NASA Glenn Opens Applications for Free Summer Engineering Institute

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is hosting the 2026 NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this July. The hands-on learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce.  

Rising high school juniors and seniors can submit applications for this summer program beginning Friday, March 20, through Friday, May 1. 

The institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and math-focused academic and professional pursuits.  

Throughout the five-day program, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn’s technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas: 

• Acoustic dampening – How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines? 

• Power management and distribution – How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations? 

• Simulated lunar operations – Can we invent tires that don’t use air? 

How to Apply: 
To be considered for the 2026 NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute, applicants must submit a complete application package no later than May 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

Program Dates 
Selected students will participate in one of the following weeklong sessions:

• Session 1: July 13-17, 2026 

• Session 2: July 20-24, 2026 

• Session 3: July 27-31, 2026 

Eligibility and Application Requirements 
To be eligible for this program, students must:  

• Be entering 11th or 12th grade for the 2026-2027 academic year

• Have a minimum 3.2 GPA, verified by their school counselor 

• Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher 
• Be a U.S. citizen

Questions about the institute should be directed to GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov.  

For information about NASA Glenn, visit:  

https://www.nasa.gov/glenn

-end- 

Heather Roe 
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-695-7292
heather.m.roe@nasa.gov

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Heather Roe

Restless Kīlauea Launches Lava and Ash

Kīlauea has entered its second year of episodic activity after reawakening in December 2024. Since then, the Hawaiian volcano has gone through dozens of bouts of lava fountaining, each lasting several hours to several days.

Activity ramped up once again on March 10, 2026, for episode 43 of the eruption. From approximately 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time that day, lava spewed from two active vents on the southwest side of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, adding to the ever-thickening layer of fresh basaltic rock in the summit caldera. The flareup also featured the highest lava fountains of the current eruption, estimated at 1,770 feet (540 meters). Meanwhile, ash and other airborne debris fell on communities up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.

About 4 hours after fountaining subsided, the Landsat 9 satellite passed over the Island of Hawai‘i. This image shows shortwave infrared and near-infrared data, acquired with the satellite’s OLI (Operational Land Imager) at 10:20 p.m. local time on March 10 (08:20 Universal Time on March 11), revealing heat emanating from the still-sizzling lava. That information is layered over a composite of daytime Landsat images and a digital elevation model.

An estimated 16 million cubic yards (12 million cubic meters) of lava erupted during the episode, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), bringing the total volume erupted across all episodes since December 2024 to close to 325 million cubic yards (250 million cubic meters). Over the same period, the depth of lava in the crater has increased by about 300 feet (90 meters).

While lava remained confined to the summit area, other erupted material traveled much farther. Images captured by satellites orbiting over the area during the daytime showed a volcanic plume drifting northeast from the vents. Volcanic gas and ash reached a maximum height in the atmosphere of more than 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) above sea level, the HVO said. The aviation color code was elevated to red during the eruption, and several flights at the airport in Hilo were canceled, according to news reports.

Volcanic fragments up to several inches in diameter fell along the north rim of the caldera and in adjacent communities. The hazards and accumulation of debris caused the temporary closure of Highway 11 and the evacuation of visitors from parts of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Smaller particles were carried farther: people reported ash and Pele’s hair falling tens of miles to the north and east of Kīlauea, including in Hilo, Keaʻau, and other communities on the coast. Volcanic debris is an eye, skin, and respiratory irritant, the HVO warned, and it may affect water quality for those using rainwater catchment systems.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

Downloads

March 10, 2026

JPEG (1.23 MB)

References & Resources

• NASA Earth Observatory (2025, December 9) A Hot and Fiery Decade for Kīlauea. Accessed March 19, 2026.
• NASA Earthdata (2026, March 13) Eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea. Accessed March 19, 2026.
• U.S. Geological Survey (2026, March 12) Volcano Watch – Episode 43, new fountain height record and tephra fallout on communities. Accessed March 19, 2026.
• U.S. Geological Survey (2026, March 11) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Status Report. Accessed March 19, 2026.
• U.S. Geological Survey (2026) Kīlauea Eruption Information. Accessed March 19, 2026.

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American Bald Eagle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

An American bald eagle flies away from its nest and tree at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 13, 2026. Bald eagle nesting surveys across NASA Kennedy, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Canaveral National Seashore are conducted annually to document the number of bald eagle active and inactive nests in support of wildlife management and regulatory compliance. Each year, eagles take up winter residence at the Florida spaceport, breeding and raising a new generation.

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NASA Laser Reflecting Instrument Makes GPS Satellite More Accurate

A NASA laser reflecting technology that will aid Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy is now operational as of March 9.

The instrument, known as a laser retroreflector array, or LRA, launched aboard GPS III SV-09, the ninth of U.S. Space Force’s Block III Global Positioning System satellites, on Jan. 27. LRAs are sets of mirrors shaped like the corners of a cube, a configuration that is designed to precisely reflect beams of light back to their source. They are a key component to laser ranging, a technique that enables the measurement of precise distance by observing the time it takes for a pulse of light to travel from a ground station to the mirrors and back.

“LRAs are the most efficient and cost-effective way to improve products that come out of GPS,” said Lucia Tsaoussi, program manager for NASA’s Space Geodesy at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Whether walking, driving, sailing, or flying, GPS technology helps people know their location and navigate to their destination. With the LRA being put to work, this GPS satellite will have an improved tie to the global coordinate system, resulting in more accurate location and navigation information for users.

“We are the hidden infrastructure,” said Stephen Merkowitz, project manager for the Space Geodesy Project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Most people don’t realize that they’re relying on these kinds of measurements every day throughout their lives.”

Using GPS data also supports other Earth-observing satellites and the data they collect. These satellites help us understand our planet and provide early warnings for natural hazards. Satellites orbiting the planet have GPS receivers to help pinpoint their exact location in space. The more precise the GPS orbit information, the more accurate and reliable the rest of the satellite’s data becomes, Tsaoussi said.

Satellites like ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation satellite 2), SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography), and GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On) also rely on laser-ranging technology to pinpoint their location in orbit.

NASA’s Space Geodesy Project operates a global network of Satellite Laser Ranging stations dedicated to continuous satellite tracking. Local stations are currently monitoring the latest GPS III satellite, with international stations set to follow soon.

These LRAs were developed by the Space Geodesy Project in partnership with the Naval Research Laboratory’s Naval Center for Space Technology in Washington.

By Erica McNamee

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

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