TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
September 23, 2026
A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin
A once-in-a-lifetime crater has appeared on the Moon! A comet or asteroid roughly the size of a humpback whale (approximately 10-20 meters, 30-60 feet) crashed into the Moon sometime between April and May of 2024. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), with its monthly monitoring of the Moon, captured today’s images of the lunar surface before and after the event. The resulting crater, named after Apollo-era lunar scientist McGetchin, is two soccer fields across. Craters of this size are only expected once every 132 years! Follow up thermal imaging revealed a large cold spot that surrounds the warm crater. Surface impacts will puff up the loose lunar sediment, or regolith, making it less dense and harder to retain heat. This event affected an area much larger than the visible crater, which will inform humanity’s understanding of surface impacts and the evolution of the Moon’s surface. It also reminds us all to be thankful for Earth's atmosphere.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9gpqUUrKE
Radiation Super-Events, Airline Risks, Hurricane | S0 News and frens
Sep.23.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COL1HuIxVg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FjFctFd9eA (thornews: Super Wild Weather USA very RED ALERT! Beaster Nor'Easter! El Polo Loco! Hawaii. Again? NM madness.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0zWV8im7J8 (On the Pulse with Silki: Governor Declares STATE OF EMERGENCY in California — What IS HAPPENING ?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sibKmAdPMqA (MrMBB333: IT IS BY FAR THE STRONGEST STORM ON THE PLANET!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaAFD6JSWb8 (Ray's Astro: NEPAL FLOOD - I Traced It Minute by Minute | The Mountain Was Moving | Complete Documentary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNwqYr3ZFD8 (EarthMaster: Cascadia Tremor counts elevated under Eugene Oregon. Tuesday Night Earthquake activity)
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solar and lunar
https://starlust.org/aurora-forecast-solar-storm-could-trigger-prominent-views-over-northern-u-s-on-september-24/
https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/harvest-moon-2026-when-to-see-septembers-full-moon/1936387
https://www.astronomy.com/observing/full-moon-calendar-dates-times-types/
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wildfires
https://www.army.mil/article/295549/new_york_army_guard_aviators_train_for_wildfire_response
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/wildfire-smoke-erasing-birds-hundreds-133200813.html
https://cedarnews.net/newstasks/1001904/wildfire-canadas-largest-fire-detector-acquires-us/
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/09/23/firefighting-from-the-sky-uae-firm-starts-high-altitude-monitoring-mission-in-spain/
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/yosemite-park-wildfire-status/
https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-teen-arrested-for-deadly-crash-into-power-pole-that-sparked-15000-acre-wildfire-jackson-county-sheriffs-office-forestry-east-evans-creek-fire
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storms and floods
https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexicans-urged-to-prepare-as-flash-flood-risk-rises/73832380
https://www.governor.state.nm.us/newsroom/state-emergency-operations-center-prepared-for-flash-flooding-2094
https://wsbt.com/news/local/gov-mike-braun-leading-largest-debris-clean-up-in-recent-state-history-severe-weather-indiana-homeland-security-august-update-technology-fema
https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/ohio-gov-dewine-state-of-emergency-19-counties-severe-storms-flooding/530-500146a3-91ba-4a01-8da1-e9868fa5139b
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/09/23/nepal-floods-over-800-people-remain-missing-from-hydropower-projects-says-energy-minister
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hurricanes and frens
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/full-moon-worsen-coastal-flooding-noreaster-east-coast
https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/multiple-areas-monitored-for-tropical-development-across-the-atlantic/1935940
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/powerful-noreaster-east-coast-millions-multiday-threat
https://weather.com/2026/09/23/storms/hurricane/hawaii-hurricane-nolo-flooding-wind-forecast
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16154287/hawaii-state-emergency-hurricane.html
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-typhoon-dujuan-dead-japan-landslides.html
https://bioengineer.org/typhoon-rainstorms-trigger-landslides-differently-in-northern-and-southern-china/
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earthquakes
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/earths-crust-is-unzipping-beneath-italy-and-that-could-explain-most-of-the-earthquakes-in-the-region
https://capeargus.co.za/news/2026-09-23-earthquake-500km-from-marion-island-poses-minimal-risk-to-cape-town-says-expert/
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/weather/was-south-africa-hit-by-an-earthquake-heres-what-the-data-shows/
https://www.teneriffa-news.com/en/news-en/el-hierro-news/another-earthquake-strikes-off-el-hierro-coast_1465994.html
https://qna.org.qa/en/news/news-details?id=47-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-indonesia&date=23/09/2026
https://caliber.az/en/post/earthquake-of-magnitude-4-7-strikes-tajikistan
https://cedarnews.net/newstasks/1002059/magnitude-5-3-earthquake-strikes-near-arauco-argentina/
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volcanoes
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/small-undersea-volcanoes-may-unleash-outsized-tsunamis/
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dailys
https://schumannresonance.today/
https://www.weather.gov/
https://www.weatherbug.com/news/When-Is-the-First-Frost
https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/362855/Volcano-earthquake-report-2026-09-23.html
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=23&month=09&year=2026
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>Why not use giraffes
should be standard universal measurement, what are they thinking?
<thar she blows
Astronomers just named an asteroid after 'Weird Al' Yankovic
September 23, 2026
Asteroid Alyankovic was discovered in 1981 and resides in the main belt of asteroids found between Mars and Jupiter.
It may not be a slime creature from outer space, but you can finally find "Weird Al" Yankovic's name flying beyond our planet.
The American musician and comedian's name was recently approved for an asteroid, or space rock, that zooms around our solar system about once every four years.
The asteroid is formally known as (14331) Alyankovic, or 1981 EC26. 1981 refers to the year of the asteroid's discovery, and Yankovic's name for it was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the official body that arbitrates the monikers of things in the universe.
Planetary scientist Allison McGraw, an alumna of the University of Arizona who is now with the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, backed the nomination with several other planetary science researchers, according to the Tucson Star.
On Sunday (Sept. 20), McGraw presented Yankovic backstage with a plaque commemorating the naming of the asteroid, ahead of Yankovic's performance at the Tucson Arena.
"I've been working on not being starstruck, the same way I am every time I meet astronauts," McGraw said in the Tucson Star's report, ahead of the meeting. "I'm gonna do my best not to be starstruck, or I guess 'rock struck', but I have the feeling that he's going to be really cool."
Alyankovic (the asteroid) was discovered in 1981 and resides in the main belt of asteroids found between Mars and Jupiter. It is visible from Earth, but only in a good telescope as its absolute magnitude is 16; for comparison, the faintest stars visible to the naked eye are roughly magnitude 5 or 6, under dark-sky conditions.
Alyankovic joins several other musical-themed celebrity monikers on asteroids, such as 17059 Elvis, 17473 Freddiemercury, 249516 Aretha (after Aretha Franklin), 10731 Dollyparton, and all members of the Beatles (both individually, and as a group for 8749 Beatles.)
Meanwhile, Al Yankovic (the singer) has been belting out funny space-related tunes for decades, including the rap-like "Sir Isaac Newton vs. Bill Nye", an Obi-Wan Kenobi-centered retelling of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace called "The Saga Begins," and the self-explanatory and classic "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars."
While living persons can have their names attached to asteroids and other "small bodies" like comets, the process can take years, and any name must meet a multi-page set of requirements as well as the muster of the IAU's working group that names small bodies.
"Names have traditionally been assigned to many small bodies and have drawn from mythological characters, planetary scientists, astronomers, and accomplished scientists, engineers, and technicians in other fields.
People who have made contributions to the arts, sports, medicine, and other aspects of society are also recognized. Discoverers have also used names of personal significance to them," the IAU states.
Some of the other institutions or things named in the Sept. 9 IAU notice include:
(15708) Metsoc = 1988 RB12. It is named for the Meteoritical Society, which has an annual conference and hosts the Meteoritics and Planetary Science journal, in large part to showcase countries that are not as widely represented.
(20176) Aliciagoyena = 1996 XK29. This is named after Alicia Goyena, an educator and history teacher in Uruguay who was director of the women's section of the Instituto Batlle y Ordóñez in Montevideo.
(31550) Beckmaier = 1999 DT7. Beck Maier is a telescope operator at the Lowell Observatory's Lowell Discovery Telescope in Arizona.
(50271) Albertoanunziato = 2000 CW. Alberto Anunziato is an Argentinian amateur astronomer whose work includes founding the Argentine Lunar Society, being secretary of the Ibero-American Astronomy League, and teaching at the Autonomous University of Entre Ríos.
(74025) Marquette = 1998 HA6. Jean-Baptiste Marquette is a retired French astrophysicist known for mapping the chemistry of interstellar clouds.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/astronomers-just-named-an-asteroid-after-weird-al-yankovic
https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=alyankovic
other space objects
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-diffractive-solar-killer-asteroid-kms.html
https://astrobiology.com/2026/09/22/jwst-reveals-refractory-rich-water-ice-in-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-evidence-for-a-continuum-of-grain-properties-across-protoplanetary-disks/
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/First_switch_on_for_ESA-JAXA_Ramses_asteroid_mission
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/A_hitchhiker_s_guide_to_Hera_s_target_asteroids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0uvPFjlfjw (Randall Carlson: Year 536 Was the Worst Year to Be Alive)
Marshall associate director gives NASA update
September 23, 2026
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center associate director Roger Baird said the United States is in a second space race during a NASA update on Sept. 15.
“I think that China is looking at about 2030 and we’re looking at 2028,” Baird said. “It’s a hard business to keep on schedule, so I have doubts on theirs, but I don’t know how far along they are.”
He said Artemis III will take flight next year and will be a low-Earth orbit. With Artemis IV taking flight in 2028 and landing on the “south pole” side of the moon, leading to Artemis V – also set for 2028 – where the United States plans to build a permanent moon base.
“We weren’t the only ones to figure out the ‘south pole’ is the best place to have a base. We would like to get there first so they can’t do things like try to take ownership of (the resources and area) we don’t want that to be the case,” Baird said.
Baird’s update gave insight into the Artemis missions, saying that the first three missions were designed as “test missions” for the rockets. These rockets are the biggest the United States has seen since 1967 when the first flight-ready Saturn V rocket was completed.
Though the Artemis rockets don’t surpass the Saturn rockets in height or weight, they do surpass in power. Artemis’ Space Launch System produces almost 9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, while the Saturn launch system produced 7.7 million pounds.
“As far as I know, this rocket (Artemis) is the only rocket that has ever been built that can carry astronauts and payload to orbit on a single launch,” Baird said. “Chemical propulsion is how you launch a rocket like this.”
Looking ahead from the Artemis missions, NASA is planning to land on Mars and secure a permanent base. He explained that the Moon is a week away, while Mars is months away.
Using nuclear-electric power instead of nuclear-thermal will be an “awful lot of work” when attempting to get a full rocket to the moon in six months.
He then noted that at Marshall, teams are producing and shipping off parts of Artemis to be “stacked to the rest of the vehicle.”
The most recent being the core stage of Artemis II, that was put on a waterway and shipped to Florida. “We also have parts coming by rail and the engines come from Stennis in Mississippi.”
Baird also said that when Artemis III is sent into low-Earth orbit, a lot of learning will happen with developments made by Boeing and SpaceX and a lander that was developed in partnership to the mission.
Artemis III and IV focus on this, with the lander being used and brought back after IV.
He explained NASA is looking to build systems that are “super, super effective and reliable” and that can be repaired.
These advancements build on research conducted across NASA centers. Baird said some offices still house paper records from earlier studies, while research has also been stored in NASA’s online database and at local centers since each center opened.
“I told you about that area of excellence we’re in, and again, one of ours is infrastructure. … Science is a big part of what drives us into all of the activities we do. For years and years, we’ve been learning and collecting.
So now you can find things like, when is the best time to travel to Mars, or when do we need to shield some of our receiver type communications from solar radiation. It all comes from science.”
https://www.theredstonerocket.com/tech_today/article_64a9acec-8e81-4c33-ba8b-c248e9002fb0.html
moar
https://www.miragenews.com/artemis-ii-engineers-visit-imperial-1748751/
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/former-nasa-chief-sounds-alarm-on-chinas-lunar-exploration-plans/
https://de.usembassy.gov/from-human-spaceflight-to-the-next-generation-a-week-of-space-diplomacy-across-germany/
https://www.montana.edu/news/25572/retired-nasa-astronaut-john-herrington-to-visit-montana-state-on-sept-28
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/nasa-funded-research-finds-complex-life-defying-record-heat/
moar
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/station-nears-upcoming-crew-swap-during-biomedicine-cargo-duties/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/22/nasa-spacex-move-to-final-crew-13-prelaunch-prep-for-oct-1-liftoff/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/shannon-lucids-record-setting-mission-aboard-mir/
https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/ochmo/risks-of-decompression-sickness-and-venous-thromboembolism-during-spaceflight-and-patent-foramen-ovale-implications/
NASA-Funded Research Finds Complex Life Defying Record Heat
Sep 22, 2026
NASA-supported scientists have discovered an organism that lives at extreme temperatures previously thought impossible for complex life.
High temperatures can cause the destruction of necessary cell components, which is a big problem for cells with complex parts like a nucleus encasing delicate genetic information.
In the heated waters of California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, a team of scientists observed an amoeba that can reproduce by division at an astonishing 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degree Celsius), setting a record for the upper temperature limit for all known eukaryotes. Incendiamoeba cascadensis, also dubbed the fire amoeba, stops reproducing above 145 degrees Fahrenheit but is still active, moving around to search for food at up to 147 degrees Fahrenheit (64 Celsius).
The previous limit of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 Celsius) for eukaryotes was set by a few species of fungi and red algae. The results were published on Tuesday in the journal Cell.
Astrobiologists have long studied the boundaries of life’s survival on Earth to determine how organisms might live on other worlds like Mars where conditions are less hospitable than our home planet.
Organisms that endure at the edges of habitability under extreme temperature, pH levels, radiation, and other environmental conditions are known as extremophiles. Studying them helps scientists understand what life as we know it is capable of.
Extremophiles also produce unique proteins that can have promising uses in biotechnology, from industrial applications to medicine.
Previous extremophile research has mostly focused on single-celled bacteria and archaea.
The new study shows that the more complex cells of eukaryotes might be more durable than previously thought and could even help scientists understand locations in the universe where complex life could survive.
Complex life on Earth
Life on Earth is broadly divided into two categories, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes are single-cell organisms that do not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles inside their single cell.
This means that they have less cellular ‘machinery’ that can be damaged by extremes, such as blistering heat, bitter cold, caustic acidity, or damaging radiation.
Organisms that live in extreme heat are known as thermophiles. To be a true ‘heat-loving’ thermophile, the organism must be able to replicate, move, eat, and survive above 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius).
Prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea, with archaea being particularly adept at surviving extremes. Because of their relative simplicity, scientists also believe that prokaryotes were the first forms of life to appear on Earth, billions of years ago when the environment of our planet was much more inhospitable than it is today.
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Eukaryotes are more complicated organisms that are thought to have evolved later in the history of life on Earth.
These organisms have a separate cell nucleus inside their cells that contains fragile genetic information. Eukaryotes also contain membrane-bound organelles, such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.
These organelles are like mini cellular machines that perform specific functions. Eukaryotes include a wide span of life, from single-celled algae to multicellular organisms like plants and human beings.
Complexity in Extreme Heat
High temperatures lead to the breakdown of proteins and other biomolecules that living cells need to function. Heat also can cause membranes to break apart, thereby destroying cells.
It has been suggested that organelle membranes in eukaryotes could not remain stable above 144 degrees Fahrenheit (62 degrees Celsius). The discovery of I. cascadensis proves that assumption wrong.
“In part, studies on eukaryotes may have been limited because of assumptions about membrane stability,” says Beryl Rappaport, graduate student at Syracuse University and lead author of the study.
“We are hoping that the discovery of I. cascadensis encourages others to keep searching for high temperature eukaryotes.”
The team sequenced the I. cascadensis genome, studying the expression of genes at multiple temperatures. They found many genes that help the amoeba stabilize DNA and protect it from breaking down.
Other genes allow the organisms to sense the external environment. At high temperatures, the expression of certain genes also increased, including those involved in maintaining protein folding.
“We were able to uncover many strategies that could help I. cascadensis survive at high temperatures, and some of these strategies could be used by thermophiles across all life,” says Rappaport.
“For instance, some proteins in I. cascadensis have a high positive surface charge that could help them remain stable. These protein charges are similar to those found in thermophilic bacteria and archaea.”
The team also compared genetic information from other studies world-wide. In this trove of data, they found similar pieces of DNA from geothermal samples in places like New Zealand and Yellowstone National Park.
This means that additional thermophilic amoebas related to I. cascadensis might be living all around the globe just waiting to be discovered.
Search for life beyond Earth
Earth is the only planet we know of that is inhabited with life. For life as we know it to survive on other planets in the solar system or beyond, organisms might have to cope with environmental conditions that are very different from those found here at home.
“Studying extremophiles helps us better understand the biochemical and physiological limitations of life as we know it on Earth,” says Alison Olcott, program scientist for Exobiology at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“This information, in turn, helps guide NASA’s search for life as it expands the range of conditions we think life could potentially be inhabiting elsewhere.”
In particular, the study increases our understanding of where and how life with complex cells might persist on Earth and beyond.
“Finding eukaryotes surviving in high temperature environments not only expands our understanding of where life could be found, but also of how complex that life could be,” says Olcott.
However, the researchers do point out that survival depends on many factors that are part of a larger ecosystem.
“It could certainly be possible for complex life like I. cascadensis to survive on another planet, but Earth is the only planet we currently know of to have all the requirements for I. cascadensis to be happy,” says Rappaport.
“It’s not just about temperature. An environment also needs the right acidity, oxygen levels, pressure, water, and food. I. cascadensis could not survive on its own. It needs other life to be supported as well.”
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NASA’s Hubble Seeks Lensed Supernova, Marks 200,000 Orbits
Sep 23, 2026
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope completed its 200,000th orbit around Earth on Sept. 19, marking another new milestone for an observatory that continues to transform our understanding of the universe.
Hubble has traveled more than 5 billion miles around Earth over its 36-year lifetime, exceeding 1.7 million total observations.
An observation completed on the day of the 200,000th orbit pertains to one of Hubble’s defining scientific legacies: measuring the expansion rate of the universe, or the Hubble Constant.
The image takes advantage of the telescope’s ability to return to the same regions of the sky over time to monitor for the reappearance of a supernova, or explosion of a star, called Athena.
Massive galaxy cluster MACS J0417, located at the left center of the image, acts as a gravitational lens, bending and magnifying light from objects far behind it.
Light from a supernova can reach Earth along multiple paths, causing the same stellar explosion to appear more than once at times separated by months or even years depending on the path it took.
Supernova Athena, discovered by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in 2025, is predicted to reappear between now and early March 2027.
Measuring the timing of Athena’s reappearances can help researchers map the mass of MACS J0417, which acts as a magnifying, foreground lens for distant objects, and refine our understanding of the expansion rate of the universe.
After more than 36 years in space, Hubble still is reaching new heights of scientific productivity and impact.
Hubble’s unique ability to observe and analyze light in ultraviolet and visible wavelengths complements NASA’s James Webb and Roman Space Telescopes’ capabilities.
As a result, demand for Hubble observing time remains high as astronomers request about seven times as much observing time as is available each year.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-seeks-lensed-supernova-marks-200000-orbits/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/multimedia/online-activities/what-is-hubble-observing/
moar
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/boom-year-for-desert-blooms/
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-5010-5015-checking-out-the-bands/
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sage/2026/09/22/sage-iii-iss-science-team-meeting-highlights-advancements-in-aerosol-products-and-strong-global-partnerships-in-atmospheric-research/
https://www.nasa.gov/general/risk-of-hydrazine-use-following-freeze-thaw-exposure/
IBM
@IBM
The Moon's Data Goldmine 🌙
The Harvest Moon is nearly upon us, and despite more than a trillion data points collected over decades of study, the Moon still holds many mysteries:
🌘 Where can astronauts find water?
🌗 Where could future lunar bases be built?
🌖 What hazards are hidden in the craters?
To help answer those questions, we teamed up with @NASA to create and open-source the NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model, the most comprehensive AI model of the Moon ever built.
It distills decades of disparate observations into a single representation of the Moon’s surface, giving scientists a powerful new way to explore humanity’s closest celestial neighbor.
Here’s how it works ⤵
Turning fragmented data into AI insights 🛰️
The Moon has been photographed, scanned, measured and mapped a lot, but making sense of information collected by different spacecraft, using different instruments, at different resolutions and under radically different lighting conditions is incredibly challenging.
The new NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model brings those pieces together into a single AI foundation model for the Moon. Based on the same architecture as our TerraMind Earth-observation model, the model allows scientists to analyze these different types of lunar data together. Think of it as a bridge helping scientists turn fragmented observations into a coherent picture.
📺 Get an overview of our partnership with NASA here ⤵
AI finds what traditional analysis misses 💧
One of the model’s first jobs is helping scientists search for frozen water, in hopes that it could one day provide drinking water for astronauts, oxygen for life-support systems and even hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.
The challenge is that these craters are incredibly difficult to study. At the lunar poles, the sun barely rises above the horizon. Long shadows obscure the terrain, while extreme temperature swings create some of the harshest conditions in the solar system.
These are precisely the kinds of environments where AI excels: situations with enormous amounts of data, incomplete information and patterns that are difficult for humans to spot.
In testing, the NASA-IBM model reduced ice-detection errors by 22% compared with a leading task-specific AI model.
One model with many missions ☄️
The same model is also helping scientists identify craters. 🕳️
Unlike Earth, the Moon has no weather, rivers or plate tectonics to erase evidence of the past. Impacts remain visible for millions of years.
By studying craters, scientists can better understand the age and evolution of different regions of the Moon.
IBMer Campbell Watson discusses why these models were built ⤵
From answering questions to discovering new ones 🌋
Scientists are also using the model to study unusual volcanic formations known as irregular mare patches, which may be much younger than once thought.
If confirmed, they could reshape our understanding of when lunar volcanic activity ended. The more accurately scientists can map these regions, the closer they may get to answering one of the Moon’s enduring mysteries:
When did it [the Moon] stop being geologically active?
AI is both helping researchers answer existing questions and identify entirely new areas to investigate. Historically, scientists used computing primarily to accelerate known workflows.
Foundation models can also reveal patterns, anomalies and relationships that researchers might not have thought to look for in the first place.
What enterprises can learn from the Moon 🌙
Most organizations aren't trying to locate ice in a lunar crater. But many are wrestling with a similar challenge → valuable information scattered across disconnected systems.
With a single, reusable foundation model bringing together fragmented and often incomplete data, it becomes easier to discover patterns, generate insights and make better decisions.
➡️ Today, that’s helping scientists understand the Moon.
➡️ Tomorrow, it could help them work and live there.
8:44 AM · Sep 23, 2026
https://x.com/IBM/status/2102786067225084099
https://research.ibm.com/blog/nasa-ibm-lunar-foundation-model
moar
https://x.com/NASAMars/status/2102806684800569696
https://x.com/NASAhistory/status/2102774992924545168
https://x.com/NASARoman/status/2102803038322774376
https://x.com/NASA/status/2102748685792596449
Latest in space
@latestinspace
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman showed a mysterious aircraft during the portion of his All-In Summit presentation on rebuilding NASA’s X-plane portfolio ✈️
• Isaacman showed a dark silhouette resembling a next-generation SR-71 Blackbird while discussing 'radical airframe and engine designs'
• When asked if the image was the Blackbird, he responded: “You sure that’s the Blackbird?”
• NASA will soon be 'flying once again as high and as fast as we have from decades past, and then even more'
• He criticized NASA being forced to spend its aeronautics budget subsidizing 40-year-old contractor engines instead of pushing technological boundaries
1:17 PM · Sep 22, 2026
https://x.com/latestinspace/status/2102492438632030220
moar
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2102777328912978217
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2102618190971105559
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2102536494435213529
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2102617272678506536
Regardless of whatever it is, I like yer thinking.
A question for a question, what if Noah's Ark isn't the only ark?
DAF leaders, their spouses highlight families’ role in mission success
Sept. 23, 2026
Top leaders of the Air Force and Space Force, joined by their spouses, offered observations into the lives of military families and how that dynamic contributes in real ways to readiness and defense of the nation.
The panel included Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach and his wife, Cindy; Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess and his wife, Debbie; Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Wolfe and his wife, Dr. Doniel Wolfe; and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna and his wife, Cathy. Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Burt Field, president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association, moderated the panel at the association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 16.
The discussion underscored a central theme: “Readiness begins at home.” The panelists agreed that strong families build strong units and a stronger national defense.
Evolving Perspectives on Leadership
Wilsbach explained how his view of leadership has changed over his 41-year career and 26 moves with Cindy. “When you start out earlier in your career, you’re very focused on the mission,” he said. “As I’ve gained rank and responsibility, the people piece really expands.”
Mrs. Wilsbach shared a memorable example from their time at Kadena Air Base in 2009. While meeting with deployed spouses, she noticed one woman who answered she was “fine” when asked by her husband but clearly was not.
“After watching the interaction, I knew she wasn’t fine, so I stepped back and said, ‘is everything okay’, and it wasn’t okay. She had a child with a health problem and was far away from family,” she recounted.
“That shows me the value of what I bring to this table. I sometimes see things, and I’m told things that he’s not.”
"All our family members are part of a team. When John gets deployed, that's his away game and he's busy taking care of his away game family,” said Mrs. Bentivegna. “But the other teammates are still at home with roles to play.
We still have our own goals, and in order to keep a successful team, we have to have good communication. We have to understand the mission, what's going on, and keep everyone, especially our kids, involved to feel part of the team."
Dr. Wolfe highlighted the power of simple kindness, quoting a lesson she learned: “If you treat everybody you meet as if they are going through some big trouble in their life, more than half the time you’ll be right.” She encouraged everyone to make saying “hello” a regular practice.
Family Stability Equals Warfighter Readiness
The panelists stressed that families directly impact the ability of Airmen and Guardians to focus on the mission. Gen. Schiess noted the unique challenges for a large portion of Space Force personnel who are employed in place.
"I learned early on that if I understand 'the why,' then I can invest more and I can support better as a spouse,” said Mrs. Schiess. “And so, taking the time to fill me in, even if he can't give me the details, to say, 'there's something big going on at work and stress levels are high.'
Those kind of pieces of information help me to better support him, and I encourage other military members to do the same."
The spouses and their counterparts in the other services are members of the Military Spouse Commission, which President Donald Trump established to advise and assist the president on policies that affect military spouses and families.
Advice to the Next Generation
Panelists were asked what advice they would give to young Airmen, Guardians and their spouses who are just beginning their military journey and offered the following responses:
• Take every opportunity to grow professionally and personally.
• Build and nurture strong relationships.
• Recognize that military service is a family service to the nation.
• Prioritize physical fitness, financial responsibility and emotional resilience.
• Understand the “why” behind the mission to support one another more effectively.
• Never underestimate the power of simple human connection.
"You have to really embrace the preciousness of time because you can't get it back,” said Chief Bentivegna. “We're always focusing on that next assignment, next rotation, or the next deployment.
You think, 'I've got plenty of time to focus on my finances, education, family, relationships … but you can't get that time back. Make the most of it."
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4609367/daf-leaders-their-spouses-highlight-families-role-in-mission-success/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4609375/department-of-the-air-force-pilot-program-expands-to-help-more-military-spouses/
https://x.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/2102730216351072589
moar Soace Force
https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2102494451260063769
https://x.com/outerspacetoday/status/2102771972350382491
Space Academy Commission Has 120 Days to Propose Framework
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 · 2 min read
Why It Matters
A presidential commission studying whether to establish a U.S. Space Academy has just 120 days to recommend how to build a new military service institution from scratch.
President Trump signed Executive Order 14423 on August 28, directing the effort, and the commission must deliver its report by late December. The stakes are significant for Congress and the administration:
creating a federal service academy would require legislation, substantial appropriations, and decisions about governance, curriculum, and service obligations that will shape how the Space Force develops its officer corps for decades.
A new Congressional Research Service report examining the proposal notes that when Congress established the Air Force Academy in 1954, it took nearly seven years of review and debate before the legislation passed, and the initial appropriation alone totaled $126 million in 1954 dollars, equivalent to approximately $1.87 billion in 2026 dollars.
The Big Picture
The commission, chaired by the NASA Administrator, is tasked with developing recommendations across six critical areas: governance framework, curriculum, candidate eligibility, service obligations, site location, and coordination with existing federal programs.
The stated purpose of the executive order includes preparing the next generation of astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, and warfighters. One framework under consideration is establishing the academy within NASA.
The Space Force, established in 2019, currently develops officers primarily through the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Air Force's Reserve Officer Training Course, and has relied on interservice transfers to grow its uniformed workforce.
The service is the smallest branch of the Armed Forces, with approximately 15,400 uniformed and civilian personnel in fiscal year 2025 and roughly 4,700 active duty officers. In 2026, the Air Force Academy commissioned 93 officers into the Space Force out of 902 total graduates.
Five academies currently operate: the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, each operating under different departments.
The three military service academies and Coast Guard Academy require minimum commissioned service obligations in the Armed Forces. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduates are required to accept a reserve officer commission, obtain and maintain merchant mariner licensure, and serve a minimum amount of time as an officer or civilian employee in the maritime industry.
When Congress designed the Air Force Academy decades earlier, multiple governance and education models were considered before lawmakers settled on one largely mirroring the Army's existing structure.
That historical precedent suggests the commission's recommendations will face scrutiny about whether a new academy should follow established patterns or chart a different course.
The Bottom Line
The commission's December deadline will force early decisions on a question that consumed seven years of congressional debate in the 1950s.
https://legis1.com/news/space-academy-commission-has-120-days-to-propose
moar moar Space Force
https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/4608984/usspacecom-members-participate-in-ramis/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4609167/vandenberg-sfb-2026-gala/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/raf-launches-first-ever-space-squadron-dedicated-to-defending-britains-satellites
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Connectivity_and_Secure_Communications/ESA_supports_development_of_European_spacecraft_for_servicing_geostationary_satellites
moar ESA
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Boost/Rocket_Factory_Augsburg_Boost!_extension_in_run-up_to_first_launch
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Open_Days/ESA_Open_Days_2026/ESTEC_Open_Days_2026/How_to_get_to_ESA_Open_Day_at_ESTEC_2026
https://x.com/Soph_astro/status/2102825659043078655
RAF launches first ever space squadron dedicated to defending Britain's satellites
23 September 2026
The RAF has launched No. III Space Effects Squadron, its first dedicated unit to counter hostile threats to UK satellites.
New No. III Space Effects Squadron will be the UK’s first unit dedicated to disrupting, degrade, and deny hostile threats in space.
The squadron will protect the critical satellites that guide British ships, connect mobile phones and warn of missile attacks.
Forms a key part of the UK’s ability to gain and maintain freedom to operate in space, as set out in the government’s Space Strategy published this month.
Satellites vital to everyday life in the UK are set to be protected from hostile threats, as the RAF launches the UK’s first ever dedicated space squadron focused on disrupting, degrading, and denying enemy activity targeting British interests in space.
Announced today by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smith at the first-ever UK Space Power Conference, No. III Space Effects Squadron will bring together specialist personnel from across the Armed Forces to counter hostile activity in orbit and defend the satellites the nation depends on every day.
While sister units No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron give the RAF the ability to watch and warn of threats in space, the new No. III Squadron will act against those threats, using advanced technology, including Electronic Warfare, to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions. The squadron will support both offensive and defensive space operations and will expand over time as new capabilities enter service.
It comes as the Defence Secretary Wes Streeting will give a keynote address at the Space Conference.
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