Behold, directly overhead, a certain strange star was suddenly seen...
Amazed, and as if astonished and stupefied, I stood still.

— Tycho Brahe

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MERS, a Deadly Coronavirus, Resurfaces in France for First Time in 12 Years

Scientific American.com - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:20am

French health officials are trying to trace all the contacts of two men who contracted MERS, a potentially lethal disease that is typically confined to the Middle East

Categories: Astronomy

Retirement

NASA News - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:11am
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.

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

Forms

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

Categories: NASA

Retirement

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:11am
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.

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

Forms

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

Categories: NASA

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth

NASA Image of the Day - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:03am
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, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
Categories: Astronomy, NASA

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth

NASA News - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:02am
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

Categories: NASA

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:02am
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

Categories: NASA

Inside the wild experiments physicists would do with zero limits

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
From a particle smasher encircling the moon to an “impossible” laser, five scientists reveal the experiments they would run in a world powered purely by imagination
Categories: Astronomy

Inside the wild experiments physicists would do with zero limits

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
From a particle smasher encircling the moon to an “impossible” laser, five scientists reveal the experiments they would run in a world powered purely by imagination
Categories: Astronomy

Genetic trick to make mosquitoes malaria resistant passes key test

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
The rollout of a type of genetic technology called a gene drive for tackling malaria could be edging closer after a lab study supports its success
Categories: Astronomy

Genetic trick to make mosquitoes malaria resistant passes key test

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
The rollout of a type of genetic technology called a gene drive for tackling malaria could be edging closer after a lab study supports its success
Categories: Astronomy

Oldest evidence of fire-lighting comes from early humans in Britain

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
An excavation in Suffolk, UK, has uncovered pyrite and flint that appear to have been used by ancient humans to light fires some 400,000 years ago
Categories: Astronomy

Oldest evidence of fire-lighting comes from early humans in Britain

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am
An excavation in Suffolk, UK, has uncovered pyrite and flint that appear to have been used by ancient humans to light fires some 400,000 years ago
Categories: Astronomy

Ancient Humans Were Making Fire 350,000 Years Earlier Than Scientists Realized

Scientific American.com - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00am

Making fire on demand was a milestone in the lives of our early ancestors. But the question of when that skill first arose has been difficult for scientists to pin down

Categories: Astronomy

Improved ‘Terminator’ Sun Model Could Change Space Weather Forecasting

Scientific American.com - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 8:30am

An idea about the sun’s magnetic field called the terminator model could help predict dangerous space weather more accurately

Categories: Astronomy

What the evolution of tickling tells us about being human

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 8:00am
From bonobos and rats to tickling robots, research is finally cracking the secrets of why we’re ticklish, and what that reveals about our brains
Categories: Astronomy

What the evolution of tickling tells us about being human

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 8:00am
From bonobos and rats to tickling robots, research is finally cracking the secrets of why we’re ticklish, and what that reveals about our brains
Categories: Astronomy

Australia's social media ban faces challenges and criticism on day one

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 7:32am
As Australian teenagers lose access to social media, observers say there are still many unknown questions about the ban, which came into force on 10 December
Categories: Astronomy

Australia's social media ban faces challenges and criticism on day one

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 7:32am
As Australian teenagers lose access to social media, observers say there are still many unknown questions about the ban, which came into force on 10 December
Categories: Astronomy

The Primordial Black Hole Saga: Part 3 - Primordial Ooze

Universe Today - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 7:07am

The early universe was a pretty intense place to be. And not just “early” as in a few billion years ago. I mean early early, just a few seconds after the Big Bang. The universe is small, less than a meter across. It’s hot, with temperatures so high it doesn’t even make sense to say them – they’re just stupidly high numbers with no connection to our everyday existence.

Categories: Astronomy

The British Robots Bringing Heavy Industry to Orbit

Universe Today - Wed, 12/10/2025 - 7:03am

The UK is actively trying to support the infrastructure to make it a significant player in the coming age of the space economy. It recently received 560 proposals to it’s National Space Innovation Program, and handed out £17M in grants to 17 different organizations following five main themes. One of those is an effort by the University of Leicester and The Welding Institute (TWI) to develop a robotic welder for use in repairing and manufacturing in space, as described by a new press release from the university.

Categories: Astronomy