TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
September 26, 2025
A SWAN, an ATLAS, and Mars
A new visitor to the inner Solar System, comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) sports a long ion tail extending diagonally across this almost 7 degree wide telescopic field of view recorded on September 21. A fainter fellow comet also making its inner Solar System debut, C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), can be spotted above and left of SWAN's greenish coma, just visible against the background sea of stars in the constellation Virgo. Both new comets were only discovered in 2025 and are joined in this celestial frame by ruddy planet Mars (bottom), a more familiar wanderer in planet Earth's night skies. The comets may appear to be in a race, nearly neck and neck in their voyage through the inner Solar System and around the Sun. But this comet SWAN has already reached its perihelion or closest approach to the Sun on September 12 and is now outbound along its orbit. This comet ATLAS is still inbound though, and will make its perihelion passage on October 8.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-isro-satellite-sends-first-radar-images-of-earths-surface/
https://in.usembassy.gov/nasa-isro-satellite-sends-first-radar-images-of-earths-surface/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/nisar/
NASA-ISRO Satellite Sends First Radar Images of Earth’s Surface
Sep 25, 2025
The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite’s first images of our planet’s surface are in, and they offer a glimpse of things to come as the joint mission between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) approaches full science operations later this year.
“Launched under President Trump in conjunction with India, NISAR’s first images are a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.
“This is only the beginning. NASA will continue to build upon the incredible scientific advancements of the past and present as we pursue our goal to maintain our nation’s space dominance through Gold Standard Science.”
Images from the spacecraft, which was launched by ISRO on July 30, display the level of detail with which NISAR scans Earth to provide unique, actionable information to decision-makers in a diverse range of areas, including disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management.
“By understanding how our home planet works, we can produce models and analysis of how other planets in our solar system and beyond work as we prepare to send humanity on an epic journey back to the Moon and onward to Mars,” said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya.
“The successful capture of these first images from NISAR is a remarkable example of how partnership and collaboration between two nations, on opposite sides of the world, can achieve great things together for the benefit of all.”
On Aug. 21, the satellite’s L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, which was provided by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, captured Mount Desert Island on the Maine coast.
Dark areas represent water, while green areas are forest, and magenta areas are hard or regular surfaces, such as bare ground and buildings.
The L-band radar system can resolve objects as small as 15 feet (5 meters), enabling the image to display narrow waterways cutting across the island, as well as the islets dotting the waters around it.
Then, on Aug. 23, the L-band SAR captured data of a portion of northeastern North Dakota straddling Grand Forks and Walsh counties.
The image shows forests and wetlands on the banks of the Forest River passing through the center of the frame from west to east and farmland to the north and south.
The dark agricultural plots show fallow fields, while the lighter colors represent the presence of pasture or crops, such as soybean and corn. Circular patterns indicate the use of center-pivot irrigation.
1/2
The images demonstrate how the L-band SAR can discern what type of land cover — low-lying vegetation, trees, and human structures — is present in each area.
This capability is vital both for monitoring the gain and loss of forest and wetland ecosystems, as well as for tracking the progress of crops through growing seasons around the world.
“These initial images are just a preview of the hard-hitting science that NISAR will produce — data and insights that will enable scientists to study Earth’s changing land and ice surfaces in unprecedented detail while equipping decision-makers to respond to natural disasters and other challenges,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“They are also a testament to the years of hard work of hundreds of scientists and engineers from both sides of the world to build an observatory with the most advanced radar system ever launched by NASA and ISRO.”
The L-band system uses a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength that enables its signal to penetrate forest canopies and measure soil moisture and motion of ice surfaces and land down to fractions of an inch, which is a key measurement in understanding how the land surface moves before, during, and after earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
The preliminary L-band images are an example of what the mission team will be able to produce when the science phase begins in November. The satellite was raised into its operational 464-mile (747-kilometer) orbit in mid-September.
The NISAR mission also includes an S-band radar, provided by ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, that uses a 4-inch (10-centimeter) microwave signal that is more sensitive to small vegetation, making it effective at monitoring certain types of agriculture and grassland ecosystems.
The spacecraft is the first to carry both L- and S-band radars.
The satellite will monitor Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, collecting data using the spacecraft’s drum-shaped antenna reflector, which measures 39 feet (12 meters) wide — the largest NASA has ever sent into space.
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 on a strong heritage of cooperation between the United States and India in space.
The Space Applications Centre provided the mission’s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre provided the spacecraft bus. The launch vehicle was provided by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, and launch services were through Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Key operations, including boom and radar antenna reflector deployment, are now being executed and monitored by the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network’s global system of ground stations.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, NASA JPL 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.
2/2
Space Medicine Protecting Crews, Station Reboost Aborted
September 25, 2025
Eye structure, digestion, and heart health were the top research subjects for the Expedition 73 crew aboard International Space Station on Thursday.
Doctors constantly monitor the health of station crew members to understand how living and working in space for months or years at a time affects the human body.
The medical data collected since the beginning of the human spaceflight program provides continuous insight into the effects of microgravity on crews helping NASA and its international partners plan safe, successful missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond
One effect of living off the Earth is the flow of fluids toward an astronaut’s head since Earth’s gravity is no longer pulling on the human body.
Astronauts have reported eye and vision changes caused by this headward shift, a condition known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome, or SANS.
Flight Engineers Jonny Kim of NASA and Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) explored using a specialized thigh cuff on Thursday as way to reverse those headward flows and protect crews on long term space missions.
Yui wore a thigh cuff that applied pressure on his leg for the investigation that has been taking place inside the station’s Columbus laboratory module since September 2023.
Kim collected Yui’s blood pressure measurements, scanned his veins with the Ultrasound 2 device, and imaged the inside of eyes using optical gear to evaluate the effectiveness of the thigh cuff.
Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky, both Roscosmos cosmonauts, joined each other after their breakfast and scanned their bellies with an ultrasound device.
Results from the long-running gastrointestinal study will help doctors understand how a crew member’s digestion, metabolism, and nutrient delivery adapt to weightlessness.
NASA Flight Engineer Zena Cardman wrapped up a 48-hour session wearing the sensor-packed Bio-Monitor headband and vest for the CIPHER human research investigation.
She removed the biomedical gear and downloaded her health data for review by doctors on Earth. The data will also be compared to wellness metrics collected from other astronauts before, during, and after a spaceflight.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke worked in the Tranquility module and opened up the NanoRacks Bishop airlock ahead of scientific payload operations. Bishop can be used to transfer cargo inside and outside of the space station.
The airlock can even be detached from Tranquility with the Canadarm2 robotic arm for experiment operations, satellite deployments, or trash disposal.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov filled the Elektron oxygen generator in the Zvezda service module and serviced orbital plumbing gear in the Nauka science module during the first half of his shift.
Afterward, Platonov collected air samples throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment to analyze the quality of the orbiting lab’s breathing environment.
On Thursday, SpaceX’s Dragon was conducting a reboost of the International Space Station using the company’s CRS-33 Trunk Draco thrusters when the burn was manually aborted approximately 3 minutes, 45 seconds into the planned 19-minute, 22-second burn.
All systems aboard the space station are operating as expected, and the Expedition 73 crew is conducting its normal complement of work.
Ground controllers at SpaceX, in close coordination with NASA’s Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, commanded the abort when operators noticed a swap of the Draco thruster fuel tanks did not occur as planned.
Teams stopped today’s burn to conserve propellant on the spacecraft. Ground teams are reviewing plans for a follow-up reboost at 2:24 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 26.
Dragon previously conducted space station reboost on Sept. 3, which lasted the full duration.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/25/space-medicine-protecting-crews-station-reboost-aborted/
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center director stepping down
Updated: Sep. 25, 2025, 6:23 p.m.
Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey is stepping down from his position.
Pelfrey notified Marshall employees of his decision in an email on Thursday. He had been director since February 2024.
Marshall Deputy Center Director Rae Ann Meyer will serve as acting center director while NASA proceeds with a public, open competition to find the next permanent director, agency spokesperson Corinne Beckinger told AL.com.
Pelfrey will continue to serve the agency in another position.
Pelfrey had been scheduled to participate in a panel on Tuesday on NASA’s transition from the International Space Station to commercial space stations at the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber but sent representatives instead.
Marshall is one of NASA’s largest field centers and manages the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where some of the largest parts of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis campaigns are made.
The Huntsville-based center, which employs about 7,000 people, also annually oversees about $5 billion worth of human spaceflight, science and technology development efforts for NASA.
Before joining NASA, Pelfrey worked in the aerospace industry supporting space station payload hardware development.
At NASA, he was an aerospace engineer in the Science and Missions Systems Office.
He then took on leadership roles at the International Space Station Program, the Marshall Engineering Directorate and the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office.
He also served as manager for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project at Marshall and the Exploration and Space Transportation Development Office in the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office.
Pelfrey was appointed to NASA’s Senior Executive Service in 2016 and served as the associate director for operations in Engineering, later becoming deputy manager and then manager for Marshall’s Human Exploration Development and Operations Office.
He was appointed as Marshall’s deputy center director in April 2022. He served as acting director from July 2023 until his appointment the following year.
https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2025/09/nasas-marshall-space-flight-center-director-stepping-down.html
NASA Flights Study Cosmic Ray Effects for Air, Future Space Travelers
Sep 25, 2025
Recent airborne science flights to Greenland are improving NASA’s understanding of space weather by measuring radiation exposure to air travelers and validating global radiation maps used in flight path planning.
This unique data also has value beyond the Earth as a celestial roadmap for using the same instrumentation to monitor radiation levels for travelers entering Mars’ atmosphere and for upcoming lunar exploration.
NASA’s Space Weather Aviation Radiation (SWXRAD) aircraft flight campaign took place August 25-28 and conducted two five-hour flights in Nuuk, Greenland.
Based out of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the mission gathered dosimetry measurements, or the radiation dose level, to air travelers from cosmic radiation.
Cosmic radiation is caused by high-energy particles from outer space that originate from our Sun during eruptive events like solar flares and from events farther away, like supernovae in our Milky Way galaxy and beyond.
“With NASA spacecraft and astronauts exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond, we support critical research to understand – and ultimately predict – the impacts of space weather across the solar system,” said Jamie Favors, director of NASA’s Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“Though this project is focused on aviation applications on Earth, NAIRAS could be part of the next generation of tools supporting Artemis missions to the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.”
NASA’s Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System, or NAIRAS, is the modeling system being enhanced by the SWXRAD airborne science flights.
The model features real-time global maps of the hazardous radiation in the atmosphere and creates exposure predictions for aircraft and spacecraft.
“The radiation exposure is maximum at the poles and minimum at the equator because of the effect of Earth’s magnetic field.
In the polar regions, the magnetic field lines are directed into or out of the Earth, so there’s no deflection or shielding by the fields of the radiation environment that you see everywhere else.” explained Chris Mertens, principal investigator of SWXRAD at NASA Langley. “Greenland is a region where the shielding of cosmic radiation by Earth’s magnetic field is zero.” That means flight crews and travelers on polar flights from the U.S. to Asia or from the U.S. to Europe are exposed to higher levels of radiation.
The data gathered in Greenland will be compared to the NAIRAS modeling, which bases its computation on sources around the globe that include neutron monitors and instruments that measure solar wind parameters and the magnetic field along with spaceborne data from instruments like the NOAA GOES series of satellites.
“If the new data doesn’t agree, we have to go back and look at why that is,” said Mertens. “In the radiation environment, one of the biggest uncertainties is the effect of Earth’s magnetic field.
So, this mission eliminates that variable in the model and enables us to concentrate on other areas, like characterizing the particles that are coming in from space into the atmosphere, and then the transport and interactions with the atmosphere.”
The SWXRAD science team flew aboard NASA’s B200 King Air with five researchers and crew members.
In the coming months, the team will focus on measurement data quality checks, quantitative modeling comparisons, and a validation study between current NAIRAS data and the new aircraft dosimeter measurements.
All of this information is endeavoring to protect pilots and passengers on Earth from the health risks associated with radiation exposure while using NASA’s existing science capabilities to safely bring astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
“Once you get to Mars and even the transit out to Mars, there would be times where we don’t have any data sets to really understand what the environment is out there,” said Favors.
“So we’re starting to think about not only how do we get ready for those humans on Mars, but also what data do we need to bring with them? So we’re feeding this data into models exactly like NAIRAS.
This model is thinking about Mars in the same way it’s thinking about Earth.”
The SWXRAD flight mission is funded through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Heliophysics Division.
NASA’s Space Weather Program Office is hosted at NASA Langley and facilitates researchers in the creation of new tools to predict space weather and to understand space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure, technology, and society.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/nasa-flights-study-cosmic-ray-effects-for-air-future-space-travelers/
https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/models/NAIRAS~3.0/
Rep. Zoe Lofgren Comments On RIF Threat
September 25, 2025
According to a press release:
“Last night, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo instructing federal agencies to prepare for Reductions in Force (RIF) if Congress does not pass a stopgap to fund the government by September 30.
“The Trump administration continues to use public servants as pawns in their game to distract and destroy our federal agencies,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).
“This threat of further RIFs is shortsighted and stupid. The government can’t be run like a deal-making game show—people behind critical agency efforts provide services that benefit all Americans.
Why does Trump want to punish Americans? We will fight these foolish RIFs with every tool Democrats and others resisting Trump’s chaos have available to us.”
https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/lofgren-condemns-trumps-reduction-force-threat
https://nasawatch.com/congress/rep-zoe-lofgren-comments-on-rif-threat/
I don't remember where I heard this and no sauce but supposedly carrots used to be like 10 times more nutritious.
Recycled nuclear waste to power space batteries for NASA lunar rovers, landers
Updated: Sep 26, 2025 08:39 AM EST
AWashington-based company is set to use the new type of nuclear waste to power space batteries.
Zeno Power will use americium-241 (Am-241), a long-lived isotope uniquely suited for space power. Americium-241 will fuel Zeno’s space nuclear batteries, also known as radioisotope power systems (RPS).
Currently, Zeno is developing an americium-fueled RPS for NASA to power lunar rovers, landers, and infrastructure on the Moon.
Nuclear batteries will deliver reliable power
These space nuclear batteries will deliver the reliable power needed to survive the lunar night and operate in permanently shadowed areas – capabilities that are vital to the Artemis program and NASA’s Moon to Mars initiative, according to the company.
To secure a reliable supply of americium-241 (Am-241), Zeno Power has signed a strategic agreement with Orano.
The company will provide americium-241 from its used nuclear fuel recycling operations.
Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) in space
The new agreement brings together Zeno, the leading developer of nuclear batteries, and Orano, a recognized leading operator in nuclear fuel cycle material production and management, to secure a reliable and diversified nuclear fuel supply chain for Zeno’s power sources.
Under the agreement, Zeno will make a multi-million-dollar investment to obtain priority access to large quantities of Am-241 per year from Orano’s la Hague recycling site in Normandy, France.
So far, radioisotope power systems (RPSs) in space have utilized plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as a fuel source.
Still, the isotope’s limited global supply and the rising demand for reliable space power have accelerated the search for additional viable fuel sources.
Sustainable supplement
Americium-241 offers a sustainable supplement to Pu-238, expanding the fuel options for long-duration space nuclear power. Zeno is currently developing an americium-fueled RPS for NASA to power lunar rovers, landers, and infrastructure on the Moon.
“Working with Orano is a pivotal step in advancing Zeno’s multi-fuel approach,” said Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power.
“By pairing americium-241 for space missions with strontium-90 for maritime and terrestrial deployments, Zeno’s nuclear batteries will unlock operations in the frontier, from deep sea to deep space.”
Am-241 is an attractive fuel source for space nuclear batteries because of its long half-life of more than 430 years, enabling power systems to last for decades. It is also naturally produced through the decay of other isotopes found in used nuclear fuel.
Leveraging its proven industrial recycling capabilities, Orano will recover Am-241 from used fuel processed at its La Hague site, positioning itself as a global leader in Am-241 production, according to a press release.
“Our work with Zeno demonstrates one of the significant values of recycling used nuclear fuel,” said Corinne Spilios, senior executive vice president of Orano’s Recycling Business Unit.
“By recovering americium-241, we can gain value from material once designated as waste by retrieving and using one of the isotopes for an advanced application such as space power systems.
This agreement once again demonstrates the value of recycling recoverable nuclear materials, which allows for energy production while conserving natural resources.”
https://interestingengineering.com/space/recycled-nuclear-waste-power-space-batteries
https://www.zenopower.com/news/zeno-power-and-orano-unlock-americium-241-supply
US deploys space-based nuclear blast detectors that captures 10,000+ frames per sec
Updated: Sep 26, 2025 08:22 AM EST
he United States has quietly completed deployment of its latest series of space-based nuclear detection systems and is preparing to field an even more advanced generation of sensors, officials said on September 22.
The Global Burst Detection system, a set of specialized payloads hosted on US GPS satellites, has been monitoring the planet for signs of nuclear detonations for over 60 years.
Such sensors can identify electromagnetic pulses, X-rays, and optical flashes from nuclear explosions anywhere on Earth, allowing the US to determine a detonation’s time, location, and yield in real time.
US nuclear detonation detection system
The final detector in the current block, known as the IIIA series, launched from Cape Canaveral in May aboard a GPS satellite.
Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory jointly designed and produced the system’s five subsystems, said calibration and early on-orbit testing concluded successfully in June.
“The launch of the final IIIA series Global Burst Detector marks an important milestone in our efforts to enhance nuclear detection capabilities,” said Andrew Stuart, a manager at Sandia.
“Collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory has been key to developing this advanced system, which will significantly contribute to our national security by improving our ability to detect nuclear detonations from space.”
Marc Kippen, program manager for space systems and science at Los Alamos, called the launch “a testament to the decades of effort it takes to maintain uninterrupted national security space capability.”
The Global Burst Detection system forms part of the US Nuclear Detonation Detection System, a network of satellites, ground stations, and sensors overseen by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and operated by the US Space Force.
By riding on GPS satellites, the sensors provide global coverage without the need for dedicated spacecraft.
With the IIIA series complete, engineers are turning to the next generation of detectors, known as the IIIF series, scheduled to begin launching in 2027.
Several flight units have already been delivered to Lockheed Martin for integration with upcoming GPS satellites.
Spectral imaging geolocation hyper-temporal sensor
A centerpiece of the IIIF system is a new instrument called the Spectral Imaging Geolocation Hyper-Temporal Sensor, or SIGHTS, which traces its roots to basic research at Sandia more than a decade ago.
The optical sensor can record tens of thousands of frames per second at megapixel resolution, enabling faster identification of legitimate nuclear signatures and reducing false positives.
Sandia said the IIIF detectors will incorporate improved electronics, more robust materials, and advanced mission-assurance processes to ensure 15-plus years of reliable performance in orbit.
Officials said the ongoing work underscores the quiet but enduring nature of America’s nuclear monitoring mission.
“This program exemplifies how national laboratories and industry partners can deliver cutting-edge capabilities while preserving an uninterrupted security posture,” Kippen said.
The National Nuclear Security Administration funds the sensors, which undergo rigorous shock, vibration, thermal vacuum, and prompt X-ray testing to survive launch and the harsh space environment.
Over the next decade, Sandia and Los Alamos plan to deliver, integrate, and launch additional IIIF Global Burst Detector systems to continue the mission.
https://interestingengineering.com/military/ultra-fast-nuke-spotters-in-orbit
https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/space-based-nuclear-detonation-detection-mission-endures/
Pulse: ESA’s new approach to flying satellites
26/09/2025
In brief
To enhance operations across its growing portfolio of missions, the European Space Agency (ESA) has officially announced Pulse, a new solution that streamlines mission monitoring and control.
To be deployed next year on ESA’s three-satellite Swarm constellation, Pulse will progressively support all ESA missions and serve the broader European space sector.
In-depth
As ESA’s space activities expand in scale and complexity, there is a growing demand for interoperable systems capable of managing information across multiple missions, centres, and partners.
Traditional tools, often mission-specific and fragmented, limit situational visibility and collaboration. ESA’s response is Pulse, a mission-independent logic that links operational data, enhances responsiveness, and reduces fragmentation.
Pulse is not a single software product or control system.
It is a strategic operational framework that use technologies such as European Ground Segment – Common Core (EGS-CC), streamlining telemetry, event management, information exchange and execution processes.
Built on the collective experience of ESA teams, Pulse aims to transform how data flows are interpreted and actioned across missions.
Pulse will be deployed on ESA’s Swarm constellation in 2026. Over time, ESA intends for Pulse to become the default synchronisation and coordination layer for future missions, from construction (ie. Assembly, Integration and Validation of the spacecraft) to operations phases, whether in Earth’s orbit or in deep space.
Importantly, it is distributed under the ESA Community Licence, which enables access across the European space ecosystem without commercial constraints. Interested users can find more information here.
"Pulse is a foundational step towards an integrated, agile operational culture within ESA," said Katarzyna Cichecka, ESA Head of the System and Applications Engineering Division.
"It empowers teams to coordinate faster, react earlier, and see further. We are proud of what has been achieved and excited about what’s ahead."
The solution was shaped through continuous validation and cross-functional collaboration.
Recently, a milestone user acceptance test was conducted with mission operators and engineering teams from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC).
Their feedback confirmed significant improvements in coordination, usability, and operational consistency.
“From a mission operator's point of view, Pulse changes how we see and manage monitoring and control activities by expanding and easing automation possibilities” said Juan Piñeiro, ESA Satellite Operations Lead Architect.
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Pulse_ESA_s_new_approach_to_flying_satellites
https://essr.esa.int/project/egs-cc
One dead, several hurt in four-vehicle crash at Kennedy Space Center
Sept 26, 2025 10:28 a.m. ET
One person was killed and several people seriously injured in an early morning, four-vehicle traffic crash near at the Kennedy Space Center Complex near Max Brewer Bridge.
The deadly crash happened Friday, Sept. 26 on Beach Road, just east of Titusville Road, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. Several KSC police officers were at the site, along with highway patrol troopers.
One driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Traffic was also being rerouted for workers.
An investigation is underway.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2025/09/26/one-dead-in-four-vehicle-crash-at-kennedy-space-center/86365170007/
Video shows mysterious fiery streaks across Northern California skies
Updated on: September 25, 2025 / 10:54 PM PDT
Residents across Northern California and the Sacramento region witnessed a striking light show in the night sky on Thursday evening.
Around 7:45 p.m., bright streaks of light, some lasting visible for many seconds, were captured on camera from Roseville, Sacramento, Vacaville and other nearby cities.
One witness described the experience to CBS Sacramento as "space debris falling west to east, started as a singular celestial object then broke up across the sky."
CBS Sacramento is still working to determine what exactly caused the show in the night sky.
We reached out to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
At this time, there are no reports of damage or any physical debris reaching the ground.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/video-shows-fiery-streaks-across-northern-california-skies/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fWEvU5TZP0A
WYOWatch: Possible space debris reaches atmosphere above Jackson, Wyoming==
September 25, 2025
Astronomer and Wyoming Stargazing Executive Director Samuel Singer shared with Buckrail the possible origins of the object, after watching the acquired video footage.
Singer said that the chunk of matter was either a bolide — an extremely bright meteor that exploded in the Earth’s atmosphere — or nonorganic space debris. He estimated that the burning material was either fist-sized or bowling ball-sized.
“The extent that I am seeing something break up, leads you to believe that it was an oblong metallic object,” Singer said. “I would say space debris because of the length of time it is taking to break up. I would say it’s metal and not natural.”
Singer did not rule out that the visible fireball could have been natural space matter. He said that bolides can enter the earth’s atmosphere randomly throughout the year.
“Over the past dozen years, I’ve probably seen one of these bolides every year,” Singer said. “They come down all the time, but they’re usually not seen because they’re in the middle of the night. They kind of look like gun flares.”
Singer said that shooting stars, which are left over from planets or asteroids from an older solar system, “buzz through our solar system” at extremely high speeds, approximately 25,000 to 65,000 miles an hour.
While most shooting stars are the size of a grain of sand, bolides can be the size of a walnut. Singer explained that a bolide needs to be much larger than a walnut, though, to make it through the earth’s atmosphere as a meteorite.
To accurately identify the object’s contents, Singer said that a photo of the object’s spectrum or wavelengths would be needed to assess whether it was elements of carbon and iron or steel composite.
He said that his gut was telling him that the object was a piece of metal, breaking up as it flew through space.
Singer said that showers of space debris happen for a variety of reasons, one being from decommissioned satellites.
According to NASA, engineers will use a satellite’s last bit of fuel to slow it down so it will fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Satellites that are farther in space are sent away from the Earth’s atmosphere.
“When a satellite gets decommissioned, sometimes it gets left in orbit,” Singer said. “Other times it gets deliberately crashed into the oceans.”
Singer said that another reason for burning chunks of metal in the skies could be due to a failing satellite that has fallen into the earth’s atmosphere.
Singer said that breaking apart satellites can cause millions of pieces of space debris.
He said that Donald J. Kessler, an American astrophysicist and former NASA scientist, developed a theory now known as the Kessler effect, which states that the accumulation of metal space debris could reach a “critical mass,” increasing collisions and potentially causing the destruction of all the satellites.
Regardless of what this morning’s celestial object was made of, the visible light emanating off of it was caused by friction, Singer said.
“As it’s encountering the earth’s atmosphere from the vacuum of space, it starts encountering a huge amount of resistance from the molecules in the earth’s atmosphere,” Singer said.
“At the atomic level, the atoms and the electrons around the atoms are being excited because of that heat energy. It’s not actually on fire, it’s this light energy being released.”
Singer added that when electrons bump up to higher energy states and then fall back down to ground energy states, they give off a photon, which is a particle of light.
“That’s the light that you see from all shooting stars, bolides and space debris,” Singer said.
According to Singer, these objects typically burn up in the atmosphere before having the chance to hit the ground.
Approximately 30 years ago, one such meteorite was reported to hit the ground near Lizard Creek Campground in Grand Teton National Park, according to Singer.
He emphasized that it is extremely rare for an asteroid or piece of space debris to cause any damage.
https://buckrail.com/wyowatch-possible-space-debris-reaches-atmosphere-above-jackson/
ISS SSTV Event Celebrates World Space Week
September 26, 2025
ARISS has announced an slow scan television (SSTV) event to coincide with World Space Week October 3-6. The International Space Station (ISS) will transmit 6 unique images via SSTV.
The usual frequency of 145.800 MHz will be in use transmitting SSTV images in PD120 mode. The current schedule is tentative:
October 3-4
Start Friday October 3 at 14:00 UTC
End Saturday October 4 at 10:00 UTC
October 4-6
Start Saturday October 4 at 11:00 UTC
End Monday October 6 TBD
https://daily.hamweekly.com/2025/09/iss-sstv-space-week-event-ariss/
https://mastodon.hams.social/@ARISS_Intl/115265051288448884
https://www.ariss.org/
ESA spacecraft sees a kaleidoscope of color in Mars' atmosphere
September 26, 2025
Mars' atmosphere has been of interest to scientists for decades, especially as humanity looks to set up outposts on the Red Planet.
Recently, the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter gave us a more detailed look at the thin shell of air that sits above the limb of Mars
Creating a composite photograph of the images taken by the Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the Trace Gas Orbiter, ESA scientists found that the dust and gas layers of Mars' atmosphere are delicate and sit close together, similar to a "mille-fueille" pastry.
Mars' atmosphere is extremely thin and is composed of mostly carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen, argon and trace gases thrown in.
Yet despite its thinness, it's far from static, as Mars' air can whip up dust storms that help shape short term weather.
This image was taken in Mars' shadow in close orbit.
Thanks to these new images, experts have a much more detailed view of the composition of Mars' atmosphere. Each strip contains layers only a few miles (several kilometers) thick.
Above about 25 miles (40 km), the layers are thought to consist mainly of tiny ice grains, while below that altitude, dust is more dominant.
Subtle differences in the color between the bands hint at the chemical composition and concentration within the atmosphere.
These particles help control how sunlight is absorbed and scattered, which in turn affects the heating and cooling of different parts of the atmosphere.
By mapping how the layers are arranged vertically, scientists can better predict how the atmosphere evolves daily, seasonally and even across decades.
The researchers published their images, and analyses of them, in a recent issue of the journal Science Advances.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/esa-spacecraft-sees-a-kaleidoscope-of-color-in-mars-atmosphere-space-photo-of-the-day-for-sept-26-2025
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu0859
The largest-ever simulation of the universe has just been released
September 26, 2025
Are we living in a simulation? Well, the jury's out on that one. But humans do create simulations all the time.
In fact, the Euclid Consortium, the international group managing the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, just published the world's most extensive simulation of the universe.
It maps an astonishing 3.4 billion galaxies and tracks the gravitational interactions of more than 4 trillion particles.
Called Flagship 2, the simulation draws from an algorithm designed by astrophysicist Joachim Stadel of the University of Zurich (UZH).
In 2019, Stadel used the supercomputer Piz Daint — then the third most powerful supercomputer in the world — to run the calculation, ultimately creating an exceptionally detailed virtual model of the universe.
"These simulations are crucial for preparing the analysis of Euclid’s data," astrophysicist Julian Adamek of UZH, a collaborator on the project, said in a statement.
Since 2023, the Euclid space telescope has been mapping billions of galaxies across the universe, studying the distribution of dark energy and dark matter.
The spacecraft will eventually scan about one-third of the night sky. Given the scale of the project, Euclid produces vast quantities of data — and simulations like Flagship 2 help speed up processing times.
While the team anticipates that Euclid's observations will closely match predictions from the simulation, there are likely surprises in store.
Flagship 2 runs on the standard cosmological model, which is what we currently know about the universe's composition.
But missions like Euclid are designed to challenge our current knowledge. "We already see indications of cracks in the standard model," Stadel said.
The team is particularly excited to study the mystery of dark energy, the force driving the expansion of the universe. As it stands in the standard cosmological model, dark energy is simply a constant.
But Euclid's observations — which will look up to 10 billion years in the past — might reveal different characteristics. "We can see how the universe expanded at that time and measure whether this constant really remained constant," said Adamek.
Euclid's first observational data was released in March 2025, with the next publication of data sets scheduled for spring 2026.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/the-largest-ever-simulation-of-the-universe-has-just-been-released
https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/news/2025/flagship-2-galaxy-mock.html
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450853
Why 2025's Harvest Moon is a rare October full moon
September 26, 2025
Our next full moon will occur on Oct. 6, and it will be a somewhat special one for those living in the Northern Hemisphere in that it will also carry the title of "Harvest Moon."
The moon officially turns full when it reaches that spot in the sky opposite (180 degrees) to the sun in the sky and this moment will occur on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 03:48 GMT (which corresponds to 11:48 p.m. EDT on Oct.6, or 8:48 p.m. PDT).
But it also turns out that this full moon is the one that comes closest on the calendar to the September equinox. In 2025, this circumstance comes later than usual, into the month of October, as opposed to the more traditional month of September.
Full moon in September came on Sept. 7 and occurred 15.006 days prior to the autumnal equinox. The full moon of Oct. 6 occurs 14.395 days after the equinox, or 14 hours and 39 minutes nearer to the equinox than September's full moon.
Thus, the 2025 version of the Harvest Moon falls in October, although, for U.S. time zones, it can occur as early as Sept. 8 (as in 2014) or as late as Oct. 7 (as in 1987).
October oddities
Between 1970 and 2050, there are 18 years when the Harvest Moon comes in October. The last time was in 2020 and the next time will be in 2028.
On average, October Harvest Full Moons come at three-year intervals, although the time frame can be quite variable and there can be situations where as much as eight years can elapse (the next such example will come between 2028 and 2036).
Harvesting by the light of the moon
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans of what is now the northern and eastern United States. Those tribes of a few hundred years ago kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon.
Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of the Harvest Moon.
Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice — the chief Indian staples — are now ready for gathering.
Not a "long night's moon"
It seems that most people are under the impression that the Harvest Moon remains in the night sky longer than any of the other full moons we see during the year, but that's not so.
It's the full moon occurring nearest to the winter solstice that stays above the horizon the longest, at mid-northern latitudes in excess of 15 hours.
What sets the Harvest Full Moon apart from the others is that it rises about the time the sun sets, but more importantly, at this time of year, instead of rising its normal average 50 minutes later each evening, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night.
In fact, this unusual circumstance, a full (or nearly full) moon appearing on several consecutive evenings near sunset, rising at roughly the same time each night and leaving only a short period of darkness, was once considered a special provision of nature to allow farmers to continue working into the night without interruption.
For example, in Boston, Massachusetts, moonrise on Oct. 5 is at 5:32 p.m. On Oct. 6, moonrise is 5:55 p.m. and on Oct. 7, it's 6:20 p.m.
So compared to the normal 50 minutes per night, around the time of the Harvest Moon, the moonrise comes about 24 minutes later.
Worldwide variations
In actuality, the night-to-night difference is greatest for more southerly locations. For example, Miami, Florida, located near latitude 25.8 degrees N, sees moonrise come an average of 37 minutes later.
Meanwhile, the difference is less at more northerly locations; at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located at a latitude of 56.7 degrees N, the average difference is only 11 minutes.
The reason for this seasonal circumstance is that the moon appears to move along the ecliptic and at this time of year, when rising, the ecliptic makes its smallest angle with respect to the horizon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.
In contrast, for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, the ecliptic at this time of year appears to stand almost perpendicular (at nearly a right angle) to the eastern horizon.
As such, the difference in the time of moonrise exceeds the average of 50 minutes per night. At Christchurch, New Zealand (43.5 degrees S), for instance, the night-to-night difference amounts to 81 minutes.
Interestingly, for those who live near 70 degrees north latitude, the moon does indeed appear to rise at the same time each night around the time of the Harvest Moon.
And for those who live even farther to the north, a paradox: the moon appears to rise earlier! At Barrow, Alaska (latitude 71.3 degrees N), for instance, the times of moonrise on Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 will be, respectively, 7:16 p.m., 6:39 p.m. and 5:51 p.m.
So, from Barrow, the moon will seem to rise about 43 minutes earlier each night!
https://www.space.com/stargazing/why-harvest-moon-2025-is-a-rare-october-full-moon
Space test program continues to expand, astronaut inspires future space test leaders
Sept. 25, 2025
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School Space Test Course started as a three-month program in January 2021, in collaboration with the newly formed U.S. Space Force, and has been growing ever since.
The program evolved to a year-long graduate certificate in Space Test Engineering in 2024 and is set to become a full 40-credit hour master’s degree program, known as the Space Test Engineering concentration in January 2026.
TPS graduate, Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, Brig. Gen. Nick Hague, who played a crucial role in advocating for the expansion of the Space Test Course, recently visited Edwards Air Force Base to engage with K-12 students, TPS, Airmen and their families.
From 2005-2006, he was the chief flight test engineer for the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards, previous director of Space Force Test and Evaluation and is now the first-ever Space Force Guardian to travel to space as part of NASA’s Astronaut Corps.
“The strength of the Space Force lies in the dedication and expertise of our Airmen and Guardians,” Hague said. “It’s important to educate people on why research in space is so important and how it fundamentally impacts everyone’s lives on Earth.”
Fellow NASA astronaut and retired Navy Capt. Sunita Williams were also a part of the Crew-9/Expedition 72 return from space and accompanied Hague during the visit to TPS. “The fundamentals of test are universal, applying across all domains,” Karlen said.
"This truth was on display as Hague and retired Navy Capt. Williams spoke to the next generation of test leaders and Edwards AFB. We are proud to walk in the footsteps of these test leaders.”
Hague's visit highlighted the critical role of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in national defense and space exploration.
“The graduates of the TPS Space Test Course have already been leading the charge in a variety of research development test and evaluation roles for the Space Force,” said Andrew Freeborn, Technical Director of Space at TPS.
“The partnership between the school and the Space Force has been nothing short of amazing. Brig. Gen. Hague has really personified that in his dual roles as a Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut.”
The U.S. Air Force TPS, in collaboration with Space Training and Readiness Command and Space Delta 12 (STARCOM), educates up to 24 Guardians, Airmen and joint partners annually to prepare them to assume leadership roles in the space test and evaluation enterprise.
This initiative will produce expert test leaders capable of developing and validating advanced space-based capabilities essential to maintaining the U.S.'s strategic advantage.
Graduates will be equipped with specialized skills to plan, execute, analyze and report on developmental and operational tests of complex space systems.
“The Space Force through STARCOM, made significant investments into the partnership with U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and Edwards Air Force Base to produce professional Guardian testers with a multi-domain mindset capable of leading the service in safely pushing the limits of our space systems by ensuring they are combat-credible and ready for the joint fight,” said Lt. Col. David Heinz, U.S. Space Force Deputy Commandant-Space at U.S. Air Force TPS.
“It becomes more critical as Guardians around the globe are responsible for bringing stability to the space domain,” Hague said.
“What happens here at Edwards is extremely impactful to the space mission and I wanted to get out here and say thanks to the Air Force, Space Force and NASA.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4315287/space-test-program-continues-to-expand-astronaut-inspires-future-space-test-lea/
CMSSF unveils World-Class Master Sergeant framework
Sept. 26, 2025
The Space Force is charting a new course for enlisted development, focusing on building "World-Class Master Sergeants" to lead the way.
During a recent address at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna outlined a new framework aimed at strengthening leadership and expertise at the core of the service.
Bentivegna emphasized that the future of space operations hinges on empowering exceptional leaders.
"Our focus is at the tactical and operational levels, ensuring that our master sergeants are fully prepared to lead across critical mission areas," he stated.
Master sergeants, with support from senior enlisted, will drive mission execution and foster the development of technical sergeants, sergeants, and specialists.
In this model, the Space Force is reimagining the Master Sergeant rank, positioning it not merely as a step within the senior noncommissioned officer tier, but as the pinnacle of enlisted service – a role that embodies mission-focused leadership.
“If we focus on developing the right master sergeants … we'll naturally have the right talent to create E-8s and E-9s," Bentivegna explained.
"There is a need for meaningful and challenging training to build a strong and cohesive team for the future of the Space Force.”
A key element of this vision is a rigorous training pipeline. The Space Force will implement a demanding Basic Military Training program, designed to push trainees to their limits.
Successfully completing this initial training will result in promotion from E-1 to E-2, signaling their readiness. Subsequent specialized skills training will be equally selective, with successful completion resulting in promotion to E-3, demonstrating warfighting competence.
Following specialty training, Guardians transition to operational roles, undergoing qualification training.
Certification by their local squadron commander signifies their "combat-mission ready" status, leading to a promotion to E-4. This commitment to combat readiness is a cornerstone of the new framework.
The Space Force is also embracing a "fully-qualified promotion" model. Historically, promotion to E-5 involved sending records of eligible Guardians to a board where each record is scored and only a set percentage are promoted based on merit.
Bentivegna emphasized that promotions shouldn't be based on competition against others, but on meeting established standards.
"Guardians who demonstrate competence through training, experience, and acceptance of greater responsibility will be rewarded through promotion."
This model focuses on proving skills and preparedness, rather than competing for a limited number of promotions. This year marks a shift toward this model.
A 100% opportunity was offered for eligible E-4s to advance to E-5 by meeting established standards rather than being compared against their peers.
Looking ahead, the Space Force aims to further empower commanders.
In 2026, the service plans to delegate promotion authority for E-5s to tactical-level commanders, rewarding Guardians for their ability to learn and prove their skills.
This initiative emphasizes warfighting competence and proven skills over competition for limited promotion slots.
Master sergeants will be central to the Space Force's culture of mentorship and leadership.
They will lead diverse teams comprised of officers, enlisted, and civilians, managing resources, executing critical missions, and mentoring the next generation of leaders to shape the force's future success.
As Bentivegna said, “We need Guardian who are subject matter experts, but we also need them to teach, to train, to mentor.
So, there is no saying, ‘I will be a technical subject matter expert, I want to do operations, I don’t want to lead.’ There is no such thing, We all lead at our levels. We all have influence over others.”
This framework underscores the Space Force's commitment to developing highly skilled and effective enlisted leaders.
By implementing demanding training programs, modernizing the promotion system, and emphasizing operational excellence, the Space Force seeks to empower its master sergeants to lead and develop the next generation of Guardians, ensuring readiness for future challenges in the space domain.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4315895/cmssf-unveils-world-class-master-sergeant-framework/
STARCOM Leaders Highlight Guardian Readiness and Space Superiority at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference
Sept. 26, 2025
Space Training and Readiness Command leaders underscored the importance of building combat-ready Guardians during this week’s Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, held Sept. 22-24.
The annual conference brings together Guardians, Airmen, industry and international partners to discuss the future of air and space power, promoting innovation and collaboration across the national security community.
STARCOM commander Maj. Gen. James E. Smith, joined Lt. Gen. David N. Miller, Jr., commander of Space Operations Command, and Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, commander of U.S. Space Forces-Space, for a panel discussion titled Achieving Space Superiority.
The generals focused on how the Space Force is integrating realistic training and preparing Guardians to operate in contested conditions. They emphasized the need for a force that can think and act quickly against real-world adversaries.
“For example, resilient architectures and proliferated constellations require our Guardians to think differently than we ever have in the past,” Smith said. “That’s why we redesigned our Officer Training Course.
Instead of just making a space operator, or a cyber operator, or an intel operator, our Guardian [officers] are trained in space, cyber, intel and acquisitions so that they can move at the speed that we’re going to have to move in this domain given the threats we are going to face.”
Smith referenced the significance of space as a now global, contested domain. He also highlighted the role STARCOM plays in providing training to Guardians who will support the joint force and partners.
“The character of war is changing fast and Guardians must be ready to fight – not just in space, but across space, cyber and intel,” Smith said. “For STARCOM it’s about ensuring every Guardian and every system we deliver is combat credible.
Because at the end of the day, our job is to ensure we have the capabilities and the people that can deter a war – and if called upon, win.”
Delivering Space Superiority
Similarly, Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Cantore, STARCOM’s deputy commander, moderated a panel titled Delivering Training Capabilities for Space Superiority.
He was joined by industry leaders who discussed the need for clearer acquisition processes that allow information to flow more effectively.
The discussion emphasized collaboration among manufacturing partners and the importance of engaging companies of all sizes. The goal would be to make it easier for businesses to enter the conversation and bring innovative solutions to the warfighter.
“Industry plays a critical role, we need their capability,” Cantore said. “This partnership is essential to ensure we get our requirements known and understood but then delivered to our Guardians to prepare.”
Cantore and the panelists all agreed time is critical to ensuring Guardians receive the training and equipment needed to protect operations and access to space.
“The fight for the future is upon us,” Cantore said. “We know that the next major conflict is going to require space superiority. Whether it’s a strike like Operation Midnight Hammer or large-scale continuous combat operations, we need to be ready.”
STARCOM, headquartered at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, is responsible for preparing every Guardian through training, education, testing, wargaming, and with its ranges and aggressors.
Comprised of five Deltas, its mission is to develop space warfighters who can fight and win in the space domain.
https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4315942/starcom-leaders-highlight-guardian-readiness-and-space-superiority-at-afas-air/