TYB
Ancient Missing Magnetic Poles | S0 News and frens
Mar.3.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeL_GId7W08
https://x.com/schumannbot/status/2028832799860339152
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
Totality is over — Feast your eyes on the 1st photos of the blood moon total lunar eclipse 2026
March 3, 2026
An incredible total lunar eclipse is still unfolding across North America, though totality has now come to an end. Earth's shadow transformed the full moon into a dramatic blood moon earlier tonight and the first mesmerizing images are already pouring in.
Breathtaking views of both the partial and spectacular blood moon phases of the total lunar eclipse are already flooding the internet, captured by photographers situated in America and Oceania.
While totality has ended, the eclipse is far from over. Be sure to follow along with our total lunar eclipse live blog and to read our watch live article to discover where to stream the eclipse online for free!
First views of the March 3 total lunar eclipse
Mirko Harnisch and the Dunedin Astronomical Society captured a gorgeous view of the full moon during the partial eclipse phase from New Zealand, as seen in this still from The Virtual Telescope Project livestream.
The image was captured shortly after Earth's curved inner shadow began its slow journey across the lunar disk, darkening the lunar seas sprawling across the western portion of its surface.
The March full moon is commonly known as the Worm Moon and is named for the time of year when the ground softens to allow earthworms and burrowing beetles to emerge.
Photographer Ted Aljibe captured a gorgeous view of the partially eclipsed full moon as it rose over the city of Manila in the Philippines, as Earth's shadow veiled the lower part of its disk.
Our next view comes courtesy of Time and Date and was taken as a small crescent of the lunar disk peeked out around the massive sweep of our planet's umbral shadow late into the partial phase.
The dark basaltic plain of Mare Crisium (the Sea of Crisis) can be seen as a small oval at the top of the sunlit portion, with Mare Fecunditatis (the Sea of Fertility) below, marking regions where liquid lava once flooded the lunar surface.
Harnisch and the Dunedin Astronomical Society were able to capture another gorgeous view of the lunar disk as it hung over New Zealand during totality, as sunlight filtered by Earth's atmosphere was bent onto its ancient surface, transforming the worm moon into a dramatic blood moon.
Time and Date provided yet another perspective of the blood moon from its mobile observatory in Yucca Valley, California, in which the outlines of the lunar seas can be seen darkening the crimson orb as it drifted silently behind Earth, hidden from the sun.
Finally, photographer Phil Walker snapped this impressive view of the full moon during totality from northern New Zealand, as it bathed in the light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth.
Be sure to follow along live with our total lunar eclipse live blog, which will keep you up to date with all of the major milestones as Earth's shadow slips inexorably from the face of its natural satellite.
The March 3 eclipse will draw to a close at 9:23 a.m. EST (1423 GMT), when the outer part of Earth's shadow — known as its penumbral shadow — departs the lunar disk.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/lunar-eclipses/totality-is-over-feast-your-eyes-on-the-1st-photos-of-the-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2026
https://www.space.com/news/live/total-lunar-eclipse-blood-moon-march-3-2026-live-updates
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/photos/2026/03/03/in-photos-skywatchers-around-the-world-witness-rare-blood-moon/
https://x.com/ABC/status/2028852196171825411
https://x.com/ar_arrrj/status/2028831927869046994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8lFk3B4Oh0 (Dobsonian Power: LIVE BLOOD MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE WITH TELESCOPE!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeH71RGqS1o (MrMBB333: RARE PROPHETIC BLOOD MOON)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwtLy-tI-zs (VideoFromSpace: Blood moon returns in lunar eclipse time-lapse from California)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOWbskXybxg (Stefan Burns: THE BLOOD MOON HAS BEGUN 🌕 MARCH 3RD 2026 TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58QBMa3aj0 (Ray's Astro: LIVE BLOOD MOON – Total Lunar Eclipse March 3, 2026 (2AM CST))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dFEthyVqNY (Chuck's Astro: Blood Moon Eclipse LIVE: Total Lunar Eclipse)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQLcLAfilkQ (The Virtual Telescope Project: The 3 March 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse: a live, international event - 3 March 2026)
The Non-Gravitational Acceleration of 3I/ATLAS is Not Directed Away from the Sun
March 3, 2026
Today, a new paper reported here the most comprehensive analysis of the non-gravitational acceleration of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. Its results differ from the official NASA report, posted on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Small Body Database here.
Whereas NASA reports a radial acceleration component away from the Sun that is 5 times larger than the tangential component along the direction of motion of 3I/ATLAS, the new paper derives similar amplitudes for the radial and tangential components.
The new analysis suggests that 3I/ATLAS is pushed sideways and not simply away from the Sun — as implied by the official analysis of Davide Farnocchia from NASA/JPL. Yes, official statements from NASA can be wrong. Science is a learning experience.
Does a large non-radial acceleration make sense? Yes, according to high-resolution images of 3I/ATLAS.
Observations from August 2026 when 3I/ATLAS was approaching the Sun, reported here the existence of collimated, high-latitude jets that display a periodic wobble consistent with nucleus rotation.
This morphology indicated localized sources of mass loss rather than uniform sublimation of the nucleus, which could trigger significant non-radial acceleration.
In two papers that I co-authored with Toni Scarmato here and here, we removed the circular glow around the nucleus in the highest-resolution post-perihelion images of 3I/ATLAS from the Hubble Space Telescope, and discovered three symmetrically-separated mini-jets in addition to a prominent sunward jet (anti-tail), modulated by a 7.1 hours rotational period and consistent with a spin-axis orientation within 20 degrees of the sunward direction.
Such a configuration naturally favors strongly directional gas and dust emission, capable of generating a transverse acceleration component which is comparable in magnitude to the radial one.
It would be interesting to use the geometry of this jet system and demonstrate that the non-gravitational force on the nucleus yields a tangential acceleration comparable in magnitude to the radial one, based on the mass outflow carried by the different jets.
The conclusions of the new paper are based on examining a variety of orbital solutions that implement symmetric, time-offset, and asymmetric radial dependence of the outgassing relative to perihelion.
The radial and normal components of the non-gravitational acceleration (labeled, A1 and A3) are broadly consistent across all solutions, whereas the transverse component (A2) is more sensitive to data selection, parameter correlations, and orbital phase coverage.
The magnitude of the non-gravitational acceleration can be used to constrain the nucleus diameter of 3I/ATLAS, which most recently was inferred here to be 2.6 kilometers.
The total magnitude of the non-gravitational acceleration is small, about a micrometer (a percent of the width of a human hair) per second squared at the Earth-Sun separation. It corresponds to a spatial offset of 3I/ATLAS by half the radius of the Moon over a period of a month.
This offset is smaller than the Earth-Sun separation by a factor of 200,000 and is therefore of negligible significance in shifting the path of 3I/ATLAS relative to the Sun or the planets.
The origin of the symmetric system of 3 mini-jets, separated equally by 120 degrees from each other, remains enigmatic. Does it constitute a technological signature of thrusters? We do not know.
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-non-gravitational-acceleration-of-3i-atlas-is-not-directed-away-from-the-sun-f478b82f7175
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.00782
https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2028699518196212207
https://x.com/CallionMonica/status/2028837636463329377
https://x.com/Vinigarcia1994/status/2028725832999747655
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYwWZg68nHk (Dobsonian Power: 3I/ATLAS NEW ANOMALY - WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?)
extra Avi Loeb
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/a-scientific-alternative-to-government-disclosure-the-galileo-project-is-now-capable-of-c859d4daf0b0
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/im-chat-gpting-therefore-i-am-670c80170278
Spacewalk and Japanese Cargo Craft Departure Preps Kick Off Week
March 2, 2026 12:31PM
The Expedition 74 crew kicked off the work week readying a spacesuit and studying procedures for an upcoming spacewalk later this month.
The International Space Station residents are also packing a Japanese cargo craft and preparing it for departure from the International Space Station at the end of the week.
NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway partnered with each other before lunchtime on Monday and unstowed spacesuit components and staged them inside the Quest airlock.
Afterward, NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir worked inside Quest and installed leg and arm components on a single spacesuit then swapped components from one spacesuit to another.
Hathaway later joined ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Sophie Adenot and reviewed how to suit up an astronaut, guide a spacewalker in and out of the airlock, communicate with mission controllers during a spacewalk, and more.
The astronauts are gearing up for a spacewalk that was postponed in January to install a modification kit and route cables for a future roll-out solar array on the port side of the orbital outpost.
Williams also trained for the departure of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft that launched to the space station in October from Tanegashima Space Center.
He reviewed the procedures he will use when the Canadarm2 robotic arm releases the HTV-X1 into Earth orbit and when monitoring the Japanese cargo craft’s departure. Meir, after her spacesuit work, continued packing the HTV-X1 with trash and discarded gear.
The HTV-X1 will first be robotically detached from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Thursday and parked overnight for a sensor demonstration test.
Next, the Canadarm2 will release HTV-X1 at 12 p.m. EST on Friday for three months of remote science activities before its fiery, but safe reentry above the south Pacific Ocean.
Live coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.
Amid the spacesuit and cargo-packed schedule, the astronauts also worked on advanced technology and human research.
Williams finished installing and configuring a pair of small robotic arms in the Kibo laboratory module that will test precision mobility and experiment automation in microgravity.
Adenot took a cognition test to understand how living in microgravity affects orientation, reasoning, decision-making, and more.
Meanwhile, Hathaway and Meir took turns pedaling on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle as a heart rate monitor measured their cardiac activity providing insights into microgravity’s effect on the human body.
In the Roscosmos segment of the orbital lab, flight engineers Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev explored using artificial intelligence tools to log a crew member’s activities improving communications and crew effectiveness.
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov performed a photographic inspection of the Zvezda service module’s windows then explored using molecular beams to grow semiconductor structures in an ultra-high vacuum.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/02/spacewalk-and-japanese-cargo-craft-departure-preps-kick-off-week/
https://x.com/Soph_astro/status/2028564623725621627
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2028808303799566684
NASA, JAXA to Cover HTV-X1 Spacecraft Departure from Space Station
Mar 02, 2026
After delivering about 12,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, hardware, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA and its international partners, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s) uncrewed HTV‑X1 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to depart Friday, March 6.
Watch NASA’s live coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel in advance of the spacecraft’s release at 12 p.m.
Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.
On Thursday, March 5, flight controllers will use the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port on the station and maneuver it into position for release.
NASA will not provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s detachment from the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Chris Williams will monitor HTV-X1’s systems during undocking and departure.
The HTV-X1 spacecraft will remain in orbit for more than three months acting as a scientific platform for JAXA’s experiments.
Following the deorbit command, the spacecraft will dispose of several thousand pounds of trash during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up harmlessly.
The spacecraft arrived at the space station on Oct. 29, 2025, after launching Oct. 25 on an H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center.
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth.
The space station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-jaxa-to-cover-htv-x1-spacecraft-departure-from-space-station/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUNm9iv7sAg
Sunglint on Atlantic Ocean
Mar 02, 2026
Sunlight beams off a partly cloudy Atlantic Ocean just after sunrise as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above on March 5, 2025.
This is an example of sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it.
The result is a mirror-like specular reflection of sunlight off the water and back at the satellite sensor or astronaut.
While sunglint often produces visually stunning images, the phenomenon can create problems for remote sensing scientists because it obscures features that are usually visible.
This is particularly true for oceanographers who use satellites to study phytoplankton and ocean color. As a result, researchers have developed several methods to screen sunglint-contaminated imagery out of data archives.
Despite the challenges posed by sunglint, the phenomenon does offer some unique scientific opportunities.
It makes it easier, for instance, to detect oil on the water surface, whether it is from natural oil seeps or human-caused oil spills.
This is because a layer of oil smooths water surfaces.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/sunglint-on-atlantic-ocean/
Smoke Rises Over Big Cypress National Preserve
Mar 03, 2026
On February 22, 2026, a wildland fire was discovered in Big Cypress National Preserve, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Naples, Florida.
The blaze, dubbed the National fire, moved through dry vegetation and sent a plume of smoke billowing over parts of the preserve and nearby communities.
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on the afternoon of February 25.
By then, the fire had burned around 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), according to the National Park Service.
After carrying smoke southward in previous days, winds shifted to start pushing it north by the time Aqua captured this image.
According to news reports, the smoke reduced visibility and led to the brief closure of I-75—the interstate nicknamed “Alligator Alley” that runs east-west through the northern part of the preserve. It also contributed to smog over Lake Okeechobee.
The fire continued to spread over the next several days, reaching just over 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares) by February 28, according to InciWeb. As of March 2, it remained roughly the same size and was 38 percent contained.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation. Officials noted, however, that its spread was driven by ample fuel, including vegetation that was dry from persistent, extreme drought and damaged by recent frost.
The National Interagency Fire Center’s wildland fire outlook calls for above-normal fire potential across Florida through May.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/smoke-rises-over-big-cypress-national-preserve/
Two Observatories, One Cosmic Eye: Hubble and Euclid View Cat’s Eye Nebula
Mar 03, 2026
This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying star: the Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543.
This extraordinary planetary nebula lies in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades with its elaborate and multilayered structure. Observations with ESA’s Gaia mission place the nebula at 4,400 light-years away.
Planetary nebulae, so-called because of their round shape, which made them appear to look like planets when viewed through early telescopes, are in fact expanding gas thrown off by stars in their final stages of evolution.
It was the Cat’s Eye Nebula itself where this fact was first discovered in 1864 — examining the spectrum of its light reveals the emission from individual molecules that’s characteristic of a gas, distinguishing planetary nebulae from stars and galaxies.
Hubble also revolutionized our understanding of planetary nebulae; its detailed images showed that the simple, circular appearance of a planetary nebula seen from the ground belies a very complex morphology.
This was particularly true of the Cat’s Eye Nebula, where Hubble images in 1995 revealed never-before-seen structures that broadened our understanding of how planetary nebulae come to be.
This time, Hubble is joined by ESA’s Euclid space telescope to create a new image of NGC 6543. The combined eyes of Hubble and Euclid reveal the remarkable complexity of stellar death in this object.
Though primarily designed to map the distant universe, Euclid captures the Cat’s Eye Nebula as part of its deep imaging surveys.
In Euclid’s wide, near-infrared, and visible light view, the arcs and filaments of the nebula’s bright central region are situated within a halo of colorful fragments of gas zooming away from the star.
This ring was ejected from the star at an earlier stage, before the main nebula at the center formed.
The whole nebula stands out against a backdrop teeming with distant galaxies, demonstrating how local astrophysical beauty and the farthest reaches of the cosmos can be seen together with Euclid.
Within this broad view of the nebula and its surroundings, Hubble captures the very core of the billowing gas with a new high-resolution visible-light image, adding extra detail in the center of this image.
The data reveal a tapestry of concentric shells, jets of high-speed gas and dense knots sculpted by shock interactions, features that appear almost surreal in their intricacy.
These structures are believed to record episodic mass loss from the dying star at the nebula’s center, creating a kind of cosmic “fossil record” of its final evolutionary stages.
Combining the focused view of Hubble with Euclid’s deep field observations not only highlights the nebula’s exquisite structure but also places it within the broader context of the universe that both space telescopes explore.
Together, these missions provide a rich and complementary view of NGC 6543 — revealing the delicate interplay between stellar end-of-life processes and the vast cosmic tapestry beyond.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/two-observatories-one-cosmic-eye-hubble-and-euclid-view-cats-eye-nebula/
What’s Up: March 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
Mar 02, 2026
A total lunar eclipse glows red, Venus and Saturn get close, and we ring in the vernal equinox
A total lunar eclipse blood moon takes centre stage, Venus and Saturn cozy up for a conjunction, and we celebrate the vernal equinox.
Skywatching Highlights
March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)
March 8: Venus + Saturn Conjunction
March 20: Vernal Equinox
That's What's Up this March.
Is it Mars or is it the Moon? On March 3rd, a total lunar eclipse will turn the Moon bright red.
During a lunar eclipse, which can only happen during a full Moon, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the lunar surface.
During a partial lunar eclipse, the Moon moves only partially into the dark shadow, or umbra, cast by Earth.
But, during a full lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly aligned, leaving the Moon completely enveloped in Earth's shadow. When this happens, the Moon actually turns blood red.
While you might imagine a full lunar eclipse would leave the Moon completely dark, Earth's atmosphere scatters the light, illuminating the Moon in this orange-reddish hue. So look up and bask in the red glow of our lunar companion.
This full lunar eclipse will be visible from eastern Asia and Australia in the evening, from the Pacific at night, and from most of North and Central America as well as western South America in the early morning.
On March 8th, Venus and Saturn will cozy up for a conjunction in the evening sky.
The pair will be about one degree apart, which is roughly the width of a single finger if you hold it at arm's length.
A conjunction happens when two objects in the night sky appear close together, even if they're far apart in space. In reality, Venus and Saturn are nearly a billion miles apart!
But to see the pair get close in the sky from our perspective, look close to the horizon in the western sky just after sunset. On March 20th, we ring in the vernal equinox, marking a transition into the next season.
While this is colloquially known as the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere and the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere, astronomically this equinox occurs when the Sun crosses above Earth's equator while traveling from south to north.
On this day, northern and southern hemispheres experience roughly equal amounts of sunlight and day and night are also about equal, each lasting almost exactly 12 hours.
So enjoy the start of a new season with a day of perfectly balanced sunlight.
Here are the phases of the Moon for March.
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-march-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAFdj6B3GRY
Collaborating Through Data: Inside the PSI Users Group
Mar 02, 2026
The Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) Users Group is a recurring Webex forum that brings together researchers, open-science practitioners, and collaborators from across the physical sciences community.
Designed to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and data-driven discovery, each meeting provides participants with a platform to directly engage with leading researchers and PIs.
Each month, a guest speaker is invited to present their physical sciences research, highlighting the experimental methods, findings, and the resulting datasets-all of which are accessible through the PSI database for further exploration.
Through the featured presentations, the Users Group encourages interactive discussion, questions and networking, helping to build a engaged community dedicated to advancing open scientific research through use of NASA's PSI.
Reach out to PSI to learn more or request to be added to the mailing list, psi-join@lists.nasa.gov.
February Spotlight
Plant Water Management (PWM) 5 & 6 experiments, led by PI Mark Weislogel, co-founder of IRPI LLC, were conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and demonstrated recirculating hydroponic and ebb-and-flow watering techniques in microgravity.
The experiments systemically evaluated bubble behavior, gas-liquid phase separation and nutrient delivery across varied flow configurations and root analog densities.
The resulting data from PWM was recently published in the PSI database (PSI-187) and provides a comprehensive record of microgravity two-phase fluid dynamics in plant systems.
Results from this research can lead to technical risk reduction for future bioregenerative life support architectures and potentially strengthen NASA’s ability to develop reliable, scalable crop production systems for sustained lunar and Mars exploration.
During the February 19th Users Group, Dr. Weislogel presented his findings, highlighted potential research impacts and provided a walk-through of the PWM dataset in PSI.
Given the relevance of these experiments to the biological sciences community, the invitation for this meeting was extended to the Biological and Physical Science’s (BPS) OSDR members, resulting in significant participation, productive cross-disciplinary discussions and connections.
Watch the recording from the February Users Group.
https://nasa-ext.app.box.com/s/2rlbesp9f9haq2eeqhohe3dpw500kqzh
Upcoming Meetings
Thursday, March 26 - 11AM
Guest Speaker: Prof. Tanvir Farouk/University of South Carolina
Topic: Effect of External Thermo-Convective Perturbation on Cool Flame Dynamics: A Multidimensional Multi-Physics CFD Analysis
Summary: PSI-awarded research used microgravity combustion data from the FLEX investigation to validate and inform simulations of low-temperature combustion processes that are difficult to isolate under Earth’s buoyancy-driven convection.
At the scheduled time, join the Webex here.
Thursday, April 30 - 11AM
Guest Speaker: Prof. Amir Riaz / University of Maryland
Topic: Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Mechanisms in Low Gravity: Numerical Experiments of MABE and NPBX Data
Summary: PSI-awarded research which used numerical simulations to analyze pool boiling heat transfer under microgravity conditions using experimental data from the 2011 MABE and NPBX experiments.
At the scheduled time, join the Webex here.
Thursday, June 4 - 11AM
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rick Weber & Dr. Stephen Wilke / Materials Development Inc. (MDI)
Topic: The Origin of Fragility in High-Temperature Oxide Liquids – Toward Fabrication of Novel Non-Equilibrium Oxides (ELF-6 PRONTO)
Summary: Microgravity research which used containerless processing to measure the thermophysical properties of molten metal oxides, revealing how liquid fragility, atomic structure, and glass-forming behavior are correlated in high-temperature oxide systems.
At the scheduled time, join the Webex here.
Thursday, July 26 - 11AM
Guest Speaker: Prof. Anand Oza / New Jersey Institute of Technology
Topic: Phase Transitions in Colloid-Polymer Mixtures in Microgravity
Additional details coming soon.
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/biological-physical-sciences/collaborating-through-data-inside-the-psi-users-group/
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory Begins Primary Science Mission
March 2, 2026
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory began its 24-month primary science mission on March 1. The spacecraft, launched in September 2025, will focus its full efforts on studying Earth’s exosphere, the vast cloud of hydrogen that forms the outermost part of our atmosphere.
Carruthers launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 24, 2025, and reached its target orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point on Jan. 8.
From its vantage point at L1, about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth toward the Sun, Carruthers has a constant view of Earth’s exosphere. Hydrogen atoms in the exosphere emit a bright ultraviolet glow, known as the geocorona, when they are illuminated by the Sun.
Carruthers carries two ultraviolet imagers, one with a wide field of view and one with a narrow field, that together will capture images of the geocorona, revealing details that are otherwise invisible to the human eye.
Over the next two years, Carruthers will watch how the exosphere expands and contracts as solar activity rises and falls, building the most complete record yet of the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
These observations will reveal how Earth’s upper atmosphere responds to space weather, including solar storms and fast streams of solar wind, that affect satellites, communications, navigation signals, and other space-based systems.
The exosphere is also where Earth slowly loses water to space. High-energy radiation can break apart water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen. The lighter hydrogen rises into the exosphere, and some atoms gain enough energy to escape Earth’s gravity forever.
By studying this process at Earth and comparing it with atmospheric loss at Mars — a planet without a global magnetic field that lost its surface water over billions of years — scientists can better understand how planets lose or hold onto water over time.
Because liquid water is essential for life, this research helps explain how long planets can remain habitable.
The observatory is named for Dr. George R. Carruthers, whose ultraviolet instrument on Apollo 16 captured the first image of Earth’s geocorona from the Moon in 1972.
Today’s mission continues that legacy by monitoring Earth’s outer atmosphere from deep space.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/carruthers-geocorona-observatory/2026/03/02/nasas-carruthers-geocorona-observatory-begins-primary-science-mission/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/carruthers-geocorona-observatory/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpuTizjSTgU
Self-repairing spacecraft could change future missions
03/03/2026
In brief
A new self-monitoring and self-healing carbon-fibre composite material has been developed by CompPair in collaboration with Com&Sens and CSEM as part of the European Space Agency’s ‘First!’ iniative.
Project Cassandra has shown Healtech material can be heated in place to repair cracks that might form during use.
The technology could be ideal for reusable space transportation elements.
In-depth
Holding Cassandra test panel
Healable spacecraft structures could soon be possible thanks to cutting-edge composite technology.
Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM with Belgian company Com&Sens have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to modify their self-healing carbon fibre product for use in space transportation.
Project Cassandra (a loose abbreviation of Composite Autonomous SenSing AnD RepAir) includes sensors and a heating element into a composite carbon-fibre material, allowing spacecraft to autonomously repair initial stages of damage.
Cassandra is part of ESA’s Future Innovation Research in Space Transportation (FIRST!) Initiative which is finding and testing innovative technology that will benefit European space transportation.
Composite materials in space
Composite materials like carbon fibre reinforced polymers are increasingly being used in spacecraft structures. They are composed of a polymer matrix, reinforced with layers of carbon or glass fibres.
This creates a strong and lightweight material, resistant to corrosion. However, composite materials are also sensitive to damage – especially if they were to fly to space and back repeatedly – and small cracks can worsen over time.
Repairs can be expensive and time consuming and may weaken the structural integrity.
With this in mind, CompPair developed ‘HealTech’, a composite material that can “self-heal”. By heating the material, a healing agent inside activates and reflows to repair damage caused by impacts or stress.
Spotting damage with optical fibre sensor network
A prototype of the composite structure was created by integrating a network of fibre-optic sensors into HealTech’s resin-imbued fibres. The sensors pinpoint any damage to the structure. Once spotted, the material is heated through integrated 3D-printed aluminium grids to 100–140°C.
Various samples of the material ranging from 2x10 cm to 40x40 cm have undergone testing. The tests focused on the efficacy of the material’s damage monitoring, homogenous heating and self-repair abilities.
Additionally, thermal shock tests were conducted to monitor the response of the material to the typical conditions of a cryogenic tank.
The next stage of testing will involve adapting the material to a larger shape such as a complete cryogenic fuel tank.
Benefits for Europe
This material could reduce waste resulting from space missions, and would be ideal for reusable launchers.
“Implementing this technology into our systems could have enormous benefits for space transportation,” says ESA’s Bernard Decotignie, “It will help develop reusable space infrastructure and reduce mission costs.
This really proves what European innovation can do for the space sector.”
CompPair Chief Technology officer Robin Trigueira said, “I’m excited by the autonomy and durability benefits we can bring for the future spacecrafts and launchers, closing the gap between science-fiction and reality!
This project is a major step for CompPair in the space sector, HealTech is unlocking unprecedented technological advancement for composite material health monitoring and management, clearly highlighting the possibilities brought by healable composites for reusable space structure costs efficiency.”
Head of research and development for CompPair, Cecilia Scazzoli explains, “I’m thrilled that we have demonstrated that HealTech composites with health monitoring and heating systems show autonomous damage sensing and healing and high resistance to micro-cracking.
This makes them suited to the demanding requirements of propellant tanks and reusable space structures, and paves the way for lighter, more maintainable spacecraft components.”
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Future_space_transportation/Self-repairing_spacecraft_could_change_future_missions
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/03/Self-healable_Cassandra_demonstrator
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1/Antarctica_retreat_study_signals_future_ice_loss
Antarctica retreat study signals future ice loss
03/03/2026
The ice along Antarctica’s ‘grounding lines’ has been largely stable over the past 30 years – but ice has retreated by more than 40 km in some areas, a new study based on satellite data finds.
Scientists studying Antarctica have gained new insights into how the world’s biggest ice sheet is reacting to warming sea temperatures.
While the Antarctic Ice Sheet remained stable along more than three-quarters of its coastline over the past three decades, there are areas of significant ice retreat, sending a warning of future ice loss, according to the study based on data from several missions including Copernicus Sentinel-1.
The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provides the most comprehensive record to date of changes in Antarctica’s ‘grounding lines’, the critical boundaries between ice resting on land and ice floating in the ocean.
Grounding lines are highly sensitive to sea-level rise and are a key indicator of ice-sheet stability and ice mass loss.
The study uses three decades of radar satellite observations to map changes in grounding lines around the Antarctic continent from 1992 to 2025.
It found that grounding lines were stable along more than 77% of Antarctica’s coastline, including major ice shelves such as Ross, Filchner-Ronne and Amery.
While this does not sound like bad news, the research also detected significant retreat in vulnerable regions, particularly in West Antarctica, parts of East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The largest detected grounding line retreat was observed along the coast of the Amundsen Sea, in West Antarctica, where the ice withdrew in some places by up to 42 km over the study’s period.
The most affected regions were near the East Getz, Smith, Thwaites and Pine Island ice sheets. Overall, Antarctica lost approximately 12 800 sq km of grounded ice between 1996 and 2025, which is an area equivalent to almost half the size of Belgium.
Scientists found that ice retreats to a greater extent where warm ocean currents, known as Circumpolar Deep Water, reach deep glacier beds through underwater channels.
These regions are especially sensitive because the bedrock slopes downward inland, making glaciers more vulnerable to continued retreat.
The results also show that the grounding line is not a fixed boundary but part of a wider ‘grounding zone’ that shifts over time due to ocean tides and subglacial water processes.
The research therefore maps not just grounding lines, but grounding zones to account for variations during tidal and seasonal cycles.
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The study’s lead author, Eric Rignot, of the University of California, Irvine, said, “This work would not have been possible without the unconditional support of international agencies to make observations of the polar regions available to us.
As satellite observation capabilities continue to expand, we are looking forward to learning more about the dynamics of these systems so we can better project how they influence sea-level rise in the future.”
Detecting grounding line migration from space
The research demonstrates how long-term Earth observation from space is essential for monitoring the stability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and understanding its response to climate change.
Satellites such as those in the Sentinel-1 constellation carry synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, instruments.
By using differential interferometry – a technique that calculates the difference in two or more radar signals taken over the same point on Earth at different times – small differences in ground movement can be calculated, even down to a few millimetres.
These small changes in ground elevation can be measured across wide areas.
In the study of Antarctica’s grounding lines, the researchers measured precise vertical movements of the floating ice shelves around the continent.
They were able to measure small rises and falls of ice elevation due to tides – while the grounded ice, resting on bedrock, remained fixed.
These measurements over three decades enabled the team to ascertain fluctuations in grounding lines at an unprecedented level of precision.
As well as measurements from Sentinel-1, data was also analysed from ESA’s European Remote-Sensing (ERS) satellites, as well as from the Canadian RADARSAT, Japan’s ALOS PALSAR, together with the Italian Cosmo-SkyMed, DLR’s TerraSAR-X, Argentina’s SAOCOM, and the ICEYE constellation.
The aggregation of legacy missions, public data such as Sentinel-1, and commercial radar datasets demonstrates the strength of a coordinated Earth observation system.
Radar instruments can image Earth’s surface through clouds and in darkness, making them particularly useful for monitoring areas prone to long periods without sunlight, such as polar regions.
“By combining multiple satellite missions into a consistent long-term dataset, researchers have established a benchmark for future modelling efforts,” noted ESA’s Sentinel-1 Mission Manager, Nuno Miranda.
He added, “This study sets a cornerstone for our understanding of grounding line dynamics.
It provides a robust reference record that enables the scientific community to test predictions and improve ice sheet models, which directly inform sea-level rise scenarios and their implications for society.
Continuous Earth observation remains essential to refine projections and monitor how Antarctica responds to a warming climate.
ESA is proud that several European missions have played a central role in this achievement and confirms Sentinel-1 as a pillar of polar science.”
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interestingggg
maybe that's where they started and it didn't work out so they moved it?
or maybe at one time we had 3 poles, for stability?
Testing ozone-monitoring satellite’s solar wings
03/03/2026
Over the past year, satellite engineers at Redwire Space in Belgium have been hard at work assembling European Space Agency’s ozone-monitoring satellite, ALTIUS.
The team has now passed a major milestone: testing the deployment of the satellite’s two solar panels, a critical step in preparing it for life in orbit.
These solar arrays will be the satellite’s primary source of power, converting sunlight into electricity to operate its instruments, onboard computer, communications systems, and thermal controls.
Because ALTIUS will circle Earth for years, the panels must deploy flawlessly after launch and perform reliably in the harsh conditions of space, where extreme temperature variations and radiation can affect materials and mechanisms.
The deployment test verified that the panels unfold smoothly from their stowed launch configuration and lock securely into place, ensuring structural stability and optimal orientation toward the Sun.
Such tests are essential, as the solar arrays are compactly folded to fit inside the rocket and can only be deployed once in orbit.
ESA’s ALTIUS Project Manager, Michael Francois, said, “This is an important milestone and my thanks go to everyone involved.
The platform is now fully integrated and ready to host the Altius instrument, a novel three-channel spectra imager, which is due for delivery and integration onto the platform in the second quarter of next year.”
ALTIUS, which is short for Atmospheric Limb Tracker for Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere, is an Earth observation satellite developed to monitor ozone and other trace gases in the atmosphere.
The need to monitor atmospheric ozone dates back to the 1970s, when scientists discovered significant depletion of the ozone layer, especially above the South Pole, creating what became known as the ozone hole.
Atmospheric ozone functions as Earth’s natural sunscreen by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, particularly harmful UV-B rays. Excessive exposure to UV-B radiation increases the risk of skin cancer and cataracts and can also harm plants and wildlife.
Over the past three decades, the Montreal Protocol has played a crucial role in reducing ozone depletion by limiting the use of harmful chemicals in products such as refrigeration systems.
Although the ozone layer – located in the stratosphere about 15–30 km above Earth’s surface – is gradually recovering, continued monitoring and improved understanding of atmospheric processes remain essential.
Ozone also affects the temperature structure of the stratosphere by absorbing heat, influencing global atmospheric circulation patterns. Monitoring ozone therefore contributes to more accurate climate prediction models.
Unlike many other satellite missions that observe ozone by looking directly downwards, ALTIUS uses a technique called limb sounding. Its 2D spectral imager scans the atmosphere along Earth’s horizon rather than toward the surface.
This approach enables measurements at multiple altitudes, producing vertical profiles of ozone concentration.
The instrument includes three independent spectral imagers operating in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared ranges.
Developed within ESA’s Earth Observation Earth Watch programme, ALTIUS is primarily funded by Belgium, with support from Canada, Luxembourg, and Romania – an international collaboration reflecting the global importance of its mission.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/03/Testing_ALTIUS_solar_panels
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Altius/Testing_ozone-monitoring_satellite_s_solar_wings
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/the-worlds-1st-private-space-telescope-just-spotted-its-1st-star-heres-what-it-saw
The world's 1st private space telescope just spotted its 1st star. Here's what it saw
March 3, 2026
The world's first commercial space telescope has released its first measurements as it begins its journey to help track nearby stars that might host habitable exoplanets.
The suitcase-sized satellite, called Mauve, launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last November and is the first in a planned fleet of small commercial spacecraft designed to provide observing time to astronomers around the world.
While Earth observation and telecommunications have for years been dominated by commercial providers, astronomy has so far been fully in the hands of government-funded agencies and institutions.
But the outfit behind Mauve — the London-based company Blue Skies Space, a spin-out from University College London — realized that a new, customer-driven approach might provide a faster route to fill gaps in the scientific understanding of the universe.
On Feb. 9, after months of instrument checks, Mauve pointed at a star known as eta Ursa Majoris, capturing a five-second observation in the visible and ultraviolet portions of the light spectrum.
Located some 104 light-years from Earth, eta Ursa Majoris is one of the brightest stars in the constellation Great Bear (Ursa Major). Much hotter than our sun, the star is especially bright in ultraviolet light, which is Mauve's specialty.
"We wanted to look at a stable star, which behaves in a constant way over time and for which there has already been high-quality spectra collected from other instruments in the past," Blue Skies Space CEO Marcell Tessenyi told Space.com.
Ultraviolet emissions can be measured by the Hubble Space Telescope, but that iconic observatory also covers other areas and is in very high demand.
The last dedicated mission to observe stellar ultraviolet light was the International Ultraviolet Explorer, which ran out of fuel in 1996.
The Blue Skies team realized that, with advances in satellite technology, a small, privately funded space telescope can provide an opportunity to obtain such measurements.
Ultraviolet light offers the best opportunity to observe stellar flares, flashes of high-energy radiation from the magnetically dense regions known as sunspots.
Flares flush the environment around the star with streams of energetic particles, which may affect the habitability of planets in the star's vicinity.
Solar flares produced by the sun can cause radio blackouts and geomagnetic storms on Earth, which interfere with radio communications and affect satellites in orbit.
But the sun is a relatively quiet star, and Earth's magnetic field is strong enough to protect our planet against those outbursts. Mars, on the other hand, lacks a global magnetic field and therefore has its thin atmosphere constantly eroded by space weather.
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By monitoring the activity of nearby stars, Mauve will help scientists better home in on those that might host exoplanets that could potentially harbor life. The mission is expected to begin delivering scientific data in the next two weeks, Tessenyi said.
"We are now doing the same set of measurements with all kinds of different stars to work out the behavior of the instrument," said Tessenyi. "As soon as this phase is closed, we are officially starting the science operations."
Research institutions from all over the world have already subscribed to the mission, including teams from the U.S., Japan and multiple European countries.
Cash flow from Mauve's operations will help Blue Skies Space complete the development of its next mission, called Twinkle, a 220-pound (100-kilogram) satellite designed to directly observe nearby exoplanets and measure the compositions of their atmospheres.
Tessenyi said the company is currently in discussions with its scientific customers to see what other areas of study they would like to see covered with dedicated commercial missions.
The company is also currently working with the Italian Space Agency to develop the concept for a satellite constellation to measure radio waves emitted by cosmic sources from the orbit of the moon.
"It's a fascinating opportunity that we have here because, obviously, the space sector has evolved a lot over the last decade, whether it is regular cost-effective launch opportunities or the commoditization of lower-cost platforms for low Earth orbit satellites," Tessenyi said. "There are plenty of opportunities for many satellites to do space science."
Still, he thinks that commercial astronomy will always remain in the shadow of large government-funded space missions that push technology to new limits and open completely new vistas.
"The space agencies are doing an incredible job with pushing the technology, developing these incredibly clever and complex facilities like James Webb and others, which are really progressing knowledge and technological capabilities," Tessenyi said.
"We, on the other hand, are operating more in the domain of reusing existing components, benefitting from historic investments from the agencies into technologies, and reusing them in novel ways to try to increment the provision of data."
The Mauve satellite was developed and built in three years, an extremely fast timeline compared to the frequently decades-long development timelines of government-funded space missions.
The observatory, built by a group of companies from Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy and Latvia, is expected to remain in Earth orbit for at least three years.
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Astronomers Discover Record-Breaking Space Laser Halfway Across Universe
Mar 03, 2026 at 11:44 AM EST
Astronomers in South Africa have just identified the most distant, brightest cosmic laser ever recorded, shining from over eight billion light years away.
This powerful radio signal, HATLAS J142935.3–002836, comes from a violent galaxy merger. It is so distant that we are seeing it as it was when the universe was less than half its current age. It is both the most distant and luminous known signal.
The source is a hydroxyl megamaser—an intense burst of radio emission produced when two galaxies crash together. These cosmic collisions compress gas and stimulate large reservoirs of hydroxyl molecules to amplify radio emission.
These emissions act like a naturally occurring laser, but at a much longer wavelength—about 18 centimetres. The laser is so luminous that it warrants the classification gigamaser, instead of megamaser.
Despite its distance, the record-breaking cosmic gigamaser produced a surprisingly strong signal, which is thanks to the combined power of MeerKAT radio telescope and a phenomenon known as strong gravitational lensing, which was theorized by Einstein, that astronomers were able to record.
Dr. Thato Manamela, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pretoria and lead author of the new study, described the discovery as truly extraordinary.
"We are seeing the radio equivalent of a laser halfway across the universe,” he said. “Not only that, during its journey to Earth, the radio waves are further amplified by a perfectly aligned, yet unrelated foreground galaxy.
This galaxy acts as a lens, the way a water droplet on a windowpane would, because its mass curves the local space-time.”
MeerKAT’s advanced design played a crucial role in the discovery. However, while the telescope is built to detect faint radio signals at centimeter wavelengths, detection alone is not enough.
Astronomers must carefully calibrate and analyze terabytes of information using sophisticated algorithms and scalable computing platforms, before any breakthrough discoveries are possible.
Beyond breaking a distance record, the newly discovered gigamaser could become a powerful probe of galaxy evolution.
"This is just the beginning," said Dr. Manamela. "We don't want to find just one system—we want to find hundreds to thousands.
“Here at the University of Pretoria, we are carrying out systematic surveys of the universe, building the required computational pipelines and algorithms to open this observational frontier ahead of, and ultimately with, the Square Kilometer Array."
https://www.newsweek.com/astronomers-discover-record-breaking-space-laser-halfway-across-universe-11612235
https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13396
This record-breaking quadruple star system is so jam-packed it could fit between Jupiter and our sun
March 3, 2026
Using NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) astronomers have discovered an extraordinary quadruple star.
The system is the tightest 3+1-star system, a subset of quadruple star systems, yet discovered. Excitingly, the discoverers of this system were also able to determine what its final fate will be.
The system TIC 120362137 consists of a stable and tightly bound inner system of three stars orbiting each other that are orbited by a more distant outer star observing the system from afar.
While the outer star is located at around the same distance from the stellar triplet as the distance from Jupiter to the sun, the inner stellar sub-system would fit within the orbit of Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, around our star.
TIC 120362137 is an important discovery for researchers because, in addition to 3+1 systems being extremely rare — as a so-called hierarchical star system, where several stars orbit each other within a relatively small area — TIC 120362137 could also help us better understand stellar formation and long‑term orbital stability.
"TIC 120362137 is currently the most compact known 3+1-type quadruple star system," team leader Tamás Borkovits, a researcher at the University of Szeged, Hungary, told Space.com.
The extraordinary nature of this system wasn't immediately obvious, however.
"By a simple inspection of the early TESS data, we realized that TIC 120362137 is a compact, tight, triply eclipsing triple star system," Borkovits said.
The researcher added that when the team first saw TIC 120362137, the hitherto unknown system initially seemed to consist of a pair of stars eclipsing each other every 3.3 Earth-days, creating a drop in brightness lasting between one and two hours.
"We know thousands of such systems, called eclipsing binaries. Therefore, there was nothing interesting or peculiar at that stage," he continued.
"Then, we realized that there are extra one-to-two-day-long fadings every 25 to 26 days, which made it clear that there must be a third star also in the system, with an orbital period of around 51 days.
Therefore, we found that TIC 120362137 must be a triply eclipsing triple system.
"However, we still did not know about the fourth star at that moment."
The team then saw further eclipses, indicating a fourth star, the presence of which was confirmed using the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES) on the 1.5-meter Tillinghast telescope located on Mt. Hopkins in Arizona.
"TIC 120362137 is a record-holder in the sense that we found that the outermost star has an orbital period of only around 1,046 days, which is the shortest amongst all the currently known 3+1 quadruple stars by far," Borkovits said.
"The discovery of such systems, however, is very, very difficult. To discover a fourth, most distant component by checking eclipses in the same way as the inner system requires much more time, maybe even several decades or longer.
Other kinds of detection of a fourth star may happen, but only serendipitously."
The team was able to determine other characteristics of the stars in this system, too. The scientists found the three innermost stars are more massive and hotter than the sun, while the outermost component, the fourth star, is cooler, less massive and thus similar to the sun.
Additionally, by using computer simulations, the researchers were able to determine the future of this 3+1 star system, ending up as just two white dwarf stellar remnants.
"First, the most massive star, which is the primary component of the innermost binary, will reach the red giant state. In that state, it will merge with its mate, the secondary star of the innermost binary. We call this daughter stellar body A'," Borkovits said.
"Then, in around 276 million years, in a second step, this new, merged star A' will merge with the third stellar component, star B, when both stars have reached the red giant stage. We call this massive new star AB."
He added that, following this, the star AB will lose a significant part of its mass, eventually collapsing to form a white dwarf. As this happens, the distant fourth star will undergo a similar process, creating the second white dwarf.
"Finally, therefore, our evolutionary model predicts the binary of these two white dwarfs with an orbital period of around 44 days," Borkovits said.
"The more massive white dwarf with a mass of around 89% the mass of the sun is formed after two mergers involving the three inner stars, while the less massive white dwarf, with a mass around 29% that of the sun, is simply formed from the fourth, most distant star.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/this-record-breaking-quadruple-star-system-is-so-jam-packed-it-could-fit-between-jupiter-and-our-sun
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69223-4
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4419697/space-force-strengthens-partnerships-at-45th-cobra-gold/
extra Space Force
https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4418747/spartex-provides-multi-national-training-environment-for-guardians/
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4418973/building-rockets-building-futures-guardians-inspire-the-next-generation-on-the/
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/02/space-force-squadron-barred-from-alcohol-amid-us-israeli-strikes-on-iran/
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-space-command-first-movers-iran-strikes/
Space Force strengthens partnerships at 45th Cobra Gold
March 3, 2026
RAYONG, Thailand (AFNS) – Space Force Guardians are participating in the 45th iteration of Cobra Gold for the first time in the exercise's history, marking a milestone for the service and further integrating space as a warfighting domain within one of the Indo-Pacific's largest multinational exercises, Feb. 23 to March 6.
The presence of Guardians at Cobra Gold signals the continued evolution of the Space Force. It reinforces the U.S.-Thai alliance by enhancing multinational crisis response, mission effectiveness and capability across all domains.
"This marks a significant milestone for the United States Space Force," said Space Force Maj. Jonathan Brydie, a military exchange program embed assigned to the Joint Force Space Component, Headquarters Joint Operations Command.
"As our service continues to mature, our participation demonstrates that we can support real-world operations and major multinational exercises simultaneously. It reinforces that space is a warfighting domain.
Integrating space from the outset ensures the joint force operates with synchronized effects across air, land, maritime, cyber and space."
As the Air Force's newest military service, the Space Force was established to organize, train and equip forces to protect the United States and allied interests in, from and to space. Its integration into Cobra Gold reflects both operational necessity and the evolving character of warfare.
"Integrating space into Cobra Gold enhances the exercise by educating Indo-Pacific partners on the operational role of the space domain during conflict," said Space Force Capt. Nicholas Braga, Space Forces Korea chief of future operations.
"It also opens dialogue on how nations can responsibly develop and integrate space capabilities that contribute to regional stability."
In support of Cobra Gold, Guardians contributed expertise in space domain awareness, defensive and offensive space operations and operational-level space planning required to maintain space superiority.
Rather than operating in isolation, Space Force personnel are embedded alongside air, land, maritime and cyber planners to integrate space effects into decision-making processes.
"We are ensuring space is a deliberate consideration at every decision point," Braga said.
"Branch plans and contingency options are developed with space effects integrated from the beginning, giving commanders greater clarity and flexibility in achieving mission objectives."
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The operational importance of space domain awareness was a central theme throughout the exercise.
"Most command-and-control systems rely on satellites and space-enabled networks," Brydie said. "Space superiority is now as vital as air superiority in modern conflict.
Maintaining awareness of the space environment allows us to protect those systems and ensure the joint force can operate without disruption."
Beyond operational integration, Cobra Gold provided an opportunity for the Space Force to deepen relationships with regional allies actively developing their own space competencies.
"It has been a tremendous opportunity to collaborate with partner nations," Braga said. "The United States is not the only space-capable entity in this region.
Working alongside the Republic of Korea and other allies strengthens trilateral and multilateral integration. The cohesion built here enhances deterrence and reinforces our collective posture across INDO-PACOM."
Coalition partners emphasize shared responsibility in the space domain is essential to regional stability.
"Participating in Cobra Gold demonstrates a shared commitment to the responsible and secure use of space," said Royal Australian Air Force Staff Officer Mark Wilson, wing commander of Joint Force Space Component, Headquarters Joint Operations Command.
"It shows we are willing and capable of sharing information and operational experience to achieve common security objectives."
"For the U.S. Space Force, Cobra Gold 2026 serves as both a milestone and platform to demonstrate the service's ability to integrate seamlessly within a complex multinational environment while delivering operational advantage to the joint force," Braga said.
From space domain awareness to operational-level planning, Guardians ensured space effects were integrated at every stage of execution reinforcing deterrence, strengthening alliances and advancing the service's role as an essential component of joint and coalition operations in the Indo-Pacific.
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still waiting for a surprise secret weapon