NASA News

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This video highlights the Rover Operations Center at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A center of excellence for current and future rover, aerial, and other surface missions, the ROC will support partnerships and technology transfer to catalyze the next generation of Moon and Mars surface missions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The center leverages AI along with JPL’s unique infrastructure, unrivaled tools, and years of operations expertise to support industry partners developing future planetary surface missions.  

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Wednesday inaugurated its Rover Operations Center (ROC), a center of excellence for current and future surface missions to the Moon and Mars. During the launch event, leaders from the commercial space and AI industries toured the facilities, participated in working sessions with JPL mission teams, and learned more about the first-ever use of generative AI by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover team to create future routes for the robotic explorer. 

The center was established to integrate and innovate across JPL’s planetary surface missions while simultaneously forging strategic partnerships with industry and academia to advance U.S. interests in the burgeoning space economy. The center builds on JPL’s 30-plus years of experience developing and operating Mars surface missions, including humanity’s only helicopter to fly at Mars as well as the only two active planetary surface missions. 

“The Rover Operations Center is a force multiplier,” said JPL Director Dave Gallagher. “It integrates decades of specialized knowledge with powerful new tools, and exports that knowledge through partnerships to catalyze the next generation of Moon and Mars surface missions. As NASA’s federally funded research and development center, we are chartered to do exactly this type of work — to increase the cadence, the efficiency, and the impact for our transformative NASA missions and to support the commercial space market as they take their own giant leaps.” 

Rover prototype ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain) demonstrates some of its advanced mobility and autonomy capabilities in JPL’s Mars Yard. NASA/JPL-Caltech Genesis of ROC 

Through decades of successful Mars rover missions, JPL has continuously improved the unique autonomy, robotic capabilities, and best practices that have been demanded by increasingly complex robotic explorers. The ROC offers an accessible centralized structure to facilitate future exploration efforts. 

“Our rovers are lasting longer and are more sophisticated than ever before. The scientific stakes are high, as we have just witnessed with the discovery of a potential biosignature in Jezero Crater by the Perseverance mission. We are starting down a decade of unprecedented civil and commercial exploration at the Moon, which will require robotic systems to assist astronauts and support lunar infrastructure,” said Matt Wallace, who heads JPL’s Exploration Systems Office. “Mobile vehicles like rovers, helicopters, and drones are the most dynamic and challenging assets we operate. It’s time to take our game up a notch and bring everybody we can with us.”  

Michael Thelen of JPL’s Exploration Systems Office discusses the newly inaugurated Rover Operations Center in JPL’s historic Space Flight Operations Facility on Dec. 10.NASA/JPL-Caltech Future forward  

A key focus of the ROC is on the more rapid infusion of higher-level autonomy into surface missions through partnerships with the AI and commercial space industries. The objective is to catalyze change to deliver next-generation science and exploration capabilities for the nation and NASA. 

As NASA’s only federally funded research and development center, JPL has been evolving vehicle autonomy since the 1990s, when JPL began developing Sojourner, the first rover on another planet. Improvements to vehicle independence over the years have included the evolution of autonomy in sampling activities, driving, and science-target selection. Most recently, those improvements have extended to the development of Perseverance’s ability to autonomously schedule and execute many commanded energy-intensive activities, like keeping warm at night, as it sees fit. This capability allows the rover to conserve power, which it can reallocate in real time to perform more science or longer drives. 

With the explosion of AI capabilities, the ROC rover team is leaving no Mars stone unturned in the hunt for future efficiencies.  

“We had a small team complete a ‘three-week challenge,’ applying generative AI to a few of our operational use cases. During this challenge, it became clear there are many opportunities for AI infusion that can supercharge our capabilities,” said Jennifer Trosper, ROC program manager at JPL. “With these new partnerships, together we will infuse AI into operations to path-find the next generation of capabilities for science and exploration.”  

Håvard Grip, chief pilot of NASA’s Mars Ingenuity Helicopter — the only aircraft to fly on another planet — offers insights into aerial exploration of the Red Planet at the lab’s 25-Foot Space Simulator, which subjects spacecraft to the harsh conditions of space.

During the ROC’s inauguration, attendees toured JPL operations facilities, including where the rover drivers plan their next routes. They also visited JPL’s historic Mars Yard, which reproduces Martian terrain to test rover capabilities, and the massive 25-Foot Space Simulator that has tested spacecraft from Voyagers 1 and 2 to Perseverance to America’s next generation of lunar landers. A panel discussion explored the historical value of rovers and aerial systems like the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in planetary surface exploration. Also discussed was the promise of a new public-private partnership opportunity across a virtual network of operational missions.  

Attendees were briefed on tiered engagement options for partners, from mission architecture support to autonomy integration, testing, and operations. These opportunities extend to science and human precursor robotic missions, as well as to human-robotic interaction and spacewalks for astronauts on the Moon and Mars. 

A highlight for event participants came when the Perseverance team showcased how the ROC’s generative AI can assist rover planners in creating future routes for the rover. The AI analyzed high-resolution orbital images of Jezero Crater and other relevant data and then generated waypoints that kept Perseverance away from hazardous terrain. 

Managed for NASA by Caltech, JPL is the home of the Rover Operations Center (ROC).  

To learn more about the ROC, visit:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/roc

News Media Contact

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

2025-137

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Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2025 Related Terms

• Perseverance (Rover)
• Earth's Moon
• Mars

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NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. After 25 years of habitation, the International Space Station continues to be a proving ground for technology that powers NASA’s Artemis campaign, future lunar missions, and human exploration of Mars.  

Take a look at key technology advancements made possible by research aboard the orbiting laboratory.  

Robots at work in orbit   NASA astronaut Suni Williams checks out the Astrobee robotic free-flyer inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module during a demonstration of satellite capture techniques. This technology could help extend the life of satellites and reduce space debris.NASA

Robots have been critical to the space station’s success. From the Canadian-built Canadarm2, which assembled large portions of the orbiting laboratory and continues to support ongoing operations, especially during spacewalks, robotic technology on station has evolved to include free-flying assistants and humanoid robots that have extended crew capabilities and opened new paths for exploration. 

The station’s first robotic helpers arrived in 2003. The SPHERES robots – short for Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite – served on station for over a decade, supporting environmental monitoring, data collection and transfer, and materials testing in microgravity.  

NASA’s subsequent free-flying robotic system, Astrobee, built on the lessons learned from SPHERES. Known affectionately as Honey, Queen, and Bumble, the three Astrobees work autonomously or via remote control by astronauts, flight controllers, or researchers on the ground. They are designed to complete tasks such as inventory, documenting experiments conducted by astronauts, or moving cargo throughout the station, and they can be outfitted and programmed to carry out experiments. 

NASA and partners have also tested dexterous humanoid robots aboard the space station. Robonaut 1 and its more advanced successor, Robonaut 2, were designed to use the same tools as humans, so they could work safely with crew with the potential to take over routine tasks and high-risk activities.  

Advanced robotic technologies will play a significant role in NASA’s mission to return to the Moon and continue on to Mars and beyond. Robots like Astrobee and Robonaut 2 have the capacity to become caretakers for future spacecraft, complete precursor missions to new destinations, and support crew safety by tackling hazardous tasks. 

Closing the loop: recycling air and water in space  ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti works on a Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) recycle tank remove-and-replace task aboard the International Space Station. ESA

Living and working in space for more than two decades requires technology that makes the most of limited resources. The space station’s life support systems recycle air and water to keep astronauts healthy and reduce the need for resupply from Earth. 

The station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) removes carbon dioxide from the air, supplies oxygen for breathing, and recycles wastewater—turning yesterday’s coffee into tomorrow’s coffee. It is built around three key components: the Water Recovery System, Air Revitalization System, and Oxygen Generation System. The water processor reclaims wastewater from crew members’ urine, cabin humidity, and the hydration systems inside spacesuits for spacewalks, converting it into clean, drinkable water. 

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren celebrates International Coffee Day aboard the orbital laboratory with a hand-brewed cup of coffee in space, brewed using the Capillary Beverage Cup.NASA

The air revitalization system filters carbon dioxide and trace contaminants from the cabin atmosphere, ensuring the air stays safe to breathe. The oxygen generation system uses electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, providing a steady supply of breathable air. Today, these systems can recover around 98% of the water brought to the station, a vital step toward achieving long-duration missions where resupply will not be possible. 

The lessons learned aboard the space station will help keep Artemis crews healthy on the Moon and shape the closed-loop systems needed for future expeditions to Mars. 

Advancing 3D printing technology for deep space exploration  The first metal part 3D printed in space.ESA

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is regularly used on Earth to quickly produce a variety of devices. Adapting this process for space could let crew members create tools and parts for maintenance and repair as needed and save valuable cargo space. 

Research aboard the orbiting laboratory is helping to develop this capability.  

The space station’s first 3D printer was installed in November 2014. That device produced more than a dozen plastic tools and parts, demonstrating that the process could work in low Earth orbit. Subsequent devices tested different printer designs and functionality, including the production of parts from recycled materials and simulated lunar regolith. In August 2024, a device supplied by ESA produced the first metal 3D-printed product.    

The space station also has hosted studies of a form of 3D printing called biological printing or bioprinting. This process uses living cells, proteins, and nutrients as raw materials to potentially produce human tissues for treating injury and disease. So far, a knee meniscus and live human heart tissue have been printed onboard.

The ability to manufacture things in space is especially important in planning for future missions to the Moon and Mars because additional supplies cannot quickly be sent from Earth and cargo capacity is limited. 

We have the solar power  NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 flight engineer Anne McClain is pictured near one of the space station’s main solar arrays during a spacewalk to upgrade the orbital outpost’s power generation system and relocate a communications antenna.NASA/Nichole Ayers

As the space station orbits Earth, its four pairs of solar arrays soak up the sun’s energy to provide electrical power for the numerous research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the continued operations of the orbiting laboratory. 

In addition to harnessing the Sun’s energy for its operations, the space station has provided a platform for innovative solar power research. At least two dozen investigations have tested advanced solar cell technology – evaluating the cells’ on-orbit performance and monitoring degradation caused by exposure to the extreme environment of space. These investigations have demonstrated technologies that could enable lighter, less expensive, and more efficient solar power that could improve the design of future spacecraft and support sustainable energy generation on Earth.  

One investigation – the Roll-Out Solar Array – has already led to improvements aboard the space station. The successful test of a new type of solar panel that rolls open like a party favor and is more compact than current rigid panel designs informed development of the ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The six iROSAs were installed during a series of spacewalks between 2021 and 2023 and provided a 20% to 30% increase in space station power. 

Connecting students to station science  The Kibo Robot Programming Challenge students watch in real time as the free-flying robot Astrobee performs maneuvers aboard the space station, executing tasks based on their input to test its capabilities. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

For 25 years, the orbital outpost has served as a global learning platform, advancing STEM education and connecting people on Earth to life in space. Every experiment, in-flight downlink, and student-designed payload helps students see science in action and share humanity’s pursuit of discovery. 

The first and longest-running education program on the space station is ISS Ham Radio, known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), where students can ask questions directly to crew members aboard the space station. Since 2000, ARISS has connected more than 100 astronauts with over 1 million students across 49 U.S. states, 63 countries, and every continent. 

Through Learn with NASA, students and teachers can explore hands-on activities and astronaut-led experiments that demonstrate how physics, biology, and chemistry unfold in microgravity. 

Students worldwide also take part in research inspired by the space station. Programs like Genes in Space and Cubes in Space let learners design experiments for orbit, while coding and robotics competitions such as the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge allows students to program Astrobee free-flying robots aboard the orbiting laboratory. 

As NASA prepares for Artemis missions to the Moon, the space station continues to spark curiosity and inspire the next generation of explorers. 

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Retirement Information for NASA Employees

The NSSC provides general administrative, advisory, and transactional support for federal benefits programs to all NASA employees, calculates retirement estimates, and processes retirement packages.

In consideration of retiring employees on administrative leave, resources typically available only to NASA employees behind the NASA firewall are temporarily available below.  Most of your questions can be answered with one of these guides or the information below.

• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) – What you need to know about retirement
• Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) – What you need to know about retirement

This information may help you resolve questions you would otherwise contact the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) about.

All other NASA employees can visit the NASA employee intranet for additional information.

Inquiry Response Times

NASA is experiencing a significant influx of inquiries due to the high number of upcoming retirements. Response times will be slower than normal. Please do not send repeated follow-ups, as that creates bottlenecks and further delays responses. All inquiries will be answered in the order received. Thank you for your patience.  

Retirement Annuity Start Dates and Processing Timelines 

FERS retirees with a retirement date on or before Dec. 31, 2025: 

• Your annuity begins accruing Jan. 1, 2026. 

• Your first payment is expected mid-February 2026. 

• Because payments begin in February, your application is still considered timely even if it remains with the NSSC through late January. 

• As long as your case reaches Payroll Review by February, there will be no delay in your annuity. 

CSRS retirees with a retirement date on or before Jan. 3, 2026: 

• Your annuity will accrue starting in January 2026, with the first payment mid-February 2026. 

• Processing is still considered on time if NSSC completes its portion by late January, and your case reaches Payroll Review by February. 

FERS employees retiring Jan. 1, 2026 or later and CSRS employees retiring Jan. 4, 2026, or later: 

• Your annuity begins accruing Feb. 1, 2026. 

• Your first payment is expected mid-March 2026. 

• Applications can typically remain in HR review through February. 

• As long as your package reaches Payroll Review by the end of February, your retirement payment will not be delayed.

VSIP Payments and Lump Sum Leave Payments 

VSIP payments will be issued with your final NASA paycheck. We do not expect any delays to VSIP payments. Even if your retirement application is not finalized by your retirement date it will not delay your VSIP. 

Lump sum annual leave payments for employees retiring Dec. 28, 2025, through Jan. 10, 2026, are expected to be paid around Feb. 13, 2026. Even if your retirement application is not finalized by your retirement date it will not delay your lump sum leave payment. 

All NASA issued payments, to include your last paycheck, VSIP, and lump sum leave, will be deposited into the same bank account used for your NASA payroll. Updates made in the Online Retirement Application (ORA) do not affect NASA payroll. ORA updates only apply to your future retirement annuity. 

Understanding Online Retirement Application Statuses

In Process/Not Started:

• The application is with the employee for action. The NSSC cannot move it forward until the employee completes required steps. This is the only stage at which an employee can adjust or make changes to their application in ORA.

In HR Review:

• Your application is actively being worked by the NSSC Retirement Services team. Thousands of retirements are in the queue, so please be patient. Once your application is in HR Review (or beyond) you cannot make any changes. If you have a change that needs to be made, submit a Web Inquiry to the NSSC.

In Applicant Review:

• The application is back with the employee for final certification. Once completed, the status will update to In HR Finalized.

In HR Finalized:

• The NSSC has completed its portion and will release the package to payroll.

In Payroll Review:

• Your application is no longer with NASA. It is with the Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center (IBC), NASA’s payroll provider.
• Applications typically remain in Payroll Review for about 30 days after your retirement date while payroll records close. IBC will then certify the package and submit it to OPM.

Email Address Changes in ORA

• Do not change your email address once you begin your retirement application. ORA does not allow email updates mid-process. 

• Changing your email requires deleting your application and starting over, which can significantly delay your place in the queue. 

• You may update your preferred email later in OPM Services Online once your case transfers to OPM. 

Retirement Counseling and Training

• The FERS group retirement counseling sessions have been extended to accommodate additional participants and are full. If you are not able to attend one of these sessions or may otherwise find the information helpful, you can watch a previously recorded session. To jump to a specific topic, see the recording time stamps.  
• A final CSRS counseling session will be held Dec. 23. Eligible employees have already received a Teams meeting invitation via their personal email address. If you missed this invitation, you may submit a Web Inquiry to the NSSC to have it resent.

Resources

• A Retiree’s Guide for Preparing to Retire 
• Benefits and Retirement Information 
• Retirement Quick Guide 
• OPM Retirement & Insurance Publications
• OPM Retirement FAQs

Forms

• Continuation of Life Insurance Election, SF 2818
• CSRS Spousal Consent to Survivor Election
• FERS Spousal Consent to Survivor Election
• Withholding Certificate for Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments, W-4P
• Medicare Request for Employment Information (only applicable for employees who are over age 65 and enrolling in Medicare during a Special Enrollment Period)
• Guidance on Reviewing and Updating Beneficiary Forms
• Voluntary Contribution Election (only for CSRS employees who have participated in the Voluntary Contribution Program)

Retirement – Court Orders

Courts can issue orders that award benefits to legally separated spouses, former spouses, and children of current employees, former employees, and retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). NASA cannot advise an employee, an employee’s spouse, or an attorney on how to draft a court order to award CSRS or FERS benefits. This is the task of the attorneys involved.  

The NSSC cannot provide estimates that would require speculation about future promotions, program changes, or any other non-factual information and does not prepare estimates for employees who are not close to retirement. Official computations are made by OPM only at the time benefits become payable. 

If you are involved in a divorce, legal separation, or annulment, you should provide the NSSC with a copy of your court order to expedite the processing of your retirement in the future.

Action required: Mail a court-certified copy of the court order to the address below and upload a copy in your ORA account: 

• Attention:  Retirement Services
  NSSC
  Bldg 1111, Jerry Hlass Rd
  Stennis Space Center, MS 35929 

Court Ordered Benefits Information

• Court Ordered Benefits for Former Spouses Pamphlet
• Handbook for Attorneys

NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Dec. 9, 2025, with Expedition 73 NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard.

The trio returned to Earth after logging 245 days in space as members of Expeditions 72 and 73 aboard the International Space Station. While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Kim contributed to a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.

See more photos from the landing.

Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

2 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA engineer Hanbong Lee demonstrates capabilities to manage busy urban airspace traffic during a recent simulation at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.NASA/Brandon Torres-Navarrete

NASA is helping shape the future of urban air travel with a new simulation that will manage how electric air taxis and drones can successfully operate within busy areas.  

The demonstration, held at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley earlier this year, focused on a system called the Strategic Deconfliction Simulation, which helps coordinate flight plans before takeoff, reducing the risk of conflicts in busy urban environments 

At the event, researchers demonstrated NASA’s Situational Viewer and Demand-Capacity Balancing Monitor, which visualizes air traffic and adjusts flight plans in real time. The simulation demonstrated traffic scenarios involving drone operations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, testing how preplanned flights could improve congestion and manage the demand and capacity of the airspace – ensuring that all aircraft can operate smoothly even in crowded conditions. 

Working with industry partners is critical to NASA’s efforts to develop and refine technologies needed for future air mobility. During the simulation, the company, ANRA Technologies, demonstrated its fleet and vertiport management systems, which are designed to support the coordination of multiple aircraft and ground operations. 

“Simulating these complex environments supports broader efforts to ensure safe integration of drones and other advanced vehicles into the US airspace,” said Hanbong Lee, engineer at NASA Ames. “By showcasing these capabilities, we’re delivering critical data and lessons learned to support efforts at NASA and industry.” 

This demonstration is another step toward the NASA team’s plan to hold a technical capability level simulation in 2026. This upcoming simulation would help shape the development of services aimed at managing aircraft flying in urban areas.  

The simulation was created through a NASA team from its Air Mobility Pathfinders project, part of the agency’s continuing work to find solutions for safely integrating innovative new aircraft such as air taxis into U.S. cities and the national airspace. By developing advanced evaluations and simulations, the project supports safe, scalable, and publicly trusted air travel in urban areas, paving the way for a future where air taxis and drones are a safe and reliable part of everyday life. 

The project falls under NASA’s Airspace Operations and Safety Program, which works to enable safe and efficient aviation transportation. 

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Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 Related Terms

• Ames Research Center
• Aeronautics
• Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
• Air Mobility Pathfinders project
• Airspace Operations and Safety Program
• General

Explore More 6 min read Retirement Article 13 hours ago 5 min read NASA Begins Moon Mission Plume-Surface Interaction Tests Article 1 day ago 5 min read Painting Galaxy Clusters by Numbers (and Physics) Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

5 Min Read NASA Begins Moon Mission Plume-Surface Interaction Tests Views of the 60-foot vacuum sphere in the which the plume-surface interaction testing is happening. Credits: NASA/Joe Atkinson

In March, NASA researchers employed a new camera system to capture data imagery of the interaction between Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Mission-1 lander’s engine plumes and the lunar surface.

Through NASA’s Artemis campaign, this data will help researchers understand the hazards that may occur when a lander’s engine plumes blast away at the lunar dust, soil, and rocks.

The data also will be used by NASA’s commercial partners as they develop their human landing systems to safely transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back, beginning with Artemis III.

To better understand the science of lunar landings, a team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, has initiated a series of plume-surface interaction tests inside a massive 60-foot spherical vacuum chamber.

This plume-surface interaction ground test is the most complex test of its kind to be undertaken in a vacuum chamber

Ashley Korzun

PSI Testing Lead at NASA Langley

“This plume-surface interaction ground test is the most complex test of its kind to be undertaken in a vacuum chamber,” said Ashley Korzun, testing lead at NASA Langley. “If I’m in a spacecraft and I’m going to move all that regolith while landing, some of that’s going to hit my lander. Some of it’s going to go out toward other things — payloads, science experiments, eventually rovers and other assets. Understanding those physics is pivotal to ensuring crew safety and mission success.”

The campaign, which will run through spring of 2026, should provide an absolute treasure trove of data that researchers will be able to use to improve predictive models and influence the design of space hardware. As Korzun mentioned, it’s a big undertaking, and it involves multiple NASA centers, academic institutions, and commercial entities both small and large.

Korzun’ s team will test two types of propulsion systems in the vacuum sphere. For the first round of tests this fall, they are using an ethane plume simulation system designed by NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and built and operated by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The ethane system generates a maximum of about 100 pounds of thrust — imagine the force necessary to lift or support a 100-pound person. It heats up but doesn’t burn.

A view of the ethane nozzle researchers are using during the first phase of testing.
NASA/Wesley Chambers

After completing the ethane tests, the second round of tests will involve a 14-inch, 3D-printed hybrid rocket motor developed at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and recently tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It produces around 35 pounds of thrust, igniting both solid propellant and a stream of gaseous oxygen to create a hot, powerful stream of rocket exhaust, simulating a real rocket engine but at smaller scale for this test series.

Researchers will test both propulsion systems at various heights, firing them into a roughly six-and-a-half-foot diameter, one-foot-deep bin of simulated lunar regolith, called Black Point-1 that has jagged, cohesive properties similar to lunar regolith.

“It gives us a huge range of test conditions,” Korzun said, “to be able to talk about spacecraft of all different kinds going to the Moon, and for us to understand what they’re going to do as they land or try to take back off from the surface.”

Researchers will use this 14-inch, 3D-printed hybrid rocket motor during the second phase of testing. The data from these tests at NASA Langley will be critical in developing and validating models to predict the effects of plume surface interaction for landing on the Moon and even Mars, ensuring mission success for the HLS landers and the safety of our astronauts

Daniel Stubbs

Engineer with HLS Plume and Aero Environments Team at NASA Marshall

A number of different instruments, including a version of the specialized camera system that imaged the plume-surface interaction during the Blue Ghost landing, will capture data and imagery from the tests, which will only last about six seconds each. The instruments will measure crater formation, the speed and angle of ejecta particles, and the shapes of the engine plumes.

Korzun sees this test campaign as more than a one-shot, Moon-specific thing. The entire operation is modular by design and can also prepare NASA for missions to Mars. The lunar regolith simulant can be replaced with a Mars simulant that’s more like sand. Pieces of hardware and instrumentation can be unbolted and replaced to represent future Mars landers. Rather than take the vacuum sphere down to really low pressure like on the Moon, it can be adjusted to a pressure that simulates the atmosphere on the Red Planet. “Mars has always been in our road maps,” Korzun said.

But for now, the Moon looms large.

A number of instruments, including SCALPSS cameras similar to the ones that captured imagery of the plume-surface interaction between Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander and the Moon in March, will capture data on the sphere tests.NASA/Ryan Hill

“This test campaign is one of the most flight-relevant and highly instrumented plume-surface interaction test series NASA has ever conducted,” said Daniel Stubbs, an engineer with the human landing systems plume and aero environments team at NASA Marshall. “The data from these tests at NASA Langley will be critical in developing and validating models to predict the effects of plume-surface interaction for landing on the Moon and even Mars, ensuring mission success for the human landing systems and the safety of our astronauts.”

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build upon our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.

For more information about Artemis, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

The testing platform is engineered to accommodate the engine nozzles, simulated lunar soil and instrumentation.
NASA/Wesley Chambers

Joe Atkinson
NASA Langley Research Center

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Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 Related Terms

• General
• Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• Human Landing System Program
• Langley Research Center

Explore More 6 min read Retirement Article 13 hours ago 2 min read NASA Demonstrates Safer Skies for Future Urban Air Travel  Article 1 day ago 5 min read Painting Galaxy Clusters by Numbers (and Physics) Article 1 day ago

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago/H. McCall

Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the universe held together by gravity, containing up to several thousand individual galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated, X-ray-emitting gas. The mass of this hot gas is typically about five times higher than the total mass of all the galaxies in galaxy clusters. In addition to these visible components, 80% of the mass of galaxy clusters is supplied by dark matter. These cosmic giants are bellwethers not only for the galaxies, stars and black holes within them, but also for the evolution and growth of the universe itself.

It is no surprise then that NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has observed many galaxy clusters over the lifetime of the mission. Chandra’s X-ray vision allows it to see the enormous stockpiles of hot cluster gas, with temperatures as high as 100 million degrees, with exquisite clarity. This blazing gas tells stories about past and present activity within galaxy clusters.

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago/H. McCall; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Many of these galaxy clusters host supermassive black holes at their centers, which periodically erupt in powerful outbursts. These explosions generate jets that are visible in radio wavelengths, which inflate bubbles full of energetic particles; these bubbles carry energy out into the surrounding gas. Chandra’s images have revealed a wealth of other structures formed during these black hole outbursts, including hooks, rings, arcs, and wings. However, appearances alone don’t tell us what these structures are or how they formed.

To tackle this problem, a team of astronomers developed a novel image-processing technique to analyze X-ray data, allowing them to identify features in the gas of galaxy clusters like never before, classifying them by their nature rather than just their appearance. Prior to this technique, which they call “X-arithmetic,” scientists could only identify the nature of some of the features and in a much less efficient way, via studies of the amounts of X-ray energy dispersed at different wavelengths. The authors applied X-arithmetic to 15 galaxy clusters and galaxy groups (these are similar to galaxy clusters but with fewer member galaxies). By comparing the outcome from the X-arithmetic technique to computer simulations, researchers now have a new tool that will help in understanding the physical processes inside these important titans of the universe.

A new paper looks at how these structures appear in different parts of the X-ray spectrum. By splitting Chandra data into lower-energy and higher-energy X-rays and comparing the strengths of each structure in both, researchers can classify them into three distinct types, which they have colored differently. A pink color is given to sound waves and weak shock fronts, which arise from pressure disturbances traveling at close to the speed of sound, compressing the hot gas into thin layers. The bubbles inflated by jets are colored yellow, and cooling or slower-moving gas is blue. The resulting images, “painted” to reflect the nature of each structure, offer a new way to interpret the complex aftermath of black hole activity using only X-ray imaging data. This method works not only on Chandra (and other X-ray) observations, but also on simulations of galaxy clusters, providing a tool to bridge data and theory.

The images in this new collection show the central regions of five galaxy clusters in the sample: MS 0735+7421, the Perseus Cluster, and M87 in the Virgo Cluster in the top row and Abell 2052 and Cygnus A on the bottom row. All of these objects have been released to the public before by the Chandra X-ray Center, but this is the first time this special technique has been applied. The new treatment highlights important differences between the galaxy clusters and galaxy groups in the study.

The galaxy clusters in the study often have large regions of cooling or slow-moving gas near their centers, and only some show evidence for shock fronts. The galaxy groups, on the other hand, are different. They show multiple shock fronts in their central regions and smaller amounts of cooling and slow-moving gas compared to the sample of galaxy clusters.

This contrast between galaxy clusters and galaxy groups suggests that black hole feedback — that is, the interdependent relationship between outbursts from a black hole and its environment — appears stronger in galaxy groups. This may be because feedback is more violent in the groups than in the clusters, or because a galaxy group has weaker gravity holding the structure together than a galaxy cluster. The same outburst from a black hole, with the same power level, can therefore more easily affect a galaxy group than a galaxy cluster.

There are still many open questions about these black hole outbursts. For example, scientists would like to know how much energy they put into the gas around them and how often they occur. These violent events play a key role in regulating the cooling of the hot gas and controlling the formation of stars in clusters. By revealing the physics underlying the structures they leave behind, the X-arithmetic technique brings us closer to understanding the influence of black holes on the largest scales.

A paper describing this new technique and its results has been published in The Astrophysical Journal and is led by Hannah McCall from the University of Chicago. The other authors are Irina Zhuravleva (University of Chicago), Eugene Churazov (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany), Congyao Zhang (University of Chicago), Bill Forman and Christine Jones (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), and Yuan Li (University of Massachusetts at Amherst).

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

To learn more about Chandra, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/chandra

Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory

Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

https://www.nasa.gov/chandra

https://chandra.si.edu

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Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
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Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 EditorLee MohonContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms

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A flash of lightning, and then—something else. High above a storm, a crimson figure blinks in and out of existence. If you see it, you are a lucky witness of a sprite, one of the least-understood electrical phenomena in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Sprites occur at some 50 miles (80 kilometers) altitude, high above thunderstorms. They appear moments after a lightning strike – a sudden reddish flash that can take a range of shapes, often combining diffuse plumes and bright, spiny tendrils. Some sprites tend to dance over the storms, turning on and off one after another. Many questions about how and why they form remain unanswered. Sprites are the most frequently observed type of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs); TLEs can take a variety of fanciful shapes with equally fanciful names.

This image is the NASA Science Calendar Image of the Month for December 2025. Learn more about sprites and download this photo to use as a wallpaper on your phone or computer.

Text credit: Miles Hatfield

Image credit: Nicolas Escurat

A pilot signals to a crew member before takeoff from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Aug. 21, 2025. Accompanying him in the high-flying ER-2 aircraft is one of the most advanced imaging spectrometers in the solar system.NASA/Christopher LC Clark

Called AVIRIS-5, it’s the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds.

Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth’s surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flights are part of the largest airborne campaign of its kind in the country’s history.

But that’s just one of many tasks that are on the horizon for AVIRIS-5, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-5, which has a lot in common with sensors used to explore other planets.

NASA’s AVIRIS flies aboard a research plane in this animation, detecting minerals on the ground such as hectorite — a lithium-bearing clay — by the unique patterns of light that they reflect. The different wavelengths, measured in nanometers, look like colorful squiggles in the box on the right. Credit: NASA’s Conceptual Image Lab

About the size of a microwave oven, AVIRIS-5 detects the spectral “fingerprints” of minerals and other compounds in reflected sunlight. Like its cousins flying in space, the sensor takes advantage of the fact that all kinds of molecules, from rare earth elements to flower pigments, have unique chemical structures that absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.

The technology was pioneered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in the late 1970s. Over the decades, imaging spectrometers have visited every major rocky body in the solar system from Mercury to Pluto. They’ve traced Martian crust in full spectral detail, revealed lakes on Titan, and tracked mineral-rich dust across the Sahara and other deserts. One is en route to Europa, an ocean moon of Jupiter, to search for the chemical ingredients needed to support life.

Image cubes illustrate the volume of data returned by JPL imaging spectrometers. The front panel shows roads and fields around Tulare, California, as seen by AVIRIS-5 during a checkout flight earlier this year. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint captured for every point in the image.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Another imaging spectrometer, NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper, was the first to discover water on the lunar surface in 2009. “That dataset continues to drive our investigations as we look for in situ resources on the Moon” as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, said Robert Green, a senior research scientist at NASA JPL who’s contributed to multiple spectroscopy missions across the solar system.

Prisms, black silicon

While imaging spectrometers vary depending on their mission, they have certain hardware in common — including mirrors, detector arrays, and electron-beam gratings — designed to capture light shimmering off a surface and then separate it into its constituent colors, like a prism.

Light-trapping black silicon is one of the darkest materials ever fabricated. The technology is standard for JPL’s ultraprecise imaging spectrometers.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Many of the best-in-class imaging spectrometers flying today were made possible by components invented at NASA JPL’s Microdevices Laboratory. Instrument-makers there combine breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and material science with the classical properties of light discovered by physicist Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Newton’s prism experiments revealed that visible light is composed of a rainbow of colors.

Today, NASA JPL engineers work with advanced materials such as black silicon — one of the darkest substances ever manufactured — to push performance. Under a powerful microscope, black silicon looks like a forest of spiky needles. Etched by lasers or chemicals, the nanoscale structures prevent stray light from interfering with the sample by trapping it in their spikes.

Treasure hunting

The optical techniques used at the Microdevices Laboratory have advanced continuously since the first AVIRIS instrument took flight in 1986. Four generations of these sensors have now hit the skies, analyzing erupting volcanoes, diseased crops, ground zero debris in New York City, and wildfires in Alabama, among many other deployments. The latest model, AVIRIS-5, features spatial resolution that’s twice as fine as that of its predecessor and can resolve areas ranging from less than a foot (30 centimeters) to about 30 feet (10 meters).

So far this year, it has logged more than 200 hours of high-altitude flights over Nevada, California, and other Western states as part of a project called GEMx (Geological Earth Mapping Experiment). The flights are conducted using NASA’s ER-2 aircraft, operated out of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The effort is the airborne component of a larger USGS initiative, called Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), to modernize mapping of the nation’s surface and subsurface.

The NASA and USGS team has, since 2023, gathered data over more than 366,000 square miles (950,000 square kilometers) of the American West, where dry, treeless expanses are well suited to mineral spectroscopy. 

An exciting early finding is a lithium-bearing clay called hectorite, identified in the tailings of an abandoned mine in California, among other locations. Lithium is one of about 50 minerals at risk of supply chain disruption that USGS has deemed critical to national security and the economy.

Helping communities capture new value from old and abandoned prospects is one of the long-term aspirations of GEMx, said Dana Chadwick, an Earth system scientist at NASA JPL. So is identifying sources of acid mine drainage, which can occur when waste rocks weather and leach into the environment.

“The breadth of different questions you can take on with this technology is really exciting, from land management to snowpack water resources to wildfire risk,” Chadwick said. “Critical minerals are just the beginning for AVIRIS-5.”

More about GEMx

The GEMx research project is expected to last four years and is funded by the USGS Earth MRI, through investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiative will capitalize on both the technology developed by NASA for spectroscopic imaging, as well as the expertise in analyzing the datasets and extracting critical mineral information from them.

To learn more about GEMx visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/gemx/

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Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
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Michelle Hoehn is a cost accountant at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where her work contributes to NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA/Danny Nowlin

Michelle Hoehn vividly remembers the day a seed was planted for her future at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

As a seventh grader, the Bogalusa, Louisiana, native joined her dad for Father/Daughter Day at NASA Stennis. Hoehn knew she wanted to be part of something bigger, something that sparked wonder and purpose, in the moment she visited her dad’s office. She recalled feeling a sense of awe and possibility that day.

It was not until her second year at Southeastern Louisiana University – after the birth of her first child – that she focused on building a career, though. Finance and accounting have always been a part of her life. She filed paperwork at her grandfather’s store and helped her mom during tax season. 

“It was clear that this field was the right fit for me,” she said.

Today, Hoehn works as a cost accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Stennis. She ensures all costs are accurately recorded and reported. Her work supports financial integrity, enabling informed decisions and efficient use of resources.

“It is incredibly rewarding to know that my work helps keep NASA’s operations transparent and efficient because every accurate number supports the bigger mission of space exploration and discovery,” said Hoehn.

Hoehn’s financial management work supports NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.

“I’m honored to be a part of NASA’s Artemis effort,” she said. “Knowing that my work helps enable the next chapter of lunar exploration, and ultimately the journey to Mars, is both humbling and deeply motivating.”

One of the most fascinating parts of Hoehn’s work at NASA Stennis is seeing how even the smallest financial details can have a ripple effect on major NASA missions.

Although her work is often behind the scenes, the data she manages helps guide decisions that impact propulsion testing, technology development, and even future space exploration.

“It is incredible to realize that a spreadsheet I work on today could be tied to a rocket engine test of the future,” she said. “That connection between everyday tasks and extraordinary outcomes is something I never take for granted, and it is what makes working at NASA Stennis so rewarding.”

Working as an accountant on large, complex projects – some worth millions of dollars – also comes with challenges.

The projects demand precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of evolving financial regulations and systems. To stay ahead, Hoehn keeps an open mind and embraces continuous learning. She is always looking for ways to grow, adapt, and strengthen her role in supporting NASA’s financial integrity and broader mission.

This year marks 15 years as a NASA employee for Hoehn and 21 years of service overall at NASA Stennis, where she began as a contractor in 2004.

“The workforce at NASA Stennis is highly collaborative and mission-driven,” Hoehn said. “Whether you are working in engineering, finance, or support services, there is a collective sense of purpose and pride in contributing to space exploration and scientific discovery. It is an environment where ideas are welcomed, excellence is encouraged, and every individual plays a vital role in the success of NASA’s mission.”

From the time Hoehn walked in her dad’s office as a seventh-grade student, she has experienced firsthand the opportunities NASA Stennis offers.

“NASA Stennis is a place of unlimited potential, not only in its contributions to NASA’s missions, but in the opportunities it offers to current and future employees, customers, and stakeholders,” Hoehn said. “It is where I have been empowered to exceed the goals I once set for myself and continue to grow, both personally and professionally. NASA Stennis is a place where you are encouraged to be part of something greater than yourself.”

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The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with Expedition 73 NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky aboard, Dec. 9, 2025.NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth on Tuesday alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, wrapping up an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station to benefit life on Earth and future space exploration.

They made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 12:03 a.m. EST (10:03 a.m. local time), southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, after departing the space station at 8:41 p.m. on Dec. 8, aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft.

Over the course of 245 days in space, the crew orbited Earth 3,920 times, traveling nearly 104 million miles. They launched to the space station on April 8. This mission marked the first spaceflight for both Kim and Zubritsky, while Ryzhikov completed his third journey to space, logging a total of 603 days in space.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim shows off the Matroyshka (stacking) doll he received upon his return to Earth, Dec. 9, 2025. Kim and his crewmates landed safely aboard their Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.NASA

While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Kim contributed to a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. He studied the behavior of bioprinted tissues containing blood vessels in microgravity for an experiment helping advance space-based tissue production to treat patients on Earth. He also evaluated the remote command of multiple robots in space for the Surface Avatar study, which could support the development of robotic assistants for future exploration missions. Additionally, Kim worked on developing in-space manufacturing of DNA-mimicking nanomaterials, which could improve drug delivery technologies and support emerging therapeutics and regenerative medicine.

Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Kim will then board a NASA aircraft bound for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

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This composite image of the Cassiopeia A (or Cas A) supernova remnant, released Jan. 8, 2024, contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), infrared data from Webb (red, green, blue), and optical data from Hubble (red and white). A study by the XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft has made the first-ever X-ray detections of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand

The Cassiopeia A supernova remnant glows in X-ray, visible, and infrared light in this Jan. 8, 2024, image that combines data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble, Webb, and Spitzer space telescopes. A study by the XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft has made the first-ever X-ray detections of chlorine and potassium from the wreckage; a paper about the result was published Dec. 4, 2025, in Nature Astronomy.

Read more about this discovery.

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand

By the time the Artemis II Orion spacecraft launches to the Moon next year, its many components will already have traveled thousands of miles and moved across multiple facilities before coming together at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Branelle Rodriguez, Artemis II vehicle manager for the Orion Program, has overseen many parts of that journey. Her job is to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its historic mission – carrying humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Branelle Rodriguez crouches inside an Orion spacecraft training unit aboard the USS San Diego in March 2024. The training unit was used during a full recovery simulation with the Artemis II crew. Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Rodriguez has been involved in every stage of the spacecraft’s lifecycle – from development and production through testing and final launch readiness. Her program-level leadership focuses on ensuring the spacecraft’s hardware and subsystems are integrated and flight-ready. Most recently, she collaborated closely with Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy to oversee the spacecraft’s move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was mated with NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. “We are getting our teams trained and ready so that we are GO for the Artemis II mission,” she said.

Her 21-year NASA career spans numerous roles at Johnson. She started in the center’s Engineering Directorate, developing and building life support and habitation hardware for the Space Shuttle Program and the International Space Station Program. She went on to lead teams of engineers and flight controllers tasked with real-time resolution of anomalies aboard the International Space Station before transitioning to the Orion Program in 2022.

“Looking back, every role I’ve held, every team I’ve been a part of, and every milestone we’ve achieved together has been truly remarkable,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud to have played a part in it all.”

Rodriguez has been fascinated by space since she was a little girl. “Growing up in northern Minnesota, I was lucky to experience the beauty of clear, starlit skies on a regular basis,” she recalled. When Rodriguez was a teenager, her family encouraged her to attend Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, where she participated in mock astronaut training, flight controller simulations, and hands-on engineering projects. “It was a pivotal experience that only deepened my passion for space exploration.”

Branelle Rodriguez stands in front of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it completes processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Rodriguez applied to NASA’s internship program while studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota. She was not accepted, but she did not give up. She spent a semester interning at Dow Chemical to gain more experience while continuing to apply for internships across multiple NASA centers. “On my eighth attempt, I was accepted at Johnson,” she said. Three internships and one graduation later, Rodriguez landed a full-time position in the Engineering Directorate’s Crew and Thermal Systems Division. “It’s been an incredible journey—and a dream realized,” she said.

As a student athlete, Rodriguez knew the importance of teamwork from a young age, but said its value really became clear after joining NASA. “Some goals take time. There will be setbacks and struggles, but when you stick together, you build the kind of trust and relationships that are the foundation for long-term success,” she said. “That’s exactly what NASA represents. We take on some of the most complex and ambitious challenges imaginable—and we do it as a team.”

She added, “Especially now, it’s more important than ever to remember what we’re capable of when we work together, and to celebrate the wins—big or small—because each one brings us closer to the extraordinary.”

Rodriguez also appreciates having a team outside of the office. One of the greatest challenges she has faced is balancing the demands of a fulfilling, high-impact career with the needs of her family. “Like many parents, there are days when everything feels in sync, and days when I know I’ve fallen short,” she said, acknowledging that she must continually adapt to shifting needs and prioritize tasks to remain focused on what matters most at any given moment. “I’m beyond grateful for my family,” she said. “They are my foundation, and they truly understand and support my passion for the work I do. Without their love, and the broader village that helps make it all possible, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Branelle Rodriguez, her husband Scott, and her children Samantha and Brooks in the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center during the Artemis I mission in 2022. The family had an opportunity to ask the Artemis I Orion spacecraft questions via the Callisto technology demonstration carried aboard the 25-day mission.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

To her children and future generations, Rodriguez hopes to pass on a desire to keep exploring. “As humans, we are naturally driven to grow, learn, and push beyond our limits,” she said. “Space exploration is still in its early stages when viewed through the lens of history, and the achievements of the next generation will be truly extraordinary. I want them to carry forward the curiosity, courage, and determination needed to reach new frontiers and unlock the unknown.”

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Student teams competed in the 2025 Invention Challenge at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Dec. 5. The event pits middle and high school teams against each other as they try to get handmade devices to accomplish a task.NASA/JPL-Caltech The 2025 Invention Challenge at JPL called on teams to build devices capable of moving about 2 gallons (8 liters) of water from a holding reservoir into a bucket about 16 feet (5 meters) away within 60 seconds. Teams at JPL’s 2025 Invention Challenge built their devices with plywood, PVC pipe, duct tape, and even soda cans. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Now in its 26th year, the event brings teams of middle and high school students to the lab to compete with home-built contraptions.

Teenagers wielding power tools and plywood demonstrated their engineering prowess at the annual Invention Challenge at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Friday. Also in evidence: lots of small motors, 3D-printed gears, PVC pipe, and duct tape.

First held at JPL in 1998, the event pits middle and high school teams against each other as they try to get handmade devices to accomplish a task that changes annually. For this year’s challenge, dubbed the “Bucket Brigade Contest,” teams needed to create devices capable of moving about 2 gallons (8 liters) of water from a holding reservoir into a bucket about 16 feet (5 meters) away in 60 seconds while satisfying a long list of rules.

Arcadia High School’s Team Still Water won first place among student teams in the 2025 Invention Challenge at JPL.NASA/JPL-Caltech

In all, 18 teams of students from middle and high schools across Los Angeles and Orange counties competed. First place went to Arcadia High School’s Team Still Water, which completed the task in just 6.45 seconds. Mission Viejo High’s Team Senior Citizens was close behind, finishing in 6.71 seconds. The Samo Seals of Santa Monica High came in third, at 9.18 seconds.

Five teams from outside the area — four from schools in Colorado and Massachusetts and one involving professional engineers — were invited to compete as well. Of those, the team led by retired JPL engineer Alan DeVault’s Team “Trial and Error Engineering” came in first (a repeat from last year). And “Team 6” from Pioneer Charter School of Science in the Boston area took second place (also a repeat performance from 2024). No team qualified for third place.

Some of the devices in the 2025 Invention Challenge at NASA JPL made a big splash.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Judges named Team Clankers from Mission Viejo High most artistic, Team 6 from Pioneer Charter School of Science most unusual, and Team Winning Engineering Team (WET) from Temple City High most creative.

The event was supported by dozens of volunteers from JPL staff. JPL Fire Chief Dave Dollarhide, familiar with a bucket brigade, was a guest judge.

News Media Contact

Melissa Pamer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-314-4928
melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

NASA’s broadcast of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse has won an Emmy Award for Excellence in Production Technology.

At the 76th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards on Dec. 4, in New York City, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the win. Walt Lindblom and Sami Aziz accepted the award on behalf of the agency. For the broadcast, Lindblom served as the coordinating producer and Aziz served as the executive producer.

“By broadcasting the total solar eclipse, this team brought joy and wonder for our Sun, Moon, and Earth to viewers across America and the world,” said Will Boyington, associate administrator for the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Congratulations to the production team, whose efforts demonstrate the hard work and dedication to the sharing the marvel that makes our solar system something we strive to understand.” 

NASA’s live broadcast coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse was the most complex live project ever produced by the agency. In total, NASA’s eclipse broadcasts garnered almost 40 million live and replay views across its own distribution channels, including on NASA+, the agency’s free streaming service. Externally, the agency’s main broadcast was picked up in 2,208 hits on 568 channels in 25 countries.

“Our unique place in the solar system allows us on Earth to witness one of the most spectacular science shows nature has to offer. NASA’s production team captured the action every step of the way across the path of totality, including the rare glimpse of the Sun’s corona,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters. “Congratulations to the NASA team for successfully showing the 2024 total solar eclipse through the eyes of NASA for the whole world to experience together.”

The broadcast spanned three hours, showcasing the eclipse across seven American states and two countries. From cities, parks, and stadiums, 11 hosts and correspondents provided on air commentary, interviews, and live coverage. Viewers tuned in from all over the world, including at watch parties in nine locations, from the Austin Public Library to New York’s Times Square. An interactive “Eclipse Board” provided real time data analysis as the Moon’s shadow crossed North America.

Live feeds from astronauts aboard the International Space Station and NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft were brought in to provide rare and unique perspectives of the solar event. To make this possible, NASA deployed and enabled 67 cameras, 6 NASA Wide Area Network control rooms, 38 encoders, and 35 decoders. The team coordinated 20 live telescope feeds which represented 12 locations across the path of totality.

NASA’s eclipse broadcast won another Emmy award earlier this year at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live News Special. Additionally, the show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Show Open or Title Sequence – News. NASA’s eclipse communication and broadcast efforts also won two Webby Awards and two Webby People’s Voice Awards.

For more information about NASA, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

Abbey Interrante / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
301-201-0124 / 202-358-1600
abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov

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Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory monitor a research drone in this September 2025 photo. This flight occurred in Dumont Dunes, an area of the Mojave Desert, as part of a larger test campaign to develop navigation software that would guide future rotorcraft on Mars. The work was among 25 projects funded by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program this past year to push the limits of future technologies.

Whether it’s new navigation software, slope-scaling robotic scouts, or long-distance gliders, the technology being developed by the Mars Exploration Program envisions a future where robots can explore all on their own — or even help astronauts do their work.

Read more about the drone flight software test.

Text credit: NASA/Andrew Good

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Hubble Spots a Storm of New Stars This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy named NGC 1792.ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a stormy and highly active spiral galaxy named NGC 1792. Located over 50 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba (the Dove), the bright glow of the galaxy’s center is offset by the flocculent and sparkling spiral arms swirling around it.

NGC 1792 is just as fascinating to astronomers as its chaotic look might imply. Classified as a starburst galaxy, it is a powerhouse of star formation, with spiral arms rich in star-forming regions. In fact, it is surprisingly luminous for its mass. The galaxy is close to a larger neighbor, NGC 1808, and astronomers think the strong gravitational interaction between the two stirred up the reserves of gas in this galaxy. The result is a torrent of star formation, concentrated on the side closest to its neighbor, where gravity has a stronger effect. NGC 1792 is a perfect target for astronomers seeking to understand the complex interactions between gas, star clusters, and supernovae in galaxies.

Hubble studied this galaxy before. This new image includes additional data collected throughout 2025, providing a deeper view of the tumultuous activity taking place in the galaxy. Blossoming red lights in the galaxy’s arms mark Hydrogen-alpha (H-alpha) emission from dense clouds of hydrogen molecules. The newly forming stars within these clouds shine powerfully with ultraviolet radiation. This intense radiation ionizes the hydrogen gas, stripping away electrons which causes the gas to emit H-alpha light. H-alpha is a very particular red wavelength of light and a tell-tale sign of new stars.

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Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

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  November 30, 2025

Tropical cyclones almost never form over the Strait of Malacca. The narrow waterway separating Peninsular Malaysia from the Indonesian island of Sumatra sits so close to the equator that the Coriolis effect is usually too weak to allow storms to rotate enough to organize into cyclones. But on November 25, 2025, meteorologists watched as a tropical depression intensified into Cyclone Senyar—just the second documented case of a tropical cyclone forming in the strait.

Hemmed in by land on both sides, Senyar made landfall in Sumatra later that day as it made a U-turn and headed east toward Malaysia. As the slow-moving storm passed over Sumatra’s mountainous terrain, it dropped nearly 400 millimeters (16 inches) of rain in many areas, according to satellite-based estimates from NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. (Due to the averaging of the satellite data, local rainfall amounts may differ when measured from the ground.)

The torrent caused extensive flash floods and landslides in Sumatra’s rugged terrain. Streams and rivers rapidly overflowed with sediment-laden, debris-filled waters that swept through villages, cities, and towns. News reports suggest that the damage was worsened by an earthquake that struck on November 27 and the abundance of loose piles of timber in the region that became destructive battering rams in high water. As of December 4, Indonesian authorities reported several hundred deaths and more than 700,000 displaced people.

The OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 captured this image of flooding in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces on November 30, 2025. Muddy sediment-filled water appears to have swamped much of Lhoksukon, a town of 40,000 people, and several surrounding villages. 

Other tropical cyclones and monsoon rains hitting Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam at roughly the same time have also caused extensive destruction in the broader region. According to one estimate from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, flooding has affected more than 10.8 million people in the region and displaced more than 1.2 million.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

References & Resources

• BNPB (2025) News Index. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• India Today (2025, December 2) What made Cyclone Senyar a once-in-a-century weather anomaly in Malacca Strait. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• The Malaysian Reserve (2025, December 3) Death toll from floods, landslides in Indonesia rises to 811. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• NASA Earthdata (2025) Tropical Cyclones. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• The New York Times (2025, December 3) Where Floodwaters Turned Piles of Timber Into Floating Battering Rams. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• ReliefWeb (2025, December 3) Asia and the Pacific: Southeast and South Asia Cyclones and Floods Humanitarian Snapshot (Covering 17 November to 3 December 2025. Accessed December 4, 2025.
• Tsunami and Disasters Mitigation Research Center (2025, November 29) Extreme Rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Senyar Triggers Widespread Flooding and Infrastructure Damage Across Aceh. Accessed December 4, 2025.

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NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science

NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during the Artemis IV mission to the lunar south polar region. The instruments will improve our knowledge of the lunar environment to support NASA’s further exploration of the Moon and beyond to Mars. 

A visualization of the Moon’s South Pole region created with data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been surveying the Moon with seven instruments since 2009. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/Ernie Wright

“The Apollo Era taught us that the further humanity is from Earth, the more dependent we are on science to protect and sustain human life on other planets,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By deploying these two science instruments on the lunar surface, our proving ground, NASA is leading the world in the creation of humanity’s interplanetary survival guide to ensure the health and safety of our spacecraft and human explorers as we begin our epic journey back to the Moon and onward to Mars.”

After his voyage to the Moon’s surface during Apollo 17, astronaut Gene Cernan acknowledged the challenge that lunar dust presents to long-term lunar exploration. Moon dust sticks to everything it touches and is very abrasive. The knowledge gained from the DUSTER (DUst and plaSma environmenT survEyoR) investigation will help mitigate hazards to human health and exploration. Consisting of a set of instruments mounted on a small autonomous rover, DUSTER will characterize dust and plasma around the landing site. These measurements will advance understanding of the Moon’s natural dust and plasma environment and how that environment responds to the human presence, including any disturbance during crew exploration activities and lander liftoff. The DUSTER instrument suite is led by Xu Wang of the University of Colorado Boulder. The contract is for $24.8 million over a period of three years. 

A model of the DUSTER instrument suite consisting of the Electrostatic Dust Analyzer (EDA)—which will measure the charge, velocity, size, and flux of dust particles lofted from the lunar surface—and Relaxation SOunder and differentiaL VoltagE (RESOLVE)—which will characterize the average electron density above the lunar surface using plasma sounding. Both instruments will be housed on a Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, which will be supplied by Lunar Outpost, a company based in Golden, Colorado, that develops and operates robotic systems for space exploration.LASP/CU Boulder/Lunar Outpost

Data from the SPSS (South Pole Seismic Station) will enable scientists to characterize the lunar interior structure to better understand the geologic processes that affect planetary bodies. The seismometer will help determine the current rate at which the Moon is struck by meteorite impacts, monitor the real-time seismic environment and how it can affect operations for astronauts, and determine properties of the Moon’s deep interior. The crew will additionally perform an active-source experiment using a “thumper” that creates seismic energy to survey the shallow structure around the landing site. The SPSS instrument is led by Mark Panning of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The award is for $25 million over a period of three years. 

An artist’s concept of SPSS (South Pole Seismic Station) to be deployed by astronauts on the lunar surface.NASA/JPL-Caltech

“These two scientific investigations will be emplaced by human explorers on the Moon to achieve science goals that have been identified as strategically important by both NASA and the larger scientific community”, said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “We are excited to integrate these instrument teams into the Artemis IV Science Team.”

The two payloads were selected for further development to fly on Artemis IV; however, final manifesting decisions about the mission will be determined at a later date. 

Through Artemis, NASA will address high priority science questions, focusing on those that are best accomplished by on-site human explorers on and around the Moon and by using the unique attributes of the lunar environment, aided by robotic surface and orbiting systems. The Artemis missions will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

For more information on Artemis, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600 
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

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Over the course of several hours, technicians meticulously connected the inner and outer segments of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya

Two technicians look up at NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope after its inner and outer segments were connected at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland on Nov. 25, 2025. This marked the end of Roman’s construction. After final testing, the telescope will move to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparations in summer 2026. Roman  — named after Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer — is slated to launch by May 2027, but the team is on track for launch as early as fall 2026.

See more photos of the completed observatory.

Image credit: NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya