Key Support Equipment Arrives at Kennedy for Roman Space Telescope
Technicians at NASA’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offloaded eight high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) wall modules and other ground support equipment on April 27. The equipment will support launch processing of the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Each 1,800-pound module enhances the PHSF’s clean room systems, helping meet the telescope’s stringent cleanliness requirements during its time in the facility, where the observatory will undergo key tasks such as spacecraft fueling prior to liftoff.
Roman will observe the universe in infrared light using its Wide Field Instrument and a Coronagraph Instrument technology demonstration. Its wide field of view will produce panoramic images that help astronomers investigate some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos, including why the universe’s expansion appears to be accelerating.
By using multiple complementary techniques, Roman will chart how the universe has evolved over cosmic time and provide new insights into the nature of dark energy. Roman also will advance the study of exoplanets and map the structure and distribution of normal matter and dark matter across space and time.
Teams are targeting launch as soon as early September aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.
Space Out This Summer with Variety of NASA STEM Activities
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Space Out This Summer with Variety of NASA STEM Activities
Summer is “Go” for launch, and NASA has a universe of ways to help you to jump in, explore, and create! Whether you prefer to spend this season fueling your creativity, going outdoors into nature, or daydreaming about your future, NASA offers ways to take your interests to the next level.
Here are some opportunities to level up your skills with NASA STEM this summer.
Rise to Stardance Challenge
From Monday, June 1, through Sept. 30, students ages 13 to 18 are invited to flex their creativity in the online Stardance Challenge, a partnership between NASA and the education non-profit Hack Club. Whether you’re into space, coding, hardware, or just love building cool things, this is your chance to work with real NASA mission data from programs like Artemis, the James Webb Space Telescope, and more.
Participants can create anything from code and apps to electronics, circuit boards, models, and simulations. Hack Club will offer peer and expert reviews, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to show off your work. Meanwhile, NASA will provide access to publicly available datasets, mission materials, multimedia, and virtual sessions with subject matter experts who can share insights on space science, engineering, and careers. Ready to start brainstorming? Visit the Hack Club: Stardance Challenge website to explore project options, check out prizes, and RSVP to get a reminder when the challenge opens
NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur is conducting a technology demonstration with Astrobee flying robots.
Credit: NASA
Go Behind Scenes of NASA Careers
Think NASA is only for astronauts, scientists, and tech experts? Think again. It takes a wide range of professionals and specialists to bring the nation’s aerospace goals to life. Summer is the perfect time to discover how your skills and interests could make a difference at NASA.
Connect directly with NASA experts through online events designed to spark your curiosity and help you explore real STEM career paths. These virtual sessions provide a behind‑the‑scenes look at NASA’s workforce, plus the chance to ask questions.
Looking for more? Check out the Next Gen STEM for Careers web page for videos, articles, and more ways to learn about the variety of jobs at NASA.
Noctilucent clouds seen from Fairbanks, Alaska.
Credit: Patrick Cobb – Photovoltaic designer, photographer
Dive into NASA Research Through Citizen Science
NASA invites people of all ages and backgrounds to do NASA science as a part of real science projects that rely on volunteers. Citizen Science is a great way to make new friends, meet some scientists, and help NASA solve mysteries of the universe this summer – using just a phone or computer. You can join from anywhere, participate on your own schedule, and dive right into real research using actual mission data. Here are two examples:
Through Space Cloud Watch, you can help NASA study noctilucent clouds. Noctilucent means “night-shining,” and that’s exactly what they do! During summer twilight at high latitudes, these clouds catch sunlight and appear to glow even in a darkened sky. Take a photo and submit a report to help scientists track how these rare clouds are changing.
Take your cloud‑watching to another planet with Cloudspotting on Mars, where you review real NASA images to identify clouds above the Red Planet and help scientists understand Martian weather.
Curious about what other projects you might enjoy? See all current Citizen Science opportunities available through NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
No matter how you spend your summer – building projects like the Hack Club’s Stardance Challenge, jumping into real NASA research through citizen science, or exploring possible NASA career paths – there’s a launch pad waiting for you. And remember, NASA’s STEM Resources website is available year-round to serve as your one-stop hub for hands-on activities, videos, articles, and more to spark curiosity and fuel big ideas.
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the glittering spiral galaxy NGC 3137, located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump).
ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker and the PHANGS-HST Team
In this new picture from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own.
NGC 3137 is of particular interest to astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains our Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies, both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic home.
NGC 3137 is revealed in fantastic detail by Hubble. This image is crafted from observations in six different color bands, creating a view that highlights several facets of this beautiful spiral. The galaxy’s center, which is encircled by a network of fine, dusty clouds, hosts a black hole estimated to be 60 million times more massive than the Sun. NGC 3137 is highly inclined from our point of view, giving a unique perspective on its loose, feathery spiral structure. A couple of photobombing Milky Way stars and a smattering of far more distant background galaxies complete the image.
As stunning as each of these features may be, it’s the galaxy’s brilliant star clusters that steal the show. The galaxy is peppered with dense clusters of bright blue stars and glowing red gas clouds, which signal the presence of hot, young stars still encased in their birth nebulae.
Unsurprisingly, these star clusters are exactly what has drawn Hubble’s keen eye. Researchers are using Hubble to carry out an observing program (#17502; PI: D. Thilker) focusing on star clusters in 55 nearby galaxies. The data collected will help astronomers identify star clusters and the glowing nebulae that surround them, providing a way to measure the ages of stars in galaxies like NGC 3137. These observations give an in-depth view of stellar life in spiral galaxies, from the young stars still in the process of forming to the ancient stellar populations that grew up in the early years of their galactic hosts.
The PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby Galaxies)-HST program for which these observations were taken is part of a larger effort by some of the most powerful observatories on (and around) Earth. Hubble contributes greatly to this massive undertaking, which combines Hubble data with observations from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Together, Hubble’s powerful optical and ultraviolet capabilities, Webb’s sensitive infrared eyes, and ALMA’s broad network of radio dishes bring us an unmatched view of star formation in the local universe.
During a break in the clouds, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured an image of landslide fallout in the forested Gazelle district of East New Britain on April 20, 2026 (right). A second image from Landsat 9 shows the same area on September 24, 2025 (left), before the landslides.
Since much of Papua New Guinea lies close to the equator where the Coriolis effect is weak, the risk of tropical cyclones striking the island nation is relatively low, especially in its northern areas. Nevertheless, unusually warm sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions favorable to storm formation brought powerful Tropical Cyclone Maila dangerously close to the islands of Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland in April 2026, fueling intense rainfall.
The heavy rains saturated steep terrain in the Gazelle district of East New Britain, triggering landslides on and around April 9 that led to several deaths, according to news reports. The Landsat 9 satellite captured an image of the fresh landslide scars cutting through the dense tropical forests in the Baining Mountains on April 20, 2026. The Toriu River and other sediment-laden waterways are visible to the east of the landslides.
The landslides appear as light-brown swaths of exposed soil and debris extending north toward a nearby river valley, contrasting with the surrounding green vegetation and scattered white clouds. A second image from Landsat 9 shows the same area on September 24, 2025, before the landslides.
Maila was notable for its intensity—reaching Category 4 strength on Australia’s cyclone intensity scale (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale used for U.S. hurricanes)—and also for its slow movement near Papua New Guinea. Instead of passing quickly through the region, Maila lingered, allowing rainbands to repeatedly strike East New Britain. Satellite-based precipitation estimates from NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission indicate that hundreds of millimeters of rain likely fell across the region in less than a week.
NASA’s Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) model uses precipitation estimates from GPM along with slope, soil, and land cover data to identify areas where rainfall is likely to trigger landslides. During the height of the storm, LHASA highlighted parts of East New Britain—including the Baining Mountains—as having an elevated risk of slope failure.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.Story by Adam Voiland.
Life Science, Space Gardening Top Thursday’s Research Schedule
Astronauts Chris Williams of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA work together in the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox, processing genetic-material samples for the DNA Nano Therapeutics‑3 experiment.
NASA/Jessica Meir
A new exercise device, artery scans, and space gardening topped the research schedule for the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The orbital residents also worked on a spacesuit and continued unpacking the Progress 95 cargo craft.
NASA flight engineer Chris Williams had a busy day inside the Columbus laboratory module trying out new workout gear and watering plants to support ongoing research. Williams first performed rope-pull exercises on the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) while a computer monitored his pulling speed, power, and heart rate. The E4D was delivered on April 13 inside the Cygnus XL resupply ship to test its ability to support crew workouts on long-term missions farther away from Earth. Afterward, he watered and photographed alfalfa plants growing inside the Veggie facility to investigate how plants and microbes interact in microgravity.
Flight engineers Sophie Adnot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Jack Hathaway of NASA partnered together for blood pressure checks and neck, shoulder, and leg artery scans using the Ultrasound 3 device that was delivered on Sept. 18, 2025. Doctors on the ground constantly monitor a crew member’s heart health to prevent and detect blood clots and other space-caused conditions.
Adenot later joined NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir inside the Quest airlock and swapped out components on a spacesuit. Meir also worked with Hathaway inside the Kibo laboratory module rearranging cargo to optimize space for research activities. Adenot and Hathaway later split up and worked on a pair of different space botany investigations to observe how seeds germinate in microgravity. One experiment is to interest students in space and while to the other is to promote space agriculture.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, station commander and flight engineer respectively, were back inside the Progress 95 continuing to unpack some of the three tons of food, fuel, and supplies it delivered on April 27.
Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev started his shift inspecting laptop computer batteries then reconfiguring the ventilation system between the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos and U.S. segments. Fedyaev wrapped up his day checking the operation and cable connections of the Roscosmos segment’s video recording system.
