TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
March 21, 2026
Galaxies in the River: NGC 1300 and NGC 1297
Spiral NGC 1300 and elliptical NGC 1297 are galaxies that lie on the banks of the southern constellation Eridanus (The River). At 70 million light-years distant or more, both are members of the Eridanus Galaxy Cluster. About 100,000 light-years across, at lower left in this sharp, galaxy group photo NGC 1300 is seen face-on with a prominent central bar and grand, sweeping spiral arms. Like other spiral galaxies, including our own barred spiral Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 1300 is thought to have a supermassive central black hole. A contrast in appearance and slightly more distant, NGC 1297 is the roughly spherical large elliptical galaxy near the top of the frame. With little active star formation, elliptical galaxies are composed of older populations of stars and are likely he result of multiple collisions and mergers with spirals.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDqAwPp9H5g
Level 3 Solar Storm, More Coming, Galactic Gamma Ray Extinctions | S0 News and frens
Mar.21.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0-_HKnK8PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Ncg2KXE3E (Live from Observer Ranch (March.20.2026))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3MpubgEro (Stefan Burns: Everything Suddenly Got Out Of Hand…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ4pIYVUu5E (Leak Project: IT'S ALL HAPPENING AT ONCE!)
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2035357968951103698
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2035074121609224230
https://x.com/StarfireTor/status/2035360918071337307
https://x.com/schumannbot/status/2035355780367409264
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2035325736181961169
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/298116/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Saturday-21-Mar-2026.html
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g2-moderate-geomagnetic-storm-conditions-observed-5
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/cmes-arrived-and-g2-watch-continues-through-21-march
https://spaceweather.com/
>611
chekt
more than enough, honestly.
we could all really use some big G right about now.
Leesburg explosion: Loud noise and flash of light reported across Loudoun County, Virginia; ‘meteor or thunder?'
Updated on: Mar 21, 2026 10:03 AM IST
Residents of Leesburg, Virginia, reported a loud explosion on Friday night. Many took to X to describe a sudden boom accompanied by a flash of light. Leesburg is located in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Residents share details
One person wrote, "It was brief, loud, rattled my house (east Leesburg, near lansdowne) and may have been accompanied by a flash of light but I can’t say that for sure. And it happened at exactly 10:49."
Another added, "I heard it and felt it (short, a second maybe) in eastern part of Leesburg."
A third resident reported, "I heard/felt it. Right at 10:49. Loudoun Police are searching different areas around Leesburg for the source, but nothing yet. Police scanners indicate that they are searching and still investigating."
Another person added, "A loud boom was heard by my household and many others in Leesburg about 40 minutes ago. Per scanner traffic, the noise was heard all over central and western Loudoun County."
Investigative reporter A.J. Perez also shared updates on X, writing, “Firetrucks and other rescue vehicles circled for more than 20 minutes looking for the source.
They eventually decided to set up a temporary control center near the courthouse. After meeting for about 10 minutes, they left with no answers. Note: Thunderstorms are in the area.”
Perez added that neighborhood platforms such as Ring Neighbors and Nextdoor were flooded with speculation such as “sonic boom, thunder (incl. a superbolt, earthquake, meteor, a missile, natural gas explosion.”
"Some saw a flash of light simultaneous to the boom," Perez wrote on X.
Local authorities have not yet released a statement, and the cause of the reported explosion remains unknown.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/leesburg-explosion-loud-noise-and-flash-of-light-reported-across-loudoun-county-virginia-meteor-or-thunder-101774066429554.html
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/leesburg-explosion-loud-noise-and-flash-of-light-reported-across-loudoun-county-virginia-meteor-or-thunder/ar-AA1Z5Cq2
https://twitter.com/byajperez/status/2035200818895356368
extra meteors
https://www.imo.net/meteor-activity-outlook-for-21-27-march-2026/
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/03/inside-the-tedious-search-for-meteorites-in-northern-ohio.html
GREAT COMET 2026 is Getting UNUSUALLY BRIGHT — I Took a Picture!
March 21, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtRSg9OMinU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVAJqbzcedg (Ray's Astro: Comet 3I ATLAS Did Something We Never Expected — I Took a Picture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPJZn8FGgk (Dobsonian Power: NEW "MOONS" AFTER 3I/ATLAS "DISAPPEARS"!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPyu-PGbHWM (John Lenard Walson: #uap #RAF #FAIRFORD Live - # Military Movements - 1)
https://www.miragenews.com/nasas-comet-data-fuels-future-discoveries-1641349/
https://x.com/JinxedHorizon/status/2035354289028169815
>it's a shill title, I keep seeing under so many vids, 'almost no one is talking about …'
I used to ignore them but sometimes they produce results.
Astronomers keep finding new moons of Jupiter and Saturn
March 20, 2026
A multitude of new moons have made their presence known around Jupiter and Saturn, bringing their population of moons to 101 and 285, respectively.
The new discoveries also bring the total number of known moons orbiting planets and dwarf planets in the solar system to 442 — and that's not including the many moonlets accompanying various asteroids or small Kuiper Belt objects.
The newly found moons — four for Jupiter and 11 for Saturn — were announced by the Minor Planet Center, which is the clearing house for astronomical discoveries of asteroids, comets, centaurs and, indeed, moons.
None of the newly discovered moons are very large, averaging about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) in diameter. They have very wide orbits, far wider than the larger moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and are exceedingly faint, between magnitude 25 and 27.
(For context, our moon sits at magnitude -12.6.) This puts them well beyond the range of backyard telescopes.
Instead, it took intense observations from some of our largest ground-based telescopes to snag them.
The four new moons of Jupiter were all found by astronomers Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science and David Tholen of the University of Hawaii, using the 6.5 meter Magellan–Baade telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile and the 8-meter Subaru telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, the 11 new moons of Saturn were uncovered thanks to a team led by Edward Ashton at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan.
They used the 3.5-meter Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea. This comes after Ashton led a team to discover 128 new moons of Saturn as recently as 2025.
Both Sheppard and Ashton in particular are prodigious discoverers of moons in the solar system, with over 200 each to their name, many of them being co-discoveries.
While Jupiter is lagging behind Saturn in the moon stakes by quite a large number, Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) missions, currently heading to Jupiter, could redress the balance when they arrive in the Jovian system in the early 2030s.
To summarize, the current tally is that for the planets, Earth has one moon, Mars has two, Jupiter has 101, Saturn has 285, Uranus has 28 and Neptune has 16 while Venus and Mercury have none.
For the dwarf planets, Pluto has five, Eris has one, Makemake has one, Haumea has two and Ceres has none.
The new moons of Jupiter were announced in Minor Planet Electronic Circulars MPEC 2026-F09, F10, F11 and F12, and the 11 new moons of Saturn were declared in MPEC 2026-F14.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/saturn/astronomers-keep-finding-new-moons-of-jupiter-and-saturn
https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K26/K26F14.html
https://x.com/JinxedHorizon/status/2035354289028169815
Announcing “NASA Front Door”
March 20, 2026
An interesting ‘Notice of new information collection‘ from NASA appeared in the Federal Register this morning about the “NASA Front Door”.
It is not totally clear as to when or how this will be implemented – i.e. atop NASA.gov, a new part thereof, or something else. A “NASA Strategic Plan” is mentioned – but which one are they talking about?
NASA has not actually had a current ‘strategic plan’ for a while and they are usually not a ‘plan’ or ‘strategic’ when a document with that name is posted online. Also unclear is whether PAO/OCOMM will do this or some other TBD organization.
It certainly sounds interesting – but NASA has a really spotty track record when it comes to understanding the audiences it should be serving outside of its front door and how to serve them. Just sayin’.
Update: NASA Goddard and Johnson have links that to pages that include ‘front door’. That’s fine, but where does the agency as a whole tell all of its audiences what it can do for them – without a geographical bias focusing on one center but not others?
Goddard is being cut in half, yet makes no mention of that downsizing i.e. capability to do things. Federal Registry Summary below.
“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is committed to effectively performing the Agency’s communication function in accordance with the Space Act Section 203 (a)(3) to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof,” and to enhance public understanding of, and participation in, the nation’s aeronautical and space program in accordance with the NASA Strategic Plan.”
“The NASA Front Door (NFD) is an online/web-based tool that will serve as a centralized digital hub to help facilitate engagement between individuals, organizations, and the workforce of NASA, providing personalized support, guidance, and efficient access to NASA’s extensive programs, opportunities, resources, and expertise. The information collection will consist of general contact information, interest/intake information and when appropriate, demographic information as part of registration profile.
The information will be reviewed by NASA representatives to route individuals, organizations and the workforce of NASA to relevant NASA services, opportunities, resources, and/or expertise”.
https://nasawatch.com/education/announcing-nasa-front-door/
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2026-03-20/2026-05505
https://science.nasa.gov/open-science/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-data/
https://science.nasa.gov/open-science/
extra Avi Loeb
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/can-you-trust-what-you-see-a-new-study-needs-your-eyes-1da616f5d4bc
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/will-a-stuffed-animal-survive-free-fall-from-the-earths-stratosphere-71c898ec188f
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/impact-survival-of-microbes-highlights-the-feasibility-of-panspermia-45b7c6bc78dd
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/what-will-be-the-content-of-the-website-aliens-gov-0a2b5634a085
How Open NASA Data on Comet 3I/ATLAS Will Power Tomorrow’s Discoveries
Mar 20, 2026
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will soon leave our solar system, never to return, but the observations of the comet will live on in NASA’s public data archives.
More than a dozen NASA science missions turned their instruments to observe the comet, which is only the third identified object to be visiting our solar system from interstellar space.
How open data first captured 3I/ATLAS
The NASA-funded ground-based ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile first discovered 3I/ATLAS July 1, 2025.
However, queries to another NASA data archive revealed that the comet first appeared on camera long before its official identification in July.
NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), which scans the sky for planets outside our solar system, has a wide field of view that happened to capture 3I/ATLAS in May 2025.
This allowed astronomers to better track the comet’s trajectory and understand more about its path through the solar system. TESS data is publicly available in the NASA-funded Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST).
“NASA’s scientific data archives are a gold mine of discoveries waiting to be made,” said Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“The early observations of 3I/ATLAS from the TESS mission represent just one example of the exciting insights our open data can reveal.”
Uncovering comet composition
Decades of observations have given scientists a good idea of the usual chemical makeup and structure for comets formed within our solar system, but because 3I/ATLAS formed elsewhere, scientists anticipated this comet would have different characteristics.
To date, few, if any, comets have been observed by as many spacecraft as 3I/ATLAS, and combining data from these different missions can deliver powerful new insights.
For example, researchers discovered the relative water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide production rates of 3I/ATLAS differed from typical comets.
They found this result by combining spectral data from NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) Mars orbiter with infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission.
1/2
NASA’s commitment to open science makes it easier than ever to work with data from different sources.
For example, the agency’s Planetary Data System sets standards that guide planetary science missions to store their data in the same format. It also develops tools that can work across data from several different missions.
“Open science, as a set of principles, has been pushing us as research communities and NASA to make data more accessible,” said Thomas Statler, lead scientist for Solar System Small Bodies at NASA Headquarters, who coordinated the agency’s observation campaign for 3I/ATLAS.
“It’s worked into the way we structure and establish standards for our data archives. That's what makes our data usable.”
Data from SPHEREx, including its observations of 3I/ATLAS, can be accessed through the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Data from MAVEN is available through the Planetary Data System. Webb’s observations can be found in the MAST archive.
Future research
In the short term, scientists and researchers will be able to use 3I/ATLAS data to learn even more about the comet’s structure and composition. However, the impact of NASA’s observations will have effects far beyond this one target.
Humans only recently developed technologies capable of spotting interstellar objects passing through our solar system.
The first one ever detected, ‘Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017, but scientists estimate an interstellar object may pass through our solar system about once per year. With the advent of ever more powerful telescopes, these discoveries will become much more common.
As we become more aware of interstellar objects, scientists will increasingly be able to compare and contrast interstellar objects with each other and understand them as a group.
The amount of data collected about 3I/ATLAS means this comet could become an important part of the context for understanding interstellar comets for the rest of time. This makes it even more beneficial for that data to be available for everyone to access.
“Thirty-five years from now, when astronomers have seen another thirty-five years’ worth of data on interstellar comets, they're going to be asking different questions,” Statler said.
“The way we leave a legacy so scientists of the future can answer the questions of the future is by having these data here and preserved for them to use.”
2/2
Week Wraps with Health Research and Spacewalk Closeout Procedures
March 20, 2026 11:50AM
Health research and final spacewalk closeouts wrapped up the week for the Expedition 74 crew members aboard the International Space Station as they gear up to receive a cargo delivery next week.
Understanding how the human body reacts to space is key to ensure crews thrive on future longer-duration missions.
Residents aboard the orbital complex often collect biological samples for ground teams to analyze, helping pinpoint microgravity-induced changes in the human body.
To facilitate this work, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir collected and analyzed blood samples in the morning for the Venous Flow experiment, which examines how spaceflight affects blood flow.
Afterward, Hathaway guided an ultrasound scan on Meir to examine her cardiovascular system.
Later on, the duo was joined by NASA astronaut Chris Williams and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot to review procedures for a future spacewalk and meet with ground teams once more for another debrief following the conclusion of Wednesday’s seven-hour, two-minute spacewalk.
Williams worked in some time to power on the station’s free-flying robots, Astrobee, for future operations before moving onto spacesuit work, charging the batteries and configuring them for stowage.
Adenot removed the impact shields on the suits and completed an array of other tasks throughout the day, including hatch seal inspections and computer battery swaps.
In the Roscosmos segment, flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev enjoyed a day off.
His colleagues, Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev conducted maintenance and swapped batteries on a few testing instruments that monitor materials for cracks and corrosion.
Afterward, Mikaev moved into the Zvezda Service Module to conduct inspections with the instruments and then completed a round of computer software updates.
Kud-Sverchkov moved throughout the orbital complex during the day to photograph and video his crewmates working to document life aboard the space station.
On Sunday, March 22, the unpiloted Progress 94 cargo spacecraft, loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:59 a.m. EDT.
After a two-day trip, Progress will dock to the Poisk module’s space-facing port around 9:34 a.m. Tuesday, March 24. NASA will provide live coverage of both launch and docking NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/20/week-wraps-with-health-research-and-spacewalk-closeout-procedures/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1OaCfLTPnw
extra ISS related
https://www.ms.now/know-your-value/dont-follow-the-crowd-how-eileen-collins-forged-her-own-path-to-space
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/smiles-and-spacesuits/
NASA begins contracting process to potentially relocate Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston
March 20, 2026, 1:10 PM
NASA is beginning the process of potentially relocating Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian in Virginia to Houston.
The federal space administration is requesting feedback from stakeholders and industry experts on a proposal for contract bids to move the historic spacecraft.
The proposal is a draft, not a finalized request for contract bids. NASA is asking for any feedback to tweak and clarify a final request for proposals.
The draft, which does not mention Discovery by name, would likely target the space shuttle. In 2025, Congress allocated funding in the Trump administration's “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to relocate Discovery from Virginia to the Space Center Houston, a nonprofit near NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Representatives from NASA, the Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston did not immediately return request for comment Friday.
"My law authorizing and funding the Space Shuttle Discovery's movement to Houston is being set into motion thanks to NASA's announcement, and I applaud [NASA] Administrator [Jared] Isaacman for keeping this process moving," Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who has co-led the effort to relocate the space shuttle, said in a statement.
"Today is real progress in our mission to bring Discovery home, and I look forward to welcoming the shuttle home to Space City soon."
Discovery is one of just a few remaining vehicles from NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.
Supporters of the move said its being at the Smithsonian meant the federal government had jurisdiction over its location, as opposed to the other space shuttles, which are located at nonprofit facilities across the country.
Last fall, the Smithsonian and NASA warned that moving Space Shuttle Discovery may "have to undergo significant disassembly to be moved" and that "disassembling the vehicle will destroy its historical value.”
Senators Cornyn and Ted Cruz, another Texas Republican, both pushed back against the Smithsonian, even calling for a Department of Justice investigation into the museum.
The draft proposal for contract bids includes a line that gives the federal government the right to "require intact transportation concepts that avoid disassembly, cutting, structural breakout, or permanent alteration of the item being transported" because of the "national significance" of the artifact.
"When such requirements are identified in a task order," the draft reads, "Contractors shall demonstrate how their approach preserves artifact condition and prevents transport-induced damage to structural hard points, exterior surfaces, thermal protection systems, or other historically significant features."
Technicians and advocates criticizing the potential move have cited Discovery's thermal protection system (TPS) as susceptible to damage.
Each spacecraft has a TPS that keeps it from withstanding immense heat — as much as 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit — when it reenters the Earth's atmosphere.
“It’s cutting-edge technology,” Olga Bannova, a professor at the University of Houston who researches space architecture, told Houston Public Media last fall.
“Without it, the shuttle program wouldn’t happen, right? It wouldn’t be successful. So, it’s an absolutely critical component.”
The draft also includes a requirement that any successful contractor should come up with an Artifact Protection Plan, "describing environmental protection systems, protective coverings, corrosion protection measures, vibration mitigation methods, contamination control procedures, and handling precautions necessary to protect historically significant aerospace artifacts during transportation operations."
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law in July, allocating $85 million to move Discovery. Some critics of the deal, including Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, the latter of whom flew Discovery as an astronaut, have called for the Senate Appropriations Committee to block that funding.
In December, Isaacman, newly sworn in as NASA administrator at the time, cast some doubt on the prospects of relocating Discovery.
“My job now is to make sure that we can undertake such a transportation within the budget dollars that we have available and of course most importantly ensuring the safety of the vehicle,” he said.
“And if we can’t do that, you know what, we’ve got spacecraft that are going around the moon with Artemis II, III, IV, and V. One way or another, we are going to make sure the Johnson Space Center gets their historic spacecraft right where it belongs.”
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/nasa/2026/03/20/546732/nasa-discovery-space-shuttle-houston-contract-bid-proposal/
NASA Brings Jared Isaacman, Super Guppy, and T-38 Talon to SUN ’n FUN 2026
March 20, 2026
In January, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a new workforce directive underscoring the enduring importance of aviation heritage and public engagement within the agency, outlining expanded recognition programs, aviation-focused incentives, and increased use of NASA aircraft for flyovers and outreach—initiatives likely to resonate strongly with the aviation and airshow communities.
That emphasis on aviation and public inspiration will be clearly reflected at SUN ’n FUN 2026, where Isaacman is scheduled to appear on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. at the “To the Moon” hangar to outline NASA’s plans for returning humans to the Moon through the Artemis Program, offering attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from agency leadership about the future of space exploration.
NASA’s presence at the event will extend well beyond leadership appearances, highlighted by the announcement on Thursday, March 19, that the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy—one of the most distinctive aircraft ever built—will arrive in Lakeland for static display throughout the week.
With its oversized, bulbous fuselage and swing-open nose, the Super Guppy was originally developed to transport large rocket components during the Apollo program and continues to play a vital role today, carrying oversized spacecraft structures and aircraft components that cannot be accommodated by conventional cargo aircraft. Visitors will have the opportunity to gain further insight into the aircraft’s unique capabilities during a presentation on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., when Super Guppy Program Manager and Lead Flight Engineer David Elliott will discuss the challenges of operating and loading one of the most unusual aircraft ever to take flight.
Complementing the Super Guppy’s appearance, NASA will also bring a Northrop T-38 Talon, scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and remain on static display through Saturday, offering a close-up look at the supersonic jet used to train astronauts and support mission readiness before its departure on Sunday. Additional NASA-focused programming will take place throughout the week, including a Thursday morning session at 10:00 a.m. led by Aldora Louw, Associate Division Chief of Aircraft Operations, who will provide an overview of astronaut flight readiness training and NASA’s broader flight operations. The program will continue on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with NASA research pilot Sean “Shady” Brady, who will share firsthand experiences flying NASA aircraft, followed by a screening of The Right Stuff, providing a fitting conclusion to a day centered on the intersection of aviation heritage and space exploration.
SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In, Inc., the nonprofit organization that operates the event, uses proceeds from the Aerospace Expo to support the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE).
Through its educational programs, learning centers, scholarships, and summer camps, ACE engages more than 50,000 students each year while promoting careers in aviation and aerospace.
ACE also operates the Florida Air Museum—Florida’s official aviation museum—and the Lakeland Aero Club, the largest high school flying club in the United States and a leading producer of licensed teenage private pilots.
With its newly announced airshow schedule and a full slate of aviation activities, SUN ‘n FUN 2026 once again promises to deliver a week-long celebration of flight that brings together pilots, enthusiasts, and industry professionals from around the world. For more information, visit www.flysnf.org.
https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/nasa-brings-jared-isaacman-super-guppy-and-t-38-talon-to-sun-n-fun-2026.html
NASA Exploration, Science Inspire “Project Hail Mary” Film
Mar 20, 2026
Real-life space exploration and big-screen science fiction will converge on Friday.
As NASA prepares to launch Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the agency’s Artemis program and another step toward sending the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars, the fictional film “Project Hail Mary” premiere will take audiences on a journey into deep space.
The agency provided guidance throughout filming, and also is participating in activities related to the release of the film to connect the agency’s missions, innovations, and discoveries to the public through pop culture.
“Space exploration captures the public’s imagination, and collaboration between science and storytelling brings that sense of discovery to a wider audience,” said Will Boyington, associate administrator for the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“Inspiring the next generation, whether through rocket launches or sci-fi movies, helps build the talent and support that underpin American leadership in space.”
NASA’s communications personnel provided informal consultation about human spaceflight and science during the making of the movie, and experts from the agency in astrobiology and astrophysics, which are major themes in “Project Hail Mary,” answered questions about these topics during the making of the film. Agency advisors are listed in the credits.
On the movie set, the agency provided an in-person consultation between NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren and actor Ryan Gosling, who plays an astronaut in the movie.
NASA also facilitated brand use guidance and clearance for the agency’s “meatball” and “worm” logos featured in the film.
NASA’s activities related to the movie even reached beyond Earth. In between conducting research and demonstrating new technologies, Expedition 74 crew members living and working aboard the International Space Station, including NASA astronauts Chris Williams, Jessica Meir, and Jack Hathaway, screened “Project Hail Mary” while in orbit.
Artemis II crew members, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who will help make what once was science fiction a reality through their upcoming deep space launch, are expected to have an opportunity to view “Project Hail Mary” while in quarantine.
They are preparing to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
The title Project Hail Mary seems synonymous with where we are in The Show
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-exploration-science-inspire-project-hail-mary-film/
NASA’s Silent MAVEN Probe: The Search for Answers Continues Amid Uncertainty
March 21, 2026 at 08:15
NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft, which has been exploring Mars for over a decade, is currently silent after unexpectedly losing contact in December 2025.
Despite a relentless effort by the agency’s experts, MAVEN remains unreachable, with NASA’s ongoing search efforts still focused on locating the missing probe.
The situation has raised questions about the future of Mars exploration and what lies ahead for spacecrafts that, like MAVEN, help unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet.
The Silent Probe: MAVEN’s Unexpected Loss
NASA’s MAVEN mission has long been a cornerstone of our understanding of Mars.
Launched in 2013, it was originally designed for a one-year mission, but MAVEN defied expectations, contributing a wealth of knowledge about Mars’ atmosphere, weather systems, and its transformation into the cold, barren world we see today.
Yet, after more than a decade of success, the spacecraft vanished from communication, leaving scientists and engineers in a state of uncertainty.
On December 6, 2025, MAVEN was expected to emerge from behind Mars during its orbit and send data back to Earth.
Instead, it disappeared, and despite a few attempts to locate it, NASA’s efforts to re-establish contact have so far been unsuccessful.
Louise Prockter, the director of NASA’s planetary science division, confirmed that while MAVEN’s situation is dire, they have not officially declared the spacecraft lost.
The search for MAVEN has been far from simple.
After the spacecraft lost contact, NASA attempted to recover the signal with the help of the Deep Space Network, and even deployed additional assets, including the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Observatory, to track down the missing probe.
In addition, NASA directed the Curiosity rover to look for MAVEN from Mars’ surface, but the search yielded no results. Despite these setbacks, Prockter remains optimistic, acknowledging the dedicated work of the team:
MAVEN’s Vital Role in Mars Exploration
MAVEN’s contributions to Mars exploration cannot be overstated. The spacecraft has provided crucial data on how Mars lost its atmosphere and why the planet turned from a once warmer, wetter world into the dry desert we know today.
The data gathered from MAVEN’s instruments has helped shape our understanding of the Martian environment and its history, which could eventually inform future missions that may even involve sending humans to the planet.
Beyond its scientific achievements, MAVEN also serves an important role in relaying communications between Earth and various Mars surface missions.
About 20% of all communications between Earth and Mars are facilitated by MAVEN, including messages from rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance.
This vital function of communication relay is not something that can be easily replaced, making MAVEN’s silence a significant challenge for NASA’s ongoing operations on the Red Planet.
“We know that they’re not all going to last forever,” Prockter said, reflecting on the longevity of spacecraft like MAVEN. It’s clear that NASA is already planning for the future of Mars exploration.
The agency is exploring ways to maintain its Mars communications infrastructure, even considering launching a replacement for MAVEN if the spacecraft is ultimately lost.
What’s Next for Mars Exploration?
NASA’s efforts to locate MAVEN are ongoing, but the possibility of failure remains. Despite the challenges, the agency continues to focus on planning for the future.
Prockter emphasized that while MAVEN’s current situation is uncertain, NASA is committed to securing the next step for Mars exploration:
“The agency is thinking about what is next for Mars.” In the face of setbacks like this, space agencies always push forward, learning from the past and preparing for future missions.
NASA has already started exploring the possibility of launching a new Mars telecommunications orbiter.
This new spacecraft would help fill the communications gap left by MAVEN, ensuring that surface missions like Curiosity and Perseverance can continue to relay data back to Earth.
In fact, a recent budget bill allocated $700 million to fund a “high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter,” which could become a cornerstone of NASA’s Mars mission infrastructure in the coming years.
With MAVEN’s uncertain future, this new project could play a vital role in ensuring communication with future Mars missions remains uninterrupted.
NASA’s forward-thinking approach reflects the agency’s deep commitment to exploring and understanding Mars, even if that means replacing aging infrastructure and adapting to the challenges posed by deep space exploration.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/nasas-maven-search-for-answers-continues/
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4440288/ussf-sharpens-rapid-tactically-responsive-space-launch-capabilities-through-vic
extra Space Force and related
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4440191/vandenberg-provides-ongoing-support-for-nasa-missions/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4439987/us-space-forces-eps-r-achieves-operational-acceptance-extending-secure-arctic-s/
https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/local/documentary-highlights-camp-crowders-wwii-and-space-race-role/
USSF sharpens rapid Tactically Responsive Space launch capabilities through VICTUS DIEM exercise
March 20, 2026
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The U.S. Space Force (USSF) successfully executed a Space Safari Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) exercise known as VICTUS DIEM, codifying the necessary rapid payload processing and launch tactics and techniques necessary for posturing the service to meet urgent national security and warfighter demands.
VICTUS DIEM was created to generate additional opportunities that exercise rapid launch capabilities with commercial partnership integration into the government process.
The results provide a continued focus on refining and codifying a repeatable process for rapid launch as part of the broader VICTUS program.
The Space Safari team under Space Systems Command (SSC) System Delta 89 (SYD 89), with support from SSC’s Space Access and Space Combat Power portfolios, is the end-to-end mission lead for the TacRS program focused on pioneering the development of TacRS capabilities and processes. Lockheed Martin and Firefly Aerospace were the industry partnerships that provided commercial integration throughout both phases of the exercise.
“This exercise was powerful demonstration of what is achievable through swift collaboration and the strategic leveraging of our commercial partners to meet critical government needs—providing invaluable insight into the future of responsive space,” said USSF Lt. Col. Cliff Johnson, SYD 89’s Space Safari director of operations.
The VICTUS DIEM exercise was comprised of two stages: a tabletop exercise (TTX) demonstration of a rapid space vehicle processing timeline in late 2025, and a rapid launch Field Training Exercise (FTX) in early 2026.
The rapid payload processing TTX demonstrated spacecraft arrival operations, checkouts, mating, and encapsulation which were completed in under twelve hours.
The rapid launch FTX executed a 36-hour simulation to practice and advance responsive launch protocols required to execute a TacRS space mission within a threat scenario.
VICTUS DIEM successes came as the result of direct collaboration with Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30) and Space Access’s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) throughout the various components of the exercise.
“At the Western Range and SLD 30, we play an important role in supporting these exercises,” said USSF Col. James T. Horne, III, SLD 30 commander and director of the Western Launch and Test Range.
“We did the tabletop exercise to establish the command relationships between the various entities that have to execute the mission.
We set that up like a Joint Task Force, leveraging the way we conduct combat operations to work through all the relationships so that we can go from an urgent need to liftoff quickly.”
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Horne added that a unique element of VICTUS DIEM was the inclusion of the combatant command piece, through U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), alongside the USSF-retained launch functions that SSC’s SLDs provide from their ranges.
This element ensures relationships and processes are integrated, reducing the timeline to deliver critical capabilities to the warfighter.
“You are starting to see those two pieces come closer together and work more collaboratively to get the capability on orbit, and execute it almost immediately compared to a standard delivery timeline,” Horne stated.
“We are increasing the pace at which we can field capabilities and execute them for urgent combat needs.”
Space Access’s RSLP team provided expertise for critical inputs from the program office alongside SLD 30, ensuring a collective approach to codify the processes and procedures necessary for real-world execution.
“Launch is a team sport, so my RSLP team was at the tabletop exercise alongside SLD 30 to make sure we were bringing the base part of this, the rocket part of this—all of this together to make sure we have the processes and procedures in place to be able to respond when that customer is ready,” said USSF Col. Eric Zarybnisky, acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Access.
The collective efforts throughout VICTUS DIEM facilitated the relationships necessary to further develop the TacRS program.
“This exercise, in close collaboration between SSC, USSPACECOM, and our industry partners at Lockheed Martin and Firefly, proves that critical space capabilities can be delivered on accelerated timelines to meet the most urgent national security and warfighter demands,” Johnson said.
“The end result is advancement of the service’s ability to posture for rapid on-orbit delivery of capabilities that meet those demands, and maintain the superiority and advantage against evolving threats.”
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SpaceX Starlink Mission
March 21, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This will be the 27th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER-B, USSF-124, BlueBird 1-5, Nusantara Lima (PSN N5), and 21 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-62
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/us-space-force-moves-gps-launch-to-spacex-falcon-9-due-to-vulcan-rocket-glitch
Rocket Lab launches private Japanese 'Strix' satellite
March 20, 2026
Rocket Lab launched an Earth-observing radar satellite for the Japanese company Synspective on Friday (March 20).
An Electron rocket topped with one of Synspective's Strix satellites lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on Friday at 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT; 7:10 a.m. on March 21 local New Zealand time), on a mission called "Eight Days a Week."
Friday's launch is the eighth that Rocket Lab has conducted for Synspective, which helps explain the mission name.
The Tokyo-based company is building "a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging constellation over Japan that provides data for urban development planning, construction and infrastructure monitoring and disaster response," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description.
Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider to date for the Strix constellation, whose first satellite went up in 2020. ("Strix," in case you were wondering, is a widespread genus of owls.) Synspective has booked another 20 Electron launches, including "Eight Days a Week," to finishing assembling the constellation by 2029, according to Rocket Lab.
"Eight Days a Week" is the 77th launch to date for the 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron, which debuted with a test flight in May 2017.
Rocket Lab has also launched seven missions with HASTE, a suborbital version of Electron that allows customers to test hypersonic technologies in the space environment.
Payload deployment of the StriX satellite occurred about 50 minutes after launch, placing the spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-launch-synspective-eight-days-a-week
https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/launches/eight-days-a-week/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp_cyrviCRE