NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

January 17, 2026

Apollo 14's Lunar Module Antares landed on the Moon on February 5, 1971. Toward the end of the stay astronaut Ed Mitchell snapped a series of photos of the lunar surface while looking out a window, assembled into this detailed mosaic by Apollo Lunar Surface Journal editor Eric Jones. The view looks across the Fra Mauro highlands to the northwest of the landing site after the Apollo 14 astronauts had completed their second and final walk on the Moon. Prominent in the foreground is their Modular Equipment Transporter, a two-wheeled, rickshaw-like device used to carry tools and samples. Near the horizon at top center is a 1.5 meter wide boulder dubbed Turtle rock. In the shallow crater below Turtle rock is the long white handle of a sampling instrument, thrown there javelin-style by Mitchell. Mitchell's fellow moonwalker and first American in space, Alan Shepard, also used a makeshift six iron to hit two golf balls. One of Shepard's golf balls is just visible as a white spot below Mitchell's javelin.

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

>>24134592

<Apollo 14: A View from Antares

>>24134596

Them: Where have you been all these years?

Me: On deployment in the multiverse.

New Hole At The Top Of The Sky | S0 News and frens

Jan.17.2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPsBUexQj8

https://thedebrief.org/astronomers-reveal-how-a-weird-variety-of-m-dwarf-stars-can-function-as-space-weather-stations/

https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/northern-lights-may-be-visible-in-15-states-tonight-jan-16

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/earth-indicators/global-temperature/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biuBLy3t9no (Stefan Burns: A Giant Radio Burst is Hitting Earth 💥 Cygnus X-3 ACTIVATES)

https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2012321679532535870

https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2012540697245532256

https://x.com/forallcurious/status/2012235636057522292

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

https://spaceweather.com/

3I/ATLAS in Hubble Images from January 14, 2026

January 17, 2026

A new set of six images, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on January 14, 2026, show the brightness map of the glowing halo surrounding 3I/ATLAS after perihelion.

The glow extends beyond 130,000 kilometers towards the Sun, about a third of the Earth-Moon separation.

When the image is processed through the Larson-Sekanina Rotational Gradient filter which removes the circularly symmetric glow around the nucleus, it features a weird configuration of jets, including a prominent anti-tail outflow directed towards the Sun, supplemented by a system of three mini-jets.

These mini-jets are equally separated by an angle of 120 degrees from each other, and none of them is pointing away from the Sun as expected for a standard cometary tail.

The last Hubble exposure ends half an hour after the first exposure starts.

A new paper that I co-authored with Toni Scarmato (accessible here) analyzed previous Hubble images from December 2025 and concluded that the jet structure wobbles periodically by +/-20 degrees over a period of 7.1 hours.

This implies a modest shift by 5.6 degrees over 0.5 hours in the orientation of the jet system on January 14, 2026.

On January 22, 2026, the Earth will be aligned to within 0.69 degrees with the line connecting 3I/ATLAS to the Sun (as reported in the new paper I co-authored with Mauro Barbieri here).

Just as in the context of a full Moon, this rare alignment will allow us to see 3I/ATLAS and the glowing dust around it in full brightness when the area of their reflecting surfaces will be maximized.

Since we will be observing 3I/ATLAS from the direction of the Sun on that date, its sunward anti-tail will be pointed at us.

Measurements of the brightness surge and polarization of 3I/ATLAS at opposition to the Sun could shed new light on the composition and size of the fragments it launches into the anti-tail.

What is the nature of the anti-tail that allows it to penetrate hundreds of thousands of kilometers through the Solar wind and radiation without being deflected away from the Sun, as often the case in familiar cometary tails?

Is the anti-tail composed of fragments of ice (as suggested in a paper I co-authored with Eric Keto, published here), large dust grains (as I suggested in a research note, posted here), or massive objects (as I suggested in a paper, published here)?

Data from the SPHEREx space observatory indicated the existence of icy fragments around 3I/ATLAS before perihelion (as reported here in August 2025).

However, the spectral signature of ice disappeared in the SPHEREx data after perihelion, taken during December 2025 (as reported here), when abundant organic molecules in gas phase, such as CH3OH, H2CO, CH4, and C2H6, were discovered, along with an enhancement by a factor of ~20 in the water production rate.

To survive cosmic-ray bombardment along an interstellar journey that lasted billions of years, these organic molecules must have been buried under a thick layer of material, at least 10-meters in depth.

https://avi-loeb.medium.com/weird-jet-geometry-around-3i-atlas-in-hubble-images-from-january-14-2026-b7aad098e76c

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.08624

https://medium.com/@jmarilacroix/3i-atlas-the-magnetic-moon-and-a-convenient-composition-90759b8357cc

https://medium.com/@SophiaChanu/3i-atlas-related-fake-news-on-youtube-54824cff85fd

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/3i-atlas-discovery-only-6-chance-that-objects-alignment-mere-accident-1771608

https://usaherald.com/unresolved-anomalies-in-3i-atlas-keep-scientists-tracking-the-object-closely/

https://x.com/harmonicLattice/status/2012271649668604346

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TF6OETuxE (Angry Astronaut: Did 3I Atlas visit Earth in 1883? PLUS, new UNNATURAL DISCOVERY!!)

TESS Special Observation of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS in January 2026

16 January 2026

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will conduct a special observation of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in January 2026, temporarily interrupting Sector 99 to capture this rare opportunity to observe this object from another solar system.

TESS's high-precision, continuous photometry could provide unique insights into the comet's activity following its closest approach to the Sun.

Updated Sector 99 Schedule:

5-15 January 2026: Sector 99 (Part 1)

15-22 January 2026: Special comet observation pointing along the ecliptic

22 January – 2 February 2026: Sector 99 (Part 2)

Both Sector 99 and comet observation data will be calibrated and publicly archived following standard mission practices (i.e., no proprietary period).

For sector pointing information, visit the HEASARC and MIT websites, or use the updated tesswcs or tess-point Python tools.

Register your interest using this Google Form to receive more in-depth updates and information about the TESS Comet 3I/ATLAS observation, or check our websites at the links above.

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/physics-of-the-cosmos/community/tess-special-observation-of-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas/

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii-press-kit/

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/01/17/nasas-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-on-way-to-launch-pad/

https://x.com/Astronaut_87/status/2012531400742744066

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTs799cmxBc (NASA's Artemis II Crew Rollout Media Event)

All things ARTEMIS II - Press Kit

January 17, 2026

Mission Overview

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed test flight in the Artemis campaign. Four astronauts will fly aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and confirm the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed in the deep space environment.

In this Golden Age of exploration and innovation, the Artemis missions will allow astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and help build momentum for the first crewed missions to Mars.

The Artemis II mission profile follows the uncrewed Artemis I flight test by demonstrating a broad range of SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion capabilities for deep space.

This mission will prove Orion’s life support systems are ready to sustain crew on future missions and allow the crew to practice operations essential to the success of Artemis III and beyond.

NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are the Artemis II astronauts.

The initial launch will be similar to Artemis I as SLS lofts Orion into space. With crew aboard this mission, Orion and the upper stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), will then orbit Earth twice to ensure Orion’s systems are working as expected while still close to home.

Orion will start in an elliptical orbit that will be refined to a “safe” high Earth orbit of approximately 44,525 x 115 statute miles. For perspective, the International Space Station flies a nearly circular Earth orbit about 250 miles above our planet.

After the burn to enter the high Earth orbit, Orion will separate from the upper stage, which the crew will use as a target for a manual piloting test called the proximity operations demonstration.

During the demonstration, mission controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will monitor Orion as the astronauts transition the spacecraft to manual mode and pilot Orion’s flight path and orientation.

This demonstration will provide performance data and operational experience that cannot be readily gained on the ground in preparation for critical rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking – as well as undocking – operations in lunar orbit beginning on Artemis III.

Checking Critical Systems

Following the proximity operations demonstration, the crew will turn control of Orion back to mission controllers at NASA Johnson and spend the remainder of the orbit verifying spacecraft system performance in the space environment.

While still close to Earth, the crew will assess the performance of the life support systems necessary to generate breathable air. Orion also will test the communication and navigation systems to confirm they are ready for the trip.

While still in the elliptical orbit around Earth, Orion will briefly fly beyond the range of GPS satellites and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites of NASA’s Space Network to allow an early checkout of agency’s Deep Space Network communication and navigation capabilities.

After completing checkout procedures, Orion will perform the next propulsion move, called the translunar injection burn, where Orion’s service module will provide the last push needed to put the spacecraft on an outbound trip of about four days and around the far side of the Moon, tracing a figure eight that will extend more than 230,000 miles from Earth before returning home.

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>>24134924

Moonbound, Free Ride Home

On the remainder of the trip, astronauts will continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s systems, including practicing emergency procedures, testing the radiation shelter, taking part in science experiments, and making observations of the Moon from a closer vantage point than human eyes have had in more than 50 years.

The Artemis II crew will travel approximately 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the Moon.

They will see the Earth and the Moon from Orion’s windows, with the Moon close in the foreground and the Earth nearly 250,000 miles in the background. From the crew’s location, the Moon will look about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.

Once Orion and the crew come around the far side of the Moon, they’ll begin the return leg of their journey home.

Instead of requiring propulsion on the return, their fuel-efficient trajectory will harness the Earth-Moon gravity field, ensuring Orion will be pulled back naturally by Earth’s gravity for the free-return portion of the mission.

Orion will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, and the spacecraft and crew will be recovered with the help of the U.S. Navy, offering another opportunity to put new processes to the test for the first time.

The lessons learned throughout the mission will pave the way for humans to return to the lunar surface.

Through Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before and create an enduring presence in deep space, while simultaneously preparing to land the first astronaut – an American – on Mars.

Mission Priorities

The Artemis II test flight will confirm the systems necessary to support astronauts in deep space exploration and prepare to establish a sustained presence on the Moon.

There are five main priorities for Artemis II:

Crew: Demonstrate the ability of systems and teams to sustain the flight crew in the flight environment, and through their return to Earth.

Systems: Demonstrate systems and operations essential to a crewed lunar campaign. This ranges from ground systems to hardware in space, and operations spanning from development to launch, flight, and recovery.

Hardware and Data: Retrieve flight hardware and data, assessing performance for future missions.

Emergency Operations: Demonstrate emergency system capabilities and validate associated operations to the extent practical, such as abort operations and rescue procedures, as needed.

Data and Subsystems: Complete additional objectives to verify subsystems and validate data.

Major Mission Milestones

Launch – The SLS will lift Orion and the crew away from the Earth using more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust.

Jettison Rocket Boosters, Fairings, and Launch Abort System – As the rocket leaves the atmosphere, its solid rocket boosters will be discarded once they have been emptied of fuel, followed by the panels that protect the Orion service module, and the launch abort system that would pull Orion and the crew to safety in the case of early ascent emergencies.

Core Stage Main Engine Cut Off – On reaching space, the SLS’s core stage engines shut down, and the core stage separates from the upper stage and Orion.

Perigee Raise Maneuver – When Orion reaches the apogee, or highest point, of its early, sub-orbital trajectory, the ICPS upper stage will fire its engine to raise its perigee — the lowest point of its orbit – to a safe altitude of 100 miles. Once this burn is complete, Orion and the ICPS will be in a stable low-Earth orbit.

Apogee Raise Burn to High Earth Orbit – ICPS will fire again roughly an hour later, this time at the perigee of its orbit, to continue raising Orion into a high Earth orbit. This begins a roughly 23-hour checkout of the spacecraft, while Orion and its astronauts are still relatively close to Earth.

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>>24134930

Orion Separation from ICPS followed by Proximity Operations Demonstration – Once the ICPS has done its job, it will separate from Orion and be repurposed as a target for a proximity operations demonstration test – an opportunity for the crew to verify they can safely pilot Orion in manual mode. The ICPS will stand in for spacecraft that Orion would dock to in future missions, while the crew practices flying Orion toward and around it.

Orion Upper Stage Separation Burn – With proximity operations complete, the crew will use Orion’s orbital maneuvering system engine to move away from the ICPS and make additional observations of the upper stage as it gets farther away. About 15 minutes later, the ICPS will perform its own disposal burn, setting it on a path to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

Perigee Raise Burn – At the end of Flight Day 1, the crew will be awakened to perform an additional engine firing to get Orion into the correct orbital geometry for its translunar injection burn on Flight Day 2.

Translunar Injection by Orion’s Main Engine – The translunar injection burn is the last major engine firing of the mission. It propels Orion on a path toward the Moon and sets it on the free-return trajectory that will ultimately bring crew back to Earth for splashdown. Though only two days into the mission, it essentially doubles as Orion’s deorbit burn, as well.

Outbound Transit to Moon – Three smaller outbound trajectory correction burns using Orion’s orbital maneuvering system engine over the course of the next three days will ensure the spacecraft stays on target for its journey around the Moon. Just before the crew goes to sleep on Flight Day 5, they’ll enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the pull of the Moon’s gravity will become stronger than the pull of the Earth’s gravity.

Lunar Flyby – Exactly how close the Artemis II crew will fly to the Moon will depend on when they launch. The Moon will be in a different spot for each of the possible launch dates, and the exact distance will change accordingly, ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 miles above the lunar surface. This is farther from the Moon than Artemis I’s 80 miles above the surface, but still tens of thousands of miles closer than any human has been in more than 50 years. At this distance the Moon will appear to the crew to be about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.

The closest the crew will come to the lunar surface will be when Orion flies behind the Moon. At this point, the crew will lose communication with the Earth for anywhere from 30-50 minutes, depending on when they launched.

During that time, they will be taking photos and video of the Moon’s far side and making observations to be shared with scientists on the ground after they regain communication.

Around this time, the Artemis II crew is expected to break the distance record set by Apollo 13 for the farthest any humans have ever been from Earth.

Trans-Earth Return – After Orion swings around the far side of the Moon and exits the lunar sphere of influence, its fuel-efficient free return trajectory will harness the Earth-Moon gravity field to pull Orion back to Earth naturally.

As on the journey to the Moon, three small return trajectory correction burns along the way will ensure the crew is set up for a safe splashdown.

The last of the trio of burns takes place on Flight Day 10, five hours before entry interface, once the crew has begun working through their preparations for coming home.

Crew Module Separation from Service Module – With its work done, Orion’s service module, containing the engines responsible for the burns that steer the spacecraft and propel it through space, will separate from the crew module.

This exposes the crew module’s heat shield, which will protect the astronauts through the heat of reentry. The service module will then be allowed to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Entry Interface – The crew module’s reaction control system engines will steer the heatshield into the direction of travel to prepare for peak heating.

While still 400,000 feet – almost 76 miles – above Earth, Orion will begin to feel the effects of the Earth’s atmosphere for the first time since launch.

Within a matter of seconds, superheated plasma will begin to build up around the spacecraft as the friction of the surrounding atmosphere increases.

Orion will experience temperatures around 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and communications with the crew will be temporarily blocked by the plasma.

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>>24134936

Splashdown – Once Orion has made it through the heat of reentry, the cover that has been protecting its forward bay is cast off to make way for the parachutes to deploy and begin slowing Orion down.

Two drogue parachutes, each 23 feet in diameter, will unfurl at an altitude of 25,000 feet and slow the capsule down to 307 mph. At 9,500 feet, three 11-foot-wide pilot parachutes will deploy to pull the final three main parachutes.

The 116-foot-wide main parachutes slow Orion from about 130 mph to just 17 mph for splashdown.

The crew module may land upright, upside down, or on its side. Once in the water, a system of five orange airbags will inflate around the top of the spacecraft and flip the capsule into an upright position, so that crew can safely exit.

Crew Information

Reid Wiseman

Reid Wiseman is commander of NASA’s Artemis II mission. The Baltimore native previously served as flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41 from May through November of 2014.

During the 165-day mission, Wiseman and his crewmates completed more than 300 scientific experiments in areas such as human physiology, medicine, physical science, Earth science and astrophysics.

They set a milestone for station science by completing a record 82 hours of research in a single week. He also served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 to November 2022.

Victor Glover

Victor Glover has been assigned to be pilot of NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon. Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate.

He most recently served as pilot of the Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft which flew to the International Space Station, where he also was flight engineer for Expedition 64/65.

The California native earned an undergraduate engineering degree, is a naval aviator, and was a test pilot in the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA‐18G Growler.

Christina Koch

NASA Astronaut

Christina Koch is an explorer and engineer who became astronaut in 2013 and will serve as a mission specialist for NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Her previous experience in spaceflight was living and working on the International Space Station for almost all of 2019 in Expeditions 59, 60, and 61.

Koch spent a total of 328 consecutive days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks. She served as branch chief of the Assigned Crew Branch in the Astronaut Office and did a rotation as assistant for technical integration for the center director at NASA Johnson.

Prior to becoming an astronaut, Koch’s experience spanned both space science mission instrument development and remote scientific field engineering in the Antarctic and Arctic.

Jeremy Hansen

CSA Astronaut

Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Colonel Jeremy Hansen is a Canadian astronaut and a former fighter pilot. He has extensive experience in mission operations and leadership roles.

He has been assigned as a mission specialist for the Artemis II mission, which will make him the first Canadian to fly around the Moon. Hansen was selected as an astronaut in 2009 and completed astronaut candidate training in 2011.

He worked as capcom at NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston and participated in international training missions, including ESA’s CAVES program in 2013 and NASA’s NEEMO 19 underwater mission in 2014.

He also took part in several field geology training expeditions, including in Canada’s High Arctic. In 2017, he became the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class.

cont.

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 to Discuss Space Station Science Mission

Jan 16, 2026

After 167 days in space, the crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission will hold a news conference at 2:15 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss their science expedition aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will answer questions about their mission.

The crew members returned to Earth on Jan. 15, splashing down off the coast of San Diego, and arrived in Houston on Friday, where they will undergo standard postflight reconditioning and evaluations.

NASA will provide live coverage on the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of additional online platforms, including social media.

Media are invited to attend in person or virtually. For in-person attendance, contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. CST, Tuesday, Jan. 20, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111.

Media participating by phone must dial into the news conference no later than 10 minutes prior to the start of the event to ask questions. Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.

A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available on the agency’s website.

The crew spent more than five months in space, including 165 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, traveling nearly 71 million miles, and completing more than 2,670 orbits around Earth.

While living and working aboard the station, the crew completed hundreds of science experiments and technology demonstrations.

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-spacex-crew-11-to-discuss-space-station-science-mission/

>>24134959

Expedition 74 Continues After Crew-11 Returns to Earth

January 16, 2026

Three Expedition 74 crew members continue to reside aboard the International Space Station now following the return to Earth of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission on Thursday.

The orbiting trio will conduct research and maintenance while awaiting the arrival of four new crewmates planned in February.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are back on Earth completing 167 days in space.

The Crew-11 quartet returned in a SpaceX Dragon back to Earth for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of California just ten-and-a-half-hours after undocking from the station’s Harmony module.

Meanwhile, NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams along with station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Flight Engineer Sergei Mikaev are on the orbital outpost and will stay in space until summer.

The trio arrived on Thanksgiving Day last year aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft beginning an eight-month space research mission.

Williams spent Friday inside the Quest airlock deconfiguring a pair of spacesuits set up for last week’s spacewalk before it was postponed.

He cleaned and flushed the suits’ internal water-cooling loops that regulate a spacewalker’s body temperature. Next, he powered down and inspected the suits, then uninstalled suit hardware, components, and batteries.

Mikaev installed Earth observation hardware and programmed it to photograph African landmarks from Namibia’s Namib Desert to Kenya’s Nabiyotum Crater on the southern tip of Lake Turkana.

Kud-Sverchkov serviced the Elektron oxygen generator inside the Zvezda service module then documented the location of hardware stowed throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment.

Back on Earth, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 members are looking ahead to next month when they are targeted to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aboard a Dragon crew spacecraft and join Expedition 74.

Crew-12 will be commanded by Jessica Meir and piloted by Jack Hathaway, both NASA astronauts, with Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos serving as mission specialists. NASA, SpaceX, and international partners are working to advance the launch of Crew-12, which is currently slated for Sunday, Feb. 15, following the early departure of Crew-11.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/16/expedition-74-continues-after-crew-11-returns-to-earth/

Roscosmos, NASA heads exchange contacts, plan future meeting

17 January 2026 17:03

Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov stated that he has exchanged contact information with the newly appointed head of NASA, Jared Isaacman, and that both sides have agreed to arrange a meeting.

Bakanov explained that the two discussed a timeframe suitable for both agencies. “We exchanged contacts and talked about when it would be convenient for both sides to meet,” he said, as per Russian media.

He noted, however, that a specific date and venue for the meeting have not yet been determined.

Jared Isaacman assumed leadership of NASA in December 2025. Before taking this position, he had collaborated with SpaceX. US President Donald Trump nominated Isaacman twice for the role.

Although the Senate approved his candidacy in April of last year, Trump withdrew the nomination the following month due to tensions with billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX.

https://caliber.az/en/post/roscosmos-nasa-heads-exchange-contacts-plan-future-meeting

NASA secures the skies: blockchain protects flight data

January 17, 2026

NASA secures the skies blockchain protects flight data

In a world where cyber threats loom over the skies, NASA has taken a bold leap to secure the future of aviation.

The agency has successfully tested a blockchain-powered cybersecurity system that could make flight data tamper-proof, shielding aircraft from interception and manipulation.

The groundbreaking experiment took place at the Ames Research Center in California, where an Alta-X drone demonstrated how decentralized ledgers can protect real-time communications between aircraft and ground stations.

As threats to aviation systems grow increasingly sophisticated, NASA is moving beyond traditional security methods.

The blockchain system creates a digital fortress, ensuring that critical data flight plans, telemetry, and operator credentials remains accurate, secure, and accessible only to authorized personnel.

During the August flight test, the drone flew under simulated real-world conditions, powered by a custom hardware and software setup.

Using an open-source framework, the system managed high-speed digital transactions, proving it can handle the security demands of modern air traffic management.

NASA researchers believe this innovation could be a game-changer for the skies, particularly for Urban Air Mobility and autonomous high-altitude aircraft operating above 60,000 feet.

By demonstrating that blockchain can safely transmit and store data in real time, the agency is laying the foundation for a trusted, scalable ecosystem for next-generation aviation.

https://www.bolnews.com/technology/nasa-secures-the-skies-blockchain-protects-flight-data/

Isaacman’s Prime Directive: Recognize, Reward, Inspire

January 16, 2026

This directive: “Workforce Directive: Recognize, Reward, Inspire” was sent out to all of NASA on 14 January 2026:

“Achieving NASA’s world-changing mission requires the best from a talented, inspired, and mission-focused workforce.” [full memo below]

Cultural Emphasis:

Immediately, leadership across the agency, with the assistance of the Chief Human Capital Officer, will promote and embed the following principles across the workforce:

Duty and Competence: Working at NASA is a privilege. To serve in the world’s most accomplished space agency, you need to be dedicated to excellence in your profession.

Mission-Driven Intensity and Urgency: Maintaining a bias toward action and achieving objectives in support of the mission is the highest priority of every NASA Employee.

Ownership and Accountability: We own our responsibilities and the outcomes. Every project, problem, part, and requirement has a clear owner.

Recalibrated Risk Framework: We will ensure safety is at the forefront of our decisions but achieving the mission of NASA means accepting that some risks are worth taking.

To recognize outstanding contributions, reward excellence, and inspire future achievement, I am directing the following actions:

Recognize Performance:

Within 60 days, the Chief Human Capital Officer will:

Conduct a full review of employee and contractor recognition and awards programs, including medals, to ensure the top performers are recognized. Areas of greatest consideration will be given to those with verifiable accomplishments in line with agency priorities including cultural transformation, leading in human space exploration, igniting a thriving space economy, and increasing the rate of scientific discovery and technology advancement.

Perform a recategorized performance review of the workforce to restore meaningful performance differentiation. This should include recommendations on ways to further reward the workforce that receives the highest ratings, and improvement plans for those below the average. Ultimately this should set a new process and standard for how performance is evaluated at the agency.

Establish a peer nomination system to recognize outstanding contributions from employees, contractors, partners, and aerospace community members.

Reward Achievement:

Within 60 days, the Chief Human Capital Officer will create or expand the following programs:

A ride-along program in NASA aircraft through a nomination and approval process

Mission launch observation opportunities

Receiving “flown hardware” awards

Inspire the Next Generation:

Expanded Flight Inspiration Program:

Within 30 days, the chief of the Aircraft Capability Management Office will:

Develop clear execution plan to increase the use of NASA and affiliate aircraft for flyovers at launches, major sporting events, airshows, and national celebrations, to inspire the next generation.

Update the NASA website to promote flyovers and field inbound requests for inspirational missions.

Re-focusing NASA’s Story:

Within 30 days, the Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications will:

Evaluate options to further consolidate NASA social media channels with the aim of delivering quality content over quantity, that prioritizes NASA’s most inspiring and transformational undertakings.

Develop a plan to expeditiously refresh and simplify the NASA website in line with agency objectives down to the Mission Directorate level.

Expand access and transparency to space educators, influencers, and media partners so they can document and bring the public along with the history NASA is making.

Increase the use of specialized cameras on launch vehicles, payloads, aircraft, and on the International Space Station (ISS) – including 360 degrees, smartphones, and immersive coverage – to more authentically capture and share NASA’s story.

As a reminder, we shared a feedback form with you at the end of the year. This is for me to directly receive your feedback without any filters. Please use it and continue to use it to share your thoughts.

Jared Isaacman

NASA Administrator

https://nasawatch.com/ask-the-administrator/isaacman-prime-directive-recognize-reward-inspire/

https://x.com/NASAAdmin

Most Notable 2026 Astronomical Events: A Year of Watching the Skies

January 16, 2026

This year will be busy for avid skywatchers, with some incredible opportunities to view meteor showers, planets, and the Moon in the night sky. In 2026, we will also mark the 20th anniversary of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Observatory.

Originally established as an engine test site in 1958, it was converted to a solar observatory in 1968 to study the sun. In 2006, it was transformed into a lunar and meteor observatory, marking the beginning of its modern era.

Today, the observatory plays a crucial role in monitoring the Moon for impacts, studying eclipses, tracking comets, and measuring meteoroid production through advanced telescopes and cameras.

So, get ready to watch the skies with us! Here are the top astronomical events happening this year:

February 28: Planetary Parade

On February 28, we will see not one, not two, but six planets in the evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter will appear shortly after sunset.

Four of those planets will be visible to the unaided eye, weather permitting, but only those with optical assistance will be able to view Uranus and Neptune (Mercury can sometimes be harder to spot, too).

March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse

In March, a total lunar eclipse will be visible for those in North America – especially for those on the West Coast. This event is for the earlier risers, as it will occur right before sunrise on the 3rd.

Lunar eclipses occur when Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun – shading the Moon in Earth’s shadow.

May 31: Full Blue Moon

A Blue Moon signifies the rare occasion of having a second full moon in one month – hence the phrase “once in a blue Moon”.

We will get one of these rare Blue Moons at the end of May – meaning we will have a total of 13 full Moons in 2026. But don’t be fooled by the name – this moon will not actually be blue in color.

June 8-9: Venus and Jupiter Conjunction

We will be treated to another special planetary event this year when the two brightest planets in the sky – Venus and Jupiter – will appear only a pinky finger apart in June. No telescopes will be required for this one!

August 12-13: Perseids Meteor Shower

The best annual meteor shower is ready to put on a show this year. With a New Moon in the sky, we should have excellent viewing opportunities across most of the world – weather permitting.

December 13-14: Geminids Meteor Shower

Another great annual meteor shower – the Geminids – will also show off for us this year. Step outside right after midnight to catch these famous “green” meteors streak across the sky.

December 24: Supermoon

To end the year, we are being treated to a special Christmas Eve Supermoon. A “supermoon” occurs when a full Moon is closest to Earth – making it appear bigger and brighter. So don’t worry kids, Santa will have lots of light to deliver all his toys.

Other 2026 Sky Events

January 2-3: Quadrantids Meteor Shower

January 3: Supermoon

January 10: Jupiter at Opposition

February 17: Annular Solar Eclipse (Visible in Antarctica)

March 20: March Equinox

April 21-22: Lyrids Meteor Shower

May 5-6: Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower

June 21: June Solstice

July 30-31: Southern Delta Aquariids AND alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower

August 12: Total Solar Eclipse (Visible in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain)

September 23: September Equinox

September 25: Neptune at Opposition

October 4: Saturn at Opposition

October 7: Draconids Meteor Shower

October 21-22: Orionids Meteor Shower

November 4-5: Taurids Meteor Shower

November 17: Leonids Meteor Shower

November 24: Supermoon

November 25: Uranus at Opposition

December 21: December Solstice

December 21-22: Ursids Meteor Shower

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/watch-the-skies/2026/01/16/most-notable-2026-astronomical-events-a-year-of-watching-the-skies/

AAS Summary Of NASA FY 2026 Budget

January 16, 2026

he American Astronomical Society (AAS) issued a release Congress Passes Fiscal Year 2026 Spending Bills for NSF, NASA, and DOE – here is the NASA portion:

“Take action today! Congress has largely rejected the severe cuts to science proposed in the President’s Budget Request.

Take a few minutes today to thank your members of Congress for their support of the sciences, and urge them to continue to provide robust and sustained support in the future: https://aas.org/action-alert-thank-you-fy2026

On 15 January 2026, the US Senate passed a “minibus” of Fiscal Year 2026 spending bills, following its passage by the House of Representatives on 8 January. …

Note that as of 15 January 2026, the bills have been sent to the President to sign into law, but we are awaiting that final signature.” More below

NASA

The bill funds NASA at $24.4 billion, a 1.6% cut from FY2025. This includes $7.25 billion for the Science Mission Directorate

(a 1.1% cut compared to the 47% cut proposed in the President’s Budget Request), and $143 million for the Office of STEM Engagement, rejecting the administration’s proposal to close this office, which funds the NASA Space Grant among other programs.

Additionally, the explanatory statement expresses concern over the facility and building closures at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Greenbelt campus, and it directs NASA to “preserve all the technical and scientific world-class capabilities at Goddard, including those that will be used to complete any mission funded in fiscal year 2026 by Congress during any campus consolidation.”

It also directs NASA to contract a study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine within 30 days regarding “the current technical and scientific capabilities housed at Goddard, what capabilities are positioned to ensure long-term success of the NASA mission, including for future cutting-edge scientific discovery and crewed space exploration, and what facilities are needed to house and operate those capabilities.”

The explanatory statement also states that “NASA shall ensure that Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) employees are able to continue work with minimal disruption, including by considering a physical location of GISS near its previous location that supports GISS’s strong academic partnerships.”

Astrophysics

The bill provides $1.6 billion for Astrophysics. This includes:

$49.3 million for Balloon Projects

$98.3 million for the Hubble Space Telescope

$208 million for the James Webb Space Telescope

$80.5 million for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

$300 million for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

$150 million for the Habitable Worlds Observatory

Added on January 16, 2026 at 1:10 pm: As noted earlier, the language of the House and Senate reports carries the same weight as the joint explanatory statement accompanying this bill.

These reports provide funding levels for other missions, such as $63 million for the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Planetary Science

The bill provides $2.5 billion for Planetary Science. The explanatory statement states that the bill does not support the existing Mars Sample Return (MSR) program.

However, it notes that “the technological capabilities being developed in the MSR program are not only critical to the success of future science missions but also to human exploration of the Moon and Mars.”

It therefore provides $110 million for the Mars Future Missions program, including existing MSR efforts, “to support radar, spectroscopy, entry, descent, and landing systems, and translational precursor technologies that will enable science missions for the next decade, including lunar and Mars missions.”

In addition to the Mars Future Missions program, the bill also provides:

$300 million for NEO Surveyor

$99 million for DAVINCI

$500 million for Dragonfly

$10 million for New Horizons

$100 million for formulation of the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission.

Heliophysics

The bill funds Heliophysics at $875 million. This includes:

$25 million for the Parker Solar Probe

$100 million for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation

$109.5 million for HelioSwarm

No less than $23 million from within current and prior year resources to continue to the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission.

https://nasawatch.com/congress/aas-summary-of-nasa-fy-2026-budget/

https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/resources/psd-director-letter-to-the-community/

Letter from the NASA Planetary Science Director: the Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)

January 16, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past year, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Planetary Science Division (PSD) have undergone many changes, including my arrival as PSD Director in April 2025.

It is my honor to serve the planetary science community, which has long been my professional home, in this new role. One of my top priorities has been determining a future path for the PSD Analysis and Assessment Groups (‘AGs’)—specifically defining the nature of their relationship with PSD.

For many years, the eight PSD AGs have served as community-based, interdisciplinary bodies responsible for providing science input and analysis needed to plan and prioritize NASA planetary science research and exploration activities.

Open to all, these groups have fostered collaboration, built consensus, and strengthened ties across the planetary science community.

The full significance of the AGs to NASA—to both PSD and the Explorations Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD)—is difficult to quantify, but the primary values include:

Sustained channels for trusted two-way communication between NASA and the planetary science community;

Agile mechanisms for creating Special Action Teams or obtaining technical assessments, on topics of immediate interest to NASA;

Fostering a cadre of community members, including early-career scientists, who are cognizant of NASA’s functions and processes, and building leaders in the planetary science community; and

Organization of (and repository for) the planetary science community’s consensus opinions and assessments.

Currently, the AGs operate under NASA-endorsed Terms of Reference (available on the AGs’ websites) and they receive financial support for some of their activities (including meeting logistics, community and steering committee travel awards, partial Chair salary, and website support), provided via a grant to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Several recent changes in the NASA landscape, however, make continuing the current support and operations model infeasible.

These changes include: Executive Orders; elimination of formal Advisory Committees, including the Planetary Science Advisory Committee, to which the AGs used to report; changes in grant administration rules; and a highly constrained PSD budget.

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With all these considerations, over the last year, we in PSD have been evaluating potential options for the AGs—with the aim of retaining as much of their primary value as possible, consistent with applicable laws and policies, while substantially reducing the budgetary commitment from PSD. Unfortunately, despite the recognized value of the AGs, PSD can no longer formally support the AGs.

Although the current grant mechanism that supports AG activities will cease toward the end of April 2026, we plan to maintain some funding for specific community activities that are of the most value to PSD and NASA after that time.

For example, it may be possible to request a small amount of funding to support community meetings or workshops via a future competitive solicitation. I also plan to continue two-way communication with the community, e.g., at conferences and other organized meetings.

In addition, we may solicit scientific analyses/assessments from the community on an ad-hoc/as-needed basis—and will use other funding mechanisms to provide support for the selected membership of those groups, as allowable.

I want to thank everyone in the community—especially the AG Chairs and Steering Committees—for their inputs and feedback during this process, which helped inform the path forward.

I also want to extend thanks to the Lunar and Planetary Institute for their continued logistical support of the AGs over the last several years.

This decision does not automatically force the AGs to be dissolved—they have the opportunity to evolve and innovate as self-organized entities that continue to help advance planetary exploration.

I know change can be unsettling and challenging, but the AGs have helped build a strong foundation for our field.

I am confident in the resilience and creativity of our community to reimagine the planetary science landscape, as one that is agile and responsive to NASA priorities and welcoming to all, as we continue to explore the Solar System.

The final NASA-supported AG meetings will occur by the end of April 2026. I look forward to seeing many of you at one of these meetings, or in another venue soon.

This year I also plan to provide more-regular updates for the community via emails and virtual meetings, so there will be plenty of upcoming opportunities for conversation.

With best wishes for a happy and successful 2026,

Dr. Louise M. Prockter

NASA Planetary Science Division Director

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We Are HAMming It Up At New Mexico Museum Of Space History In Alamogordo

January 16, 2026 - 12:12 pm

ALAMOGORDO — America’s Astro chimp, HAM, and his fellow primate pilots are being remembered for their contributions to the US Space Race during Science Saturday, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Jan. 31, 2026, at the NM Museum of Space History (NMMSH).

HAM was launched 157 miles into space Jan. 31, 1961, paving the way for American Alan Shepard’s flight May 5, 1961, as well as Yuri Gagarin’s flight one month earlier.

To commemorate the accomplishment, NMMSH is partnering with the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce for HAM Day at the New Horizons Dome Theater & Planetarium.

The event celebrates the anniversary of the flight and the role chimpanzees played in preparing the way for humans in space.

After a short, kid-friendly overview of great apes and early space medicine, museum educators will lead hands-on, great-ape-themed crafts designed for all ages.

Families are welcome to drop in at any time during the event, and all supplies are included. There will also be “ham and cheese wheels” to eat, and a homemade costume contest that will be judged by staff.

The name HAM comes from Holloman Aero Medical, where he was trained by Alamogordo resident Edward C. Dittmer Sr., who also suited up HAM and placed him in the Mercury Capsule perched on a Redstone rocket before the launch.

Space scientists believed chimps had the intelligence and reasoning ability needed to test their theories about space travel for humans and whether their psychological abilities to perform in the vacuum of space would deteriorate during the flight.

You can see one of the chimps’ space couches at NMMSH.

HAM is buried at the NM Museum of Space History in Alamogordo; his marker reads, “HAM proved mankind could live and work in space.”

https://ladailypost.com/we-are-hamming-it-up-at-new-mexico-museum-of-space-history-in-alamogordo/

https://nmspacemuseum.org/

From green fields to rocket fuel: Inside the UK’s newest space hub

Friday 16 January 2026 at 10:43pm

In the middle of rolling green fields in a quiet corner of Buckinghamshire sits something you might not expect - the UK’s newest space hub.

The brand new Westcott Space Hub is a £20 million facility that aims to bring together science expertise and companies to create 300 new jobs and grow the UK's space industry.

The companies on the site work with cutting-edge technology.

In one old bunker, scientists are working out how to turn water into rocket fuel. The small device they are using splits the water up into hydrogen and oxygen to create a fuel capable of propelling high-powered engines.

The idea is to make a fuel that is safer and less toxic than the current typical rocket fuel, Dan Staab, Chief Scientist at URA Thrusters, says.

"At the moment, lots of satellites have toxic fuel that's very difficult to handle and very expensive. You need hazmat suits. It's a huge cost just to get it ready for launch to fuel it.

And if you could replace that with just clean water, that's a huge cost saving and you don't have any danger for people who are exposed to it."

His team has an even more pioneering vision for their fuel when it comes to human space flight.

At the moment, any flights that set off to colonise space would need to carry return fuel with them - or never return.

Scientists think they can solve this problem by developing a way to make fuel from water because wherever humans go in space, they will need to have water with them to survive.

Just across the way in another warehouse is Westcott Storage Facilities, which houses the largest vacuum chamber in the UK. It weighs 18 tonnes and is one of the five largest in Europe.

The gigantic chamber allows scientists to recreate the conditions of space and test their designs.

In the same building is an electrodynamic shaker - effectively a high-tech table capable of vibrating at 2,500 revs a second - to recreate the conditions equipment will go through during blast-off to space.

That is roughly ten times faster than a Formula One engine at peak revs.

In the grand scheme of the space race, Westcott Space Hub is small and aims to punch above its weight, Emily Waller from Westcott Shared Facilities says.

“I think a strength of the UK is we’ve got some really clever scientists working together in old airfields such as this one, behind closed doors.

Bringing those brains together in a collaborative way, it allows us to challenge those other countries even though there might be more money involved for them.”

The idea of the new space hub is to bring together expertise and help grow the UK's space industry. The ultimate objective is to be able to do everything from design, manufacture and assembly through to launching without ever needing to leave the UK.

Westcott is already improving space testing facilities in the country, and later this year, it is expected that the first launch from Saxavord, a new space launch site in Scotland, will go ahead.

But the UK spends less on space than many other countries, so questions remain as to how it can compete in this growing industry.

In 2024, the US spent $80 billion (£59.8bn) on its space industry, followed by China, which spent $20 billion (£14.9bn).

The UK was in tenth place, investing $1.4 billion (£1bn) - less than countries such as Italy and India.

The Space Race is heating up once again.

On Saturday, the US will begin moving Artemis II to its launch site ahead of its manned mission to slingshot around the moon. They hope this will lay the groundwork to return humans to its surface.

Meanwhile, China plans to launch the Chang'e 7 lunar mission in August, aiming to land on the south pole of the moon and look for water.

The Chief of the UK Space Agency, Paul Bate, is still confident that the UK will not fall behind.

"Can we really compete? Yes, we can," he said.

"We've already one of the most commercially-minded space nations. We make more satellites in Glasgow than the rest of Europe makes combined.

We're sending spacecraft to Mars with a UK-built Rover. We have some of the best engineers and scientists on the planet. What we do is prioritise, we find our niches, and we go global with those."

Fifty years ago, this site was home to a rocket engine test site. In 50 years, it may be the place which propelled the UK's ambition to space.

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-01-16/from-green-fields-to-rocket-fuel-inside-the-uks-newest-space-hub