NASA - Breaking News
Unlocking the Mystery of X-ray Dots
A new “X-ray dot” found by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory – which could look like this artist’s illustration released on April 28, 2026 – could explain what the hundreds or potentially thousands of these objects are.
Shortly after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope started its science observations, reports of a new class of mysterious objects emerged. Astronomers found small, red objects about 12 billion light-years from Earth or farther, which became known as “little red dots” (LRDs). The dot that Chandra found exhibits most of the features of an LRD, including being small, red, and located at a vast distance, but it glows in X-ray light, unlike other LRDs – hence the name “X-ray dot.”
This object (officially known as 3DHST-AEGIS-12014), which is located about 11.8 billion light-years from Earth, may provide a crucial bridge between black hole stars and typical growing supermassive black holes.
Read more about this mysterious dot.
Image credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/M. Weiss; adapted by K. Arcand & J. Major
NASA’s Roman Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars
Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics suggests NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could spot them anyway.
Using detailed simulations of the Milky Way and Roman’s future observations, researchers showed the flagship observatory may be able to identify and characterize dozens of isolated neutron stars through a subtle effect called gravitational microlensing.
“Most neutron stars are relatively dim and on their own,” said Zofia Kaczmarek of Heidelberg University in Germany, who led the study. “They are incredibly hard to spot without some sort of help.”
Finding what’s invisibleNeutron stars pack more mass than the Sun into a sphere about the size of a city. Studying them helps us understand how stars live, die, and spread heavy elements throughout the universe. They also provide a chance to study what happens under the most extreme conditions (pressures and densities) imaginable.
Yet, unless they are pulsars that beam in radio wavelengths or glow in X-rays, they can remain hidden from even the most powerful telescopes.
Roman can search for them in a different way. When a massive object like a neutron star moves in front of a distant background star, its intense gravity warps spacetime and deflects the background star’s light. This microlensing effect briefly makes the background star brighter and appear offset from its true position in the sky.
While many telescopes can detect the temporary brightening, Roman can measure both the brightening (photometry) and the tiny positional shift (astrometry) of the lensed star with exceptional precision.
Astrometric microlensing occurs when a foreground object, like a neutron star, passes in front of a more distant background star. The neutron star’s gravity bends the distant star’s light, splitting it into multiple paths that reach the telescope. Although these distorted images can’t be resolved, their combined light appears brighter and slightly shifted from the distant star’s true position. As the alignment between the two objects changes over time, this apparent shift traces a small elliptical pattern on the sky. The size of that ellipse depends on how strongly the light is bent, meaning more massive objects produce larger shifts, allowing astronomers to directly measure the mass of the otherwise invisible neutron star.NASA, STScI, Joyce Kang (STScI)Because neutron stars are relatively massive, they produce a larger astrometric signal than lighter objects, allowing missions like Roman to not only detect them, but also weigh them in some cases, something that is nearly impossible with photometry alone.
“What’s really cool about using microlensing is that you can get direct mass measurements,” said paper co-author Peter McGill of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. “Photometry tells us that something passed in front of the star, but it’s the amount the star’s position shifts that tells us how massive that object is. By measuring that tiny deflection on the sky, we can directly weigh something that is otherwise unseen.”
Roman’s measurements could help astronomers determine whether there is a true gap between the masses of neutron stars and black holes and how fast neutron stars are moving.
Scientists are particularly interested in understanding the powerful “kicks” neutron stars receive when they are born in supernova explosions. These kicks can send them racing through the galaxy at hundreds of miles per second.
Huge surveys, high chance of payoffThe research team will utilize Roman’s future Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, which will monitor millions of stars at a time in vast images of the sky, taken at a high frequency.
“We’re going to get to work as soon as the data start coming in,” said McGill. “Even in the first months after commissioning, we expect to start identifying promising events.”
Even a relatively small number of confirmed detections could significantly improve models of stellar explosions and extreme matter.
“We don’t know the mass distribution of neutron stars, black holes, or where one ends and the other begins with any certainty,” McGill said. “Roman will really be a breakthrough in that.”
Although only a few thousand neutron stars have been detected so far, mostly as pulsars, scientists estimate there could be tens of millions to hundreds of millions in the Milky Way. Additionally, to date, researchers have only been able to measure the masses of neutron stars in binary pairings.
“We’re seeing a small sample that’s not representative of the big picture,” Kaczmarek said. “Even a single mass measurement would be very powerful. If we found just one isolated neutron star, it would already be incredibly stimulating to our research.”
Looking aheadThe study also highlights a creative use of the mission’s capabilities. While Roman’s survey is designed primarily to find exoplanets using photometric microlensing, its powerful astrometric capabilities open the door to entirely new discoveries with astrometric microlensing.
“This wasn’t part of the original plan,” said McGill. “But it turns out Roman’s astrometric capability is really good at detecting neutron stars and black holes, so we can add a whole new kind of science to Roman’s surveys.”
If the predictions hold true, the mission could provide the first large sample of isolated neutron stars discovered through their gravity alone, revealing a hidden population that has remained out of reach until now. Roman is expected to transform the study of microlensing and the hidden populations of objects in our galaxy, from rogue exoplanets to stellar remnants like neutron stars.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
To learn more about Roman visit:
By Hannah Braun
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
hbraun@stsci.edu
Media contacts:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940
Christine Pulliam
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
cpulliam@stsci.edu
New NASA Technology Mimics Extreme Cold of the Lunar Night
As NASA looks to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond, researchers must develop materials capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures found in space and on other planets and their moons. In frigid conditions, rubber can shatter like glass, circuit boards may fail, and electrical connections can freeze and fracture.
Gaining a deeper understanding of how materials respond to these temperature extremes is critical — especially as NASA looks to build its Moon Base at the lunar South Pole, where surface temperatures swing dramatically from blistering heat during the day to bitter cold at night. Researchers developed a ground-breaking method for testing how materials hold up in the extreme cold of space. Engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland invented the Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig (LESTR), a machine that can test materials, electronics, and other flight hardware at temperatures as low as 40 Kelvin, or about –388 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Just as no building ever gets built without knowing exactly how the construction materials behave, no space mission is complete without a robust structural design that hinges on knowing how the materials used within it behave,” said Ariel Dimston, technical lead for LESTR at NASA Glenn.
Traditionally, NASA has used a process that involves super-cold liquids — called liquid cryogens — to test how materials respond to extreme cold. These liquids, like nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium, are some of the coldest materials on Earth and are stored in specialized tanks. Engineers use them to chill materials during testing and collect data to see how they perform.
“What makes LESTR special is that the entire rig operates in a completely dry vacuum: no liquid nitrogen, no liquid helium, no liquid anything,” Dimston said. “This is the first mechanical test rig that escapes from all of the challenges involved with cryogenic fluids.”
LESTR takes a new approach by using a high-powered refrigerator, called a cryocooler, to remove heat without using any liquid at all. This creates the first “dry” cryogenic test environment within the mechanical testing industry. This new test rig is safer and more affordable than traditional methods and allows scientists to test materials at a much wider range of temperatures, Dimston said.
“By leaving behind the liquid cryogen, you no longer need specialized handling equipment such as dewers, wet heaters, nor valves,” Dimston said. “You no longer require oxygen displacement sensors and other safety systems that add time, complexity, and cost to the process since without these cryogens they are no longer needed.”
Dimston and his team are working with NASA programs and projects to put materials through their paces using the new apparatus. The team has been testing yarns that may someday be woven into fabrics used for next-generation spacesuits and is looking to develop advanced materials for rover tires, including a new metal that can return to its original shape after being bent, stretched, heated, and cooled. This shape memory alloy technology could help future rovers travel across the uneven, rocky surfaces of the Moon and Mars without the risk of flat tires.
The Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland simulates the intense cold of the lunar night on Friday, June 6, 2025.NASA/Steven LoganNASA researchers spent more than two years designing and building the first version of the technology — LESTR 1 — and are currently building its twin, LESTR 2. In a partnership with Fort Wayne Metals, NASA delivered LESTR 1 to the company’s facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where experts there will use it to test shape memory alloy material for the extreme temperatures present on the Moon.
“We are working to develop a next-generation shape memory alloy that is capable of functioning at temperatures down to 40 Kelvin, one of the coldest regions we could go to with rover capability,” said Dr. Santo Padula II, principal investigator for LESTR at NASA Glenn. “With this rig, we can test how shape memory alloys will behave in the coldest areas of the Moon and Mars. That will be a very big day for us: to be able to see what its properties look like at such low temperatures — something we’ve never seen before.”
Beyond LESTR, NASA Glenn has other world-class ground test facilities that mimic environments like the vacuum of space, the microgravity aboard the International Space Station, the sulfuric pressure cooker that is Venus, or the terrain of the Moon and Mars.
Glenn leads the agency in both advanced materials testing and in-space cryogenic fluid management, playing a vital role in developing technologies for future space exploration.
For more information on Glenn’s new test rig, visit LESTR’s web page.
Melting Snow Off Shivelyuch
- Earth
- Earth Observatory
- Image of the Day
- EO Explorer
- Topics
- More Content
- About
NASA eClips and GLOBE Educators Strengthen a Regional STEM Ecosystem in Coastal Virginia
3 min read
NASA eClips and GLOBE Educators Strengthen a Regional STEM Ecosystem in Coastal Virginia Jessica Taylor, Physical Scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and Principle Investigator for GLOBE Clouds and the My NASA Data project, explains calibration of an infrared thermometer.Thirty-eight science educators representing seven school districts across Virginia’s Tidewater region joined forces with community organizations, such as the Elizabeth River Project, to deepen their instructional practice through a dynamic collaboration between NASA eClips and the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) Program. Together, these groups are cultivating a regional STEM ecosystem that connects classrooms, community science, and NASA resources in meaningful and lasting ways.
As part of NASA’s Science Activation Program, NASA eClips engages educators and learners with standards-aligned resources grounded in authentic NASA science. Complementing this work, the GLOBE Program empowers participants to contribute to citizen science through environmental data collection and analysis. The partnership between these two programs creates a powerful bridge between content knowledge and real-world application – bringing Earth Systems science to life for both educators and learners.
Educators gathered for a three-hour professional learning experience on March 7 or April 18, 2026 at the National Institute of Aerospace in Hampton, Virginia. Through hands-on investigations, participants explored how land cover influences surface temperature, how clouds impact atmospheric conditions, and how soil plays a critical role in environmental systems. These experiences were anchored in NASA eClips resources and GLOBE protocols, offering practical strategies for teaching key Virginia Science Standards of Learning related to weather, climate, land covering, and Earth’s energy budget.
Participants calibrated and used scientific instruments such as infrared thermometers and multi-day minimum/maximum thermometers, gaining confidence in collecting accurate environmental data. They examined the urban heat island effect, engaged in interactive activities including an energetic cloud dance and a cloud opacity demonstration, and learned how to contribute observations through practice of using the GLOBE Observer app. These immersive experiences not only strengthened content knowledge but also modeled how authentic science practices can be integrated into classroom instruction.
This initiative builds on two years of intentional collaboration among the NASA eClips Educators from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE); GLOBE scientists from NASA Langley Research Center; and regional school divisions and community organizations that laid the foundation for a sustainable regional STEM ecosystem. Support from the Coastal Virginia STEM Hub, funded through the Virginia General Assembly, has been instrumental in expanding access to these opportunities. Grant funding provided educator stipends and enabled the purchase of essential equipment, including weather instrument shelters and soil kits. In a powerful example of cross-sector collaboration, the instrument shelters were constructed by Career and Technical Education (CTE) students in Hampton City Schools and Norfolk Public Schools using GLOBE specifications, further connecting students to the scientific process while supporting their peers’ learning.
As participating school divisions and community organizations integrate NASA eClips and GLOBE resources into their curricula and outreach efforts, they are ensuring that all learners have access to authentic, data-driven science experiences. Together, this network of educators, students, and partners is not only enhancing science education, but also building a connected, collaborative STEM ecosystem where learning extends beyond the classroom and into the community.
NASA eClips, led by NIA-CISE, 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/about-science-activation/
Share Details Last Updated May 05, 2026 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Explore More 3 min read New NASA HEAT Coloring Book Blends Art, Science, and Cultural PerspectivesA new Sun-centered and science-focused coloring book produced by NASA in partnership with the University…
Article
7 hours ago
4 min read Breaking Barriers at 3rd Annual Findings from the Field Symposium
This year’s Findings from the Field Student Research Symposium welcomed 106 students, grades four through…
Article
1 day ago
4 min read Artemis Moon Tree Dedicated in Honor of Mary W. Jackson
Article
1 month ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA James Webb Space Telescope
Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
Perseverance Rover
This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…
Parker Solar Probe
On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…
Juno
NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Surveys ‘Crocodile Bridge’
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS Description
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to capture this 360-degree panorama of a region nicknamed “Crocodile Bridge” on Jezero Crater’s rim. The panorama is made up of 980 images, 971 of which were taken on Dec. 18, 2025, the 1,717th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. An additional nine were taken on Jan. 25, 2026, Sol 1,754. This natural-color view has been processed to show the landscape as the human eye would see it.
Jezero Crater’s rim and the regions around it hold some of the oldest rocks anywhere in the solar system; they serve as time capsules of the Red Planet’s early history, when its crust and atmosphere were still forming. No terrain this ancient exists on Earth, where tectonic plates constantly recycle the surface. (Mars lacks tectonic plates, allowing some of this very old material to be preserved.)
“Crocodile Bridge” represents a transition into an area nicknamed “Lac de Charmes,” which Perseverance will explore for several months later this year.
[Full-resolution image versions of figures A through E can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.]
Figure A (low resolution)Figure A is the natural-color view panorama.
Figure B (low resolution)Figure B is the same panorama in an enhanced-color view, which brings out subtle details.
Figure C (low resolution)Figure C is an anaglyph (3D) version of the natural-color view of the panorama.
Figure D (low resolution)Figure D is an anaglyph red-color view of the enhanced version of the panorama.
Figure E (low resolution)Figure E is an anaglyph blue-color view of the enhanced version of the panorama.
Managed for NASA by Caltech, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.
To learn more about Perseverance, visit:
science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance
Downloads PIA26699 Figure A
TIFF (4.13 GB)
PIA26699 Figure B
TIFF (4.16 GB)
PIA26699 Figure C
TIFF (4.42 GB)
PIA26699 Figure D
TIFF (3.66 GB)
PIA26699 Figure E
TIFF (3.53 GB)
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal
Photojournal
Search Photojournal
Photojournal’s Latest Content
Feedback
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4879-4885: Struggle at Atacama
- Curiosity Home
- Science
- News and Features
- Multimedia
- Mars Missions
- Mars Home
3 min read
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4879-4885: Struggle at Atacama NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, of its drill (above, now free of the Atacama block) and the stubborn stone block, again back on the surface (below), on May 2, 2026. Curiosity captured the image using its Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Sol 4883, or Martian day 4,883 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 09:14:58 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSWritten by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute
Earth planning date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Chile’s Atacama desert is the driest mid-latitude desert in the world, receiving only 15 millimeters (0.59 inches) of precipitation per year. Only the dry valleys of Antarctica receive less precipitation. These environmental conditions have made the Atacama a challenging place to survive in. Like its namesake, the Atacama drill target on Mars presented a challenge to the Curiosity rover and to the rover team.
The planning week began with the downlinked data indicating that a successful drill hole was made in the Atacama target, but the rock being drilled into was a detached block and as the arm was raised to extract the drill, the rock came along with it! Not being in the sample collection business, like her twin rover Perseverance, Curiosity’s rover planners went to work to develop a plan to extract the drill bit from the rock. These included efforts at changing the orientation of the drill bit, and attached block, as well as carrying out percussion to try to vibrate the rock off. Ultimately, as a result of activities like these in the Sol 4883-4885 plan, we freed the drill from the Atacama block.
With in-situ science activities precluded due to the efforts to free the drill bit from the Atacama block, the science at that time instead focused on remote sensing. The Sol 4879-4880 plan included ChemCam LIBS measurements of a dark cobble, “Pichiacani,” and a dark pebble, “Poco a Poco.” ChemCam also attempted passive reflectance measurements of white blocks on the slope of the distant Paniri butte and RMI imaging of Valle Grande. Mastcam collected documentation images of the ChemCam targets and also carried out change detection imaging of the target “Playa los Metales.”
The Sol 4881-4882 plan consisted of LIBS scanning of bedrock targets “El Plomo” and “El Turbio.” Mastcam change detection on the Playa los Metales regions continued. Mastcam also extended the previously collected “Kimsa Chata” mosaic. In the Sol 4883-4885 plan, the team was able to take advantage of the efforts to remove the Atacama block by carrying out ChemCam LIBS observations of the granular material below where the block had been. This included the target “Cuturipa,” below where the block had been, and a profile of the wall of the cavity where the block had been, which was given the target name “Chaitén.” ChemCam also observed a light-toned block, “Chiloé,” that had been covered by the Atacama block. ChemCam RMI imaging was planned for the layering of the Mishe Mokwa butte and of “Azul Pampa,” a rock with prominent polygonal patterns. The plan also included a Navcam dust-devil survey, ChemCam passive-sky measurements, and an APXS atmospheric observation.
Future activities involve wrapping up the drill campaign on Atacama and, nominally, seeking a more firmly rooted drill target in order to collect drill tailings for analysis, which were lost from Atacama as part of the effort to dislodge the drill bit from the rock.
Learn more, and watch as the Atacama target rock gets stuck and unstuck
-
Want to read more posts from the Curiosity team?
-
Want to learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments?
Article
6 days ago
3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4867-4872: Sand Fill In Antofagasta Crater and Finding Our Next Drill Target
Article
2 weeks ago
3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4859-4866: One Small Crater and Thousands of Polygons
Article
3 weeks ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
All Mars Resources
Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover Basics
Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science Goals
The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…
650 NASA Volunteers Have Co-Authored Scientific Papers
After a recent count, NASA Citizen Science is proud to report that more than 650 people who have volunteered to participate in NASA citizen science projects have co-authored peer-reviewed research papers with scientists on those project teams. These volunteers made incredible contributions like:
- Spotting comets, gamma-ray bursts, and brown dwarfs in data collected by space telescopes.
- Observing auroras, sprites, and noctilucent clouds from here on Earth.
- Using their backyard telescopes to gather data on exoplanets or their cell phones to report mosquito breeding habitat.
- Using their ham radios to study Earth’s ionosphere.
And all of them saw their passion and dedication translated into lasting contributions to the scientific literature that will inform generations of researchers to come.
Explore these frequently asked questions and discover how you, too, can be a part of scientific discovery and become a co-author.
Why do peer-reviewed research papers matter?
When scientists make a discovery, they write up the details of their research and its results in a manuscript and submit it to a scientific journal. The journal’s editors subject the manuscript to the ‘peer-review’ process, in which they invite other scientists to verify and validate the methods used and the novelty and importance of the results. Peer-reviewed research papers are the primary way scientists document what they discover or learn and share it with each other and the world. Once a paper passes the peer-review process, it is published where other scientists can read it, criticize it, and build on it.
Contributing to published scientific literature is an important and celebrated part of a scientific career – for PhD scientists and citizen scientists alike. A list of published papers is the core of any scientist’s resume, and any budding scientist’s first publication is widely considered a milestone worth celebrating. Three cheers for each and every one of the 650 published citizen science project volunteers!
How can I get involved in writing a scientific paper through NASA citizen science?
Sometimes, volunteers get lucky – they’re simply notified by the project science team that their contributions have made it into a scientific paper. However, if you are determined to become a published author, it helps to choose your project carefully and then to take initiative.
First, find a project that interests you. In the words of citizen scientist Michael Primm, “pick one or more [projects that] appeal to you, and try them out for size. If you don’t like them, try other ones.” Once you have a project you like, do the task frequently enough to get comfortable and confident. Read all the project material you can, including any frequently asked questions and blog posts the team may have written. Many of the extraordinary breakthroughs in these projects come from participants noticing patterns in the data that are unusual – you can’t do this unless you’ve developed a good sense of what’s “normal.”
“Find a project where you can communicate directly with the scientists involved,” said Marc Kuchner, citizen science officer, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “That way, you can get the coaching and mentorship you need to learn the paper-writing process.” A good place to start is with the projects listed on the publications by NASA citizen scientists webpage, since these projects have track records of involving volunteers in papers.
“After you’ve followed the instructions and participated in a project, it’s all about asking questions!” said Kuchner. “Ask other participants first, and read the project’s FAQ and Research pages. Dig into scientific journal articles, if you can. Before long, you’ll find yourself with a novel and meaningful question nobody knows the answer to. Then you’ll have an excellent reason to start a conversation with the science team.”
Second, look for ways to interact with project scientists and teams and stay informed and involved. Many NASA citizen science project teams have regular calls or meetings with participants. They also sometimes give participants the option to sign up for an email list, through which they share additional opportunities to interact with the scientists leading the projects.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, either from your fellow citizen scientists or even the pros of the project you’re working on,” said citizen scientist Les Hamlet, co-author of three papers and counting.
NASA partner SciStarter also hosts a series of Do NASA Science Live virtual events, which offer another way to meet scientists. These virtual events, held roughly once a month, feature experts from NASA citizen science projects who are eager to interact with volunteers. You can see the schedule and sign up here for the next Do NASA Science Live event.
Many projects have virtual bulletin boards, like the “TALK” boards of Zooniverse-hosted projects, which can facilitate discussions with the science team. Or you can reach out by email to the science team by looking them up on the project’s team page. Just remember these science teams are busy, so do your homework first by reading all the project materials before you reach out.
NASA volunteer Michiharu Hyogo offered some tips to help others get started on the journey toward becoming a published author. There are also numerous online resources and guides for anyone new to writing scientific papers.
What if I’m still a student? Can I get involved in writing a paper?
Yes, the same advice above applies to students. There’s no better way to explore whether or not you’d like to pursue a career in science or a new scientific field of study than to do the work of a scientist and get involved in the process of publishing your findings. If you become a published co-author, you’ll also have the added advantage of listing your publication on your resume for internship, undergraduate, or graduate school applications. Several high school students and many undergraduate or graduate students have written papers with NASA citizen science project teams, including Matteo Kimura, Emily Burns-Kaurin, Darcy Wenn, and Michaela B. Allen.
A few NASA citizen scientists who have co-authored scientific papers present their findings. Clockwise from the upper left: Peter Jalowiczor, Michael Hunnekul, Danny Roylance, Michaela Allen, and Svetoslav Alexandrov.Ride the rollercoaster!
Science can be unpredictable, which can make writing papers feel like a roller-coaster ride at times. “Don’t give up if your first try was not successful,” said published citizen scientist Michael Hunnekuhl. Most projects take years to produce results. Sometimes, nature doesn’t cooperate, and a science team must change directions instead of writing the paper they initially imagined. But with 42 citizen science projects online, NASA has plenty of room for your science ambitions. Go to https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/, pick a project, and start your science journey today.
Facebook logo @nasascience_ @nasascience_ Instagram logo @nasascience_ Linkedin logo @nasascience_ Share Details Last Updated May 05, 2026 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Explore More 5 min read NASA Research Shows Early Life Relied on Rare MetalArticle
3 hours ago
3 min read New NASA HEAT Coloring Book Blends Art, Science, and Cultural Perspectives
A new Sun-centered and science-focused coloring book produced by NASA in partnership with the University…
Article
4 hours ago
2 min read NASA Volunteers Double Known Population of Brown Dwarfs
A new paper from NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project announces that volunteers have essentially…
Article
5 hours ago
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Frees Its Drill From a Rock
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’s Curiosity Rover Frees Its Drill From a Rock
GIF (50.56 MB)
PIA26723 Figure A
GIF (48.45 MB)
PIA26723 Figure B
GIF (50.24 MB)
Description
This series of images shows NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover as it got a rock stuck to the drill on the end of its robotic arm and, after waving the arm and running the drill a few times, finally detached the rock. The imagery showing the entire process was captured by the black-and-white hazard cameras on the front of Curiosity’s chassis and by navigation cameras on its mast, or head.
On April 25, 2026, Curiosity drilled a sample from a rock nicknamed “Atacama,” which is an estimated 1.5 feet in diameter at its base, 6 inches thick and weighs roughly 28.6 pounds (13 kilograms). When the rover retracted its arm, the entire rock lifted out of the ground, suspended by the fixed sleeve that surrounds the rotating drill bit. Drilling has fractured or separated the upper layers of rocks in the past, but a rock has never remained attached to the drill sleeve. The team initially tried vibrating the drill to shake off the rock, but saw no change.
Then, on April 29, they tried reorienting Curiosity’s robotic arm and vibrating the drill again. Imagery in the GIF shows sand falling from Atacama, but the rock stayed attached to the rover.
Finally, on May 1, Curiosity’s team tried again, tilting the drill more, rotating and vibrating the drill, and spinning the drill bit. The team planned to perform these actions multiple times but the rock came off on the first round, fracturing as it hit the ground.
Figure AFigure A is the same GIF with yellow time stamps added in the upper left corner.
Figure BFigure B is an alternate view of the same activities from the navigation cameras on Curiosity’s mast, or head.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal
Photojournal
Search Photojournal
Photojournal’s Latest Content
Feedback
NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Students in Florida
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA astronaut Chris Williams calls down to mission controllers during Crew Medical Officer training while inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module.Credit: NASA/Jessica MeirStudents in Florida will hear from NASA astronaut Chris Williams as he answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions while aboard the International Space Station.
The Earth-to-space call will begin at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, May 8, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.
This event is hosted by the Aurelia M. Cole Academy in Clermont, Florida, for students in grades K-12 and members of the community. This unique opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and enhance awareness of STEM careers.
Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Thursday, May 7, to Sherri Owens at: 352-253-6522 or owenss@lake.k12.fl.us.
For more than 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and support other agency work, including missions at the Moon. As part of NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.
See more information on NASA in-flight calls at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Share Details Last Updated May 05, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms Explore More 3 min read NASA eClips and GLOBE Educators Strengthen a Regional STEM Ecosystem in Coastal VirginiaThirty-eight science educators representing seven school districts across Virginia’s Tidewater region joined forces with community…
Article 2 hours ago 3 min read New NASA HEAT Coloring Book Blends Art, Science, and Cultural PerspectivesA new Sun-centered and science-focused coloring book produced by NASA in partnership with the University…
Article 9 hours ago 4 min read Breaking Barriers at 3rd Annual Findings from the Field SymposiumThis year’s Findings from the Field Student Research Symposium welcomed 106 students, grades four through…
Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
NASA Research Shows Early Life Relied on Rare Metal
5 min read
NASA Research Shows Early Life Relied on Rare Metal Timeline of Earth’s history in billions of years. The new study indicates that life used molybdenum as far back as 3.3 to 3.7 billion years ago, long before levels of molybdenum in the oceans increased to modern levels. Other events in Earth’s history are marked for context. NASANASA-funded scientists have discovered that life on Earth over 3 billion years ago relied on the metal molybdenum, which was incredibly scarce in the environment at the time. The study, published in Nature Communications on Tuesday, is the first to show that molybdenum was used by ancient life this far back in our planet’s history.
On Earth today, molybdenum helps speed up vital biochemical reactions in cells. The metal is a component of essential enzymes that drive several major biological reactions in organisms. This is not only important for the individual organisms, but also biogeochemical cycles, such as the nitrogen cycle, which affect our entire planet. Without molybdenum, those important reactions could still happen in nature, but they would be too slow to sustain life.
“Molybdenum sits at the catalytic center of enzymes that run major carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur reactions,” explained Betül Kaçar, head of the Kaçar Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and senior author on the study. Kaçar leads MUSE, a NASA Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) at UW-Madison.
“Asking when life began using molybdenum is really asking when some of the most consequential metabolic strategies became possible,” said Kaçar.
Molybdenum through historyMolybdenum is now relatively common in the environment, and its scarcity is no longer a problem for life. But that wasn’t always the case.
Geological evidence shows that only trace amounts of molybdenum were present in Earth’s oceans billions of years ago. Levels increased around the time that microorganisms began to use photosynthesis, which eventually led to a dramatic boost in the amount of atmospheric oxygen (roughly 2.45 billion years ago). This is known as the Great Oxidation Event and had a profound effect on the evolution of life. A previous NASA study even suggested that the rise of molybdenum in the environment around this time may have been necessary for the evolution of complex life.
But when did life first start using molybdenum? Because of its scarcity on ancient Earth, astrobiologists have wondered if life could have started by using other metals to speed along vital reactions. Tungsten, for instance, behaves similarly in cells and is used today by some organisms that live in extreme environments. Scientists previously theorized that life may have used tungsten first and then evolved to used molybdenum once it became more available. The new study shows this wasn’t necessarily the case.
The team gathered available data on the prevalence of molybdenum through time and reconstructed the history of the metal’s use along the branches of the tree of life. They found that although molybdenum was scarce, ancient microbes on Earth still found a way to use it. The same is true for the use of the metal tungsten.
“Our work shows that both molybdenum and tungsten-using enzyme systems have Archean roots, which suggests that early life likely worked with both metals rather than following a simple “tungsten first, molybdenum later” story,” said Kaçar. “We argue that molybdenum use is far older than many models assumed, with molecular dating placing molybdenum utilization back into the Eoarchean to Mesoarchean, roughly 3.7–3.1 billion years ago, well before the Great Oxidation Event.”
Accessing molybdenumPrevious work from the MUSE ICAR, published in 2024, identified certain niches where early life may have found supplies of molybdenum and other scarce metals deep below the oceans. Hydrothermal vents at the seafloor provide trace metals including iron, zinc, copper, nickel, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, and tungsten.
“Even if Archean seawater held little dissolved molybdenum overall, localized systems such as hydrothermal vents could still have supplied usable amounts of molybdenum and other metals,” said Kaçar.
The new study shows that, even amid an assortment of other useful metals, molybdenum was somehow one of life’s first choices as a metal catalyst.
“Molybdenum may have been worth “choosing” because it enables catalysis across a broad range of substrates and redox conditions,” said Kaçar. “In other words, scarcity did not make molybdenum unimportant; its catalytic advantages may have made it worth evolving ways to acquire and use.”
The study shows how life can find a way to use elements in the environment, even if they are scarce, and reminds us that in the search for life beyond Earth we must be prepared for possibilities that we haven’t yet considered.
Bio-essential elements, search for life in universeSearching for life in the universe isn’t about building a checklist of conditions that look like modern-day Earth. Studying the history of our planet and the evolution of life allows astrobiologists to view periods of time when the Earth was a much different planet than it is today. In this way, we gain a better understanding of the breadth of planets in the universe that could be habitable for life as we know it.
“Our NASA ICAR shows that mapping the evolutionary history of bio-essential elements on Earth can help us predict what life on other worlds might use, and that different abiotic inventories could lead to different biological element choices,” said Kaçar. “Life detection should be metal-aware, redox-aware, and evolution-aware. We should look not just for ‘Earth-like life now,’ but for biochemical strategies that would make sense on a planet with a different history of oxygenation and metal availability.”
For more information on astrobiology at NASA, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/astrobiology
-end-
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
Building on America’s 65-Year Legacy of Human Spaceflight
On the morning of May 5, 1961, the Mercury-Redstone 3 launch vehicle lifted into the sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. Over the next 15 minutes, Shepard ascended to an altitude of 116 miles (187 kilometers) in his Freedom 7 spacecraft, becoming the first American to fly into space before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. This short flight marked the United States’ entry into human spaceflight and was a defining first step that would carry the nation to the Moon just eight years later.
Sixty-five years later, as NASA accelerates the pace for the Artemis missions that will return astronauts to the surface of the Moon and lay the foundations for a Moon base, the anniversary of Shepard’s flight offers an opportunity to reflect on the pioneering spirit of NASA’s Project Mercury and Project Gemini missions.
Image credit: NASA
NASA’S Juno Misson Captures Jupiter Moon Thebe
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads NASA’S Juno Misson Captures Jupiter Moon Thebe
JPEG (152.30 KB)
Description
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of Thebe, the second largest of Jupiter’s inner moons, during a close pass on May 1, 2026. The spacecraft’s Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) captured this image from a distance of approximately 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) at a resolution of about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) per pixel.
Thebe resides at the outer edge of Jupiter’s faint ring system and is believed to play a role in the formation of the planet’s “gossamer” ring through the shedding of dust.
While the SRU’s primary function is to image star fields for navigation, its high sensitivity in low-light conditions makes it a powerful secondary science instrument. The SRU has previously been used to discover “shallow lightning” in Jupiter’s atmosphere and to image the planet’s ring system.
A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott J. 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.
For more information about Juno, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/juno
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal
Photojournal
Search Photojournal
Photojournal’s Latest Content
Feedback
New NASA HEAT Coloring Book Blends Art, Science, and Cultural Perspectives
A new Sun-centered and science-focused coloring book produced by NASA in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is now available for people to learn while showing their artistic side.
The book, titled “Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color,” has twenty-eight, 11”x14” pages, and includes science facts and coloring pages for ten themes, including the Sun’s magnetic field, the solar wind, the aurora, eclipses, and how the Sun influences Earth. The book’s art and language is designed to engage with and educate students in grades 6-12 and adults. It includes a reference chart of solar terms in seven of Alaska’s many Indigenous languages and features a glossary of scientific terms relating to heliophysics on the last two pages.
Staff from NASA, Oregon State University, the UAF International Arctic Research Center, and the Geophysical Institute’s outreach and design teams collaborated to bring Journey Through the Heliosphere to life over the course of two years. Lynda McGilvary, who leads the Geophysical Institute’s education outreach team, praises this group effort. “It leveraged the strengths of each organization in a way that resulted in something that will support the goal of increasing America’s heliophysics literacy one coloring page at time,” she said. “I think it was a labor of love for us.”
NASA came up with the coloring book idea as part of its Heliophysics Education Activation Team, known as HEAT. HEAT members from NASA and UAF worked together to conceptualize the book and bring the space agency’s science expertise to learners at all levels of knowledge. The book aims to transform the complex system of heliophysics into something that everyone can see, touch and connect with by blending art, science, and cultural perspectives.
The coloring book also had input from 13 Alaska Native language speakers, who shared their cultural knowledge about the Sun. Links within the book connect to the Cultural Connections online pronunciation guide, so users can hear fluent speakers correctly speaking each of the translated words.
McGilvary hopes the coloring book will encourage classroom and community discussions about Alaska’s important linguistic diversity. “We hope that it will lead people to independently seek out and use other languages, especially the heritage languages of their friends and neighbors,” she said.
She also noted the decades-long relationship NASA has with UAF, which brings together cutting-edge science, deep expertise in the Sun–Earth system, and strong connections to Alaska communities. “This coloring book is a tangible reflection of that relationship and the fact that it extends beyond the amazing science that NASA and UAF conduct together,” she said. “It was such a privilege to work with NASA’s heliophysics experts on this publication, and I personally learned so much more about the Sun and our solar system in the process.”
Download the entire coloring book or individual sections of it:
NASA HEAT is part of the NASA Science Activation program, which connects learners of all ages with authentic NASA science content, experts, and experiences. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
The title page of the new Coloring Book from NASA HEAT Credit: NASA/UAFNASA Welcomes Ireland as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
Ireland signed the Artemis Accords Monday during a signing ceremony hosted by NASA, becoming the latest nation to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all humanity.
Ireland, a longstanding member of ESA (European Space Agency) and a valued international partner for NASA, now joins all 23 ESA member states as a signatory of the Artemis Accords.
“It is my privilege to welcome Ireland as the 66th and newest signatory to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during remarks. “The Emerald Isle is now part of a growing community of like-minded nations committed to the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration of space. Ireland joins at a pivotal moment. Artemis II was the opening act in humanity’s return to the Moon. What comes next is a sustained campaign of missions that will take us back to the lunar surface, not just for flags and footprints, but to build a base and stay.”
Underscoring the longstanding cultural ties and shared heritage between the United States and Ireland, the signing was celebrated during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington attended by U.S. Congressional staffers and interagency representatives.
Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, T.D., signed on behalf of the country.
“From an island shaped by the sea, whose people have always looked beyond the horizon and journeyed across the world, forging connections far beyond our shores, Ireland is proud to bring that same spirit to a new frontier and to join a global community committed to the peaceful exploration of space,” said Burke.
Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America Geraldine Byrne Nason and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs William Cappelletti, U.S. Department of State, participated in the event. U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh also attended.
In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.
The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all.
More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
Share Details Last Updated May 04, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA Fosters Development of Lunar Resource-Seeking Technologies
To support long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, NASA and industry are developing technologies that can extract resources such as hydrogen and helium-3 from lunar soil, known as regolith. This capability, known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), allows explorers to use what is already available on other planetary bodies, from water ice to minerals. These resources could eventually support propulsion, energy production, life support systems, and other needs for astronauts living and working in deep space.
To advance ISRU technologies, NASA has awarded a firm‑fixed‑price contract of $6.9 million over the next year and a half to Interlune of Seattle, a company focused on developing natural resources beyond Earth.
Funded through a Phase III NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, a contracting mechanism focused on transitioning technology into NASA missions or the private sector, the company will pursue validation of critical resource‑prospecting tools to make future lunar missions more self‑sufficient, reducing the need to transport supplies from Earth.
This effort builds on prior work with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, in which Interlune built and tested payload prototypes on parabolic flights that replicated lunar gravity.
Under the SBIR Phase III contract, Interlune will design, build, and test engineering development units and flight hardware. The payload is designed to collect lunar regolith samples, sort particles by size, extract solar wind volatile gases, and measure their quantities. The company’s design includes a mass spectrometer inspired by NASA’s Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) technology to measure the concentration of gases released from lunar soil.
Developed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, MSOLO is a compact, rugged mass spectrometer designed to analyze gases and the chemical makeup of landing sites on the Moon. The MSOLO technology, developed by NASA’s Game Changing Development program, demonstrated its hardware in lunar conditions during the Intuitive Machines 2 mission to the lunar South Pole in 2025.
“A major goal of NASA is to mature transformative technologies so they can be confidently adopted by industry,” said Michael Johansen, Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Game Changing Development Program. “The evolution of MSOLO into a robust, flight-ready instrument is a perfect example of that success. We are thrilled to see this proven technology leveraged by an industry effort, marking a significant step forward in commercial resource prospecting.”
NASA’s MSOLO technology is available for commercial use and adaptable for ground tests and variable flight configurations. The instrument’s internal architecture includes a hybrid computer for onboard processing and a calibration gas system that allows the device to check and adjust its readings directly on the lunar surface. This data can benefit both commercial developers and NASA’s Artemis program. Its software has already been adapted to interface with four different CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) lander designs, reflecting its flexibility and increasing applicability to commercial lunar missions.
Investments by the agency in lunar surface technology from commercial partners represents an important step toward establishing a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. By advancing resource‑prospecting instruments and maturing technologies that enable the use of lunar materials, these efforts will help reduce the cost and complexity of future exploration missions.
NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is managed by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Through this program, entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with fewer than 500 employees can receive funding and non-monetary support to build, mature, and commercialize their technologies, advancing NASA missions and helping solve important challenges facing our nation.
This year, NASA’s SBIR/STTR program is adopting a Broad Agency Announcement framework to increase opportunities for small businesses while enhancing agility for the agency. The 2026-2027 BAA appendices, outlining topics and subtopics for desired technology proposals, closes May 21. Interested businesses and institutions are encouraged to visit the information hub for helpful details on applying.
To learn more about working with NASA Technology, visit
https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-solicitations-and-opportunities/
Explore More 4 min read Liquid Lifeline: NASA Tech Could Create IV Fluid In Space Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read NASA Space Tech’s Favorite Place to Travel in 2025: The Moon! Article 1 year ago 3 min read The Robotics of Sampling RegolithThe Perseverance rover recently collected its first two samples of Martian regolith!
Article 3 years ago Share Details Last Updated May 04, 2026 EditorLoura HallLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA Welcomes Malta as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
The Republic of Malta became the 65th signatory to the Artemis Accords on Monday during a ceremony in the town of Kalkara with NASA and U.S. Department of State officials present.
“Today, it’s my pleasure to welcome the Republic of Malta to the Artemis Accords community,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in recorded remarks. “By joining this growing coalition, Malta affirms shared commitments to peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration. These commitments safeguard against chaos and confusion, and they chart a responsible path forward for every nation that dares to accomplish the near-impossible in space.”
Malta’s Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country.
“Malta is taking a deliberate step to position itself within a high-value, innovation-driven global sector,” said Grima. “This initiative strengthens our governance framework, enhances Malta’s international credibility and creates new opportunities to attract investment, build expertise and generate quality employment within the space economy.”
U.S. Ambassador to Malta Somers W. Farkas and NASA Europe Representative Gregory Mann witnessed the signing together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg.
The United States and Malta have a long history of shared values and common interests, dating back to the American Revolution. NASA looks forward to future engagement on the Artemis Accords and recently outlined new opportunities for signatory countries to deepen their participation in NASA’s Artemis program.
In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.
The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all.
More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
Share Details Last Updated May 04, 2026 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsBreaking Barriers at 3rd Annual Findings from the Field Symposium
On March 30, 2026, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) and the NASA Science Activation program’s Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) project hosted the third installment of the Findings from the Field Student Research Symposium. This annual event and associated Findings from the Field journal are where students are the experts and the usual “white coat” barriers associated with science communication come down. This year’s event welcomed 106 students, grades four through eight, 29 educators, and 15 Subject Matter Experts, and it featured 68 research posters, 14 lightning talks, and 5 discussion sessions.
To continue to foster a sense of belonging, the 2026 symposium introduced several shifts in how students interacted with science experts, data, and each other. In a move that subverted the traditional “look but don’t touch” rule of science, the first part of the day had students engaging in an activity inspired by the Data Vandals art group. They marked up visuals and treated data as a living, breathing conversation rather than a static fact. Another shift occurred within small discussion groups – the physical layout helped position the student scientists as the professionals. Students sat at the main table, while adults and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) sat behind them. This put the youth, and their findings, at the center of the room.
A keynote speech given by Dr. Dave Reidmiller, Chief Impact Officer at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, delivered what became the day’s unofficial mantra – “Science is a team sport”. This idea was reinforced in discussion groups with youth where they realized that scientific inquiry isn’t isolated. Students from different schools discovered they were essentially colleagues working on the same problems.
In the “Ash and Hemlock” groups, students who had only read about invasive pests found themselves swapping notes with students who had actually identified them in the field. Guiding questions posed by facilitators helped bridge any gaps in their knowledge and move the conversation forward:
- What happened?
- How do we know?
- Why does it matter?
These three questions allowed youth and adults to speak the same language, connecting the dots between their local data and the broader community issues they impact.
A new addition to the “Team Sport” this year was the increased presence of undergraduate students. Serving as a middle ground between the younger students and the career scientists, these mentors made the path to a scientific career feel reachable.
The second part of the day featured the students’ poster presentations. Here, they practiced communicating their work to an audience of peers and professional scientists, including leaders from the Maine Forest Service and NASA-affiliated researchers.
Perhaps the most defining moment of the symposium didn’t come from a keynote or a professional scientist. It happened in a breakout room during a discussion about environmental data. When a question was posed by another student toward a SME, a student leaned forward and jumped in to answer instead. This wasn’t just confidence; it was the manifestation of the symposium’s primary goal. Youth are experts too.
In the two previous iterations, the Symposium was hosted throughout the entire GMRI building, with posters lining the hallways and every conference room booked with lightning talks. When planning began for 2026, it quickly became clear that we had outgrown the space. Community supporters at GMRI corporate partner, Unum, graciously offered their office to host the growing number of students interested in participating. With the immediate feedback received, 2027 should be even bigger:
“I really enjoyed being able to connect with others on the cool science topics, and being able to share what I’ve learned.”
“I’ve never done something like this before… I might want to research more.”
“Hopefully, I get to do this next year.”
The 3rd Annual Findings Symposium proved that when you give young people a platform, and a sense of agency, they don’t just participate in science, they lead it. After all, they are the experts in the room.
The Learning Ecosystems Northeast project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB94A 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/about-science-activation/
Blue Origin Moon Lander Completes Testing at NASA Vacuum Chamber
Also known as Endurance, MK1 is an uncrewed cargo lander funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration mission to advance Human Landing System capabilities in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The tests in Chamber A represent a public-private partnership model, with Blue Origin conducting work through a reimbursable Space Act Agreement.
Endurance will demonstrate precision landing, cryogenic propulsion, and autonomous guidance, navigation, and control capabilities in support of future lunar surface operations. In addition to its primary objectives, MK1 will carry two NASA science and technology payloads under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to the lunar South Pole region this year: the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies, an array of high-resolution cameras that will collect imagery of the interaction between the lander’s engine plume and the lunar surface during descent and landing, and the Laser Retroreflective Array, which helps orbiting spacecraft determine a more precise location using reflected laser light.
Through CLPS, NASA partners with American companies to deliver science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon, advancing understanding of the lunar environment and supporting future crewed missions as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
Testing in NASA Johnson’s Chamber A, one of the world’s largest thermal vacuum test facilities, enabled engineers to model the vacuum of space and the extreme temperature conditions the spacecraft would experience during flight. By recreating these conditions on the ground, teams evaluated system performance and verified structural and thermal integrity prior to launch. NASA and Blue Origin will incorporate lessons learned from MK1’s design, integration, and testing to support NASA’s future Artemis missions that will return American astronauts to the Moon.
MK1’s development contributes to technology maturation and risk reduction for future human-class systems, including Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2), a larger crewed landing system designed to safely transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and back, enabling sustained human exploration at the Moon’s South Pole region.
Testing of MK1 at NASA Johnson is enabled through the agency’s “front door” approach — a coordinated process that provides commercial partners access to NASA facilities and technical expertise while maintaining safety, mission assurance, and alignment with agency objectives.
More information about Thermal Vacuum Chamber A is available at https://www.nasa.gov/setmo/facilities/thermal-vacuum-chamber-a/
Hubble Spots a Starry Spiral
In this new picture from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own.
NGC 3137 is of particular interest to astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains our Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies, both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic home.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker and the PHANGS-HST Team
