Dust Outbreak Reaches EuropeClouds of dust lofted from the Sahara Desert brought hazy skies and muddy rain to Western Europe.
2026 William T. Pecora Award Nominations Now Being AcceptedThe William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals or teams using satellite or aerial remote sensing that make outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth (land, oceans, and air), educating the next generation of scientists, informing decision-makers, or supporting natural or human-induced disaster response. Both national and international nominations are welcome.
About University Innovation Project (UI)NASA’s University Innovation (UI) project funds university-led innovation to address the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s system-level challenges via independent, NASA-alternate-path, multi-disciplinary awards. Strategic Goals The UI portfolio’s strategic goals in descending order of importance are: 1. Assist in achieving aviation outcomes defined in the ARMD Strategic Implementation Plan through NASA-complementary research. 2. Transition research […]
Telescopes Team Up for New View of Cat’s Eye NebulaThis March 3, 2026, image combines views from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Euclid and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to feature one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying star: the Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. This extraordinary planetary nebula lies 4,400 light-years away in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades […]
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4825-4831: Exploring the BorderlandsWritten by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute Earth planning date: Friday, March 6, 2026 Curiosity is in the last stage of its exploration of the spiderweb-like boxwork unit. This stage consists of exploring the eastern and southern borders of this terrain. There were two multi-sol plans assembled this week. The previous plan […]
A Most Unusual LakeLake Unter-See in Antarctica, sealed beneath thick ice, contains unusually high levels of dissolved oxygen and cone-shaped microbial reefs resembling some of Earth’s oldest fossils.
About Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools ProjectProject Overview NASA’s Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) project develops technologies and tools for various types of aircraft that fly in different speed regimes, including next-generation vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing subsonic aircraft. The research advances knowledge, technologies, and concepts that enable major steps to lowering operating costs of the next-generation single-aisle aircraft. […]
Insights into Spallation Mechanisms of Thermal Protection System Materials from Mass Spectrometry and HyMETS Testing Download PDF: Insights into Spallation Mechanisms of Thermal Protection System Materials from Mass Spectrometry and HyMETS Testing An effort was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms responsible for internal pressure build up within thermal protection system (TPS) materials subjected to high-enthalpy environments. Understanding how gases evolve, migrate, and interact with the microstructure of a TPS is essential for […]
March 2026 Satellite PuzzlerYour challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Computational Modeling of Failure at the Fabric Weave Level in Reentry Parachute Energy Modulators Download PDF: Computational Modeling of Failure at the Fabric Weave Level in Reentry Parachute Energy Modulators Energy modulators (EM) are textile mechanical devices designed to dissipate snatch loads that occur when parachutes are deployed. Although critical for mitigating shock loads, recent flight testing has shown increasing variability in EM behavior, raising concerns about their performance predictability and […]