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ESA shares stage with international partners at IAC 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) is participating in the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which will open its doors on Monday 29 September and last until Friday 3 October in Sydney, Australia. Over 8000 participants from 90 countries are expected to attend the event at the International Convention Centre (ICC) under the theme “Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth”.
Earth from Space: Northeast Greenland National Park
NASA Flights Study Cosmic Ray Effects for Air, Future Space Travelers
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)Recent airborne science flights to Greenland are improving NASA’s understanding of space weather by measuring radiation exposure to air travelers and validating global radiation maps used in flight path planning. This unique data also has value beyond the Earth as a celestial roadmap for using the same instrumentation to monitor radiation levels for travelers entering Mars’ atmosphere and for upcoming lunar exploration.
NASA’s Space Weather Aviation Radiation (SWXRAD) aircraft flight campaign took place August 25-28 and conducted two five-hour flights in Nuuk, Greenland. Based out of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the mission gathered dosimetry measurements, or the radiation dose level, to air travelers from cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation is caused by high-energy particles from outer space that originate from our Sun during eruptive events like solar flares and from events farther away, like supernovae in our Milky Way galaxy and beyond.
Science team partners from Honeywell reviewing dosimeter data on board NASA’s B200 King Air during a flight over Nuuk, Greenland. NASA/Guillaume Gronoff
“With NASA spacecraft and astronauts exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond, we support critical research to understand – and ultimately predict – the impacts of space weather across the solar system,” said Jamie Favors, director of NASA’s Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Though this project is focused on aviation applications on Earth, NAIRAS could be part of the next generation of tools supporting Artemis missions to the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.”
Jamie Favors, NASA Space Weather Program director, and Chris Mertens, SWXRAD principal investigator, discussing a dosimeter at NASA’s Langley Research Center as specialized instruments are integrated onto NASA’s B200 King Air aircraft before deploying to Greenland.NASA/Mark Knopp
NASA’s Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System, or NAIRAS, is the modeling system being enhanced by the SWXRAD airborne science flights. The model features real-time global maps of the hazardous radiation in the atmosphere and creates exposure predictions for aircraft and spacecraft.
“The radiation exposure is maximum at the poles and minimum at the equator because of the effect of Earth’s magnetic field. In the polar regions, the magnetic field lines are directed into or out of the Earth, so there’s no deflection or shielding by the fields of the radiation environment that you see everywhere else.” explained Chris Mertens, principal investigator of SWXRAD at NASA Langley. “Greenland is a region where the shielding of cosmic radiation by Earth’s magnetic field is zero.”
That means flight crews and travelers on polar flights from the U.S. to Asia or from the U.S. to Europe are exposed to higher levels of radiation.
Frozen and rocky terrain in the Polar region observed from above Nuuk, Greenland during NASA’s SWXRAD science flights.NASA/Guillaume Gronoff
The data gathered in Greenland will be compared to the NAIRAS modeling, which bases its computation on sources around the globe that include neutron monitors and instruments that measure solar wind parameters and the magnetic field along with spaceborne data from instruments like the NOAA GOES series of satellites.
“If the new data doesn’t agree, we have to go back and look at why that is,” said Mertens. “In the radiation environment, one of the biggest uncertainties is the effect of Earth’s magnetic field. So, this mission eliminates that variable in the model and enables us to concentrate on other areas, like characterizing the particles that are coming in from space into the atmosphere, and then the transport and interactions with the atmosphere.”
An aerial view of Nuuk, Greenland.NASA/Guillaume Gronoff
The SWXRAD science team flew aboard NASA’s B200 King Air with five researchers and crew members. In the coming months, the team will focus on measurement data quality checks, quantitative modeling comparisons, and a validation study between current NAIRAS data and the new aircraft dosimeter measurements.
All of this information is endeavoring to protect pilots and passengers on Earth from the health risks associated with radiation exposure while using NASA’s existing science capabilities to safely bring astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
Northern Lights, or auroras, seen over the city of Nuuk, Greenland. Auroras are considered space weather and are easily visible effects of activity from the Sun interacting with the magnetosphere and Earth’s atmosphere.NASA/Guillaume Gronoff
“Once you get to Mars and even the transit out to Mars, there would be times where we don’t have any data sets to really understand what the environment is out there,” said Favors. “So we’re starting to think about not only how do we get ready for those humans on Mars, but also what data do we need to bring with them? So we’re feeding this data into models exactly like NAIRAS. This model is thinking about Mars in the same way it’s thinking about Earth.”
The SWXRAD flight mission is funded through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Heliophysics Division. NASA’s Space Weather Program Office is hosted at NASA Langley and facilitates researchers in the creation of new tools to predict space weather and to understand space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure, technology, and society.
For more information on NASA Heliophysics and NAIRAS modeling visit:
NASA’s Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System
About the AuthorCharles G. HatfieldScience Public Affairs Officer, NASA Langley Research Center Share Details Last Updated Sep 25, 2025 ContactCharles G. Hatfieldcharles.g.hatfield@nasa.gov Related Terms Explore More 4 min read NASA Aircraft Coordinate Science Flights to Measure Air QualityMagic is in the air. No wait… MAGEQ is in the air, featuring scientists from…
Article 1 day ago 6 min read NASA Data Powers New Tool to Protect Water Supply After FiresWhen wildfires scorch a landscape, the flames are just the beginning. NASA is helping U.S.…
Article 1 day ago 1 min read Help Map the Moon’s Molten Flows!When asteroids hit the Moon, the impacts carve out craters and with enough energy and…
Article 1 day agoNASA Flights Study Cosmic Ray Effects for Air, Future Space Travelers
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)Recent airborne science flights to Greenland are improving NASA’s understanding of space weather by measuring radiation exposure to air travelers and validating global radiation maps used in flight path planning. This unique data also has value beyond the Earth as a celestial roadmap for using the same instrumentation to monitor radiation levels for travelers entering Mars’ atmosphere and for upcoming lunar exploration.
NASA’s Space Weather Aviation Radiation (SWXRAD) aircraft flight campaign took place August 25-28 and conducted two five-hour flights in Nuuk, Greenland. Based out of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the mission gathered dosimetry measurements, or the radiation dose level, to air travelers from cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation is caused by high-energy particles from outer space that originate from our Sun during eruptive events like solar flares and from events farther away, like supernovae in our Milky Way galaxy and beyond.
Science team partners from Honeywell reviewing dosimeter data on board NASA’s B200 King Air during a flight over Nuuk, Greenland. NASA/Guillaume Gronoff“With NASA spacecraft and astronauts exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond, we support critical research to understand – and ultimately predict – the impacts of space weather across the solar system,” said Jamie Favors, director of NASA’s Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Though this project is focused on aviation applications on Earth, NAIRAS could be part of the next generation of tools supporting Artemis missions to the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.”
Jamie Favors, NASA Space Weather Program director, and Chris Mertens, SWXRAD principal investigator, discussing a dosimeter at NASA’s Langley Research Center as specialized instruments are integrated onto NASA’s B200 King Air aircraft before deploying to Greenland.NASA/Mark KnoppNASA’s Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System, or NAIRAS, is the modeling system being enhanced by the SWXRAD airborne science flights. The model features real-time global maps of the hazardous radiation in the atmosphere and creates exposure predictions for aircraft and spacecraft.
“The radiation exposure is maximum at the poles and minimum at the equator because of the effect of Earth’s magnetic field. In the polar regions, the magnetic field lines are directed into or out of the Earth, so there’s no deflection or shielding by the fields of the radiation environment that you see everywhere else.” explained Chris Mertens, principal investigator of SWXRAD at NASA Langley. “Greenland is a region where the shielding of cosmic radiation by Earth’s magnetic field is zero.”
That means flight crews and travelers on polar flights from the U.S. to Asia or from the U.S. to Europe are exposed to higher levels of radiation.
Frozen and rocky terrain in the Polar region observed from above Nuuk, Greenland during NASA’s SWXRAD science flights.NASA/Guillaume GronoffThe data gathered in Greenland will be compared to the NAIRAS modeling, which bases its computation on sources around the globe that include neutron monitors and instruments that measure solar wind parameters and the magnetic field along with spaceborne data from instruments like the NOAA GOES series of satellites.
“If the new data doesn’t agree, we have to go back and look at why that is,” said Mertens. “In the radiation environment, one of the biggest uncertainties is the effect of Earth’s magnetic field. So, this mission eliminates that variable in the model and enables us to concentrate on other areas, like characterizing the particles that are coming in from space into the atmosphere, and then the transport and interactions with the atmosphere.”
An aerial view of Nuuk, Greenland.NASA/Guillaume GronoffThe SWXRAD science team flew aboard NASA’s B200 King Air with five researchers and crew members. In the coming months, the team will focus on measurement data quality checks, quantitative modeling comparisons, and a validation study between current NAIRAS data and the new aircraft dosimeter measurements.
All of this information is endeavoring to protect pilots and passengers on Earth from the health risks associated with radiation exposure while using NASA’s existing science capabilities to safely bring astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
Northern Lights, or auroras, seen over the city of Nuuk, Greenland. Auroras are considered space weather and are easily visible effects of activity from the Sun interacting with the magnetosphere and Earth’s atmosphere.NASA/Guillaume Gronoff“Once you get to Mars and even the transit out to Mars, there would be times where we don’t have any data sets to really understand what the environment is out there,” said Favors. “So we’re starting to think about not only how do we get ready for those humans on Mars, but also what data do we need to bring with them? So we’re feeding this data into models exactly like NAIRAS. This model is thinking about Mars in the same way it’s thinking about Earth.”
The SWXRAD flight mission is funded through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Heliophysics Division. NASA’s Space Weather Program Office is hosted at NASA Langley and facilitates researchers in the creation of new tools to predict space weather and to understand space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure, technology, and society.
For more information on NASA Heliophysics and NAIRAS modeling visit:
NASA’s Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System
About the AuthorCharles G. HatfieldScience Public Affairs Officer, NASA Langley Research Center Share Details Last Updated Sep 25, 2025 ContactCharles G. Hatfieldcharles.g.hatfield@nasa.gov Related Terms Explore More 4 min read NASA Aircraft Coordinate Science Flights to Measure Air QualityMagic is in the air. No wait… MAGEQ is in the air, featuring scientists from…
Article 1 day ago 6 min read NASA Data Powers New Tool to Protect Water Supply After FiresWhen wildfires scorch a landscape, the flames are just the beginning. NASA is helping U.S.…
Article 1 day ago 1 min read Help Map the Moon’s Molten Flows!When asteroids hit the Moon, the impacts carve out craters and with enough energy and…
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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted the termination procedure for the Venus Climate Orbiter “Akatsuki” (PLANET-C) starting at 9:00 AM on September 18, 2025 (JST), thereby ending the probe's operations.
How Do You Build Something On Mars?
Let’s say you’ve picked the perfect spot for building a settlement on Mars. But this opens up some pretty nasty questions. Building…what? And building….with what?
A White Dwarf Makes A Meal Of A Pluto-Like Object
The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a white dwarf that's devouring a chunk of an icy body. It suggests that even in distant solar systems, icy bodies from the distant reaches can deliver water to planets in the inner solar system.
Reconstructed skull gives surprising clues to our enigmatic Ancestor X
Reconstructed skull gives surprising clues to our enigmatic Ancestor X
WWI-Era Shipwrecks in Mallows Bay Form Ecological Sanctuary
Nearly 100 years ago dozens of ships were abandoned in a shallow bay in the Potomac River. Today plants and animals are thriving on the skeletons of these vessels
NASA Opens 2026 Human Lander Challenge for Life Support Systems, More
NASA’s 2026 Human Lander Challenge is seeking ideas from college and university students to help evolve and transform technologies for life support and environmental control systems. These systems are critical for sustainable, long-duration human spaceflight missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The Human Lander Challenge supports NASA’s efforts to foster innovative solutions to a variety of areas for NASA’s long-duration human spaceflight plans at the Moon under the Artemis campaign. The Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by the Human Landing System Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
The 2026 competition invites undergraduate and graduate-level teams based in the U.S., along with their faculty advisors, to develop innovative, systems-level solutions to improve aspects for a lander’s ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) performance. These air, water, and waste systems provide vital life support so future Artemis astronauts can live and work safely and effectively on the Moon during crewed missions.
Each proposed solution should focus on one of the following long-duration ECLSS subtopics:
- Noise suppression and control
- Sensor reduction in hardware health monitoring systems
- Potable water dispenser
- Fluid transfer between surface assets on the Moon and Mars
“A robust ECLSS transforms a spacecraft like a lander from just hardware into a livable environment, providing breathable air, clean water, and safe conditions for astronauts as they explore the Moon,” said Kevin Gutierrez, acting office manager for the Human Landing Systems Missions Systems Management Office at NASA Marshall. “Without ECLSS we can’t sustain human presence on the Moon or take the next steps toward Mars. The subtopics in the 2026 Human Lander Challenge reflect opportunities for students to support the future of human spaceflight.”
2026 CompetitionTeams should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Monday, Oct. 20, if they intend to participate. Proposal packages are due March 4, 2026.
Based on proposal package evaluations in Phase 1, up to 12 finalist teams will be selected to receive a $9,000 stipend and advance to Phase 2 of the competition, which includes a final design review near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, June 23-25, 2026. The top three placing teams from Phase 2 will share a total prize of $18,000.
Landers are in development by SpaceX and Blue Origin as transportation systems that will safely ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back for the agency’s Artemis campaign. NASA Marshall manages the Human Landing System Program.
The challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of the agency.
Through the agency’s Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.
For more information on NASA’s Human Lander Challenge and how to participate, visit:
Share Details Last Updated Sep 25, 2025 EditorLee MohonContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract Article 9 hours ago 5 min read From Supercomputers to Wind Tunnels: NASA’s Road to Artemis II Article 1 week ago 6 min read NASA’s Chandra Finds Black Hole With Tremendous Growth Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAHuman Landing System
Artemis
Climate Change
Solar System
NASA Opens 2026 Human Lander Challenge for Life Support Systems, More
NASA’s 2026 Human Lander Challenge is seeking ideas from college and university students to help evolve and transform technologies for life support and environmental control systems. These systems are critical for sustainable, long-duration human spaceflight missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The Human Lander Challenge supports NASA’s efforts to foster innovative solutions to a variety of areas for NASA’s long-duration human spaceflight plans at the Moon under the Artemis campaign. The Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by the Human Landing System Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
The 2026 competition invites undergraduate and graduate-level teams based in the U.S., along with their faculty advisors, to develop innovative, systems-level solutions to improve aspects for a lander’s ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) performance. These air, water, and waste systems provide vital life support so future Artemis astronauts can live and work safely and effectively on the Moon during crewed missions.
Each proposed solution should focus on one of the following long-duration ECLSS subtopics:
- Noise suppression and control
- Sensor reduction in hardware health monitoring systems
- Potable water dispenser
- Fluid transfer between surface assets on the Moon and Mars
“A robust ECLSS transforms a spacecraft like a lander from just hardware into a livable environment, providing breathable air, clean water, and safe conditions for astronauts as they explore the Moon,” said Kevin Gutierrez, acting office manager for the Human Landing Systems Missions Systems Management Office at NASA Marshall. “Without ECLSS we can’t sustain human presence on the Moon or take the next steps toward Mars. The subtopics in the 2026 Human Lander Challenge reflect opportunities for students to support the future of human spaceflight.”
2026 CompetitionTeams should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Monday, Oct. 20, if they intend to participate. Proposal packages are due March 4, 2026.
Based on proposal package evaluations in Phase 1, up to 12 finalist teams will be selected to receive a $9,000 stipend and advance to Phase 2 of the competition, which includes a final design review near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, June 23-25, 2026. The top three placing teams from Phase 2 will share a total prize of $18,000.
Landers are in development by SpaceX and Blue Origin as transportation systems that will safely ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back for the agency’s Artemis campaign. NASA Marshall manages the Human Landing System Program.
The challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of the agency.
Through the agency’s Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.
For more information on NASA’s Human Lander Challenge and how to participate, visit:
Share Details Last Updated Sep 25, 2025 EditorLee MohonContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract Article 6 hours ago 5 min read From Supercomputers to Wind Tunnels: NASA’s Road to Artemis II Article 1 week ago 6 min read NASA’s Chandra Finds Black Hole With Tremendous Growth Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAHuman Landing System
Artemis
Climate Change
Solar System
NASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract
In 2016, NASA awarded a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract to Sierra Space, formerly part of Sierra Nevada Corporation, to resupply the International Space Station with its Dream Chaser spaceplane and companion Shooting Star cargo module. As part of its contract, Sierra Space was awarded a minimum seven flights, and the agency previously issued firm-fixed price task orders for four Dream Chaser resupply missions based on the needs of the space station.
After a thorough evaluation, NASA and Sierra Space have mutually agreed to modify the contract as the company determined Dream Chaser development is best served by a free flight demonstration, targeted in late 2026. Sierra Space will continue providing insight to NASA into the development of Dream Chaser, including through the flight demonstration. NASA will provide minimal support through the remainder of the development and the flight demonstration. As part of the modification, NASA is no longer obligated for a specific number of resupply missions, however, the agency may order Dream Chaser resupply flights to the space station from Sierra Space following a successful free flight as part of its current contract.
“Development of new space transportation systems is difficult and can take longer than what’s originally planned. The ability to perform a flight demonstration can be a key enabler in a spacecraft’s development and readiness, as well as offering greater flexibility for NASA and Sierra Space,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program. “As NASA and its partners look toward space station deorbit in 2030, this mutually agreed to decision enables testing and verification to continue on Dream Chaser, as well as demonstrating the capabilities of the spaceplane for future resupply missions in low Earth orbit.”
NASA, and its commercial and international partners, will continue to supply the orbital complex with critical science, supplies, and hardware as the agency prepares to transition to commercial space stations in low Earth orbit. NASA continues to work with a variety of private companies to develop a competitive, space industrial base for cargo services, which will be needed for future commercial space stations. With a strong economy in low Earth orbit, NASA will be one of many customers of private industry as the agency explores the Moon under the Artemis campaign and Mars along with commercial and international partners.
NASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract
In 2016, NASA awarded a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract to Sierra Space, formerly part of Sierra Nevada Corporation, to resupply the International Space Station with its Dream Chaser spaceplane and companion Shooting Star cargo module. As part of its contract, Sierra Space was awarded a minimum seven flights, and the agency previously issued firm-fixed price task orders for four Dream Chaser resupply missions based on the needs of the space station.
After a thorough evaluation, NASA and Sierra Space have mutually agreed to modify the contract as the company determined Dream Chaser development is best served by a free flight demonstration, targeted in late 2026. Sierra Space will continue providing insight to NASA into the development of Dream Chaser, including through the flight demonstration. NASA will provide minimal support through the remainder of the development and the flight demonstration. As part of the modification, NASA is no longer obligated for a specific number of resupply missions, however, the agency may order Dream Chaser resupply flights to the space station from Sierra Space following a successful free flight as part of its current contract.
“Development of new space transportation systems is difficult and can take longer than what’s originally planned. The ability to perform a flight demonstration can be a key enabler in a spacecraft’s development and readiness, as well as offering greater flexibility for NASA and Sierra Space,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program. “As NASA and its partners look toward space station deorbit in 2030, this mutually agreed to decision enables testing and verification to continue on Dream Chaser, as well as demonstrating the capabilities of the spaceplane for future resupply missions in low Earth orbit.”
NASA, and its commercial and international partners, will continue to supply the orbital complex with critical science, supplies, and hardware as the agency prepares to transition to commercial space stations in low Earth orbit. NASA continues to work with a variety of private companies to develop a competitive, space industrial base for cargo services, which will be needed for future commercial space stations. With a strong economy in low Earth orbit, NASA will be one of many customers of private industry as the agency explores the Moon under the Artemis campaign and Mars along with commercial and international partners.
Taylor Swift’s Speech Pattern Changed over Time, Linguistics Study Shows
An analysis of Taylor Swift’s interviews suggests her speech pattern has changed over her career
3-in-1 Launch
3-in-1 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 24, 2025, carrying three missions that will investigate the Sun’s influence across the solar system.
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), the agency’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft will each focus on different effects of the solar wind – the continuous stream of particles emitted by the Sun – and space weather – the changing conditions in space driven by the Sun – from their origins at the Sun to their farthest reaches billions of miles away at the edge of our solar system.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
3-in-1 Launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 24, 2025, carrying three missions that will investigate the Sun’s influence across the solar system.
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), the agency’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft will each focus on different effects of the solar wind – the continuous stream of particles emitted by the Sun – and space weather – the changing conditions in space driven by the Sun – from their origins at the Sun to their farthest reaches billions of miles away at the edge of our solar system.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett