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Sexual behaviour among same-sex pairs is common in apes and monkeys, and a wide-ranging analysis suggests it does boost survival

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has discovered the fastest-spinning asteroid ever over 500 meters in size.

The world’s most powerful supercomputers can now run simulations of billions of neurons, and researchers hope such models will offer unprecedented insights into how our brains work

The world’s most powerful supercomputers can now run simulations of billions of neurons, and researchers hope such models will offer unprecedented insights into how our brains work

The young, nearby star may be experiencing an episode of repeated, violent collisions within its forming planetary system.

The post Did Asteroids Collide Near Fomalhaut – Again?  appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Combining data from different telescopes is one of the best ways to get a fuller picture of far-off objects. Because telescopes such as Hubble (visible light), the James Webb Space Telescope (infrared), and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (radio) each collect data in different wavelengths, they are able to capture distinct features of objects like galaxies that other telescopes cannot observe. A new paper by a large group of authors, headed by Andreas Faisst of Caltech, presented at the American Astronomical Society Meeting last week and published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement tracks eighteen early galaxies in as broad of a spectrum as those instruments can collect, and most significantly found that they seem to “grow up” faster than expected.

Mathematicians rely on numbers, but finding words to explain different levels of certainty has stymied everyone from the ancient Greeks to the most famous modern philosophers. Maths columnist Jacob Aron tells the story of how a CIA analyst finally cracked it

Mathematicians rely on numbers, but finding words to explain different levels of certainty has stymied everyone from the ancient Greeks to the most famous modern philosophers. Maths columnist Jacob Aron tells the story of how a CIA analyst finally cracked it

Why flu cases are spiking, how AI predicts disease from your sleep, and what surprising biomechanics lie behind woodpeckers’ powerful pecks.

How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created?

Susan Schuh has dedicated her career to helping humans adapt to life beyond Earth.  

As the Flight Crew Integration Operational Habitability (OpsHab) team lead in NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Schuh leads efforts to understand what it is really like to live and work in space. She turns that information into progress by documenting astronauts’ feedback to improve current and future spaceflight missions. 

Official portrait of Susan Schuh. NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Her work not only supports crews aboard the International Space Station, but also provides critical information for NASA’s preparations to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before through Artemis missions.  

Her team supports astronaut inflight and postflight debriefs, capturing and analyzing feedback to help NASA apply lessons learned. They also manage one of NASA’s most valuable habitability tools, the Crew Comments Database. With more than 115,000 entries spanning 25 years of International Space Station missions, it is the only comprehensive and searchable record of crew feedback in existence. Every comment, from how astronauts sleep to how they organize supplies, becomes part of NASA’s collective learning. 

“The Crew Comments Database is my work pride and joy,” Schuh said. “It’s been an invaluable resource for operations and development and continues to lend itself to future exploration.” 

Schuh’s path to NASA began with a mentor who saw her potential early on. While studying psychology at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, she was introduced to human factors research by Dr. Gerald Gamache, whose work on the effects of the Chernobyl reactor explosion helped shape her understanding of how people function in complex environments.  

While completing her master’s degree in human factors and systems at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Schuh began her first internship at NASA in 2000. “Even from the first days of my internship at Johnson, I knew I was meant to be a part of this community supporting humans living and working in space,” she said.  

Schuh left Johnson briefly to support human systems integration for the Navy and Air Force but returned in 2006. Since then, she has continued to shape how astronauts experience living and working in space. 

NASA astronauts and panelists participate in the Parent Support Panel Discussion at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Johnson Employee Assistance Program counselor Anika Isaac, top left, moderated the event alongside Susan Schuh, second from left, top row. Author Emily Oster, front center, joined astronaut parents, from left, Christina Koch, Jessica Watkins, Jessica Meir, and Reid Wiseman. NASA/David DeHoyos

Her mentor’s influence extended beyond Schuh’s technical work. “Dr. Gamache was also a community builder outside of his professional life, and I’d like to think some of that rubbed off on me,” she said. That inspiration led her to found the Johnson Parenting community in 2020, which now includes more than 600 members who share support and resources for working parents across the center. 

Schuh has learned that her work is about more than data—it is about people. “Being purposeful in taking time to listen and be willing to learn and collaborate has made all the difference for me,” she said. “Over time, I’ve learned a lot about perseverance. This work has required it, encouraging folks to utilize the Crew Comments Database and keeping the feedback process empowered and robust.” 

Susan Schuh is honored with a Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy award on March 24, 2022. She is pictured with her daughter, Lorelei.NASA/Robert Markowitz

She is most proud of her family, known as Team Schuh—her husband, Scott, who works on the Orion Ascent Abort Mode Team, and their three daughters, Wilhelmina, Lorelei, and Franny. “They’re the reason I keep striving to balance work, family, and everything in between,” she said.  

Finding that balance has been an ongoing struggle for her. “One of my biggest professional challenges, especially in the last 14 years since my oldest daughter was born, has been finding work-life balance,” she said. “I often struggle with creating boundaries and calling it a day at a reasonable time. I won’t pretend I have the secret recipe, but I’m working on it for sure.” Schuh credits the Johnson Parenting community for helping her and others along the way. 

Susan Schuh with her husband, Scott, and their three daughters, Wilhelmina, Lorelei, and Franny.

Outside of work, Schuh finds peace in the water and in nature. Her father, who worked in underwater engineering, taught her to scuba dive when she was 11. “We’ve taken some amazing multi-day trips together, including multiple visits to Cay Sal Bank,” she said. “He’s my favorite dive buddy, and I look forward to many more dive trips with him.” 

Looking ahead, Schuh hopes to pass on that same sense of purpose she has found at NASA to the next generation. “Make connections and nurture them. It’s always cool to be kind,” she said. “Stay true to yourself and your values. Tell the people you admire how and why they inspire you.” 

Explore More 1 min read NASA Starts Up Gateway’s Power System for First Time Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA Celebrates Artemis II During Houston Texans Space City Day  Article 5 days ago 4 min read 25 Years in Orbit: Science, Innovation, and the Future of Exploration  Article 5 days ago

Susan Schuh has dedicated her career to helping humans adapt to life beyond Earth.  

As the Flight Crew Integration Operational Habitability (OpsHab) team lead in NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Schuh leads efforts to understand what it is really like to live and work in space. She turns that information into progress by documenting astronauts’ feedback to improve current and future spaceflight missions. 

Official portrait of Susan Schuh. NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Her work not only supports crews aboard the International Space Station, but also provides critical information for NASA’s preparations to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before through Artemis missions.  

Her team supports astronaut inflight and postflight debriefs, capturing and analyzing feedback to help NASA apply lessons learned. They also manage one of NASA’s most valuable habitability tools, the Crew Comments Database. With more than 115,000 entries spanning 25 years of International Space Station missions, it is the only comprehensive and searchable record of crew feedback in existence. Every comment, from how astronauts sleep to how they organize supplies, becomes part of NASA’s collective learning. 

“The Crew Comments Database is my work pride and joy,” Schuh said. “It’s been an invaluable resource for operations and development and continues to lend itself to future exploration.” 

Schuh’s path to NASA began with a mentor who saw her potential early on. While studying psychology at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, she was introduced to human factors research by Dr. Gerald Gamache, whose work on the effects of the Chernobyl reactor explosion helped shape her understanding of how people function in complex environments.  

While completing her master’s degree in human factors and systems at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Schuh began her first internship at NASA in 2000. “Even from the first days of my internship at Johnson, I knew I was meant to be a part of this community supporting humans living and working in space,” she said.  

Schuh left Johnson briefly to support human systems integration for the Navy and Air Force but returned in 2006. Since then, she has continued to shape how astronauts experience living and working in space. 

NASA astronauts and panelists participate in the Parent Support Panel Discussion at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Johnson Employee Assistance Program counselor Anika Isaac, top left, moderated the event alongside Susan Schuh, second from left, top row. Author Emily Oster, front center, joined astronaut parents, from left, Christina Koch, Jessica Watkins, Jessica Meir, and Reid Wiseman. NASA/David DeHoyos

Her mentor’s influence extended beyond Schuh’s technical work. “Dr. Gamache was also a community builder outside of his professional life, and I’d like to think some of that rubbed off on me,” she said. That inspiration led her to found the Johnson Parenting community in 2020, which now includes more than 600 members who share support and resources for working parents across the center. 

Schuh has learned that her work is about more than data—it is about people. “Being purposeful in taking time to listen and be willing to learn and collaborate has made all the difference for me,” she said. “Over time, I’ve learned a lot about perseverance. This work has required it, encouraging folks to utilize the Crew Comments Database and keeping the feedback process empowered and robust.” 

Susan Schuh is honored with a Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy award on March 24, 2022. She is pictured with her daughter, Lorelei.NASA/Robert Markowitz

She is most proud of her family, known as Team Schuh—her husband, Scott, who works on the Orion Ascent Abort Mode Team, and their three daughters, Wilhelmina, Lorelei, and Franny. “They’re the reason I keep striving to balance work, family, and everything in between,” she said.  

Finding that balance has been an ongoing struggle for her. “One of my biggest professional challenges, especially in the last 14 years since my oldest daughter was born, has been finding work-life balance,” she said. “I often struggle with creating boundaries and calling it a day at a reasonable time. I won’t pretend I have the secret recipe, but I’m working on it for sure.” Schuh credits the Johnson Parenting community for helping her and others along the way. 

Susan Schuh with her husband, Scott, and their three daughters, Wilhelmina, Lorelei, and Franny.

Outside of work, Schuh finds peace in the water and in nature. Her father, who worked in underwater engineering, taught her to scuba dive when she was 11. “We’ve taken some amazing multi-day trips together, including multiple visits to Cay Sal Bank,” she said. “He’s my favorite dive buddy, and I look forward to many more dive trips with him.” 

Looking ahead, Schuh hopes to pass on that same sense of purpose she has found at NASA to the next generation. “Make connections and nurture them. It’s always cool to be kind,” she said. “Stay true to yourself and your values. Tell the people you admire how and why they inspire you.” 

Explore More 1 min read NASA Starts Up Gateway’s Power System for First Time Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA Celebrates Artemis II During Houston Texans Space City Day  Article 4 days ago 4 min read 25 Years in Orbit: Science, Innovation, and the Future of Exploration  Article 4 days ago

Beginning in the 1980’s, another physicist, Roger Penrose, came up with what he called the Triangle of Reality, which sounds like the nerdiest cult in history (and when later I get to talk about the Pythagoreans you’ll see that I’m right).

NASA has announced that it and SpaceX will return the Crew-11 mission team to Earth from the ISS (due to medical concerns with a crew member) no earlier than 5 p.m. EST (2 p.m. PST) on Wednesday, Jan. 14th.

Astronomers have uncovered a barred spiral galaxy that existed over 2 billion years after the Big Bang, potentially making it the earliest barred spiral galaxy ever observed.

NASA's new, small observatory — launched successfully on January 11th — has a big mission: to characterize exoplanet atmospheres.

The post Pandora Mission Launches to Explore Atmospheres on Alien Worlds appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Like, it shouldn’t be this easy. Yeah I know physics is kind of hard, and it has taken us centuries to reach our present level of knowledge, and we know we’re still a long way from complete knowledge of time and space.

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NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, removed two of its historic test stands – the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and the Dynamic Test Facility – with carefully coordinated implosions on Jan. 10, 2026. The demolition of these historic structures is part of a larger project at Marshall that began in spring 2022, targeting several inactive structures and building a dynamic, interconnected campus ready for the next era of space exploration. Crews began demolition in December 2025 at the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. Learn more about these iconic facilities.

Credits: NASA