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DESI's Dizzying Results
In March of 2024 the [DESI collaboration](https://www.desi.lbl.gov/collaboration/) dropped a bombshell on the cosmological community: slim but significant evidence that dark energy might be getting weaker with time.
Astronomers Detect the Early Shape of a Star Exploding for the First Time
Swift observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed the explosive death of a star just as the blast was breaking through the star’s surface. For the first time, astronomers unveiled the shape of the explosion at its earliest, fleeting stage. This brief initial phase wouldn’t have been observable a day later and helps address a whole set of questions about how massive stars go supernova.
Remember That Paper Claiming The Universe Is Decelerating? Here's What A Nobel Laureate Has To Say About It
So I got an email from Adam Reiss. You know, the guy who was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Saul Perlmutter and Brian Schmidt for discovering the rate of cosmic expansion is accelerating. He pointed out a few issues with the decelerating Universe paper, and with his permission I'd like to share them with you.
Sunday Night Doubleheader: Catch the 2025 Leonid Meteors and an Aurora Encore
Keep an eye on the sky Sunday night and early Monday morning for the Leonid meteors, and a possible second auroral storm. Once every other generation, the Lion roars. If skies are clear Monday morning, keep an eye out for one of the best annual November showers, the Leonid meteors. Also as an extra treat, the skies may stream with aurora once again.
Cohesion, Charging, And Chaos On The Lunar Surface
Most people interested in space exploration already know lunar dust is an absolute nightmare to deal with. We’re already reported on numerous potential methods for dealing with it, from 3D printing landing pads so we don’t sand blast everything in a given area when a rocket lands, to using liquid nitrogen to push the dust off of clothing. But the fact remains that, for any long-term presence on the Moon, dealing with the dust that resides there is one of the most critical tasks. A new paper from Dr. Slava Turyshev of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who is enough of a polymath that our last article about his research was covering a telescope at the solar gravitational lens, updates our understanding of the physical properties of lunar dust, providing more accurate information that engineers can use to design the next round of rovers and infrastructure to support human expansion to our nearest neighbor.
Live Earth From Space Video from the International Space Station ( From The NASA ISS Live Stream)
NASA, European Partners Set to Launch Sentinel-6B Earth Satellite
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Set to launch no earlier than Nov. 16, Sentinel-6B will continue the data record now being collected by its twin satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in November 2020 aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket shown here.SpaceX
Set to track sea levels across more than 90% of Earth’s ocean, the mission must first get into orbit. Here’s what to expect.
Sentinel-6B, an ocean-tracking satellite jointly developed by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), is ready to roll out to the launch pad, packed into the payload fairing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Launch is targeted at 12:21 a.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 17 (9:21 p.m. PST, Sunday, Nov. 16). Once it lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the satellite will ride out a 57-minute sequence of events ending in spacecraft separation, when the satellite detaches from the rocket.
Then Sentinel-6B’s real work begins. Orbiting Earth every 112 minutes at 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) per second, the satellite will eventually take over for its twin, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched five years ago, to continue a multidecade dataset for sea level measurements from space. Those measurements, along with atmospheric data the mission gathers, will help improve public safety and city planning while protecting coastal infrastructure, including power plants and defense interests. NASA will also use the data to refine atmospheric models that support the safe re-entry of Artemis astronauts.
Get the Sentinel-6B Press KitHere’s a closer look at what lies ahead for the satellite in the coming days.
Launch timelineMeasuring 19.1 feet (5.82 meters) long and 7.74 feet (2.36 meters) high (including the communications antennas), the satellite weighs in at around 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms) when loaded with propellant at launch.
The satellite will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg. If needed, backup launch opportunities are available on subsequent days, with the 20-second launch window occurring about 12 to 13 minutes earlier each day.
A little more than two minutes after the Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, the main engine cuts off. Shortly after, the rocket’s first and second stages separate, followed by second-stage engine start. The reusable Falcon 9 first stage then begins its automated boost-back burn to the launch site for a powered landing. About three minutes after launch, the two halves of the payload fairing, which protected the satellite as it traveled through the atmosphere, separate and fall safely back to Earth.
The first cutoff of the second stage engine takes place approximately eight minutes after liftoff, at which point the launch vehicle and the spacecraft will be in a temporary “parking” orbit. The second stage engine fires a second time about 44 minutes later, and about 57 minutes after liftoff, the rocket and the spacecraft separate. Roughly seven minutes after that, the satellite’s solar panels deploy. Sentinel-6B is expected to make first contact with ground controllers about 35 minutes after separation (roughly an hour and a half after liftoff) — a major milestone indicating that the spacecraft is healthy.
Science missionFollowing launch operations, the team will focus on its next challenge: getting the spacecraft ready for science operations. Once in orbit, Sentinel-6B will fly about 30 seconds behind its twin, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite. When scientists and engineers have completed cross-calibrating the data collected by the two spacecraft, Sentinel-6B will take over the role of providing primary sea level measurements while Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will move into a different orbit. From there, researchers plan to use measurements from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich for different purposes, including helping to map seafloor features (variations in sea surface height can reveal variations in ocean floor features, such as seamounts).
Sentinel-6B is part of a U.S.-European mission that will continue 30-year-plus record of sea-level measurements. Its observations will help build an accurate picture of local and global sea surface heights to support storm forecasting, secure coastal infrastructure, and help optimize commercial activities, such as shipping.NASA/JPL-Caltech Where to find launch coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website, including links to live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 11 p.m. EST, Nov. 16, as the countdown milestones occur. Streaming video and photos of the launch will be accessible on demand shortly after liftoff. Follow countdown coverage on NASA’s Sentinel-6B blog.
For more information about NASA’s live programming schedule, visit
plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-events.
The Copernicus Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission is a collaboration between NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The European Commission contributed funding support while France’s space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) provided technical expertise. The mission also marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme.
A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL built three science instruments for each Sentinel-6 satellite: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA is also contributing launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the U.S. members of the international Ocean Surface Topography and Sentinel-6 science teams. The launch service is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
How Sentinel-6B Will Help Ships at Sea How Sentinel-6B Will Help Improve Hurricane Forecasts How Do We Measure Sea Level?News Media Contacts
Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 626-840-4291
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
2025-125
Share Details Last Updated Nov 15, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 6 min read 6 Things to Know From NASA About New US, European Sea Satellite Article 1 day ago 1 min read Inside the Visualization: AerosolsNASA uses satellites, ground measurements, and powerful computer models to track tiny particles floating in…
Article 2 months ago 4 min read NASA Aircraft Coordinate Science Flights to Measure Air QualityMagic is in the air. No wait… MAGEQ is in the air, featuring scientists from…
Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Explore Earth ScienceFrom its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based…
Earth Science at WorkNASA Earth Science helps Americans respond to challenges and societal needs — such as wildland fires, hurricanes, and water supplies…
Earth Science Data
Earth Science MissionsIn order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports…
NASA, European Partners Set to Launch Sentinel-6B Earth Satellite
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Set to launch no earlier than Nov. 16, Sentinel-6B will continue the data record now being collected by its twin satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in November 2020 aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket shown here.SpaceXSet to track sea levels across more than 90% of Earth’s ocean, the mission must first get into orbit. Here’s what to expect.
Sentinel-6B, an ocean-tracking satellite jointly developed by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), is ready to roll out to the launch pad, packed into the payload fairing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Launch is targeted at 12:21 a.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 17 (9:21 p.m. PST, Sunday, Nov. 16). Once it lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the satellite will ride out a 57-minute sequence of events ending in spacecraft separation, when the satellite detaches from the rocket.
Then Sentinel-6B’s real work begins. Orbiting Earth every 112 minutes at 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) per second, the satellite will eventually take over for its twin, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched five years ago, to continue a multidecade dataset for sea level measurements from space. Those measurements, along with atmospheric data the mission gathers, will help improve public safety and city planning while protecting coastal infrastructure, including power plants and defense interests. NASA will also use the data to refine atmospheric models that support the safe re-entry of Artemis astronauts.
Get the Sentinel-6B Press KitHere’s a closer look at what lies ahead for the satellite in the coming days.
Launch timelineMeasuring 19.1 feet (5.82 meters) long and 7.74 feet (2.36 meters) high (including the communications antennas), the satellite weighs in at around 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms) when loaded with propellant at launch.
The satellite will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg. If needed, backup launch opportunities are available on subsequent days, with the 20-second launch window occurring about 12 to 13 minutes earlier each day.
A little more than two minutes after the Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, the main engine cuts off. Shortly after, the rocket’s first and second stages separate, followed by second-stage engine start. The reusable Falcon 9 first stage then begins its automated boost-back burn to the launch site for a powered landing. About three minutes after launch, the two halves of the payload fairing, which protected the satellite as it traveled through the atmosphere, separate and fall safely back to Earth.
The first cutoff of the second stage engine takes place approximately eight minutes after liftoff, at which point the launch vehicle and the spacecraft will be in a temporary “parking” orbit. The second stage engine fires a second time about 44 minutes later, and about 57 minutes after liftoff, the rocket and the spacecraft separate. Roughly seven minutes after that, the satellite’s solar panels deploy. Sentinel-6B is expected to make first contact with ground controllers about 35 minutes after separation (roughly an hour and a half after liftoff) — a major milestone indicating that the spacecraft is healthy.
Science missionFollowing launch operations, the team will focus on its next challenge: getting the spacecraft ready for science operations. Once in orbit, Sentinel-6B will fly about 30 seconds behind its twin, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite. When scientists and engineers have completed cross-calibrating the data collected by the two spacecraft, Sentinel-6B will take over the role of providing primary sea level measurements while Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will move into a different orbit. From there, researchers plan to use measurements from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich for different purposes, including helping to map seafloor features (variations in sea surface height can reveal variations in ocean floor features, such as seamounts).
Sentinel-6B is part of a U.S.-European mission that will continue 30-year-plus record of sea-level measurements. Its observations will help build an accurate picture of local and global sea surface heights to support storm forecasting, secure coastal infrastructure, and help optimize commercial activities, such as shipping.NASA/JPL-Caltech Where to find launch coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website, including links to live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 11 p.m. EST, Nov. 16, as the countdown milestones occur. Streaming video and photos of the launch will be accessible on demand shortly after liftoff. Follow countdown coverage on NASA’s Sentinel-6B blog.
For more information about NASA’s live programming schedule, visit
plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-events.
The Copernicus Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission is a collaboration between NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The European Commission contributed funding support while France’s space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) provided technical expertise. The mission also marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme.
A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL built three science instruments for each Sentinel-6 satellite: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA is also contributing launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the U.S. members of the international Ocean Surface Topography and Sentinel-6 science teams. The launch service is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
How Sentinel-6B Will Help Ships at Sea How Sentinel-6B Will Help Improve Hurricane Forecasts How Do We Measure Sea Level?News Media Contacts
Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 626-840-4291
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
2025-125
Share Details Last Updated Nov 15, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 6 min read 6 Things to Know From NASA About New US, European Sea Satellite Article 1 day ago 1 min read Inside the Visualization: AerosolsNASA uses satellites, ground measurements, and powerful computer models to track tiny particles floating in…
Article 2 months ago 4 min read NASA Aircraft Coordinate Science Flights to Measure Air QualityMagic is in the air. No wait… MAGEQ is in the air, featuring scientists from…
Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Explore Earth ScienceFrom its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based…
Earth Science at WorkNASA Earth Science helps Americans respond to challenges and societal needs — such as wildland fires, hurricanes, and water supplies…
Earth Science Data
Earth Science MissionsIn order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports…
Chinese Astronauts Return After a Delay Imposed by Space Junk
The Shenzhou-20 mission's three-person crew has returned home after more than a week of delays caused by damage to their spacecraft, allegedly caused by an impact with a tiny piece of space debris.
The Seven Sisters Have Thousands of Hidden Siblings
Astronomers have discovered that the famous Pleiades star cluster, otherwise known as the "Seven Sisters" is actually the bright core of a sprawling family of stars spread across nearly 2,000 light years. By combining stellar spin measurements with precise motion tracking, researchers identified over 3,000 related stars and revealed the Pleiades is twenty times larger than previously thought.
The Solar System Is Racing Through Space Far Faster Than Expected
Astronomers have discovered that our Solar System is moving through the universe more than three times faster than cosmological models predict, a finding that challenges fundamental assumptions about how the universe works. By analysing the distribution of distant radio galaxies using advanced statistical methods, the team detected motion so unexpectedly rapid it earned the rare five sigma statistical significance that scientists consider definitive evidence.
Life Might Show Up As Pink And Yellow Clouds On Distant Worlds
Carl Sagan, along with co-author Edwin Salpeter, famously published a paper in the 70s about the possibility of finding life in the cloud of Jupiter. They specifically described “sinkers, floaters, and hunters” that could live floating and moving in the atmosphere of our solar system’s largest planet. He also famously talked about how clouds on another of our solar system’s planets - Venus - obfuscated what was on the surface, leading to wild speculation about a lush, Jurassic Park-like world full of life, just obscured by clouds. Venus turned out to be the exact opposite of that, but both of those papers show the impact clouds can have on the Earth for life. A new paper by authors as the Carl Sagan Institute, led by Ligia Coelho of Cornell, argues that we should look at clouds as potential habitats for life - we just have to know how to look for it.