TYB
NASA Names Jennifer Lyons Acting Launch Services Program Manager
Mar 25, 2026
NASA has selected Jennifer Lyons as acting program manager for the agency’s Launch Services Program (LSP) based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In this role, Lyons will lead NASA’s acquisition and management of domestic commercial launch services for science and robotic exploration missions beginning Wednesday, April 1.
Lyons will oversee mission planning, launch vehicle selection, spacecraft integration, launch processing, launch campaigns, and postlaunch activities.
The program matches spacecraft with the most suitable commercial rockets and ensures mission requirements are met from early planning through launch and mission completion.
It supports NASA missions that observe Earth, explore the solar system, and expand understanding of the universe.
“Jenny brings the kind of flight-readiness discipline and mission-assurance expertise that have defined the program’s 25‑year record of more than 100 successful flights across 15 commercial rocket types,” said Bradley Smith, director of NASA’s Launch Services Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“In addition to being the transportation cornerstone of NASA’s science and robotic exploration missions, commercial launch is also critically important to NASA’s Artemis architecture.
Jenny’s experience in having worked across many NASA projects — from space shuttle to the International Space Station, to Commercial Crew, and partnering with commercial providers — will enable LSP to continue bringing its core launch vehicle capabilities to bear, ensuring successful outcomes.”
Lyons brings nearly four decades of technical, operational, and program leadership experience to the role. She served as the launch services deputy program manager since March 2024 and previously was deputy manager for the Gateway Program’s Deep Space Logistics project.
She has worked with launch services for nearly 20 years and led the Fleet and Systems Management Division for more than a decade, overseeing NASA insight and approval activities related to launch vehicle readiness, certification, and mission assurance across a diverse fleet of commercial rockets.
“I am honored to take on this important role supporting NASA’s science and exploration missions,” said Lyons.
“I am confident our team will remain focused on delivering safe, reliable launch services while strengthening a healthy commercial market that enables discoveries across the solar system and beyond.”
Lyons has received numerous individual achievement, group, and leadership awards. She holds degrees in aerospace and ocean engineering, space technology, and engineering management.
Her career includes a wide range of experiences, including serving as the first woman to act as NASA convoy commander for a space shuttle landing to chairing the source evaluation board for NASA Launch Services II, under which NASA has awarded multiple contracts that support many of the agency’s high-priority missions.
She succeeds Albert Sierra, who led the program since March 2024 and is retiring after 36 years of service with NASA.
Sierra guided the program through five primary missions and numerous venture‑class launches that provided a steady cadence of flights for the agency.
These missions ranged from major weather and Earth‑observing satellites to deep‑space probes, astrophysics and solar‑monitoring observatories, and many CubeSats.
“Leading LSP has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, especially knowing the missions we’ve launched will fuel discovery for years to come,” said Sierra.
“While it’s never easy to step away, I’m confident the program will continue its strong record of mission success under Jenny’s leadership.”
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/kennedy/nasa-names-jennifer-lyons-as-acting-launch-services-program-manager/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/xrism/nasa-jaxas-xrism-telescope-clocks-hot-wind-of-galaxy-m82/
NASA-JAXA’s XRISM Telescope Clocks Hot Wind of Galaxy M82
Mar 25, 2026
For the first time, astronomers have directly measured the speed of superheated gas billowing from a cauldron of stellar activity at the heart of M82, a nearby galaxy undergoing an extraordinary burst of star formation.
The material is moving more than 2 million miles (over 3 million kilometers) per hour and appears to be the primary force driving a cooler, well-studied, galaxy-scale wind.
Researchers made the calculations using data from the Resolve instrument aboard the XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft.
“The classic model of starburst galaxies like M82 suggests that shock waves from star formation and supernovae near the center heat gas, kick-starting a powerful wind,” said Erin Boettcher, an astrophysicist at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Prior to XRISM, though, we didn’t have the ability to measure the velocities needed to test that hypothesis.
Now we see the gas moving even faster than some models predict, more than enough to drive the wind all the way to the edge of the galaxy.”
A paper about the result, led by Boettcher, published Wednesday, March 25, in Nature.
The XRISM mission is led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA, along with contributions from ESA (European Space Agency). NASA and JAXA also codeveloped the Resolve instrument.
Sometimes called the Cigar galaxy, M82 is located 12 million light-years away in the northern constellation Ursa Major. Astronomers classify it as a starburst galaxy because it’s forming stars at a much higher rate than typical for its size — about 10 times faster than the Milky Way.
M82 is well known for its extended, cool wind, which stretches out to 40,000 light-years and propels huge quantities of gas and dust.
Scientists have studied it with many missions, including NASA’s Chandra, Webb, Hubble, and retired Spitzer space telescopes, trying to connect the dots between the stellar activity and the large-scale outflow.
Researchers particularly want to understand the role of cosmic rays. These high-speed charged particles are found throughout the cosmos and are accelerated by some of the same events scientists think produce winds like in M82.
There’s a possibility they are a main source of outward pressure on the gas.
1/2
The XRISM Resolve instrument’s high resolution and sensitivity allowed Boettcher and her colleagues to accurately measure the speed of the hot wind by looking at an X-ray signal from superheated iron in the galactic center.
The amount of X-ray light from iron and other elements told them the temperature — right within predictions at 45 million degrees Fahrenheit (25 million degrees Celsius).
The heat exerts pressure on the gas and pushes it outward. This rushing from high pressure to low pressure forms the wind — the same reason winds blow through Earth’s atmosphere.
The broadness of iron spectral lines conveyed the hot wind’s speed. This works through Doppler shifting, the same phenomenon that causes the pitch of a sound, like a siren, to rise or fall due to the source’s motion toward or away from you.
In the case of M82, the hot material near the center flies quickly in both directions, stretching out the iron’s spectral line. The amount of stretching reveals the iron’s velocity. The researchers found that the wind is a little faster than expected.
Combined with the high temperature, it’s powerful enough to produce the cool wind without cosmic rays, although they may still be contributing.
The researchers calculate that the center of M82 expels enough gas every year to form seven stars with the mass of our Sun. This presents another puzzle.
“If the wind blows steadily at the speed we’ve measured, then we think it can power the larger, cooler wind by driving out four solar masses of gas a year.
But XRISM tells us much more gas is moving outward,” said co-author Edmund Hodges-Kluck, an astronomer and XRISM team member at NASA Goddard.
“Where do the three extra solar masses go? Do they escape out of the galaxy as hot gas some other way? We don’t know.”
The XRISM satellite’s observations of M82 will help improve models of starburst galaxies, which may help scientists answer these types of questions in the future.
NASA’s contributions to international projects like XRISM are part of the agency’s efforts to innovate with ambitious science missions that will help us better understand how our cosmos works.
“Some of our early models of starburst galaxies were developed in the 1980s, and we’re finally able to test them in ways that weren’t possible before XRISM,” said co-author Skylar Grayson, a graduate student at Arizona State University in Tempe.
“It provides opportunities to figure out why the model might not be capturing everything that’s going on in the real universe.”
2/2
NASA X-Ray Mission Gets Fresh Look at 2,000-Year-Old Supernova and extra NASA
Mar 24, 2026
NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, helping fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have observed.
When astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory previously targeted RCW 86, they discovered that a large “cavity” region around the system led the supernova to expand more rapidly than expected.
The low-density cavity region could have led to RCW 86’s unique shape as well. Now, IXPE has observed the outer rim of this supernova, where its expansion is suspected to have halted at the edge of the “cavity,” creating the reflected shock effect highlighted in purple.
The full image combines IXPE’s data with legacy observations from two other X-ray telescopes: NASA’s Chandra and the ESA (European Space Agency) XMM-Newton telescope.
The yellow represents low-energy X-rays, while blue shows high-energy X-rays detected by Chandra and XMM-Newton. The starfield in the image comes from the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab).
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-x-ray-mission-gets-fresh-look-at-2000-year-old-supernova/
extra
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4838-4844-wrapping-up-the-boxwork-terrain/
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/science-news/2026/03/25/nasa-supported-study-finds-irrigation-gaps-in-air-quality-forecasts/
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/science-news/2026/03/26/nasa-dengue-preparedness-puerto-rico/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-hot-start-to-spring-in-the-southwest/
those are some wizard kicks
Scientists just narrowed down 45 rocky exoplanets where alien life might actually exist
Last Updated: Mar 25, 2026, 02:18 PM IST
Alien life beyond Earth: After sorting through more than 6,000 known exoplanets, astronomers have picked out 45 rocky worlds that look like the best places to hunt for signs of alien life.
It’s a big shift, instead of scanning the entire cosmic haystack, researchers now have a much tighter, more realistic shortlist to focus on.
The work was led by Lisa Kaltenegger and her team at Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute.
Using fresh data from ESA’s Gaia mission, they filtered for rocky planets that might have the right conditions for liquid water, the key ingredient we associate with life as we know it.
They even created a stricter version of the list, and only 24 planets made the cut under those tougher rules.
Telescope time is incredibly limited and expensive. Narrowing the targets like this means future observations can be smarter and more efficient instead of spreading resources too thin.
What Makes a Planet 'Habitable'?
Astronomers start with the habitable zone, that sweet spot around a star where temperatures could allow liquid water to sit on the surface. Too close and it boils away (hello, Venus).
Too far and it freezes solid (like Mars). But rock and water alone aren’t enough. The planet also needs a stable atmosphere, the right kind of star, and a few other lucky breaks.
Some of the most promising candidates are relatively close, just 40 to 50 light-years away. A few even get roughly the same amount of starlight that Earth receives, which feels comfortingly familiar.
Many orbit small, dim red dwarf stars. Those stars make the planets easier to spot and study because the star itself isn’t blindingly bright.
How We’ll Actually Check for Life
The best candidates include transiting planets, ones that pass in front of their star from our point of view.
When that happens, a tiny bit of starlight filters through the planet’s atmosphere, and telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope can analyze what gases are present.
Others might be studied through direct imaging, where we try to catch the faint glow of the planet itself. The team also looked at planets sitting right on the edges of the habitable zone, some dangerously close to their star, others farther out in the cold.
Observing these edge cases could help us understand exactly where habitability really begins and ends.A few planets have eccentric orbits, swinging closer and farther from their star each year.
That creates wild temperature swings, and seeing how (or if) atmospheres survive those changes will be fascinating.
They even considered age. Out of the planets with reliable data, 24 appear to be older than Earth. An older world might give us clues about long-term atmospheric evolution. Of course, there are challenges.
Many of these planets orbit flare-prone red dwarfs whose violent bursts of radiation could strip away atmospheres or make surface life very difficult. As Kaltenegger herself put it: “Life might be much more versatile than we currently imagine.”
Why This List Actually Matters
This isn’t just another headline-grabbing catalog.
It’s designed for real science, a practical roadmap for the James Webb Space Telescope, the upcoming Roman Space Telescope, giant ground-based observatories, and whatever comes next.
Kaltenegger summed it up nicely: “Our paper reveals where you should travel to find life if we ever built a ‘Hail Mary’ spacecraft.”
Even if we don’t find life right away, every observation will teach us something valuable. Negative results are still useful, they help us refine our instruments, update our theories, and decide where to look next.
For the first time, the search for extraterrestrial life feels a little less like guessing in the dark and a little more like a focused, strategic hunt.
As better data rolls in over the coming years, some of these 45 worlds will likely drop off the list, while others might climb to the very top. And who knows?
One of them just might turn out to be the place where we finally detect that first faint signal of life beyond Earth.
https://zeenews.india.com/world/scientists-just-narrowed-down-45-rocky-exoplanets-where-alien-life-might-actually-exist-3030375.html
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/these-45-exoplanets-may-be-the-best-places-to-search-for-alien-life
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/100-new-alien-worlds-scientists-find-hidden-haul-in-data-from-nasa-exoplanet-hunting-spacecraft
Astronomers Spot Previously Unknown Space ‘Cavity’ That’s Quietly Protecting the Moon
March 25, 2026
Earth has a particularly strong magnetosphere—a bubble-shaped capsule of magnetism—shielding the planet and its inhabitants from solar weather and other space badness.
These protective perks extend to the Moon, whose orbit enters and exits Earth’s magnetosphere. But new research suggests we’ve underestimated how good the magnetosphere is at its job.
In a Science Advances paper published today, researchers say they’ve found strong evidence that an energetic particle “cavity” shaped by Earth’s magnetosphere shields the Moon from harmful cosmic rays—even when the Moon’s orbit is outside the magnetosphere.
The findings come from analyzing recent data collected by China’s Chang’e-4 Moon lander and could inform future space missions, for which radiation exposure remains a threat for astronauts.
“We had expected that the radiation on the lunar surface would be constant when the Moon is not inside the Earth’s magnetosphere,” Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber, the study’s corresponding author and an astrophysicist at Kiel University in Germany, told Gizmodo.
“What we found, however, is that the magnetosphere provides some more shielding than expected.”
Precarious space weather
Solar weather often makes the news for triggering geomagnetic storms and disrupting the grid. But for astronauts in space, galactic cosmic rays are the greatest contributors to radiation exposure, according to Wimmer-Schweingruber.
When powerful events like supernovas propagate shockwaves into space, tiny particles like protons or helium atoms get energized to such an extent that they travel at nearly the speed of light.
They “have so much energy that they penetrate deep into the solar system,” Wimmer-Schweingruber explained. “Some even penetrate the Earth’s magnetosphere, the ‘shield’ provided by the Earth’s magnetic field.”
On the other hand, the Moon enters and exits Earth’s magnetosphere during its 27-day orbit. Up until now, researchers assumed that radiation on the lunar surface would be relatively constant while the Moon wasn’t under the magnetosphere’s protection.
A far-reaching shield
That understanding shifted for the team when Chang’e-4’s data showed a 20% decrease in radiation on the lunar surface during a “pre-noon” period, or when the Moon’s orbit takes it opposite to Earth’s magnetosphere.
To investigate, the team conducted statistical tests on radiative particles in Earth-Moon space for 31 lunar cycles while adjusting for any fluctuations in solar weather.
In addition to Chang’e-4’s data, the researchers also examined trends from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, whose observations “exhibit a qualitatively similar pattern,” according to the paper.
As a result, they found that an extension of the magnetosphere’s influence (shaded in white in the figure below) offered extra protection for the lunar surface.
“We were, in fact, quite surprised when we saw [the additional shielding],” said Wimmer-Schweingruber. “But in retrospect, it makes absolute sense. We found such an effect, which we had not expected—that’s what research is about.”
Hiding in the cavity
The team believes the findings could have key implications for future space missions.
According to Wimmer-Schweingruber, that 20% decrease in radiation refers to low-energy ions—a “major contributor to skin dose” for astronauts. “After all, our skin is our biggest ‘organ,’” he added.
With the new findings, researchers planning space missions could exploit these extra shielding zones to reduce the impact of radiation on astronauts.
Having said that, Wimmer-Schweingruber told Gizmodo that near the end of Chang’e-4’s mission, the spacecraft captured several solar particle events that increased radiation by “more than a factor of 10.”
Clearly, space weather is complex, and there are more details to be worked out, but the new study is an insightful one, especially as missions like NASA’s Artemis strive to return humanity to the Moon.
“I think it is cool that we are preparing to go back to the Moon,” Wimmer-Schweingruber said. “In some years we will be able to look at it and wonder what the astronauts or taikonauts are doing there right now.
We will probably even be able to follow their activities remotely. This will give us all the possibility to experience the exploration of our nearest neighbor, the Moon.”
https://gizmodo.com/astronomers-spot-previously-unknown-space-cavity-thats-quietly-protecting-the-moon-2000737969
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv1908
https://www.iflscience.com/substantial-negative-mass-anomaly-1200-kilometers-deep-appears-to-be-causing-mars-to-spin-faster-82969
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008765
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrbdYcNTo7Y
"Substantial Negative Mass Anomaly" 1,200 Kilometers Deep Appears To Be Causing Mars To Spin Faster
March 26, 2025
Here's one of the cool things you learn when you land a seismometer on another planet: Mars's days are getting shorter. Or to put it another way, the planet is spinning faster.
That was discovered back in 2023. A team using data from the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) on NASA's InSight Lander on Mars found that the Red Planet’s rotation is accelerating by around 4 milliarcseconds per year², shortening the Martian year by a fraction of a millisecond.
That isn't a whole lot, but it has been a bit of a mystery as to why.
"They have a few ideas, including ice accumulating on the polar caps or post-glacial rebound, where landmasses rise after being buried by ice," a NASA statement explains.
"The shift in a planet’s mass can cause it to accelerate a bit like an ice skater spinning with their arms stretched out, then pulling their arms in."
Now, a new study has proposed that the increase in rotation speed could be due to a "substantial gravity anomaly" around the Tharsis volcanic province on Mars.
The researchers were initially interested in reevaluating how the province, home to the largest volcanoes in the Solar System, came to be.
New data from InSight placed better constraints on the properties of the lithosphere (or the rigid, rocky shell of a rocky planet) and its thermal and mechanical structure, allowing for the researchers to construct better models of the region.
There are other clues to work with.
From the 1970s, tracking data from Mariner 9, Viking 1, and Viking 2 have been used to gain a sense of the gravity strength on Mars, and that has become far more precise since the 1990s with the launch of the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Using data from these spacecraft, scientists have mapped Mar's gravity pretty well, and found a few anomalies.
"The Martian gravity anomalies show a strong correlation with the Tharsis Region," the team explains in their paper.
"The center of a positive free-air anomaly (300–500 mGal) after correcting for most of the rotational flattening is centered in between Ascraeus Mons and Pavonis Mons.
A pronounced negative gravity ring (−200 mGal) surrounds the bulge of the Tharsis Rise."
1/2
Gravitational anomalies are the somewhat dramatic name we give to the phenomenon when the measured gravity strength differs from what we expect, given what we know of the mass distribution of the ground below.
A number of ideas have been suggested for the gravity anomalies at Tharsis, including that the region was formed following a large impact event in the planet's past, or that the whole region sits on top of a supportive impact site formed even further back in Mars's history.
"Another explanation could be that an active mantle plume underneath the Tharsis Rise maintains the extreme surface elevation and is responsible for the observed global gravity signal," the team writes, adding that the idea is not new, but has recently been given further credibility with evidence of recent volcanic activity at Tharsis, and possible evidence of mantle plumes beneath Elysium Mons in Mars's Eastern hemisphere.
Modeling the inner workings of the planet, to see what could plausibly produce such features, the team found that best fit was a "substantial negative mass anomaly" around 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) beneath the surface.
Further evidence is needed, but according to this work, Mars might not be as geologically dead as we thought.
"Hot mantle plumes could be the explanation for volcanic activity and local thinning of the lithosphere. To explain late-to present-day melt Mars needs a substantial hot mantle and high activation energy of the mantle rock," the team explains.
"If confirmed, this would result in partial melting pockets in the mantle penetrating through the crust, which was seen to be difficult to reconcile with large elastic thickness estimates that suggest Mars is a cooled and sub-chondritic planet.
Our results show that it is plausible that a dynamic signature is needed to explain the topographic and gravity signature of the Tharsis Region."
As the mantle plume – lighter than surrounding mantle – makes its way towards the surface, it could stimulate volcanic activity, creating melt pockets which can then turn into volcanoes when they reach the crust.
As well as this, the team suggests that a mantle plume beneath the region is a reasonable fit with Mars's increased rotation speed, with a more active planet resulting in more variations in the rate of spin.
"Recent observation of the Mars rotation rate could explain our estimates of a negative mass anomaly rising upward.
The change of internal density would affect the moment of inertia of the planet and that would affect the rotation of the planet," the team writes in their paper.
"We show […] that this rotation rate acceleration in first order could be explained by our estimated mass anomaly."
While interesting, further evidence-gathering and analysis is needed. For example, we don't have enough data on the viscosity of Mars's mantle, leading to uncertainties in the modeling.
The team suggests further gravity-modeling missions to the planet in the future, to gain further insights into Mars's subsurface.
2/2
Does the Q Timex (Q Time X?) NASA 40 mm watch hide more than just a tribute?
March 25, 2026
A familiar silhouette, a logo steeped in history, and an implicit promise: that of an object capable of linking accessible watchmaking to the imagination of space.
Behind this Timex watch, the reference to NASA is not just a marketing argument. It is part of an aesthetic and technical approach that intrigues as much as it invites reflection.
A sturdy case with a controlled retro style
The Q Timex NASA 40 mm features a stainless steel case with balanced proportions. With its 40 mm diameter, it fits into a neo-retro trend inspired by 1970s models, while remaining aligned with modern standards.
The finishing alternates between brushed surfaces and polished touches, enhancing the perceived quality. The choice of a stainless steel link bracelet reinforces this vintage direction.
This bracelet includes a folding clasp system, simple and functional.
The watch offers water resistance up to 50 meters, suitable for everyday use, including splashes or handwashing, without aiming at intensive sports use.
A dial shaped by space heritage
The dial stands out immediately with the presence of the NASA logo, a central element of the watch’s identity. It fits into a balanced visual composition without excess.
The applied indices and contrasting hands ensure proper readability, supported by a subtle luminous treatment. The design favors clarity, with a functional approach faithful to the universe it evokes.
A date window is included, positioned in a classic way, adding utility without altering the overall aesthetic.
A reliable and accessible quartz movement
This watch is powered by a quartz movement, a logical choice given the positioning of the Q Timex range.
This type of movement offers high accuracy and requires little maintenance. Unlike mechanical movements, quartz operates through oscillations regulated by a crystal powered by a battery.
This structure allows for very limited time deviation, usually just a few seconds per month.
Timex prioritizes reliability and ease of use here. Battery replacement is made easier thanks to an accessible case back, a historical signature of the Q Timex collection.
Availability and price: an accessible NASA-licensed watch
The Q Timex NASA 40 mm is available on the brand’s official website as well as through selected authorized retailers.
Its price is around $199, placing it clearly in the accessible segment of the watch market. This pricing reflects a balance between licensed design, build quality, and pragmatic technical choices.
https://lenouveaureveil.com/en/q-timex-nasa-40-mm/
Astronauts may struggle to reproduce in outer space, study suggests — what does that mean for the future of space colonization?
March 26, 2026
A new study found that microgravity simulated on Earth hindered sperm cell movement, egg fertilization and embryo development — findings that have serious implications for the future of space colonization.
When it comes to successful fertilization, zero gravity means zero game, a new study suggests. When looking at sperm and eggs in simulated microgravity, scientists found that this environment hampered sperm navigation, fertilization and embryo development, posing serious challenges for the future of space colonization.
This human, mouse and pig study, published Thursday (March 26) in the journal Communications Biology, revealed that sperm became disoriented, mouse eggs had fewer successful fertilizations, and pig embryos experienced developmental delays, all due to microgravity.
The findings have big implications for building a lasting human presence off Earth. The long-term settlements planned for the moon and Mars depend not just on keeping astronauts alive but on whether people can eventually reproduce there.
Sperm in microgravity
Previous studies have shown that microgravity can impair estrogen production and lower sperm count in mice. But what goes on at a cellular level when the sperm and egg float in near-zero gravity remains unclear.
To simulate microgravity, the researchers used a device called a clinostat machine, which works "by continuously rotating cells or samples in multiple directions, essentially randomising the direction of gravitational pull so rapidly that the cells never get a chance to settle or orient themselves," Nicole McPherson, a researcher who runs the Sperm and Embryo Biology Group at Adelaide University's Robinson Research Institute and the study's senior author, told Live Science via email.
"From the cell's perspective, there is no consistent 'up' or 'down', it experiences a kind of continuous free fall, which closely mimics what living cells experience in the weightlessness of space."
With their space simulator, the researchers added human and mouse sperm to small mazes designed to mimic the female reproductive tract.
In both cases, fewer sperm successfully navigated through the maze in microgravity compared with sperm that moved in Earth's gravity.
"Many of the proteins found on sperm act as mechanosensors, tiny molecular devices that detect physical forces," McPherson said.
"Remove the force of gravity and it stands to reason that these sensors would be thrown off, disrupting the sperm's ability to orient and navigate."
Under normal conditions with Earth's gravitational pull, the female reproductive tract releases the hormone progesterone after ovulation as a chemical signal to help sperm navigate toward the egg, McPherson said.
To try to boost the odds that human sperm would reach the egg in microgravity, the researchers added this hormone to the system.
"It did help to some degree, but the concentrations needed to produce an effect were much higher than what would naturally occur in the female reproductive tract," McPherson said.
In theory, high doses of progesterone could be administered, but McPherson cautioned that more research into safety and efficacy is needed before this hormone could be prescribed as a fertility enhancer for space travelers.
Reduced fertilization and developmental delays
Next, the researchers looked at fertilization and embryo development for mouse and pig eggs. Successful fertilization was 30% lower for mouse eggs and around 15% lower for pig eggs in simulated microgravity, compared with in Earth's gravity.
Six days after insemination, pig embryos showed signs of developmental delays. "After fertilisation, the embryo still needs to implant into the uterine wall," a process that uses gravitational cues to work, McPherson said.
"Then the embryo's cells must organise themselves correctly to eventually form every organ in the body, sustained by a placenta that must function properly for the full duration of pregnancy. Microgravity has the potential to disrupt any or all of these stages."
While these results pose significant challenges for the future of space colonization, they also give scientists better insight into how gravity affects the development of life here on Earth.
"From the moment a sperm begins its journey to the moment an embryo starts to develop, gravity appears to play a role we are only starting to uncover," McPherson said.
"Gravity is not just a backdrop to life, it is deeply embedded in the biological processes that create it."
https://www.livescience.com/space/astronauts-may-struggle-to-reproduce-in-outer-space-study-suggests-what-does-that-mean-for-the-future-of-space-colonization
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/1121602
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-09734-4
Watch ESA astronaut Sławosz’s talk at CERN
26 March, 2026
On Thursday 12 March, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski came to CERN to give an insider’s view of his time on the International Space Station (ISS) from 26 June to 14 July 2025.
Sławosz discussed the Ignis mission to the ISS, a Polish-led scientific and technical programme carried out in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).
One of the flagship investigations of the mission was developed at CERN and Sławosz personally installed and operated it on the ISS.
During the talk, Sławosz talked about this particular experiment and shared details of his experience in space.
https://home.cern/news/news/knowledge-sharing/watch-esa-astronaut-slawoszs-talk-cern
https://videos.cern.ch/record/3023560
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/03/Carbon_monoxide_emission_differences_over_central_South_America
Long March 2D launches two satellites from Shanxi
Updated: 2026-03-26 14:37
China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket on Thursday morning to deploy two satellites into their preset orbit, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.
The State-owned conglomerate said in a news release that the rocket blasted off at 6:51 am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province and soon placed the satellites, Siwei Gaojing 2E and 2F, into space.
Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a CASC subsidiary, the satellites are equipped with high-resolution radars and will be used to obtain data for natural resources management, public security, emergency response, marine inspection and other public service operations, according to the company.
After in-orbit tests, the satellites will be delivered to China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology, a satellite operator owned by CASC.
The Long March 2D model, also a product from the Shanghai academy, stands 40.6 meters tall and has a diameter of 3.35 meters and a liftoff weight of 251 metric tons.
Its typical tasks are to transport satellites to low-Earth or sun-synchronous orbits.
The launch marked the 18th space mission in China this year and the 634th flight of the Long March rocket fleet.
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/26/WS69c4d422a310d6866eb4006c.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYXX4_Fjb2c
Senior enlisted leaders stress quality of life, readiness
March 25, 2026
Senior enlisted leaders from across the Department of War told lawmakers on the House Committee on Appropriations, March 25, that quality of life is critical to maintaining readiness as Airmen and Guardians continue to operate in demanding environments worldwide.
Those demands place increased pressure on Airmen and Guardians to remain mission-focused, reinforcing the importance of reliable support systems at home and on the installation.
Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David A. Wolfe provided insight on the needs of Airmen and Guardians, emphasizing the importance of sustained investment in people and infrastructure, and how that impacts mission capability.
Wolfe pointed to the direct connection between quality of life and mission execution, noting Airmen are actively engaged in combat operations.
“Right now, as we sit in this hearing, Active, Guard, and Reserve Airmen are in the fight,” Wolfe said. “They are executing decisive combat missions supporting Operation Epic Fury and directly engaging our adversaries to protect our way of life.”
Bentivegna described a parallel reality for Guardians, whose mission requires continuous global operations.
“Our Guardians are the invisible front line,” Bentivegna said. “Their professional focus is deeply connected to the stability of their family and community life.”
Wolfe emphasized that mission success depends on Airmen being able to focus without distraction.
“When a maintainer in Kuwait is worried about her son who is unable to receive specialized care for his autism spectrum diagnosis, or a cyber operator working a 12-hour shift is concerned about his faulty water heater in privatized housing, their focus is compromised,” Wolfe said. “That is a risk we simply cannot afford.”
Bentivegna said addressing quality-of-life challenges is essential to maintaining mission focus for Guardians.
“By addressing barriers such as accessible childcare, spousal employment stability and access to quality healthcare, we build a resilient force that can focus on the mission,” Bentivegna said.
Wolfe tied that focus directly to readiness, emphasizing that advanced capabilities depend on the people operating and sustaining them.
“A sixth-generation fighter jet is an impressive machine, but it will sit useless on the runway without the highly trained and motivated human weapon system ready to fly, fix and support it,” Wolfe said.
“The most critical system upgrade we can make is one which invests in the readiness and resilience of the human weapon system itself.”
Bentivegna said that same investment is critical as the Space Force grows to meet increasing mission demands.
“To continue to meet the threats of today and tomorrow, the Space Force must double in size,” Bentivegna said.
“To accomplish this, we need continued competitive and responsive compensation for service members, as well as a consistent quality of life.”
The discussion also addressed strain across the force and the need for modern infrastructure.
“Our maintainers are working miracles to keep our aging fleet in the air,” Wolfe said. “But miracles cannot be our primary sustainment strategy.”
Bentivegna emphasized the need to modernize infrastructure to support a growing and evolving force.
“Our missions are evolving quickly, but much of our infrastructure remains rooted in the past,” Bentivegna said.
“We must be able to keep pace with the demands of a growing force and enable Guardians to train for and execute in a contested, multi-domain environment.”
The testimony reflects the Department of the Air Force’s broader effort to align resources with strategic priorities, ensuring Airmen and Guardians are equipped, trained and supported to meet evolving mission demands.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4444518/senior-enlisted-leaders-stress-quality-of-life-readiness/
extra Space Force
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/victusdiem
>>24430312
formerly known as
SpaceX Launches
Starlink Mission
March 26, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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 23rd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, TRACERS, NROL-48, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3, and 12 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-17
Starlink Mission
March 27, 2025
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 34th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, SES O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A, and 22 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-44
Ukrainian drone attack plot on Russian airbase thwarted – FSB
Updated 26 Mar, 2026 12:35
Russian authorities have thwarted a suspected Ukrainian plot to carry out a short-range drone attack on an airbase in Saratov Region, officials said on Thursday.
A Russian citizen has been detained after being caught with a bag containing equipment intended for the operation, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement.
The seized items reportedly included two first-person-view drones, a pair of anti-tank grenades, detonators, around 600 grams of plastic explosives, and a relay device designed to enable remote control of the drones from a large distance.
According to investigators, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) instructed the suspect – described as a man in his mid-50s – to prepare the drones, hide them roughly 10 km from the targeted facility, and leave the area before the strike was initiated remotely.
The man admitted he agreed to participate for financial compensation and reportedly intended to leave Russia after carrying out the order. He has been charged with involvement in a terrorist conspiracy.
The alleged plot was foiled jointly by the FSB, the Investigative Committee, the Interior Ministry, and the National Guard. The Russian authorities did not disclose the specific airbase that was targeted.
Saratov Region is home to several air force installations, including the Engels airbase, which hosts elements of Russia’s long-range bomber fleet.
Both Russia and Ukraine have conducted strikes deep behind enemy lines as part of the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and port facilities, aiming to inflict economic damage.
Moscow has said such actions have led it to expand its list of targets in Ukraine to include energy facilities linked to weapons production, particularly those involved in manufacturing long-range drones.
Russian officials have also accused Ukrainian intelligence services of carrying out a broad range of covert operations inside Russia, including targeted killings and suicide bombing attacks on security personnel.
These activities often involve individuals recruited online, some motivated by ideology or financial incentives, and others coerced into criminal actions through scam tactics.
https://www.rt.com/russia/636274-fsb-ukrainian-drone-plot/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/636246-turkish-tanker-drone-attack/
https://www.rt.com/russia/636241-zelensky-donbass-security-trump/
https://www.rt.com/news/636291-purl-supplies-iran-war/
https://www.rt.com/russia/636256-fake-coca-cola-russia/
https://www.rt.com/russia/636247-russia-chelyabinsk-school-shooting/
Major Oil Refinery in Leningrad Region Reportedly Damaged in Ukrainian Drone Strike
March 26, 2026
Ukrainian drones are believed to have struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the northwestern Leningrad region early Thursday, coming after days of repeated strikes on nearby oil terminals that have led to disruptions in export flows.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said that an industrial site was damaged in the Kirishky district, which is home to the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery. He did not provide details on the extent of the damage but said there were no casualties.
Unverified reports cited nearby residents as saying that the refinery was attacked.
Kirishinefteorgsintez is a subsidiary of the oil and gas company Surgutneftegaz. In 2024, the refinery was estimated to have processed nearly 7% of Russia’s total oil refining volume, or 350,000 barrels per day.
Ukraine previously attacked the refinery in October, forcing the shutdown of its main unit, which accounted for around 40% of its processing capacity.
Ukraine Hits Ust-Luga Oil Terminal in Largest Overnight Drone Attack of the Year
Drozdenko said 21 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the skies above the Leningrad region between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported downing 125 Ukrainian drones overnight across 13 Russian regions, including the Leningrad region.
Thursday’s attack comes after repeated strikes over the past week on two major oil terminals in northwestern Russia, which have led to temporary suspensions of operations.
Altogether, an estimated 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been disrupted by Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil and fuel infrastructure, the halt of oil flows along the Druzhba pipeline since January and the seizure of Russian oil tankers.
Oil and gas exports are a key source of revenue for the Russian budget.
Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks by targeting oil facilities in a bid to disrupt the Kremlin’s war financing.
The latest attacks come at a volatile moment for global energy markets as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran drives up oil prices and raises fears of supply disruptions.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/26/major-oil-refinery-in-leningrad-region-reportedly-damaged-in-ukrainian-drone-strike-a92341
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4105690-russias-largest-oil-refineries-in-leningrad-region-under-drone-attack.html
https://kyivindependent.com/worst-oil-supply-disruption-in-modern-russian-history-halts-about-40-of-export-capacity-reuters-reports/
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Second-Tanker-Hit-in-Weeks-as-Black-Sea-Drone-Strikes-Russian-Oil-Cargo.html
extra Russia and Ukraine
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/72651
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15679667/Russia-drones-Iran-war-US-Israel.html
https://dronexl.co/2026/03/26/ukraine-drone-industry-dusseldorf/
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/26/zelenskyy-lands-in-saudi-arabia/
Israel: IDF has ‘eliminated’ the top Iranian naval officer responsible for blocking Strait of Hormuz
10:40 AM – Thursday, March 26, 2026
Israel has announced the elimination of Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, in a targeted strike in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the operation, identifying Tangsiri as the high-ranking official “directly responsible” for the mining and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The IDF eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy, the person directly responsible for the terror operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic,” Katz said during a morning assessment with military officials.
“We will continue to operate in Iran with full force to achieve the objectives of the war.”
Additionally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed the announcement with a video statement, asserting that Tangsiri had “a great deal of blood on his hands,” and that his removal is a significant step toward reopening the strategic waterway.
The prime minister also framed the operation as a warning to the IRGC, saying: “The IDF will hunt you down and eliminate you one by one.”
Netanyahu released an X post written in Hebrew on Thursday, stating, “We continue to strike with full force at the targets of the Iranian terror regime.”
“Last night, we eliminated the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy. This man has a lot of blood on his hands, and in addition, he is the one who led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Israeli PM continued.
“This is another example of the cooperation between us and our friend the United States, for the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war.”
President Donald Trump, in a post to his Truth Social platform last week, clarified that the goals of the Middle Eastern conflict are as follows:
Completely degrading Iranian missile capability.
Destroying Iran’s Defense Industrial Base.
Eliminating Iran’s navy and air force.
Preventing Iran from nearing nuclear capability.
Protecting the U.S.’s Middle Eastern allies.
The president said that these objectives are within sight, suggesting that military efforts may begin “winding down” soon.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu expressed confidence that the remaining Iranian leadership would soon be forced to negotiate a deal favorable to his administration.
He cited a significant “present” sent to the U.S. this week, which he noted was “worth a tremendous amount of money” and would serve as a major turning point in the standoff.
The U.S. and Iran had already been at an impasse through months of negotiations over a nuclear deal. While Iran has claimed repeatedly that it needs uranium for “civilian purposes,” it has reportedly enriched its uranium far more, reaching weapons-grade levels.
Trump also previously warned that Iran would face severe consequences for failing to reach an agreement, later initiating Operation Epic Fury in collaboration with Israel, prompting strikes on Tehran on February 28th.
The Strait of Hormuz is the pathway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is exported from the Gulf area. President Donald Trump has called on countries allied with the U.S. that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to step in to protect and police it.
He argues that the United States does not depend on this region for oil, as only 2.5% to 7% of its imported oil comes from it.
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/israel-idf-has-eliminated-the-top-iranian-naval-officer-responsible-for-blocking-strait-of-hormuz/
https://twitter.com/IAFsite/status/2037149345175289955
https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/2037161611308196267
https://twitter.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/2035116215505756508
other Israel
https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/idf-military-collapse-warning
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891265
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891317
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-891351
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/watch-idf-hezbollah-command-centre-destruction-g0wr6w6d
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/talks-with-israel-would-be-forced-surrender-hezbollahs-naim-qassem-says
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-over-30-hezbollah-members-killed-in-recent-days-including-10-radwan-fighters/
https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/us-israel-iran-war-latest-update-israel-carries-out-large-scale-attack-on-hezbollah-idf-strikes-200-sites-in-major-escalation-179291/
Pixel Potus
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202603261868
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603262825
other Iran
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603261793
https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/iran-attacks-in-uae-leave-11-dead-and-169-wounded-so-far-1.500487256
https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-gulf-didnt-want-the-iran-war-they-need-trump-to-win-it-anyway
Pakistan cools talk hopes, US says Iran strikes to continue while eyeing deal
March 26, 2026
Summary
-
President Trump said on Thursday that Iranian negotiators were “begging” for a deal while publicly saying they were only “looking at” a US proposal, warning they “better get serious soon” or “there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty.”
-
Israel’s defence minister said IRGC navy commander Alireza Tangsiri was killed in a strike, warning the IDF would continue targeting Iranian commanders.
-
Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Thursday that indirect US-Iran talks are under way via Pakistan, with a 15-point proposal under review and support from countries including Turkey and Egypt.
-
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that NATO had done “absolutely nothing” to help in the Iran war and that the United States “needs nothing” from the alliance.
-
The United States struck more than 10,000 military targets in Iran since launching its campaign last month, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video post on X on Wednesday.
10 minutes ago
BREAKING NEWS
IAEA warns damage to Bushehr plant could cause major radiological accident
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned that damage to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could result in a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond.
15 minutes ago
France says Russia aiding Iran’s military effort against US targets
Everything leads us to believe that Russia is aiding Iran's military effort that is being used against American targets, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.
27 minutes ago
Trump leaning toward ground invasion in Iran - Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward ordering a major ground operation against Iran, The Times of Israel reported, citing an official from a country mediating between Washington and Tehran.
US recognizes that Tehran is not likely to agree to the concessions presented in Washington’s 15-point plan and has dispatched thousands of troops to the region in order to capture Iran's Kharg Island on Trump’s orders, the report said citing the official.
The report cited a second official from a mediating country as warning that while US forces may be able to capture the island, holding it would likely require significantly more troops and a longer campaign than the four-to-six week timeframe publicly suggested by Washington.
45 minutes ago
Israel says it carried out 20 waves of strikes on Iranian targets in west
Israel’s military said on Thursday its air force carried out around 20 waves of strikes over the past 24 hours targeting Iranian military infrastructure in western Iran.
The military said the strikes hit dozens of sites including locations in Kermanshah and Dezful.
It said about 70 munitions were used to target facilities involved in the storage and launch of ballistic missiles as well as air defense systems.
1 hour ago
Ghalibaf says Iran will fight to end ‘war–ceasefire–war’ cycle
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country will continue fighting until it breaks what he described as the cycle of “war–ceasefire–war.”
In a post on his X account addressed to the “heroic nation of Iran,” Ghalibaf said public mobilization and the sacrifices of Iran’s armed forces over the past 25 nights had created conditions for what he called a “historic victory.”
“No one can issue ultimatums to Iran or the Iranian people,” he wrote.
Ghalibaf added that Iran’s forces would not lose the opportunity created by the war and would press on until “complete victory” and the end of the cycle of “war–ceasefire–war.”
1/2
1 hour ago
Araghchi accuses US troops of hiding in hotels across the region
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US soldiers of fleeing military bases in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and taking shelter in civilian locations.
“From the outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in GCC to hide in hotels and offices,” Araghchi wrote on X.
He alleged that the move amounts to using Gulf civilians as “human shields.”
“Hotels in the U.S. deny bookings to officers who may endanger customers,” he wrote. “GCC hotels should do the same.”
2 hours ago
Explosions, air defense activity heard in Iran’s Mashhad
The sound of explosions and air defense activity was heard in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Thursday evening, locals told Iran International.
2 hours ago
France holds call with 35 countries on reopening Hormuz Strait
France’s armed forces chief held a videoconference with 35 countries to discuss restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the defense ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry did not name participants.
“This initiative, independent of the ongoing military operations in the region, is strictly defensive in nature. Its purpose is to organize the resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities have ceased,” it said in a statement.
3 hours ago
BREAKING NEWS
Trump says Iran let ‘10 boats’ of oil pass Hormuz as talks gesture
President Donald Trump said Iran had made what he described as a gesture during ongoing discussions with Washington by allowing oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have very substantial talks going on with respect to Iran, with the right people,” Trump said.
He said Iranian officials had indicated they would allow eight tankers to transit the strategic waterway, which Tehran had previously restricted during the conflict.
“They said, to show you the fact that we're real and solid and we're there, we're going to let you have eight boats,” Trump said.
Trump added that the number later increased to ten vessels.
“I guess we deal with the right people,” he said, describing the move as a signal amid continuing diplomatic contacts.
3 hours ago
Hegseth says US will keep striking Iran while pursuing deal
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is open to reaching a deal with Iran but signaled that military operations will continue while diplomacy unfolds.
“We pray for a deal, and we welcome a deal,” Hegseth said, adding that President Donald Trump was the “ultimate deal maker” who could make it happen.
“But in the meantime, as I said yesterday, the Department of War will continue negotiating with bombers,” he said.
Hegseth asserted that US operations are ahead of schedule, saying more than 10,000 targets have been destroyed and over 150 naval vessels sunk.
2/2