TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
October 16, 2026
Chasing the International Space Station
Explanation: Blasting into the predawn sky on Tuesday, October 13, a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are headed for low Earth orbit in this stunning timelapse video captured from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. Starting with a launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Falcon and Dragon are chasing the International Space Station on NASA's 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission. On cue, the space station itself enters the frame from the top. Almost 8 seconds into the 30 second timelapse. the bright streak of the ISS appears heading "down" toward the horizon. The first and second stages of the Falcon 9 are separating as the spectacular exhaust plume jellyfish grows, already catching the light of the rising Sun. The visible sequence of first stage boost back, re-entry, and landing burns begins around 20 seconds into the video. With the second stage following the ISS toward the distant horizon, the jellyfish plume continues to drift in the predawn sky, even after the successful first stage landing at planet Earth's Landing Zone 40.
https://science.nasa.gov/apod/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TvH1AJso_0
past 2 days
https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-15-the-milky-way-over-manhattan/
https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-14-mars-and-the-beehive-under-an-aurora/
Pole Shift Extinction, Sunspots Growing, Ozone Again | S0 News and Friday frens
Oct.16.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El3n7o7Jqng
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwyIBk4V7Ag (Sabine Hossenfelder: Finally Some Good News From Climate Change?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bTAEaxMz0 (Max Velocity: Nobody Is Ready For What Comes Next… Coldfront!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-A-VIFpYDg (Michael Ferragamo: The 7,000 Mile Storm: Hurricane Nolo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIpBwUwCkr4 (On the Pulse with Silki: Apocalyptic Floods Hit Greece — RED ALERT and EMERGENCY DECLARED - Cars swept into Sea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08OnACdIoKM (Stefan Burns: A Gigantic Shift Between Two Continents Just Occurred…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeLpQLhi3_M (MrMBB333: WHAT IS GOING ON NEAR YELLOWSTONE!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o5-SxvZ55I (Ray's Astro: SUPER EL NIÑO 2026 | Pacific Coast Highway Just Cracked — And Trudy Is Coming for Mexico)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy2Wn_haub4 (dutchsinse: 10/16/2026 – NEW LARGE EARTHQUAKE as Serious Seismic Activity is taking place across the planet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lenln-P54K8 (dutchsinse: 10/15/2026 – MOUNT SAINT HELENS shows up on Volcanic Ash Advisory List "Resuspended Ash")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AppefTzuauk (EarthMaster: Breaking Earthquake news. 6.9 Earthquake Kamchatka Russia. Thursday Night)
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solar
https://geekspin.co/space-tsunamis-put-half-the-us-in-line-for-massive-blackouts/
https://people.com/how-to-watch-the-northern-lights-after-triple-solar-blast-tonight-october-15-2026-12175732
https://aviationweek.com/space/launch-vehicles-propulsion/virgin-galactic-afrl-reveal-space-weather-study-agreement
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/bengaluru-scientists-decode-solar-eruptions-using-aditya-l1-and-proba-3-satellites/article71591287.ece
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wildfires
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/california-wildfire-damage-annual-cost-homeowners-terner-center-forecast/
https://abc30.com/post/thousands-power-pge-begins-shutoffs-amid-wildfire-risk/19942192/
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/wildfire/henderson-fire-at-camp-pendleton-prompts-evacuation-road-closures/509-adc37716-1ec9-4c16-a799-02ea68330f55
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/santa-ana-winds-fuel-southern-california-wildfires-force-evacuations/1947688
https://weather.com/2026/10/15/safety/wildfires/santa-ana-winds-california
https://watchers.news/2026/10/16/multiple-wildfires-prompt-evacuations-during-the-first-santa-ana-event-of-the-season-in-southern-california/
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/342213/four-killed-fighting-wildfires-in-indonesian-national-park
https://asianews.network/indonesia-government-accused-of-limiting-access-to-forestry-data-amid-raging-wildfires/
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storms and floods
https://weather.com/2026/10/16/news/weather/super-el-nino-update-winter
https://www.unilad.com/news/world-news/super-el-nino-climate-change-warning-hurricanes-000806-20261015
https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/el-nino-uk-weather-new-images-256219-20261016
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/severe-storms-north-persistent-rain-gusty-winds-weekend
https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/noreaster-or-tropical-storm-part-of-atlantic-coast-faces-rough-surf-flooding-as-storm-risk-looms/1947172
https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/aviation/las-vegas-floods-flights-strip-october-2026/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/16/flash-floods-deaths-nepal-high-temperatures-portugal
https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/floods/istanbuls-worst-floods-80-years-leave-4-dead-rcna603855
https://operativmm.az/en/post/floods-hit-turkey-as-antalya-hotel-pianist-plays-titanic-theme/82829
https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/after-nepal-floods-long-road-recovery
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tornadoes
https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/national-weather-service-confirms-two-tornadoes-hit-fort-stockton-wednesday/513-6fc005e4-e148-477d-af92-bec77a2bc417
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hurricanes and frens
https://news.ssbcrack.com/hurricane-simon-batters-mexicos-pacific-coast-while-nasa-captures-rare-atmospheric-waves/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/isaias-dims-the-gulf-coast/
https://mx.usembassy.gov/weather-alert-hurricane-trudy-u-s-embassy-mexico-city-u-s-consulate-general-guadalajara-on-thursday-october-15-2026/
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/hurricane-trudy-eyes-category-4-144416196.html
https://rollingout.com/2026/10/16/typhoon-champi-worlds-strongest-storms/
https://watchers.news/2026/10/15/typhoon-and-flood-watches-cover-mariana-islands-as-tropical-storm-champi-approaches/
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2026/tropical-cyclone-heads-to-the-islands.html
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earthquakes
https://www.starnewskorea.com/en/sports/2026/10/17/2026101621442316157
https://www.arabnews.jp/en/japan/meteorological-agency-in-japan-retracts-huge-earthquake-warning-3000851
https://watchers.news/2026/10/16/japans-jma-apologizes-after-issuing-false-m9-9-earthquake-warning-across-large-parts-of-japan/
https://pasadenanow.com/main/fire-chief-urges-year-round-earthquake-readiness-after-great-shakeout-drill
https://cochranenow.com/articles/40-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-northwest-of-cochrane
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2026-10-16/earthquake-in-spain-felt-in-northern-portugal/1101358
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/23441870/mag4quake-Oct-16-2026-Tonga.html
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2325177/magnitude-4-9-earthquake-hits-don-marcelino-town-in-davao-occidental
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/magnitude-5-6-earthquake-strikes-interior-alaska-pacific-ring-fire
https://www.pratidintime.com/world/russias-kamchatka-peninsula-hit-by-magnitude-7-earthquake-12681776
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volcanoes
https://watchers.news/2026/10/16/the-weekly-volcanic-activity-report-october-8-14-2026/
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2324835/taal-volcano-records-17-earthquakes-in-24-hours
https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/the-only-volcano-on-earth-glowing-bright-blue-at-night-scientists-stunned_901397/
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16214593/mount-st-helens-ash-warnings-washington.html
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dailys
https://schumannresonance.today/
https://www.weather.gov/
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map/index.html
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/379569/Volcano-earthquake-report-2026-10-16.html
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=16&month=10&year=2026
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3/3
>The test driver last night had balls of steel.
Correction, there was no driver, the first human to do that and live will have balls of steel.
A meteor shower linked to Halley’s Comet peaks next Wednesday night
16.10.2026 update: 16.10.2026
The Orionid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night as Earth passes through debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, with the best viewing conditions expected before daybreak.
One of autumn’s best meteor showers will peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Oct. 21-22, an event linked to one of the most famous objects in our solar system.
Under ideal, dark conditions, the Orionids can produce up to 20 meteors per hour. This year, however, a nearly full moon will brighten the sky for much of the night, making some of the fainter meteors harder to see.
The best viewing opportunity should come during the final hours before daybreak, after the moon sets and the sky becomes darker.
Even under perfect conditions, skywatchers will need to be patient. A rate of 20 meteors per hour works out to an average of roughly one shooting star every few minutes, but meteors do not appear on a schedule.
Several could flash across the sky within a short period followed by a longer lull.
The Orionids get their name from the constellation Orion because the meteors appear to originate from the same area of the sky.
Stargazers do not need to focus their attention on the constellation, though. Meteors can streak across a wide portion of the sky, so having as broad a view as possible will increase the chances of spotting one.
The shooting stars also have a connection to a well-known celestial object: Halley’s Comet.
Although Halley’s Comet will not return to the inner solar system until 2061, previous trips around the sun left behind trails of dust and small pieces of debris. Every October, Earth passes through part of that debris trail.
When those tiny particles slam into Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and create the brief streaks of light seen during the Orionid meteor shower.
Halley’s Comet is also responsible for another annual meteor shower, the Eta Aquariids, which occurs in May.
Orionid meteor shower viewing tips:
•Find a dark viewing spot: Get away from bright streetlights and other sources of light when possible.
•Give your eyes time to adjust: Spend at least 15 minutes in the dark without looking at bright lights, such as a phone screen, the moon or a streetlight.
•Look at as much of the sky as possible: A wide, unobstructed view gives you a better chance of catching meteors in different parts of the sky.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/a-meteor-shower-linked-to-halleys-comet-peaks-wednesday-night/1947278
other space objects
https://scienceinpoland.pl/en/news/news%2C114978%2Calien-comet-reveals-secrets-distant-star-system.html
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/orionid-taurid-meteors-haunt-october-skies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLfVHk7AsHY (Dobsonian Power: This weird thing just popped in the sky | solar update)
NASA Awards Enable Research, Technology to Build Future Workforce
Oct 15, 2026
NASA has selected 12 U.S. institutions to receive $12 million to accelerate academic research and technology development in support of the agency’s priorities for exploring the Moon, Mars, and deep space.
Through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Space Technology Artemis Research (M‑STAR) initiative, selected institutions will each receive up to $1 million to grow their scientific and engineering capabilities, enhance faculty and student engagement in aerospace research, and expand their ability to compete for future federal and commercial research awards.
“We are excited to launch this new cohort of M-STAR investigators,” said Alicia Baturoni Cortez, MUREP program manager in the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement.
“NASA investments in our Nation’s research institutions create real opportunities for students and faculty to build skills, knowledge, and infrastructure, while helping NASA close technology gaps for long-duration operations on the Moon and eventually, Mars.”
As NASA enters a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, the M-STAR initiative supports the agency’s mission to develop innovative technologies that improve space transportation, human exploration, robotic discovery, and the growing space economy.
The awardees and their projects are as follows:
California State University, Sacramento
Adaptive Vision-Language-Action Models for Resilient Multi-Robot Collaboration in Unstructured Planetary Environments
University of Central Florida, Orlando
M-FAST: Multi-Fidelity Aerothermal Simulation & Testing for Artemis
University of Hawaii at Manoa
HI-STRIDE: Hawai’i Student Training in Radiation Instrumentation, Detection, and Exploration
University of Houston
RODEO: Rover-carried On-surface Deployables for Exploration Operations
University of Texas, San Antonio
Characterizing Physical and Mechanical Properties of Regolith at Cryogenic Conditions Using the Multi-Planetary Surface Simulator (MPS2)
Kean University, Union, New Jersey
Integrating Terrain Understanding of AI Models With Robust Control for Autonomous Path Planning
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
BNNT-Reinforced Multifunctional Composites for Radiation-Tolerant, Hydrogen-Compatible Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) Secondary Hardware
Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina
Project ARES (Advanced Regenerative Environmental Systems): A Materials-by-Design Research and Workforce Development Platform for Environmental Control and Surface Infrastructure
Howard University, Washington
LumSHRS: Lunar monolithic Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer for Minirover In-Situ and Standoff Remote Sensing
Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
Functionally Graded Interfaces for Directed-Energy-Deposition Repair of Copper-to-Superalloy Propulsion Hardware: An Integrated AI/ML Design-to-Validation Research Capability at Prairie View A&M University
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
POWER-Artemis: Extreme-Environment Batteries and Fuel Cells for Sustained Moon and Mars Operations
Fayetteville State University, North Carolina
From Documents to Models: Method-Compliant Generative AI for Bootstrapping Model-Based Systems Engineering in NASA’s Artemis Enterprise (Doc2Model)
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-awards-enable-research-technology-to-build-future-workforce/
moar
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-spies-spirals-edge/
https://science.nasa.gov/directorates/smd/planetary-science-division/nasa-to-help-unlock-mysteries-of-mars-moons-in-upcoming-mission/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasas-chandra-breaks-down-treble-clefs-galaxy-cluster-collision/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/i-am-artemis-allison-mjoen/
https://gizmodo.com/nasa-images-reveal-10000-young-faults-on-the-moon-thats-a-problem-2000826463
moar
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/honors/2026/10/15/time-best-inventions-of-2026/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/power-up-roll-out-solar-arrays-boost-space-station-power-supply/
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-to-conduct-low-altitude-flights-over-texas-farmland/
https://www.army.mil/article/296165/colorado_guard_helps_prepare_astronauts_for_lunar_landings
NASA Images Reveal 10,000 Young Faults on the Moon. That’s a Problem
October 15, 2026, 3:45 pm ET
Unlike Earth’s multi-plate surface, the Moon is a single chunk—an “unbroken shell” where over 10,000 young faults can erupt into moonquakes at any time.
Seen from Earth, the Moon looks so bright and peaceful. But on closer inspection, the lunar surface is etched with crinkles that also happen to be active faults—whose appearance and behavior may be more unexpected than scientists thought.
In a study published yesterday in The Planetary Science Journal, scientists report the identification of more than 10,000 young faults across the lunar surface.
The team referenced images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), specifically its images of ridges and long, curvy structures called lobate scarps.
These features form as a result of a celestial body’s contraction, in this case the Moon. From the analysis, the researchers concluded that the moon’s radius has shrunk by roughly 148 feet (45 meters) in the past 400 million years.
Global map of the moon centered on the nearside. The red lines show the locations of over 8,900 lobate scarps, and the blue lines show the locations of over 2,000 small mare ridges. Credit: NASA/ASU/Intuitive Machines/Smithsonian
This kind of change isn’t unique to the Moon; similar shrinkage is also happening to Mercury. But the lunar surface is like a singular, unbroken shell, which means moonquakes or new faults can pop up anytime, anywhere, according to a statement from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where study author Tom Watters serves as a senior scientist emeritus.
Shrinking and shaking
Scientists generally believe that the Moon had a violent birth; the details vary, but the gist is that stuff, or even one particularly large object, crashed into the Earth billions of years ago, and our planet spat hot debris back into space, which coalesced into the Moon.
That’s why it wasn’t news to scientists that the Moon has been shrinking. As per a NASA explainer (which consulted Watters), “[m]any things shrink as they cool and the moon is no exception.”
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In 2019, Watters and colleagues found evidence that these “wrinkles” on the lunar surface were actually active faults that continue to cause moonquakes.
According to a NASA statement at the time, moonquakes recorded by seismometers planted by the Apollo missions occurred close enough to the faults to make a connection.
Understandably, this raised concerns for NASA’s Artemis planning team. That didn’t go unnoticed to Watters, the resident moonquake expert. And a 2024 study confirmed that these young faults were indeed of great relevance.
Thirteen proposed landing spots for Artemis 3 (now Artemis 4) were uncomfortably close to moonquake epicenter candidates—which could raise the risk for landslides and the like for lunar missions, according to a NASA statement on the 2024 study.
A big, beautiful chunk of rock
Then again, it’s not like we’ve figured a way to reliably predict quakes from the ground we’re literally standing on—so, how would it be any easier to do that for the Moon?
That’s a fair point, but there’s actually another, maybe less obvious reason that moonquake predictions are more difficult.
According to the Smithsonian statement on the latest work, Earth has a “mosaic” of 15 lithospheric plates, and about 90% of tectonic and seismic activity is concentrated near these regions.
The Moon, on the other hand, only has one big plate that “acts like an unbroken shell,” the Smithsonian explained, which means “moonquakes from slip events on existing faults or the formation of new faults can occur anywhere on the moon.”
Lunar travel advice
In the paper, the team added that the insulating effect of a thick regolith in the Moon’s earliest days might have prevented interior cooling and contraction.
In other words, this lunar wrinkling may be a recent phenomenon starting in the Copernican period, which in the lunar timescale refers to roughly 1.1 billion years ago.
Assuming that this rate of contraction has been more or less consistent, it would mean that the Moon’s radius has been shrinking about 2 to 4 inches (6 to 11 centimeters) per million years.
“The number of these young faults revealed in LROC images is much greater than I ever imagined,” Watters said in the statement.
“As the interior of the moon continues to cool and contract, it is expected that the growth of existing faults and formation of new faults continues today.”
That said, it’s definitely not the end for missions like Artemis 3. The new study did find that regions with a thicker lunar crust tended to have fewer faults, so these areas could be more stable than others.
As long as we understand as much as we can about our destination, the safer we’ll be—and really, that’s good travel advice, even if you’re not headed to the Moon.
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https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/nasa-develops-batteries-to-power-humanitys-return-to-moon/
moar
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-host-news-conference-previewing-us-spacewalks-100-101/
https://science.nasa.gov/universe/nasa-welcomes-all-ages-experience-levels-for-space-apps-challenge/
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/comparing-off-world-rover-driving-distances/
https://easternherald.com/2026/10/14/christina-koch-nasa-acting-deputy-chief-engineer-no-more-flights/
NASA Develops Batteries to Power Humanity’s Return to Moon
Oct 14, 2026
If you’ve ever had your car start sluggishly, or not at all, on a particularly frigid winter morning, you know standard batteries do not like extreme cold.
That’s why NASA researchers are working to develop a battery that could function in the brutal cold of the Moon’s South Pole, where nighttime temperatures plunge to minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 200 Celsius).
For future lunar operations, a battery will need to work immediately when warmed up and be able to power everything from an astronaut’s emergency kit to a rover capable of exploring the Moon’s darkest craters — all without posing a fire hazard.
A team of NASA researchers is working to make all that happen. The project is called Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space (SPEARS), and it could provide NASA with an important tool to help power humanity’s sustained presence on the Moon through the Artemis campaign.
“Batteries have become an important part of our lives here on Earth, which enable our laptops, cell phones, power tools, and even our vehicles,” said Donald Dornbusch, principal investigator for SPEARS at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where the project is led.
“We will need them on the Moon, too, and these batteries will be required to operate reliably and safely in this harsh environment. That’s why we’re working on this technology.”
Splashy problem, solid solution
Traditional lithium-ion batteries like those in your cell phone and laptop have a critical weakness: they rely on liquid electrolytes. Cool a conventional battery to the Moon’s nighttime temperatures, and that liquid would freeze, potentially damaging the battery.
Heat it up too much — say, to daytime lunar temperatures of 212 F (100 C) — and it won’t work until cooled. Expose the liquid to the vacuum of space, and it evaporates.
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SPEARS batteries solve these problems by replacing the liquid electrolyte with a solid ceramic- or polymer-based material. This change could unlock several advantages. First and foremost, they could operate in the heat and extreme cold.
During recent thermal vacuum testing at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, small prototype battery cells operated well up to 176 F (80 C), down to minus 76 F (minus 60 C), and with slightly reduced performance down to minus 112 F (minus 80 C).
“We proved for the first time that these cells can work down to minus 80 degrees Celsius,” said Yi Lin, SPEARS testing and research lead at NASA Langley.
Lin also said he’s confident they can improve performance and maybe even expand that range in coming years. The batteries need to remain reliable through exposure to the Moon’s wild temperature swings between day and night.
The thermal vacuum testing showed that after exposure to temperature extremes from 212 F (100 C) to minus 274 F (minus 170 C), SPEARS batteries don’t sustain damage.
Not even solid-state batteries will function while they’re at a temperature as low as minus 274 F, but because solid electrolytes don’t freeze like a liquid, the batteries can survive the extreme low temperatures.
In order to get the batteries working again after exposure to such cold, small heaters come into play. SPEARS batteries wouldn’t need to be kept warm all the time, just warmed up to operational temperature.
That could reduce the need for heavy thermal management systems in spacecraft and lunar habitats, allowing for lighter designs, lower costs, and longer mission durations.
Power for Moon, Earth
The applications for these solid-state batteries are nearly limitless, from small tools like drills that must operate in shadowed lunar craters, to rovers and emergency power packs for astronauts. They also could provide power solutions for long-duration scientific instruments.
“We can tune the chemistry by using different electrode materials,” said Lin. “Just like the chemistry in your earbuds is different from the chemistry in your phone, which is different from the chemistry in your car, all these chemistries can still function with a solid electrolyte. We can tune for energy, tune for power, tune for durability, depending on the application.”
While SPEARS is designed for space, the technology could be spun off into Earth-based applications. In fact, SPEARS evolved out of a previous battery project Lin and Dornbusch worked on that focused on aeronautic applications.
“The potential market for solid-state batteries is very broad,” said Ji Su, a polymer materials scientist and the task lead at NASA Langley. “Automobiles, cell phones, communication devices, drones — anything that needs a portable power supply.”
The SPEARS project began in 2026 with funding through the Advanced Research and Technology division within the agency’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.
The project is set to focus on technology development in its first stages before potentially shifting toward commercial collaboration.
NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley is working to develop flight hardware such as test boards and electronics to help prepare the SPEARS batteries for spaceflight and test them in space environments.
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NASA Marshall
@NASA_Marshall
🦉: “I heard you were looking for things that streak across the sky!”
🔭: "Ummm, we were kind of hoping for meteors… but since it's spooky season, we'll allow it."
It's October, which means our "meteor cam" has turned into the "critter cam" for the season. Check out more photos from our camera here >https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCuoCU
1:00 PM · Oct 15, 2026
https://x.com/NASA_Marshall/status/2110823023305457994
moar
https://x.com/NASAMars/status/2110732668656828777
https://x.com/NASAUniverse/status/2111110172353413624
https://x.com/NASA_Marshall/status/2111121460936773873
https://x.com/NASAMars/status/2110825330378477802
NASA Spox
@NASASpox
There was plenty to see across @NASA this week 🚀
🔴 Perseverance breaks a record on Mars
🛰️ Fresh cargo arrives at the ISS
🌌 CRS-35’s space jellyfish lights up the East Coast
🔥 New heat shield tech put to the test
🌔 Artemis III assembly advances
Here’s your NASA Minute!
10:28 AM · Oct 16, 2026
https://x.com/NASASpox/status/2111147283160998281
moar
https://x.com/NASAArtemis/status/2110818457549709374
https://x.com/NASAJohnson/status/2111116067695173931
https://x.com/Astro_Jessica/status/2110476895548493989
https://x.com/NASAAmes/status/2110739109413068890
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
@NASAAdmin
Air shows, astronauts, and a weekend at the place where so many extraordinary missions began.
Join us for MAX POWER at @NASAKennedy Nov. 7–8.
Quote
NASA
@NASA
Oct 13
Our biggest event of the year lands soon! ✈️
MAX POWER, a new aerospace expo, is happening Nov. 7-8 @NASA_Kennedy.
Experiences for all to enjoy—including air shows, immersive exhibits, astronaut appearances & more! Check out our FAQs and plan your visit: https://go.nasa.gov/4iiNPN3
11:22 AM · Oct 14, 2026
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2110436111944138758
moar
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2110462269327135222
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2110187651324170655
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2110156957214466557
https://www.space.com/technology/we-are-getting-a-lot-of-pressure-from-the-administrator-himself-how-nasa-is-racing-to-obey-trumps-super-intelligence-order
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4626378/space-forces-northern-changes-command-at-peterson-sfb/
https://x.com/USNorthernCmd/status/2110754240541139194
https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2111110131488362867
moar Space Force
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4625150/cso-notice-to-guardians-lines-of-effort-for-the-force/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4625108/space-force-activates-spacefor-soc-as-service-component-command-to-special-oper/
https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2110062137506742467
Space Forces-Northern changes command at Peterson SFB
Oct. 15, 2026
U.S. Space Forces-Northern held a change of command ceremony Oct. 13, at Peterson Space Force Base, transferring leadership from Brig. Gen. Robert J. Schreiner to Brig. Gen. Phillip A. Verroco.
Presiding over the ceremony was U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton, vice chief of space operations, provided additional remarks.
“We’re in the business of providing manpower, expertise and systems to operate in space, gain and maintain space superiority, deny our adversary space capabilities, and through our combatant commands, protect the joint force and our homeland from space-enabled attack,” Bratton said. “Space Forces-Northern is the critical space-based link to NORTHCOM’s defense of our nation; Space Forces-Northern provides the NORTHCOM team with a critical edge in combating all adversary threats.”
Guillot lauded the command’s contribution to joint operations, highlighting space superiority as essential to homeland defense.
“Modern homeland defense cannot succeed without uncompromised superiority in the space domain,” Guillot said. “Space Forces-Northern rapidly transformed from a conceptual blueprint into an indispensable warfighting organization.”
During the ceremony, Guillot presented Schreiner with the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service as Space Forces-Northern commander from Aug. 23, 2025, to Oct. 13.
The award citation credited Schreiner’s leadership with delivering initial operating capability for the U.S. Space Force component command in five months, activating the unit four years ahead of schedule.
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Presiding over the ceremony was U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton, vice chief of space operations, provided additional remarks.
“We’re in the business of providing manpower, expertise and systems to operate in space, gain and maintain space superiority, deny our adversary space capabilities, and through our combatant commands, protect the joint force and our homeland from space-enabled attack,” Bratton said. “Space Forces-Northern is the critical space-based link to NORTHCOM’s defense of our nation; Space Forces-Northern provides the NORTHCOM team with a critical edge in combating all adversary threats.”
Guillot lauded the command’s contribution to joint operations, highlighting space superiority as essential to homeland defense.
“Modern homeland defense cannot succeed without uncompromised superiority in the space domain,” Guillot said. “Space Forces-Northern rapidly transformed from a conceptual blueprint into an indispensable warfighting organization.”
During the ceremony, Guillot presented Schreiner with the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service as Space Forces-Northern commander from Aug. 23, 2025, to Oct. 13.
The award citation credited Schreiner’s leadership with delivering initial operating capability for the U.S. Space Force component command in five months, activating the unit four years ahead of schedule.
Schreiner established critical command-and-control structures, synchronized joint operational planning, and secured essential manpower and resources.
He also integrated Air Force Reserve interservice transfers with active-duty personnel, strengthened space support for continental defense and civil-support missions, and built relationships across the joint force, civilian agencies, and regional allies and partners.
“When we activated Space Forces-Northern, we proudly unfurled our new flag and immediately got to work standing up a team of Guardians with a singular focus: to support U.S. Northern Command and integrate space power in the defense of our homeland,” Schreiner said in his farewell remarks to the Guardians of Space Forces-Northern.
“The culture you fostered, the excellence you demonstrated and the partnerships you built will echo across the combatant command for years to come.”
Reflecting on the foundation established by the command’s Guardians and partners, Verroco outlined his approach to sustaining that momentum in an evolving operational environment.
“We will stay up to date with the changing operational environment. We’ll modify our approach as needed to make sure that we stay in line with the commander’s intent, but the path to operate, integrate and mature is well chosen,” Verroco said.
“The line ‘standing guard both night and day’ harmonizes well with the motto, ‘We have the watch.’”
With Verroco assuming command, U.S. Space Forces-Northern will continue integrating space capabilities into joint operations, strengthening strategic partnerships, and supporting homeland defense missions.
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SpaceX launches a classified payload for U.S. Space Force
October 15, 2026
Update 8:23 p.m. EDT (0023 UTC): SpaceX landed its booster on the droneship.
As the bugle call and National Anthem sounded across Vandenberg Space Force Base, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched carrying a classified payload for the United States Space Force on Thursday evening.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 5:01 p.m. PDT (8:01 p.m. EDT / 0001 UTC). The mission, designated USSF-481, took a southerly trajectory upon leaving the pad.
Hazard warnings suggest that it flew to a low Earth orbit inclined about 80 degrees from the Equator.
SpaceX launched this mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster B1081. This was its 28th launch following four missions for NASA, three nationals security missions, two Transporter rideshare missions, two missions for Europe, and 16 Starlink missions.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific Ocean. This was the 228th landing on this vessel and the 671st Falcon booster landing to date.
The USSF-481 is also referenced as “TH-2” in public notices. It’s the second “TH” mission launched in as many months with the first being USSF-259 or TH-1 on Sept. 16.
Spaceflight Now reached out to the Department of the Air Force regarding the nature of the mission. This article will be updated if we receive a response prior to launch.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/10/15/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-classified-payload-for-u-s-space-force/
https://www.spacex.com/launches/ussf481
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzFtQ3zsl4s
Swarming robots to tackle space debris
15/10/2026
Resembling a brightly coloured artwork, a virtual environment software replicates the real-life setup shown right behind the screen – a group of robotic platforms hovering over an extremely flat floor.
While the real setup includes only three objects, the screen displays three more virtual ones alongside them.
The minds behind this experiment are part of Star-bots, a student team from the University of Bologna, Italy.
They are one of the teams selected for this year’s edition of the ESA Academy Experiments Programme, which gives students access to testing facilities and technical guidance.
The Star-bots team’s project tackles the issue of space debris. The number of non-functional objects in space is growing – some are satellites that have reached the end of their lifetime, ran out of fuel, or have collided with others and broke up into smaller pieces.
The team’s experiment addresses this by testing how a swarm of autonomous robots could help with active debris removal, a process of cleaning up non-functional objects from space by grabbing onto them and changing their orbit to reenter the atmosphere and burn up.
“Our experiment involves a swarm of five robots, which together encircle and track a tumbling, non-cooperative object,” explains Carlo Dallara from the team.
“To test our system, we are using a mix of real and virtual robotic platforms, which must all work together autonomously. This approach allows us to simulate large-scale swarm behaviour while maintaining the feedback of real robotic hardware.”
The ESA Academy Experiments Programme provided the students with access to ESA’s Orbital Robotics Laboratory at ESTEC, the agency’s technical centre in the Netherlands. Here, they used specialised floating platforms to simulate their swarm.
The bottom of each platform is equipped with air bearings that blow air out towards the floor to create a micrometre-scale air gap, making the platforms and their payloads float without any friction.
Using this simulated state of weightless free-floating in two dimensions, Star-bots were able to test their system in a setting that closely mirrors the dynamics of space.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Swarming_robots_to_tackle_space_debris
moar ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Earth_from_Space_West_Antarctica
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/MAGPIE_ESA_s_first_lunar_rover
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Act_for_more_sustainable_space
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Earth_today_Jupiter_tomorrow_An_insight_into_Juice_s_recent_Earth_flyby