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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4961-4967: Approaching a Break in the Rock Record?
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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4961-4967: Approaching a Break in the Rock Record? NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image showing distant light-colored rocks sitting directly underneath dark-colored rocks, a possible “erosional supersurface” — a geologic term that describes places where layers of sediment have been stripped away by wind or water at a regional scale before newer layers are deposited atop them, marking a break in the rock record. Curiosity captured the image using its Left Navigation Camera on July 23, 2026 — Sol 4963, or Martian day 4,963 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 15:53:13 UTC.NASA/JPL-CaltechWritten by Abigail Fraeman, Deputy Project Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Earth planning date: Friday, July 24, 2026
Curiosity spent the week continuing to climb her way up through the layers of Mount Sharp, exploring the sedimentary rock strip chart of Martian history. The rover has reached a layer where the science team had spotted a possible “erosional supersurface” by analyzing orbital data alongside images of the layers in the buttes above us. “Erosional supersurface” is a geologic term that describes places where layers of sediment have been stripped away by wind or water at a regional scale before newer layers are deposited atop them. These surfaces are common in wind-blown sand (aeolian) deposits, and they mark a break in the rock record. After eyeing this unusual section of Mount Sharp for the last few months, it’s exciting to finally be so close to this feature. Curiosity’s science instruments will give us the geologist’s-eye view of this region that we need to really understand this feature, including its composition and centimeter-scale geometry.
Our two plans this week focused on imaging the possible supersurface from a few different locations. This past weekend we backed away from the feature to get a good rover’s-eye view of the feature, which set us up nicely on Monday to collect two massive Mastcam mosaics across the entire layer. ChemCam provided additional support by collecting some long-distance RMI images of the most interesting areas of the supersurface. We also took the time to measure the composition of rocks at the bottom of this surface with a MAHLI and APXS target named “Monte Darwin” and ChemCam LIBS targets named “Patacamaya,” “Tarucachi,” and “Mojoncasa.”
Monday’s drive took us closer to the supersurface, while taking some MAHLI and Mastcam images of our wheels along the way, and the drive we planned today will bring us right up to the base of the layer. The science team was able to use Monday’s image to pick the most scientifically interesting spot to cross this surface, while also juggling constraints made by the reality of where we can drive our rather large rover — there’s some pretty sandy and steeply sloping terrain around here, so we also found a spot that looks like it’ll be one of the easier areas to traverse. Hopefully next week we’ll go up and over the supersurface — stay tuned.
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NASA’s Roman Telescope to Carry 1.35 Million Names to Deep Space
On July 27, technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida installed a memory card containing 1,350,144 names as part of a commemorative plaque on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The names were submitted by people globally, including astronauts from Artemis II and Artemis III. The memory card will travel with the Roman observatory to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, or L2, about one million miles from Earth, where the Sun’s and Earth’s gravity balance out.
Roman is named after Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer and one of the architects of the agency’s modern science program. Roman championed space-based observatories that could study the universe from above Earth’s hazy atmosphere while making their data broadly available to the scientific community.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
To learn more about the Roman mission, visit:
Image credit: NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya
APOD: 2026 July 31 – NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad
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NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad
Explanation: The Dark Doodad Nebula drifts through southern skies, a tantalizing target for binoculars toward the small constellation Musca, The Fly. A dusty interstellar cloud, it’s seen against rich starfields just south of the Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross. Stretching for about 3 degrees across this telescopic field of view, the Dark Doodad is punctuated near its southern tip (upper right) by yellowish globular star cluster NGC 4372. Of course NGC 4372 roams the halo of our Milky Way galaxy, a background object some 20,000 light-years away and only by chance along our line-of-sight to the Dark Doodad. About 700 light-years distant and over 30 light-years long, the Dark Doodad’s well defined silhouette belongs to the potentially star-forming Musca molecular cloud. The dusty Dark Doodad’s delightfully alliterative moniker was first coined by astro-imager and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 while observing Comet Halley from the Australian outback.
Tomorrow’s picture: buck and belt
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NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission
NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham will embark on her first mission to the International Space Station, serving as an Expedition 76 flight engineer.
Burnham will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft with cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Konstantin Borisov. Launch is targeted for March 2027, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and the trio will spend about seven months aboard the orbiting laboratory.
During her expedition, Burnham will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars and to benefit people on Earth.
Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Burnham graduated with the agency’s 23rd astronaut class in 2024. Born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, Burnham moved frequently while growing up in a military family. She was living in Wasilla, Alaska, at the time of her selection.
A former intern at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Burnham earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. An experienced leader in the energy industry, she spent more than a decade managing onsite drilling operations on oil rigs across North America. Burnham also served in the U.S. Navy Reserves as an engineering duty officer. She is a licensed private pilot with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea, instrument airplane, and rotorcraft-helicopter.
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.
To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:
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Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov
Starburst Galaxy Centaurus A
In this July 6, 2026, image, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system.
Centaurus A is 11 million light-years away from Earth, relatively close in cosmic terms. Yet, unlike most nearby galaxies, it is very active, making it a powerful laboratory for understanding how galaxies and black holes grow and evolve together.
Explore the galaxy through an interactive map.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)
NASA Johnson Interns Shaping the Future of Exploration
NASA interns at Johnson Space Center are applying their talents to real-world projects while working alongside the engineers, scientists, communicators, and innovators advancing human spaceflight. Learn how these students are gaining hands-on experience, contributing to real missions, and preparing to join the nation’s highly skilled and competitive aerospace workforce.
Meet the students behind the work and discover what inspired them to pursue careers at NASA.
Macie Landon — Moon Base Program Strategic Communications Macie Landon shares information about NASA’s Moon Base Program with visitors at the agency’s exhibit during FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown Houston. Being able to translate complex concepts into media that the public can understand and take inspiration from is hugely important.Macie Landon
Moon Base Program Strategic Communications Intern
Macie Landon is helping tell the story of humanity’s first outpost on the lunar surface. Using graphic design, 3D modeling, video production, and other multimedia tools, she creates visual content that supports public outreach and internal communications for the Moon Base Program.
Landon’s path to NASA began with a lifelong interest in space, science fiction, art, and video games. While studying visualization at Texas A&M University, she planned to pursue a career in gaming or feature animation before discovering she could apply those same creative skills at NASA.
Her first internship was with the Graphics and Visualization Lab at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where she created 3D models for virtual reality simulations.
“I had no idea I could pursue multimedia design at NASA,” Landon said. “I loved it and was so inspired by the creative force across all NASA centers.”
After building connections at Glenn, Landon applied for a summer internship at Johnson, where she continues using design to help communicate NASA’s human space exploration goals.
“Everyone at NASA is so smart, helpful, and willing to share their stories,” she said. “Almost every day I have at least one memorable and surprising moment.”
Landon has also gained an appreciation for the collaboration behind NASA’s missions.
“Through my two internships, I’ve learned how thousands of people from different backgrounds work together toward the same goal of benefiting humanity,” she said.
Working in strategic communications has changed the way Landon views STEM careers.
“Without someone sharing the stories of NASA’s work, much of it would go unseen,” she said. “The creatives at NASA are key to inspiring the next generation.”
In addition to creating multimedia products, Landon regularly engages with the public at outreach events, answering questions from audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
“I’ve learned a lot about how to have meaningful and impactful conversations with people,” she said.
Looking ahead, Landon hopes to continue using design and storytelling to help people better understand NASA’s missions while inspiring future explorers.
“I hope that through my work as a NASA intern, I continue to inspire the next generation of scientists, creatives, explorers, and more to be part of NASA’s mission in bettering humanity,” she said.
For students considering careers in STEM, Landon encourages them to follow what genuinely interests them.
“Explore what you truly love. You may discover there’s a place for your skills at NASA, too.”
John Graham Reynolds — AI and Machine Learning John Graham Reynolds stands in front of the Saturn V rocket at Rocket Park. I am a small cog in the big NASA wheel, but I know my tiny steps enable a much larger leap for mankind.John Graham Reynolds
AI and Machine Learning Research Engineer Intern
John Graham Reynolds develops generative artificial intelligence systems in NASA’s Advanced Operations Concepts Lab that help improve mission support and engineering operations for NASA’s Orion Program and other aspects of human spaceflight.
Before joining NASA, Reynolds worked for four years as a professional engineer. Looking for an opportunity to make a greater impact, he returned to graduate school and sought work that aligned with his passion for meaningful innovation.
“NASA is the greatest symbol of American ingenuity and a beacon for public progress,” Reynolds said. “Applying here was a no-brainer.”
As a graduate intern, Reynolds has contributed to technologies that support NASA’s human spaceflight missions.
One achievement he is especially proud of came during the Artemis II mission, when his team’s flagship AI system provided engineering support for the Orion spacecraft.
The system provided operators of the Orion Flight Software console in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room with an AI-powered interface to quickly access and summarize internal engineering documentation, allowing engineers to analyze faults, troubleshoot issues, and contribute to Orion operations during Artemis II.
“Helping support a mission that carried humans farther from Earth than ever before was an incredible experience,” he said.
Working alongside NASA engineers has also changed the way Reynolds thinks about a career in STEM.
“NASA is filled with smart people, but above all else, it is filled with people who are passionate about what they do,” he said. “That overwhelming sense of passion and purpose regularly reminds me of the value STEM careers provide.”
Reynolds says one of the biggest lessons he has learned is that innovation depends on collaboration.
“Always be open to the ideas of others, and they will be open to you,” he said. “No one can solve every problem. Teamwork, collaboration, and consideration are the greatest agents of improvement.”
Mentorship and networking have also played an important role in his internship experience.
“Connecting with full-time staff and other interns has opened many doors for me,” Reynolds said. “I know those connections will support me for the rest of my life, inside and outside of NASA.”
Looking ahead, Reynolds hopes to continue developing technologies that strengthen NASA’s missions and advance the future of space exploration.
For students considering a career at NASA, Reynolds encourages them to stay curious and follow what genuinely interests them.
“Find what you love, even if it isn’t STEM,” he said. “Explore anything and everything that interests you. Never stop.”
Morgan Gridley — Photography Morgan Gridley photographs activity inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft mockup at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Seeing my work used to communicate NASA’s missions and milestones has been incredibly rewarding. It’s shown me the real impact photography can have.morgan gridley
Photography Intern
Morgan Gridley is helping document the next chapter of human spaceflight as a photography intern at Johnson. From astronaut portraits and crew training to major mission announcements, her photographs help tell the story of NASA’s missions. Now in her second summer internship, Gridley is building on the experience that first sparked her passion for documenting exploration.
“Working alongside so many talented photographers, engineers, scientists, astronauts, and creatives has shown me how many different ways people contribute to NASA’s mission,” Gridley said.
Gridley learned about the internship after NASA photographer Bill Stafford, an East Texas A&M University alumnus, shared the opportunity with faculty. Her professor passed it along to the class, and Gridley immediately applied.
“I’ve always loved space and exploration, so it seemed like an incredible experience,” she said.
Gridley’s work included photographing one of NASA’s WB-57 aircraft during takeoff. Those images later supported news coverage highlighting the aircraft’s role in aerial imaging during the Texas floods.
She also served as one of the photographers covering the Artemis III crew announcement, with some of her images appearing in news coverage of the historic milestone.
Gridley credits her mentors with helping her grow throughout both internships.
“I consider every member of my team to be one of my mentors,” she said. “Even after my first internship ended, I stayed in touch by sharing my work and receiving feedback on my photos.”
Photographing astronauts in the studio has become one of Gridley’s favorite assignments.
“When I first started photography, I mostly focused on landscapes and didn’t enjoy taking portraits,” she said. “Now, portrait photography is my favorite part of what I do.”
Looking ahead, Gridley hopes to continue documenting NASA’s work as part of the photography team.
“Being able to capture moments that are part of NASA’s history has been an amazing experience, and I’d love the opportunity to continue telling those stories through photography,” she said.
For students considering careers in STEM and the creative arts, Gridley encourages them to stay curious and embrace new opportunities.
“Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone,” she said. “Staying open to new experiences can lead you to opportunities and interests you never expected.”
Learn more about NASA internship programs.
About the AuthorSumer Loggins Share Details Last Updated Jul 30, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 6 min read NASA Science Soars During August Total Solar EclipseEach time the Moon covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse — darkening daytime…
Article 3 days ago 2 min read NASA Langley Celebrates Community through Music with ‘Symphony Under the Stars’ Event Article 1 week ago 3 min read OBLIVION: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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APOD: July 30 – Red Sun trough Wildfire Smoke
APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Red Sun through Wildfire SmokeExplanation: This could be the view from an exoplanet orbiting around a red dwarf star, but it is our own Sun. This image of was taken on July 22, 2026, in the Okanagan region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest acted as a solar filter, allowing the photographer to take this photo of the Sun directly. Several sunspots are also visible in this eerie image; just below and right of the center is AR 4493, a fast evolving, giant active solar region and sunspot group. The smoke is made of tiny particles that help block and scatter light with bluer colors, so the light we see coming from the Sun is dimmer and redder than usual (but it is never safe to stare directly at the Sun). Sunsets and sunrises are also more colorful because of the smoke. Some 6 billion years from now, the Sun will actually start to turn redder as it approaches its red giant phase.
Tomorrow’s picture: What’s next?
Date July 30, 2026 Credit Debra Ceravolo Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.
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NASA Awards 2026 Innovative Technology Concepts
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has created 18 new awards to support visionary ideas to improve aerospace technologies in areas ranging from the exploration of the solar system to understanding the universe.
The 18 NIAC Phase I awards total $3.2 million. Each award provides up to $175,000 for a nine-month initial investigation. The NIAC projects are about early-stage concept development and are not considered official NASA missions.
“NASA has outlined an ambitious vision for the future of space exploration, we’re returning the Moon to stay, advancing to Mars, and pushing to deepen our understanding of space,” said Greg Stover, director of the Advanced Research and Technology division within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Achieving that will require more than incremental technological advancement. It means we need great leaps. These awards are the kinds of innovation the world needs NASA to help foster.”
As an innovation incubator, NIAC funds early development of potential breakthrough technologies. Concepts for award consideration must have both transformative potential and possible feasibility for eventual implementation.
“Every innovation, every leap in technology, starts with a seed of an idea,” said Phillip Williams, NIAC’s acting program executive. “The NIAC program allows NASA to germinate those seeds and determine if there’s something that could be grown to benefit future space missions and our nation’s aerospace economy.”
As NASA and its partners push for sustained lunar presence, some of the 2026 awardees focused on ways to help explore the Moon and build infrastructure there. These include a system to support hovering robots to explore lava tubes under the Moon’s surface, a method to manage temperatures for small mobile exploration robots, and a way to incorporate radioisotopic heat sources into suits to help keep astronauts warm when operating in the Moon’s nearly two-week-long lunar nights.
Other concepts focus on exploring some of the solar system’s most remarkable features. Venus, with its hot atmosphere, presents an imposing challenge for research vehicles, so one NIAC awardee explores methods for hardening instruments for longer missions.
Two other concepts could help study planetary rings. One would use a swarm of 10,000 tiny satellites to map and analyze the rings of Saturn, while another would create a system for collecting samples from rings such as those circling Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Some NIAC awardees will look far beyond the solar system, exploring ways to power interstellar spacecraft, map out continents on exoplanets, observe the photon rings around black holes, and detect subtle gravitational waves to explain how galaxies formed. Others will work to answer questions directly related to life on Earth, like the potential use of spaceborne dust to reduce solar radiation, and awareness about the debris orbiting Earth.
Researchers, known as NIAC Fellows, will investigate their concepts and identify potential challenges and opportunities for further development.
The 18 selections for 2026 NIAC Phase 1 grants are:
- Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California: Dimming the Sun Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation (DimSun)
- David Bugby, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)
- A.C. Charania, Zeno Power Systems, Inc., Washington:
Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes (EARENDIL)
- Anish Damodaran, University of Central Florida, Orlando: PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies
- Artur Davoyan, University of California, Los Angeles: Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions
- Daniel Drew, University of Hawaii, Honolulu: Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK)
- Gilly Elor, Stone Aerospace, Inc., Del Valle, Texas: Power-over-Fiber to Enable a Lunar Underground eXplorer (LUX)
- Zhaoyan Liu, NASA Ames Research Center, California’s Silicon Valley: Quantum Wind Lidar Applications for Planetary and Earth Science Missions
- Jeff Nosanov, Orbital Velocity, LLC, Decatur, Georgia: OBLIVIAN: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN (OBLIVIAN)
- Keunhan Park, University of Utah, Salt Lake City: Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions
- Austin Phoenix, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia: Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental Control (ECLIPSE)
- Marco Quadrelli, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling (PRAXIS)
- Michael Rubenstein, Northwestern University, Chicago: Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere
- Benjamin Schafer, Rarefied Technologies Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico: : Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes
- David Smith, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina: Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness
- Pablo Sobron, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, Mountain View, California: Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
- Paul Stankus, Brookhaven Science Associates, Upton, New York: Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging
- Paul Stankus, Brookhaven Science Associates, Upton, New York: Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Gravitational Wave Detection
To learn more about NASA’s NIAC program, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/about-niac
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Rob Margetta
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov
NASA Sets Coverage for August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. NASA will stream the eclipse live with views across the path and interviews with subject matter experts through a variety of platforms.
Learn where to watch online:
Viewers in other places in the Northern Hemisphere also will have the chance to experience a partial solar eclipse, including parts of the U.S. (from Alaska to North Carolina), most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa.
During the eclipse, NASA will conduct experiments in the path of totality. To investigate the dynamics of the Sun’s corona, a NASA-funded science team will chase the Moon’s shadow with a WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft. The NASA-supported Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project is sending students from several U.S. universities to Iceland and Spain to launch scientific balloons before, during, and after the eclipse to research how the temporary darkening of our skies during the eclipse affects Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA’s eclipse coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):
Wednesday, Aug. 12
- 1:15 p.m.: Eclipse broadcast begins
- 1:45 p.m.: Totality begins in Iceland
- 2:28 p.m.: Totality begins in Spain
NASA photography coverage
Photos of the eclipse, dependent on visibility, will be available shortly after the eclipse. View images on the agency’s Flickr account.
Watch, engage on social media
During the broadcast, NASA experts will answer questions submitted on social media. Send in your questions and let people know you’re watching the eclipse on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:
X: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience_
Facebook: NASA, NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience
Instagram: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience_
Learn more about the eclipse at:
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses
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Abbey Interrante / Karen Fox
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301-201-0124 / 202-358-1600
abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
NASA’s Curiosity Views a Sand-Capped Butte
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’s Curiosity Views a Sand-Capped Butte
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this sand-capped butte, nicknamed “Miraflores,” estimated to be about 20 feet (6 meters) tall, with its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on June 11, 2026, the 4,923rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The butte was left behind as surrounding rock eroded away over time, deepening the broad valley Curiosity is climbing through.
The surrounding area includes an expanse of terrain covered in surface features called polygons.
The panorama is made up of 11 individual images that were sent to Earth and stitched together. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human eye would see them 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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NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian Polygons
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian Polygons
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this 360-degree view of an expanse of terrain covered in surface features called polygons on June 19 and 20, 2026, the 4,930th and 4,931st Martian days, or sols, of the mission. The rover has found polygons several times in the past, but never so many in one place. Across the center of this image, the surface is covered by shapes ranging in size from roughly 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) in diameter. The features also surround and wrap around a sand-capped butte nicknamed “Miraflores,” seen at far right in the image.
Figure AFigure A is a crop from the bottom-center of the panorama highlighting the polygons and their honeycomb-like textures.
Polygonal textures can form from a variety of conditions, including drying out of the surface (like in mud cracks), temperature cycles, compaction after being buried, or shrinkage of the sediment from loss of water or mineral changes. Scientists are measuring characteristics of these polygons to home in on which process formed them.
This panorama was captured by Curiosity’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, as the rover continued its ascent of the foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain that it’s been climbing since 2014.
The panorama is made up of 340 individual images that were sent to Earth and stitched together. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human eye would see them 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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NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers Field of Honeycomb Textures
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian PolygonsNASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSAs NASA’s Curiosity rover recently began climbing up a Martian valley nicknamed “Valle Grande,” it sent back images that were a familiar sight to mission scientists: honeycomb-like textures called polygonal fractures, each one about 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) across. The mission has spotted small patches of these geometric shapes several times before, but nothing at the scale discovered in Valle Grande.
In a 360-degree panorama that the rover captured on June 19 and 20, the 4,930th and 4,931st Martian days, or sols, of the mission, the polygonal shapes spread in all directions for as far as the rover can see. They even wrap around the sides of a nearby butte nicknamed “Miraflores,” which stands 20 feet (6 meters) tall and is topped with a thick cap of sand.
“We’ve seen a lot of fascinating landscapes through Curiosity’s eyes, but this sea of polygons took our breath away,” said the mission’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We measured their shapes and chemistry carefully and are hopeful there are clues in the data as to how these features formed.”
A close-up of the polygon fractures discovered by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover highlights their honeycomb-like texturesNASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSSome of the polygons that the mission has spotted in the past clearly formed as mud cracks, though a variety of processes can contribute to their honeycomb textures, including cycles of warm and cold temperatures or compression that squeezed water out of the sediment when the surface was buried.
These newly discovered polygons are among the many surprises Curiosity has trundled across since landing on Mars 14 years ago, on Aug. 5, 2012. Besides sulfur crystals, shiny meteorites, and other interesting geologic features, the rover has made major discoveries about the ancient Martian environment — most importantly, that it had the water, chemistry, and nutrients to support microbial life.
Billions of years ago, lakes and streams dappled the lower foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain that Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. The rover has previously uncovered chemistry left over from Mars’ watery history, including carbon-based molecules believed to be precursors to RNA and DNA, two nucleic acids that carry genetic information. Scientists have no way of knowing whether these organic molecules were created by biologic or geologic processes — either path is possible — but their discovery reconfirmed that ancient Mars had the right chemistry to support life.
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this sand-capped butte, nicknamed “Miraflores,” estimated to be about 20 feet (6 meters) tall, on June 11, 2026. The surrounding area includes an expanse of terrain covered in surface features called polygons.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSManaged by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL built Curiosity and leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of the agency’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
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Understanding How Martian Auroras Are Made
This July 23, 2026, illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars’ atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission. NASA MAVEN mission scientists have found that certain types of auroras on Mars form in a similar way to Earth-based auroras.
Read more about this discovery.
Image credit: NASA
NASA Webb Explores Family Tree of Newly Discovered Distant Objects
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Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Pierluigi Rinaldi (Steward Observatory); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Since their discovery by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, little red dots (LRDs) have been the subject of great interest to astronomers. Understanding the nature of these extremely distant, compact red sources has been a puzzling scientific endeavor.
One popular theory is that little red dots are supermassive black holes known as active galactic nuclei, although they display characteristics unlike nearby active galactic nuclei. While they appear abundant at high redshift early in the universe, they rapidly decrease in number at lower redshifts. (The higher the redshift, the greater the distance the light has traveled across the universe.) This perplexing shift in number raises the question: What happens to little red dots as the universe matures?
A team of researchers led by Pierluigi Rinaldi of the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, now at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, has built upon their previous research in a new study published on July 29 in The Astrophysical Journal and proposed one pathway LRDs can follow as the universe ages: Though they may look like a unique galaxy population, these dots are affected by observational bias — some features just don’t appear at higher redshifts with current technology.
Image: Saguaro in GOODS-North Field (NIRCam) Scientists have proposed one pathway little red dots can follow as the universe matures based on their analysis of spiral galaxy WISEA J123635.56+621424.2, nicknamed the “Saguaro.” They suggest little red dots may be a temporary phase of highly active supermassive black holes. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Pierluigi Rinaldi (Steward Observatory); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)Their conclusions are based on their analysis of lower-redshift spiral galaxy WISEA J123635.56+621424.2, nicknamed the “Saguaro” for its prominent arms, like the cactus native to the Sonoran Desert in the Southwestern United States. A particularly intriguing feature of this redshift 2 galaxy, which corresponds to approximately 3.3 billion years after the big bang, is its little red dot-like center that is reminiscent of the ruby red fruit produced by the desert plant.
“Everything created in the early universe must evolve into something around us. We have had little idea of what LRDs become, but these results finally show us how to find their progeny,” said co-author George Rieke of the University of Arizona. Previous studies by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope provided the first hint of the dust-obscured, compact galaxy population in the lower-redshift universe that the Saguaro belongs to, paving the way for NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes’ high-resolution analyses.
“The Saguaro is important because it’s a prototypical little red dot and is one of the few we have found at lower redshift. It can be used to study the pathway of these dots throughout cosmic time,” said Fabio Pacucci of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a co-author of the study.
Among the thousands of sources Rinaldi looked at across several surveys, the Saguaro was an example of the right place — with one of Webb’s microshutter arrays perfectly framed over the galaxy’s core to take spectroscopic data — and right time — being at lower redshift. To get as broad a view of the spiral galaxy as possible across the electromagnetic spectrum, the team used Hubble’s ultraviolet- and Webb’s infrared-imaging and spectroscopic archival data, respectively.
“Because the Saguaro is at lower redshift, we can see the very beautiful and bright host galaxy in high resolution and detail with Webb and Hubble,” said Zihao Wu of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and a co-author of the study. “Webb’s observations can help us understand how the galaxy and its little red dot-like nucleus are connected.”
The team took multiple approaches to verify that the Saguaro’s compact red nucleus matched the characteristics of a prototypical LRD. In particular, the Hubble and Webb data showed that the nucleus is brighter in both ultraviolet and infrared light than in visible light, just like distant LRDs. The team also carefully disentangled the light emitted from the host and nucleus, and considered the presence of X-ray emission from the source.
Although the majority of little red dots at high redshift are not detectable in X-ray light, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory detected weak X-ray emission from the Saguaro.
“What the X-ray light observations show is that this galaxy has an active galactic nucleus, and a very obscured one at that,” said Carys Gilbert, a Master’s student at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and a co-author of the paper. “It’s not only obscured but also X-ray weak. That kind of combination could explain the lack of X-ray emission that we see from all other little red dots. It fits the puzzle of little red dots nicely.”
In addition to demonstrating how the Saguaro’s central compact red source fits the little red dot criteria, the team synthetically shifted the galaxy to a higher redshift to explore how this galactic environment would appear to observers if located in the early universe. As expected, the Saguaro’s surrounding galactic structure fades so that only the bright, LRD-like source at its center is visible.
“Our theory is that most of these distant sources are affected by this cosmological effect, creating an observational bias,” said Rinaldi. “We simply are not able to sample the immediate environment of high-redshift little red dots because their surroundings are just too faint to be observed even with Webb. Little red dots are far more complex than just being a dot. They’re just the tip of the iceberg — of a supermassive black hole interacting with its nearby surroundings.”
Image: Little Red Dot at Redshift 2: Real and Simulated Graphic Scientists synthetically shifted the Saguaro, a lower-redshift spiral galaxy, to a higher redshift to find out how it would appear if it was in the early universe. Its compact red appearance suggests that little red dots are a phase of highly active supermassive black holes. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Pierluigi Rinaldi (Steward Observatory); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI); Illustration: Leah Hustak (STScI)Considering the Saguaro case study, the team believes that LRDs may not be a unique galaxy population, but instead a temporary phase of highly active supermassive black holes. Could this theory be the link between the populous high-redshift little red dots seen by Webb and the local universe?
While the Saguaro is not representative of all LRDs, the team proposes that this is one phase of these compact red sources. To build more confidence, further study of the Saguaro is necessary, as well as seeking other Saguaro-like galaxies at lower redshift. The team also intends to comb through Webb’s bountiful archival data to build a census of little red dots to study how their environments may impact how they mature. These different approaches are all geared to helping uncover the family tree of little red dots.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, 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.
To learn more about Webb, visit:
To learn more about Hubble, visit:
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Related Images & Videos Saguaro in GOODS-North Field (NIRCam)Scientists have proposed one pathway little red dots can follow as the universe matures based on their analysis of spiral galaxy WISEA J123635.56+621424.2, nicknamed the “Saguaro.” They suggest little red dots may be a temporary phase of highly active supermassive black holes.
Little Red Dot at Redshift 2: Real and Simulated Graphic
Scientists synthetically shifted the Saguaro, a lower-redshift spiral galaxy, to a higher redshift to find out how it would appear if it was in the early universe. Its compact red appearance suggests that little red dots are a phase of highly active supermassive black holes.
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Read more: Webb Science: Galaxies Through Time
Read more: Galaxies Over Time
Explore more: ViewSpace: Connecting Little Red Dots
Watch: Sonification of Gas Velocity Around a Supermassive Black Hole
Watch: JWST Science Simulations: Galaxy Formation
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Contractor to Civil Servant: NASA Welcomes Ray Williams
Ray Williams’ progression at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has uniquely prepared him for his new role.
As part of NASA’s plan to restore core competencies by converting contractors to civil service, the New Orleans native and Grambling State University graduate now works as a supervisor for test operations support at the agency’s E-Complex.
This propulsion testing facility provides mission-critical engineering capabilities to NASA. Through the use of high- and low-pressure propellant systems, engineers are able to focus on development testing of propulsion system components before integration into complete engine systems. Thanks to the versatility of its infrastructure and test team, the complex is uniquely equipped to support projects for the growing commercial aerospace industry and is capable of supporting a wide range of component, engine, and stage test activities.
“Ultimately, my goal is to continue to grow within my own abilities as an engineer and as a supervisor, and to help grow those that I have the opportunity to lead,” said Williams. “I want to align myself with the agency’s goals as a whole to continue to utilize our unique skillset to grow, build, evolve, and innovate.”
Williams began his career at the E-Complex in 1998 as an electrical technician contractor during the facility’s design and build phase. He quickly became familiar with the facility layout, the various systems under development, and the requirements involved in designing, building, and integrating those systems. He later advanced to the role of instrumentation and electrical engineer, gaining extensive institutional knowledge while developing expertise in the principles and importance of data validation.
In total, he brings 28 years of experience to NASA, along with an intimate understanding of the daily challenges his team of technicians faces.
Williams’ primary work location is the E-1 test stand, which is able to handle extremely high pressures and massive flow rates of super cold cryogenics.
Unlike the A and B test complexes at NASA Stennis, where a fully built engine or stage can be installed, fueled, and fired, the E-Complex is highly adaptable.
When commercial partners need to validate large, complex components, they provide specific requirements. The team then customizes the test facility to replicate the exact extreme conditions the hardware is expected to encounter during operation. NASA collects and analyzes data from these precisely controlled test conditions to validate design predictions and determine whether design modifications are needed throughout the development process, from subscale testing through full-scale testing.
Whether validating valve timings, ensuring facility instrumentation is properly calibrated, supporting ultra-high pressure pumping and cryogenic transferring operations, or troubleshooting electrical and mechanical support systems, Williams and his team must execute each task with precision. By retaining Williams’ facility specific expertise in-house as a civil servant, NASA reduces long term operational risk.
Williams describes the opportunity to perform this mission critical work in public service as a dream come true, a dream that began decades ago during an elementary school field trip to NASA Stennis. Today, he finds himself working at NASA just as the agency returns to the Moon to stay through Artemis missions and builds a Moon Base, humanity’s first lunar outpost.
“Having the opportunity to play a role at NASA means a lot,” said Williams. “To this day, I am still a kid at heart looking out at the sky and the galaxy. Being a part of the mission and doing things I know we are capable of doing is an amazing, but also humbling, opportunity.”
Share Details Last Updated Jul 29, 2026 EditorBo BlackLocationStennis Space Center Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA Drains 66-Million-Gallon Reservoir to Upgrade Critical Water System Article 2 months ago 5 min read How NASA is Collecting Explosion Data for Next Generation Rockets Article 4 months ago 3 min read NASA Marks Milestone in Preparation for Artemis IV Testing Article 6 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA StennisNASA’s Stennis Space Center History
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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Space Station Mission
NASA astronaut Chris Williams will recap his recent eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station during a news conference at 2:45 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA will stream this event live through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:
United States-based media interested in attending in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m., Friday, July 31, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.
Media wishing to participate by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than two hours before the start of the event. To ask a question by phone, media must dial into the news conference no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.
Williams returned to Earth on July 26, after logging 241 days as an Expedition 73/74 flight engineer during his first spaceflight. He returned along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, completing 3,856 orbits of the Earth over the course of their more than 102-million-mile journey. They also saw the arrival of six visiting spacecraft and the departure of eight.
During his mission, Williams supported a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. He helped advance research for new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics. Williams also completed two spacewalks to prep for space station power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The crew’s work aboard the space station helps improve life on Earth and prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.
To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:
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Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov
