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I Am Artemis: Kathleen Harmon
Listen to this audio excerpt from Kathleen Harmon, the Artemis II Mission Interface Manager for NASA’s Deep Space Network:
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Your browser does not support the audio element.Captivated by Apollo launches on her television as a child, Kathleen Harmon now plays a key role in NASA’s Artemis program.
Harmon serves as the Artemis II mission interface manager for NASA’s Deep Space Network, an international array of giant radio antennas which are used to communicate with spacecraft. Managed by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the Deep Space Network is the largest scientific telecommunications system in the world, supporting more than 40 missions exploring deep space. The network is also a key component of NASA’s Moon-bound Artemis missions.
Kathleen Harmon, Artemis II Mission Interface Manager for NASA’s Deep Space Network, in the Charles Elachi Mission Control Center at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.NASA/JPL-Caltech“If you’re in a car and you’re going somewhere and you don’t have GPS or a cellphone, you might get lost, or you might not be able to tell someone that you’re lost,” said Harmon, illustrating how the Deep Space Network “talks” to spacecraft. “The network provides that lifeline to spacecraft across the solar system, and even interstellar space, so that they can talk to Earth and send back amazing science data, images, and videos from Mars rovers, space telescopes, orbiters, and more.”
In her role as a mission interface manager, and with her background as a systems engineer and decades of experience with NASA, Harmon prepares missions for launch and operations. This role requires careful coordination and collaboration across international partners, as the Deep Space Network’s radio antennas are spread around the world. She was responsible for ensuring the Deep Space Network was prepared to support the Artemis II spacecraft before launch.
You could not get any of that information back without the network. It’s a critical asset that also lets spacecraft know where they are.Kathleen Harmon
Artemis II Mission Interface Manager for NASA's Deep Space Network
“The network has three complexes equally spaced around the world so, as the Earth rotates, one is always in view to communicate with spacecraft wherever they are in the solar system,” said Harmon.
At any given moment, the Deep Space Network complex that is currently experiencing daylight is “in control” of the entire network to ensure consistent spacecraft connectivity, an operational approach the network team calls “follow the Sun.”
While the network supports NASA’s return to the Moon, working in partnership with the Near Space Network, it will continue to maintain a close watch on NASA’s fleet of spacecraft at the Moon and beyond.
“We supported Artemis II 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the entire mission with two antennas — a prime and a backup,” Harmon said. She added that while the network was supporting Artemis II, it also communicated with robotic rovers and spacecraft throughout the solar system.
While Harmon’s work has supported missions from Juno to Voyager, her contributions to the Artemis program remind her of what first inspired her to join to NASA.
“I was a very small child when the Apollo missions happened,” said Harmon. “Apollo was my earliest memory.”
Just thinking that I can be part of not only the Apollo generation but now also the Artemis generation — it’s very exciting to bridge that gap. This is a Golden Age of exploration.Kathleen Harmon
Artemis II Mission Interface Manager for NASA's Deep Space Network
Share Details Last Updated May 12, 2026 EditorLauren LowContactLauren LowLocationJet Propulsion Laboratory Related Terms Explore More 3 min read I Am Artemis: Peter Rossoni Article 3 weeks ago 3 min read I Am Artemis: Erik Richards Article 2 months ago 5 min read Networks Keeping NASA’s Artemis II Mission Connected Article 3 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAI Am Artemis
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4886-4892: Ingenuity and Perseverance, Curiosity Style
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4886-4892: Ingenuity and Perseverance, Curiosity Style NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image showing an oblique view into the “Atacama” drill hole, where the rover’s drill was briefly lodged. Curiosity created the image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a close-up camera located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, and an onboard focusing process that merges multiple images of the same target at different focus positions, creating a composite that brings as many features into focus as possible. Curiosity performed the focus merge on May 6, 2026 — Sol 4887, or Martian day 4,887 of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission — at 01:39:34 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSWritten by Michelle Minitti, MAHLI Deputy Principal Investigator
Earth planning date: Friday, May 8, 2026
While we know the monikers Ingenuity and Perseverance are attached to our sister helicopter and rover on the Mars 2020 mission, those characteristics were in full force with Curiosity over the past week. The science we achieved this week was enabled by the ingenuity of the Curiosity engineers and scientists manifested in this extraordinary time lapse. It demonstrates the careful dance of arm motions employed — each one diligently planned by the team — to free Curiosity’s drill from the “Atacama” target. Watch the arm twist, bend, and turn with a rock slab attached, and be amazed.
The highest-priority activities after liberating the drill included imaging the drill with Mastcam and ChemCam RMI, and imaging into the now-empty drill hole with MAHLI (the image above). The science team made the most of the freshly-broken surfaces created when Atacama fell back to Mars, and the freshly-exposed sand once hidden underneath Atacama. ChemCam targeted one of the clean fracture faces with two LIBS rasters at “Tamarugal” and “Tamarugo,” and followed with another raster on a light-toned patch of bedrock formerly under Atacama at “Colchane.” MAHLI and APXS analyzed sand near Colchane at the target “Yerba Loca.” Beyond Atacama, Mastcam and ChemCam imaged the large buttes towering above our current and future drive paths. Mastcam also imaged two exposures of the polygonal fractures present in this area (targets “Cerro Elefantes” and “Azul Pampa”) and looked for wind-induced changes in the sand (“Playa los Metales”). ChemCam planned a passive spectroscopy observation of light-toned features on the “Paniri” butte and checked out a potential meteorite with a LIBS raster at “Isla Mocha.”
As engineering assessments continued, Curiosity drove uphill to study a contact between two different rock types, which can indicate a change in formation conditions, a break in time, or both. MAHLI, APXS, and ChemCam teamed up to study both rock types at the lighter-toned, layered “Toro” target and the darker, flaky “Inca de Oro” target. Mastcam planned multiple mosaics capturing different structures and transitions exposed along the contact. Across the plans during the week, REMS, RAD, and DAN regularly measured the environment above and below the rover, and Navcam and Mastcam teamed up to look for clouds, dust devils, and dust in the atmosphere.
With the health of the drill and arm confirmed by the engineers, Curiosity exhibited perseverance by heading toward a new workspace with a promising (larger) block for a new drill attempt. Our Martian exploration continues undaunted.
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NASA’s Curiosity Takes Close Look at Rock That Got Stuck on Drill
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this view of a rock nicknamed “Atacama” on May 6, 2026, the 4,877th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rock had gotten stuck to the drill on the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm on April 25. Engineers spent several days repositioning the arm and vibrating the drill to try and get the rock loose, finally detaching the rock on May 1.
Atacama is estimated to be 1.5 feet in diameter at its base and 6 inches thick. It would weigh roughly 28.6 pounds (13 kilograms) on Earth (and about a third of that on Mars). The circular hole produced by Curiosity’s drill is visible in the rock.
This mosaic is made up of eight images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth. The color has been approximately white-balanced to resemble how the scene would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
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Nicholas Houghton: Engineering Crew Safety for NASA’s Artemis Missions
Nicholas Houghton always dreamed of working at NASA and one day becoming an astronaut. Today, he helps design systems that keep crews safe during missions aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, including the successful Artemis II mission around the Moon.
Nicholas Houghton in NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System Spacesuit. I hope someday people look back at Artemis and marvel at the technological achievement and collective dedication that it took to carry out these missions, just like we do now for Apollo.Nicholas Houghton
Orion Crew Survival Systems Engineer
After joining NASA as a Pathways intern, Houghton later became a full-time engineer on the Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The OCSS team designs and certifies the orange pressure suits that were worn by astronauts inside Orion during Artemis II, along with the survival hardware integrated into each suit system.
Houghton manages key pieces of flight hardware that keep crew members safe during contingency scenarios before launch, in flight, and after landing, including the Orion Crew Survival Kits, Suit-Worn Survival Suite, and Life Preserver Units. He guides each system from design through testing and final certification to ensure it performs as required in flight.
Nicholas Houghton, left, and two other suited subjects participate in Human Vacuum Chamber Testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to help certify Orion’s environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) for Artemis II. The test lasts about 12 hours while fully suited.Like many complex engineering efforts at NASA, the work relies on close collaboration across disciplines. Houghton works alongside experts in electromagnetic interference, radiation, stress and loads, and materials to evaluate and refine each system. He also helps lead development of water survival and post-landing hardware, writing manufacturing and assembly procedures and troubleshooting issues during integration and testing.
Nicholas Houghton gives U.S. Navy medical personnel space suit training aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) during NASA Underway Recovery Test 12 in the Pacific Ocean, March 26, 2025.Beyond hardware development, Houghton prepares astronauts and recovery teams for real-world operations. He supports suit-up activities, helps train Department of Defense recovery forces, and participates in Underway Recovery Training alongside the U.S. Navy to rehearse post-splashdown operations.
Ground testing plays a critical role in that preparation. During these tests, systems are pushed to their limits to uncover potential issues before flight.
I have had my hardware fail during ground testing. It takes teamwork, quick thinking, technical understanding, and a willingness to dig into every detail to solve these kinds of problems.Nicholas Houghton
Orion Crew Survival Systems Engineer
Nicholas Houghton, right, supports crew suit-up operations during Underway Recovery Training 12, an end-to-end practice recovery run conducted at sea to prepare for Artemis II.Outside of his NASA career, Houghton gives back by volunteering as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. “Serving my community is something that I have always been passionate about,” he said. “I am thankful to have the opportunity to support those around me.”
About the AuthorSumer Loggins Share Details Last Updated May 11, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 3 min read I Am Artemis: Anton Kiriwas Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon Article 3 days ago 3 min read NASA Welcomes Paraguay as 67th Artemis Accords Signatory Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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NASA Invites Media to Annual Lunabotics Robotics Competition
NASA will hold its 2026 Lunabotics Challenge Tuesday, May 19, to Thursday, May 21, at the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Links to view the Lunabotics competition live can be found on the agency’s Lunabotics page. The competition is slated to run between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day.
Media are invited to attend the competition event on Wednesday, May 20, and should RSVP by 4 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 18, to the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
For this challenge, 50 college teams from across the country will convene to design, build, and operate their own lunar robot prototypes.
The teams’ self-driving rovers must be capable of building a berm, a protective barrier, from soil and other material simulating lunar regolith to safeguard Artemis infrastructure on the Moon. In space, such berms could protect equipment from debris during lunar landings and launches, shade cryogenic propellant tank farms, help shield a nuclear power plant from space radiation, and serve other purposes.
“The task of robotically building berm structures will be important for preparation and support of crewed lunar missions,” said Kurt Leucht, NASA software developer, In-Situ Resource Utilization researcher, and Lunabotics commentator located at Kennedy. “These competing teams are not only building critical engineering skills that will assist their future careers, but they are literally helping NASA prepare for our future Artemis missions to the Moon.”
NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge was established in 2010. As one of the agency’s Artemis Student Challenges, the competition is designed to engage and retain students in STEM fields by expanding opportunities for student research and design in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
For more competition information, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/lunabotics-challenge
–end–
Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
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amanda.griffin@nasa.gov
Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework – Optical Guidelines Documents Released
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Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework – Optical Guidelines Documents Released Released on April 26, 2026, the Optical Guidelines document provides specific guidelines for the mission quality assessment of optical sensors as part of the implementation of the generic Earth observation mission quality assessment for the optical domain.NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program, in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has released the Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework – Optical Guidelines.
Released on April 26, 2026, the Optical Guidelines document provides specific guidelines for the mission quality assessment of optical sensors as part of the implementation of the generic Earth Observation (EO) mission quality assessment for the optical domain. This document summarizes the goals of the Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework, reviews how optical mission quality is demonstrated through documentation, outlines guidelines for verifying that a mission’s data quality aligns with stated sensor performance, and provides appendices containing information on common radiometric and geometric calibration and validation practices.
“The release of these joint guidelines for EO data from optical missions both documents the rigorous standards we have for commercial data and bolsters the confidence of the user community in the CSDA’s commercial data acquisitions,” said CSDA Project Manager Dana Ostrenga. “By releasing this document to the public, we’re giving end-users the opportunity to review the approach for verifying whether the quality of commercial EO data is consistent with the stated performance of the mission.”
The Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework was produced as part of an ESA and NASA partnership supporting Earthnet Data Assessment Project (EDAP) and CSDA activities, the document details the methodology used to assess the quality of data from commercial satellite data providers. This framework provides standardized, transparent, and repeatable data quality assessment processes and outputs to support mission selection, data integration, and the trusted use of commercial EO data for science and applications. Furthermore, the agencies intend to update the guidelines in step with the evolution of the market and the advancement of Earth sciences and applications of EO data products.
About the Joint EO Mission Quality Assessment FrameworkThe expanding range of applications for EO data products and the availability of low-cost launch services have resulted in a growing number of commercial EO satellite systems. This growth in the marketplace has prompted space agencies like NASA, ESA, and others to explore the acquisition of commercial EO data products and their potential to complement the capabilities and services currently available for scientific and operational purposes.
To ensure that decisions regarding the acquisition of commercial data can be made with confidence, ESA, NASA, and other stakeholders agreed there was a need for an objective framework to assess the quality of data from commercial sources. To that end, ESA established the EDAP, which performs early assessments of EO mission data to evaluate their quality and the potential integration of these missions as third-party missions within ESA’s Earthnet program. The development of EDAP led to the Joint Earth Observation Mission Quality Assessment Framework, which was later customized for the different types of sensors used in atmospheric, synthetic aperture radar, thermal infrared, and now, optical EO missions.
This joint framework serves as the foundation for the CSDA program’s comprehensive evaluation process to ensure the quality of commercial EO data. The process focuses on assessing geometric and radiometric quality, validating data against trusted reference datasets, ensuring completeness and traceability of dataset documentation, and evaluating data accessibility and utility. Together, these rigorous evaluation efforts help build trust in commercial partnerships, ensure scientific integrity and interoperability, and foster innovation within the EO community.
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Hubble Survey Sets Up Roman’s Future Look Near Milky Way’s Center
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Hubble Survey Sets Up Roman’s Future Look Near Milky Way’s Center This VISTA VVV Survey image shows the galactic bulge near Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s center. A region planned for observation by NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is outlined. This area has been observed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Image: NASA, Alyssa Pagan (STScI); Acknowledgment: VISTA, Dante Minniti (UNAB), Ignacio Toledo (ALMA), Martin Kornmesser (ESO)The Milky Way’s galactic bulge, the bulbous region that surrounds the galactic center, contains a dense collection of stars, planets, and other free-floating objects. This region has been studied for decades with numerous ground-based and space-based telescopes, including NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. Soon, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be the first to make studying the galactic bulge a part of its core science objectives, building on the data collected from all observatories before it. Roman’s field of view will cover more area at a far faster cadence than previous space telescopes, allowing it to survey millions of stars and find thousands of new exoplanets.
To support Roman in characterizing numerous stars and planets, astronomers sought to use Hubble to observe many of the same areas of the galactic bulge that Roman will observe in its core Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey. By comparing Hubble data taken months or years earlier to new Roman data, astronomers will be better able to interpret Roman’s forthcoming observations. The Roman telescope team is targeting as soon as early September 2026 for launch.
“A top priority of our Hubble survey is to cover as much sky area as possible,” said Sean Terry, project lead and assistant research scientist from the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
A paper about the team’s work published May 11, 2026 in the Astrophysical Journal.
‘Small’ lenses, large discoveriesMany planetary systems within the Milky Way evolve much like our solar system did, beginning with the collapse of a cosmic gas cloud, the growth of a star, and the formation of surrounding planets. However, in some systems, different events can result in a planet being ejected from the system where it formed. Hundreds of these “rogue planets” will be detected by Roman’s Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey, in addition to previously unseen, isolated neutron stars, and even black holes with masses similar to our Sun.
This survey consists of six 72-day observing seasons during which Roman will take a snapshot every 12 minutes of a large portion of the bulge (approximately 1.7 square degrees of the region, or the area of 8.5 full moons). While it will detect a variety of targets, the survey is optimized to look for a specific type of event known as microlensing.
Microlensing events, a type of gravitational lensing event, occur when the light from a more distant object is warped by the mass of a closer object along the line of sight. These events occur on a much smaller scale than larger lensing events (on the order of individual stars instead of galaxies or galaxy clusters) and allow us to search for exoplanets between us and the densely packed stars within the galactic bulge.
“The great thing about microlensing is that we’ll be able to do a complete census of objects as small as Mars that are moving between us and these fields in the bulge, no matter what it is,” said co-author Jay Anderson of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
For Roman, from HubbleWhen a telescope observes a lensing object, such as a bright star, aligning with a star in the galactic bulge, it can be difficult for astronomers to decipher which of the two the starlight comes from. Therefore, timing is a key consideration. If astronomers can identify light sources separately before a microlensing event occurs, it becomes far easier to disentangle them.
To collect this pre-Roman data, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to conduct a large-scale survey, which began in the spring of 2025, covering much of the same area that Roman will observe in the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey. The size of this program is even larger than two previous surveys (each around 0.5 square degrees) that led to Hubble’s largest mosaic, that of our neighboring Andromeda galaxy, which took over 10 years to assemble.
“The main goal of these observations is to be able to identify objects that participate in lensing events during the Roman survey, catching them before they undergo the lensing event,” said Anderson. “When, in a couple of years, an event happens during Roman’s long stare at the field, we can go back and say, ‘This was a red star, this was a blue star, and the event happened when the red star went in front of the blue star.’”
The data from Hubble also will help shape the analysis of the lensing objects themselves. The microlensing event itself measures only a ratio of the masses of a host star and its planet. With data from stars before or after their microlensing events, however, scientists would be able to measure the stars’ individual masses, echoing the way Hubble previously determined the mass of a star and its planet in the Milky Way. This method turns a more opaque measurement of the relationship between a star and its planet into one far more certain.
“Instead of estimating a mass ratio of a planet that’s orbiting a star, we can say that we’re confident it’s a Saturn-mass planet orbiting a star that’s 0.8 solar masses, for example,” Terry said. “So with the help of precursor imaging from Hubble you can hope to get direct measurements of the masses as opposed to indirect mass ratios.”
Next leap in magnitudeWhile exoplanet discovery is a large part of Roman’s Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey, observing such a large area with Hubble also can help identify areas of extinction, dense pockets of dust and gas that absorb or scatter light, allowing us to create maps detailing where we can see stars and where we can’t.
Hubble’s survey also has provided the crucial beginning of a brand-new catalog of stars, which will help astronomers characterize the host stars of exoplanets discovered by Roman. The research team predicts Roman will add to Hubble’s star catalog by an order of magnitude.
“This Hubble survey will build a catalog of 20 to 30 million point sources,” said Terry. “But, by the end of the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey, Roman may measure about 200 to 300 million, and it will produce, essentially, some of the deepest images ever taken of any part of the sky.”
The data from the most recent Hubble survey is available in the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.
The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA Goddard manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA Goddard with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Melbourne, Florida; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
Related Images & Videos Hubble/Roman Galactic Bulge Survey Region (VISTA VVV Survey)This VISTA VVV Survey image shows the galactic bulge near Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s center. A region planned for observation by NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is outlined. This area has been observed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Microlensing Event at OGLE-2013-BLG-0341 (Hubble Image)
A follow-up observation by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows a region containing a microlensing event captured by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) in 2013. Hubble was able to separate the foreground lens from the background star.
Microlensing Infographic
This graphic illustrates a microlensing event, which occurs when the light from a distant object warps as a mass, such as a foreground star, precisely aligns in front of that object. This causes the more distant background star to increase in apparent brightness.
Zoom Into the Milky Way’s Galactic Bulge – Hubble/Roman Survey Regions
This video shows a zoom into the Milky Way’s galactic bulge near the galactic center. As it zooms in, the view changes from the near-infrared 2MASS survey to the VISTA VVV survey (both ground-based).
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
Matthew Brown, Christine Pulliam
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, Maryland
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NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir
NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir sits for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sept. 23, 2025. This photo was chosen as one of the 2025 NASA Photographer of the Year finalists.
Meir launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station in February 2026 with fellow NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Meir was selected by NASA in 2013. Prior to becoming an astronaut, her career as a scientist focused on the physiology of animals in extreme environments. Meir served as flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 61 and 62 and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
Image credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
NASA’s SpaceX 34th Commercial Resupply Mission Overview
NASA and SpaceX are targeting a mid-May launch to deliver scientific investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
Loaded with about 6,500 pounds of supplies, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will lift off aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following its arrival to the orbital complex, Dragon will dock autonomously to the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module.
Watch agency launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and NASA’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.
NASA’s SpaceX 34th commercial resupply mission will launch from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.NASAFor more than 25 years, the International Space Station has provided research capabilities used by scientists from more than 110 countries to conduct more than 4,000 experiments in microgravity. Research conducted aboard the station helps advance long-duration missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis program and to Mars, while providing multiple benefits to humanity.
Science highlights:In addition to cargo for the crew aboard the space station, Dragon will deliver several new science experiments, including:
ODYSSEY will evaluate how well Earth-based microgravity simulators recreate space conditions.NASAODYSSEY will evaluate how well Earth-based microgravity simulators recreate space conditions. Researchers will examine bacterial behavior in space and compares the results to experiments conducted in microgravity simulators on Earth.
STORIE will monitor charged particles in orbit around the Earth, which respond to space weather and can affect assets like power grids and satellites.NASASTORIE will monitor charged particles in orbit around the Earth, which respond to space weather and can affect assets like power grids and satellites. The instrument could help researchers gain knowledge to better predict and respond to these changes.
Laplace will study the movement and collision of dust particles in microgravity to understand particle motion in space.NASALaplace will study the movement and collision of dust particles in microgravity to understand particle motion in space. Researchers hope to learn more about Earth’s origins and provide fundamental understanding of how planets in our solar system and beyond came into existence.
Green Bone will observe how bone cells grow and develop in space on a bone scaffold made from wood. NASAGreen Bone will observe how bone cells grow and develop in space on a bone scaffold made from wood. Microgravity results could help researchers improve products that treat fragile bone conditions such as osteoporosis.
SPARK will evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space for future astronauts.NASASPARK will evaluate how red blood cells and the spleen change in space for future astronauts. Researchers will observe human samples and imagery taken before, during, and after spaceflight to identify ways to protect astronaut health during long-duration space missions.
Arrival and return: NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot will monitor the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station.NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot will monitor the spacecraft’s arrival. Dragon will remain docked to the orbiting laboratory for about a month before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, returning critical science and hardware to teams on Earth.
Cargo highlights: NASA’s SpaceX 34th commercial resupply mission will launch on the company’s Dragon spacecraft on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver research and supplies to the International Space Station LaunchEuropean Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device Power Cable – A replacement power cable is launching for installation on the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device.
Catalytic Reactor – A vital component of the Water Recovery and Management System, the catalytic reactor oxidizes volatile organics from wastewater that are removed by the Gas Separator and Ion Exchange Bed orbital replacement units. This part is launching to maintain on orbit sparing.
Universal Pretreat Concentrate Tank – This is a passive tank to provide alternate pretreat concentrate to the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) and Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC). Two units are launching to maintain this hardware, in tandem with Russian pretreat tanks currently used. A universal pretreat concentrate tank adapter will accompany the tanks to connect with the Russian hose.
Additional equipment launching includes an Ultraprobe to replace a worn ultrasonic inspection tool, a Remote Sensor Unit to restore spares for the station’s vibration monitoring system, and flexible repair patches for sealing the pressure hull if needed. The mission also will deliver an updated ARMADILLO (AOGA ReMediation, Advanced DeIonization and Limited Life Optimization) cartridge and hose assemblies to improve water processing for oxygen generation, along with a nitrogen recharge tank assembly to help maintain the station’s gas reserves.
ReturnWhen Dragon returns in mid‑June, it will bring back an ocular imaging device used to monitor crew eye health, a sorbent bed that filters trace contaminants from cabin air, and a separator pump from the Waste and Hygiene Compartment. The Advanced Plant Habitat, which supported long-duration plant biology studies, also will return for eventual museum display. A pressure management device that recovers vestibule air during depressurization will come back for repair and storage as a ground spare.
NASA’s Psyche Mission Captures Mars During Gravity Assist Approach
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’s Psyche Mission Captures Mars During Gravity Assist Approach
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This colorized image of Mars was captured by NASA’s Psyche mission on May 3, 2026, about 3 million miles (4.8 million kilometers) from the planet. The spacecraft is approaching the planet for a gravity assist on May 15 that will give it a boost in speed and adjust its trajectory toward asteroid Psyche for eventual arrival in 2029.
The spacecraft is approaching Mars from a high-phase angle, meaning that the planet appears only as a thin crescent, like our own crescent Moon seen around its new Moon phase. From this viewing geometry, the Sun is out of frame and “above” both Mars and Psyche.
Figure AFigure A is a zoomed-out view from the imager. No stars are visible in the background since they are much dimmer than the sunlight being reflected by Mars.
The observation was acquired by the multispectral imager instrument’s panchromatic or broadband filter, with an exposure time of just 2 milliseconds. Even with this very short exposure time, the crescent is extremely bright and parts of the image are oversaturated. The light seen here is sunlight reflected off the surface of Mars and also scattered by dust particles in its atmosphere. Because the quantity of dust in the atmosphere can vary rapidly over time, the anticipated brightness of the crescent was hard to predict before this early image was acquired.
The dustiness of Mars leads to sunlight being scattered by its atmosphere, making the crescent appear to extend farther around the planet than if it had no atmosphere (as with our Moon).Of note, on the right side of the extended crescent, there appears to be a gap, which coincides with the planet’s icy north polar cap. The cap is currently in winter and mission specialists hypothesize that seasonal clouds and hazes may be forming in that region, possibly blocking the atmospheric dust’s ability to scatter sunlight like it does elsewhere around the planet.
The Psyche mission’s imager team will be acquiring, processing, and interpreting similar images in the lead-up to the close approach on May 15. The images are primarily designed to calibrate the cameras and to characterize their performance in flight as a practice run for the approach to asteroid Psyche in 2029.
For more information about the Psyche mission, read: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
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I Am Artemis: Anton Kiriwas
Listen to this audio excerpt from Anton Kiriwas, senior technical integration manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program:
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Your browser does not support the audio element.When Anton Kiriwas first spotted an image of the Moon and Mars hanging over a job fair booth while in college, it captured his imagination, yet felt like a dream too distant to chase. He had no way of knowing that years later he would play a critical role in NASA’s Artemis missions, helping launch humans back to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.
Kiriwas’ journey to NASA began during the Space Shuttle Program, while he was working for United Launch Alliance, the same organization behind the memorable Moon and Mars booth that he passed by in college. Not long after, he joined NASA as a civil servant, designing electrical systems that set him on a path toward his current role with Exploration Ground Systems as senior technical integration manager. In simpler terms, Kiriwas is a problem solver.
My official title is way too long – what I do is pretty simple: I solve problems for the ground systems. Our goal is to process, launch, and recover the spacecraft. There are a lot of ground systems that are used to go do that and a lot of people involved. A big part of my job is to go solve all the problems that come.Anton Kiriwas
Senior Technical Integration Manager, Exploration Ground Systems Program
A core part of Kiriwas’s role is to serve as a launch project engineer. Strategically positioned at the integration console in the center of Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he acts as a bridge for the test management and engineering teams. Kiriwas, along with the other launch project engineers, reports directly to the launch director, making the final technical recommendation on any issues that may arise during launch countdown. From this seat, he works across all engineering disciplines, united under one mission: launch the spacecraft and crew safely.
Anton Kiriwas, senior technical integration manager and senior launch project engineer with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program participates in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. The simulations go through launch day scenarios to help launch team members test software and make adjustments if needed during countdown operations. NASA/Glenn BensonDespite the intensity of launch day, Kiriwas describes it can often feel easier than the hundreds of rehearsals and simulations leading up to it. The team trains rigorously, preparing for every scenario imaginable. The ideal day is smooth and uneventful, but when it’s not, he and the team are ready.
I’m in my element when there is a problem.Anton Kiriwas
Senior Technical Integration Manager, Exploration Ground Systems Program
When an issue arises, Kiriwas and his team begin asking the basic questions: ‘What are the requirements? Which systems are affected? Who needs to be involved?’ He pulls the technical community together to work through the situation, come up with any troubleshooting, and ultimately give the recommendation for a “go” or “no-go” for launch. It takes clarity, experience, and discipline, especially in moments when excitement is running high.
“There is adrenaline to get to launch, but you want to be careful to never let that turn into ‘launch fever,’” said Kiriwas. “We need to launch exactly when we’re ready and not a moment before.”
Anton Kiriwas, a launch project engineer for the Artemis I mission, monitors operations from his position in Firing Room 1 as Artemis teams conduct a launch simulation for the Artemis I launch inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 27, 2022. NASA/Ben SmegelskyWith Artemis II complete, Kiriwas continues applying his problem‑solving expertise, analyzing lessons learned, and shaping future mission requirements. Artemis III hardware is currently being processed at NASA Kennedy, and the teams are carefully preparing the next steps of NASA’s return to the lunar surface.
“There’s a million little pieces that go into this, and I get to be a part of it,” said Kiriwas.
About the AuthorLaura SasaninejadStrategic Communications Specialist Share Details Last Updated May 08, 2026 EditorJason CostaLocationKennedy Space Center Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Nicholas Houghton: Engineering Crew Safety for NASA’s Artemis Missions Article 3 hours ago 4 min read NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon Article 3 days ago 3 min read NASA Welcomes Paraguay as 67th Artemis Accords Signatory Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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NASA, Industry Advance High Performance Spaceflight Computing
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) High Performance Spaceflight Computing System on ChipNASA/Ryan LannomFor decades, NASA has advanced on-board spacecraft computer processors that coordinate and execute the functions needed to support mission success.
Space computing originated in the 1960s with the Apollo Guidance Computers, which were pivotal for guidance, navigation, and control computations during NASA’s first Moon missions. For decades, radiation-hardened processors have been the backbone of the agency’s space exploration missions.
NASA has landed computers on other planets and operated them for years in extreme conditions, as demonstrated by the Mars rovers. These computer processors have also powered several NASA orbiters, capsules, and space telescopes.
While legacy processors have enabled some of NASA’s greatest achievements, the next generation of space missions will increase in complexity and length, which will benefit from greater computing power, autonomy, and resilience. To meet the needs of this challenge, NASA and industry leader Microchip Technology Inc. entered a public, private partnership combining agency and commercial investments to develop a new solution: High-Performance Spaceflight Computing.
Advanced ComputingThe High-Performance Spaceflight Computing project is a next-generation system-on-chip that delivers over 100 times the computing capability of current space processors. By integrating computing and networking into a single device, this technology significantly reduces system cost and power consumption. Its scalable architecture allows unused functions to power down, optimizing energy efficiency for critical operations.
The High-Performance Spaceflight Computing family of processors includes multiple distinct but compatible technologies for scalable mission needs. The radiation-hardened version of the processor is built for geosynchronous, deep-space, and long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, capable of operating in harsh environments while supporting real-time autonomous tasks. Tailored for the commercial space sector, the radiation-tolerant version of the processor provides fault tolerance and cybersecurity for low Earth orbit satellites.
High Performance Spaceflight Computing System on ChipNASA/Ryan LannomUsing advanced Ethernet to connect multiple sensors or cluster several chips, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing technology allows spacecraft to process massive amounts of data onboard and autonomously make real-time decisions, such as driving rovers at high speeds or filtering scientific images. Continuous system health monitoring and an integrated security controller ensure these complex operations remain safe and reliable.
Computing power for Golden Age of ExplorationThe High-Performance Spaceflight Computing technology is a nationwide, public-private development effort anchored by NASA, Microchip, and a broad ecosystem of academic and industry partners. This collaboration reinforces U.S. leadership in spaceflight computing, strengthens supply chain resilience and security, stimulates regional economies, and drives innovation and high-tech workforce development across the nation.
This new technology has the potential for use on all future space missions, but unlike traditional space-specific chips, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing has a design platform for other Earth-based uses.
Adopting the same high-performance computing, network switching, high-reliability and cybersecurity technologies, the company’s processors enable mission-critical edge computing for Earth-based industries such as automotive, aviation, consumer electronics, industrial systems, and aerospace. These potential applications include drones, energy grids, medical equipment, communication services, artificial intelligence, and data transmission.
By leveraging a common technology base across space and terrestrial markets, High-Performance Spaceflight Computing helps strengthen domestic industrial capabilities and reduce risk and cost for both government and commercial users.
The Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development program based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory led the end-to-end maturation of NASA’s High-Performance Spaceflight Computing by developing mission requirements, funding competitive industry studies, selecting and contracting with Microchip, and guiding the project through design reviews and the project life cycle to delivery.
To learn more about these chips, visit:
By: Jessica Jelke
Explore More 3 min read NASA Developing AI to Steer Using Landmarks – On the MoonA NASA engineer is teaching an AI machine to use features on the Moon’s horizon…
Article 3 years ago 3 min read NASA to Test Solution for Radiation-Tolerant Computing in Space Article 1 year ago 2 min read NASA Ames to Host Supercomputing Resources for UC Berkeley Researchers Article 2 years ago Share Details Last Updated May 08, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related TermsGlowing Views from the Space Station
NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured the Milky Way rising above Earth’s atmospheric glow on April 13, 2026, while aboard a SpaceX Dragon docked to the International Space Station.
This atmospheric glow is also called airglow. It occurs when atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Alternatively, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light — called a photon — in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation.
Image credit: NASA/Chris Williams
NASA Names Brian Hughes to Launch Operations Role
NASA announced Friday that Brian Hughes will return to the agency as senior director of launch operations, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In this role, Hughes will provide enterprise-level leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for NASA’s launch infrastructure.
Reporting to NASA Headquarters in Washington, Hughes will have direct responsibility for launch operations at NASA Kennedy, as well as the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. He will work across government, industry, and local leadership to strengthen coordination among stakeholders supporting NASA’s spaceports, enable increased launch cadence, and support execution of the President’s National Space Policy to ensure continued American leadership in space.
“Brian brings a unique combination of operational expertise, strategic leadership, and public service experience at the highest levels of government,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “His track record leading complex organizations and executing high-stakes missions makes him exceptionally well-suited to help shape the future of NASA’s launch operations as we accelerate into a new era of exploration and innovation.”
Most recently, Hughes served as NASA’s chief of staff, where he helped drive agencywide priorities and decision-making. Prior to NASA, he served as deputy national security advisor for Strategic Communications at the White House, helping shape policy and communications on national security matters.
Hughes also served as chief administrative officer for the City of Jacksonville, overseeing a workforce of more than 7,000 employees and managing a multi-billion-dollar budget across public safety, infrastructure, and emergency management operations. Earlier in his career, he served as chief of staff to former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and as chief executive officer of the Downtown Investment Authority, leading economic development initiatives across the city.
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Hughes served as a KC-135 aircrew member during operations over the Middle East in support of the Gulf War.
His return comes as NASA continues advancing a growing portfolio of civil, commercial, and national security launch activities across its spaceport infrastructure.
Learn more about NASA’s mission at:
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bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / george.a.alderman@nasa.gov
NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon
With a small blue crane, four researchers hoist a cylindrical fuel cell, which looks like a stack of flattened silver and gold soda cans bundled together, into the air and lower it into a rectangular cart on wheels. A tangle of tubes and wires spiral away from the system, where nearly 270 sensors and 1,000 components are nestled inside.
“It’s a behemoth; it’s a researcher’s dream,” said Dr. Kerrigan Cain, lead engineer for the team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland preparing to test this technology, known as a regenerative fuel cell system, over the next few months.
The system, about as long as a sedan and as tall as a person, operates like a rechargeable battery and could revolutionize the way NASA stores energy during future Moon missions through the Artemis program. When power is needed, it’s designed to combine hydrogen and oxygen gas into water, heat, and electricity, and then “recharge” by splitting the water back into hydrogen and oxygen — all on the lunar surface.
“It is an ideal technology for habitats, exploration with rovers, and many of the systems that are envisioned under Artemis,” Cain said. “Developing a sustainable, long-term human presence on the Moon requires power and energy storage solutions that fit those needs. Regenerative fuel cells fit into that puzzle perfectly.”
From left to right, Dr. Kerrigan Cain, Jessica Cashman, Dr. Devon Powers, and Ryan Grotenrath install a fuel cell onto the regenerative fuel cell system inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026. NASA/Jef JanisThis technology can weigh less but store the same amount of energy as comparable battery systems and could even operate during cold, dark, nearly two-week-long lunar nights. Its recharging capability also would ensure astronauts make the most of their resources and energy on the lunar surface without needing new supplies delivered from Earth.
The upcoming tests are the culmination of over five years of work. The system was designed and assembled at NASA Glenn. Researchers completed initial testing in 2025 to understand the basics of how the technology functions and make modifications.
Now, the team is passing a major milestone as they get ready to operate the complete system, storing the hydrogen and oxygen gas generated during recharge for the first time. They hope to gather essential data, identify any additional challenges, and further advance the technology toward a lunar mission.
On an average test day, researchers will secure the thick double doors to the test cell where the system is located in NASA Glenn’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory, head to a nearby control room, and begin to run the system remotely. Once it is powered up and a test has started, the technology can operate on its own without researcher intervention.
From left to right, Jessica Cashman, Dr. Kerrigan Cain, Dr. Mathew McCaskey, and Dr. Devon Powers discuss operation of the regenerative fuel cell system inside the control room of NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026. NASA/Jef Janis“This testing is going to generate crucial data, so every day is exciting,” Cain said. “This effort was made possible by countless hours of work. The desire for fuel cell technology is so high, it makes it very easy to get up every morning and go, ‘All right, we have to keep moving forward so that we can be ready for Artemis.’”
Researchers will use lessons learned from testing to continue advancing regenerative fuel cell technology. Before the system can launch to the Moon, researchers will put it through its paces outside of the lab.
“We want to simulate being on the lunar surface and prove the system can work under much harsher conditions compared to a controlled laboratory environment,” Cain said.
Cain and his team noted working on the complex regenerative fuel cell system is both rewarding and challenging as they consider the impacts their research could have on NASA’s future deep space missions.
“Creating a sustainable presence on the Moon is a team effort requiring a lot of collaboration between NASA and industry,” Cain said.
NASA’s Regenerative Fuel Cell project is funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development Program, managed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
From left to right: Jessica Cashman, Dr. Kerrigan Cain, and Dr. Devon Powers work with the regenerative fuel cell system inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026.NASA/Jef Janis Ryan Grotenrath adjusts components of the regenerative fuel cell system inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026.NASA/Jef Janis Dr. Devon Powers adjusts components of the regenerative fuel cell system inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026.NASA/Jef Janis Researchers work with the regenerative fuel cell system inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026.NASA/Jef Janis The regenerative fuel cell system seen inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory in Cleveland on Feb. 23, 2026.NASA/Jef JanisTracy Arm’s Post-Tsunami Landscape
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Meet the Fleet: NASA Armstrong Continues Legacy of Flight Research
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 research aircraft serving as chase.NASA/Jim RossNASA’s home for experimental flight is welcoming more flyers to its already high-performing fleet as it continues to support science and aeronautics test missions – continuing the legacy of pioneers like Neil Armstrong.
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, added multiple aircraft this year: two F-15s supersonic jets, a Pilatus PC-12 utility plane, and a T-34 turboprop trainer, which the center will use to support the agency’s advancement of aerospace research.
Throughout the center’s history, pilots have flown everything from large aircraft like the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and rocket-powered airplanes like the X-15 to high-speed repurposed fighter jets like the F-18. And after almost 80 years, flight research is still going strong in the desert today.
“Armstrong has a rich history of flight research, but it’s the multidimensional skills of the people we have here, and the knowledge they’ve built to handle very unique aircraft maintenance and modifications, that stands out,” said Darren Cole, capabilities manager for the Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project at NASA Armstrong.
Armstrong has a rich history of flight research, but it’s the multidimensional skills of the people we have here … that stands out.Darren Cole
Capabilities Manager at NASA Armstrong
The center plays a pivotal role in worldwide airborne science missions, flying scientists and equipment from NASA, other government agencies, industry, and academia to collect measurements such as air pollution levels, glacier melt trends, and wildland fire mapping.
Scientists can manage experiments in real time aboard flying laboratories like the NASA ER-2, to collect important data with the help of Armstrong’s pilots and airborne science team.
“We all come together to make the science happen,” said Matt Berry, airborne research platforms branch chief at NASA Armstrong. “It is the agility of the Armstrong team that allows us to collaborate with scientists, get their equipment onboard, and to fly them to areas where they need to collect data.”
The center sits on Rogers Dry Lake, a 44-square-mile slat flat area used for aviation research and test operations. Rogers and the adjacent Rosamond Dry Lake have seen everything from space shuttle landings to emergency test flight recoveries. The Rogers lakebed continues to serve as an important piece of Armstrong’s test missions.
For NASA Armstrong, it all started with the first attempt by a human to fly faster than the speed of sound in the Bell X-1. In 1946, 13 employees from NASA’s predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), arrived at what was then known as Muroc Army Airfield to prepare for the X-1 tests. A year later, NACA’s Muroc Flight Test Unit was established as a permanent facility at the airfield.
The center has gone by several names over the years, most recently changing from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center to NASA Armstrong in 2014. But its legacy has never shifted: The Bell X-1E, the last of the X-1 series of aircraft, now sits in front of NASA Armstrong, welcoming the newest test pilots, engineers, scientists, explorers, and dreamers. And they’re using the aircraft of today to break new barriers.
“I don’t think there is another place in the world with a more diverse fleet of aircraft. We have everything from a low-altitude powered glider to ER-2s, which are flying at high altitudes, and a multitude of aircraft in between,” Cole said.
From sourcing rare components to machining custom parts in-house, NASA Armstrong’s teams transform these aircraft into research workhorses. The center continues its crucial role in leading aeronautics testing, Earth science research, and supporting government and industry partners.
Learn more about aircraft flown at NASA Armstrong Share Details Last Updated May 07, 2026 EditorDede DiniusContactTeresa Whitingteresa.whiting@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read Cornell Students Aid NASA with Drone Safety in Sky Article 2 days ago 3 min read NASA’s Dryden Aeronautical Test Range Supports Flight, Space Missions Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA Fosters Development of Lunar Resource-Seeking Technologies Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASANASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
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NASA Welcomes Paraguay as 67th Artemis Accords Signatory
The Republic of Paraguay signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony in Asunción, becoming the latest nation to commit to the shared principles guiding civil space exploration.
“Today, I am proud to welcome Paraguay as the 67th signatory to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “They join an ever-growing coalition of like-minded nations committed to the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration of space. Established by President Trump in his first term, the Artemis Accords provided the principles for how we explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Now, with his national space policy, we are putting the Artemis Accords into practice with our Moon Base. We are creating opportunities for all Artemis Accords signatories, including Paraguay, to join us on the lunar surface and advance our shared objectives in this next era of exploration.”
U.S. Embassy Asunción Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Aaron Pratt shared Isaacman’s remarks during the ceremony. Minister President of the Paraguayan Space Agency Osvaldo Almirón Riveros signed on behalf of Paraguay.
“The signing of the Artemis Accords represents a historic milestone for Paraguay and reflects our commitment to international cooperation, the peaceful use of outer space, scientific development, and the advancement of national space capabilities,” said Almirón Riveros. “This step strengthens Paraguay’s position within the global space community and opens new opportunities for research, innovation, and sustainable development.”
The Paraguayan Space Agency was established in 2014 and has worked to develop capabilities in satellite technology and Earth observation, including with international partners. Its first satellite, GuaraníSat‑1, launched from the International Space Station in 2021. The agency now is preparing to launch its second satellite, GuaraníSat‑2, in October aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission was developed with collaborators from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other partners.
In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all.
More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
For more information about the Artemis Accords, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
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