NASA
Steve Platnick Steps Down from NASA After 34 Years of Service
Dr. Steven “Steve” Platnick has taken the NASA Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). His last work day was August 8, 2025. Steve spent more than three decades at, or associated with, NASA. While he began his civil servant career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in 2002, his Goddard association went back to 1993, first as a contractor and then as one of the earliest employees of the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), a cooperative agreement between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and GSFC’s Earth Science Division. At JCET Steve helped lead the development of the Atmosphere Physics Track curricula. Previously, he held a National Research Council (NRC) post-doctoral fellow at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Along with his research work on cloud remote sensing from satellite and airborne sensors, Steve served as the Deputy Director for Atmospheres in GSFC’s Earth Sciences Division from January 2015–July 2024.
Dr. Steve Platnick Image credit: NASADuring his time at NASA, Steve played an integral role in the sustainability and advancement of NASA’s Earth Observing System platforms and data. In 2008, he took over as the Earth Observing System (EOS) Senior Project Scientist from Michael King. In this role, he led the EOS Project Science Office, which included support for related EOS facility airborne sensors, ground networks, and calibration labs. The office also supported The Earth Observer newsletter, the NASA Earth Observatory, and other outreach and exhibit activities on behalf of NASA Headquarters’ Earth Science Division and Science Mission Directorate (further details below). From January 2003– February 2010, Steve served as the Aqua Deputy Project Scientist.
Improving Imager Cloud Algorithms
Steve was actively involved in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Science Team serving as the Lead for the MODIS Atmosphere Discipline Team (cloud, aerosol and clear sky products) since 2008 and as the NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP)/JPSS Atmosphere Discipline Lead/co-Lead from 2012–2020. His research team enhanced, maintained, and evaluated MODIS and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) cloud algorithms that included Level-2 (L2) Cloud Optical/Microphysical Properties components (MOD06 and MYD06 for MODIS on Terra and Aqua, respectively) and the Atmosphere Discipline Team Level-3 (L3) spatial/temporal products (MOD08, MYD08). The L2 cloud algorithms were developed to retrieve thermodynamic phase, optical thickness, effective particle radius, and derived water path for liquid and ice clouds, among other associated datasets. Working closely with longtime University of Wisconsin-Madison colleagues, the team also developed the CLDPROP continuity products designed to bridge the MODIS and VIIRS cloud data records by addressing differences in the spectral coverage between the two sensors; this product is currently in production for VIIRS on Suomi NPP and NOAA-20, as well as MODIS Aqua. The team also ported their CLDPROP code to Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) R-series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and sister sensors as a research demonstration effort.
Steve’s working group participation included the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) Cloud Assessment Working Group (2008–present); the International Cloud Working Group (ICWG), which is part of the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), and its original incarnation, the Cloud Retrieval Evaluation Working (CREW) since 2009; and the NASA Observations for Modeling Intercomparison Studies (obs4MIPs) Working Group (2011–2013). Other notable roles included Deputy Chair of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Science Definition Team (2011–2012) and membership in the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Science Definition Team (2009–2011), the ABI Cloud Team (2005–2009), and the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Mission Concept Team (2010–2011).
Steve has participated in numerous major airborne field campaigns over his career. His key ER-2 flight scientist and/or science team management roles included the Monterey Area Ship Track experiment (MAST,1994), First (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment – Arctic Cloud Experiment [FIRE-ACE, 1998], Southern Africa Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI-2000), Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers – Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE, 2002), and Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4, 2007).
Supporting Earth Science Communications
Through his EOS Project Science Office role, Steve has been supportive of the activities of NASA’s Science Support Office (SSO) and personally participated in many NASA Science exhibits at both national and international scientific conferences, including serving as a Hyperwall presenter numerous times.
For The Earth Observer newsletter publication team in particular, Steve replaced Michael King as Acting EOS Senior Project Scientist in June 2008, taking over the authorship of “The Editor’s Corner” beginning with the May–June 2008 issue [Volume 20, Issue 3]. The Acting label was removed beginning with the January–February 2010 issue [Volume 22, Issue 1]. Steve has been a champion of continuing to retain a historical record of NASA science team meetings to maintain a chronology of advances made by different groups within the NASA Earth Science community. He was supportive of the Executive Editor’s efforts to create a series called “Perspectives on EOS,” which ran from 2008–2011 and told the stories of the early years of the EOS Program from the point of view of those who lived them. He also supported the development of articles to commemorate the 25th and 30th anniversary of The Earth Observer. Later, Steve helped guide the transition of the newsletter from a print publication – the November–December 2022 issue was the last printed issue – to fully online by July 2024, a few months after the publication’s 35th anniversary. The Earth Observer team will miss Steve’s keen insight, historical perspective, and encouragement that he has shown through his leadership for the past 85 issues of print and online publications.
A Career Recognized through Awards and Honors
Throughout his career, Steve has amassed numerous honors, including the Goddard William Nordberg Memorial Award for Earth Science in 2023 and the Verner E. Suomi Award from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in 2016. He was named an AMS Fellow that same year. He received two NASA Agency Honor Awards – the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2008 and the Exceptional Service Medal in 2015.
Steve received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Duke University and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively. He earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Arizona.
Steve Platnick Steps Down from NASA After 34 Years of Service
Dr. Steven “Steve” Platnick has taken the NASA Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). His last work day was August 8, 2025. Steve spent more than three decades at, or associated with, NASA. While he began his civil servant career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in 2002, his Goddard association went back to 1993, first as a contractor and then as one of the earliest employees of the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), a cooperative agreement between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and GSFC’s Earth Science Division. At JCET Steve helped lead the development of the Atmosphere Physics Track curricula. Previously, he held a National Research Council (NRC) post-doctoral fellow at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Along with his research work on cloud remote sensing from satellite and airborne sensors, Steve served as the Deputy Director for Atmospheres in GSFC’s Earth Sciences Division from January 2015–July 2024.
Dr. Steve Platnick Image credit: NASADuring his time at NASA, Steve played an integral role in the sustainability and advancement of NASA’s Earth Observing System platforms and data. In 2008, he took over as the Earth Observing System (EOS) Senior Project Scientist from Michael King. In this role, he led the EOS Project Science Office, which included support for related EOS facility airborne sensors, ground networks, and calibration labs. The office also supported The Earth Observer newsletter, the NASA Earth Observatory, and other outreach and exhibit activities on behalf of NASA Headquarters’ Earth Science Division and Science Mission Directorate (further details below). From January 2003– February 2010, Steve served as the Aqua Deputy Project Scientist.
Improving Imager Cloud Algorithms
Steve was actively involved in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Science Team serving as the Lead for the MODIS Atmosphere Discipline Team (cloud, aerosol and clear sky products) since 2008 and as the NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP)/JPSS Atmosphere Discipline Lead/co-Lead from 2012–2020. His research team enhanced, maintained, and evaluated MODIS and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) cloud algorithms that included Level-2 (L2) Cloud Optical/Microphysical Properties components (MOD06 and MYD06 for MODIS on Terra and Aqua, respectively) and the Atmosphere Discipline Team Level-3 (L3) spatial/temporal products (MOD08, MYD08). The L2 cloud algorithms were developed to retrieve thermodynamic phase, optical thickness, effective particle radius, and derived water path for liquid and ice clouds, among other associated datasets. Working closely with longtime University of Wisconsin-Madison colleagues, the team also developed the CLDPROP continuity products designed to bridge the MODIS and VIIRS cloud data records by addressing differences in the spectral coverage between the two sensors; this product is currently in production for VIIRS on Suomi NPP and NOAA-20, as well as MODIS Aqua. The team also ported their CLDPROP code to Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) R-series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and sister sensors as a research demonstration effort.
Steve’s working group participation included the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) Cloud Assessment Working Group (2008–present); the International Cloud Working Group (ICWG), which is part of the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), and its original incarnation, the Cloud Retrieval Evaluation Working (CREW) since 2009; and the NASA Observations for Modeling Intercomparison Studies (obs4MIPs) Working Group (2011–2013). Other notable roles included Deputy Chair of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Science Definition Team (2011–2012) and membership in the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Science Definition Team (2009–2011), the ABI Cloud Team (2005–2009), and the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Mission Concept Team (2010–2011).
Steve has participated in numerous major airborne field campaigns over his career. His key ER-2 flight scientist and/or science team management roles included the Monterey Area Ship Track experiment (MAST,1994), First (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment – Arctic Cloud Experiment [FIRE-ACE, 1998], Southern Africa Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI-2000), Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers – Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE, 2002), and Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4, 2007).
Supporting Earth Science Communications
Through his EOS Project Science Office role, Steve has been supportive of the activities of NASA’s Science Support Office (SSO) and personally participated in many NASA Science exhibits at both national and international scientific conferences, including serving as a Hyperwall presenter numerous times.
For The Earth Observer newsletter publication team in particular, Steve replaced Michael King as Acting EOS Senior Project Scientist in June 2008, taking over the authorship of “The Editor’s Corner” beginning with the May–June 2008 issue [Volume 20, Issue 3]. The Acting label was removed beginning with the January–February 2010 issue [Volume 22, Issue 1]. Steve has been a champion of continuing to retain a historical record of NASA science team meetings to maintain a chronology of advances made by different groups within the NASA Earth Science community. He was supportive of the Executive Editor’s efforts to create a series called “Perspectives on EOS,” which ran from 2008–2011 and told the stories of the early years of the EOS Program from the point of view of those who lived them. He also supported the development of articles to commemorate the 25th and 30th anniversary of The Earth Observer. Later, Steve helped guide the transition of the newsletter from a print publication – the November–December 2022 issue was the last printed issue – to fully online by July 2024, a few months after the publication’s 35th anniversary. The Earth Observer team will miss Steve’s keen insight, historical perspective, and encouragement that he has shown through his leadership for the past 85 issues of print and online publications.
A Career Recognized through Awards and Honors
Throughout his career, Steve has amassed numerous honors, including the Goddard William Nordberg Memorial Award for Earth Science in 2023 and the Verner E. Suomi Award from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in 2016. He was named an AMS Fellow that same year. He received two NASA Agency Honor Awards – the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2008 and the Exceptional Service Medal in 2015.
Steve received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Duke University and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively. He earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Arizona.
NASA, IBM’s ‘Hot’ New AI Model Unlocks Secrets of Sun
6 min read
NASA, IBM’s ‘Hot’ New AI Model Unlocks Secrets of Sun This image from June 20, 2013 shows the bright light of a solar flare and an eruption of solar material shooting through the sun’s atmosphere, called a prominence eruption. Shortly thereafter, this same region of the sun sent a coronal mass ejection out into space — a phenomenon which can cause magnetic storms that degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids on Earth. NASA’s new heliophysics AI foundation model, Surya, can help predict these storms. NASA/Goddard/SDOEditor’s Note: This article was updated Aug. 20, 2025, to correct the number of years of training data used and the model accuracy. The original article said the model was trained on 14 years of Solar Dynamics Observatory data and surpassed existing benchmarks by 15%; the model was actually trained on 9 years of data and surpassed existing benchmarks by 16%.
NASA is turning up the heat in solar science with the launch of the Surya Heliophysics Foundational Model, an artificial intelligence (AI) model trained on 9 years of observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Developed by NASA in partnership with IBM and others, Surya uses advances in AI to analyze vast amounts of solar data, helping scientists better understand solar eruptions and predict space weather that threatens satellites, power grids, and communication systems. The model can be used to provide early warnings to satellite operators and helps scientists predict how the Sun’s ultraviolet output affects Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Preliminary results show Surya is making strides in solar flare forecasting, a long-standing challenge in heliophysics. Surya, with its ability to generate visual predictions of solar flares two hours into the future, marks a major step towards the use of AI for operational space weather prediction. These initial results surpass existing benchmarks by 16%. By providing open access to the model on HuggingFace and the code on GitHub, NASA encourages the science and applications community to test and explore this AI model for innovative solutions that leverage the unique value of continuous, stable, long-duration datasets from the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Illustrations of Solar Dynamics Observatory solar imagery used for training Surya: Solar coronal ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and solar surface velocity and magnetic field maps from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). NASA/SDOThe model’s success builds directly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s long-term database. Launched in 2010, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has provided an unbroken, high-resolution record of the Sun for nearly 15 years through capturing images every 12 seconds in multiple wavelengths, plus precise magnetic field measurements. This stable, well-calibrated dataset, spanning an entire solar cycle, is uniquely suited for training AI models like Surya, enabling them to detect subtle patterns in solar behavior that shorter datasets would miss.
Surya’s strength lies in its foundation model architecture, which learns directly from raw solar data. Unlike traditional AI systems that require extensive labeling, Surya can adapt quickly to new tasks and applications. Applications include tracking active regions, forecasting flare activity, predicting solar wind speed, and integrating data from other observatories including the joint NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory mission and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.
“We are advancing data-driven science by embedding NASA’s deep scientific expertise into cutting-edge AI models,” said Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By developing a foundation model trained on NASA’s heliophysics data, we’re making it easier to analyze the complexities of the Sun’s behavior with unprecedented speed and precision. This model empowers broader understanding of how solar activity impacts critical systems and technologies that we all rely on here on Earth.”
These images compare the ground-truth data (right) with model output (center) for solar flares, which are the events behind most space weather. Surya’s prediction is very close to what happened in reality (right). These preliminary results suggest that Surya has learned enough solar physics to predict the structure and evolution of a solar flare by looking at its beginning phase. NASA/SDO/ODSI IMPACT AI TeamSolar storms pose significant risks to our technology-dependent society. Powerful solar events energize Earth’s ionosphere, resulting in substantial GPS errors or complete signal loss to satellite communications. They also pose risks to power grids, as geomagnetically induced currents from coronal mass ejections can overload transformers and trigger widespread outages.
In commercial aviation, solar flares can disrupt radio communications and navigation systems while exposing high-altitude flights to increased radiation. The stakes are even higher for human spaceflight. Astronauts bound for the Moon or Mars may need to depend on precise predictions to shelter from intense radiation during solar particle events.
The Sun’s influence extends to the growing number of low Earth orbit satellites, including those that deliver global high-speed internet. As solar activity intensifies, it heats Earth’s upper atmosphere, increasing drag that slows satellites, pulls them from orbit, and causes premature reentry. Satellite operators often struggle to forecast where and when solar flares might affect these satellites.
The “ground truth” solar activity is shown on the top row. The bottom row shows solar activity predicted by Surya. NASA/SDO/ODSI IMPACT AI Team“Our society is built on technologies that are highly susceptible to space weather,” said Joseph Westlake, Heliophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters. “Just as we use meteorology to forecast Earth’s weather, space weather forecasts predict the conditions and events in the space environment that can affect Earth and our technologies. Applying AI to data from our heliophysics missions is a vital step in increasing our space weather defense to protect astronauts and spacecraft, power grids and GPS, and many other systems that power our modern world.”
While Surya is designed to study the Sun, its architecture and methodology are adaptable across scientific domains. From planetary science to Earth observation, the project lays the foundational infrastructure for similar AI efforts in diverse domains.
Surya is part of a broader NASA push to develop open-access, AI-powered science tools. Both the model and training datasets are freely available online to researchers, educators, and students worldwide, lowering barriers to participation and sparking new discoveries.
The process for creating Surya. Foundation models enhance the utility of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory datasets and create a base for building new applications. NASA/ODSI IMPACT AI TeamSurya’s training was supported in part by the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-led initiative that provides researchers with access to advanced computing, datasets, and AI tools. The NAIRR Pilot brings together federal and industry resources, such as computing power from NVIDIA, to expand access to the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge AI research.
“This project shows how the NAIRR Pilot is uniting federal and industry AI resources to accelerate scientific breakthroughs,” said Katie Antypas, director of NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. “With support from NVIDIA and NSF, we’re not only enabling today’s research, we’re laying the groundwork for a national AI network to drive tomorrow’s discoveries.”
Surya is part of a larger effort championed and supported by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer and Heliophysics Division, the NSF , and partnering universities to advance NASA’s scientific missions through innovative data science and AI models. Surya’s AI architecture was jointly developed by the Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) under the Office of Data Science and Informatics at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; IBM; and a collaborative science team.
The science team, assembled by NASA Headquarters, consisted of experts from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas; the University of Alabama in Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama; the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colorado; Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia; Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey; NASA’s SMD’s Heliophysics Division; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California; and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
For a behind-the-scenes dive into Surya’s architecture, industry and academic collaborations, challenges behind developing the model, read the blog post on NASA’s Science Data Portal:
https://science.data.nasa.gov/features-events/inside-surya-solar-ai-model
For more information about NASA’s strategy of developing foundation models for science, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/artificial-intelligence-science
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NASA, IBM’s ‘Hot’ New AI Model Unlocks Secrets of Sun
6 min read
NASA, IBM’s ‘Hot’ New AI Model Unlocks Secrets of Sun This image from June 20, 2013 shows the bright light of a solar flare and an eruption of solar material shooting through the sun’s atmosphere, called a prominence eruption. Shortly thereafter, this same region of the sun sent a coronal mass ejection out into space — a phenomenon which can cause magnetic storms that degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids on Earth. NASA’s new heliophysics AI foundation model, Surya, can help predict these storms. NASA/Goddard/SDOEditor’s Note: This article was updated Aug. 20, 2025, to correct the number of years of training data used and the model accuracy. The original article said the model was trained on 14 years of Solar Dynamics Observatory data and surpassed existing benchmarks by 15%; the model was actually trained on 9 years of data and surpassed existing benchmarks by 16%.
NASA is turning up the heat in solar science with the launch of the Surya Heliophysics Foundational Model, an artificial intelligence (AI) model trained on 9 years of observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Developed by NASA in partnership with IBM and others, Surya uses advances in AI to analyze vast amounts of solar data, helping scientists better understand solar eruptions and predict space weather that threatens satellites, power grids, and communication systems. The model can be used to provide early warnings to satellite operators and helps scientists predict how the Sun’s ultraviolet output affects Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Preliminary results show Surya is making strides in solar flare forecasting, a long-standing challenge in heliophysics. Surya, with its ability to generate visual predictions of solar flares two hours into the future, marks a major step towards the use of AI for operational space weather prediction. These initial results surpass existing benchmarks by 16%. By providing open access to the model on HuggingFace and the code on GitHub, NASA encourages the science and applications community to test and explore this AI model for innovative solutions that leverage the unique value of continuous, stable, long-duration datasets from the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Illustrations of Solar Dynamics Observatory solar imagery used for training Surya: Solar coronal ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and solar surface velocity and magnetic field maps from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). NASA/SDOThe model’s success builds directly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s long-term database. Launched in 2010, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has provided an unbroken, high-resolution record of the Sun for nearly 15 years through capturing images every 12 seconds in multiple wavelengths, plus precise magnetic field measurements. This stable, well-calibrated dataset, spanning an entire solar cycle, is uniquely suited for training AI models like Surya, enabling them to detect subtle patterns in solar behavior that shorter datasets would miss.
Surya’s strength lies in its foundation model architecture, which learns directly from raw solar data. Unlike traditional AI systems that require extensive labeling, Surya can adapt quickly to new tasks and applications. Applications include tracking active regions, forecasting flare activity, predicting solar wind speed, and integrating data from other observatories including the joint NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory mission and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.
“We are advancing data-driven science by embedding NASA’s deep scientific expertise into cutting-edge AI models,” said Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By developing a foundation model trained on NASA’s heliophysics data, we’re making it easier to analyze the complexities of the Sun’s behavior with unprecedented speed and precision. This model empowers broader understanding of how solar activity impacts critical systems and technologies that we all rely on here on Earth.”
These images compare the ground-truth data (right) with model output (center) for solar flares, which are the events behind most space weather. Surya’s prediction is very close to what happened in reality (right). These preliminary results suggest that Surya has learned enough solar physics to predict the structure and evolution of a solar flare by looking at its beginning phase. NASA/SDO/ODSI IMPACT AI TeamSolar storms pose significant risks to our technology-dependent society. Powerful solar events energize Earth’s ionosphere, resulting in substantial GPS errors or complete signal loss to satellite communications. They also pose risks to power grids, as geomagnetically induced currents from coronal mass ejections can overload transformers and trigger widespread outages.
In commercial aviation, solar flares can disrupt radio communications and navigation systems while exposing high-altitude flights to increased radiation. The stakes are even higher for human spaceflight. Astronauts bound for the Moon or Mars may need to depend on precise predictions to shelter from intense radiation during solar particle events.
The Sun’s influence extends to the growing number of low Earth orbit satellites, including those that deliver global high-speed internet. As solar activity intensifies, it heats Earth’s upper atmosphere, increasing drag that slows satellites, pulls them from orbit, and causes premature reentry. Satellite operators often struggle to forecast where and when solar flares might affect these satellites.
The “ground truth” solar activity is shown on the top row. The bottom row shows solar activity predicted by Surya. NASA/SDO/ODSI IMPACT AI Team“Our society is built on technologies that are highly susceptible to space weather,” said Joseph Westlake, Heliophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters. “Just as we use meteorology to forecast Earth’s weather, space weather forecasts predict the conditions and events in the space environment that can affect Earth and our technologies. Applying AI to data from our heliophysics missions is a vital step in increasing our space weather defense to protect astronauts and spacecraft, power grids and GPS, and many other systems that power our modern world.”
While Surya is designed to study the Sun, its architecture and methodology are adaptable across scientific domains. From planetary science to Earth observation, the project lays the foundational infrastructure for similar AI efforts in diverse domains.
Surya is part of a broader NASA push to develop open-access, AI-powered science tools. Both the model and training datasets are freely available online to researchers, educators, and students worldwide, lowering barriers to participation and sparking new discoveries.
The process for creating Surya. Foundation models enhance the utility of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory datasets and create a base for building new applications. NASA/ODSI IMPACT AI TeamSurya’s training was supported in part by the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-led initiative that provides researchers with access to advanced computing, datasets, and AI tools. The NAIRR Pilot brings together federal and industry resources, such as computing power from NVIDIA, to expand access to the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge AI research.
“This project shows how the NAIRR Pilot is uniting federal and industry AI resources to accelerate scientific breakthroughs,” said Katie Antypas, director of NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. “With support from NVIDIA and NSF, we’re not only enabling today’s research, we’re laying the groundwork for a national AI network to drive tomorrow’s discoveries.”
Surya is part of a larger effort championed and supported by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer and Heliophysics Division, the NSF , and partnering universities to advance NASA’s scientific missions through innovative data science and AI models. Surya’s AI architecture was jointly developed by the Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) under the Office of Data Science and Informatics at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; IBM; and a collaborative science team.
The science team, assembled by NASA Headquarters, consisted of experts from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas; the University of Alabama in Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama; the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colorado; Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia; Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey; NASA’s SMD’s Heliophysics Division; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California; and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
For a behind-the-scenes dive into Surya’s architecture, industry and academic collaborations, challenges behind developing the model, read the blog post on NASA’s Science Data Portal:
https://science.data.nasa.gov/features-events/inside-surya-solar-ai-model
For more information about NASA’s strategy of developing foundation models for science, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/artificial-intelligence-science
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4634-4635: A Waiting Game
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4634-4635: A Waiting Game NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on Aug. 18, 2025 — Sol 4633, or Martian day 4,633 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 12:39:47 UTC. NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS Team Member, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Earth Planning Date: Monday, Aug. 18, 2025
The downlink data from our weekend activities arrived on Earth as we started planning this morning. As the APXS payload uplink and downlink lead, I assess the downlink data to ensure that our observations executed and that the instrument is healthy before we can proceed with the day’s activities. We also need that downlink data to assess which targets we can safely touch with Curiosity’s arm, to place APXS and MAHLI to analyze chemistry and closeup textures, respectively, as well as target for Mastcam and ChemCam, and plan the next drive. Because of the relatively late downlink, we all waited patiently for the necessary data to be processed before we could really start to plan in earnest.
It is always exciting to see our new parking spot and the view in front of the rover. Today was no exception. The drive executed as planned and we are on stable ground, which will enable us to unstow the arm for contact science with APXS and MAHLI.
We selected a representative bedrock patch (“Gil”) that was large enough and smooth enough to brush for dust removal, and to place APXS and MAHLI on. ChemCam will also analyze this target with LIBS, and Mastcam will capture a documentation image. The bedrock at this location is representative of an intermediate zone between the large resistant ridges and hollows that comprise the boxwork terrain that we are currently exploring. Mastcam will image the wall of a prominent resistant ridge that we are driving to (“Río Frío”), as well as a narrow, sand-filled trough (“Cusi Cusi”). The remote long-distance imaging capabilities of ChemCam will be used to look at the base of the Mishe Mokwa butte, off to the east.
Observations to monitor the atmosphere are also planned before we drive away from this location. They include a Navcam large dust-devil survey and suprahorizon movie, and a Mastcam tau observation to observe dust in the atmosphere. After the touch (and targeted science) part of this touch-and-go plan, the drive (go part) should take us about 36 meters (about 118 feet) to the wall of Río Frío. (see associated image).
After the drive, we will document the ground beneath the rover’s wheels with MARDI before some untargeted science. Mastcam will again image Río Frío in early morning light, trying to highlight structures and veins that might be present, and ChemCam will utilize their autonomous targeting capabilities to analyze a bedrock target in our new workspace. Two more atmospheric observations are also squeezed in before we hand over to the next plan: a Navcam cloud-altitude observation and line-of-sight scan.
Standard REMS, DAN and RAD activities round out this jam-packed plan. The downlink was well worth the wait!
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4634-4635: A Waiting Game
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4634-4635: A Waiting Game NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on Aug. 18, 2025 — Sol 4633, or Martian day 4,633 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 12:39:47 UTC. NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS Team Member, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Earth Planning Date: Monday, Aug. 18, 2025
The downlink data from our weekend activities arrived on Earth as we started planning this morning. As the APXS payload uplink and downlink lead, I assess the downlink data to ensure that our observations executed and that the instrument is healthy before we can proceed with the day’s activities. We also need that downlink data to assess which targets we can safely touch with Curiosity’s arm, to place APXS and MAHLI to analyze chemistry and closeup textures, respectively, as well as target for Mastcam and ChemCam, and plan the next drive. Because of the relatively late downlink, we all waited patiently for the necessary data to be processed before we could really start to plan in earnest.
It is always exciting to see our new parking spot and the view in front of the rover. Today was no exception. The drive executed as planned and we are on stable ground, which will enable us to unstow the arm for contact science with APXS and MAHLI.
We selected a representative bedrock patch (“Gil”) that was large enough and smooth enough to brush for dust removal, and to place APXS and MAHLI on. ChemCam will also analyze this target with LIBS, and Mastcam will capture a documentation image. The bedrock at this location is representative of an intermediate zone between the large resistant ridges and hollows that comprise the boxwork terrain that we are currently exploring. Mastcam will image the wall of a prominent resistant ridge that we are driving to (“Río Frío”), as well as a narrow, sand-filled trough (“Cusi Cusi”). The remote long-distance imaging capabilities of ChemCam will be used to look at the base of the Mishe Mokwa butte, off to the east.
Observations to monitor the atmosphere are also planned before we drive away from this location. They include a Navcam large dust-devil survey and suprahorizon movie, and a Mastcam tau observation to observe dust in the atmosphere. After the touch (and targeted science) part of this touch-and-go plan, the drive (go part) should take us about 36 meters (about 118 feet) to the wall of Río Frío. (see associated image).
After the drive, we will document the ground beneath the rover’s wheels with MARDI before some untargeted science. Mastcam will again image Río Frío in early morning light, trying to highlight structures and veins that might be present, and ChemCam will utilize their autonomous targeting capabilities to analyze a bedrock target in our new workspace. Two more atmospheric observations are also squeezed in before we hand over to the next plan: a Navcam cloud-altitude observation and line-of-sight scan.
Standard REMS, DAN and RAD activities round out this jam-packed plan. The downlink was well worth the wait!
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4631-4633: Radiant Ridge Revolution
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4631-4633: Radiant Ridge Revolution NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on Aug. 14, 2025 — Sol 4629, or Martian day 4,629 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 12:11:32 UTC. NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Remington Free, Operations Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 15, 2025
Today we uplinked a three-sol weekend plan with lots of exciting activities — to support both the science and engineering teams!
While usually our science activities take front and center stage, we often also do engineering maintenance activities as well to maintain the mechanisms and engineering health state of the rover. On Sol 4631, we planned a maintenance activity of our Battery Control Boards (BCBs) which are electronic control boards attached to the rover’s batteries and are what let us interact with the batteries as needed. This maintenance is done periodically to correct for any time drift on the BCBs, so we get as accurate of data as possible.
On this sol, we also did a dump of all of our parameters — these are essentially variables set onboard the rover which serve as inputs to a variety of functions. Occasionally we send a list of all these variables back down to the ground so we can verify they match as expected. We don’t want to have set a value and then forget about it!
We, of course, also did science activities on this sol. After completing our engineering activities, we started off with some remote science; this included Mastcam imaging and ChemCam measurements of several interesting targets. These were chosen in order to assess variability within the “Cerro Paranal” ridge within view, and to document any layering or fractures in the rock. We then completed several arm activities in order to get more information on these targets through the use of our APXS spectrometer.
On Sol 4632, we planned some remote atmospheric science, including a Navcam dust-devil survey, a Mastcam tau (measurement of the atmospheric opacity), APXS atmospheric observations, and more imaging of some of the ridge targets we looked at in the previous sol.
On Sol 4633, we continued with more science imaging, including a horizon movie using Navcam and a dust-devil movie, before proceeding into our drive. We planned a drive of about 19 meters (about 62 feet) to the south, along the eastern edge of Cerro Paranal. After the drive, it is then standard for us to take new imaging of our new location. We’re excited to get these science images back and to hear how the drive went when the team comes back on Monday!
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4631-4633: Radiant Ridge Revolution
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4631-4633: Radiant Ridge Revolution NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on Aug. 14, 2025 — Sol 4629, or Martian day 4,629 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 12:11:32 UTC. NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Remington Free, Operations Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 15, 2025
Today we uplinked a three-sol weekend plan with lots of exciting activities — to support both the science and engineering teams!
While usually our science activities take front and center stage, we often also do engineering maintenance activities as well to maintain the mechanisms and engineering health state of the rover. On Sol 4631, we planned a maintenance activity of our Battery Control Boards (BCBs) which are electronic control boards attached to the rover’s batteries and are what let us interact with the batteries as needed. This maintenance is done periodically to correct for any time drift on the BCBs, so we get as accurate of data as possible.
On this sol, we also did a dump of all of our parameters — these are essentially variables set onboard the rover which serve as inputs to a variety of functions. Occasionally we send a list of all these variables back down to the ground so we can verify they match as expected. We don’t want to have set a value and then forget about it!
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On Sol 4632, we planned some remote atmospheric science, including a Navcam dust-devil survey, a Mastcam tau (measurement of the atmospheric opacity), APXS atmospheric observations, and more imaging of some of the ridge targets we looked at in the previous sol.
On Sol 4633, we continued with more science imaging, including a horizon movie using Navcam and a dust-devil movie, before proceeding into our drive. We planned a drive of about 19 meters (about 62 feet) to the south, along the eastern edge of Cerro Paranal. After the drive, it is then standard for us to take new imaging of our new location. We’re excited to get these science images back and to hear how the drive went when the team comes back on Monday!
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Sun at the Center: Teacher Ambassadors Bring Heliophysics to Classrooms Nationwide
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Sun at the Center: Teacher Ambassadors Bring Heliophysics to Classrooms NationwideFor the fourth year in a row, the American Association of Physics Teachers, a collaborator on the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT), selected eight new educators to serve as ambassadors for heliophysics education. Meeting in Boulder, CO, from July 14-17, 2025, these teachers met to work through AAPT’s lessons that bring physics content to life in the context of NASA heliophysics missions and the Framework for Heliophysics Education.
The Ambassador program began in 2022 as an effort to identify highly-motivated secondary and tertiary educators who could encourage other educators to integrate NASA content into their teaching. The impact is clear – a handful of Ambassadors in the past few years have joined the program directly as a result of previous educators.
New Jersey high school physics and astronomy teacher Erin Bontempo first learned about the program at the spring meeting of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). She attended a workshop led by Hava Turkakin and Francesca Viale, 2023 and 2024 Ambassadors and community college faculty. In a 60-minute interactive session, Hava and Francesca shared brief snapshots of four of AAPT’s lessons, connecting heliophysics to topics traditionally taught in core science courses, such as motion, light, and magnetism.
Erin was intrigued by the lessons she saw: “When I began teaching astronomy eight years ago, I knew little about space. Ever since, I have been an avid student, constantly reading, researching, and in awe of the current NASA missions. I often look for courses to take to further my knowledge, and I feel like this is a perfect fit. When I attended the NSTA conference session on HEAT, it just clicked. The lessons that they brought using real data are the kind of exposure students need.”
Ultimately, Erin was invited to be an Ambassador herself, along with seven other educators, to take part in the summit experience in Boulder. In addition to learning about heliophysics with the AAPT leadership team, the group visited the National Space Weather Prediction Center to hear first-hand how NASA, NOAA, and various federal and international agencies work to understand and respond to our changing Sun.
Since the program began, 32 Ambassadors have been identified and participated in the multi-day professional learning experience, followed by a year of leadership and outreach to other educators. Beyond their own classrooms, they have reached educators across 36 local, state, and national events, holding extended workshops with nearly 500 other teachers.
In addition to AAPT’s lessons, the AAPT/NASA HEAT Resources webpage also provides the names and states for all ambassadors as well as the schedule and topics for the upcoming ‘Physics in an Astronomy Context’ series of free online mini-workshops being planned for the 2025 Fall semester.
NASA HEAT is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
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Sun at the Center: Teacher Ambassadors Bring Heliophysics to Classrooms Nationwide
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Sun at the Center: Teacher Ambassadors Bring Heliophysics to Classrooms NationwideFor the fourth year in a row, the American Association of Physics Teachers, a collaborator on the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT), selected eight new educators to serve as ambassadors for heliophysics education. Meeting in Boulder, CO, from July 14-17, 2025, these teachers met to work through AAPT’s lessons that bring physics content to life in the context of NASA heliophysics missions and the Framework for Heliophysics Education.
The Ambassador program began in 2022 as an effort to identify highly-motivated secondary and tertiary educators who could encourage other educators to integrate NASA content into their teaching. The impact is clear – a handful of Ambassadors in the past few years have joined the program directly as a result of previous educators.
New Jersey high school physics and astronomy teacher Erin Bontempo first learned about the program at the spring meeting of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). She attended a workshop led by Hava Turkakin and Francesca Viale, 2023 and 2024 Ambassadors and community college faculty. In a 60-minute interactive session, Hava and Francesca shared brief snapshots of four of AAPT’s lessons, connecting heliophysics to topics traditionally taught in core science courses, such as motion, light, and magnetism.
Erin was intrigued by the lessons she saw: “When I began teaching astronomy eight years ago, I knew little about space. Ever since, I have been an avid student, constantly reading, researching, and in awe of the current NASA missions. I often look for courses to take to further my knowledge, and I feel like this is a perfect fit. When I attended the NSTA conference session on HEAT, it just clicked. The lessons that they brought using real data are the kind of exposure students need.”
Ultimately, Erin was invited to be an Ambassador herself, along with seven other educators, to take part in the summit experience in Boulder. In addition to learning about heliophysics with the AAPT leadership team, the group visited the National Space Weather Prediction Center to hear first-hand how NASA, NOAA, and various federal and international agencies work to understand and respond to our changing Sun.
Since the program began, 32 Ambassadors have been identified and participated in the multi-day professional learning experience, followed by a year of leadership and outreach to other educators. Beyond their own classrooms, they have reached educators across 36 local, state, and national events, holding extended workshops with nearly 500 other teachers.
In addition to AAPT’s lessons, the AAPT/NASA HEAT Resources webpage also provides the names and states for all ambassadors as well as the schedule and topics for the upcoming ‘Physics in an Astronomy Context’ series of free online mini-workshops being planned for the 2025 Fall semester.
NASA HEAT is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
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NASA’s X-59 Nears First Flight
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the ramp at sunrise before ground tests at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, on July 18, 2025. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and the aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight later this year.Credit: Lockheed Martin CorporationAs we honor the legacy of aviation pioneers this National Aviation Day, NASA’s X-59 is preparing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in air travel. The quiet supersonic aircraft’s historic first flight is on the horizon, with final ground tests about to begin.
Following completion of low-speed taxi tests in July 2025 in Palmdale, California, medium- and high-speed taxi tests mark the final steps before the aircraft takes to the skies for the first time. The taxi tests will focus on how the aircraft handles at higher ground speeds, including braking, steering, stability, and sensor performance. The X-59 team will also assess how well the visibility systems work since the cockpit has no forward-facing window.
The X-59’s initial flight will kick off a first phase of flight testing focused on verifying the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety. The X-59 will reach speeds of approximately 240 mph at an altitude of about 12,000 feet. The roughly one-hour flight will depart from Palmdale and land at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
During the flight, the X-59 team will evaluate several critical systems, including engine performance, stabilization, instrumentation, autopilot, control systems, and air data performance. These checks will ensure the aircraft is ready for future flight tests, where it will fly faster and higher to evaluate performance and safety, ultimately leading to future phases of the mission.
The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight by reducing the loud sonic boom to a quieter “thump.” Proving the X-plane’s airworthiness is the first step on the path to gathering data in support of the mission. The flight data will help inform U.S. and international regulators as they consider new noise standards for supersonic commercial flight over land.
NASA test pilot Nils Larson lowers the canopy of the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft during ground tests at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, on July 18, 2025. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and the aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight later this year.Credit: Lockheed Martin Corporation Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactAmber Philman-Blair Related Terms Explore More 12 min read What is BioNutrients? Article 11 hours ago 5 min read National Aviation Day: Celebrating NASA’s Heritage While Charting Our Future Article 12 hours ago 5 min read NASA Invites You to Celebrate National Aviation Day 2025 Article 16 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAArmstrong Flight Research Center
Humans in Space
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What is BioNutrients?
A series of biology experiments, called BioNutrients, is testing ways to use microorganisms to produce nutrients – off Earth and on demand – that will be critical for human health in space.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Aug. 19, 2025, to clarify which BioNutrients experiments in the series are completed and adds new information about the upcoming experiment, BioNutrients-3.
In the future, NASA’s long-duration human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars will require minimizing the amounts of supplies launched, increasing reuse and recycling, and using local resources to make crucial products for crew during spaceflight. Certain supplies, such as vitamins, have a limited shelf life and are most effective freshly made. To meet these needs, NASA is developing technologies to biomanufacture valuable products on-demand.
Sailors might have avoided scurvy if NASA had been around in the age of exploration on the high seas. The condition is caused by a vitamin C deficiency, and many people died from spending months at sea without fresh fruits and vegetables. In the age of exploration into deep space, astronauts, too, will need a way to get the right nutrition. Planning new ways to supply food for a multi-year mission on the Moon or Mars may require making food and nutrients in space. NASA scientists are testing an early version of a potential solution: get microorganisms to produce vital nutrients so that, whenever they’re needed, astronauts can drink them down. The same kind of system designed for space also could help provide nutrition for people in remote areas of our planet.
Microbial Nutrient FactoriesWith an experiment called BioNutrients-1 – the first of a series of studies, that was launched to the International Space Station in April 2019 – astronauts aboard the orbiting lab helped test a new system over the course of nearly six years. BioNutrients-1 was developed by scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley using this strategy: take a safe organism already present in our food (in this case, baker’s yeast), modify it so that it produces an essential nutrient, and build the right hardware to let astronauts grow the yeast in space. Like tiny living factories, the microorganisms will go about making the desired product. The nutrients that the yeast will produce in this experiment are called beta carotene and zeaxanthin. These are antioxidants usually found in vegetables, and they’re critical for keeping our eyes healthy.
Although astronauts on the space station did not consume anything for the BioNutrients-1 experiment, they conducted multiple rounds of tests on the system. For each test, they added sterile water to a mixture of dehydrated yeast and its powdered food source, mixed well and kept the packets warm for 48 hours. Then, they froze the samples to be analyzed later, back on Earth. NASA scientists checked how the system performed, including how much yeast grew in the packets and how much nutrient the experiment produced.
The microorganisms at the heart of the BioNutrients-1 experiment and their powdered food source (shown here) are loaded into the hardware for spaceflight using sterile techniques. Astronauts on the International Space Station will help test the BioNutrients system’s ability to use yeast cells as tiny factories to produce essential nutrients for human health.NASA/Dominic Hart Essential (Nutrients) for ExplorationAn on-demand nutrient production system like this will be vital for human exploration, because it may not be possible to provide complete nutrition from stored foods during a multi-year mission. What’s more, even with a supply of nutritional supplements, many nutrients have a limited shelf life. Some things, like vitamins, also work better in their fresh form than in a processed tablet.
Space station crew members performed tests on different yeast types, periodically, over the course of the BioNutrients-1 experiment. This allowed scientists to check how long their specially engineered yeast stays good on the shelf and able to churn out fresh nutrients that humans will need to stay healthy in space.
NASA researchers John Hogan (left) and Kevin Sims (right) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley apply labels and inspect assembled nutrient production packs prior to the launch of BioNutrients-1 to the International Space Station. The tiny labels require precise alignment: the markings on them will help the crew know if they need to tighten the lid before rehydrating the microorganisms inside, ensuring they grow in sterile conditions.NASA/Dominic HartThe BioNutrients-1 system tested two types of yeast with different “lifestyles” in the nutrient-production packets. One makes spores as part of its lifecycle. Spores are a dormant form of microorganisms that are highly stable and radiation tolerant. The microorganisms must maintain viability when stored for long durations – potentially in the high-radiation deep space environment – so spores are likely the optimal form for storage. Yeast in this form should stay stable for at least five years, thereby providing a reasonable “shelf life” for use during long-term human exploration missions on the Moon or to the surface of Mars.
The other yeast species does not form spores; they flew as vegetative – or metabolically active – cells, which are expected to have a shorter shelf life than spores. However, scientists are interested in this type for other reasons. People are widely consuming this same yeast in the form of commercially available probiotic supplements. More yeast species, of this same “active” type, are available to scientists for potential use in future nutrient production systems, so understanding how they work could be important for the research.
As an additional part of the BioNutrients-1 investigation, the researchers studied the shelf life of other types of microorganisms – different from the two types of yeast tested in the production packs – to track how well the various organisms function during the planned five-year span in space, and what genetic features allow them to survive for the long haul. Samples of these specially prepared biomanufacturing and probiotic microorganisms were stored on the station and periodically returned to Earth for analysis. As of May 2025, some of the returned samples still show viability beyond five years.
Researchers Natalie Ball (left) and Hiromi Kagawa (right) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley assemble the BioNutrients-1 hardware in preparation for an experiment aboard the International Space Station. Kagawa is attaching a one-way valve that will be connected to a filter. When astronaut crew members inject water into the hardware through this filter, it will be sterilized before rehydrating the experiment’s microorganisms and allowing them to grow.NASA/Dominic Hart BioNutrients-2The BioNutrients-2 investigation launched to the space station in November 2022. This phase of the study built on early results from BioNutrients-1 and incorporated several new features. The overall goal was to test an on-demand system to produce specific amounts of key nutrients using minimal equipment.
BioNutrients-2 broadened the types of microorganism being tested. It used the same two yeast strains used in BioNutrients-1 and added four new types. This includes two microorganisms that produce yogurt, one that produces a fermented milk product known as kefir, and another type of yeast specially prepared to produce follistatin, a protein linked to maintaining muscle mass.
The entire range of microorganism types were tested in BioNutrients-2’s new hardware. The system uses lightweight, flexible bags – a form factor comparable to existing crew food products – rather than the rigid containers being tested for BioNutrients-1. This change reduced the mass and the volume of the system, offering advantages for long duration spaceflight when volume and mass are limited.
Two experiment runs were performed for each sample type: the first in January 2023, approximately 45-60 days after launch, and the second in May 2023, approximately six months after launch. During each run a crew member aboard the space station retrieved four bags of a given sample type, added water, agitated the bags to mix the contents, and placed the bags in an incubator to promote growth. At the end of the run, the crew removed the bags from the incubator and froze them. The bags were later returned to Earth, still frozen, for analysis.
View of the BioNutrients-3 packs containing growth media, engineered yeast, and water. These include a color-changing indicator that naturally occurs in red cabbage and allows a way to visually track fermentation progress. As the yogurt and kefir cultures ferment, the level of acid rises and the color seen in the mix changes from purple to pink. Here, a bag containing a purple-colored mix (left) is seen before growth, Another bag shows the pink colored mix after growth (right.) The board behind the bags provides a reference for the starting and ending colors.NASA/ Brandon Torres BioNutrients-3The BioNutrients-3 investigation is planned to launch to the space station in August 2025 aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-33 mission. This experiment builds on results from the BioNutrients-1 and BioNutrients-2 investigations and incorporates new food safety features.
This project aims to develop a platform biomanufacturing technology that demonstrates microbial production of targeted nutrients for long-duration space missions. The concept is similar to making familiar fermented foods, such as how milk – transformed by bacteria – becomes yogurt. But in this case, there is a focus on the production of very specific quantities and qualities of nutritious products using substantially less time and infrastructure than traditional crop-based production methods.
BioNutrients-3 uses production bags similar to BioNutrients-2, but larger in size to accommodate an increased sample volume needed for food safety testing. This study includes the same commercial yogurt and kefir starters used in BioNutrients-2 and adds yeast strains that have been bioengineered to produce multiple nutrients in a single bag.
Additionally, for BioNutrients-3, the growth substrate – the ingredients needed to sustain the microorganisms as they grow, including a color-changing indicator of the level of acidity in yogurt and kefir samples – is fully edible. Although crew will not be consuming BioNutrients-3 samples, eventually such products may be consumed by crew in future investigations.
This color-changing indicator of acidity naturally occurs in red cabbage. The indicator allows a way to visually track fermentation progress. As the yogurt and kefir cultures ferment, the level of acid rises, and the color seen in the mix changes from purple to pink.
As in previous BioNutrients experiments, station crew will add water to each production bag and agitate the bags to mix the contents. Crew will visually compare yogurt and kefir samples to a color reference scale before placing the bags into an incubator. Depending on the sample type, the incubation duration ranges from six to 48 hours with intermediate visual inspections and/or agitation time points.
After crew remove the bags from the incubator, they will perform additional steps on some of the samples including pasteurization to kill microorganisms in the sample using the space station galley’s food warmer and a demonstration of the feasibility of using a NASA sensor called “electronic nose” – E-Nose, for short. The sensor simulates an ultra-sensitive nose and can be used to detect pathogens. Additionally, crew will test a technique for culturing yogurt by using a bit of yogurt from a finished bag to seed a new batch, much like maintaining a sourdough bread starter.
After conclusion of operations, all samples will be frozen and returned to Earth for analysis.
Making Molecules and Medicines in Remote PlacesThis technology NASA is developing for future astronauts could also be used by people living in remote areas on Earth today. Results from the study will tell NASA scientists a lot about how to produce other molecules that will be critical for human health in space, including medicines for treating various ailments. Promising research is under way now to use microbes in a range of space applications. By developing microorganisms that can withstand long periods of inactivity and be revived successfully, BioNutrients is taking steps toward making that future a reality.
Milestones: BioNutrients-1- April 2019 – The BioNutrients-1 experiment launched to the space station aboard NASA’s Northrop Grumman 11th commercial resupply services (CRS-11) mission
- June 2019 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-17 mission.
- June 2019 – The first experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques.
- August 2019 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-18 mission.
- January 2020 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-19 mission.
- January 2020 – The second experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan.
- April 2020 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-20 mission.
- January 2021 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-21 mission.
- January 2021 – The third experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Shannon Walker.
- July 2021 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-22 mission.
- January 2022 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-24 mission.
- February 2022 – The fourth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn.
- August 2022 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-25 mission.
- January 2023 – The fifth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata.
- January 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- March 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission.
- June 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-28 mission.
- December 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-29 mission.
- January 2024 – The sixth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
- February 2025 – The seventh experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Suni Williams.
- November 2022 – The BioNutrients-2 experiment launched to the station aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- January 2023 – The first experiment run of BioNutrients-2 was completed by NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, and Frank Rubio.
- January 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- April 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-27 mission.
- May 2023 – The second experiment run of BioNutrients-2 was completed by NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg and UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi.
- June 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-28 mission.
BioNutrients was developed by NASA Ames. The Game Changing Development program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate manages the project, which is part of a larger synthetic biology portfolio. Additional support is provided by Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate as part of Exploration Capabilities. The project was previously funded by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems program within the Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate.
Learn more:- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Gears Up for Space Station Research (NASA story, July 2025)
- NASA Continues BioNutrients Space-Fermented Food Research (NASA featured image, March 2025)
- BioNutrients: A Five-Year Experiment in Space Nears Completion (NASA story, January 2024)
- JAXA Astronaut Koichi Wakata Performs BioNutrients-1 Run 5 (NASA Image Library, January 2023)
- Astronaut Josh Cassada works on the BioNutrients-2 investigation (NASA featured image, January 2023)
- Astronaut Nicole Mann works on the BioNutrients-2 investigation (NASA featured image, January 2023)
- Cutting-edge Experiments Ride SpaceX’s 26th CRS Mission to Space Station (NASA story, November 2022)
- A Fresh Take: NASA BioNutrients for Future Artemis Missions (NASA featured image, March 2022)
- NASA Astronaut Shannon Walker Performs BioNutrients-1 Run 3 (NASA Image Library, January 2021)
- A Space Traveler’s Recipe for Sweet Potato Pie? (NASA featured image, November 2019)
- BioNutrients-1 – International Space Station technical mission page
- BioNutrients-1 – Technical experiment page, NASA Ames Space Biosciences division
- BioNutrients-2 – International Space Station technical mission page
- BioNutrients-3 – International Space Station technical mission page
- Space Synthetic Biology (SynBio) project, technical page
Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
What is BioNutrients?
A series of biology experiments, called BioNutrients, is testing ways to use microorganisms to produce nutrients – off Earth and on demand – that will be critical for human health in space.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Aug. 19, 2025, to clarify which BioNutrients experiments in the series are completed and adds new information about the upcoming experiment, BioNutrients-3.
In the future, NASA’s long-duration human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars will require minimizing the amounts of supplies launched, increasing reuse and recycling, and using local resources to make crucial products for crew during spaceflight. Certain supplies, such as vitamins, have a limited shelf life and are most effective freshly made. To meet these needs, NASA is developing technologies to biomanufacture valuable products on-demand.
Sailors might have avoided scurvy if NASA had been around in the age of exploration on the high seas. The condition is caused by a vitamin C deficiency, and many people died from spending months at sea without fresh fruits and vegetables. In the age of exploration into deep space, astronauts, too, will need a way to get the right nutrition. Planning new ways to supply food for a multi-year mission on the Moon or Mars may require making food and nutrients in space. NASA scientists are testing an early version of a potential solution: get microorganisms to produce vital nutrients so that, whenever they’re needed, astronauts can drink them down. The same kind of system designed for space also could help provide nutrition for people in remote areas of our planet.
Microbial Nutrient FactoriesWith an experiment called BioNutrients-1 – the first of a series of studies, that was launched to the International Space Station in April 2019 – astronauts aboard the orbiting lab helped test a new system over the course of nearly six years. BioNutrients-1 was developed by scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley using this strategy: take a safe organism already present in our food (in this case, baker’s yeast), modify it so that it produces an essential nutrient, and build the right hardware to let astronauts grow the yeast in space. Like tiny living factories, the microorganisms will go about making the desired product. The nutrients that the yeast will produce in this experiment are called beta carotene and zeaxanthin. These are antioxidants usually found in vegetables, and they’re critical for keeping our eyes healthy.
Although astronauts on the space station did not consume anything for the BioNutrients-1 experiment, they conducted multiple rounds of tests on the system. For each test, they added sterile water to a mixture of dehydrated yeast and its powdered food source, mixed well and kept the packets warm for 48 hours. Then, they froze the samples to be analyzed later, back on Earth. NASA scientists checked how the system performed, including how much yeast grew in the packets and how much nutrient the experiment produced.
The microorganisms at the heart of the BioNutrients-1 experiment and their powdered food source (shown here) are loaded into the hardware for spaceflight using sterile techniques. Astronauts on the International Space Station will help test the BioNutrients system’s ability to use yeast cells as tiny factories to produce essential nutrients for human health.NASA/Dominic Hart Essential (Nutrients) for ExplorationAn on-demand nutrient production system like this will be vital for human exploration, because it may not be possible to provide complete nutrition from stored foods during a multi-year mission. What’s more, even with a supply of nutritional supplements, many nutrients have a limited shelf life. Some things, like vitamins, also work better in their fresh form than in a processed tablet.
Space station crew members performed tests on different yeast types, periodically, over the course of the BioNutrients-1 experiment. This allowed scientists to check how long their specially engineered yeast stays good on the shelf and able to churn out fresh nutrients that humans will need to stay healthy in space.
NASA researchers John Hogan (left) and Kevin Sims (right) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley apply labels and inspect assembled nutrient production packs prior to the launch of BioNutrients-1 to the International Space Station. The tiny labels require precise alignment: the markings on them will help the crew know if they need to tighten the lid before rehydrating the microorganisms inside, ensuring they grow in sterile conditions.NASA/Dominic HartThe BioNutrients-1 system tested two types of yeast with different “lifestyles” in the nutrient-production packets. One makes spores as part of its lifecycle. Spores are a dormant form of microorganisms that are highly stable and radiation tolerant. The microorganisms must maintain viability when stored for long durations – potentially in the high-radiation deep space environment – so spores are likely the optimal form for storage. Yeast in this form should stay stable for at least five years, thereby providing a reasonable “shelf life” for use during long-term human exploration missions on the Moon or to the surface of Mars.
The other yeast species does not form spores; they flew as vegetative – or metabolically active – cells, which are expected to have a shorter shelf life than spores. However, scientists are interested in this type for other reasons. People are widely consuming this same yeast in the form of commercially available probiotic supplements. More yeast species, of this same “active” type, are available to scientists for potential use in future nutrient production systems, so understanding how they work could be important for the research.
As an additional part of the BioNutrients-1 investigation, the researchers studied the shelf life of other types of microorganisms – different from the two types of yeast tested in the production packs – to track how well the various organisms function during the planned five-year span in space, and what genetic features allow them to survive for the long haul. Samples of these specially prepared biomanufacturing and probiotic microorganisms were stored on the station and periodically returned to Earth for analysis. As of May 2025, some of the returned samples still show viability beyond five years.
Researchers Natalie Ball (left) and Hiromi Kagawa (right) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley assemble the BioNutrients-1 hardware in preparation for an experiment aboard the International Space Station. Kagawa is attaching a one-way valve that will be connected to a filter. When astronaut crew members inject water into the hardware through this filter, it will be sterilized before rehydrating the experiment’s microorganisms and allowing them to grow.NASA/Dominic Hart BioNutrients-2The BioNutrients-2 investigation launched to the space station in November 2022. This phase of the study built on early results from BioNutrients-1 and incorporated several new features. The overall goal was to test an on-demand system to produce specific amounts of key nutrients using minimal equipment.
BioNutrients-2 broadened the types of microorganism being tested. It used the same two yeast strains used in BioNutrients-1 and added four new types. This includes two microorganisms that produce yogurt, one that produces a fermented milk product known as kefir, and another type of yeast specially prepared to produce follistatin, a protein linked to maintaining muscle mass.
The entire range of microorganism types were tested in BioNutrients-2’s new hardware. The system uses lightweight, flexible bags – a form factor comparable to existing crew food products – rather than the rigid containers being tested for BioNutrients-1. This change reduced the mass and the volume of the system, offering advantages for long duration spaceflight when volume and mass are limited.
Two experiment runs were performed for each sample type: the first in January 2023, approximately 45-60 days after launch, and the second in May 2023, approximately six months after launch. During each run a crew member aboard the space station retrieved four bags of a given sample type, added water, agitated the bags to mix the contents, and placed the bags in an incubator to promote growth. At the end of the run, the crew removed the bags from the incubator and froze them. The bags were later returned to Earth, still frozen, for analysis.
View of the BioNutrients-3 packs containing growth media, engineered yeast, and water. These include a color-changing indicator that naturally occurs in red cabbage and allows a way to visually track fermentation progress. As the yogurt and kefir cultures ferment, the level of acid rises and the color seen in the mix changes from purple to pink. Here, a bag containing a purple-colored mix (left) is seen before growth, Another bag shows the pink colored mix after growth (right.) The board behind the bags provides a reference for the starting and ending colors.NASA/ Brandon Torres BioNutrients-3The BioNutrients-3 investigation is planned to launch to the space station in August 2025 aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-33 mission. This experiment builds on results from the BioNutrients-1 and BioNutrients-2 investigations and incorporates new food safety features.
This project aims to develop a platform biomanufacturing technology that demonstrates microbial production of targeted nutrients for long-duration space missions. The concept is similar to making familiar fermented foods, such as how milk – transformed by bacteria – becomes yogurt. But in this case, there is a focus on the production of very specific quantities and qualities of nutritious products using substantially less time and infrastructure than traditional crop-based production methods.
BioNutrients-3 uses production bags similar to BioNutrients-2, but larger in size to accommodate an increased sample volume needed for food safety testing. This study includes the same commercial yogurt and kefir starters used in BioNutrients-2 and adds yeast strains that have been bioengineered to produce multiple nutrients in a single bag.
Additionally, for BioNutrients-3, the growth substrate – the ingredients needed to sustain the microorganisms as they grow, including a color-changing indicator of the level of acidity in yogurt and kefir samples – is fully edible. Although crew will not be consuming BioNutrients-3 samples, eventually such products may be consumed by crew in future investigations.
This color-changing indicator of acidity naturally occurs in red cabbage. The indicator allows a way to visually track fermentation progress. As the yogurt and kefir cultures ferment, the level of acid rises, and the color seen in the mix changes from purple to pink.
As in previous BioNutrients experiments, station crew will add water to each production bag and agitate the bags to mix the contents. Crew will visually compare yogurt and kefir samples to a color reference scale before placing the bags into an incubator. Depending on the sample type, the incubation duration ranges from six to 48 hours with intermediate visual inspections and/or agitation time points.
After crew remove the bags from the incubator, they will perform additional steps on some of the samples including pasteurization to kill microorganisms in the sample using the space station galley’s food warmer and a demonstration of the feasibility of using a NASA sensor called “electronic nose” – E-Nose, for short. The sensor simulates an ultra-sensitive nose and can be used to detect pathogens. Additionally, crew will test a technique for culturing yogurt by using a bit of yogurt from a finished bag to seed a new batch, much like maintaining a sourdough bread starter.
After conclusion of operations, all samples will be frozen and returned to Earth for analysis.
Making Molecules and Medicines in Remote PlacesThis technology NASA is developing for future astronauts could also be used by people living in remote areas on Earth today. Results from the study will tell NASA scientists a lot about how to produce other molecules that will be critical for human health in space, including medicines for treating various ailments. Promising research is under way now to use microbes in a range of space applications. By developing microorganisms that can withstand long periods of inactivity and be revived successfully, BioNutrients is taking steps toward making that future a reality.
Milestones: BioNutrients-1- April 2019 – The BioNutrients-1 experiment launched to the space station aboard NASA’s Northrop Grumman 11th commercial resupply services (CRS-11) mission
- June 2019 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-17 mission.
- June 2019 – The first experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques.
- August 2019 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-18 mission.
- January 2020 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-19 mission.
- January 2020 – The second experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan.
- April 2020 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-20 mission.
- January 2021 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-21 mission.
- January 2021 – The third experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Shannon Walker.
- July 2021 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-22 mission.
- January 2022 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-24 mission.
- February 2022 – The fourth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn.
- August 2022 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-25 mission.
- January 2023 – The fifth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata.
- January 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- March 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission.
- June 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-28 mission.
- December 2023 – BioNutrients-1 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-29 mission.
- January 2024 – The sixth experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
- February 2025 – The seventh experiment run of BioNutrients-1 packs in space was completed by NASA astronaut Suni Williams.
- November 2022 – The BioNutrients-2 experiment launched to the station aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- January 2023 – The first experiment run of BioNutrients-2 was completed by NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, and Frank Rubio.
- January 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-26 mission.
- April 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-27 mission.
- May 2023 – The second experiment run of BioNutrients-2 was completed by NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg and UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi.
- June 2023 – BioNutrients-2 samples returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-28 mission.
BioNutrients was developed by NASA Ames. The Game Changing Development program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate manages the project, which is part of a larger synthetic biology portfolio. Additional support is provided by Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate as part of Exploration Capabilities. The project was previously funded by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems program within the Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate.
Learn more:- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Gears Up for Space Station Research (NASA story, July 2025)
- NASA Continues BioNutrients Space-Fermented Food Research (NASA featured image, March 2025)
- BioNutrients: A Five-Year Experiment in Space Nears Completion (NASA story, January 2024)
- JAXA Astronaut Koichi Wakata Performs BioNutrients-1 Run 5 (NASA Image Library, January 2023)
- Astronaut Josh Cassada works on the BioNutrients-2 investigation (NASA featured image, January 2023)
- Astronaut Nicole Mann works on the BioNutrients-2 investigation (NASA featured image, January 2023)
- Cutting-edge Experiments Ride SpaceX’s 26th CRS Mission to Space Station (NASA story, November 2022)
- A Fresh Take: NASA BioNutrients for Future Artemis Missions (NASA featured image, March 2022)
- NASA Astronaut Shannon Walker Performs BioNutrients-1 Run 3 (NASA Image Library, January 2021)
- A Space Traveler’s Recipe for Sweet Potato Pie? (NASA featured image, November 2019)
- BioNutrients-1 – International Space Station technical mission page
- BioNutrients-1 – Technical experiment page, NASA Ames Space Biosciences division
- BioNutrients-2 – International Space Station technical mission page
- BioNutrients-3 – International Space Station technical mission page
- Space Synthetic Biology (SynBio) project, technical page
Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
NASA’s Psyche Captures Images of Earth, Moon
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Psyche captured images of Earth and our Moon from about 180 million miles (290 kilometers) away in July 2025, as it calibrated its imager instrument. When choosing targets for the imager testing, scientists look for bodies that shine with reflected sunlight, just as the asteroid Psyche does.NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUHeaded for a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, the Psyche spacecraft successfully calibrated its cameras by looking homeward.
On schedule for its 2029 arrival at the asteroid Psyche, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft recently looked back toward home and captured images of Earth and our Moon from about 180 million miles (290 million kilometers) away. The images were obtained during one of the mission team’s periodic checkouts of the spacecraft’s science instruments.
On July 20 and July 23, the spacecraft’s twin cameras captured multiple long-exposure (up to 10-second) pictures of the two bodies, which appear as dots sparkling with reflected sunlight amid a starfield in the constellation Aries.
Learn more about the multispectral imager aboard Psyche that will use a pair of identical cameras with filters and telescopic lenses to photograph the surface of the asteroid in different wavelengths of light. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUThe Psyche multispectral imager instrument comprises a pair of identical cameras equipped with filters and telescopic lenses to photograph the asteroid Psyche’s surface in different wavelengths of light. The color and shape of a planetary body’s spectrum can reveal details about what it’s made of. The Moon and the giant asteroid Vesta, for example, have similar kinds of “bumps and wiggles” in their spectra that scientists could potentially also detect at Psyche. Members of the mission’s science team are interested in Psyche because it will help them better understand the formation of rocky planets with metallic cores, including Earth.
When choosing targets for the imager testing and calibration, scientists look for bodies that shine with reflected sunlight, just as the asteroid Psyche does. They also look at objects that have a spectrum they’re familiar with, so they can compare previous telescopic or spacecraft data from those objects with what Psyche’s instruments observe. Earlier this year, Psyche turned its lenses toward Jupiter and Mars for calibration — each has a spectrum more reddish than the bluer tones of Earth. That checkout also proved a success.
The Psyche spacecraft is taking a spiral path around the solar system in order to get a boost from a Mars gravity assist in 2026. It will arrive at the asteroid Psyche in 2029. NASA/JPL-CaltechTo determine whether the imager’s performance is changing, scientists also compare data from the different tests. That way, when the spacecraft slips into orbit around Psyche, scientists can be sure that the instrument behaves as expected.
“After this, we may look at Saturn or Vesta to help us continue to test the imagers,” said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University in Tempe. “We’re sort of collecting solar system ‘trading cards’ from these different bodies and running them through our calibration pipeline to make sure we’re getting the right answers.”
Strong and SturdyThe imager wasn’t the only instrument that got a successful checkout in late July: The mission team also put the spacecraft’s magnetometer and the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer through a gamut of tests — something they do every six months.
“We are up and running, and everything is working well,” said Bob Mase, the mission’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We’re on target to fly by Mars in May 2026, and we are accomplishing all of our planned activities for cruise.”
That flyby is the spacecraft’s next big milestone, when it will use the Red Planet’s gravity as a slingshot to help the spacecraft get to the asteroid Psyche. That will mark Psyche’s first of two planned loops around the solar system and 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) since launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in October 2023.
More About PsycheThe Psyche mission is led by ASU. Lindy Elkins-Tanton of the University of California, Berkeley is the principal investigator.A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. ASU leads the operations of the imager instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego on the design, fabrication, and testing of the cameras.
Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service.
For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
Check out the Psyche spacecraft’s trajectory in 3D News Media ContactsGretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-287-4115
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2025-106
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NASA’s Psyche Captures Images of Earth, Moon
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Psyche captured images of Earth and our Moon from about 180 million miles (290 kilometers) away in July 2025, as it calibrated its imager instrument. When choosing targets for the imager testing, scientists look for bodies that shine with reflected sunlight, just as the asteroid Psyche does.NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUHeaded for a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, the Psyche spacecraft successfully calibrated its cameras by looking homeward.
On schedule for its 2029 arrival at the asteroid Psyche, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft recently looked back toward home and captured images of Earth and our Moon from about 180 million miles (290 million kilometers) away. The images were obtained during one of the mission team’s periodic checkouts of the spacecraft’s science instruments.
On July 20 and July 23, the spacecraft’s twin cameras captured multiple long-exposure (up to 10-second) pictures of the two bodies, which appear as dots sparkling with reflected sunlight amid a starfield in the constellation Aries.
Learn more about the multispectral imager aboard Psyche that will use a pair of identical cameras with filters and telescopic lenses to photograph the surface of the asteroid in different wavelengths of light. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUThe Psyche multispectral imager instrument comprises a pair of identical cameras equipped with filters and telescopic lenses to photograph the asteroid Psyche’s surface in different wavelengths of light. The color and shape of a planetary body’s spectrum can reveal details about what it’s made of. The Moon and the giant asteroid Vesta, for example, have similar kinds of “bumps and wiggles” in their spectra that scientists could potentially also detect at Psyche. Members of the mission’s science team are interested in Psyche because it will help them better understand the formation of rocky planets with metallic cores, including Earth.
When choosing targets for the imager testing and calibration, scientists look for bodies that shine with reflected sunlight, just as the asteroid Psyche does. They also look at objects that have a spectrum they’re familiar with, so they can compare previous telescopic or spacecraft data from those objects with what Psyche’s instruments observe. Earlier this year, Psyche turned its lenses toward Jupiter and Mars for calibration — each has a spectrum more reddish than the bluer tones of Earth. That checkout also proved a success.
The Psyche spacecraft is taking a spiral path around the solar system in order to get a boost from a Mars gravity assist in 2026. It will arrive at the asteroid Psyche in 2029. NASA/JPL-CaltechTo determine whether the imager’s performance is changing, scientists also compare data from the different tests. That way, when the spacecraft slips into orbit around Psyche, scientists can be sure that the instrument behaves as expected.
“After this, we may look at Saturn or Vesta to help us continue to test the imagers,” said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University in Tempe. “We’re sort of collecting solar system ‘trading cards’ from these different bodies and running them through our calibration pipeline to make sure we’re getting the right answers.”
Strong and SturdyThe imager wasn’t the only instrument that got a successful checkout in late July: The mission team also put the spacecraft’s magnetometer and the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer through a gamut of tests — something they do every six months.
“We are up and running, and everything is working well,” said Bob Mase, the mission’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We’re on target to fly by Mars in May 2026, and we are accomplishing all of our planned activities for cruise.”
That flyby is the spacecraft’s next big milestone, when it will use the Red Planet’s gravity as a slingshot to help the spacecraft get to the asteroid Psyche. That will mark Psyche’s first of two planned loops around the solar system and 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) since launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in October 2023.
More About PsycheThe Psyche mission is led by ASU. Lindy Elkins-Tanton of the University of California, Berkeley is the principal investigator.A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. ASU leads the operations of the imager instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego on the design, fabrication, and testing of the cameras.
Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service.
For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
Check out the Psyche spacecraft’s trajectory in 3D News Media ContactsGretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-287-4115
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2025-106
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Moonlight and Our Atmosphere
Moonlight and Our Atmosphere
The Moon’s light is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere in this April 13, 2025, photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited into a sunset 264 miles above the border between Bolivia and Brazil in South America.
Understanding the Moon helps us understand other planets, how they have evolved and the processes which have shaped their surfaces. It also helps us understand the influence the Moon has had on Earth, the record of the ancient Sun, and it serves as a platform to study the rest of the universe. By using the Moon as our closest testing ground for robotics and instrument systems, we can further human exploration to not only the Moon, but the rest of the solar system.
Through Artemis missions, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Image credit: NASA
Moonlight and Our Atmosphere
The Moon’s light is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere in this April 13, 2025, photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited into a sunset 264 miles above the border between Bolivia and Brazil in South America.
Understanding the Moon helps us understand other planets, how they have evolved and the processes which have shaped their surfaces. It also helps us understand the influence the Moon has had on Earth, the record of the ancient Sun, and it serves as a platform to study the rest of the universe. By using the Moon as our closest testing ground for robotics and instrument systems, we can further human exploration to not only the Moon, but the rest of the solar system.
Through Artemis missions, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Image credit: NASA
National Aviation Day: Celebrating NASA’s Heritage While Charting Our Future
As we observe National Aviation Day Tuesday – a tribute to Orville Wright’s birthday – let’s reflect on both America’s and NASA’s aviation heritage and share how we are pushing the boundaries of flight for the nation’s future. Modern NASA grew from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), an agency created by Congress in 1915 to advance U.S. aviation. When President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, NACA was dissolved and its people, laboratories and research programs became the foundation of NASA. These intrepid men and women are the cornerstone of the world’s most capable aerospace industry and their legacy lives on today across all facets of the agency.
The most significant aviation milestones in the twentieth century were achieved through both NASA and NACA research and through the courage of pioneering test pilots. In 1947, the joint NACA/U.S. Army Air Forces (later the U.S. Air Force, or USAF) developed Bell X‑1 flew faster than the speed of sound, shattering the mythical “sound barrier.” This breakthrough, enabled by NACA wind-tunnel data and high-speed aerodynamic expertise, made supersonic flight a reality and led directly to NACA Test Pilot Scott Crossfield being the first human to reach Mach 2, twice the speed of sound, in the Douglass DD558-II a mere six years later. During the X‑15 program of the 1960s, legendary NASA Test Pilots Joe Walker, John McKay, Neil Armstrong, Milt Thompson, and Bill Dana piloted nearly half of the program’s sorties and flew the rocket-powered research plane at altitudes up to 354,200 feet and speeds of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7).
The NASA/USAF-developed North American X‑15 became the world’s first reusable hypersonic aerospace vehicle, reaching space (above 50 miles altitude) on 11 separate missions; it provided essential data on materials, flight control and pilot physiology that helped shape the agency’s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. These milestones remind us that our nation’s accomplishments are the result of visionary NASA, Department of Defense, industry engineers, and test pilots working together to achieve audacious goals.
NASA’s commitment to aviation innovation did not stop with early experimental high-speed aircraft. In the 1990s, the U.S. general aviation industry faced a steep decline – production fell from 18,000 aircraft in 1978 to fewer than 1,000 in 1993. NASA saw an opportunity: we envisioned a Small Aircraft Transportation System in which safe, efficient general aviation planes could revitalize a critical industry. To enable that vision, NASA partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration, industry, universities, and non‑profits to create the Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) consortium in 1994. The AGATE consortium developed safer cockpit displays, crashworthiness improvements, efficient airfoils, and modern manufacturing techniques. These innovations transformed U.S. general aviation, helping spawn industry successes like the Cirrus SR20 and SR22 family of aircraft, which incorporate NASA-derived composite structures and safety features.
In 2004, NASA’s unmanned X‑43A Hyper-X broke world speed records for air‑breathing aircraft, flying at Mach 6.8 and later Mach 9.6. Those flights demonstrated practical scramjet propulsion and proved that hypersonic cruise flight is achievable.
Today, we are building on this legacy and pushing the envelope with the X-59. Later this year, NASA Test Pilot Nils Larson will usher in a new era of quiet supersonic flight when he pilots the X‑59 Quesst’s first flight out of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The experimental aircraft, designed to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound while producing only a gentle sonic “thump” instead of the traditional loud sonic boom, will provide data vital to achieving the vision in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order “Leading the World in Supersonic Flight.”
Hypersonics research is another pillar to our 21st‑century vision. Lessons from the X‑15, X‑43, and Space Shuttle inform our study of high-temperature materials, flight controls and propulsion. These technologies will not only bolster national security but will also spur the development of ultrafast civil transports, shrinking the world even further. We are also investing in 21st century propulsion, additive manufacturing, and autonomy for light aircraft while also developing advanced air traffic control systems. Partnering with U.S. aerospace industry and the FAA, we will bring true 21st century technology into light general aviation aircraft, ensuring America remains at the forefront of aviation innovation.
I am continually inspired by the ingenuity of our past and the promise of our future. Our roots in NACA remind us that a small group of dedicated men and women can change the world. From the Wright brothers’ pioneering work to the supersonic and hypersonic records set by NASA pilots and vehicles, we have consistently expanded the boundaries of what is possible in flight. Looking ahead, our pursuit of quiet supersonic aircraft, hypersonic technologies, and revitalized general aviation will keep the U.S. aviation industry strong and sustainable for decades to come. On National Aviation Day, we celebrate not only our history but also the teamwork and vision that will carry us into the next century of flight.
Higher, Farther, Faster!
Todd C. Ericson is a senior advisor to the NASA administrator for aerospace research and development
Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2025 EditorJennifer M. Dooren Related Terms
