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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
August 29, 2025
A Dark Veil in Ophiuchus
The diffuse hydrogen-alpha glow of emission region Sh2-27 fills this cosmic scene. The field of view spans nearly 3 degrees across the nebula-rich constellation Ophiuchus toward the central Milky Way. A Dark Veil of wispy interstellar dust clouds draped across the foreground is chiefly identified as LDN 234 and LDN 204 from the 1962 Catalog of Dark Nebulae by American astronomer Beverly Lynds. Sh2-27 itself is the large but faint HII region surrounding runaway O-type star Zeta Ophiuchi. Along with the Zeta Oph HII region, LDN 234 and LDN 204 are likely 500 or so light-years away. At that distance, this telescopic frame would be about 25 light-years wide.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Space Fitness and Agriculture Top Station Science Schedule
August 28, 2025
The Expedition 73 crew explored microgravity’s effect on bone and plant cells and studied futuristic space workouts aboard the International Space Station on Thursday to keep astronauts fit and promote space agriculture.
The lack of gravity aggravates bone loss on astronauts similar to the aging process on Earth. Exercising every day in space slows the rate of bone loss but does not eliminate it completely.
NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman explored the molecular mechanisms of space-induced bone loss for a new investigation delivered aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft on Aug. 25.
The duo took turns operating the study and processing bone stem cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox.
Results could help the human skeletal system adapt to spaceflight and lead to advanced treatments for aging conditions and bone diseases on Earth.
Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) also worked inside Kibo processing algae and tobacco plant cells and stowing them in an artificial gravity-generating research incubator.
The cell samples will be imaged inside JAXA’s COSMIC fluorescent microscope to visualize microgravity’s effect on plant cell division and microstructures.
Insights may lead to improved methods for growing plants on spacecraft and growing crops on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fincke began his shift working out for an exercise study observing what happens to a crew member’s bone, muscle, and aerobic health when training without a treadmill on a spacecraft.
Fincke worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device that mimics free wights in Earth’s gravity for the human research experiment.
Researchers are exploring how the lack of walking on a spacecraft will affect future crews and are adjusting space exercise programs.
Due to the size limits of a spacecraft, lighter exercise equipment will be necessary to maintain resistive and aerobic training on long duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov started his shift downloading imagery of Central and Southeast Asia automatically captured overnight as the crew slept.
Afterward, he worked on computer software upgrades and filled out a questionnaire helping scientists understand how international crews and mission controllers from around the world communicate with each other.
Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov spent their shift on Thursday servicing a wide variety of life support and electronics gear.
Zubritsky started his day in the Zarya module examining its power systems then moved into the Zvezda service module and refilled the Elektron oxygen generator.
Platonov participated in the computer software upgrades throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment and filmed an educational video demonstrating how objects move in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/08/28/space-fitness-and-agriculture-top-station-science-schedule/
Vegetation Disturbance from the Gifford Fire
Aug. 28, 2025
Vegetation loss due to the Gifford Fire in Central California can be seen in this comparison image from August 18, 2025.
Swipe the center bar left and right to see how the confirmed vegetation disturbances, shown in yellow and red, from the OPERA Land Surface Disturbance layer on the left "A" side coincide with the red burned area in the shortwave infrared reflectance image on the right "B" side from the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) aboard the Sentinel-2B platform.
The OPERA Land Surface Disturbance (DIST-ALERT) imagery layer is a Level-3 (L3) product that maps per pixel vegetation disturbance (specifically, vegetation loss) detected when a change to the land surface occurs outside a historical norm.
Vegetation disturbance is mapped when there is an indicated decrease in vegetation cover within a Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) pixel.
The spatial resolution is 30 m, and the displayed layer describes vegetation disturbance status based on confidence, magnitude of loss, and whether it is ongoing.
Press "Play" in the lower left corner of the map above to see an animation of the changes in the OPERA Land Surface Disturbance layer between August 15 and 18.
The changing colors on the map represent the three confidence levels: "first detection" in greens—loss detected in only the most recent observation; "provisional" in brown and orange—upon a second detection of vegetation loss; and "confirmed" in yellow and red—once there are sufficient loss detections to reach high confidence of disturbance.
These are reported for both disturbances with <50% vegetation loss and those with ≥50% loss, whether diffuse across an entire pixel or just a portion of it.
These labels persist as long as the anomalies continue to be detected. Once a location no longer has low vegetation cover, confirmed alerts are labeled as "finished," and the others are reset to no disturbance.
This status is iteratively updated with each subsequent granule.
The input dataset for generating each product is the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset.
The OPERA Land Surface Disturbance (L3) imagery layer is available through the Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA) project.
Learn more about OPERA Land Surface Disturbance in Worldview's Land Surface Disturbance Tour Story.
Visit Worldview to visualize near real-time imagery and historical imagery from NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS); find more imagery in our Worldview weekly image archive.
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/vegetation-disturbance-from-gifford-fire
https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/
NASA-ISRO Mission Aces Checkouts, on Track to Start Delivering Science
August 28, 2025
After launching July 30, the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite mission, a joint effort between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is on schedule to start science operations this fall.
Following the deployment of its 39-foot (12-meter) radar antenna reflector on Aug. 15, engineers powered on the satellite’s L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems, which, together, will track movement of Earth’s ice and land surfaces in unprecedented detail.
In addition, the spacecraft, including the radar payload, has passed all of the preliminary checks performed by NASA and ISRO mission teams to ensure they are operating normally.
The mission began raising the satellite to its operational orbit, 464 miles (747 kilometers, mean altitude), on Aug. 26.
The mission team anticipates having science-quality radar images in the coming weeks. Full science operations have been scheduled to begin about 90 days after launch.
The NISAR mission is the first to carry two SAR systems. The L-band radar transmits and receives signals at a 10-inch (24-centimeter) wavelength, enabling it to penetrate forest canopies and measure soil moisture, forest biomass, and the motion of land and ice surfaces.
The S-band radar, which uses a 4-inch (10-centimeter) wavelength, is more sensitive to small vegetation and observing certain types of agriculture, grassland ecosystems, and moisture in snow. Both systems can collect data through clouds and precipitation, day and night.
The satellite will monitor most of Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, tracking changes in the planet’s forests, frozen surfaces, major infrastructure, and crust down to fractions of an inch.
The lattermost is a key measurement in understanding how the land surface moves before, during, and after earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
More About NISAR
The NISAR mission is a partnership between NASA and ISRO spanning years of technical and programmatic collaboration.
The successful launch and deployment of NISAR builds upon a strong heritage of cooperation between the United States and India in space.
The data produced by NISAR’s two radar systems, one provided by NASA and one by ISRO, will be a testament to what can be achieved when countries unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery.
The ISRO Space Applications Centre provided the mission’s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre provided the spacecraft bus.
Launch services were through Satish Dhawan Space Centre. After launch, key operations, including boom and radar antenna reflector deployment, are being executed and monitored by the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network’s global system of ground stations.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California leads the U.S. component of the project.
In addition to the L-band SAR, reflector, and boom, JPL also provided the high-rate communication subsystem for science data, a solid-state data recorder, and payload data subsystem.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Near Space Network, which receives NISAR’s L-band data.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/nisar/2025/08/28/nasa-isro-mission-aces-checkouts-on-track-to-start-delivering-science/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/nisar/
NASA Invites Media to Learn About New Missions to Map Sun’s Influence
Aug 28, 2025
NASA will hold a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 4, to discuss the agency’s upcoming Sun and space weather missions, IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.
The two missions are targeting launch on the same rocket no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The IMAP mission will map the boundaries of our heliosphere, the vast bubble created by the Sun’s wind that encapsulates our entire solar system.
As a modern-day celestial cartographer, IMAP will explore how the heliosphere interacts with interstellar space, as well as chart the range of particles that fill the space between the planets.
The IMAP mission also will support near real-time observations of the solar wind and energetic particles.
These energetic particles can produce hazardous space weather that can impact spacecraft and other NASA hardware as the agency explores deeper into space, including at the Moon under the Artemis campaign.
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will image the ultraviolet glow of Earth’s exosphere, the outermost region of our planet’s atmosphere.
This data will help scientists understand how space weather from the Sun shapes the exosphere and ultimately impacts our planet.
The first observation of this glow – called the geocorona – was captured during Apollo 16, when a telescope designed and built by George Carruthers was deployed on the Moon.
Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website at:
https://www.nasa.gov/live
Participants include:
Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, director, Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
David J. McComas, IMAP principal investigator, Princeton University
Lara Waldrop, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory principal investigator, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
To participate in the media teleconference, media must RSVP no later than 11 a.m. on Sept. 4 to Sarah Frazier at: sarah.frazier@nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.
The IMAP and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory missions will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Also launching on this flight will be the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1), which will monitor solar wind disturbances and detect and track coronal mass ejections before they reach Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-learn-about-new-missions-to-map-suns-influence/
NASA’s Chandra Reveals Star’s Inner Conflict Before Explosion
Aug 28, 2025
The inside of a star turned on itself before it spectacularly exploded, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Today, this shattered star, known as the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, is one of the best-known, well-studied objects in the sky.
Over three hundred years ago, however, it was a giant star on the brink of self-destruction. The new Chandra study reveals that just hours before it exploded, the star’s interior violently rearranged itself.
This last-minute shuffling of its stellar belly has profound implications for understanding how massive stars explode and how their remains behave afterwards.
Cassiopeia A (Cas A for short) was one of the first objects the telescope looked at after its launch in 1999, and astronomers have repeatedly returned to observe it.
“It seems like each time we closely look at Chandra data of Cas A, we learn something new and exciting,” said Toshiki Sato of Meiji University in Japan who led the study.
“Now we’ve taken that invaluable X-ray data, combined it with powerful computer models, and found something extraordinary.”
As massive stars age, increasingly heavy elements form in their interiors by nuclear reactions, creating onion-like layers of different elements.
Their outer layer is mostly made of hydrogen, followed by layers of helium, carbon and progressively heavier elements – extending all the way down to the center of the star.
Once iron starts forming in the core of the star, the game changes.
As soon as the iron core grows beyond a certain mass (about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun), it can no longer support its own weight and collapses.
The outer part of the star falls onto the collapsing core, and rebounds as a core-collapse supernova.
The new research with Chandra data reveals a change that happened deep within the star at the very last moments of its life.
After more than a million years, Cas A underwent major changes in its final hours before exploding.
“Our research shows that just before the star in Cas A collapsed, part of an inner layer with large amounts of silicon traveled outwards and broke into a neighboring layer with lots of neon,” said co-author Kai Matsunaga of Kyoto University in Japan.
“This is a violent event where the barrier between these two layers disappears.”
This upheaval not only caused material rich in silicon to travel outwards; it also forced material rich in neon to travel inwards.
The team found clear traces of these outward silicon flows and inward neon flows in the remains of Cas A’s supernova remnant.
Small regions rich in silicon but poor in neon are located near regions rich in neon and poor in silicon.
The survival of these regions not only provides critical evidence for the star’s upheaval, but also shows that complete mixing of the silicon and neon with other elements did not occur immediately before or after the explosion.
This lack of mixing is predicted by detailed computer models of massive stars near the ends of their lives.
There are several significant implications for this inner turmoil inside of the doomed star. First, it may directly explain the lopsided rather than symmetrical shape of the Cas A remnant in three dimensions.
Second, a lopsided explosion and debris field may have given a powerful kick to the remaining core of the star, now a neutron star, explaining the high observed speed of this object.
Finally, the strong turbulent flows created by the star’s internal changes may have promoted the development of the supernova blast wave, facilitating the star’s explosion.
“Perhaps the most important effect of this change in the star’s structure is that it may have helped trigger the explosion itself,” said co-author Hiroyuki Uchida, also of Kyoto University.
“Such final internal activity of a star may change its fate—whether it will shine as a supernova or not.”
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasas-chandra-reveals-stars-inner-conflict-before-explosion/
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2025arXiv250707563S/abstract
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/
We needed a new CDC anyways, they just made it easy
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-marsquake-data-reveals-lumpy-nature-of-red-planets-interior/
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4292
NASA Marsquake Data Reveals Lumpy Nature of Red Planet’s Interior
Aug. 28, 2025
Rocky material that impacted Mars lies scattered in giant lumps throughout the planet’s mantle, offering clues about Mars’ interior and its ancient past.
What appear to be fragments from the aftermath of massive impacts on Mars that occurred 4.5 billion years ago have been detected deep below the planet’s surface.
The discovery was made thanks to NASA’s now-retired InSight lander, which recorded the findings before the mission’s end in 2022.
The ancient impacts released enough energy to melt continent-size swaths of the early crust and mantle into vast magma oceans, simultaneously injecting the impactor fragments and Martian debris deep into the planet’s interior.
There’s no way to tell exactly what struck Mars: The early solar system was filled with a range of different rocky objects that could have done so, including some so large they were effectively protoplanets.
The remains of these impacts still exist in the form of lumps that are as large as 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) across and scattered throughout the Martian mantle.
They offer a record preserved only on worlds like Mars, whose lack of tectonic plates has kept its interior from being churned up the way Earth’s is through a process known as convection.
“We’ve never seen the inside of a planet in such fine detail and clarity before,” said the paper’s lead author, Constantinos Charalambous of Imperial College London.
“What we’re seeing is a mantle studded with ancient fragments. Their survival to this day tells us Mars’ mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years. On Earth, features like these may well have been largely erased.”
InSight, which was managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, placed the first seismometer on Mars’ surface in 2018.
The extremely sensitive instrument recorded 1,319 marsquakes before the lander’s end of mission in 2022.
Quakes produce seismic waves that change as they pass through different kinds of material, providing scientists a way to study the interior of a planetary body.
To date, the InSight team has measured the size, depth, and composition of Mars’ crust, mantle, and core. This latest discovery regarding the mantle’s composition suggests how much is still waiting to be discovered within InSight’s data.
“We knew Mars was a time capsule bearing records of its early formation, but we didn’t anticipate just how clearly we’d be able to see with InSight,” said Tom Pike of Imperial College London, coauthor of the paper.
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Quake hunting
Mars lacks the tectonic plates that produce the temblors many people in seismically active areas are familiar with.
But there are two other types of quakes on Earth that also occur on Mars: those caused by rocks cracking under heat and pressure, and those caused by meteoroid impacts.
Of the two types, meteoroid impacts on Mars produce high-frequency seismic waves that travel from the crust deep into the planet’s mantle, according to a paper published earlier this year in Geophysical Research Letters.
Located beneath the planet’s crust, the Martian mantle can be as much as 960 miles (1,550 kilometers) thick and is made of solid rock that can reach temperatures as high as 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius).
Scrambled signals
The new Science paper identifies eight marsquakes whose seismic waves contained strong, high-frequency energy that reached deep into the mantle, where their seismic waves were distinctly altered.
“When we first saw this in our quake data, we thought the slowdowns were happening in the Martian crust,” Pike said. “But then we noticed that the farther seismic waves travel through the mantle, the more these high-frequency signals were being delayed.”
Using planetwide computer simulations, the team saw that the slowing down and scrambling happened only when the signals passed through small, localized regions within the mantle.
They also determined that these regions appear to be lumps of material with a different composition than the surrounding mantle.
With one riddle solved, the team focused on another: how those lumps got there.
Turning back the clock, they concluded that the lumps likely arrived as giant asteroids or other rocky material that struck Mars during the early solar system, generating those oceans of magma as they drove deep into the mantle, bringing with them fragments of crust and mantle.
Charalambous likens the pattern to shattered glass — a few large shards with many smaller fragments. The pattern is consistent with a large release of energy that scattered many fragments of material throughout the mantle.
It also fits well with current thinking that in the early solar system, asteroids and other planetary bodies regularly bombarded the young planets.
On Earth, the crust and uppermost mantle is continuously recycled by plate tectonics pushing a plate’s edge into the hot interior, where, through convection, hotter, less-dense material rises and cooler, denser material sinks.
Mars, by contrast, lacks tectonic plates, and its interior circulates far more sluggishly. The fact that such fine structures are still visible today, Charalambous said, “tells us Mars hasn’t undergone the vigorous churning that would have smoothed out these lumps.”
And in that way, Mars could point to what may be lurking beneath the surface of other rocky planets that lack plate tectonics, including Venus and Mercury.
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NASA, International Astronauts to Address Students from New York
Aug 28, 2025
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui will connect with students in New York as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions aboard the International Space Station.
The Earth-to-space call will begin at 9:20 a.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 5, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.
Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, to Sara Sloves at: 917-441-1234 or ssloves@thecomputerschool.org. The Computer School will host this event in New York for middle school students.
The goal of this event is to extend learning by exposing students to the real-world experiences and engineering challenges of astronauts working and living aboard the International Space Station.
For nearly 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth.
Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency deep space missions.
As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-international-astronauts-to-address-students-from-new-york/
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/in-flight-stem-downlinks/
Houston We Have a Podcast: A Record-Breaking Astronaut
Aug 29, 2025
From Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, explore the world of human spaceflight with NASA each week on the official podcast of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Listen to in-depth conversations with the astronauts, scientists and engineers who make it possible.
On episode 399, NASA astronaut Suni Williams reflects on her record-breaking mission, her perspective after returning to Earth, and her journey as one of the most experienced spacewalkers in history.
This episode was recorded August 5, 2025.
https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/a-record-breaking-astronaut/
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ep399-a-record-breaking-astronaut.mp3
Trump Nixes Patent Office, Weather Service, NASA Unions
Updated: Aug. 28, 2025, 2:19 PM PDT
President Donald Trump nullified more government unions Thursday, expanding a March executive order that has sharply limited federal-sector collective bargaining.
The president issued a new directive ending collective bargaining agreements at NASA, the International Trade Administration, the Office of the Commissioner for Patents, the National Weather Service, the US Agency for Global Media, hydropower facilities under the Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.
Trump classified the agencies as having national security interests, exempting them from federal union laws.
The order comes in the wake of a US Supreme Court victory, which allowed Trump to eliminatecollective bargaining at some agencies while a legal challenge to the president’s action proceeds.
It represents another advancement of Trump’s campaign to exert control over the federal workforce, by weakening the career civil service, eliminating barriers between presidential politics and day-to-day governing, and disbanding federal unions.
“Certain procedural requirements in Federal labor-management relations can create delays in agency operations,” the White House wrote in a fact sheetbroadly criticizing government unions.
“These delays can impact the ability of agencies with national security responsibilities to implement policies swiftly and fulfill their critical missions.”
The concept of years-long collective bargaining agreements can limit agencies’ ability to “modify policies promptly,” the sheet states.
“The President needs a responsive and accountable civil service to protect our national security,” it says. Several agencies have already canceled union contracts under Trump’s original executive order.
This week, Health and Human Services workers were notified that their collective bargaining agreement had been canceled, joining Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.
Trump’s sweeping use of national security exemptions where they have not historically been relevant is sure to invite more scrutiny—and litigation—from Trump’s opponents, who argue it’s a pretense to erode checks on presidential power.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/trump-nixes-patent-office-weather-service-nasa-worker-unions
Australia’s First Lunar Rover ‘Roo-ver’ Confirmed for NASA Artemis Mission
August 29, 2025
Australia’s space ambitions have taken a historic leap forward, with confirmation that the nation’s first lunar rover, Roo-ver, will head to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
The project, led by the Australian Space Agency and the ELO2 consortium, represents a milestone in robotics, automation and advanced engineering, and places Australian innovation firmly on the global space stage.
Roo-ver will be a suitcase-sized, semi-autonomous rover weighing around 20 kilograms. Operated from Earth, it will collect lunar regolith—soil from the Moon’s surface—and deliver it to NASA technology designed to extract oxygen.
This experiment is critical in testing the foundations for sustainable human presence on the Moon and beyond. By contributing to the Artemis mission, Australia is not only advancing international cooperation but also developing sovereign space and robotics capabilities.
The rover’s development is backed by a $42 million investment from the Albanese Government, building on earlier funding under the Moon to Mars Trailblazer program.
The ELO2 consortium brings together a mix of Australian startups, universities, resource sector innovators, and research organisations.
This collaboration is intended to accelerate technology transfer, provide training for the next generation of engineers, and strengthen Australia’s sovereign industrial base.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, highlighted that the mission is as much about the journey as it is about reaching the Moon.
He noted that the process of designing, testing and operating Roo-ver will deliver valuable knowledge and skill to the national workforce, with applications that extend well beyond space exploration.
Roo-ver also carries strong cultural significance. Its name, chosen through a public competition, reflects national identity while capturing the imagination of younger Australians.
Submitted by a student from New South Wales, “Roo-ver” draws on the kangaroo as a symbol from the Australian Coat of Arms, representing a leap forward for science and technology.
The competition itself underscored the importance of community engagement in shaping the nation’s space story, inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers.
Australia’s path to the Moon has been unfolding steadily over the past four years. In 2021, the Australian Space Agency signed a landmark agreement with NASA under the Moon to Mars initiative to deliver a locally built lunar rover.
The following year, the Trailblazer program opened with seed funding to develop rover concepts, leading to the establishment of ELO2. By 2023, the rover had been named Roo-ver, and in 2024, the consortium was officially selected to build the mission hardware.
With full funding in place, the project is now in its build phase, aiming for launch later this decade aboard a NASA Artemis mission.
Beyond its immediate role in supporting Artemis, Roo-ver represents a broader shift in Australia’s national priorities.
The mission highlights how investment in space capability feeds into national resilience, technological sovereignty and economic growth.
It also positions Australia as a credible contributor to international space exploration, aligned with global efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and, eventually, on Mars.
As Roo-ver rolls closer to reality, the project is already paying dividends in workforce training, industry collaboration and public engagement.
Its eventual deployment on the Moon will be a proud moment for Australia, but the knowledge gained during its creation may prove just as valuable.
This mission demonstrates how space exploration can act as a catalyst for innovation across multiple sectors, ensuring that Australia’s “leap” into space is matched by tangible progress back on Earth.
https://spaceanddefense.io/australias-first-lunar-rover-roo-ver-confirmed-for-nasa-artemis-mission/
https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-opens-launch-complex-3-a-critical-milestone-on-the-path-to-neutrons-first-launch/
Rocket Lab Opens Launch Complex 3, A Critical Milestone On The Path To Neutron’s First Launch
August 28, 2025
Long Beach, Calif. August 28, 2025: Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today celebrated the official opening of Launch Complex 3, its dedicated test, launch, and landing facility for its reusable rocket Neutron - representing a bold step forward in delivering an alternative, reliable, and responsive launch capability from U.S. soil with its next-generation challenger to the medium-lift launch industry.
Located within the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s (VSA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Pad 0D on Wallops Island, Virginia, Launch Complex 3 stands ready to deliver the largest orbital launch capacity in the Spaceport’s history with Neutron:
Rocket Lab’s reusable launch vehicle capable of launching 13,000kg (33,000 pounds) to space for commercial constellations, national security and interplanetary missions, and eventually human spaceflight.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “Launch Complex 3 is our commitment to providing assured access to space and the launch site diversity that’s needed in the United States for its most important missions.
Our Neutron rocket, with its ability for responsive space access as a high cadence reusable launch vehicle, expands Virginia’s aerospace capabilities to enable the United States to quickly and reliably reach the International Space Station and low Earth orbit, as well as explore beyond Earth and on to the Moon and Mars.
Together with the Commonwealth of Virginia, VSA, and NASA, we’re strengthening the nation’s leadership in space while creating new opportunities for innovation and growth in the state and beyond, and I’m thankful for their continued support of Rocket Lab in Virginia.”
Rocket Lab Vice President – Neutron, Shaun D’Mello, says: “Launch Complex 3 is an incredibly complex engineering feat that serves as a monument to exquisite design, streamlined operations, and the competitive advantage of Rocket Lab’s speed and efficiency.
That Launch Complex 3 was built and is now operational in less than two years of construction is down to the unwavering dedication from our Virginia-based team of 60+ highly skilled staff, and the continued support, investment, and commitment from our partners in the state of Virginia.
I’m excited to bring a new launch capability to Wallops Island with Neutron ahead of its maiden flight from Launch Complex 3.”
Additional Quotes
Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin: “The opening of Launch Complex 3 at Pad 0-D is not only an engineering achievement, but a bold step forward for Virginia’s growing role in our nation’s commercial space industry.
From right here on Virginia’s beautiful Eastern Shore, Neutron will deliver reliable and responsive launch capabilities, supporting national security while creating opportunities for innovation and economic growth.
Thank you to Sir Peter Beck and the Rocket Lab team for choosing to invest and grow right here in the Commonwealth.”
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Congresswoman Jen Kiggans: “American ingenuity and innovation in the aerospace industry is essential to strengthening our national security.
The capabilities at Launch Complex 3 are extraordinary, and they mark an important milestone in expanding U.S. launch capabilities, advancing technology, and driving economic growth right here in Virginia.
This investment not only reinforces America’s position as leading the world in commercial rocket launch, but also highlights the incredible role the Commonwealth plays in shaping the future of aerospace.”
Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III. “Once again, we see leading aerospace companies choosing Virginia because of our infrastructure.
Whether that infrastructure is a road, bridge, railroad, seaport, airport or even a spaceport, we know that Virginia has it all.
Our willingness to invest in and provide top-notch infrastructure assets provides companies like Rocket Lab exactly what they need to grow and thrive, and I’m thrilled that Rocket Lab has chosen once more to innovate right here at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.”
Roosevelt Mercer, Jr., Maj Gen, USAF (Ret.), CEO & Executive Director of the Virginia Spaceport Authority: “Virginia’s spaceport is one of the Commonwealth’s most strategic assets.
By expanding our capabilities and partnering with world-class companies like Rocket Lab, we are securing Virginia’s place at the forefront of the space industry, positively impacting Virginia’s economy and providing assured access to space for the nation.”
About Launch Complex 3
Designed to support testing, launch, and return-to-Earth missions for Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket, Launch Complex 3 plays a vital role in ensuring American leadership in space as a rapid response capable launch site.
Construction on Launch Complex 3 began in late 2023, with the site operational and officially opened in August 2025.
More than 60 contractors were involved in the site’s development to supply services, hardware, and materials – many of them Virginia-based local workers and companies.
Domestically sourced infrastructure designed, tested, and operated by Rocket Lab includes:
The site’s 9-m (~30 ft) tall launch mount containing 700+ tons of steel, operated by hydraulic mechanisms that support, hold, and subsequently release Neutron for test and launch operations;
Launch equipment vaults housing electrical and controls equipment needed to operate the site’s ground systems and launch vehicle;
180,000 gallon LOX and LNG propellant farms that store and load Neutron with fuel and oxidizer for test and launch operations, alongside 45,000 gallons of stored liquid nitrogen in three vertical tanks;
A 200,000+ gallon capacity water supply tower standing at 200+ ft tall.
Launch Complex 3 is Rocket Lab’s fourth launch site. Its completed construction in less than two years is the latest demonstration of the Company’s speed and expertise at delivering world-class launch facilities globally.
Launch Complex 3 is located directly next to Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2, the Company’s exclusive-use orbital launch pad for its Electron launch vehicle - the world’s most frequently flown small orbital rocket – within the same spaceport, further strengthening the nation’s leadership in space while creating new opportunities for innovation and growth in Virginia and beyond.
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Hegseth Calls for Anti-Drone Task Force
Aug. 28, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced today that he has directed Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll to formally establish a joint, interagency task force to counter hostile unmanned aerial systems, commonly referred to as drones.
"Our job here at the Pentagon — when you think about it — is to prepare for the threats of the future and build a force to match them, and defeat them, and outpace them," Hegseth said via a video message released to the public.
"And there's no doubt that the threats we face today from hostile drones grow by the day," he added.
Noting that hostile UASs are being operated overseas and at our borders while seeking to harm U.S. warfighters, bases and even the sovereignty of the national airspace, Hegseth said the new task force — Joint Interagency Task Force 401 — will be a unified team that will seek to bring together the best talent from multiple government agencies to counter UAS threats and restore control of the skies.
"It's called counter-UAS — counter-unmanned aerial systems — and America will be the best at it," Hegseth said.
Although the secretary did not comment on the estimated length of time before the task force will be operational, he did say the Pentagon is currently moving quickly to cut through bureaucracy and consolidate resources, so as to empower it with "the utmost authority to outpace our adversaries."
He added that DOD is working to deliver real solutions and ensure American airspace remains secure at home, abroad and anywhere troops are stationed.
"They deserve to be defended by the best," Hegseth said.
He added that the new task force will put the right tools in the hands of warfighters so they can defend the sovereignty of American airspace and "send a clear message" that the United States will "never be outmatched."
"Because, make no mistake, under this administration — and President [Donald J.] Trump's leadership — we're going to out-innovate, we're going to lead and we will win," Hegseth concluded.
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4289575/hegseth-calls-for-anti-drone-task-force/
Strengthening Canada Through Space Science and Discovery
Aug 29, 2025, 08:45 ET
By fostering international collaboration and ensuring Canadian access to world‑class space missions, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is advancing scientific excellence and helping build a stronger, more innovative Canada.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced today close to $2.8 million in research grants to 14 Canadian post‑secondary institutions.
These investments will help scientists explore deep questions – from understanding the origins of life to unlocking secrets of our solar system and the universe.
They also reinforce Canada's role as a global player in space research and innovation.
Grants to Canadian post-secondary institutions across the country include:
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AstroSat mission: $136,000 to McGill University, University of Alberta and University of Calgary. Canadian researchers will be studying a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including hot, high-energy objects in the universe like young stars and black holes.
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James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) Cycle 3: $1.4 million to Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, Western University, Université de Montréal, University of Toronto, University of Victoria and York University for 16 projects.
Canadian astronomers will be able to search for the first stars and galaxies created after the Big Bang to better understand how galaxies, stars and planets are born and evolve over time, explore distant worlds and study our solar system.
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Research Opportunities in Space Science (ROSS) Cycle 3: $1.1 million to Bishop's University, Saint Mary's University, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Lethbridge, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and Western University.
It will enable the advancements of science and technology through space research and by enhancing the involvement of Canadian researchers in several international missions.
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X‑ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM): $100,000 to Saint Mary's University and University of Waterloo.
Led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), XRISM is an international space mission that studies extreme events in space and furthers our understanding of the universe. With XRISM, new technologies have opened a new horizon in X‑ray astronomy.
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"Canada's investments in astronomy and planetary science are a powerful catalyst for scientific advancement and innovation.
These strategic commitments will empower Canadian researchers with the tools and opportunities they need to develop world-class expertise, driving cutting-edge discoveries and technological breakthroughs right here at home.
The Government of Canada remains steadfast in its dedication to building a resilient, forward-looking economy – one that positions Canada as a global leader in scientific research and innovation."
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The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Quick facts
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AstroSat is India's first multi‑wavelength astronomy satellite, offering simultaneous X‑ray, ultraviolet and optical data. Canada contributed the three sensitive detectors for the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) instrument on board AstroSat.
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Webb is the most powerful infrared observatory ever built, probing cosmic history from the first galaxies to planetary systems that may host life.
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Canada contributed the Fine Guidance Sensor and Near‑Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) to Webb, guaranteeing a share of observing time for Canadian researchers.
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ROSS combines several CSA funding initiatives into a single, harmonized program for the scientific community. It supports a broad range of space science investigations, from planetary studies to fundamental physics.
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XRISM is a space observatory led by JAXA that takes a closer look at the hot, often violent ways that galaxies form, and stars burn out. NASA's Resolve, one of the two instruments on XRISM, was tested at the Canadian Light Source, a synchrotron facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/strengthening-canada-through-space-science-and-discovery-863761919.html
Second attempt at Canada's first commercial space launch to be made in St. Lawrence, N.L. Friday afternoon
Aug 29, 2025 12:30 AM PDT
The launch of Canada's first-ever commercial rocket has been delayed to Friday afternoon.
It's a test of NordSpace's single-engine rocket, called Taiga — a six-metre tall rocket created using 3D-printed metal.
The launch was originally scheduled for Monday, was hampered by the weather.
The launch was delayed again on Friday morning due to an issue with one of the final steps: a quick disconnect from the nitrogen tank, according to the company.
NordSpace said the rocket entered safe mode around that time when a generator tripped and stopped supplying compressed air.
Another attempt will be made during a launch window at 3 p.m. NT.
NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel says the issue is a quick fix, and he's optimistic the second attempt will go well.
When the launch does finally happen, it will be suborbital, meaning the rocket won't orbit Earth, and will only be in the air for about a minute before it splashes into the Atlantic Ocean.
Excitement in the air
St. Lawrence Mayor Kevin Pittman says the town office has been taking calls about the launch all week.
"There are people all over town finding the best spot," Pittman said in an interview Friday morning.
The mayor added that he expects the spaceport will bring "tremendous" potential for tourism in the area.
NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel told CBC News his team is beyond excited for the launch.
"This is something that our whole team has been working so long for, investing so much in," Goel said. "We want to deliver success."
Speaking with CBC News in January, Goel said St. Lawrence serves as a top location for a commercial space launch because of its ideal position to achieve the right orbital inclinations for a rocket launch.
NordSpace was founded in 2022, and built the rocket entirely in Canada. Goel said he believes the country's first commercial spaceport will greatly benefit the St. Lawrence area, while creating jobs and helping Canada toward space sovereignty.
"To show Canadians that we can do this, and especially [in] a place like rural Newfoundland, I think it's just so special," Goel said.
"Doing this in a commercial way is what's really important about this, and this is going to be the first step to unlocking that for Canada."
NordSpace is also planning another suborbital launch next year, with plans to send it's larger Tundra rocket into orbit in 2027.
It will also be expanding its operations in St. Lawrence with a second launch pad and infrastructure developments in the coming years, Goel said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nordspace-st-lawrence-launch-1.7620025