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ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 4535, which is situated about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (the Maiden). Through a small telescope, this galaxy appears extremely faint, giving it the nickname ‘Lost Galaxy’. With a mirror spanning nearly eight feet (2.4 meters) across and its location above Earth’s light-obscuring atmosphere, Hubble can easily observe dim galaxies like NGC 4535 and pick out features like its massive spiral arms and central bar of stars.

This image features NGC 4535’s young star clusters, which dot the galaxy’s spiral arms. Glowing-pink clouds surround many of these bright-blue star groupings. These clouds, called H II (‘H-two’) regions, are a sign that the galaxy is home to especially young, hot, and massive stars that blaze with high-energy radiation. Such massive stars shake up their surroundings by heating their birth clouds with powerful stellar winds, eventually exploding as supernovae.

The image incorporates data from an observing program designed to catalog roughly 50,000 H II regions in nearby star-forming galaxies like NGC 4535. Hubble released a previous image of NGC 4535 in 2021. Both the 2021 image and this new image incorporate observations from the PHANGS observing program, which seeks to understand the connections between young stars and cold gas. Today’s image adds a new dimension to our understanding of NGC 4535 by capturing the brilliant red glow of the nebulae that encircle massive stars in their first few million years of life.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

We know that pets influence our microbiome, but scientists have now found that having a dog seems to change this ecosystem in a way that could boost our well-being

We know that pets influence our microbiome, but scientists have now found that having a dog seems to change this ecosystem in a way that could boost our well-being

The covid-19 pandemic opened the door to once-controversial human challenge trials. Now, volunteers are willingly catching norovirus and influenza to reveal how our immune systems really fight back

The covid-19 pandemic opened the door to once-controversial human challenge trials. Now, volunteers are willingly catching norovirus and influenza to reveal how our immune systems really fight back

More than half a million satellites are planned to launch by the end of the 2030s, and simulations suggest they will have a severe impact on space-based astronomy

More than half a million satellites are planned to launch by the end of the 2030s, and simulations suggest they will have a severe impact on space-based astronomy

New results from the MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab found no evidence of a hypothetical fourth flavor of neutrino

Proliferating satellites are beginning to harm the science work of the beloved Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories

The European Space Agency has release its ESA/Webb Picture of the Month and it features a pair of dwarf galaxies engaged in a tentative dance, like nervous partners at a social. The pair are a staggering 24 million light-years away. But even at that great distance, the pair of galaxies is the closest-known interacting pair of dwarfs, other than the Milky Way's Magellanic Clouds, where both the stellar populations and the gas bridge linking the galaxies have been observed.

Conventionally, the moon is thought to have formed during one big impact, but a three-impact model might make more sense

Conventionally, the moon is thought to have formed during one big impact, but a three-impact model might make more sense

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A space toxicologist at NASA JSC.NASA

Hazardous Materials Summary Tables (HMSTs) are a compilation of the chemical, biological, and flammability hazards of materials on a given flight or mission. HMSTs are required by Safety for all Programs, including but not limited to ISS, Commercial Crew Program (CCP), Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and Gateway. Johnson Space Center (JSC) toxicologists evaluate the toxic hazard level of all liquids, gases, particles, or gels flown on or to any manned U.S. spacecraft. The biosafety hazard level and flammability levels are assigned by JSC microbiologists and materials experts and are documented in an HMST and in a computerized in-flight version of the HMST called the HazMat (Hazardous Materials) database.

How To Obtain Toxicological Hazard Assessments

“Requirements for Submission of Data Needed for Toxicological Assessment of Chemical and Biologicals to be Flown on Manned Spacecraft”

• JSC 27472 (PDF, 766KB) defines the terms “chemicals” and “biological materials” as applied to items being flown on or to any U.S. spacecraft. It explains who must submit information to the JSC toxicologists concerning the materials to be flown and specifies what information is needed. It provides schedules, formats, and contact information.
• Additional US requirements for biological materials can be found on the Biosafety Review Board (BRB) page.
• Additional US requirements for environmental control and life support (ECLS) assessments can be found in JSC 66869 (PDF, 698KB).

Data Submission

For all flights to ISS and all Artemis requests (Orion, Gateway, Human Lander System (HLS)), please submit data via the electronic hazardous materials summary table (eHMST) tool. If you do not have access to this tool, please submit a NAMS request for access to JSC – CMC External Tools. Please reference eHMST training for more information

NOTE:  For experimental payloads/hardware planned for launch on a Russian vehicle, stowed and/or operated on the Russian Segment of ISS, or planned for return or disposal on a Russian vehicle, we strongly encourage payload providers to submit biological and chemical data to the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems (moukhamedieva@imbp.ru OR barantseva@imbp.ru).

Hazard Assessments

Toxicological hazard assessments are conducted according to JSC 26895 – Guidelines for Assessing the Toxic Hazard of Spacecraft Chemicals and Test Materials. The resulting Toxicity Hazard Level (THL) in combination with the BioSafety Level (BSL) and Flammability Hazard Level (FHL) form the basis for the combined Hazard Response Level (HRL) used for labeling and operational response per flight rule B20-16.

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Share

Details Last Updated Dec 03, 2025 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms

• Human Health and Performance

Explore More 5 min read Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Article 3 years ago 4 min read Exposure Guidelines (SMACs and SWEGs) Article 3 years ago 4 min read Toxicology Analysis of Spacecraft Air Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A space toxicologist at NASA JSC.NASA

Hazardous Materials Summary Tables (HMSTs) are a compilation of the chemical, biological, and flammability hazards of materials on a given flight or mission. HMSTs are required by Safety for all Programs, including but not limited to ISS, Commercial Crew Program (CCP), Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and Gateway. Johnson Space Center (JSC) toxicologists evaluate the toxic hazard level of all liquids, gases, particles, or gels flown on or to any manned U.S. spacecraft. The biosafety hazard level and flammability levels are assigned by JSC microbiologists and materials experts and are documented in an HMST and in a computerized in-flight version of the HMST called the HazMat (Hazardous Materials) database.

How To Obtain Toxicological Hazard Assessments

“Requirements for Submission of Data Needed for Toxicological Assessment of Chemical and Biologicals to be Flown on Manned Spacecraft”

• JSC 27472 (PDF, 766KB) defines the terms “chemicals” and “biological materials” as applied to items being flown on or to any U.S. spacecraft. It explains who must submit information to the JSC toxicologists concerning the materials to be flown and specifies what information is needed. It provides schedules, formats, and contact information.
• Additional US requirements for biological materials can be found on the Biosafety Review Board (BRB) page.
• Additional US requirements for environmental control and life support (ECLS) assessments can be found in JSC 66869 (PDF, 698KB).

Data Submission

For all flights to ISS and all Artemis requests (Orion, Gateway, Human Lander System (HLS)), please submit data via the electronic hazardous materials summary table (eHMST) tool. If you do not have access to this tool, please submit a NAMS request for access to JSC – CMC External Tools. Please reference eHMST training for more information

NOTE:  For experimental payloads/hardware planned for launch on a Russian vehicle, stowed and/or operated on the Russian Segment of ISS, or planned for return or disposal on a Russian vehicle, we strongly encourage payload providers to submit biological and chemical data to the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems (moukhamedieva@imbp.ru OR barantseva@imbp.ru).

Hazard Assessments

Toxicological hazard assessments are conducted according to JSC 26895 – Guidelines for Assessing the Toxic Hazard of Spacecraft Chemicals and Test Materials. The resulting Toxicity Hazard Level (THL) in combination with the BioSafety Level (BSL) and Flammability Hazard Level (FHL) form the basis for the combined Hazard Response Level (HRL) used for labeling and operational response per flight rule B20-16.

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Share

Details Last Updated Dec 03, 2025 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms

• Human Health and Performance

Explore More 5 min read Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Article 3 years ago 4 min read Exposure Guidelines (SMACs and SWEGs) Article 3 years ago 4 min read Toxicology Analysis of Spacecraft Air Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) SpaceX Crew-1 Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Shannon Walker work with a Grab Sample Container (GSC) in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft while en route to the ISS.NASA

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry (TEC) monitors airborne contaminants in both spacecraft air and water. In-flight monitors are employed to provide real-time insight into the environmental conditions on ISS. Archival samples are collected and returned to Earth for full characterization of ISS air and water.

Real-time in-flight air analytical instruments include the Air Quality Monitors (AQM), carbon dioxide (CO2 monitors), and a compound specific analyzer for combustion products (CSA-CP). Real-time in-flight water monitoring capabilities include the colorimetric water quality monitoring kit (CWQMK) and the ISS total organic carbon analyzer (TOCA).

Post-flight analyses are performed on archival samples of spacecraft air and water obtained at specific times and locations during a mission. Air archival samples are collected using “grab sample containers” (GSC) and formaldehyde badges. The U.S. and Russian water recovery systems on the ISS process atmospheric moisture (U.S. and Russian systems) and urine distillate (U.S. system only) into clean, potable water for the crew to use.  The Water Kit is utilized to collect archival samples of the potable water and are routinely returned to the ground to monitor the quality of the water produced by the systems.  Samples of condensate and wastewater are also collected and returned to check for the presence of contaminants that could break through the water recovery systems.   

Results of Post-Flight Analysis of In-Flight Air Samples  (Most Recent First)     

• Increment 71 Report Including NG-21 Ingress and Boeing-CFT Ascent (1MB)
• Increment 70 including SpaceX-29, Axiom-3, NG-20, and SpaceX-30 Ingresses (817KB)
• Increment 69 Report Including Ax2 SpX28 NG19 Ingress (1MB)
• Increment 68 Report NG18 SpX26 SpX27 Ingress (845KB)
• Increment 65 Report with SpX22, MLM, NG16, SpX23 Ingresses (1.5MB)
• Increment 67 Report with OFT2 and SpX25 Ingress (962KB)
• Increment 66 Report SpX-24 NG-17 Ingress (835KB)
• Increment 64 including SpX-21 and NG-15 Ingress (897KB)
• Increment 63 Including HTV-9 and NG-14 Ingress (884KB)
• Increment 62-63 Benzene Anomaly Report (442KB)
• Increment 62 Including NG-13 and SpX-20 Ingress (747KB)
• Increment 61 including NG-12 and SpX-19 Egress (1.1MB)
• Increment 60 including SpX-18 and HTV8 Ingress (1.27MB)
• Increment 59 including NG-11 and SpX-17 Ingress (3.4MB)
• Increment 58 Report (2.78MB)
• Increment 57 including NG-10 and SpX-16 Ingress (2.71MB)
• SpaceX Demo-1 Ingress SM and DM1 Contingencies (792KB)
• Increment 56, HTV-7 and Node 1 Contingency Report (3.5MB)
• Increment 55 and SpX14 and OA9 Ingresses Report (1.9MB)
• Increment 54, including SpX-13 Ingress (877KB)
• Increment 53, including OA-8 Ingress and Node 1 Contingency Investigation (743KB)
• Increment 52 Report, including JEM odor contingency, SpX-11 and SpX-12 ingress, and WPA MF bed contingency samples
• Increment 51 and OA-7 Ingress Report (1.47MB)
• Increment 50 and HTV-6, SpX-10 Ingresses (2.72 MB)
• Increment 49 OA-5 Ingress and Oil Paint Odor Investigation Report (3.12MB)
• Increment 48, SpX-9 Ingress, and Oil Paint Odor Investigation Report (3.43MB)
• Increment 47, BEAM/OA-6/SpX-8 Ingresses, and Node 3 Siloxane Investigation Report (4.82MB)
• Increment 46 and Node 3 Contingency Report (4.4MB)
• Increment 45 and OA-4 Ingress (3MB)
• Increment 44 and HTV-5 Ingress Report (1.6MB)
• Increment 43, SpX-6 Ingress, Ethanol Investigation, and Node 1 Contingency Report (6.2MB)
• Increment 42 Report (4MB)
• Increment 41 Report (3.3MB)
• Space X-5 First Ingress Air Quality and Node 3 Contingency Report (2MB)
• SpaceX-4 First Ingress Air Quality Report (1.32MB)
• Increment 40, Orb-2/ATV-5 Ingresses, and SM Contingency (2.92 MB)
• Increment 39 and SpX-3 Ingress (5.75 MB)
• Increment 38 and Orb-1 Ingress (8.02 MB)
• Increment 37 and Orb-D1 Ingress (5.9 MB)
• Increment 36 and HTV-4 Ingress (7.22 MB)
• Increment 35 Report (4.04 MB)
• Increment 34 Report (5.64 MB)
• Feb. 2013 Contingency Sample Report (1.91 MB)
• Space X-2 First Entry Sample Analyses (1.56 MB)
• Soyuz 31S Return Samples (2.98 MB)
• Space X-1 First Entry Sample Analysis (39 KB)
• Revised Soyuz 30 Return Samples (7.46 MB)
• Space X-Demo First Entry Sample Analysis (767 KB)
• Soyuz 28 and Soyuz 29 Return Samples (1 MB)
• Soyuz 27 Return Samples (824 KB)
• STS-134, ULF7, 26S (2 MB)
• STS-133 / ISS-ULF5 (396 KB)
• Soyuz 25S Mission Report (286 KB)
• Soyuz 24S Return Samples of ISS Air (740 KB)
• Soyuz 23S Return Samples (593 KB)
• STS-132 / ISS-ULF4 (1.31 MB)
• STS-131 / ISS-19A (3.55 MB)
• STS-130 / ISS-20A (1.27 MB)
• STS-129 / ISS-ULF3 (1.4 MB)

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Share

Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2025 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms

• Human Health and Performance

Explore More 5 min read Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Article 3 years ago 3 min read Hazardous Material Summary Tables (HMSTs) Article 2 days ago 4 min read Exposure Guidelines (SMACs and SWEGs) Article 3 years ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) SpaceX Crew-1 Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Shannon Walker work with a Grab Sample Container (GSC) in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft while en route to the ISS.NASA

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry (TEC) monitors airborne contaminants in both spacecraft air and water. In-flight monitors are employed to provide real-time insight into the environmental conditions on ISS. Archival samples are collected and returned to Earth for full characterization of ISS air and water.

Real-time in-flight air analytical instruments include the Air Quality Monitors (AQM), carbon dioxide (CO2 monitors), and a compound specific analyzer for combustion products (CSA-CP). Real-time in-flight water monitoring capabilities include the colorimetric water quality monitoring kit (CWQMK) and the ISS total organic carbon analyzer (TOCA).

Post-flight analyses are performed on archival samples of spacecraft air and water obtained at specific times and locations during a mission. Air archival samples are collected using “grab sample containers” (GSC) and formaldehyde badges. The U.S. and Russian water recovery systems on the ISS process atmospheric moisture (U.S. and Russian systems) and urine distillate (U.S. system only) into clean, potable water for the crew to use.  The Water Kit is utilized to collect archival samples of the potable water and are routinely returned to the ground to monitor the quality of the water produced by the systems.  Samples of condensate and wastewater are also collected and returned to check for the presence of contaminants that could break through the water recovery systems.   

Results of Post-Flight Analysis of In-Flight Air Samples  (Most Recent First)     

• Increment 71 Report Including NG-21 Ingress and Boeing-CFT Ascent (1MB)
• Increment 70 including SpaceX-29, Axiom-3, NG-20, and SpaceX-30 Ingresses (817KB)
• Increment 69 Report Including Ax2 SpX28 NG19 Ingress (1MB)
• Increment 68 Report NG18 SpX26 SpX27 Ingress (845KB)
• Increment 65 Report with SpX22, MLM, NG16, SpX23 Ingresses (1.5MB)
• Increment 67 Report with OFT2 and SpX25 Ingress (962KB)
• Increment 66 Report SpX-24 NG-17 Ingress (835KB)
• Increment 64 including SpX-21 and NG-15 Ingress (897KB)
• Increment 63 Including HTV-9 and NG-14 Ingress (884KB)
• Increment 62-63 Benzene Anomaly Report (442KB)
• Increment 62 Including NG-13 and SpX-20 Ingress (747KB)
• Increment 61 including NG-12 and SpX-19 Egress (1.1MB)
• Increment 60 including SpX-18 and HTV8 Ingress (1.27MB)
• Increment 59 including NG-11 and SpX-17 Ingress (3.4MB)
• Increment 58 Report (2.78MB)
• Increment 57 including NG-10 and SpX-16 Ingress (2.71MB)
• SpaceX Demo-1 Ingress SM and DM1 Contingencies (792KB)
• Increment 56, HTV-7 and Node 1 Contingency Report (3.5MB)
• Increment 55 and SpX14 and OA9 Ingresses Report (1.9MB)
• Increment 54, including SpX-13 Ingress (877KB)
• Increment 53, including OA-8 Ingress and Node 1 Contingency Investigation (743KB)
• Increment 52 Report, including JEM odor contingency, SpX-11 and SpX-12 ingress, and WPA MF bed contingency samples
• Increment 51 and OA-7 Ingress Report (1.47MB)
• Increment 50 and HTV-6, SpX-10 Ingresses (2.72 MB)
• Increment 49 OA-5 Ingress and Oil Paint Odor Investigation Report (3.12MB)
• Increment 48, SpX-9 Ingress, and Oil Paint Odor Investigation Report (3.43MB)
• Increment 47, BEAM/OA-6/SpX-8 Ingresses, and Node 3 Siloxane Investigation Report (4.82MB)
• Increment 46 and Node 3 Contingency Report (4.4MB)
• Increment 45 and OA-4 Ingress (3MB)
• Increment 44 and HTV-5 Ingress Report (1.6MB)
• Increment 43, SpX-6 Ingress, Ethanol Investigation, and Node 1 Contingency Report (6.2MB)
• Increment 42 Report (4MB)
• Increment 41 Report (3.3MB)
• Space X-5 First Ingress Air Quality and Node 3 Contingency Report (2MB)
• SpaceX-4 First Ingress Air Quality Report (1.32MB)
• Increment 40, Orb-2/ATV-5 Ingresses, and SM Contingency (2.92 MB)
• Increment 39 and SpX-3 Ingress (5.75 MB)
• Increment 38 and Orb-1 Ingress (8.02 MB)
• Increment 37 and Orb-D1 Ingress (5.9 MB)
• Increment 36 and HTV-4 Ingress (7.22 MB)
• Increment 35 Report (4.04 MB)
• Increment 34 Report (5.64 MB)
• Feb. 2013 Contingency Sample Report (1.91 MB)
• Space X-2 First Entry Sample Analyses (1.56 MB)
• Soyuz 31S Return Samples (2.98 MB)
• Space X-1 First Entry Sample Analysis (39 KB)
• Revised Soyuz 30 Return Samples (7.46 MB)
• Space X-Demo First Entry Sample Analysis (767 KB)
• Soyuz 28 and Soyuz 29 Return Samples (1 MB)
• Soyuz 27 Return Samples (824 KB)
• STS-134, ULF7, 26S (2 MB)
• STS-133 / ISS-ULF5 (396 KB)
• Soyuz 25S Mission Report (286 KB)
• Soyuz 24S Return Samples of ISS Air (740 KB)
• Soyuz 23S Return Samples (593 KB)
• STS-132 / ISS-ULF4 (1.31 MB)
• STS-131 / ISS-19A (3.55 MB)
• STS-130 / ISS-20A (1.27 MB)
• STS-129 / ISS-ULF3 (1.4 MB)

Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Share

Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2025 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms

• Human Health and Performance

Explore More 5 min read Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Article 3 years ago 3 min read Hazardous Material Summary Tables (HMSTs) Article 2 days ago 4 min read Exposure Guidelines (SMACs and SWEGs) Article 3 years ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

Here are the 67 books Scientific American staffers couldn’t put down this year, from fantasy epics to gripping nonfiction

There’s been a lot of speculation recently about interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS - much of which is probably caused by low quality data given that we have to observe it from either Earth, or in some case Mars. In either case it’s much further away that what would be the ideal. But that might not be the case for a future interstellar object. The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a mission that could potentially visit a new interstellar visitor, or a comet that is making its first pass into the inner solar system. But, given the constraints of the mission, any such potential target object would have to meet a string of conditions. A new paper by lead Professor Colin Snodgrass of the University of Edinburgh of his colleagues, discusses what those conditions are, and assesses the likelihood that we’ll find a good candidate within a reasonable time of the mission's launch.

Scientific American unveils its first-ever best fiction and nonfiction books of the year, spotlighting stories that blend science, imagination and unforgettable voices.

True to its promise, the European Space Agency’s EarthCARE satellite is now being used to calculate directly how clouds and aerosols influence Earth’s energy balance – the all-important balance that regulates our climate. In doing so, EarthCARE is poised to sharpen the accuracy of climate models, the very tools that guide global climate policy and action.