NASA Model Wing Lights Up During First Pressure Sensitive Paint Tests

Groundbreaking tests at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are paving the way for new wind tunnel capabilities for designing the aircraft technologies of the future. 

In a first-of-its-kind test in NASA Langley’s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, researchers used unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint to study how air flows around a standard wind tunnel model known as the Benchmark Supercritical Wing. As the team observed the test, the paint’s special capabilities made the model wing glow pink-purple when exposed to special ultraviolet lights, while high-speed cameras captured every detail. 

The test combined two valuable NASA tools. NASA’s benchmark wings don’t represent a particular type of aircraft, rather they are meant as universal models to help researchers improve computer modeling using wind tunnel data.  

Unsteady pressure sensitive paint is a specialized coating that varies in brightness according to how much pressure the air flow applies to the wing. High-speed cameras capture those changes, providing data for computer models. For years, NASA researchers at centers including Langley and the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley have been working to integrate the paint into wind tunnel tests for aircraft and rockets. NASA researchers consider the paint a vital tool and expect to find many more wind tunnel applications in the future.  

This test marked the technique’s first use on a large-scale, freely moving model in a low‑oxygen environment, an achievement made possible by the Transonic Dynamic Tunnel’s unique testing capabilities. 

This milestone opens the door for upcoming tests on flexible aircraft models that are designed to bend and adapt during flight to improve efficiency. It also lays the foundation for better simulations and designs as NASA advances the future of flight. 

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Brandon Ingram

NASA Opens Applications for Next Class of Flight Directors

NASA is seeking leaders for one of the most esteemed positions on Earth for human spaceflight: flight director in mission control at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This role is critical to advancing American leadership in space exploration, as NASA paves the way for a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Applications for new flight directors are open now through Monday, Oct. 12. U.S. citizens can apply at:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/886788000

Those chosen as NASA flight directors will lead human spaceflight missions to the International Space Station, Artemis missions to the Moon, and, eventually, the first human missions to Mars.

Flight directors lead teams of flight controllers, astronauts, and commercial and international partners in real-time mission execution and risk management. In preparation for a mission, flight directors collaborate with engineering, safety, and program partners to ensure operational plans align with spacecraft capabilities and mission objectives.

“We are working in an exciting, pivotal time as we continue supporting operations to the International Space Station while building the next phase of human spaceflight with Artemis and Moon Base missions, preparing to go farther than ever before,” said Emily Nelson, chief flight director at Johnson. “Accomplishing these ambitious goals requires flight directors who are expert integrators, bringing together a broad range of teams and disciplines into a clear, unified mission effort. This integral role exemplifies the best of innovation and teamwork.”

To be considered, flight director candidates must be U.S. citizens with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. They also will need substantial related, progressively responsible professional experience, including time-critical decision-making experience in high-stress, high-risk environments. Although many NASA flight directors have previously been flight controllers working in mission control, it is not a prerequisite to apply.

NASA plans to announce selections by the end of the year. The new flight directors will receive extensive training in flight control and spacecraft systems, as well as operational leadership and risk management.

Learn more about NASA flight directors and the application process at:

go.nasa.gov/BeAFlightDirector

-end-

Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider / Mary Pfister
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / mary.m.pfister@nasa.gov

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Lauren E. Low

APOD: 2026 October 2 – The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas

APOD

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas

Explanation: What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today’s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! You may spot fan favorites like the Eagle (Sh2-49), Heart (Sh2-190), and Orion (Sh2-281) Nebulas. Despite its name, this catalog contains more than the glow of ionized hydrogen that makes up H II regions. There are planetary nebulas (the Medusa Nebula, Sh2-274) and supernova remnants (the Spaghetti Nebula, Sh2-240) as well. Astrophotographer Bing Xin traversed the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to catch them all. Narrowband filters that primarily capture light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen as well as red-green-blue filters were used. Each object took 2 to 6 hours to capture, with the entire catalog taking around 800 hours to complete! Which object is your favorite?

APOD’s email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions
Tomorrow’s picture: just Curiosity

Date:	October 2, 2026
Credit:	Bing Xin
Authors & editors:	Keighley Rockcliffe, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti
A service of:	ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.

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Rains Swamp the Gandak River

September 20, 2026

September 29, 2026

September 20, 2026September 29, 2026

September 20, 2026

September 29, 2026

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Storms drenched Nepal’s mountainous Lumbini and Gandaki provinces with waves of torrential rain between September 24 and 27. The deluge, arriving late in the monsoon season, triggered landslides and pushed the Gandak River, also called the Narayani, to record levels in both Nepal and India.

With runoff streaming into the braided river system, water overtopped and breached embankments in several areas, inundating farmland and settlements along the river for hundreds of kilometers. As authorities assessed the full extent of the damage, news reports indicated that flooding and landslides had affected hundreds of villages and displaced thousands of people.

Images captured by MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites on September 20, 2026 (left), and September 29, 2026 (right), show the extent of the flooding. The false-color images combine observations of infrared and visible light (MODIS bands 7-2-1) to make it easier to distinguish the water. Floodwater appears blue; vegetation is bright green; clouds are light blue.

In many areas, water inundated seasonal fields on low-lying deposits of sand and silt within the river’s channel, called diara, where flooding is expected. However, it also breached embankments and flooded several settled areas, including parts of Bagaha, Areraj, and Fulia Khand.

Data from Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology indicated that a gauge in Devghāṭ reached as high as 11.94 meters on September 27, the highest since measurements began there in the 1960s. According to news reports, gauges in India along the Gandak that set new high-water marks included Bagaha, Dumariaghat, Rewaghat, and Lalganj.

NASA has several tools and datasets available for tracking rainfall and flooding. Among them are Worldview, FLOOD Viewer, and the GPM IMERG Global Viewer. 

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads

September 20, 2026

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September 29, 2026

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References & Resources

• DD India (2026, September 29) Gandak River reaches record 91.25 metres at Bagaha gauge in Bihar. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• Dialogue Earth (2018, October 1) The silt farmers of the Gandak river. Accessed October 1, 2026.        
• The Hindu (2026, September 30) Distress and panic in Bihar’s West Champaran district as Gandak river floods. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• The Kathmandu Post (2026, September 27) Relentless rain triggers floods, landslides across Nepal. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• The Kathmandu Post (2026, September 26) Incessant rains trigger widespread flooding in Tarai, disrupt key highway links across Nepal. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• National Herald (2026, September 27) Narayani river crosses danger level in Nepal, posing risk along Gandak. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• Nepal Red Cross (2026, September 27) Monsoon Update. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• News on Air (2026, September 30) Flood Situation Worsens In North Bihar Due To Continuous Rainfall In Nepal; Over 200 Villages Affected. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• Online Khabar (2026, September 27) Narayani River reaches record water level of 11.94 metres. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• The Times of India (2026, October 1) Gandak breaches two more bunds in Saran, Muzaffarpur, IAF joins relief operations. Accessed October 1, 2026.
• The Print (2026, September 30) Gandak sets new flood-level records at four gauge sites in Bihar. Accessed October 1, 2026.

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