NASA - Breaking News

The Moon photographed from the International Space Station, pictured in between exterior International Space Station hardware (Credit: NASA).

NASA is seeking proposals from U.S. companies about innovative Moon and Mars proximity relay communication and navigation capabilities as the agency aims to use private industry satellite communications services for emerging missions.

On July 7, NASA issued a Request for Proposals, soliciting advanced industry concepts to establish high-bandwidth, high-reliability communications infrastructure between the lunar surface and an Earth-based operations control center, along with concepts that establish a critical communications relay on the Martian surface and transfer data between Mars and the Earth.

“These partnerships foster important advancements in communications and navigation,” said Greg Heckler, deputy program manager for capability development within NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program. “It allows our astronauts, our rovers, our spacecraft – all NASA missions – to expand humanity’s exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”

NASA’s request directly supports the agency’s long-term vision of an interoperable space communication and navigation infrastructure that enables science, exploration, and economic development in space. NASA, as one of many customers, will establish a marketplace that supports cost-effective commercial services involving communication needs on and around the Moon and Mars.

Responses are due by 5 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 13.

NASA’s SCaN Program serves as the management office for the agency’s space communications and navigation. More than 100 NASA and non-NASA missions rely on SCaN’s two networks, the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network, to support astronauts aboard the International Space Station and future Artemis missions, monitor Earth’s weather, support lunar exploration, and uncover the solar system and beyond.

Learn more about NASA’s SCaN Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/scan

News Media Contact:
Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

4 Min Read GRUVE Lab The CAVE in the GRUVE Lab is capable of running highly immersive VR experiences through powerful projectors, mirrors, an infrared motion tracking system, and active-shutter glasses. Credits: NASA About

The GRUVE (Glenn Reconfigurable User-Interface and Virtual Reality Exploration) Lab is located within the GVIS Lab. It is home to the CAVE, which is predominantly used for mission scenarios and to tour virtual environments of NASA facilities.

GRUVE Lab VisualizationUsers virtually explore a facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.NASA GRUVE Lab DemonstrationA user analyzes a visualization of a prototype structure.NASA GRUVE Lab VisualizationA user analyzes a visualization of a prototype structure that will be used for a fire experiment on the Moon.NASA GRUVE Lab VisualizationA Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) intern in the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE).NASA GRUVE Lab TourA user takes a virtual tour of a facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.NASA How GRUVE Works

GRUVE allows multiple people to view a visualization in 3D together. These visualizations include 3D models of NASA facilities and intricate images created from collected data. 

Powerful projectors and mirrors, in combination with an infrared motion tracking system and active-shutter glasses, allow viewers to view 3D models and data in perfect perspective. 3D models effectively pop off the screen and remain proportional no matter where the user with the pair of tracking glasses moves in the environment. 

The CAVE can be driven by either a Windows or Linux computer system, enabling the team to use the best environment for a given problem and software tool. 

The CAVE setup immerses the user in 3D visualizations through walls on all sides, projectors from above, tracking cameras, and mirrors hidden behind the facade.Visbox, Inc. Benefits of GRUVE

The CAVE’s technology provides a unique advantage for researchers, scientists, engineers, and others. Seeing and analyzing forces and data that would otherwise not be viewable to the human eye allows the observer to understand their subject matter in more detail. 

Benefits of GRUVE to research include: 

• Providing an immersive environment: with large screens to fill peripheral vision and stereoscopic projection for a real sense of three-dimensional space, more parts of the brain are engaged, and the user is better able to understand problems and solve them faster 

• More effective collaboration: the ability to see each other in the virtual reality environment makes GRUVE better for collaboration than traditional VR technology 

• Seeing complex data and flows in 3D: this makes it easier for both experts and non-experts to understand the data 

• Providing greater resolution and larger display size: this allows details to be displayed without losing their context 

• Delivering faster and more accurate manipulation and viewing of models, including CAD data, with fewer errors: this results in a faster time to market and less re-work 

All members of NASA Glenn may use GRUVE for their projects.

Applications of Immersive 3D Environments

• Fluid dynamics analysis (CFD) 

• Point cloud data, e.g., LiDAR 

• Virtual design reviews 

• Virtual manufacturing testing 

• Computer Aided Design (CAD) 

• 3D imaging data 

• Training and education 

• Virtual procedures 

• Biomedical research 

• Molecular dynamics 

• Virtual building walkthroughs 

• Showroom “theater” 

• Education and outreach 

• Building Information Management (BIM) 

• Big data and data mining 

• Cybersecurity data analysis 

• Safety systems analysis 

• Microfocus CT scan data 

• Electron microscopy 

• 3D photos and videos 

Data Types Supported

• Point cloud data 

• Volume data 

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 

• Computer Aided Design (CAD) 

• Molecular dynamics 

GRUVE Hardware 

• Linux CAVE node 

• Windows 10 CAVE node 

• CAVE wall 

• Stereo glasses 

• Audio system 

• Tracking system 

• Wand 

Software Available in the GRUVE Lab 

• The Windows node attached to the GRUVE Lab runs middleware software, which enables Unity-developed applications to run in the CAVE. This greatly expands the number of VR applications that can be run. 

• Vrui VR Toolkit-based applications such as LiDAR viewer and 3D visualizer 

• VMD – Visual Molecular Dynamics 

• ParaView 

• COVISE– Collaborative Visualization and Simulation Environment

Other Visualization Devices

The GVIS Lab maintains a large collection of computing, visualization, and user interaction devices including: 

• Virtual reality display devices 

• Head-mounted displays 

• Room-scale CAVE 

• Augmented reality head-mounted displays 

• 3D displays 

• Psuedo-3D displays 

• Pepper’s Ghost display 

• Persistence of Vision (POV) LED display 

• Light field technology- based displays 

• Projection devices for projected AR 

• Natural user interface devices 

• Hand gesture recognition devices 

• Motion capture devices 

• Cameras for mixed reality 

• Computing hardware 

• High-end laptops 

• High-end desktops 

• High-end tablets and smartphones 

• Cameras 

• Stereo 3D camera 

• 180/360 camera 

• Flight simulators 

• 3D printers 

All these devices are available for employees to try and test for possible application to their work. 

A Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) intern in the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE).NASA Contact Us 

Need to reach us? You can send an email directly to the GVIS Team (GRC-DL-GVIS@mail.nasa.gov) or to the team leader, Herb Schilling (hschilling@nasa.gov). 

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4 Min Read GVIS History As part of NASA Glenn’s Scientific Computing and Visualization Team, the GVIS Lab has a storied visual and technological history.  Credits: NASA GVIS: the ICARE Era

In 1982, a $20 million supercomputer was brought to NASA Glenn. Scientists at NASA Glenn were becoming increasingly reliant on computer simulations to test their experiments. Advancements in computer technology allowed a different type of testing environment — one that revolved around virtual models and data over physical observation. The benefits of this method included a decrease in costs, a decrease in associated risk, faster turnaround, and more data.

High Definition Video System (HDVS)A High Definition Video System (HDVS) in the early Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS). NASA High Definition Video System (HDVS) in the LabNASA employee in early Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) setup, containing High Definition Video Systems (HDVS). NASA Early Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS)Early Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) setup, which housed original analog processing hardware. NASA Cray 1-S/2200 SupercomputerThe original Cray 1-S/2200 Supercomputer in the Research and Analysis Center in 1982.NASA

But this method of experimentation created a problem: With data-point counts somewhere in the millions, it was a challenge for scientists to even begin to look at their own collected data. In short, there was simply too much data to be analyzed. To solve this problem, NASA Glenn built the Interactive Computer Aided Research Engineering system (ICARE) in the center’s Research Analysis Center.  

Taking up several rooms, consisting of 22 total workstations, and costing a grand total of $20 million, the ICARE system was a way for scientists to examine their data through the aid of supercomputer visualizations. Using both graphical and modular methods, ICARE’s visualizations revealed and shared information in ways that traditional methods could not match. 

The construction and implementation of the ICARE system was revolutionary to both the center and NASA as a whole. Before 1982, NASA already had an established interest in powerful computers; however, the ICARE system took NASA into the era of supercomputing. ICARE also brought increased attention to the value and power of scientific visualization. 

Original Processing HardwareOriginal analog Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) processing hardware.NASA ICARE RoomAn ICARE room in the Research and Analysis Center. NASA 1980s VisualizationA typical 1980s visualization at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.NASA GRAPH3DGRAPH3D was an innovative technology in the 1980s that supported shaded surfaces and had a rich set of user-friendly commands.NASA The Creation of GVIS

In 1989, it was time for an upgrade. NASA Glenn wanted the latest scientific visualization technology and techniques for its scientists, so the center expanded the Research Analysis Center to make room for the new Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS). The GVIS Lab acquired cutting-edge graphics technology, including studio-quality TV animation and recording equipment, stereographic displays, and image processing systems. Later, the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 provided funding and opportunities to add high-speed computing, virtual reality, and collaborative visualization to its fleet of tools.

The secure supercomputing space that would eventually become the Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS), shown in 1989.NASA

During this period, the GVIS Lab was responsible for assisting NASA Glenn scientists who needed help visualizing their data. The lab was also tasked with inventing new visualization techniques and promoting NASA Glenn’s activities though tours, videos, and other outreach programs. Some of the techniques the lab developed included particle tracking, iso-surface contours, and volume visualization. Tour guests included school children, corporate VIPs, local and national politicians, TV news media, and researchers from other national labs. Using state-of-the-art recording and editing hardware, the GVIS Lab regularly shared work both inside and outside of NASA.   

As other labs and researchers began to gain access to their own scientific visualization tools, the GVIS Lab shifted its focus to experimenting with virtual reality- and augmented reality-based visualizations.

Jay HorowitzJay Horowitz saw the Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) through its creation and early years at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. NASA Cray X-MP-2 SupercomputerThe Cray X-MP-2 Supercomputer that replaced the 1-S. NASA Early Research and Analysis CenterThe Research and Analysis Center pre-expansion. NASA Research and Analysis CenterThe Research and Analysis Center after the expansion. The Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) is in the upper left corner. NASA Lewis Advanced Cluster Environment (LACE)The Advanced Computational Concepts Lab’s (ACCL) Lewis Advanced Cluster Environment (LACE) in 1993. NASA Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory (MAEL) VR Flight SimulatorSetup showing location of the various equipment used in the Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory (MAEL) VR Flight Simulator.NASA Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory (MAEL) VR Flight SimulatorMAEL (Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory) trailer’s flight simulator supported multi-screen panoramic views or head-tracked Head Mounted Displays (HMDs). NASA WrightSimApollo 13 flight director Gene Kranz watches Jim Lovell pilot WrightSim. NASA 100 Years of Flight Gala CelebrationJohn Glenn talks to a Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) programmer during the 2003 “100 Years of Flight Gala Celebration” event at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. NASA VR TreadmillThe concept of the VR treadmill was used to test if duplicating a visual-motor linkage was feasible for long-duration spaceflight. NASA 2000s VisualizationTurn-of-the-century Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) model. NASA 2000s VisualizationTurn-of-the-century Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) model. NASA 2000s Visualization Turn-of-the-century Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) model. NASA Aeroshark ClusterThe Advanced Computational Concepts Lab’s (ACCL) Aeroshark Cluster in 2001. NASA Early 2000s Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS)The turn-of-the-century Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS), shown in 2004. NASA Advanced Communications Environment (ACE) ClusterThe Advanced Computational Concepts Lab’s (ACCL) Advanced Communications Environment (ACE) Cluster in 2005. NASA Early Computer Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE)A Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team member demonstrating the old Computer Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE). NASA Current Computer Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE)A Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) intern in the Computer Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE). NASA GVIS Now

Today, the GVIS Lab has the same mission that it had in 1989: to apply the latest visualization and human interaction technologies to advance NASA’s missions. The team takes pride in pushing the limits of scientific visualization and computer science, helping fellow researchers make sense of their data, and inspiring the next generation through demonstrations and presentations. Computational technology has come a long way since the days of ICARE, but GVIS has continued to explore current and cutting-edge technologies. 

In addition to scientific visualization and experimental computational technologies, the GVIS Lab now also specializes in virtual design, interactive 3D simulations, natural user interface development, applications of computer science, and mission scenario visualizations. The team uses the latest edition of 3D programs and VR devices to experiment with how these systems can be used to visualize data, pushing their input and output capabilities. 

With all this technology, GVIS also supports the visualization of a wide variety of 3D data and models such as CAD, point clouds, and volume data. Additionally, the lab is capable of high-impact data visualization, web-based visualization, time-accurate data representation, and designing and testing CAD models in virtual reality.

The Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team attends a STEM outreach event at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.NASA Public Engagement

Outside of the lab, GVIS has a longstanding history of taking its technology demonstrations across the city, throughout the country, and around the world. The team has extensive experience organizing, presenting, and facilitating STEM-based educational outreach for a variety of different events and venues. Inside the lab, GVIS supports the education and career exploration of its high school and college interns through mentorship, community engagement opportunities, and access to cutting-edge technology.

STEM Engagement EventVisitors interact with the Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team while attending Score with STEM, an event organized by the Cleveland Cavaliers. NASA/GRC/Jef Janis STEM Engagement EventA visitor interacts with a Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team member while attending Dino Days at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. NASA STEM Engagement EventA Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) Intern interacts with visitors at a STEM outreach event. NASA STEM Engagement EventGraphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team members attend Women in Aviation Day organized by Women in Aviation International (WAI). NASA GRUVE Lab ToursThe Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team provides tours of NASA labs and facilities. NASA GVIS Lab ToursA Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS) team member demonstrates VR visualizations. NASA GRUVE Lab ToursVisitors interact with a visualization through the CAVE environment at the Graphics and Visualization Lab (GVIS).   NASA Contact Us 

Need to reach us? You can send an email directly to the GVIS Team (GRC-DL-GVIS@mail.nasa.gov) or to the team leader, Herb Schilling (hschilling@nasa.gov).

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2 min read

Feeling the Heat: Perseverance Looks for Evidence of Contact Metamorphism  NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of the boulders along the contact at Westport, using its Mastcam-Z Left Camera, one of a pair of cameras located high on the rover’s mast. The rover acquired the image on July 10, 2025 — Sol 1560, or Martian day 1,560 of the Mars 2020 mission — at the local mean solar time of 11:23:38. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Written by Melissa Rice, Professor of Planetary Science at Western Washington University

Following a short break for the July 4th holiday, Perseverance drove westward to a site called “Westport,” where the clay-bearing “Krokodillen” unit meets an olivine-bearing rock formation. It is possible that the olivine-rich rocks are an intrusive igneous unit, meaning they could have formed when molten magma from deep within Mars got pushed upwards and cooled under the surface. If that’s the case, Westport could preserve a dramatic moment in Mars’ history when hot, molten material intruded into existing rock formations.  

Those intrusive processes are common on Earth, and the heat of the intruding magma can fundamentally alter the surrounding geology through a process called “contact metamorphism.” The heat from the intrusion will “bake” nearby rocks, creating new minerals and potentially new environments for microbial life. Conversely, the intrusive rocks get rapidly “chilled” where they meet preexisting solid rock formations. 

At Westport, Perseverance is looking for evidence that the Krokodillen rocks at the contact were baked, and that the olivine-bearing rocks at the contact were chilled. Images from the Mastcam-Z instrument reveal that the contact is littered with intriguing dark, rubbly rocks alongside lighter-toned, smooth boulders. Both rock types are proving challenging to study. 

The dark fragments are too small and rough for Perseverance’s standard abrasion techniques, but the rover cleared off the surface of a rock called “Holyrood Bay” with its gas Dust Removal Tool (gDRT). Perseverance also tried to abrade a nearby boulder named “Drake’s Point,” but the rock shifted to the side, causing the abrasion to stop short. The science questions here are compelling enough, however, that Perseverance will keep trying to look within the rocks at this important boundary. 

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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4607-4608: Deep Dip NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, looking toward the upper slopes of Mount Sharp, using its Left Navigation Camera (Left Navcam) on July 20, 2025. Curiosity captured the image on Sol 4605, or Martian day 4,605 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 18:58:26 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Deborah Padgett, MSL OPGS Task Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

Earth planning date: Monday, July 21, 2025

Curiosity continues our exploration of the fractured boxwork terrain on the slopes of Mount Sharp. After a successful 5-meter drive (about 16 feet), our rover is resting in a hollow on its way to a boxwork ridge viewpoint. Over the weekend, Curiosity began an atmospheric observation with the SAM instrument, which will continue into today’s plan. Because the SAM instrument is complex and powerful, it uses a great deal of energy when it operates, causing what we call a “deep dip” in the battery charge level. This means that we have to wait a bit after the SAM observations complete for the battery to recharge enough for Curiosity to observe its surroundings with other science instruments, or move its arm or wheels. For this reason, the plan today does not include a drive, and contact science at this location will be done on the second sol of the plan. 

On Sol 4607, Curiosity will begin the day with SAM atmospheric composition activity, which will run for several hours. After it finishes, we will use the rover’s navigation camera to perform a cloud altitude observation, looking for cloud shadows on the upper reaches of Mount Sharp, and clouds drifting by overhead at the zenith. Overnight, Curiosity’s battery will recharge, allowing us to perform a targeted science block on the morning of Sol 4608. This starts with Navcam observations of dust opacity across the floor of Gale Crater, then a measurement of dust in the air toward the Sun with Mastcam. Curiosity then turns Mastcam toward the ridge ahead to obtain a 15×1 mosaic on target “Cueva De Los Vencejos Y Murcielagos (Cave of Swifts and Bats).” Afterwards, Mastcam will look back along Curiosity’s tracks, hoping to see freshly broken rocks and determine the texture of disturbed ground. Next, ChemCam’s laser spectrograph will zap a nodular rock pillar named for the famous high-altitude “Lake Titicaca” bordering Bolivia and Peru. A second ChemCam observation with the RMI telescopic camera will study stratigraphy on the Mishe Mokwa butte with a 5×2 image mosaic. Mastcam will finish off this science block by looking at the pits left behind by the ChemCam laser on target “Lake Titicaca.”  

In the afternoon, Curiosity’s arm will reach out to brush the dust from the bedrock target “La Tranquita,” then observe it with the MAHLI microscopic imager and APXS. MAHLI and APXS will also investigate plate-like rock formations at target “Aqua Dulce.” A third target with more complex rock structures dubbed “Paposo,” after a natural monument along the Pacific Coast of northern Chile, will be imaged only by MAHLI. The next morning will include another targeted science block. Curiosity will then drive away toward the next viewpoint in the boxwork terrain of Mars.

For more Curiosity blog posts, visit MSL Mission Updates

Learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments

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NASA eClips STEM Student Ambassadors Light Up CNU’s 2025 STEM Community Day

More than 2,000 curious visitors from Newport News and the surrounding Hampton Roads region of Virginia flocked to Christopher Newport University (CNU) on May 31, 2025 for their annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) Community Day, and the NASA eClips team from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE) made sure every one of them left with their eyes—and imaginations—fixed on the Sun.

At the heart of the NASA eClips exhibit were NIA’s STEM Student Ambassadors—a team of carefully selected high school students from the Tidewater region of Virginia who underwent extensive training with NASA eClips educators during the summer of 2024. These bright, enthusiastic young leaders are passionate about communicating about and advocating for STEM. The STEM Student Ambassador program is made possible through a Coastal Virginia STEM Hub grant from the Virginia General Assembly and is already having an impact.

Throughout the day, the Ambassadors engaged learners of all ages with two creative, hands-on experiences that connected STEM and the arts:

• Chalk Corona – Using black construction paper and vibrant chalk, participants recreated the Sun’s corona—the super-hot, gaseous “crown” that’s visible during a total solar eclipse. While they shaded and smudged, the Ambassadors explained why the corona is so important to solar research and handed out certified solar viewers for safe Sun-watching back home.
• Pastel Auroras – Visitors also discovered how solar wind, storms, and coronal mass ejections (aka Sun “sneezes”) spark Earth’s dazzling auroras. Guided by the Ambassadors, budding artists layered pastels to capture swirling curtains of light, tying recent mid-Atlantic aurora sightings to real-time space weather.

Throughout the day, the Ambassadors’ energy was contagious, turning complex heliophysics into hands-on fun and opening eyes to the opportunities and careers that await in STEM. Judging by the smiles—and the dusting of chalk and pastels—NASA eClips’ presence was, quite literally, the “crowning” touch on an unforgettable community celebration of STEM.

The NASA eClips project provides educators with standards-based videos, activities, and lessons to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA. It is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

Two STEM Student Ambassadors engage a young girl while she creates her own Pastel Aurora artwork. Share

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After months of work in the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) challenge, more than 100 students from 12 universities across the United States traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to showcase potential user interface designs for future generations of spacesuits and rovers.  

NASA Johnson’s simulated Moon and Mars surface, called “the rock yard,” became the students’ testing ground as they braved the humid nights and abundance of mosquitoes to put their innovative designs to the test. Geraldo Cisneros, the tech team lead, said, “This year’s SUITS challenge was a complete success. It provided a unique opportunity for NASA to evaluate the software designs and tools developed by the student teams, and to explore how similar innovations could contribute to future, human-centered Artemis missions. My favorite part of the challenge was watching how the students responded to obstacles and setbacks. Their resilience and determination were truly inspiring.”

Tess Caswell and the Rice Owls team from Rice University test their augmented reality heads-up display at Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard in Houston on May 19, 2025.NASA/James Blair

Students filled their jam-packed days not only with testing, but also with guest speakers and tours. Swastik Patel from Purdue University said, “All of the teams really enjoyed being here, seeing NASA facilities, and developing their knowledge with NASA coordinators and teams from across the nation. Despite the challenges, the camaraderie between all the participants and staff was very helpful in terms of getting through the intensity. Can’t wait to be back next year!”

John Mulnix with Team Cosmoshox from Wichita State University presents the team’s design during the Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) exit pitches at Johnson on May 22, 2025.NASA/David DeHoyos

“This week has been an incredible opportunity. Just seeing the energy and everything that’s going on here was incredible. This week has really made me reevaluate a lot of things that I shoved aside. I’m grateful to NASA for having this opportunity, and hopefully we can continue to have these opportunities.”  

At the end of test week, each student team presented their projects to a panel of experts. These presentations served as a platform for students to showcase not only their technical achievements but also their problem-solving approaches, teamwork, and vision for real-world application. The panel–composed of NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham, Flight Director Garrett Hehn, and industry leaders–posed thought-provoking questions and offered constructive feedback that challenged the students to think critically and further refine their ideas. Their insights highlighted potential areas for growth, new directions for exploration, and ways to enhance the impact of their projects. The students left the session energized and inspired, brimming with new ideas and a renewed enthusiasm for future development and innovation. Burnham remarked, “The students did such a great job. They’re all so creative and wonderful, definitely something that can be implemented in the future.” 

Gamaliel Cherry, director of the Office of STEM Engagement at Johnson, presents the Artemis Educator Award to Maggie Schoonover from Wichita State University on May 22, 2025.NASA/David DeHoyos

NASA SUITS test week was not only about pushing boundaries; it was about earning a piece of history. Three Artemis Student Challenge Awards were presented. The Innovation and Pay it Forward awards were chosen by the NASA team, recognizing the most groundbreaking and impactful designs. Students submitted nominations for the Artemis Educator Award, celebrating the faculty member who had a profound influence on their journeys. The Innovation Award went to Team JARVIS from Purdue University and Indiana State University, for going above and beyond in their ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness. Team Selene from Midwestern State University earned the Pay it Forward Award for conducting meaningful education events in the community and beyond. The Artemis Educator Award was given to Maggie Schoonover from Wichita State University in Kansas for the time, commitment, and dedication she gave to her team.

“The NASA SUITS challenge completes its eighth year in operation due to the generous support of NASA’s EVA and Human Surface Mobility Program,” said NASA Activity Manager Jamie Semple. “This challenge fosters an environment where students learn essential skills to immediately enter a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career, and directly contribute to NASA mission operations. These students are creating proposals, generating designs, working in teams similar to the NASA workforce, utilizing artificial intelligence, and designing mission operation solutions that could be part of the Artemis III mission and beyond. NASA’s student design challenges are an important component of STEM employment development and there is no better way to learn technical skills to ensure future career success.”

The week serves as a springboard for the next generation of space exploration, igniting curiosity, ambition, and technical excellence among young innovators. By engaging with real-world challenges and technologies, participants not only deepen their understanding of space science but also actively contribute to shaping its future. Each challenge tackled, each solution proposed, and each connection formed represents a meaningful step forward; not just for the individuals involved, but for humanity as a whole. With every iteration of the program, the dream of venturing further into space becomes more tangible, transforming what once seemed like science fiction into achievable milestones.

Are you interested in joining the next NASA SUITS challenge? Find more information here.

The next challenge will open for proposals at the end of August 2025.

The 2025 NASA SUITS teams represent academic institutions across the United States.NASA/David DeHoyos

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NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, looking south across the large boxwork structures, using its Left Navigation Camera on July 17, 2025. A series of ridges and hollows forms the dramatic topography in the foreground, while the distant buttes expose additional sedimentary structures. Curiosity acquired this image on Sol 4602, or Martian day 4,602 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 17:49:18 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Lauren Edgar, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center

Earth planning date: Friday, July 18, 2025

Curiosity has started to investigate the main exposure of the boxwork structures! What was once a distant target is now on our doorstep, and Curiosity is beginning to explore the ridges and hollows that make up this terrain, to better understand their chemistry, morphology, and sedimentary structures.

I was on shift as Long Term Planner during this three-sol weekend plan, and the team put together a very full set of activities to thoroughly investigate this site — from the sky to the sand. The plan starts with Navcam and Mastcam observations to assess the amount of dust in the atmosphere, followed by a large Mastcam mosaic to characterize the resistant ridge on which the rover is parked. ChemCam will also acquire a LIBS observation on a target named “Vicuna” to assess the chemistry of a well-exposed vein. The team chose this parking location to characterize the chemistry and textures of this topographic ridge (to compare with topographic lows), so the next part of the plan involves contact science using APXS and MAHLI to look at different parts of the nodular bedrock in our workspace, at targets named “Totoral” and “Sillar.” There’s also a MAHLI observation of the same vein that ChemCam targeted.

The second sol involves more Mastcam imaging to look at different parts of this prominent ridge, along with a ChemCam LIBS observation on top of the ridge, and a ChemCam RMI mosaic to document the sedimentary structures in a distant boxwork feature. Navcam will also be used to look for dust devils. Then Curiosity will take a short drive of about 5 meters (about 16 feet) to explore the adjacent hollow (seen as the low point in the foreground of the above Navcam image). After the drive we’ll take more images for context, and to prepare for targeting in Monday’s plan.

After all of this work it’s time to pause and take a deep breath… of Martian atmosphere. The weekend plan involves an exciting campaign to look for variations in atmospheric chemistry between night and day. So Curiosity will take an overnight APXS atmospheric observation at the same time that two instruments within SAM assess its chemical and isotopic abundance.

On the third sol Curiosity will acquire a ChemCam passive sky observation, leading to a great set of atmospheric data. These measurements will be compared to even more atmospheric activities in Monday’s plan to get the full picture. As you can imagine, this plan requires a lot of power, but it’s worth it for all of the exciting science that we can accomplish here.

The road ahead has many highs and lows (literally), but I can’t wait to see what Curiosity will accomplish. The distant buttes remind us that there’s so much more to explore, and I look forward to continuing to see where Curiosity will take us.

For more Curiosity blog posts, visit MSL Mission Updates

Learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments

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Credit: NASA

Senegal will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 24, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Brian Hughes, NASA chief of staff, will host Maram Kairé, director general of the Senegalese space agency (ASES), and Abdoul Wahab Haidara, ambassador of Senegal to the United States, along with other officials from Senegal and the U.S. Department of State.

This event is in-person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

The signing ceremony will take place at the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street SW in Washington.

In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Senegal is the 56th country to sign the Artemis Accords since their inception.

The Artemis Accords are grounded in international law and represent the best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

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Bethany Stevens / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Jul 22, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

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• Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR)

NASA/Carla Thomas

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first low-speed taxi test at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on July 10, 2025. This marked the first time the one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has ever moved under its own power. 

During the test, engineers and flight crews monitored the X-59 as it moved across the runway, working to validate critical systems like steering and braking. The taxiing represents the start of the X-59’s final series of ground tests before first flight. 

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight by reducing the loud sonic boom to a quieter “thump.”

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

NASA Glenn Research Center’s Thermal Energy Conversion Branch team and the University of Leicester’s Space Nuclear Power team pose for a photo at the center in Cleveland following a successful test in January 2025.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis

To explore the unknown in deep space, millions of miles away from Earth, it’s crucial for spacecraft to have ample power. NASA’s radioisotope power systems (RPS) are a viable option for these missions and have been used for over 60 years, including for the agency’s Voyager spacecraft and Perseverance Mars rover. These nuclear batteries provide long-term electrical power for spacecraft and science instruments using heat produced by the natural radioactive decay of radioisotopes. Now, NASA is testing a new type of RPS heat source fuel that could become an additional option for future long-duration journeys to extreme environments.

Historically, the radioisotope plutonium-238 (plutonium oxide) has been NASA’s RPS heat source fuel of choice, but americium-241 has been a source of interest for the past two decades in Europe. In January, the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and the University of Leicester, based in the United Kingdom, partnered through an agreement to put this new option to the test.

One method to generate electricity from radioisotope heat sources is the free-piston Stirling convertor. This is a heat engine that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. However, instead of a crankshaft to extract power, pistons float freely within the engine. It could operate for decades continuously without wear, as it does not have piston rings or rotating bearings that will eventually wear out. Thus, a Stirling convertor could generate more energy, allowing more time for exploration in deep space. Researchers from the University of Leicester — who have been leaders in the development of americium RPS and heater units for more than 15 years — and NASA worked to test the capabilities of a Stirling generator testbed powered by two electrically heated americium-241 heat source simulators.

“The concept started as just a design, and we took it all the way to the prototype level: something close to a flight version of the generator,” said Salvatore Oriti, mechanical engineer at Glenn. “The more impressive part is how quickly and inexpensively we got it done, only made possible by a great synergy between the NASA and University of Leicester teams. We were on the same wavelength and shared the same mindset.”

Salvatore Oriti, mechanical engineer in the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, adjusts the Stirling testbed in preparation for testing at the center in January 2025.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis

The university provided the heat source simulators and generator housing. The heat source simulator is the exact size and shape of their real americium-241 heat source, but it uses embedded electric heaters to create an equivalent amount of heat to simulate the decay of americium fuel and therefore drive generator operation. The Stirling Research Lab at Glenn provided the test station, Stirling convertor hardware, and support equipment.

“A particular highlight of this (testbed) design is that it is capable of withstanding a failed Stirling convertor without a loss of electrical power,” said Hannah Sargeant, research fellow at the University of Leicester. “This feature was demonstrated successfully in the test campaign and highlights the robustness and reliability of an Americium-Radioisotope Stirling Generator for potential future spaceflight missions, including long-duration missions that could operate for many decades.”

The test proved the viability of an americium-fueled Stirling RPS, and performance and efficiency targets were successfully met. As for what’s next, the Glenn team is pursuing the next version of the testbed that will be lower mass, higher fidelity, and undergo further environmental testing.

“I was very pleased with how smoothly everything went,” Oriti said of the test results. “Usually in my experience, you don’t accomplish everything you set out to, but we did that and more. We plan to continue that level of success in the future.”

For more information on NASA’s RPS programs, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/rps

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The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission pictured aboard the International Space Station. From left to right: JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.Credit: NASA

Media are invited to hear from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 during a news conference beginning at 10:40 a.m. EDT, Friday, July 25, from the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will discuss their upcoming return to Earth on the agency’s YouTube channel.

Media interested in participating must contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, July 24, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. To ask questions, media must dial into the news conference no later than 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

Crew-10 joined the Expedition 72 crew when arriving to the station in March. Throughout Expedition 72 and into Expedition 73, the crew aboard the space station contributed to hundreds of experiments, including testing expanded capabilities of existing hardware for pharmaceutical production in space, investigating how cells sense gravity, which is an important aspect of space biology, and examining the effects of microgravity on protein yields in microalgae, a potential source for life support, fuel, and food on long-duration missions.

The crew will depart the space station after the arrival of Crew-11 and a handover period. Ahead of Crew-10’s return, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of California prior to departure from station.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provides reliable access to space, maximizing the use of the station for research and development and supporting future missions beyond low Earth orbit by partnering with private companies to transport astronauts to and from the space station.

Follow updates on the Crew-10 mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/crew-10

-end-

Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

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Portrait of Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Credit: NASA

On Monday, NASA announced Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is set to leave the agency on Friday, Aug. 1.

As center director of Goddard, a role she has held since April 2023, Lystrup also was responsible for guiding the direction and management of multiple other NASA field installations including Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, Katherine Johnson Independent Verification & Validation Facility in West Virginia, the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Texas.

“Having served in a variety of science and aerospace civilian and government roles in her career, Makenzie has led development of, and/or contributed to a variety of NASA’s priority science missions including successful operations of our James Webb Space Telescope and Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, as well as development of the agency’s Roman Space Telescope, and more,” said Vanessa Wyche, acting NASA associate administrator. “We’re grateful to Makenzie for her leadership at NASA Goddard for more than two years, including her work to inspire a Golden Age of explorers, scientists, and engineers.”

Throughout her time at NASA, Lystrup led Goddard’s workforce, which consists of more than 8,000 civil servants and contractors. Before joining the agency, Lystrup served as senior director for Ball’s Civil Space Advanced Systems and Business Development, where she managed new business activities for NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other civilian U.S. government agencies as well as for academia and other science organizations. In addition, she served in the company’s Strategic Operations organization, based in Washington where she led Ball’s space sciences portfolio.

Prior to joining Ball, Lystrup worked as an American Institute of Physics – Acoustical Society of American Congressional Fellow from 2011 to 2012 where she managed a portfolio including technology, national defense, nuclear energy, and nuclear nonproliferation.

Lystrup also has served on boards and committees for several organizations to include the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, International Society for Optics and Photonic, the University of Colorado, and the American Astronomical Society. She was named an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow in 2019 for her distinguished record in the fields of planetary science and infrared astronomy, science policy and advocacy, and aerospace leadership. Lystrup also served as an AmeriCorps volunteer focusing on STEM education.

Lystrup holds a bachelor’s in physics from Portland State University and attended graduate school at University College London earning her doctorate in astrophysics. She was a National Science Foundation Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Research Fellow spending time at the Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado, and University of Liege in Belgium. As a planetary scientist and astronomer, Lystrup’s scientific work has been in using ground- and space-based astronomical observatories to understand the interactions and dynamics of planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres – the relationships between planets and their surrounding space environments.

Following Lystrup’s departure, NASA’s Cynthia Simmons will serve as acting center director. Simmons is the current deputy center director.

For more information about NASA’s work, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Cheryl Warner / Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov / kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov

Katy Mersmann
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-377-1724
katy.mersmann@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

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5 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The north polar region of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io was captured by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno during the spacecraft’s 57th close pass of the gas giant on Dec. 30, 2023. A technique called annealing was used to help repair radiation damage to the camera in time to capture this image. Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Gerald Eichstädt

An experimental technique rescued a camera aboard the agency’s Juno spacecraft, offering lessons that will benefit other space systems that experience high radiation.

The mission team of NASA’s Jupiter-orbiting Juno spacecraft executed a deep-space move in December 2023 to repair its JunoCam imager to capture photos of the Jovian moon Io. Results from the long-distance save were presented during a technical session on July 16 at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Nuclear & Space Radiation Effects Conference in Nashville.

JunoCam is a color, visible-light camera. The optical unit for the camera is located outside a titanium-walled radiation vault, which protects sensitive electronic components for many of Juno’s engineering and science instruments.

This is a challenging location because Juno’s travels carry it through the most intense planetary radiation fields in the solar system. While mission designers were confident JunoCam could operate through the first eight orbits of Jupiter, no one knew how long the instrument would last after that.

Throughout Juno’s first 34 orbits (its prime mission), JunoCam operated normally, returning images the team routinely incorporated into the mission’s science papers. Then, during its 47th orbit, the imager began showing hints of radiation damage. By orbit 56, nearly all the images were corrupted.

The graininess and horizontal lines seen in this JunoCam image show evidence that the camera aboard NASA’s Juno mission suffered radiation damage. The image, which captures one of the circumpolar cyclones on Jupiter’s north pole, was taken Nov. 22, 2023. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Long Distance Microscopic Repair

While the team knew the issue may be tied to radiation, pinpointing what, specifically, was damaged within JunoCam was difficult from hundreds of millions of miles away. Clues pointed to a damaged voltage regulator that is vital to JunoCam’s power supply. With few options for recovery, the team turned to a process called annealing, where a material is heated for a specified period before slowly cooling. Although the process is not well understood, the idea is that the heating can reduce defects in the material.

“We knew annealing can sometimes alter a material like silicon at a microscopic level but didn’t know if this would fix the damage,” said JunoCam imaging engineer Jacob Schaffner of Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, which designed and developed JunoCam and is part of the team that operates it. “We commanded JunoCam’s one heater to raise the camera’s temperature to 77 degrees Fahrenheit — much warmer than typical for JunoCam — and waited with bated breath to see the results.”

Soon after the annealing process finished, JunoCam began cranking out crisp images for the next several orbits. But Juno was flying deeper and deeper into the heart of Jupiter’s radiation fields with each pass. By orbit 55, the imagery had again begun showing problems. 

“After orbit 55, our images were full of streaks and noise,” said JunoCam instrument lead Michael Ravine of Malin Space Science Systems. “We tried different schemes for processing the images to improve the quality, but nothing worked. With the close encounter of Io bearing down on us in a few weeks, it was Hail Mary time: The only thing left we hadn’t tried was to crank JunoCam’s heater all the way up and see if more extreme annealing would save us.”

Test images sent back to Earth during the annealing showed little improvement the first week. Then, with the close approach of Io only days away, the images began to improve dramatically. By the time Juno came within 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of the volcanic moon’s surface on Dec. 30, 2023, the images were almost as good as the day the camera launched, capturing detailed views of Io’s north polar region that revealed mountain blocks covered in sulfur dioxide frosts rising sharply from the plains and previously uncharted volcanos with extensive flow fields of lava.

Testing Limits

To date, the solar-powered spacecraft has orbited Jupiter 74 times. Recently, the image noise returned during Juno’s 74th orbit.

Since first experimenting with JunoCam, the Juno team has applied derivations of this annealing technique on several Juno instruments and engineering subsystems.

“Juno is teaching us how to create and maintain spacecraft tolerant to radiation, providing insights that will benefit satellites in orbit around Earth,” said Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “I expect the lessons learned from Juno will be applicable to both defense and commercial satellites as well as other NASA missions.”

More About Juno

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 Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. Various other institutions around the U.S. provided several of the other scientific instruments on Juno.

More information about Juno is at:

https://www.nasa.gov/juno

News Media Contact

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

Deb Schmid
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
210-522-2254
dschmid@swri.org

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Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2025 Related Terms

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2 min read

GLOBE-Trotting Science Lands in Chesapeake with NASA eClips

On June 16-17, 2025, 50 students at Camp Young in Chesapeake, Virginia traded their usual summer routines for microscopes. The NASA eClips team from the National Institute of Aerospace Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE) taught two engaging lessons focused on macroinvertebrates and plankton, with a surprising star of the show – mosquitoes!

Camp Young, a Title I camp program serving students from Norfolk Public Schools, provides year-round, environmental science-based learning. The NASA eClips’ visit reinforced their mission to help students explore their environment on the Elizabeth River while seeing its place in the Earth System.

The lessons, designed for students in grades 3 through 8, were inspired by NASA’s GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) program, which encourages people around the world to collect and share environmental data as ‘citizen scientists’. This is where mosquitos stole the show! The lesson focuses on how these tiny insects can serve as indicators of climate and habitat change. By identifying mosquito larvae and understanding their breeding environments, students contributed to the bigger picture of global health and environmental monitoring, right from their own backyard.

During this experience, Camp Young’s stunning waterfront on the Elizabeth River was turned into a living laboratory. With phytoplankton nets, petri dishes, and sample jars in hand, campers ventured into the field to collect real environmental data, bringing their findings back to a cabin-turned-classroom to analyze them with scientific tools, including microscopes provided by the NASA eClips team.

Rather than just reading about ecosystems and the kinds of scientific questions that arise within them, students got to experience them firsthand and experience real science in the field. “It’s one thing to talk about microscopic marine organisms,” one instructor noted, “but it’s another thing entirely when students can actually see them swimming in a droplet from the river.”

The NASA eClips project provides educators with standards-based videos, activities, and lessons to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA. It is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

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On July 19, 2013, in an event celebrated the world over, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft slipped into Saturn’s shadow and turned to image the planet, seven of its moons, its inner rings, and, in the background, our home planet, Earth.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI

On July 19, 2013, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft had a rare opportunity to image Saturn and, far in the background, Earth. This image spans about 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across.

With the Sun’s powerful and potentially damaging rays eclipsed by Saturn itself, Cassini’s onboard cameras were able to take advantage of this unique viewing geometry. They acquired a panoramic mosaic of the Saturn system that allows scientists to see details in the rings and throughout the system as they are backlit by the sun. This mosaic is special as it marks the third time our home planet was imaged from the outer solar system; the second time it was imaged by Cassini from Saturn’s orbit; and the first time ever that inhabitants of Earth were made aware in advance that their photo would be taken from such a great distance.

Before the mission ended in 2017, Cassini was already a powerful influence on future exploration. Lessons learned during Cassini’s mission are being applied in NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. The mission uses an orbital tour design derived from the way Cassini explored Saturn. Launched in 2024, Europa Clipper will reach Jupiter in April 2030 and make dozens of flybys of the planet’s icy moon to determine whether there are places below the surface that could support life.

Learn more about this unique image.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI

6 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Information provided by the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission (NISAR) will help to protect and inform communities around the world. The data will aid in managing agricultural fields, monitoring volcanoes, and tracking land-based ice including glaciers.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Lee esta historia en español aquí.

Data from NISAR will map changes to Earth’s surface, helping improve crop management, natural hazard monitoring, and tracking of sea ice and glaciers.

A new U.S.-India satellite called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) will provide high-resolution data enabling scientists to comprehensively monitor the planet’s land and ice surfaces like never before, building a detailed record of how they shift over time. Hailed as a critical part of a pioneering year for U.S.-India civil space cooperation by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi during their visit in Washington in February, the NISAR launch will advance U.S.-India cooperation and benefit the U.S. in the areas of disaster response and agriculture.

As the first joint satellite mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), NISAR marks a new chapter in the growing collaboration between the two space agencies. Years in the making, the launch of NISAR builds on a strong heritage of successful programs, including Chandrayaan-1 and the recent Axiom Mission 4, which saw ISRO and NASA astronauts living and working together aboard the International Space Station for the first time.

The information NISAR provides will help decision-makers, communities, and scientists monitor agricultural fields, refine understanding of natural hazards such as landslides and earthquakes, and help teams prepare for and respond to disasters like hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. The satellite will also provide key global observations of changes to ice sheets, glaciers, and permafrost, as well as forests and wetlands.

The NISAR mission is slated to launch no earlier than July 30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India’s southeastern coast aboard an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Here are five things to know about NISAR:

1. The NISAR satellite will provide a 3D view of Earth’s land and ice.

Two synthetic aperture radars (SARs) aboard NISAR will detect changes in the planet’s surface down to fractions of an inch. The spacecraft will bounce microwave signals off Earth’s surface and receive the return signals on a radar antenna reflector measuring 39 feet (12 meters) across. The satellite’s ability to “see” through clouds and light rain, day and night, will enable data users to continuously monitor earthquake- and landslide-prone areas and determine how quickly glaciers and ice sheets are changing. It also will offer unprecedented coverage of Antarctica, information that will help with studying how the continent’s ice sheet changes over time.

2. Data from NISAR will provide critical insights to help governments and decision-makers plan for natural and human-caused hazards.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, and aging infrastructure can pose risks to lives and property. Able to see subtle changes in Earth’s surface, NISAR can help with hazard-monitoring efforts and potentially give decision-makers more time to prepare for a possible disaster. For earthquakes, NISAR will provide insights into which parts of a fault slowly move without producing quakes and which are locked together and could potentially slip. The satellite will be able to monitor the area around thousands of volcanoes, detecting land movement that could be a precursor to an eruption. When it comes to infrastructure such as levees, aqueducts, and dams, NISAR data collected over time can help managers detect if nearby land motion could jeopardize key structures, and then assess the integrity of those facilities.

3. The most advanced radar system ever launched as part of a NASA or ISRO mission, NISAR will generate more data on a daily basis than any previous Earth satellite from either agency.

About the length of a pickup truck, NISAR’s main body contains a dual-radar payload — an L-band system with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength and an S-band system with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) wavelength. Each system is sensitive to land and ice features of different sizes and specializes in detecting certain attributes, such as moisture content, surface roughness, and motion. By including both radars on one spacecraft — a first — NISAR will be more capable than previous SAR missions. These two radars, one from NASA and one from ISRO, and the data they will produce, exemplify how collaboration between spacefaring allies can achieve more than either would alone.

NISAR press kit

The radars will generate about 80 terabytes of data products per day over the course of NISAR’s prime mission. That’s roughly enough data to fill about 150 512-gigabyte hard drives each day. The information will be processed, stored, and distributed via the cloud — and accessible to all.

This artist’s concept depicts the NISAR satellite in orbit over central and Northern California. The spacecraft will survey all of Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days.NASA/JPL-Caltech

4. The NISAR mission will help monitor ecosystems around the world.

The mission’s two radars will monitor Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days. Their near-comprehensive coverage will include areas not previously covered by other Earth-observing radar satellites with such frequency. The NISAR satellite’s L-band radar penetrates deep into forest canopies, providing insights into forest structure, while the S-band radar is ideal for monitoring crops. The NISAR data will help researchers assess how forests, wetlands, agricultural areas, and permafrost change over time.

5. The NISAR mission marks the first collaboration between NASA and ISRO on a project of this scale and marks the next step in a long line of Earth-observing SAR missions.

The NISAR satellite features components developed on opposite sides of the planet by engineers from ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory working together. The S-band radar was built at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, while JPL built the L-band radar in Southern California. After engineers from JPL and ISRO integrated NISAR’s instruments with a modified ISRO I3K spacecraft bus and tested the satellite, ISRO transported NISAR to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in May 2025 to prepare it for launch.

The SAR technique was invented in the U.S. in 1952 and now countries around the globe have SAR satellites for a variety of missions. NASA first used the technique with a space-based satellite in 1978 on the ocean-observing Seasat, which included the first spaceborne SAR instrument for scientific observations. In 2012, ISRO began launching SAR missions starting with Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), followed by RISAT-1A in 2022, to support a wide range of applications in India.

More About NISAR

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL leads the U.S. component of the project and provided the L-band SAR. JPL also provided the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Near Space Network, which will receive NISAR’s L-band data.

The ISRO Space Applications Centre is providing the mission’s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre is providing the spacecraft bus. The rocket is from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, launch services are through Satish Dhawan Space Centre, and satellite mission operations are by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network. The National Remote Sensing Centre is responsible for S-band data reception, operational products generation, and dissemination.

To learn more about NISAR, visit:

https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov/

How New NASA, India Satellite NISAR Will See Earth Powerful New US-Indian Satellite Will Track Earth’s Changing Surface NASA-ISRO Radar Mission to Provide Dynamic View of Forests, Wetlands NASA-ISRO Mission Will Map Farmland From Planting to Harvest News Media Contacts

Andrew Wang / Jane J. Lee
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 626-491-1943
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov

2025-090

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Details Last Updated Jul 21, 2025 Related Terms

• NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)
• Earth Science
• Earth Surface & Interior
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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Bring NASA Science into Your Library!

Calling all librarians! NASA sponsors dozens of research projects that need help from you and the people in your community. These projects invite everyone who’s interested to collaborate with scientists, investigating mysteries from how star systems form to how our planet sustains life. You can help by making observations with your cell phone or by studying fresh data on your laptop from spacecraft like the James Webb Space Telescope. You might discover a near-Earth asteroid or a new food option for astronauts.  Participants learn new skills and meet scientists and other people around the world with similar interests. 

Interested in sharing these opportunities with your patrons? Join us on August 26, 2025 at 1 p.m. EST for a 1-hour online information session.  A librarian and a participatory science professional will provide you with a NASA Citizen Science Librarian Starter Kit and answer all your questions. The kit includes everything you need to host a NASA Science Program for patrons of all ages. 

• Editable poster to advertise event
• Event prep guide (for the host and for the space)
• Community connection ideas 
• Editable event agenda
• Handout for participants

Scan the QR code above or go to https://shorturl.at/tKfTt to register for the session.

Kara Reiman, Librarian and Educator (Left) and Sarah Kirn, Participatory Science Strategist, NASA (Right) Share

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A lifelong baseball fan, Catherine Staggs set out with her family to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums across the United States. That love of the game eventually led them to settle in Houston about eight years ago – a choice that helped lead Staggs to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she is a contracting officer for the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Through CLPS, she helps manage the contracts with commercial companies delivering science and technology to the Moon. These efforts support NASA’s Artemis campaign and lay the groundwork for continuous human presence on the lunar surface.

Official portrait of Catherine Staggs.NASA

She joined NASA as a civil servant in 2018, but Staggs’ career in the federal government stretches back to her college days. She completed an accounting co-op with the Department of Defense as a student at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, and secured a full-time accounting position with the agency following her graduation. She transitioned to a business financial manager position supporting U.S. Marine Corps projects while earning an MBA from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. “That position is where I started to dabble in contracting,” she said.

Staggs moved to Texas in 2014 to be closer to her boyfriend – now husband – who was stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen. She was hired as a contract compliance manager for a small, Killeen-based business that specialized in government contracts, officially launching her career in contracting. When Staggs’ husband retired from the Army, the couple decided to move to Houston because they loved to watch the Houston Astros play ball. Staggs continued working for the contracting company from her new home but missed meeting new people and collaborating with colleagues in person.

“I applied for a contract specialist job with NASA to get back into the office, and the rest is history,” she said.

Her current role at Johnson involves managing the administrative contract functions for the 13 base contracts that support CLPS, which are valued at $2.6 billion. She is also the contracting officer for Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission-3 and helps to train and develop up-and-coming contract specialists. “I love to see the development each contract specialist has over their career,” she said. “My first Pathways intern is now working full-time for NASA as a contract specialist, and they are working to become a limited warrant contracting officer.”

The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) procurement team celebrates the lunar landing of Intuitive Machines’ second CLPS flight at Ellington Field on March 6, 2025. Front row, from left: Doug York, Josh Smith, Tasha Beasley, Aubrie Henspeter, Jennifer Ariens, Catherine Staggs, and Shayla Martin. Back row: John Trahan.NASA

Her training experience provides valuable perspective on new team members. “Everyone starts at the bottom, not knowing what they don’t know,” she said. “We all have a beginning, and we need to remember that as we welcome new employees.”

Staggs said that navigating change has at times been difficult in her career, but she strives to remain flexible and open to adjusting work and life to meet the needs of the mission. “My time at NASA has helped develop my leadership skills through confidence in myself and my team,” she said.

Catherine Staggs received a 2023 Johnson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award. From left: Johnson Acting Center Director Steve Koerner, Jeremy Staggs, AJ Staggs, Catherine Staggs, NASA Acting Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche. NASA

She looks forward to mentoring the Artemis Generation and sharing her contracting knowledge with new team members. She also anticipates crossing more baseball stadiums off her family’s list this summer.  

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

NASA’s Athena Economical Payload Integration Cost mission, or Athena EPIC, is a test launch for an innovative, scalable space vehicle design to support future missions. The small satellite platform is engineered to share resources among the payloads onboard by managing routine functions so the individual payloads don’t have to.

This technology results in lower costs to taxpayers and a quicker path to launch.

Fully integrated, the Athena EPIC satellite undergoes performance testing in a NovaWurks cleanroom to prepare the sensor for launch. The optical module payload element may be seen near the top of the instrument with the single small telescope.NovaWurks

“Increasing the speed of discovery is foundational to NASA. Our ability to leverage access to innovative space technologies across federal agencies through industry partners is the future,” said Clayton Turner, Associate Administrator for Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington. “Athena EPIC is a valuable demonstration of the government at its best — serving humankind to advance knowledge with existing hardware configured to operate with new technologies.”

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the U.S. Space Force are government partners for this demo mission. Athena EPIC’s industry partner, NovaWurks, provided the space vehicle, which utilizes a small satellite platform assembled with a Hyper-Integrated Satlet, or HISat.

Engineers at NovaWurks in Long Beach prepare to mount the optical payload subassembly (center, silver) consisting of the payload optical module and single telescope mounted between gimbals on each of two HISats on either side of the module which will allow scanning across the Earth’s surface.NovaWurks

The HISat instruments are similar in nature to a child’s toy interlocking building blocks. They’re engineered to be built into larger structures called SensorCraft. Those SensorCraft can share resources with multiple payloads and conform to different sizes and shapes to accommodate them. This easily configurable, building-block architecture allows a lot of flexibility with payload designs and concepts, ultimately giving payload providers easier, less expensive access to space and increased maneuverability between multiple orbits.

Scientists at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, designed and built the Athena sensor payload, which consists of an optical module, a calibration module, and a newly developed sensor electronics assembly. Athena EPIC’s sensor was built with spare parts from NASA’s CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) mission. Several different generations of CERES satellite and space station instruments have tracked Earth’s radiation budget.

“Instead of Athena carrying its own processor, we’re using the processors on the HISats to control things like our heaters and do some of the control functions that typically would be done by a processor on our payload,” said Kory Priestley, principal investigator for Athena EPIC from NASA Langley. “So, this is merging an instrument and a satellite platform into what we are calling a SensorCraft. It’s a more integrated approach. We don’t need as many capabilities built into our key instrument because it’s being brought to us by the satellite host. We obtain greater redundancy, and it simplifies our payload.”

The fully assembled and tested Athena EPIC satellite which incorporates eight HISats mounted on a mock-up of a SpaceX provided launch pedestal which will hold Athena during launch.NovaWurks

This is the first HISat mission led by NASA. Traditional satellites, like the ones that host the CERES instruments — are large, sometimes the size of a school bus, and carry multiple instruments. They tend to be custom units built with all of their own hardware and software to manage control, propulsion, cameras, carousels, processors, batteries, and more, and sometimes even require two of everything to guard against failures in the system. All of these factors, plus the need for a larger launch vehicle, significantly increase costs.

This transformational approach to getting instruments into space can reduce the cost from billions to millions per mission.  “Now we are talking about something much smaller — SensorCraft the size of a mini refrigerator,” said Priestley. “If you do have failures on orbit, you can replace these much more economically. It’s a very different approach moving forward for Earth observation.”

The Athena EPIC satellite is shown here mounted onto a vibration table during pre-launch environmental testing. The optical payload is located at the top in this picture with the two solar arrays, stowed for launch, flanking the lower half sides of the satellite.NovaWurks

Athena EPIC is scheduled to launch July 22 as a rideshare on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The primary NASA payload on the launch will be the TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission. The TRACERS mission is led by the University of Iowa for NASA’s Heliophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Earth Science Division also provided funding for Athena EPIC.

“Langley Research Center has long been a leader in developing remote sensing instruments for in-orbit satellites. As satellites become smaller, a less traditional, more efficient path to launch is needed in order to decrease complexity while simultaneously increasing the value of exploration, science, and technology measurements for the Nation,” added Turner.

For more information on NASA’s Athena EPIC mission:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/athena/

About the AuthorCharles G. HatfieldScience Public Affairs Officer, NASA Langley Research Center

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Details Last Updated Jul 20, 2025 ContactCharles G. Hatfieldcharles.g.hatfield@nasa.govLocationNASA Langley Research Center Related Terms

• Langley Research Center
• Earth
• Earth Science Division
• Earth's Atmosphere
• General
• Science Mission Directorate
• TRACERS

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