NASA News
NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return
Editor’s Note: This advisory was updated on July 23, 2026, to reflect changes to the mission timeline.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are wrapping up their 241‑day mission aboard the International Space Station.
The crew and its Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module at 3:03 a.m. EDT Sunday, July 26, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 6:25 a.m. (3:25 p.m. local time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of Dzhezkazgan.
NASA’s live return coverage will stream through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:
Williams and his crewmates will complete 3,856 orbits and travel more than 102 million miles before returning to Earth. The flight marks the first mission for Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud‑Sverchkov.
After landing, the crew will fly by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based. Williams then will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud‑Sverchkov and Mikaev head back to their training base in Star City, Russia.
NASA’s live return coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Saturday, July 25
9:40 a.m. – Coverage of the Space Station Expedition 74/75 change of command ceremony begins.
Kud‑Sverchkov will transfer command of the orbital complex to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. Expedition 75 officially begins when Soyuz MS‑28 undocks.
11:10 p.m. – Coverage of crew farewells and hatch closing begins.
11:30 p.m. – Hatch closing
Sunday, July 26
2:30 a.m. – Coverage of undocking begins.
3:03 a.m. – Undocking
5:15 a.m. – Coverage of deorbit and landing begins.
5:31 a.m. – Deorbit burn
6:25 a.m. – Landing
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:
-end-
Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier / Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov
A New Look – and Sound – for Messier 94
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory unveiled this new look at the galaxy NGC 4736, also known as Messier 94, on June 30, 2026. Messier 94 is a spiral galaxy with a bright inner ring around it, called a starburst ring, where new stars are forming, perhaps fueled by gas driven in the unique oval-shaped structure seen here.
In this image, X-rays of different wavelengths from Chandra (red, orange, and blue) are layered with a visible light image from astrophotographers using their telescopes on the ground (red, green, and blue).
Experience this image through sound.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical:Brian Brennan and Remi Lacasse; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and K. Arcand
Mapping Io’s Hidden Heat With NASA’s Juno
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/USGS Photojournal Navigation Downloads Mapping Io’s Hidden Heat With NASA’s Juno
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This graphic illustrates the areas of Jupiter’s moon Io sampled by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during two close flybys. The black overlapping lines show the instrument’s footprints during Perijove 57 on Dec. 30, 2023, when the spacecraft primarily mapped the northern hemisphere. The blue lines represent Perijove 58 on Feb. 3, 2024, which focused heavily on the moon’s mid-latitudes and equatorial regions.
Both passes mapped the side of Io that constantly faces Jupiter. The sweeping, overlapping patterns are a result of the spacecraft spinning at two revolutions per minute as it flew past the moon at a distance of roughly 930 miles (1,500 kilometers).
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The MWR was built by JPL. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.
More information about Juno is at: http://www.nasa.gov/juno and http://missionjuno.swri.edu
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NASA’s Juno Peers Beneath Io’s Surface
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/USGS Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’s Juno Peers Beneath Io’s Surface
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This map represents data captured by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft, indicating heat rising from just beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io. While infrared instruments measure the temperature of the moon’s surface, the lowest frequency microwave channels (0.6 and 1.25 gigahertz) on the MWR can penetrate between about 6 and 20 feet (2 and 6 meters) into the crust. The colors on this map illustrate a distinct temperature gradient across the moon, with the most extreme, localized heat output in red.
The most prominent red anomaly in the upper left (between 60 and 120 degrees west longitude) reveals subsurface temperatures 18 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 20 degrees Celsius, or 10 to 20 Kelvin) warmer than the surrounding area. This massive regional heat source coincides with the Zal Montes Patera complex, an area where Juno’s Stellar Reference Unit observed an active lava flow. A second major subsurface heat source is also visible near the equator, stretching from 0 to 50 degrees west longitude. Together, these distinct microwave anomalies indicate significant internal heating occurring within the upper tens of meters of Io’s crust.
Contrasting with these intense hot spots are the yellow and green regions, which reflect temperatures more common across the moon. The yellow areas represent intermediate temperatures that naturally warm up to near -190°F (-123°C, or 150 Kelvin) as they approach the equator. Meanwhile, the green areas, primarily visible toward the higher northern latitudes, indicate the coolest subsurface temperatures, dropping to around -298°F (-183°C, or 90 Kelvin) near the pole.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The MWR was built by JPL. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.
More information about Juno is at: http://www.nasa.gov/juno
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NASA’s Juno Takes Temperature of Jupiter’s Fiery Moon Io
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) TThe north polar region of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io was captured by NASA’s Juno during the spacecraft’s 57th close pass of the gas giant on Dec. 30, 2023. Data from that flyby and one on Feb. 3, 2024, is helping scientists understand Io’s interior.Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Gerald EichstädtLee esta historia en español aquí.
NASA’s Juno mission has provided the first measurements of the temperature below the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, revealing significant heating within the shallow subsurface of the most volcanically active world in the solar system. Collected during two close flybys, the data also shows that most of Io’s surface is remarkably smooth and composed of material of very low density.
Published Wednesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, these findings break new observational ground for both fiery and icy worlds beyond our planet.
Io’s extreme volcanism is powered by tidal heating. The moon is constantly stretched and squeezed by Jupiter’s immense gravity as it travels its slightly elliptical orbit, generating internal heat output many times greater than Earth’s. Until now, virtually everything known about that heat came from infrared observations, which sense only the temperature of the top surface. The latest findings are derived from data collected by the spacecraft’s Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument.
“The Juno Microwave Radiometer directly observed Io’s heat output by looking below the surface,” said Scott Bolton, study coauthor and Juno’s principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “The surprising discovery that we could see below a rocky moon’s surface has important implications for studying Earth’s volcanoes. Juno has taught us that if we look with an MWR-type instrument near a volcano on Earth, we might see a similar signature in the subsurface temperature gradient, providing new information on how terrestrial volcanoes work.”
This map represents data captured by the Microwave Radiometer instrument aboard NASA’s Juno, indicating heat rising from just beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io. The colors illustrate a distinct temperature gradient across the moon, with the most extreme, localized heat output in red. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/USGS Fire, iceJuno’s Microwave Radiometer was designed by Bolton to peer beneath Jupiter’s cloud tops to investigate the dynamics and composition of the gas giant’s deep atmosphere. The MWR’s six microwave antennas serve as a single instrument, simultaneously detecting microwaves at a wide range of wavelengths, from about half an inch to 20 inches (1.3 to 51 centimeters). During the mission’s extended phase, the MWR instrument has provided the opportunity to observe three of the planet’s Galilean moons: Ganymede, Europa, and Io.
“The technique is novel in that each wavelength explores different depths, providing a new way to characterize the deep atmosphere of giant planets and the subsurface crusts of icy and rocky moons,” said Bolton. “At Ganymede and Europa, we explored tens of miles below the surface, assuming their ice shells were mostly pure water, but the ability to probe into the volcanic rock at Io was an unexpected discovery.”
During flybys on Dec. 30, 2023, and Feb. 3, 2024, the solar-powered Juno spacecraft came within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of the moon’s surface.
“The instrument measured Io’s thermal emission at depths ranging from a few inches down to tens of feet. Everywhere we looked, we found the temperature rising by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit just several feet into the surface — a gradient far steeper than solar heating alone can explain,” said Shannon Brown, the paper’s lead author at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
The data suggests two possible explanations. First, heat could be rising steadily through a conductive crust. While this background heat flow — measured at 1 to 3 watts per square meter — is relatively gentle on a local scale (roughly equivalent to a small nightlight glowing under every square yard), across the entire moon it represents a release of energy up to 30 times Earth’s average. Alternatively, the signal could be coming from cooling lava flows, capped by roughly 30 to 35 feet (9 to 11 meters) of solidified crust, that cover about 10% of the moon’s surface at any given time.
“Io provides a unique window into learning how tidal heating works throughout the cosmos, a fundamental process that provides energy and heat to worlds that are far from their parent star,” said Bolton. “This process can not only create the most volcanic body in the solar system, in the case of Io, but also fuels the subsurface oceans on the moons of giant planets, such as Europa and Ganymede. Up until this point we could only observe the heat escaping at the surface or through eruptions. Now we can characterize how the heat is moving from the interior toward the surface.”
This graphic illustrates the areas of Io sampled by the Microwave Radiometer instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during two close flybys of the Jovian moon.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/USGS Great plains of IoAnother big insight gained from the two flybys is just how smooth Io is. Prior to the recent findings, the moon was known for its tall mountains, but the MWR indicates that apart from this visible topography, the surface features expansive smooth patches that stretch for 60 miles (100 kilometers) or more. Because Juno flew by overlapping regions of Io at different angles, the team was able to map how the surface reflects microwaves, much like an airline passenger might see the ocean flash with sunlight only at specific angles.
“Away from its mountains, the surface is more like the Great Plains of North America, and even though Io is a rocky body, the surface material has a very low density — more like pumice or a fluffy volcanic ash than solid rock,” said Brown.
More about JunoA division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. More information about Juno is at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno
News Media Contacts
DC Agle
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agle@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
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Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
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Share Details Last Updated Jul 22, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Mapping Io’s Hidden Heat With NASA’s JunoDescription This graphic illustrates the areas of Jupiter’s moon Io sampled by the Microwave Radiometer…
Article 5 hours ago 2 min read NASA’s Juno Peers Beneath Io’s SurfaceDescription This map represents data captured by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft,…
Article 5 hours ago 5 min read US-India Satellite Delivers Data, Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsJupiter: Exploration
JunoNASA’s Juno spacecraft has explored Jupiter, its moons, and rings since 2016, gathering breakthrough science and breathtaking imagery.
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NASA Joins Genesis Mission to Accelerate AI-Driven Discovery
NASA is supporting the Genesis Mission, a national effort to drive the use of artificial intelligence in tackling complex scientific and engineering challenges to advance a new era of discovery.
President Donald J. Trump issued the Executive Order “Launching the Genesis Mission” on Nov. 24, 2025, creating a national mission to leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery. The mission is led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and has now expanded to more than 15 federal agencies in a whole-of-government initiative. NASA is exploring how its missions, data, and expertise can support National Science and Technology challenges and help develop the powerful AI tools envisioned under the Genesis Mission, opening the door to faster breakthroughs, new knowledge, and discoveries that benefit the American people and help unlock some of the world’s greatest mysteries.
“America has invested for generations in the data, missions, and technical expertise that make NASA one of the world’s greatest engines of discovery,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “The Genesis Mission is an opportunity to turn that foundation into faster science, stronger engineering, and better mission outcomes. Leveraging our relationships with interagency counterparts, NASA can advance AI tools that accelerate exploration, strengthen American leadership in space, and open new paths to understanding our planet and the universe. Likewise, NASA is committed to applying our research and development to other initiatives within government for the benefit of American taxpayers.”
NASA introduced new Genesis Mission National Science and Technology Challenges that center on two major priorities: strengthening America’s superiority in space and igniting a new era of innovation driven by more than 70 years of science and engineering by the agency.
To operate safely in a space environment that is growing more crowded and dynamic each year, and to maintain America’s leadership in space, NASA must develop advanced systems faster than traditional engineering methods allow. These systems must work together reliably across spacecraft, communications, logistics, surface operations, and other mission capabilities. By combining NASA’s mission expertise with the Department of Energy’s computing and AI capabilities, the Genesis Mission can shorten the path from concept to operational readiness and strengthen America’s ability to operate and lead in space.
NASA also will explore how AI can unlock new discoveries from more than 150 petabytes of data collected across decades of missions and research. NASA’s telescopes, satellites, orbiters, landers, and aeronautics programs have produced an extraordinary record of Earth, the solar system, and the universe, but the scale and complexity of these archives make it difficult to examine every observation using traditional methods. Advanced AI tools could help scientists connect data from different missions, instruments, simulations, and fields of study, identify patterns that might otherwise remain hidden, improve predictions, and reveal new discoveries in data that may have already been studied. By turning NASA’s mission archives into engines of discovery, the Genesis Mission can expand the return on generations of American investment in space and strengthen research across a wide range of scientific fields.
As the Genesis Mission advances, NASA remains dedicated to harnessing its decades of scientific and mission data and engineering capabilities to accelerate new innovations and discovery.
For more information about NASA’s missions, visit:
-end-
George Alderman / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
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NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica
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Data from the Earth-orbiting U.S.-India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite’s L-band radar was used to produce an image of Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja — a mountaintop in East Antarctica — poking out amid a stream of ice flowing northeast to the ocean. The obstruction causes stresses in the ice, heavily fracturing the surrounding surfaces with deep cracks, called crevasses, which show as sharp green lines in the image. Produced in August 2025, the image has been nicknamed “the hummingbird” by NISAR scientists.
The colors show differences in the way polarized microwave signals, which vibrate in different directions, interact with and reflect from the ice. Over Antarctica, NISAR transmits radar waves toward Earth with a horizontal polarization. The orientation of the signals that return, either horizontal, vertical, or both, provide clues about the object or surface that reflected them.
Signals that come back with a horizontal polarization likely bounced off a more regular surface, such as smooth ice. Those signals appear magenta in the image. Signals that return with vertical polarization may have refracted as they partially penetrated the ice or scattered at different angles as they reflected off irregular surfaces, like the faces of crevasses. Called volume scattering, these observations are displayed in green.
The white represents areas in which both magenta and green signals scatter back strongly, a possible indication that there is an equal blend of surface and volume scattering.
Figure AFigure A is an annotated version of image.
Managed by Caltech, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the United States component of the project and provided the satellite’s L-band SAR and antenna reflector. The spacecraft bus and its S-band SAR were provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The NISAR satellite is the first to carry two SAR instruments at different wavelengths, collecting data using the spacecraft’s giant drum-shaped reflector, which measures 39 feet (12 meters) wide — the largest radar antenna reflector NASA has ever sent into space.
To learn more about NISAR, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/nisar/
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NIAC 2026 Selections
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2026 NIAC awardees for possible future missions.NASA/Left to Right: Keunhan Park, Michael Rubenstein, Austin Phoenix, Benjamin Schafer, A.C. Charania, Gilly Elor, Pablo Sobron, Marco Quadrelli, Daniel Drew, Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Jeff Nosanov, Anish Damodaran Phase ISaptarshi Bandyopadhyay
Dimming the Sun (DimSun) Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I
David Bugby
Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I
Anish Damodaran
PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL 32826-2933
2026 Phase I
Artur Davoyan
Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001
2026 Phase I
A.C. Charania
EARENDIL: Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes
Zeno Power Systems, Inc.
Washington, DC 20001-3701
2026 Phase I
Daniel Drew
Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK)
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI 96822-2303
2026 Phase I
Gilly Elor
Power-over-Fiber to Enable a Lunar Underground eXplorer (LUX)
Stone Aerospace, Inc.
Del Valle, TX 78617-3017
2026 Phase I
Zhaoyan Liu
Quantum Wind Lidar Applications for Planetary and Earth Science Missions
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94034-0001
2026 Phase I
Jeff Nosanov
OBLIVIAN: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN
Orbital Velocity, LLC
Decatur, GA 30033-4151
2026 Phase I
Keunhan Park
Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions
University of Utah
Salt Lake City 84112-1109
2026 Phase I
Austin Phoenix
ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental Control
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State
University, Blacksburg, VA 24060-5605
2026 Phase I
Marco Quadrelli
PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I
Michael Rubenstein
Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere
Northwestern University
Chicago Evanston, IL 60208-0001
2026 Phase I
Benjamin Schafer
Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001
2026 Phase I
David Smith
Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-9976
2026 Phase I
Pablo Sobron
Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
SETI Institute
Mountain View, CA 94043-5203
2026 Phase I
Paul Stankus
Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging
Brookhaven Science Associates
Upton NY 11973-0001
2026 Phase I
Paul Stankus
Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Graviational Wave Detection
Brookhaven Science Associates
Upton, NY 11973-0001
2026 Phase I
Space Technology Mission Directorate
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
NIAC Funded Studies
About NIAC
Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Graviational Wave Detection
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Graviational Wave Detection concept.Paul StankusPaul Stankus
Brookhaven Science Associates
The scientific goal is to enable a new method for observing gravitational waves at low frequencies, based on the astrometric GW signature — gravitational waves passing by the Earth will cause a (very small) coordinated apparent motion of all sky objects. Our innovation is to deploy a new approach to precision astrometry using quantum mechanical two-photon interference, which was published quite recently. The approach has the great benefit that two separate interferometric spacecraft stations can operate independently, ie without an optical connection between them, greatly simplifying spacecraft requirements compared to standard space-based interferometric designs. With this capability we propose to be able to detect passing gravitational waves at low frequencies, in the micro-Hz to nano-Hz range, at a sensitivity at an astronomically interesting level (note that there are, currently, essentially no alternative approaches for GW detection in this band). We show how this could be achieved with a straightforward mission using two modest-sized spacecraft in free-fall orbits; and detection of such GW’s would be of great interest for galaxy formation and SM black hole physics, as well as exciting the public imagination.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
NIAC Funded Studies
About NIAC
Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Mapping Alien Continents concept.Paul StankusPaul Stankus
Brookhaven Science Associates
The scientific goal of the proposed work will be reconstructing the image, ie resolving surface features, of an Earth-like exoplanet around a nearby star as seen in visible light. The innovation is in two stages. First, the design of a new kind of nulling interferometer — “dynamic hierarchical nulling” — combining inputs from multiple apertures and capable of separating star light from planet light with contrast of 10^10 or better in the visible. Second, combine the output beams from two such nullers on spacecraft stationed ~100km apart to achieve the required angular resolution using Michelson interferometric imaging; note that the hierarchical nuller preserves the star’s light in a separate beam which can then be used as in interference phase reference. The capability to survey the features of Earth-like exoplanets is perfectly aligned with NASA priorities and sure to excite public interest.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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NIAC Funded Studies
About NIAC
Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys concept.Pablo SobronPablo Sobron
SETI Institute
This proposal explores a new class of reconnaissance spacecraft that map minerals from orbit using Raman spectroscopy during high-speed flybys–without landing, sample return, or extended dwell. If feasible, this concept would enable NASA to evaluate ice and ilmenite at the Moon, ore content at asteroids, and volatile-bearing minerals at Mars’ moons–all with a single 300-kg spacecraft. The capability addresses NASA’s long-term goals in sustainable lunar presence, asteroid resource evaluation, and Mars logistics by answering a key operational question: what exactly is this material?
The central objective is to determine whether Raman spectroscopy–a technique that identifies minerals by their molecular fingerprints–can operate from tens of kilometers away during flyby or orbital arcs. To date, planetary Raman has only been used from meters away on rovers. Performing Raman from 30–50 km standoff would open a new regime for planetary science and space resource mapping, delivering the compositional specificity that passive reflectance or neutron methods cannot.
The reference mission concept uses a single solar electric propulsion spacecraft to conduct three reconnaissance legs: (1) 50 km polar orbit of the Moon to map ice and ilmenite; (2) a 30 km flyby of a near-Earth asteroid to identify silicates, metals, and organics; (3) a 30—50 km orbit of Phobos or Deimos to detect volatile-rich phases that inform Mars mission logistics.
At each leg, a high-energy pulsed laser, time-gated photon-counting detector, and rad-class beam steering system isolate Raman signals from the planetary surface. No existing sensor or mission class can perform this function.
To determine feasibility, this NIAC Phase I study answers three core questions: (1) Can key mineral Raman lines be detected with adequate signal-to-noise from 50 km? (2) Can beam pointing and smear be stabilized during fast flybys to allow integration over dwell time? (3) Can a 300-kg spacecraft with realistic propulsion, power, and attitude control systems close the mission architecture across all three destinations?
Methods include first-principles photon modeling based on known Raman cross-sections, spacecraft jitter analysis, and trajectory design using NASA’s standard mission planning tools. The study is divided into three technical work packages plus synthesis and reporting. Sensitivity analyses and decision gates are built in to determine how changes in photon return or pointing control would affect overall mission viability. Alternative architectures are explored for each leg, including lower flyby altitudes and different propulsion schemes.
The study team combines deep expertise in Raman instrumentation, spaceborne lidar, and mission design. PI Sobron led field 120-meter-range Raman systems and contributed to SuperCam and SHERLOC on Mars. Co-I Lee and Collaborator Yu from NASA Goddard bring direct heritage from ICESat-2 and other orbital laser systems. Co-I Casell at NASA Ames leads early mission design and brings prior NIAC experience. The team is supported by SETI and OffWorld, a commercial partner.
If successful, the work will define the first architecture for orbital Raman mineral detection and demonstrate that high-resolution molecular mapping is possible without landing. Even partial success would establish new boundaries for remote sensing physics, provide validated models, and support future NASA decisions in Artemis siting, asteroid mining, and Mars ISRU planning. The architecture enables a cost-effective Discovery-class template that could eventually scale to a fleet of inner Solar System scouts–bringing Landsat-style mineral intelligence to planetary exploration.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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NIAC Funded Studies
About NIAC
Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials concept.David SmithDavid Smith
Duke University
The increasing population of spacefaring vehicles and satellites motivates increasingly powerful technologies for space situational awareness (SSA). While the US space surveillance network (SSN) is able to monitor objects down to about four inches in size using, for example, the latest upgrade to the space fence, the associated requirements limit implementation to ground-based tracking of low earth orbit (LEO) objects using kilometer-scale radar arrays. Beyond LEO, the prospect of cislunar traffic and the extreme distances involved render ground-based arrays impractical. This limitation is fundamental to coherent radar systems: for a given detection performance, the required array size grows in direct proportion to the target distance. As a result, it can in fact become simpler to decrease the sensing distance rather than extend array sizes, and this can only be achieved by shifting to a space-based SSA platform.
Although space-deployed radar systems offer distinct advantages in terms of sensing capabilities, the large distances associated with cislunar surveillance still require extremely large apertures for adequate performance. This poses significant practical challenges based on limitations to modern deployable structures which, to date, cannot consistently achieve dimensions greater than 100 meters. This limitation arises because state-of-the-art deployable antennas, including membrane, mesh, and inflatable architectures, require the entire structure to be housed inside a single launch fairing. In contrast, the prospect of in-space assembly suggests the potential for scalable structures that are not limited by launch constraints and so can meet the challenging requirements of long-range SSA.
We propose a spaceborne radar system that pairs the demonstrated performance of robotically assembled mechanically stable structures with reconfigurable, volumetric electromagnetic metamaterials. The former technology enables modular and precise construction of arbitrary volumetric structures, while the latter offers a sophisticated and readily compatible design platform for achieving the challenging requirements of long-range SSA. Both approaches exploit a unit cell-driven, modular design procedure that enables nearly arbitrary scaling for mechanically and electromagnetically robust antenna platforms. The ability to reliably assemble and control volumetric antenna structures in this way provides access to new and powerful capabilities including steering over wide fields of view (FOV) without the need for slow, mechanical slewing of the antenna.
The proposed work will demonstrate the feasibility and scalability of a reconfigurable, volumetric S-band metamaterial for achieving various beam steering capabilities. This effort will include advancement of metamaterial design strategies for omnidirectional electromagnetic beam forming and initial assessment/design of a reconfigurable unit cell compatible with robotic assembly. The development of the metamaterial design procedure will exploit a numerically efficient dipole model that has been previously validated at smaller scales, while the metamaterial element design will proceed by established full-wave numerical methods. System design concepts will incorporate practical constraints according to successful demonstrations of robot assembly by the Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) project.
While the project will target SSA applications, the design considerations involved are equally applicable to missions requiring large physical apertures such as low-frequency radiometry for earth observation and deep-space communications. Since the performance (resolution, sensitivity) of all beam steering, radar, and observation missions improves with increased aperture sizes, the realization of alternative electromagnetic strategies that offer reduced CSWaP can provide advantages across a wide range of NASA programs.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions concept.Benjamin SchaferBenjamin Schafer
Rarified Technologies, Inc.
We propose a new approach to atmospheric sensing at 30-100 km altitudes using photophoretically levitating tracers. These lightweight structures harness sunlight to remain suspended for up to months at controlled altitudes and can be remotely tracked by satellite-based lidar or radar. Unlike natural aerosols, these tracers are designed to provide strong and tunable backscatter at standard remote sensing wavelengths, enabling passive, persistent, and altitude-selective measurements of wind, temperature, and pressure in a region that is critically under-measured by existing systems.
This concept addresses a major gap in current sensing capabilities. The mesosphere and upper stratosphere play a key role in atmospheric dynamics, space-domain awareness, space weather, and high-altitude platform navigation. Despite the importance of this region, data collection remains a challenge. Near-space is too high for sustained balloon flight and too low for satellites to orbit. Concentrations of extant atmospheric species are also too low for remote sensing techniques such as lidar and radar. Photophoretic tracers offer a new solution: a persistent, stratified sensor layer of non-toxic, inert backscattering points that require no onboard power, propulsion, or control. These tracers can be deployed via high-altitude balloons or rockets and autonomously reach their target altitudes based on their geometry and coatings.
In a representative mission, thousands of tracers are released from a lightweight balloon at around 30 km. The tracers rise to their target altitude of 90-100 km, the lower ionosphere. Satellite-based lidar tracks their motion over their month-long lifetimes. Tracer trajectories enable continuous mapping of wind shear, thermal gradients, and pressure profiles at sub-kilometer resolution and hourly cadence. The collected real-time data are used to calibrate boundary conditions of ionospheric space weather models. As more data is collected, the predictive capabilities of these models improve, leading to enhanced situational awareness and communications resilience in near-space and LEO. Other early deployments could, for example, support weather model improvements in the tropics and monitor atmospheric conditions over spaceports.
This work builds on emerging experimental results in photophoretic flight, with laboratory validation of levitation in near-space conditions and initial simulations of tracer dispersion and visibility. Backscatter models confirm feasibility for orbital detection using commercially available lidar systems. The tracers are designed to safely disintegrate at end-of-life and are compatible with scalable fabrication techniques. By engineering the scattering medium itself, this concept inverts traditional atmospheric remote sensing. It enables lower-SWaP-C satellite sensing systems and a fundamentally new class of persistent measurement tools for national security, meteorology, heliophysics, and planetary exploration.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations concept.Michael RubensteinMichael Rubenstein
Northwestern University, Chicago
We propose a mission to use ~10,000 actively steerable femtosats to map the ring composition, atmospheric composition and density, and the magnetic field distribution of Saturn. Conducting in-situ surveys of Saturn’s rings with a single flagship mission, such as Cassini, would carry an unacceptably high risk of mission failure due to particle collisions. However, the distributed nature of the proposed mission means it can accept a risk that could destroy many of femtosats in the constellation, making in-situ survey of the ring possible.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the PRAXIS concept.Marco QuadrelliMarco Quadrelli
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Humanity has never touched the particles of a planetary ring, but if we were able to get close enough and sample them, it will transform understanding of ring structure and origins for Saturn (dense), Uranus and Neptune (tenuous), rings of other objects such as Centaurs Chariklo and Chiron, and even early protoplanetary and circumstellar disks. Despite Cassini’s groundbreaking discoveries, fundamental questions about the formation, dynamics, and evolution of planetary rings remain unanswered. After Cassini, there is a very strong scientific case to learn more about the microphysical interactions of Saturn’s rings, and this necessitates sampling them. Many ring structures and features such as self-gravity wakes, “propellers”, density waves and gap edges remain to be explored at high resolution. Saturn’s rings are micron-size grains to house-size boulders, always in motion. They are made mostly of water ice, piles of rubble coming together and breaking apart. PRAXIS addresses a key Decadal priority by delivering the first direct observations of mm- to cm-scale ring particles, a capability Cassini lacked. Planetary rings are highly dynamic environments where constant particle motion demands advanced robotic autonomy for collision avoidance, precision sampling, and in situ analysis. Our system adapts innovations from sport casting to capture free-floating particles, and instrument miniaturization for real-time analysis. AI integration enables the first-ever autonomous collection of ring particles, directly measuring science priorities like particle size, porosity, and composition. PRAXIS develops and tests a novel AI-driven, bio-inspired robotic explorer to perform in situ ring sampling, a capability never before attempted. This effort directly supports Decadal Survey priorities in planetary ring science while spearheading the next generation of planetary robotic exploration and delivering transformative insights into the origins and evolution of ring systems. Feasibility of PRAXIS is already on firm ground because it leverages key element of the Saturn Ring Observer Mission Study, which considered an orbit grazing the rings and hovering above them to directly image the ring particles in motion. After an initial imaging and characterization phase to select the ring particle, the spacecraft conducts a touch-and-go sampling event of the particle surface with a long and soft deployable boom. Since the particles are always in motion within the ring, there is a compelling case for the spacecraft staying away to avoid collision, hence the agile sampling with the long boom is justified. Once the sample is retrieved, the PRAXIS exploration system moves to another section (or gap) of the rings, thus sampling many diverse regions. Feasibility of PRAXIS will be demonstrated Phase I with simulation and sound system design, motivating solid system design and development of a physical prototype in Phase II. The system’s versatility makes it valuable across planetary formation missions, positioning it for infusion into the upcoming Uranus Probe mission.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental control
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the ECLIPSE concept.Austin PhoenixAustin Phoenix
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State
A disaggregated lunar infrastructure requires novel thermal management methods to enable future lunar operations. While thermal management solutions exist for large infrastructure, the smaller mobile systems that operate independently require improved temperature regulation devices that can survive without heaters or substantial power requirements, while limiting stress-inducing temperature fluctuations. New material solutions can passively regulate the flow of thermal energy to enable small devices to survive the extremes of the lunar environment without relying on external infrastructure. The Variable Thermal Conductivity Metamaterial (VTCM) outperforms other VTCMs and can be designed to act as an advanced mechanical thermal switch. Variable internal contact is used to regulate the flow of energy to the radiator passively. The design of the metamaterial’s internal geometry, material selection, and the passive shape memory alloy actuation system can achieve an arbitrary thermal conductivity as a function of temperature using internal mechanical contact. The metamaterial concept begins in a low temperature state with no initial contact and a corresponding low conductivity state. As the temperature of the metamaterial increases, partial SMA actuation induces partial contact internal to the metamaterial, resulting in an increase in conductivity. As the temperature continues to increase, the contact area increases until full contact is achieved. This metamaterial enables the design of an arbitrary thermal conductivity as a function of temperature by designing the thermal pathways’ cross-sectional area and length. The proposed work will use the variable thermal conductivity metamaterial, capable of passive thermal control, to enable mobile autonomous surveyors that can perform extended lunar operations while minimizing Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C).
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions
Keunhan Park
University of Utah
This proposal seeks to develop a transformative energy system — the plasmon-enhanced radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) generator — that significantly surpasses the performance of current radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in both specific power and efficiency. Designed to achieve a specific power of 17 W/kg and a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency greater than 40%, the PRTPV offers a sevenfold improvement in efficiency and nearly an order-of-magnitude increase in specific power compared to state-of-the-art RTGs. The system combines two novel innovations: the use of a high-refractive-index, low infrared loss, low-thermal-conductivity, and high-melting point material (e.g., Al2O3) to replace the traditional vacuum gap between the heat source and photovoltaic (PV) cell, enhancing thermal radiation power density proportional to the square of the refractive index, and the integration of a multilayered photonic crystal plasmon coupler to spectrally tune the thermal radiation by exciting surface plasmons at the coupler-PV cell interface matching with the PV cell’s bandgap, further improving conversion efficiency. Together, these advances overcome the low power density that limits current TPV systems. The resulting technology is compact, efficient, and scalable, opening the door to new classes of NASA missions, including long-duration surface operations in permanently shadowed lunar regions and interstellar missions where solar power is impractical. The proposed work directly supports NASA’s long-term goals in space exploration and energy innovation.
Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2026 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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NASA Pushes New Wing Design to Find Structural Limits
NASA researchers recently put a new wing design, appearing long and thin with a lightweight structural design, through a series of grueling tests to find its structural limits. What they found left them encouraged about the wing’s potential, even when they pushed it past its intended limits.
The 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing (SWEET-15) test article is part of NASA’s research to develop future ultra-efficient aircraft. The design incorporates a long wing supported by an aerodynamic strut, based on NASA’s earlier Transonic Truss‑Braced Wing concept.
The research team is working to understand whether SWEET-15’s design and its new lightweight structural designs could help commercial airliners save fuel. But first, they need to understand how it behaves under the kinds of force wings experience in flight.
Lab technicians Phil Tofts, Chris McLain, and Jeff Howell and NASA engineers Erin Anderson and Richard Larson prepare the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft. NASA/Christopher LC ClarkThe SWEET-15 design originated with combining five different advanced composite manufacturing and assembly technologies that enabled the novel structural design. The 15-foot-long test article was then designed and fabricated at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, before traveling to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, for testing.
Over several months, NASA engineers intentionally bent the test wing in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA Armstrong. Numerous strain and load sensors, including fiber-optic strain sensors, were placed throughout the structure to track how the wing responded as forces increased.
The data from the sensors confirmed the predictions made by NASA’s computer models. According to initial findings, the wing withstood the anticipated in-flight forces without issue. The results provided the team with confidence in the new manufacturing approaches and methods for connecting wing parts used in SWEET-15, which could support future efficient aircraft designs. The manufacturing approach, developed at NASA Langley used the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites robot, aims to produce lighter and stronger composite structures for aerospace vehicles.
Lab technicians Jeff Howell, left and Chris Mount install the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Lab at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft.NASA/Christopher LC ClarkThe test concluded with a deliberate test-to-failure, where engineers increased loads beyond the wing’s design limits to determine how and where it would fail. The structure ultimately failed at roughly 127% of its design limit load, with visible damage appearing near the back edge of the wing and in the upper wing cover. This element of testing provided valuable insight into how the joints connecting the wing to its main strut and a secondary one, called a jury strut, behave under forces beyond the expected flight envelope.
This marks the first time a representative composite truss-braced wing configuration has undergone this type of structural evaluation. It was made possible only through NASA collaboration across centers and projects, with researchers utilizing agency resources such as the Fiber Optic Sensing System developed to gather data on both aircraft and spacecraft.
NASA research engineer Walter Hargis regulates the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft. NASA/Ryan KlineTo prepare for the testing, engineers at NASA Langley designed, analyzed, and manufactured the wing and completed safety preparations and lab setup.
Researchers will now analyze the data collected during testing to inform future airframe designs and support NASA’s ongoing efforts to develop more efficient aviation technologies.
The work is being conducted through NASA’s Subsonic Flight Demonstrator project in the agency’s Research Technology Mission Directorate. The successful testing of multiple innovative components marks a milestone in NASA’s aeronautics research.
To learn more, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/
Share Details Last Updated Jul 17, 2026 EditorDede DiniusContactSarah Mannsarah.mann@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms Explore More 4 min read NASA Uses Subscale Aircraft to Accelerate Flight Innovation Article 4 days ago 3 min read NASA Study Points to Smoother Air Taxi Rides Article 6 days ago 3 min read A Day of Flight Testing at NASA Armstrong Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAArmstrong Flight Research Center
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The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Photojournal Navigation Downloads The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches
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This composite of images taken by NASA’s Psyche mission shows the crescent of Mars grow as the spacecraft approached the planet for a gravity assist from May 2 to May 15, 2026. The series begins with the smallest crescent at the center of the of the image as Mars is farthest from the spacecraft, and progressively grows as the spacecraft gets closer. After these views were captured by the spacecraft’s multispectral imager instrument, Mars began to overfill the field of view as Psyche made close approach with the planet and captured a series of high-resolution images of the surface.
Because Psyche approached Mars from a high phase angle, the planet appeared as a thin crescent in the days running up to the close approach, lit by sunlight reflecting off its surface. Using these views of the approach, close approach, and departure from Mars, the Psyche team compiled a stunning time-lapse of its entire Mars encounter.
For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/
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