Archivo de la etiqueta: Astronomy

NASA Space to Soil Challenge

Rapid advances in commercial space, artificial intelligence, and edge computing are transforming what is possible for Earth observation. By pushing more intelligence onboard, missions can move from passively collecting data to actively interpreting and responding to changing surface conditions in near-real time, enabling more targeted observations and dramatically improving the value of data returned to the ground. Within this context, land-focused applications such as regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, and broader land resilience efforts stand to benefit enormously from satellites that can adapt what, when, and how they sense based on dynamic environmental signals and algorithmic insight rather than fixed schedules or static acquisition plans.

NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) invites participants to design small satellite (SmallSat) mission concepts that leverage adaptive sensing and onboard processing to enhance regenerative agriculture, forestry, or a similar land resilience objective.​ Participants must work within onboard power, compute, and bandwidth constraints characteristic of SmallSat missions, focusing on how to orchestrate existing land observation algorithms into an efficient, responsive onboard intelligence layer.​ Both hardware-oriented and software-oriented solutions—or combinations of the two—are encouraged.

NASA’s primary objective for this challenge is to advance computational and systems approaches for adaptive sensing or onboard processing on SmallSat missions. The goal is not to develop new agricultural or forestry science but rather to improve how SmallSats sense, process, and deliver information to enable these applications.

Award: $400,000 in total prizes

Challenge Open Date: January 30, 2026

Submission Close Date: May 4, 2026

For more information, visit: https://nasa-space-to-soil.org/

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Bailey G. Light

NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Students in Pennsylvania

NASA astronaut Chris Williams will connect with students in Pennsylvania to answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions while aboard the International Space Station.

The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12:20 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 5, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, to Tamara Krizek at: 917-692-5038 or tamara.krizek@davincisciencecenter.org.

The Da Vinci Science Center will host this event in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for students in kindergarten through grade 12, and members of the community. This unique opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and inspire young people to pursue a future career in STEM.

For more than 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency deep space missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.

See more information on NASA in-flight calls at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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Gerelle Dodson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

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Jessica Taveau

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft at Launch Pad

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which will carry the Artemis II crew around the Moon, sits at the launch pad on Jan. 17, 2026, after rollout. It rests atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Orion can provide living space on missions for four astronauts for up to 21 days without docking to another spacecraft. Advances in technology for deep space travel such as life support, avionics, power systems, and state-of-the-art thermal protection will support the crew during launch, landing, and recovery.

Image credit: NASA/Brandon Hancock

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Monika Luabeya

NASA to Discuss Early Results of Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal

Following a fueling test of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at the launch pad for the Artemis II Moon mission, leaders will discuss initial results during a news conference at 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

The agency’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft arrived at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17. Since then, engineers have been conducting a variety of tests prior to launch. Underway now is a wet dress rehearsal, which requires filling the rocket with the 700,000 gallons of propellant. Call to stations began Jan. 31, and teams are counting down to a simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. Monday. If more work is needed, NASA may rollback SLS and Orion into the Vehicle Assembly Building after the wet dress rehearsal.

The agency will stream the news conference live on its YouTube channel. A 24/7 live stream of the rocket remains online, as well as a separate feed for coverage of the wet dress rehearsal. Look for individual streams for these events to watch on YouTube. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Participants in the news conference include:

• NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya
• Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• John Honeycutt, chair, Artemis II Mission Management Team
• Representative, Exploration Ground Systems Program

Following a successful wet dress rehearsal, NASA leaders will make a final call to send the Artemis II astronauts to Kennedy. The four crew members have been in quarantine in Houston since Jan. 21. If teams need more time to work on Artemis II hardware, crew can remain in Houston or exit quarantine.

If the crew members are sent to Kennedy, they are expected to fly NASA’s T-38s to Florida, arriving on the center about 3 p.m. on Feb. 3. They will participate in a media gaggle immediately following landing. Their gaggle also will stream live on NASA’s YouTube channel.

Participants include all four Artemis II crew members:

• Reid Wiseman, commander, NASA astronaut
• Victor Glover, pilot, NASA astronaut
• Christina Koch, mission specialist, NASA astronaut  
• Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut

Media previously credentialed for launch may join these events in person. To participate in the news conference virtually, media must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the call to Lauren Low in the Office of Communications at: lauren.e.low@nasa.gov. NASA’s media credentialing policy is online.

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, Artemis will pave the way for new U.S. crewed missions on the lunar surface in preparation to send the first astronauts to Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis campaign, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

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Cheryl Warner / Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8306
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

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Lauren E. Low

NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station

NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than January 2027 from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“The award of our fifth private astronaut mission shows that commercial space is not a distant promise, but a present reality,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By expanding access and sharpening competition in low Earth orbit, these missions are building the capabilities NASA will rely on as we move outward to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We look forward to building upon those capabilities with many private astronaut missions to come.”

Axiom Mission 5 is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the space station. A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations.

“The International Space Station is a critical platform for enabling commercial industry in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Private astronaut missions allow the station to be used as a proving ground for new markets and technologies while enabling science, research, and outreach to contribute to a growing space economy.” 

Axiom Space will submit four proposed crew members to NASA and its international partners for review. Once approved and confirmed, they will train with NASA, international partners, and the launch provider for their mission.

“We are honored NASA awarded Axiom Space its fifth human spaceflight mission,” said Jonathan Cirtain, president and CEO, Axiom Space. “All four previous missions have expanded the global community of space explorers, diversifying scientific investigations in microgravity, and providing significant insight that is benefitting the development of our next-generation space station, Axiom Station. The award underscores Axiom Space’s commitment to redefining access to space, fostering international collaboration, and enabling research opportunities in low Earth orbit for the benefit of all.”

Axiom Space will purchase mission services from NASA, including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. NASA will purchase from Axiom Space the capability to return scientific samples that must be kept cold during transit back to Earth.

NASA made the selection from proposals received in response to its March 2025 NASA Research Announcement. The agency is finalizing the mission order for the sixth private astronaut mission to the space station and will share additional information once available.

Missions aboard the International Space Station, including private astronaut missions, contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space

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Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov

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Jennifer M. Dooren