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity spacesuit.
Third Place: Advanced Surface Transport for Rescue (ASTRA) by Pierre-Alexandre Aubé – A collapsible three-wheeled device with a 1.2 mile (2 kilometer) range.
Third Place: Getting Rick to Roll! by InventorParents – A rapidly deployable, tool-free design suited for functionality in low gravity settings.
NASA is identifying how to integrate some features of the winning ideas into current and future mission designs. Most intriguing are the collapsible concepts of many of the designs that would save crucial mass and volume.
Additionally, the submissions offered innovative wheel designs to enhance current concepts. NASA expects to incorporate some features into planning for surface operations of the Moon.
HeroX hosted the challenge on behalf of NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program.
The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate, managed the challenge.
The program supports global public competitions and crowdsourcing as tools to advance NASA research and development and other mission needs.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/prizes-challenges-crowdsourcing-program/center-of-excellence-for-collaborative-innovation-coeci/coeci-news/nasas-lunar-rescue-system-challenge-supports-astronaut-safety/
https://www.herox.com/NASASouthPoleSafety/teams
https://www.nasa.gov/get-involved/
https://zeenews.india.com/world/nasa-investigates-spreading-south-atlantic-anomaly-what-s-causing-this-mysterious-magnetic-weak-spot-on-earth-2917455.html
Is Earth Disintegrating From Within? Massive Anomaly Over South America Alarms NASA
Updated: Jun 17, 2025, 07:36 PM IST
Fresh whispers of doomsday are echoing louder, this time, not from myth, but from reality. As violent climate shifts unsettle the planet, scientists are now sounding the alarm over a bizarre and rapidly expanding magnetic anomaly deep beneath South America.
NASA is watching closely, and no, this isn’t a sci-fi script. The Earth’s protective shield is weakening in this mysterious zone, and what lies beneath may be more dangerous than we can imagine.
Known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), this weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field is spreading, disrupting satellites, and sparking curiosity (and concern) among scientists around the globe.
While it might sound like a plot twist in a disaster film, this phenomenon is real, and its implications are serious, especially for our satellites, space missions, and understanding of the Earth's inner dynamics.
What Is the South Atlantic Anomaly?
The South Atlantic Anomaly is a large region over South America and the South Atlantic Ocean where Earth's magnetic field is significantly weaker than usual.
This weakened zone allows more solar radiation to get closer to the Earth's surface, increasing the risk to satellites and spacecraft.
NASA scientists have been closely monitoring this anomaly as it continues to grow, drift northwest, and even shows signs of splitting into two separate magnetic low zones, a highly unusual development.
Why Is NASA So Concerned?
Normally, Earth’s magnetic field acts like a shield, protecting us from harmful cosmic rays and solar particles. But in the SAA region, that shield is weaker, like a hole in a force field. As satellites pass through, they are exposed to more radiation, which can lead to:
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Temporary malfunctions
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Data corruption
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System glitches
And in worst cases, permanent damage to critical electronics.
Even the International Space Station (ISS) is affected. While astronauts are safe inside, instruments outside the ISS experience glitches that cause data loss.
The GEDI instrument onboard has had to reset multiple times because of exposure to this anomaly.
What’s Causing This Anomaly?
The roots of this mysterious phenomenon lie deep within Earth’s core, where molten iron and nickel generate our planet’s magnetic field, a process known as the geodynamo. But this system isn’t perfect. Over South America, two factors disrupt the usual flow:
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Tilted magnetic axis compared to Earth’s spin
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Presence of a massive underground structure called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, sitting 1,800 miles below Africa
Together, they cause a local weakening of the magnetic field, like a mini magnetic reversal in a specific zone.
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It’s Not Just Static, It’s Evolving
One of the most worrying parts? The SAA is not staying still.
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It’s growing in size
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Drifting westward
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Splitting into two lobes since 2020
This double-lobe formation means more risk zones for satellites. Predicting how it will behave next has become harder, pushing scientists to improve monitoring using data from missions like ESA’s Swarm and NASA’s older SAMPEX mission.
Could This Be a Sign of Magnetic Pole Reversal?
Let’s clear this up: No, scientists say this is not a sign of an upcoming magnetic pole reversal, a rare process where the Earth’s north and south magnetic poles flip.
Those flips take thousands of years and leave geological evidence, and this anomaly, while strange, isn’t that extreme (yet).
Still, it reminds us that Earth’s magnetic field is dynamic, and we’re still learning just how unpredictable it can be.
What Is NASA Doing About It?
NASA is using advanced tools and simulations to track the anomaly. They combine real-time data from satellites with computer models of Earth’s magnetic core, just like weather forecasting, but for magnetism.
One key tool is the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), which helps scientists predict how the field will evolve.
This helps space agencies:
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Plan safe satellite routes
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Design better shielding for spacecraft
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Update navigation systems that rely on magnetic accuracy
Why You Should Care
While the SAA won’t affect your daily life (yet), its growing influence is a big deal for space tech and global communications.
From GPS accuracy to telecommunications and climate monitoring, many systems depend on stable satellite operations. Any disruption from increased radiation exposure could lead to global-level technological hiccups.
It’s also a reminder that the Earth isn’t as stable as it seems, and that we’re still discovering how our planet works from the inside out.
A Glimpse Beneath Our Feet
The South Atlantic Anomaly is a window into Earth's mysterious inner workings, a strange and still-unfolding tale of deep-core dynamics, magnetic mysteries, and modern technology at risk.
NASA’s ongoing research helps not only protect our satellites but also decode the ancient and powerful forces shaping our world.
Whether or not this anomaly grows into something more serious, it proves that even in the age of AI and quantum computing, nature still has a few tricks up its sleeve.
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https://inbetweendrafts.com/sally-review-documentary-sally-ride/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31193771/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67rl6MNGe0
‘Sally’ review: The life of a NASA legend
June 17, 2025
National Geographic’s Sally takes a deeper look at the historic accomplishments and hardship in the life of astronaut Sally Ride.
Throughout history there are people that become famous for doing something so extraordinary that people can’t stop talking about it. In 1983, Sally Ride boarded the Challenger to become the first American female to go to space.
To the world she was a trailblazer who broke through the glass ceiling at NASA, but to those closest to Ride they just saw the unstoppable human being that they all knew and loved that was on a mission to show the world that this shouldn’t be as uncommon as they were making it out to be.
In National Geographic’s latest documentary Sally, we get to see that side of the astronaut that not many knew of and learn about what was happening in her life surrounding the events of her historic flight.
Directed by Cristina Costantini (Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful), this documentary explores the early life of Ride and focuses on her relationships over the years while she slowly became the most talked about person in the world in the early 1980’s.
We see Ride as an athletic teenager who loved to play tennis and was a curious, determined student. She had a strong desire to be a professional tennis player until she started college, where she discovered her love of physics.
She ended up at Stanford University and continued to follow her newfound passion for physics and science until she saw an ad stating that NASA was looking for female astronauts for the first time ever.
Even though Sally’s rise to fame took place in the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s, her story and her commentary of what happened feel like they’re set in present day.
Throughout the documentary, Ride is spoken down to by the men at NASA, spoken to like she’s not capable of being emotionally strong enough by the press, and constantly told how amazing it is that a woman is going to space.
To her, it wasn’t a good thing that the world was so amazed and shocked by the idea of her being an astronaut.
Sally proves repeatedly how capable (or more capable in most cases) she is compared to her male counterparts and is still treated as less than the male astronauts.
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What surprising about this documentary is how dark and sad it gets. Ride was part of a graduating class from NASA; part of which she served with on the Challenger’s first mission, the other half of the group being the astronauts who tragically lost their lives in the second Challenger’s accident in 1986.
This broke Ride, causing her to step away from NASA and join the investigative committee looking into NASA to find out what went wrong. Shortly after, the doc covers her tragic battle with cancer.
After seeing Ride’s tenacity and athleticism throughout her whole life and career, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see her slowly lose that.
However, the most tragic part of Ride’s story was what this documentary was really about.When she was young and in her tennis playing years, Ride met the person who would end up being the most important person in the world to her; author Tam O’Shaughnessy.
The two became friends and stayed in touch through college and through the height of Ride’s NASA journey. Due to the notion of two people of the same sex in love being too much for most of the world to handle at the time, Ride and O’Shaughnessy remained friends.
They both married men and blended into the rest of society, but they could both tell that they were more than just friends.
No matter how much they wanted to show the world their love, they were constantly reminded that the world was not ready to accept them. Sally uses tennis legend Billie Jean King explaining her sexuality causing her to lose everything as an example.
Of all her accomplishments, both personally and professionally, the world didn’t find out her most personal one until they read her obituary which revealed that O’Shaughnessy and Ride were together for decades.
The pain of losing her friends on the Challenger was hard enough, but the fact that she couldn’t share her true love with the world due to the high probability of her losing everything she had accomplished is the most tragic part of her story.
The bottom line.
Going into this documentary, I knew next to nothing about Sally Ride (I had only heard her name in the game The Last of Us being admired by Ellie). I was very much engaged in the story and I loved how Sally was put together.
The mix of archival footage, reenactments, and interviews with Ride and O’Shaughnessy were so beneficial to the story.
The decision to focus on the human being instead of her achievements in NASA was a brilliant decision by the director and made the documentary so much more impactful.
This is the kind of documentary that makes the subject someone that kids and young adults can strive to be like and be inspired by instead of just recounting a time in history.
Sally screened as part of the Provincetown Film Festival and is now streaming on Disney+.
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Orion Space Solutions Prepares for Historical VLEO DARPA Ouija Program Mission Launch
Jun 17, 2025, 9:45 AM ET
Orion Space Solutions (Orion), a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield announced the successful completion of a test readiness review (TRR) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Ouija program very low Earth orbit (VLEO) mission, slated for launch in late summer 2025.
The Ouija program, initiated in 2022, will mark a significant milestone in space exploration and data collection.
The Ouija nanosatellite, designed for long-duration operations in VLEO, will carry a comprehensive suite of ionospheric and high-frequency (HF) sensors and instruments.
These include Langmuir Probes, RF Impedance Probes, HF Sounders, Atomic Oxygen Sensors, Science Magnetometers, Floating Potential Probes and Accelerometers.
The mission aims to quantify the HF noise environment in space, gather unprecedented data from the F2 layer of the ionosphere, and validate near real-time HF propagation predictions.
The recent successful system TRR presented by the Orion team marks a major milestone, verifying the readiness of the Ouija nanosatellite space vehicle for the demanding conditions of VLEO.
During the TRR, the Orion team presented the status of the assembly and test of the space vehicle, and the plan and preparations to conduct system-level environmental test and calibration prior to launch.
"The successful completion of the TRR is a testament to our team's dedication and expertise," said Chad Fish, president and general manager, Orion.
"This milestone brings us one step closer to revolutionizing our understanding of the ionosphere and HF propagation. We're excited to lead this groundbreaking mission that will push the boundaries of space exploration and data collection in VLEO."
The Orion-led team, supported by partners including STR, Skeyeon, Utah State University, MMA, Benchmark, Redwire, Raytheon BCT and the University of Alaska will now focus on final preparations for space vehicle launch.
"The Ouija program represents a significant leap forward in space technology and scientific research," said Kevin Kelly, chairman and CEO, Arcfield.
"We're proud to support this innovative VLEO mission which underscores our commitment to advancing space capabilities and strengthening our nation's technological edge."
Distribution Statement "A" (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)
About Orion Space Solutions, an Arcfield Company
Orion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, was born from the vision to apply fundamental space physics knowledge to real-world problems.
A leader in the small satellite industry, Orion leverages scientific and engineering expertise to develop unique solutions to address complex space-based challenges to turn science into data and data into knowledge.
https://www.fox44news.com/business/press-releases/cision/20250617PH12042/orion-space-solutions-prepares-for-historical-vleo-darpa-ouija-program-mission-launch/
https://orion.arcfield.com/
https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/usa/2025/06/nasas-exploration-park-launches-new-era-for-johnson-space-center
NASA’s Exploration Park launches new era for Johnson Space Center
June 17, 2025
The significance of Exploration Park, NASA’s new 240-acre development near the Johnson Space Center (JSC) cannot be understated.
The JSC has played a historic role in the Space Station’s conception and launch. The JSC intends to play a critical role in the future of human spaceflight as the home of astronaut training, and NASA’s Orion spacecraft and lunar-orbiting Gateway outpost programs.
Both programs help make up NASA’s Artemis program, an agency-wide effort to return astronauts to the moon within five years which will eventually extend to Mars.
However, with the retirement of the International Space Station scheduled for 2030, Exploration Park has its own mission to help the JCS and the State of Texas continue their central roles in the development of future commercial spaceflight.
To this end, the Texas State Legislature approved $350 million in funding in 2023 for the formation of the Texas Space Commission and the Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium in order to develop a strategic plan for Texas’s economic growth in the industry.
“Exploration Park aims to foster research, technology transfer and a sustainable pipeline of career development for the Artemis Generation and Texas workers transitioning to the space economy,” NASA says.
“The park represents a key achievement of Johnson’s 2024 Dare Unite Explore commitments, emphasizing its role as the hub of human spaceflight, developing strategic partnerships and paving the way for a thriving space economy.”
Two tenants have already signed leases at Exploration Park: the Texas A&M University Space Institute and the Austin-based American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) Space Systems Campus.
Texas A&M broke ground on its Space Institute in mid-November 2024 on 32-acres of leased land, with Houston-based Energy Architecture and Vaughn Construction named as architect and contractor respectively.
The state is putting $200 million towards the institute as part of its $350 million funding. The remaining $150 million of the state’s funding will be available to corporate applicants under the new Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund.
Two vehicle testing beds are included in A&M’s 400,000-square-foot, three-storey building, one simulating the moon’s surface and the other simulating that of Mars.
Each of these beds are larger than a football field and can be customized to resemble specific landing sites, craters or other lunar and Martian features based on images sent by previous exploration missions.
The second floor will house a viewing deck for the test beds, conference rooms and planned exhibits of historic space artifacts, several facility offices and 18 project rooms for lab testing purposes. On the third floor will be an auditorium for speaking events.
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ACMI’s Space Systems Campus takes up the remaining 207 acres of leased land at Exploration Park.
ACMI will create a 1.5-million-square-foot, purpose-built commercial space innovation hub and has selected Houston-based real estate investment firm Griffin Partners as co-developer. Gensler has been named the design firm and Walter P Moore the civil engineer.
ACMI intends to build up to 22 build-to-suit facilities, ranging from 15,000 to 500,000 square feet with 24 to 30 feet of clear height for research and development, laboratories, clean rooms, offices, light assembly and manufacturing.
U.K.-based Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) was named ACMI’s leasing partner in early 2024 and will oversee leasing of the buildings and properties.
It is expected future tenants of ACMI’s Space Systems Campus will include international and academic partners, plus companies working on projects relevant to JSC’s development goals, such as vehicles and installations on the moon’s surface.
Simon Shewmaker, head of development at ACMI Properties, expressed excitement concerning the type of businesses that might be attracted to the ACMI property at Exploration Park.
“As the number of people visiting, working and living in space grows, much of the essential technology to enable that exploration and commerce will be born out of companies located at Exploration Park.
We are seeing a cascade of tenancy interest from companies and are thrilled to be working alongside Griffin Partners and leading architecture and engineering firms to bring the project to life.”
Waypoint 2 Space, under license with the FAA to provide astronaut training, is also considering building a 35,000-square-foot training facility at Exploration Park, to be called the Space Experience Center.
Waypoint 2’s president and CEO Kevin Heath told local media the Space Experience Center would offer experiences for the general public to enjoy.
“Maybe they don’t want to go to space, but they think it’d be kind of cool to know what it feels like, being in a space suit or a spacewalk or a launch and re-entry.”
NASA’s Exploration Park plays into the larger Texas strategy to develop new infrastructure for America’s space industry.
About 10 miles away, the commercially-operated Spaceport is currently home to companies such as Intuitive Machines, Axiom Space and Venus Aerospace.
Representatives for Spaceport acknowledge Exploration Park will incentivize Spaceport to adapt itself in order to continue its growth, saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats in the Houston area.”
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Saudi Arabia marks 40 years since Prince Sultan bin Salman’s historic space mission
June 17, 2025
Saudi Arabia today commemorated the 40th anniversary of Prince Sultan bin Salman’s landmark journey aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery, a milestone that marked the first time an Arab, Muslim, and royal family member ventured into space.
On June 17, 1985, Prince Sultan, then a 28-year-old Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, joined the international crew of the STS-51-G mission as a payload specialist.
The seven-day mission saw the successful deployment of the Arabsat-1B satellite, a significant achievement for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT) and the wider Arab world.
During the mission, which completed 111 orbits of Earth, Prince Sultan conducted scientific experiments, including studying the interaction of oil and water in microgravity, and became the first person to read the holy Qur’an in space — a moment that resonated deeply across the Muslim world.
“Prince Sultan’s mission was more than a historic achievement; it set the stage for what has become a shining example of what the future holds for the Arab world,” said Lisa La Bonte, CEO of TSEC and a pioneer in the MENA space education sector.
“His legacy drives the kingdom’s — and the region’s — space ambitions, fostering innovation and supporting economic initiatives like Vision 2030.”
Saudi Arabia’s first ‘najmonaut’
Prince Sultan’s achievement has become a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to scientific advancement and its leadership in the region’s emerging space sector.
Often referred to as the first “najmonaut” (Arab astronaut), his legacy continues to inspire new generations of explorers and innovators.
“Seeing Earth from space gave me a new perspective on our shared humanity,” Prince Sultan reflected. “It’s a reminder that our ambitions must always serve the greater good, pushing technology and knowledge to improve life on our planet.”
The 40th anniversary serves as both a celebration of past achievement and a reaffirmation of the kingdom’s long-term vision for space exploration and technological progress.
https://gulfbusiness.com/saudi-arabia-marks-40year-anniv-of-1st-najmonaut/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14816379/Conspiracy-theories-China-space-station.html
Conspiracy theories ignite online as China posts a video of a glass of water on the Tiangong Space Station - as sceptics claim it seems 'fully subjected to gravity'
Updated: 08:36 EDT, 16 June 2025
From the moon landings to Katy Perry's trip to space, conspiracy theorists are obsessed with proving that humans have never really left the planet.
Now, internet-dwelling theorists have latched on to a strange new video which shows a glass of water on China's Tiangong Space Station.
In the video, an open glass of water appears to stand, undisturbed, on a table - despite the microgravity environment.
The clip has sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzy, with one claiming that the glass seemed to be 'fully subjected to gravity'.
Social media users' suspicions stem from the fact that videos from space typically show water floating freely in spheres rather than inside containers.
This has led many people to assume that water could not possibly stay inside an open container outside of Earth's gravitational pull.
On X, one confused commenter wrote: 'Call me crazy but if I was orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph in Zero Gravity surrounded by complex computers…I probably wouldn't risk an unconcealed glass of water resting on the table.'
Despite the widespread histeria, there's a simple explanation for the glass of water. Despite their beliefs that humans have not been to space, many conspiracy theorists were certain they knew what would happen to an open glass of water in microgravity.
'The water wouldn't stay in the glass. It would be floating,' one user claimed.
Another wrote: 'The water wouldn't stay in the glass. It would be floating.'
And one added: 'That water should be floating around like bubbles.'
For many social media users, this led to the conclusion that the video must have been filmed within the pull of Earth's gravity rather than out in orbit.
'Apparently they are not in zero gravity as water stays in the glass,' one commenter wrote.
Another chimed in: 'Yep, it's fake. They are not in zero gravity. One asked: 'So, they're not in space?'
The situation was not helped when Elon Musk's AI, Grok, started to offer misleading information in response to user's questioning.
In one response the AI declared: 'Yes, water would float out of a glass in a space station due to microgravity.'
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Meanwhile, other commenters were launched even deeper into the world of conspiracy theories as they puzzled over why the astronauts might not really be in space.
A commenter fumed: 'This is ridiculous. The water wouldn't stay in the glass. Why do they insist in surrounding us in a sea of lies?'
Another wrote: 'They are not in zero G it's an act. They are walking on an uneven surface to create a slight floating effect by they are still grounded.'
And one conspiratorially-minded commenter added: 'At this stage I think they are doing it on purpose, to wake people up. You can't tell them, you have to show them.'
However, there is a rational explanation for everything that can be seen in the video.
The most important thing to note is that this is exactly how an open glass of water in microgravity should behave.
Jordan Bimm, a postdoctoral researcher and space historian at the University of Chicago, told AP: 'Water molecules like to stick to glass and also to other water molecules more than they like to disperse in the air.
'So if there is no external force, water remains in "clumps" in the weightless environment, and in this case inside the glass.'
Water is made of slightly positive hydrogen atoms and slightly negative oxygen atoms, which pull towards each other like opposite ends of a magnet.
This gives water a very strong surface tension which makes it stick to the surface and hold its shape despite outside forces.
Mr Bimm adds that this 'also works to help maintain the static shape and presents the illusion of how water would act on the ground.'
So, when you place water inside a glass in zero gravity it will stick to the inside walls and look just like it would on Earth.
In fact, as European Space Agency (ESA) Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrated in a video, it can be almost impossible to get water out of an open container in microgravity.
This is why astronauts need to use squeezable bags and straws to drink.
As for why there would be an open glass of water on Tiangong despite the apparent safety risk, this is clear from the context of the video.
As the video clearly shows, this clip has been taken from a broadcast called 'Tiangong class' - a project in which Chinese taikonauts demonstrate science experiments to children back on Earth.
As the full broadcast reveals, this glass was being used in a demonstration to show how buoyancy works differently in space by suspending a ping-pong ball in water.
A separate video posted to the Chinese social media platform Weibo, shows one of the astronauts painstakingly filling the glass using a straw before carefully setting it on the table with velcro.
These details were not lost on some astute commenters, with one writing: 'That's called physics and that's surface tension that allows the water to stay as it is in the glass, the glass itself is fixed in place.
Another joked: 'It's not like you couldn't just spend five minutes researching this stuff.'
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Portal Space Systems plans to put spacecraft manufacturing facility near Seattle-area hub
June 17, 2025 at 2:20 am
Portal Space Systems says it’s setting up its 50,000-square-foot spacecraft manufacturing facility just 3 miles away from its existing design and testing hub in Bothell, Wash.
By the end of 2026, the factory should be ready to produce Portal’s Supernova space vehicles, which are being designed to use an innovative solar thermal propulsion system to maneuver payloads between orbital locations.
“With growing demand from both our commercial and defense partners, this new facility marks the next strategic step in Portal’s evolution,” Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg said today, in a news release that was issued in conjunction with the Paris Air Show.
“By expanding our footprint in Bothell, we’re doubling down on local talent, proximity to core operations, and a growing aerospace ecosystem supported by state leadership.”
Today’s announcement builds on other recent signs of Portal’s progress, including the closing of a $17.5 million seed funding round and the announcement of an on-orbit demonstration mission that’s due to ride aboard Momentus’ Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle in 2026.
Portal said the newly announced facility will become the principal site for activities including manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing, research and development, and advanced engineering.
The facility is expected to add more than 100 new jobs in the region over the next two to three years. By 2027, Portal plans to produce one Supernova per month.
Supernova’s sun-powered propulsion system is meant to provide the capability for rapid orbital adjustments. That capability is becoming increasingly important for a couple of reasons.
One reason has to do with the need for more responsive space traffic management, due to the growing number of commercial satellites in low Earth orbit.
The other has to do with the Pentagon’s need to respond rapidly to potential space-based threats from rivals such as China and Russia.
Last year, Portal won $45 million in financial support for Supernova’s development through SpaceWERX’s STRATFI program — a public-private initiative aimed at facilitating the delivery of strategic capabilities for the U.S. Space Force.
https://www.geekwire.com/2025/portal-space-systems-factory-bothell/
https://www.portalsystems.space/press-release
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUfew_MX-so
Sally Ride's diaries among auction of first US woman in space estate
June 16, 2025
Items that belonged to America's first woman to fly into space are being sold to the public for the first time.
Los Angeles-based Nate D. Sanders Auctions has announced its sale of the Sally Ride Estate Collection, an offering of more than 50 lots of historical artifacts and related memorabilia closing for bids on June 26, 2025 — 42 years and two days after Ride landed from space.
"Spanning her NASA career and private life, this auction is the first time any items owned by Sally Ride have been made available for sale," reads Sanders' website.
Ride, who died in 2012, was chosen with the first class of American astronauts to include women and minorities in 1978.
The auction includes Ride's "TFNG" (or "Thirty-Five New Guys") astronaut group t-shirts, as well as the correspondence she received from NASA confirming the receipt of her application to become an astronaut, the scheduling of her candidate interviews and her formal acceptance into the corps.
"I congratulate you on having been selected for the astronaut candidate program," wrote Jack Lister, NASA personnel officer, in the Jan. 16, 1978 Western Union Mailgram sent to Ride.
"You are scheduled to report for duty at the Johnson Space Center on July 10, 1978." The letter also stipulates Ride's salary as a GS-12 civil servant will be $21,883.
The auction includes Ride's temporary access badge and one of her ID badges issued to her by the Johnson Space Center.
Ride's first mission on the space shuttle Challenger, STS-7, lifted off on June 18, 1983. The auction offers Ride's documents preparing her for her first countdown, including schedules beginning three days before the launch.
Another lot offers Ride's left over invitations to the STS-7 launch, as well as the crew's pre-launch party for their friends and family on the eve of the flight.
Ride's personal items flown on board Challenger included a number of silver medallions, called "Robbins medals" after the company that minted them.
The auction has six of these flown medallions, as well as similar medals from her second space shuttle mission, STS-41G, and other missions (including one flown on Apollo 11, the first mission to land humans on the moon, in 1969).
Ride wrote about her second spaceflight in October 1984 as it happened in two diaries listed as one lot in the Sanders sale. One book details her experiences leading up to launch day and the second includes her notes on what happened during the 8-day flight.
"Once in flight, Ride explains how the astronauts disposed of all manner of their trash, where they stowed various items as they unpacked, etc.
She lists the food she thought was good — the shrimp cocktail, mac and cheese, cookies and vegetables, and also a shorter list of food she deemed 'not good' including cereal, canned tuna and instant breakfast; noting that she didn't eat the foil meats.
She writes that the astronauts ate their meals together: 'a little hard to find appropriate time, but made prep and cleanup easier,'" reads the lot's description.
The diary also share anecdotes about her crewmates and an expansive section on observing Earth from orbit.
Other highlights from Ride's estate include two blue flight suits and a NASA "chase team" flight jacket; Ride's personal copy of the Rogers Commission report on the 1986 loss of space shuttle Challenger (Ride was a member of the panel); stamps from Ride and her partner Tam O'Shaughnessy's collection; and the certificate that accompanying Ride's posthumously-awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Sanders is offering the 54 lots that comprise the Sally Ride Estate Collection as part of sale that also includes 46 other examples of space memorabilia from other consignors.
Online bidding began on June 12 with no reserves and many of the lots opening between $150 and $450.
Prior to the Sanders auction, in October 2015, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. acquired 182 objects and 24 cubic feet of documents from Ride's collection.
The museum also owns the two-piece flight suit and clothing Ride wore when she became the first American woman in space.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-061625a-astronaut-sally-ride-estate-collection-auction.html
https://natedsanders.com/catalog.aspx
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3/Proba-3_s_first_artificial_solar_eclipse
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2025/06/First_artificial_solar_eclipse_in_space
Proba-3’s first artificial solar eclipse
16/06/2025
Today, the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission unveils its first images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere – the solar corona.
The mission’s two satellites, able to fly as a single spacecraft thanks to a suite of onboard positioning technologies, have succeeded in creating their first ‘artificial total solar eclipse’ in orbit.
The resulting coronal images demonstrate the potential of formation flying technologies, while delivering invaluable scientific data that will improve our understanding of the Sun and its enigmatic atmosphere.
Two spacecraft flying as one
This March, Proba-3 achieved what no other mission has before – its two spacecraft, the Coronagraph and the Occulter, flew 150 metres apart in perfect formation for several hours without any control from the ground.
While aligned, the pair maintain their relative position down to a single millimetre – an extraordinary feat enabled by a set of innovative navigation and positioning technologies.
Demonstrating the degree of precision achieved, the two spacecraft use their formation flying time to create artificial total solar eclipses in orbit – they align with the Sun so that the 1.4 m large disc carried by the Occulter spacecraft covers the bright disc of the Sun for the Coronagraph spacecraft, casting a shadow of 8 cm across onto its optical instrument, ASPIICS.
The coronal images resulting from the first rounds of ASPIICS’s observations offer a glimpse of the valuable data we can expect from this eclipse-making mission.
Dietmar Pilz, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, comments: “Many of the technologies which allowed Proba-3 to perform precise formation flying have been developed through ESA’s General Support Technology Programme, as has the mission itself.
It is exciting to see these stunning images validate our technologies in what is now the world’s first precision formation flying mission.”
The mysterious halo
The Sun's fiery corona reaches temperatures above a million degrees Celsius, much hotter than the surface beneath it. This counterintuitive temperature difference has long been a topic in the scientific community.
Proba-3’s ASPIICS is tackling this mystery by studying the corona very close to the Sun’s surface. It can also see more detail, detecting fainter features than traditional coronagraphs thanks to a drastic reduction in how much ‘stray’ light reaches the detector.
Joe Zender, Proba-3 project scientist, adds: “Seeing the first data from ASPIICS is incredibly exciting.
Together with the measurements made by another instrument on board, DARA, ASPIICS will contribute to unravelling long-lasting questions about our home star.”
The Digital Absolute Radiometer (DARA) will measure the total solar irradiance – exactly how much energy the Sun is putting out at any one time.
A third scientific instrument on Proba-3, the 3D Energetic Electron Spectrometer (3DEES), will detect electrons in Earth’s radiation belts, measuring their direction of origin and energy levels.
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How to create a solar eclipse
“I was absolutely thrilled to see the images, especially since we got them on the first try,” comments Andrei Zhukov, Principal Investigator for ASPIICS at the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
“Now we are working on extending the observation time to six hours in every orbit.” The images were processed by the ASPIICS Science Operations Centre (SOC) hosted by the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
Here, a dedicated team of scientists and engineers creates operational commands for the coronagraph based on requests from the scientific community and shares the resulting observations.
ndrei explains: “Each full image – covering the area from the occulted Sun all the way to the edge of the field of view – is actually constructed from three images.
The difference between those is only the exposure time, which determines how long the coronagraph’s aperture is exposed to light. Combining the three images gives us the full view of the corona.
“Our ‘artificial eclipse’ images are comparable with those taken during a natural eclipse. The difference is that we can create our eclipse once every 19.6-hour orbit, while total solar eclipses only occur naturally around once, very rarely twice a year.
On top of that, natural total eclipses only last a few minutes, while Proba-3 can hold its artificial eclipse for up to 6 hours.”
Proba-3 mission manager Damien Galano notes: “Having two spacecraft form one giant coronagraph in space allowed us to capture the inner corona with very low levels of stray light in our observations, exactly as we expected.
“Although we are still in the commissioning phase, we have already achieved precise formation flying with unprecedented accuracy. This is what allowed us to capture the mission’s first images, which will no doubt be of high value to the scientific community.
“The formation flying we have achieved so far was performed autonomously, but under supervision of the ground control team, who were ready to intervene to correct any potential deviations. Our one remaining task is to achieve full autonomy, when our confidence in the system will be such that we will not even routinely monitor from the ground.”
New opportunities for ‘digital eclipses’
Proba-3’s breathtaking images are also sparking a small revolution in the way computer models simulate the solar corona and create ‘digital eclipses’.
Over the past years, several institutes around Europe have developed models to simulate these observations and give scientists the means to look at the Sun, but the source material needed to create these simulations is lacking.
“Current coronagraphs are no match for Proba-3, which will observe the Sun’s corona down almost to the edge of the solar surface. So far, this was only possible during natural solar eclipses,” says Jorge Amaya, Space Weather Modelling Coordinator at ESA.
“This huge flow of observations will help refine computer models further as we compare and adjust variables to match the real images. Together with the team at KU Leuven, which is behind one such model, we have been able to create a simulation of Proba-3’s first observations.”
KU Leuven’s ‘COCONUT’ software is one of multiple solar coronal models integrated within ESA's Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre (VSWMC).
It can be combined with a vast array of computer models describing other physical processes connecting the Sun to Earth.
All together, they help to offer a comprehensive image of the solar phenomena impacting our planet and help citizens and industry prepare against them.
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US Space & Rocket Center CEO on leave; CFO takes the helm
Updated: 6:45 PM CDT June 16, 2025
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The CEO of the US Space & Rocket Center is on leave and the organization's VP of Finance/Chief Financial Officer has taken on additional responsibilities, FOX54 has learned.
Kimberly Robinson has held the top executive position at the Huntsville science and engineering attraction since early 2021. She previously spent more than 15 years in various roles at NASA.
“Along with her vast experience with NASA, Dr. Robinson brings an innovative spirit and the leadership skills needed to guide the Rocket Center as we plan for the future,” said Joe Newberry, Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission board chairman, at the time of her appointment.
“Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious and brought her to the top of a rigorous and exhaustive search for our new Executive Director and CEO.”
In February, Robinson was inducted in to the into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.
The reason for her leave of absence was not immediately clear. A spokesperson for the USSRC confirmed the move but did not provide additional details.
USSRC VP of Finance and Chief Financial Officer Brenda Perez will lead the organization for an undetermined amount of time.
Perez's LinkedIn page describes her as "an accounting professional who has 30 years of experience in a variety of settings" who has managed various personnel and projects.
According to its website, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center annually hosts visitors from every state in the U.S. and more than 80 foreign nations who come to share the spirit of discovery through immersive education and experience.
It is home to the world-renowned "Space Camp."
https://www.rocketcitynow.com/article/news/local/us-space-rocket-center-ceo-on-leave-cfo-steps-in/525-74fe4ca3-a23c-43c3-be0f-ad1ace7fe067
https://www.rocketcenter.com/
Powerful solar flare erupts from sun triggering radio blackouts across North America
June 17, 2025
An Earth-facing sunspot has turned into a prolific flare factory, firing off multiple powerful M-class solar flares in less than 24 hours, along with several minor C-class eruptions.
The most intense of these solar flares erupted on June 15, peaking at 2:25 p.m. EDT (1825 GMT) and registering as an M8.46-class — just shy of the X-class category, the most powerful type of solar flare.
This eruption also unleashed a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a massive plume of solar plasma and magnetic field — now partially headed toward Earth. Forecasts suggest the CME's flank could strike on June 18, according to Spaceweather.com.
If the CME does reach Earth, space weather forecasters say we could see minor (G1-class) geomagnetic storm conditions, potentially sparking northern lights as far south as northern Michigan and Maine.
What are solar flares?
Solar flares are caused when magnetic energy builds up in the sun's atmosphere and is released in an intense burst of electromagnetic radiation.
They are categorized by size into lettered groups according to strength:
X-class: The strongest
M-class: 10 times weaker than X
C, B and A-class: Progressively weaker, with A-class flares typically having no noticeable effect on Earth.
Within each class, a numerical value indicates the flare's relative strength. The June 15 flare came in at M8.46, making it a near X-class event.
Radio blackouts across North America
Because flare radiation travels at light speed, it hits Earth in just over eight minutes. When it arrives, it ionizes the upper atmosphere (specifically the thermosphere), which can disrupt shortwave radio communication on the sunlit side of the planet.
During the M8.46 event, North America was directly facing the sun, making it the prime target for the resulting shortwave radio blackouts.
What's next?
The sunspot region behind this activity isn’t slowing down. It unleashed another M6.4 flare early on June 16 at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT) and remains in an Earth-facing position.
More solar flares — and possibly more CMEs — could erupt in the coming days. If they do, we may be treated to more northern lights displays as our planet remains in the strike zone of this highly active region.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/powerful-solar-flare-erupts-from-sun-triggering-radio-blackouts-across-north-america-video
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL0siP-kT-U (Solar Alert is High, Mystery Radio Signal in Antarctica | S0 News Jun.17.2025)
https://www.space.com/astronomy/how-do-baby-planets-grow-study-of-30-stellar-nurseries-sheds-new-light
https://public.nrao.edu/news/alma-planet-forming-disks/
https://agepro.das.uchile.cl/publications
How do baby planets grow? Study of 30 stellar nurseries sheds new light
June 17, 2025
Infant planets are ravenous little blighters that quickly devour what remains of the star-circling gas and dust clouds in which they form.
The gas in these protoplanetary disks disappears rapidly, within just a few million years. Astronomers now have a better picture of this process of planetary evolution than ever before, thanks to a new study.
The research was conducted by an international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), as part of a program called the ALMA Survey of Gas Evolution of PROtoplanetary Disks (AGE-PRO).
The AGE-PRO team studied 30 protoplanetary disks around sunlike stars, finding that gas and dust components in these disks evolve at different rates.
The amount of gas remaining as these disks are whittled away determines the type of planets these systems produce, the researchers found.
The new results could help scientists better understand how planetary systems, including our own solar system, form and evolve.
Indeed, the AGE-PRO results have given rise to a staggering 12 research papers by different research teams, showing just how ground-breaking the discovery is.
"These studies have revealed how protoplanetary disks evolve over time," AGE-PRO researcher Anibal E. Sierra Morales, of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London (UCL), said in a statement to Space.com.
"The extraordinary results are an essential step toward understanding the initial conditions that lead to the formation of Earth-like planets."
Telling the story of planet formation
The story of protoplanetary disks begins when clumps of overdense, cool gas collapse under their own gravity in interstellar molecular clouds, birthing stars.
These infant stars, or "protostars," continue to gather matter from their prenatal envelope of gas. Eventually, what is left behind is a main sequence star surrounded by a flattened, swirling cloud of gas and dust — a protoplanetary disk.
Within this disk, conglomerations of material bump together and stick, gathering mass until they form planetesimals.
These planetesimals continue to gather material from the protoplanetary disk, and it is from this process that planets grow.
It's estimated that protoplanetary disks surround infant stars for several million years, and this sets the time that giant planets have available to form.
The initial size and mass of the protoplanetary disk and the speed at which it spins — its angular momentum — determine the kind of planets it is capable of birthing.
The lifespan of gas in the disk then determines how long the clumps have to gather and grow into bodies the size of asteroids or planets.
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Additionally, these factors can also determine if planets migrate through the planetary disk during their youth, moving from their birthplaces closer to or farther away from their star. This, therefore, determines the final shape that the planetary disk will take.
Before this new study, researchers had analyzed how the dust content of protoplanetary disks evolves, but the way the gas content changes over time was not as well understood.
"AGE-PRO provides the first measurements of gas disk masses and sizes across the lifetime of planet-forming disks," research principal investigator Ke Zhang, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a statement.
Using ALMA the team zoomed into 30 protoplanetary disks of different ages, ranging from 1 million years old to over 5 million years old. These disks were located in the star-birthing regions of the constellations Ophiuchus, Lupus and Upper Scorpius.
The sensitivity of ALMA allowed the team to track particular chemical "tracers" that reveal gas and dust masses during vital stages of protoplanetary disk evolution, from initial formation to their inevitable disintegration millions of years later.
While carbon monoxide is one of the most commonly used chemical tracers for astronomers, the AGE-Pro team also relied on the molecule diazenylium.
ALMA was also able to detect the chemical signatures of other molecules like aldehyde, deuterated cyanogen and cyanomethane, thus painting a more detailed picture of the chemical evolution of protoplanetary disks than ever before.
"This is the first large-scale chemical survey of its kind, targeting the 30 disks with a broader range of ages to characterize the gas masses," research co-leader John Carpenter, of the Joint ALMA Observatory, said in the same statement.
The research hints at the timeframes at which gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn are born, compared to those for smaller terrestrial worlds like Earth and Mars.
"AGE-PRO reveals that the median average of the gas disk mass goes from several Jupiter masses in the early ages of less than 1 million years to less than a Jupiter mass in the first 1 to 3 million years," said AGE-PRO researcher Paola Pinilla, of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at UCL.
"This means that disks have the reservoir to form giant planets in the young disks, but as they mature, the fuel for forming giant planets significantly decreases.
"However, it is surprising that the disks that survive for longer times of between 2 million to 3 million years, maintain a very similar gas disk mass as the 1 million to 3-million-years-old examples.”
Another surprise delivered by ALMA was the fact that, as protoplanetary disks age, the gas and dust within them are consumed at different rates. In particular, the ratio of gas to dust undergoes a "swing" as these swirling flattened clouds age.
"The most surprising finding is that, although most disks dissipate after a few million years, the ones that survive have more gas than expected," Zhang said. "This fundamentally changes our estimation of the atmospheric accretion of planets formed at a later time."
By comparing AGE-PRO's observations of gas evolution in protoplanetary disks of different ages to other studies of gas evolution, the team can start to paint a broader and more detailed picture of how planetary systems evolve.
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Huge galaxy cluster is wrapped in a cocoon 20 million light-years wide, NASA space telescope finds
June 17, 2025
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope, astronomers have discovered that a galaxy cluster is wrapped in an envelope of energized particles that's 20 million light-years wide.
The discovery raises the question of how cosmic particles remain energized over a long period of time.
The largest such cloud ever seen, this cosmic envelope surrounds the massive galaxy cluster PLCK G287.0+32.9, which is located 5 billion light-years from Earth.
The researchers behind the find theorize that, rather than receiving energy from nearby galaxies, this vast cloud of charged particles is energized by monstrous and powerful shockwaves, in addition to turbulence rippling through the hot gas that exists between the galaxies in PLCK G287.0+32.9.
"We're starting to see the universe in ways we never could before," study team leader Kamlesh Rajpurohit, of the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) at Harvard & Smithsonian, said in a statement.
"And that means rethinking how energy and matter move through its largest structures."
Search for cosmic relics
PLCK G287.0+32.9 was first discovered in 2011 by Europe's Planck satellite, immediately grabbing the attention of astronomers with its massive size and the fact that it is exceptionally hot.
This made PLCK G287.0+32.9 a prime target for scientists aiming to investigate how galaxy clusters form.
Earlier investigations of this massive galaxy cluster had revealed two bright artifacts around PLCK G287.0+32.9 that appeared to be the results of shockwaves lighting up gas at the edge of this massive structure.
However, new observations have revealed something that hadn't been identified before: It isn't just the edge of this cluster that is glowing. Rather, the whole cluster is alight, with a faint radio wave glow that's about 189 times as wide as the Milky Way.
This radio glow indicated to the team that there's a much more powerful phenomenon at work in PLCK G287.0+32.9 than was previously suspected.
"We expected a bright pair of relics at the cluster's edges, which would have matched prior observations, but instead we found the whole cluster glowing in radio light," Rajpurohit said.
"A cloud of energetic particles this large has never been observed in this galaxy cluster or any other."
Prior to the discovery of this particle envelope, the largest such cloud known to astronomers was the one that surrounds Abell 2255, spanning around 16.3 million light-years.
The heart of a cosmic bubble
Diving deep into the central region of the galactic cluster PLCK G287.0+32.9, the team discovered an 11.4-million-light-year-wide radio halo.
Its size isn't the only extraordinary thing about his halo, however; it's also the first large radio halo seen at the frequency 2.4 gigahertz (GHz).
The fact that such vast haloes aren't usually seen at this radio frequency suggests to the team the presence of cosmic ray electrons and magnetic fields stretched out to the edge of clusters like this one.
What they don't know, however, is how these electrons are accelerated over such enormous distances.
"Very extended radio halos are mostly only visible at lower frequencies because the electrons that produce them have lost energy — they're old and have cooled over time," Rajpurohit explained.
"With the discovery of this enormous size halo, we are now seeing radio emission extending all the way between the giant shocks and beyond, filling the entire cluster.
"That suggests something is actively accelerating, or re-accelerating the electrons, but none of the usual suspects apply.
We think that giant shockwaves or turbulence could be responsible, but we need more theoretical models to find a definitive answer."
In addition to providing new mysteries to investigate, the discovery of this charged particle envelope could help astronomers study cosmic magnetic fields.
This could, in turn, reveal how these fields have helped to shape the cosmos on its largest scales, one of the most pressing mysteries in astronomy.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/huge-galaxy-cluster-is-wrapped-in-a-cocoon-20-million-light-years-wide-nasa-space-telescope-finds
https://cfa.harvard.edu/news/record-breaking-cosmic-structure-discovered-colossal-galaxy-cluster
FCC highlights national security role in satellite licensing reforms
June 16, 2025
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Federal Communications Commission is reshaping how it regulates space systems, with national security emerging as a central driver alongside commercial innovation, a top agency official said June 16.
Speaking at the SAE Media Group’s Milsatcom USA conference, Jay Schwarz, chief of the FCC’s space bureau, outlined a series of ongoing reforms aimed at modernizing satellite licensing and opening new spectrum bands.
While these efforts are often framed in economic terms, Schwarz said they also reflect a growing focus on supporting U.S. defense capabilities in space.
“A strong national defense very much motivates the work that we’re doing at the FCC,” Schwarz said.
The FCC’s space bureau oversees the licensing of satellites and ground stations, manages spectrum allocation for both geostationary and non-geostationary satellite systems, and regulates how U.S. companies operate in space.
As private sector investment in space accelerates — particularly in low-Earth orbit broadband constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink — the FCC has taken steps to streamline approvals and improve coordination across government agencies, he said.
“Not all, but most of the licensees who come to the FCC do have some dimension of national security in their work,” Schwarz said. “Dual use is the name of the game,” he added, meaning that commercial space assets increasingly support military operations.
In response, the FCC is working to expedite licensing processes that can otherwise take years and hinder the deployment of both commercial and defense-related satellite services.
“We know how urgent it is for all of our warfighters to have secure, reliable communications for an increasingly contested space domain,” Schwarz said.
“So I care about the economic benefits, but I also care deeply that America’s service members are equipped with what they need.”
One early result of this push is a reduction in the FCC’s licensing backlog. Schwarz said the space bureau has reduced pending applications by 35 percent since January, including those for new space stations and ground infrastructure.
Modernizing regulations for non-geostationary satellite systems is another priority. The FCC is considering revising so-called “power limit” rules aimed at preventing interference between low-orbit constellations and traditional geostationary satellites and earth stations.
Schwarz said these reforms could help pave the way for higher-throughput services that rival terrestrial broadband.
“Our hope is that this will be done in a way that ultimately we can get much faster fiber-like throughputs from space,” Schwarz said.
The agency is also weighing whether to open roughly 20,000 megahertz of new spectrum across several underutilized bands, including the 12 GHz, 42 GHz, 52 GHz, and W-band frequencies.
Through a formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC is examining how best to modernize access to these bands for satellite communications, which could significantly expand capacity for both commercial and defense use.
The proposed reforms come amid global shifts in spectrum policy, as other nations move to enable next-generation satellite services. Schwarz said the FCC’s initiatives are intended to help keep the U.S. competitive in the rapidly evolving space domain.
“We want to make sure that there’s a wide variety of systems available from which the government can procure services,” he said. “If we supply more spectrum, then existing players, new players, big players, small players—they can all compete.”
Schwarz said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has made these reforms a priority as the space economy becomes more integrated with national infrastructure and defense planning.
https://spacenews.com/fcc-highlights-national-security-role-in-satellite-licensing-reforms/
The Exploration Company outlines plans for human spaceflight
June 17, 2025
PARIS — European startup The Exploration Company, which is developing a cargo vehicle with a key test flight launching within days, says it has long-term plans to be able to fly people as well.
The company unveiled an updated model of its Nyx spacecraft at the Paris Air Show June 16. It is working on Nyx with plans for a test flight to the International Space Station in 2028 through a European Space Agency program intended to develop cargo spacecraft.
The Exploration Company says that while Nyx will initially be used for cargo missions, it has plans to create a version for crewed flights. The model the company displayed showed two astronauts on board along with cargo.
“We have already done the first studies,” Victor Maier, lead for Germany and central Europe business at the company, said at the unveiling event.
A fully crewed version of Nyx, he said, could accommodate four or five astronauts, with an interior design that includes windows and touchscreen displays like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.,
The company is looking into a crewed version now, he said, because it already needs to support flights to the ISS and future commercial stations where astronauts will enter and work in the vehicle while docked.
“So, we’re already ticking some of the boxes for certifying for human spaceflight once we’re docked to the station.”
A crewed version of Nyx would take about 10 years to develop, Maier estimated, and cost on the order of one billion euros ($1.15 billion).
He said, though, that now was the time to discuss at work as ESA makes plans for its ministerial conference in late November in Germany.
“We need Europe to decide if we want to have this in Europe,” he said of a crewed spacecraft. “This is the moment this year, at the ministerial conference happening in Bremen, where the member states can take this decision.”
He said a crewed version would require European government support, presumably from ESA, because the high cost is beyond the scope of private financing or even national-level support. “We need Europe, because no country alone would be able to do it.”
Mission Possible
In the meantime, The Exploration Company is focused on the cargo version of Nyx.
Maier said in an interview after the unveiling event that the company has six missions on its manifest, including the demonstration mission for ESA, three missions for Starlab Space, and individual missions for Axiom Space and Vast.
The company launched its first test spacecraft, dubbed Mission Bikini, last July on the inaugural Ariane 6 launch.
However, the failure of the upper stage of the rocket to perform a final deorbit burn meant that the spacecraft could not separate and perform its planned reentry test.
The next test flight is called Mission Possible. This is a larger spacecraft with a mass of 1.6 tons and diameter of 2.5 meters.
It will be a full test, he said, of all the technologies needed for Nyx, from reentry through splashdown, rather than just testing reentry systems as was the case for the much smaller Mission Bikini.
Mission Possible is also carrying cargo for customers. He said it has about 300 kilograms of cargo on board, ranging from cosmetic and pharmaceutical experiments to alcohol. “So, different use cases for the future commercialization of space.”
Mission Possible will launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission. Maier said the launch was imminent but that he could not disclose a specific date.
According to unofficial launch manifests, the Falcon 9 launch of Transporter-14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled for as soon as June 21.
The spacecraft will spend only about three hours in orbit before deorbiting, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Maier said a recovery ship for the spacecraft had already departed an Alaska port heading to the splashdown location.
There are no plans by The Exploration Company to fly another test mission after Mission Possible before the ISS demonstration mission.
There may be opportunities to do additional ground tests of some systems, he said, if needed after Mission Possible.
https://spacenews.com/the-exploration-company-outlines-plans-for-human-spaceflight/