NPR News: A 'honey bear' was spotted in Washington state, 2000 miles north of its habitat

A 'honey bear' was spotted in Washington state, 2000 miles north of its habitat
A wandering kinkajou, a small mammal that lives in the rainforests of Mexico and Central and South America, was spotted outside of Yakima, Washington.

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NPR News: NASA astronauts to extend space station stay as engineers troubleshoot Boeing capsule

NASA astronauts to extend space station stay as engineers troubleshoot Boeing capsule
Problems with the capsule's propulsion system, used to maneuver the spacecraft, prompted NASA and Boeing to delay the flight home several times while they analyzed the trouble.

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NASA Awards Contract for Infrared Telescope Facility Operations

NASA has selected the University of Hawaii in Honolulu to maintain and operate the agency’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea in Hilo, Hawaii. The Management and Operations of NASA’s IRTF is a hybrid firm-fixed-price contract with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity provision. The contract has a maximum potential value of approximately $85.5 million, with a base […]

June 28, 2024
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NASA Announces Winners of Inaugural Human Lander Challenge

NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum brought 12 university teams from across the United States to Huntsville, Alabama, near the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, to showcase their innovative concepts for addressing the complex issue of managing lunar dust. The 12 finalists, selected in March 2024, presented their final presentations to a panel of […]

June 28, 2024
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The Maze is Afoot

This labyrinth – with a silhouette of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes at its center – is used as a calibration target for the cameras and laser that are part of SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals), one of the instruments aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The image was […]

June 28, 2024
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NASA Opportunities Fuel Growth and Entrepreneurship for Bronco Space Club Students

NASA’s public competitions can catalyze big changes – not just for the agency but also for participants. Bronco Space, the CubeSat laboratory at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, matured more than just space technology as a result of winning funds from NASA’s TechLeap Prize competition. It grew from its roots in a broom […]

June 28, 2024
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In Space Production Applications News

Technological innovations make headlines every day, and NASA’s In Space Production Applications (InSPA) Portfolio of awards are driving these innovations into the future. InSPA awards help U.S. companies demonstrate in-space manufacturing of their products and move them to market, propelling U.S. industry toward the development of a sustainable, scalable, and profitable non-NASA demand for services and products […]

June 28, 2024
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NASA@ My Library and Partners Engage Millions in Eclipse Training and Preparation

The Space Science Institute, with funding from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, provided unprecedented training, support, and supplies to 15,000 libraries in the U.S. and territories in support of public engagement during the 2023 and 2024 eclipses. From September 2022 to September 2024, these efforts included: One public library […]

June 28, 2024
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An Eclipse Megamovie Megastar

Nazmus “Naz” Nasir is a software engineer by day, and an astrophotographer by night….and sometimes by day as well! This April, Naz participated in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie 2024 project, photographing the total solar eclipse. He posted online a spectacular video composed of stabilized and aligned photographs of the sun taken during totality. The video includes links to tutorials Naz […]

June 28, 2024
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NPR News: Boeing's new spacecraft is forced to extend its stay at the International Space Station

Boeing's new spacecraft is forced to extend its stay at the International Space Station
The spacecraft experienced numerous leaks and technical glitches. NASA says it's using the extra time to evaluate whether it can return safely.

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Hubble Examines an Active Galaxy Near the Lion’s Heart

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy — known as Messier 105 — show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of […]

June 28, 2024
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NASA Prepares for Air Taxi Passenger Comfort Studies

A new custom virtual reality flight simulator built by NASA researchers will allow them to explore how passengers experience air taxi rides and collect data that will help designers create new aircraft with passenger comfort in mind. Wayne Ringelberg, a test pilot at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, recently completed a series […]

June 27, 2024
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NASA Kennedy Team Recognized During White House Sustainability Awards

A team of seven NASA Kennedy employees was recognized by the White House for charging ahead with the expansion of the agency’s sustainable electric vehicle (EV) fleet at Kennedy Space Center. They did so at minimal cost to taxpayers while also offering zero emission EV charging for any workers and visitors willing to pay out […]

June 27, 2024
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Mapping the Red Planet with the Power of Open Science

Mars rovers can only make exciting new discoveries thanks to human scientists making careful decisions about their next stop. The Mars 2020 mission is aimed at exploring the geology of Jezero Crater and seeking signs of ancient microbial life on Mars using the Perseverance rover. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California […]

June 27, 2024
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NASA Parachute Sensor Testing Could Make EPIC Mars Landings

Landing rovers and helicopters on Mars is a challenge. It’s an even bigger challenge when you don’t have enough information about how the parachutes are enduring strain during the descent to the surface. Researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are experimenting with readily available, highly elastic sensors that can be fixed […]

June 27, 2024
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Hubble Captures Infant Stars Transforming a Nebula

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image presents a visually striking collection of interstellar gas and dust. Named RCW 7, the nebula is located just over 5,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. Nebulae are areas rich in the raw material needed to form new stars. Under the influence of gravity, parts of these molecular clouds collapse until […]

June 27, 2024
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NASA Celebrates 10 Years of Human Spaceflight’s NExT Pioneers

Experienced spacewalkers, university students, flight controllers, and NASA team members at all stages of their career recently came together at Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) for an anniversary celebration that looked to the future as much as the past. The Office of STEM Engagement’s Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) marked […]

June 27, 2024
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Liftoff! Redesigned NASA Ames Visitor Center Engages Kids, Families

The San Francisco Bay Area has a new and interactive way to learn more about the innovative work of NASA’s Ames Research Center.  A newly redesigned NASA Ames Visitor Center at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, reopened to the public June 22 at the NASA Fest at Chabot celebration.   The two-day […]

June 27, 2024
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NPR News: States had rules for hunting and trapping mountain lions except Texas. That's changed

States had rules for hunting and trapping mountain lions except Texas. That's changed
Texas is enacting basic rules for the hunting and trapping mountain lions, including requiring a 36-hour check on traps and banning “canned” hunts."

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Detective Work Enables Perseverance Team to Revive SHERLOC Instrument

After six months of effort, an instrument that helps the Mars rover look for potential signs of ancient microbial life has come back online. The SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has analyzed a rock target with its spectrometer and camera for the […]

June 26, 2024
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NOAA’s GOES-U Satellite Launches

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) satellite lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25, 2024. GOES-U is the fourth and final satellite in the current series of advanced weather satellites; it will provide continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental […]

June 26, 2024
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NASA Advances Research to Grow Habitats in Space from Fungi

As NASA prepares for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars for the benefit of all, a habitat-growing concept selected Wednesday by the agency could help “grow” homes using fungi for future explorers. A team of researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will receive new funding under the NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts […]

June 26, 2024
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Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample

Scientists have eagerly awaited the opportunity to dig into the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine asteroid Bennu sample collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission since it was delivered to Earth last fall. They hoped the material would hold secrets of the solar system’s past and the prebiotic chemistry […]

June 26, 2024
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NASA’s Juno Gets a Close-Up Look at Lava Lakes on Jupiter’s Moon Io

Infrared imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft heats up the discussion on the inner workings of Jupiter’s hottest moon. New findings from NASA’s Juno probe provide a fuller picture of how widespread the lava lakes are on Jupiter’s moon Io and include first-time insights into the volcanic processes at work there. These results come courtesy of […]

June 26, 2024
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Mycotecture off Planet: En route to the Moon and Mars

Lynn RothschildNASA Ames Research Center (ARC) A turtle carries its habitat. While reliable, it costs energy in transporting mass. NASA makes the same trade-off when it transports habitats and other structures off planet “on the back” of its missions. While this approach is reliable, to save upmass and increase mission flexibility, NASA must be more […]

June 26, 2024
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NPR News: Followers of Iris the osprey celebrate her chicks hatching

Followers of Iris the osprey celebrate her chicks hatching
Iris, whose webcam has 20,000+ followers, has hatched chicks for the first time in five years. She's one of the worlds oldest known osprey, age 28, despite feeding from a giant superfund site.

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NASA Selects Participating Scientists to Join ESA’s Hera Mission

NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join ESA’s (European Space Agency) Hera mission, which is scheduled to launch in October 2024. Hera will study the binary asteroid system Didymos, including the moonlet Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft on Sept. 26, 2022. The objectives of DART and Hera […]

June 25, 2024
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Sol 4225: Sliding Down Horsetail Falls

Earth planning date: Monday, June 24, 2024 This will be an important week for chemistry on our latest drill sample “Mammoth Lakes 2.”  Curiosity’s primary goal today was a preconditioning of the SAM instrument in preparation for its chemical analysis. Due to the large amounts of power required by SAM, today’s science block was limited […]

June 25, 2024
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Open Call to New York-based Artists to Create Collaborative NASA Mural

NASA and the Hudson Square Business Improvement District are launching an open call to New York-based artists and artist teams to design and install a large-scale, space-themed neighborhood mural. The NASA x Hudson Square partnership was developed to inspire the surrounding Manhattan Hudson Square community by showcasing NASA’s work and missions. Artists are encouraged to […]

June 25, 2024
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Unity in Orbit: Astronauts Soar with Pride Aboard Station

A powerful symbol of pride waved high above Earth aboard the International Space Station in December 2021, reflecting NASA’s commitment to a collaborative and inclusive environment in human spaceflight. The Pride flag was unveiled by NASA astronauts to celebrate our identities and unite in our commitment to equality and acceptance for all individuals.  At NASA’s […]

June 25, 2024
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NPR News: From planets to black holes, we look at the oddities of space

From planets to black holes, we look at the oddities of space
Space Camp is a new series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe by NPR's science podcast Short Wave. Check out the rest of the series.

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Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall

As a child learning about basic engineering, you probably tried and failed to join a square-shaped toy with a circular-shaped toy: you needed a third shape to act as an adapter and connect them both together. On a much larger scale, integration of NASA’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion spacecraft for […]

June 25, 2024
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NASA-IBM Collaboration Develops INDUS Large Language Models for Advanced Science Research

By Derek Koehl Collaborations with private, non-federal partners through Space Act Agreements are a key component in the work done by NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT). A collaboration with International Business Machines (IBM) has produced INDUS, a comprehensive suite of large language models (LLMs) tailored for the domains of Earth science, biological […]

June 25, 2024
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NPR News: China has just returned the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon

China has just returned the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon
The far side of the moon looks very different from the near side, and with the Chang'e 6 mission, scientists are hoping to learn why.

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NPR News: Some stars explode as they die. We look at their life cycle

Some stars explode as they die. We look at their life cycle
This summer, scientists have their eyes and telescopes trained on the small constellation system T Coronae Borealis. They think it will explode as part of a periodic nova — a once-in-a-lifetime event according to NASA scientists. And so, with the help of astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, we continue our journey farther and deeper into spacetime with a look at the stars: How they're born and how they die. Sarafina has always been drawn to one particular star: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the shoulder of the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life. What stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment? This episode is part of our series Space Camp — all abut the weird, wonderful phenomena in our universe. Check it out here: https://ift.tt/J3ISmPa Curious about the night sky? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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NPR News: Scientists look at the connection between gut health and resilience to stress

Scientists look at the connection between gut health and resilience to stress
Scientists are trying to decode how the trillions of microorganisms in our gut talk with the brain and shape our resilience to stress. A new study offers some initial clues.

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Johnson Celebrates LGBTQI+ Pride Month: Eva Granger

Eva Granger firmly believes that anyone can launch a career at NASA. As the events and milestones lead for the Orion Program’s strategic communications team, she dedicates her time to engaging with the public and educating them not only about the Orion spacecraft but also about the various opportunities to contribute to the agency’s mission. […]

June 24, 2024
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NASA Webb, Hubble Scientist Marcia Rieke Awarded Gruber Cosmology Prize

Marcia Rieke, a scientist who worked on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope, has received the Gruber Foundation’s 2024 Cosmology Prize. Rieke will receive the award and gold laureate pin at a ceremony August 8, 2024, at the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Cape Town, South Africa. Rieke was […]

June 24, 2024
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On the GOES

On June 14, 2024, NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) last Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, started its journey from the Astrotech Space Operations facility to the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. GOES-U is the final weather-observing and environmental monitoring satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series. GOES-U will […]

June 24, 2024
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NPR News: Paris wants an AC-free Olympic Village. Team USA and others aren't so chill with it

Paris wants an AC-free Olympic Village. Team USA and others aren't so chill with it
The U.S. is among the countries bringing portable AC units to the Paris Olympics this summer since the Athletes' Village won't have any. Many athletes are worried about competing in extreme heat.

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NPR News: Paris wants an AC-free Olympic Village. Team USA and others aren't so chill with it

Paris wants an AC-free Olympic Village. Team USA and others aren't so chill with it
The U.S. is among the countries bringing portable AC units to the Paris Olympics this summer since the Athletes' Village won't have any. Many athletes are worried about competing in extreme heat.

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NPR News: Earth is more than a planet with life on it. It's a "living planet"

Earth is more than a planet with life on it. It's a "living planet"
About ten years ago, science writer Ferris Jabr started contemplating Earth as a living planet rather than a planet with life on it. It began when he learned that the Amazon rainforest doesn't simply receive the rain that defines it; rather, it helps generate that rain. The Amazon does that by launching bits of biological confetti into the atmosphere that, in turn, seed clouds. After learning this, he began looking for other ways life changes its environment. That led to his new book Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life. He talks to host Regina G. Barber about examples of life transforming the planet — from changing the color of the sky to altering the weather. Have a story about the environment you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: Earth is more than a planet with life on it. It's a "living planet"

Earth is more than a planet with life on it. It's a "living planet"
About ten years ago, science writer Ferris Jabr started contemplating Earth as a living planet rather than a planet with life on it. It began when he learned that the Amazon rainforest doesn't simply receive the rain that defines it; rather, it helps generate that rain. The Amazon does that by launching bits of biological confetti into the atmosphere that, in turn, seed clouds. After learning this, he began looking for other ways life changes its environment. That led to his new book Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life. He talks to host Regina G. Barber about examples of life transforming the planet — from changing the color of the sky to altering the weather. Have a story about the environment you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through their home

A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through their home
The space agency determined that the material was a metal alloy stanchion used on “NASA flight support equipment.”

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NASA’s ELaNa 43 Prepares for Firefly Aerospace Launch

NASA is readying for the launch of several small satellites to space, built with the help of students, educators, and researchers from across the country, as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. The ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43) mission includes eight CubeSats flying on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket for its “Noise of […]

June 21, 2024
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NASA Invites Public to Share Excitement of NOAA GOES-U Launch

NASA invites the public to participate in virtual activities and events leading up to the launch of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U) mission.  NASA is targeting a two-hour window opening at 5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for the launch of the weather satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon […]

June 21, 2024
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Contracts and Acquisition Integrity Law

About In its functional leadership role, the Contracts and Acquisition Integrity Law Practice Group supports policy-level interactions with other elements of Government; provides specialized guidance and advice to the Offices of the General Counsel at NASA Field Centers regarding contract award, administration and litigation matters; and develops and coordinates NASA legal policy in these areas.  […]

June 21, 2024
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Acquisition Integrity Program

In its functional leadership role, the Acquisition and Integrity Program (AIP) supports policy-level interactions with other governmental agencies combating procurement fraud. This Program provides specialized guidance and advice to the Office of the Chief Counsel at NASA Field Centers regarding procurement fraud matters; advises on affirmative litigation in the recovery of monies resulting from fraudulent […]

June 21, 2024
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South Central US Students to Hear from NASA Astronaut Aboard Station

Students from Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas will have an opportunity to hear from a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The 20-minute Earth-to-space call will stream live at 9:10 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 26, on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a […]

June 21, 2024
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HuskyWorks During Rover Testing

“HuskyWorks,” a team from Michigan Technological University’s Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab, tests the excavation tools of a robot on a concrete slab, held by a gravity-offloading crane on June 12 at NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge at Alabama A&M’s Agribition Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Led by Professor Paul van Susante, the team aimed to mimic the conditions of the lunar South Pole, winning an […]

June 21, 2024
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Hubble Captures Infant Stars Transforming a Nebula

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image presents a visually striking collection of interstellar gas and dust. Named RCW 7, the nebula is located just over 5,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. Nebulae are areas rich in the raw material needed to form new stars. Under the influence of gravity, parts of these molecular […]

June 21, 2024
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NPR News: Summer solstice came early this year

Summer solstice came early this year
NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, about why summer solstice came so early this year and what it signifies.

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A Bright New Abrasion

Last week, Perseverance arrived at the long-awaited site of Bright Angel, named for being a light-toned rock that stands out in orbital data.

June 20, 2024
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NASA’s Chandra Peers Into Densest and Weirdest Stars

The supernova remnant 3C 58 contains a spinning neutron star, known as PSR J0205+6449, at its center. Astronomers studied this neutron star and others like it to probe the nature of matter inside these very dense objects. A new study, made using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton, reveals that the interiors of neutron […]

June 20, 2024
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Studying the Sun

Science in Space: June 2024 The Sun wields a huge influence on Earth. Its gravity holds our planet in its orbit, and solar energy drives the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts, and auroras on Earth. The solar wind, a flow of charged particles from the Sun, constantly bombards Earth’s magnetosphere, a vast magnetic […]

June 20, 2024
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First of Its Kind Detection Made in Striking New Webb Image

Alignment of bipolar jets confirms star formation theories For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to directly image has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area (seen at the upper left) of this […]

June 20, 2024
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Stephanie Duchesne: Leading with Integrity and Openness for CLDP

Of all the lessons learned throughout her NASA career, the importance of relationship and personal integrity is one that has been repeatedly reinforced for Stephanie Duchesne, a Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program (CLDP) project executive. “Each person you work with has their own unique perspectives and concerns, and in order to solve a problem […]

June 20, 2024
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NASA Preserves Its Past at Kennedy While Building Future of Space

Current and former employees of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida gathered recently to celebrate the installation of a Florida Historical Marker cast in bronze at the location of the spaceport’s old headquarters building. The first of its kind inside the center’s secure area, the marker is the latest example of the center’s commitment to […]

June 20, 2024
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NPR News: Eight young people are suing Alaska to stop a major natural gas project

Eight young people are suing Alaska to stop a major natural gas project
A group of young Alaskans is suing the state to halt a high-profile natural gas project. They argue fossil fuel development will worsen climate change, which is already threatening their communities.

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NPR News: NASA has delayed the undocking of Boeing's Starliner capsule until next week

NASA has delayed the undocking of Boeing's Starliner capsule until next week
Managers are still troubleshooting a number of thruster issues and helium leaks on the capsule's first crewed flight test.

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NPR News: Poisoned trees gave a wealthy couple a killer view -- and united residents in outrage

Poisoned trees gave a wealthy couple a killer view -- and united residents in outrage
A politically connected Missouri couple allegedly poisoned their neighbor's trees to secure their million-dollar view of Camden Harbor in Maine. The incident was unearthed by the victim herself.

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NPR News: After 41 years, a missing woman has been identified. Police want to know how she died

After 41 years, a missing woman has been identified. Police want to know how she died
The mom whose remains were discovered in 1983 in what's now Lake Forest, Calif., was positively identified Friday by authorities as Maritza Glean Grimmett, says the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Etched into Collier Trophy, Aerospace History

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has been immortalized at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington as the latest awardee of the Robert J. Collier Trophy. Bestowed annually by the National Aeronautic Association, the trophy recognizes groundbreaking aerospace achievements. OSIRIS-REx, formally the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer, was honored “for […]

June 18, 2024
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15 Years Ago: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Begins Moon Mapping Mission

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) launched together from Cape Canaveral Air Force, now Space Force, Station on June 18, 2009, atop an Atlas V launch vehicle. The primary mission of the LRO, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, involved imaging the entire […]

June 18, 2024
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Astronaut Nicole Mann Throws First Pitch at Giants-Angels Game

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann waves as she is introduced before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the San Francisco Giants versus Los Angeles Angels game at Oracle Park in San Francisco on June 14, 2024. Mann was honored for her accomplishments at the Giants’ Native American Heritage Night. She is the first Indigenous woman […]

June 18, 2024
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Perseverance Finds Popcorn on Planet Mars

After months of driving, Perseverance has finally arrived at ‘Bright Angel’, discovering oddly textured rock unlike any the rover has seen before.

June 18, 2024
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NPR News: Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?

Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has never responded to deadly or damaging extreme heat. Environmental groups and labor unions are asking for that to change.

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NPR News: Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?

Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has never responded to deadly or damaging extreme heat. Environmental groups and labor unions are asking for that to change.

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NPR News: National security experts warn that extreme weather threatens elections this year

National security experts warn that extreme weather threatens elections this year
National security professionals are warning that there's a growing threat to global elections — one that is on par with disinformation, foreign interference and even the threat of political violence.

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NPR News: Deciphered 1,600-year-old manuscript reveals new clues about a young Jesus

Deciphered 1,600-year-old manuscript reveals new clues about a young Jesus
Researchers say some ancient writing on a scrap of papyrus, that went unnoticed for years, is part of the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

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NPR News: The brain has a waste removal system and scientists are figuring out how it works

The brain has a waste removal system and scientists are figuring out how it works
The brain needs to flush out waste products to stay healthy and fend off conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Scientists are beginning to understand how the the brain's waste removal system works.

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NPR News: Pluto isn't a planet — but it gives us clues on how the solar system formed

Pluto isn't a planet — but it gives us clues on how the solar system formed
Pluto hasn't been a planet for almost 20 years. In the early 2000s, scientists discovered several objects of a similar size to Pluto. So, during the summer of 2006, members of the International Astronomical Union convened in Prague to reconsider what counts as a planet in our solar system. IAU members decided that there were three criteria to be a planet — and Pluto did meet all of them. But planetary scientist Wladymir Lyra says that even though it was downgraded to a dwarf planet, Pluto still has much to teach us about planet formation. This episode, he also lays out his case for Pluto — and many other objects in the solar system — to be considered a planet. This episode is part of Short Wave's space camp series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe. Check out the full series. Questions about the state of our universe or smaller happenings here on planet Earth? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to consider it for a future episode!

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NASA Satellites Find Snow Didn’t Offset Southwest US Groundwater Loss

Record snowfall in recent years has not been enough to offset long-term drying conditions and increasing groundwater demands in the U.S. Southwest, according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data. Declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake and Lake Mead have been testaments to a megadrought afflicting western North America since 2000. But […]

June 17, 2024
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Investigating the Origins of the Crab Nebula With NASA’s Webb

New data revises our view of this unusual supernova explosion. A team of scientists used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to parse the composition of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. With the telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), the team gathered data that is […]

June 17, 2024
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NPR News: Nicknamed Caramelo, a rescued horse from the flooding in Brazil, becomes famous

Nicknamed Caramelo, a rescued horse from the flooding in Brazil, becomes famous
In Brazil, a seven-year-old horse who survived catastrophic floods in the south of the country has become a symbol of hope.

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Globetrotting NASA Research Model Increases Accuracy

NASA and its international partners are using the same generically shaped wing design to create physical and digital research models to better understand how air moves around an aircraft during takeoff and landing. Various organizations are doing computer modeling with computational tools and conducting wind tunnel tests using the same High Lift Common Research Model […]

June 17, 2024
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NPR News: Fans donate to the sick animal that was the model for Donkey in 'Shrek'

Fans donate to the sick animal that was the model for Donkey in 'Shrek'
The loquacious donkey in the "Shrek" franchise is actually based on a real live animal, who is now 30 years old and racking up medical bills.

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NPR News: How millions of mosquitoes could save Hawaii's endangered birds

How millions of mosquitoes could save Hawaii's endangered birds
To a lot of people, mosquito bites are annoying. But to the rare Hawaiian honeycreepers, they're deadly. Scientists in Maui are racing against time to save them ... and discovering some pretty crazy innovations along the way. Like, releasing-mosquitos-incapable-of-breeding level innovations.

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NPR News: How millions of mosquitoes could save Hawaii's endangered birds

How millions of mosquitoes could save Hawaii's endangered birds
To a lot of people, mosquito bites are annoying. But to the rare Hawaiian honeycreepers, they're deadly. Scientists in Maui are racing against time to save them ... and discovering some pretty crazy innovations along the way. Like, releasing-mosquitos-incapable-of-breeding level innovations.

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NPR News: From ‘romantasy’ to reality TV, why we love guilty pleasures so much

From ‘romantasy’ to reality TV, why we love guilty pleasures so much
Neuroscientists say the pleasure response helps us survive as a species. So why do we feel embarrassed by some of the things we love the most?

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NPR News: People with HIV are aging, and the challenges are piling up

People with HIV are aging, and the challenges are piling up
Advances in medicine mean more people are living longer with HIV. But aging with HIV comes with increased health risks, and this growing population needs specialized care that's hard to find.

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NPR News: Some animals from a Gaza zoo are now displaced along with their owner

Some animals from a Gaza zoo are now displaced along with their owner
The Rafah zoo owner drove caged animals with him as he fled the city. He left three lions behind.

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NPR News: Inheriting: Leah & Japanese American Incarceration

Inheriting: Leah & Japanese American Incarceration
Hey, Short Wavers! Today, we're sharing a portion of Inheriting, an 8-part limited series hosted by Emily Kwong about Asian American and Pacific Islander family history. In this excerpt, we follow the story of Leah Bash. Leah is an avid runner, a dog mom, a wife – and there's a part of her family's history she can't stop thinking about. Both sides of her family were incarcerated during WWII, alongside 125,000 other Japanese Americans. After Leah learns about her father's struggles with panic attacks and is herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she starts to wonder: Could those experiences at camp have far-reaching consequences decades later? Listen to Inheriting and check out the show's resource guide for more information on getting personal with the past.

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Human Factors Researcher Garrett Sadler

“I graduated in 2008, so that job market was not super great, and I ended up with this very unusual job working for this guy who thought that he had some new theory of physics that he wanted to work on. And so I was responsible for creating little computer simulations, trying to resemble some […]

June 14, 2024
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Hubble Captures a Cosmic Fossil

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the globular cluster NGC 2005. It’s not an unusual globular cluster in and of itself, but it is a peculiarity when compared to its surroundings. NGC 2005 is located about 750 light-years from the heart of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is the Milky Way’s largest satellite galaxy some 162,000 light-years […]

June 14, 2024
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Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the globular cluster NGC 2005. It’s not an unusual globular cluster in and of itself, but it is a peculiarity when compared to its surroundings. NGC 2005 is located about 750 light-years from the heart of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is the Milky Way’s largest satellite […]

June 14, 2024
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NPR News: Bill Gates is going nuclear: How his latest project could power U.S. homes and AI

Bill Gates is going nuclear: How his latest project could power U.S. homes and AI
The billionaire philanthropist tells Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep his new TerraPower nuclear plant is safer than traditional builds. He’s putting his own money behind the project.

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NPR News: Bill Gates is going nuclear: How his latest project could power U.S. homes and AI

Bill Gates is going nuclear: How his latest project could power U.S. homes and AI
The billionaire philanthropist tells Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep his new TerraPower nuclear plant is safer than traditional builds. He’s putting his own money behind the project.

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NPR News: Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders

Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders
Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species. Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders

Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders
Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species. Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders

Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders
Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species. Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.

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NASA’s RASC-AL Competition Selects 2024 Winners

Out of 14 finalist teams that encompassed collegiate and university representation from across the globe, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University team with their concept, “Project Draupnir,” in the AI-Powered Self-Replicating Probe theme, took home top prize in NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition.   The University of Maryland took second […]

June 13, 2024
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‘NASA in the Park’ Returns to Rocket City June 22

NASA in the Park is coming back to Big Spring Park East in Huntsville, Alabama, on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. The event is free and open to the public. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, its partners, and collaborators will fill the park with space exhibits, music, food vendors, and […]

June 13, 2024
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Sea Ice Swirls

NASA’s Terra satellite captured floating fragments of sea ice as ocean currents carried them south along Greenland’s east coast on June 4, 2024. This ice traveled from the Fram Strait, a 450-kilometer (280-mile)-wide passage between Greenland and Svalbard, to the Arctic Ocean. Along the journey, it breaks into smaller pieces and starts to melt in […]

June 13, 2024
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Flag Day 2024 – One Small Flag’s Incredible Journey

This article tells the story of one small American flag fortunate enough to be singled out from a group of one thousand flags just like it and embark on an incredible journey. The other 999 flags likely ended up as gifts, but this one flag had a loftier fate. It wasn’t the first American flag […]

June 13, 2024
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Flag Day – One Small Flag’s Incredible Journey

This article is for students grades 5-8. This story tells the tale of one small American flag fortunate enough to embark on an incredible journey. It wasn’t the first flag to ride into space, or the most famous flag that went into space — that honor probably goes to the Stars and Stripes planted on the […]

June 13, 2024
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California Teams Win $1.5 Million in NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge

By Savannah Bullard After two days of live competitions, two teams from southern California are heading home with a combined $1.5 million from NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge.  Since 2020, competitors from around the world have competed in this challenge with the common goal of inventing robots that can excavate and transport the icy […]

June 13, 2024
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NASA’s Perseverance Fords an Ancient River to Reach Science Target

Originally thought of as little more than a route clear of rover-slowing boulders, Neretva Vallis has provided a bounty of geologic options for the science team.    After detouring through a dune field to avoid wheel-rattling boulders, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover reached its latest area of scientific interest on June 9. The route change not […]

June 13, 2024
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NPR News: This new brain-mapping device could make neurosurgery safer

This new brain-mapping device could make neurosurgery safer
A flexible film bristling with tiny sensors could make surgery safer for patients with a brain tumor or severe epilepsy.

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NPR News: Wild horses are being reintroduced to their native habitat in Kazakhstan

Wild horses are being reintroduced to their native habitat in Kazakhstan
Known as Przewalski’s horses, the animals have been missing from Kazakhstan’s landscape for 200 years. They're being reintroduced, where they'll play a crucial role in the ecosystem.

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NASA’s Roman Mission Gets Cosmic ‘Sneak Peek’ From Supercomputers

Researchers are diving into a synthetic universe to help us better understand the real one. Using supercomputers at the U.S. DOE’s (Department of Energy’s) Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, scientists have created nearly 4 million simulated images depicting the cosmos as NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded […]

June 12, 2024
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NASA Supports California Students Aiming to Advance Technology

Students from a minority-serving university in California are helping solve challenges of autonomous systems for future drone operations on Earth and other planets. These students are making the most of opportunities with NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and industry, focusing on autopilot development and advanced systems that adapt and evolve. Students from California State […]

June 12, 2024
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NPR News: African ancestry genes may be linked to Black Americans' risk for some brain disorders

African ancestry genes may be linked to Black Americans' risk for some brain disorders
A new genomic analysis hints at why African Americans face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s and stroke, but a lower risk of Parkinson’s.

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NPR News: Hawaii's birds are going extinct. Their last hope could be millions of mosquitoes

Hawaii's birds are going extinct. Their last hope could be millions of mosquitoes
Hawaii's unique birds, known as honeycreepers, are being wiped out by mosquitoes carrying avian malaria. The birds' last hope could be more mosquitoes, designed to crash their own population.

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NPR News: Hawaii's birds are going extinct. Their last hope could be millions of mosquitoes

Hawaii's birds are going extinct. Their last hope could be millions of mosquitoes
Hawaii's unique birds, known as honeycreepers, are being wiped out by mosquitoes carrying avian malaria. The birds' last hope could be more mosquitoes, designed to crash their own population.

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NPR News: How the current heat dome can affect human health

How the current heat dome can affect human health
Right now, there's a "heat dome" lingering over the southwestern U.S. – a high pressure system that pushes hot air down and traps it, raising the temperature. Heat is becoming increasingly lethal as climate change causes more extreme heat. So in today's encore episode, we're exploring heat. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about how the human body copes with extended extreme heat and how today's heat warning systems could better protect the public. With scientists predicting a very hot summer, if you can, stay cool out there, dear Short Wavers. What science story do you want to hear next on Short Wave? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: A dog traveled nearly 4 miles to get help after its owner crashed into a ravine

A dog traveled nearly 4 miles to get help after its owner crashed into a ravine
The man was traveling with his four dogs when he ran off a remote road into a ravine in Oregon. One dog returned to where the man was camping with family, alerting them that something was wrong.

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From Psychology to Space: Alexandra Whitmire’s Journey and Impact in NASA’s Human Research Program

From navigating the depths of the human mind to exploring the vastness of space, Dr. Alexandra (Sandra) Whitmire helps lead research on the effects of prolonged isolation and confinement as NASA prepares to voyage to the Moon and eventually Mars.  Whitmire is the lead scientist for the Human Factors and Behavioral Performance element (HFBP) within […]

June 11, 2024
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55 Years Ago: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Cancellation

The Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL), a joint classified project of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), sought to establish a crewed platform in low Earth orbit to obtain high-resolution photographic imagery of America’s 1960s Cold War adversaries. Approved in 1965, the MOL Program envisioned a series of space stations launched […]

June 11, 2024
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NPR News: Here's why an Arizona medical examiner is working to track heat-related deaths

Here's why an Arizona medical examiner is working to track heat-related deaths
No one across the U.S. is consistently tracking climate-fueled deaths. One medical examiner has a new protocol on heat-deaths.

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NPR News: Wild elephants may have names that other elephants use to call them

Wild elephants may have names that other elephants use to call them
Research on the rumbles of wild elephants suggest that these animals address each other with unique, name-like vocalizations. (Story aired on All Things Considered on June 10, 2024.)

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NPR News: What's next up for the Supreme Court? Abortion rights, gun laws and more

What's next up for the Supreme Court? Abortion rights, gun laws and more
The Supreme Court will be issuing major rulings in the next month. Normally by this point in the term there are between four and six really big cases left. This year, there are over a dozen.

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NPR News: From the physics of g-force to weightlessness: How it feels to launch into space

From the physics of g-force to weightlessness: How it feels to launch into space
It feels like this is the summer of space launches. So, it's only appropriate that we kick off our new series Space Camp with a look at space launches. Throughout the series, Regina and Emily will plumb our universe to uncover the strange, wonderful things happening all around us. This episode, that entails answering a series of questions about getting to space: What does hurtling into space feel like? What physics are involved? And what's the "junk" in Earth's orbit? Space Camp episodes drop every Tuesday in the Short Wave feed in addition to our regular episodes happening every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For a full explainer of Newton's third law of motion, g-forces and visuals on his cannonball thought experiment, check out our digital story. Have a particular aspect of space you want us to cover in a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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Food Safety Program for Space Has Taken Over on Earth

System created for Apollo astronaut food has become the global standard for hazard prevention

June 10, 2024
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NPR News: Wild elephants may have names that other elephants use to call them

Wild elephants may have names that other elephants use to call them
Forget names like "Dumbo"—wild elephants appear to have their own unique names that other elephants use while talking to them in low rumbles.

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Gateway’s HALO Making Moves

One of Gateway space station's foundational modules, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), is closer to launch after completing a major milestone.

June 10, 2024
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NPR News: Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? Depends who's counting

Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? Depends who's counting
Multiple federal and state government agencies count the number of deaths from extreme floods, wildfires, heat waves and hurricanes. They don't always agree on which deaths should be counted.

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NPR News: Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? Depends who's counting

Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? Depends who's counting
Multiple federal and state government agencies count the number of deaths from extreme floods, wildfires, heat waves and hurricanes. They don't always agree on which deaths should be counted.

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NPR News: Illegal wildlife trade is booming. What does that mean for the confiscated animals?

Illegal wildlife trade is booming. What does that mean for the confiscated animals?
Wildlife trafficking is one of the largest and most profitable crime sectors in the world. The illegal trade estimated to be a multi-billion dollar industry. On a high level, that illegal trade causes problems for everything from global biodiversity to local economies and the balance of entire ecosystems. And on the immediate level, authorities are tasked with caring for confiscated animals and placing them in long-term care facilities. One network launched last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association for Zoos and Aquariums hopes to help. And with wildlife trafficking surging globally, the organizations are now in talks to expand the program to other parts of the country. Read more about illegal wildlife trafficking and check out more photos in climate correspondent Nate Rott's full story. Have other wildlife stories you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: Illegal wildlife trade is booming. What does that mean for the confiscated animals?

Illegal wildlife trade is booming. What does that mean for the confiscated animals?
Wildlife trafficking is one of the largest and most profitable crime sectors in the world. The illegal trade estimated to be a multi-billion dollar industry. On a high level, that illegal trade causes problems for everything from global biodiversity to local economies and the balance of entire ecosystems. And on the immediate level, authorities are tasked with caring for confiscated animals and placing them in long-term care facilities. One network launched last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association for Zoos and Aquariums hopes to help. And with wildlife trafficking surging globally, the organizations are now in talks to expand the program to other parts of the country. Read more about illegal wildlife trafficking and check out more photos in climate correspondent Nate Rott's full story. Have other wildlife stories you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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NPR News: Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life

Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life
Plastic has become embedded in everyday life. That’s because for the last 70 years, the plastics industry convinced consumers to embrace the material for its low cost and disposability.

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NPR News: Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life

Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life
Plastic has become embedded in everyday life. That’s because for the last 70 years, the plastics industry convinced consumers to embrace the material for its low cost and disposability.

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NPR News: The week in space: Two lessons for NASA and their private space partners

The week in space: Two lessons for NASA and their private space partners


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‘Super’ Star Cluster Shines in New Look From NASA’s Chandra

Westerlund 1 is the biggest and closest “super” star cluster to Earth. New data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in combination with other NASA telescopes, is helping astronomers delve deeper into this galactic factory where stars are vigorously being produced. This is the first data to be publicly released from a project called the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open […]

June 07, 2024
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PACE Celebrates National Ocean Month With Colorful Views of the Planet

What do you give to an ocean that has everything? This year, for National Ocean Month, NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite— is gifting us a unique look at our home planet. The visualizations created with data from the satellite, which launched on Feb. 8, are already enhancing the ways that we view […]

June 07, 2024
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National Weather Service Office of Science and Technology Integration Visit to Learn about SPoRT

The National Weather Service in Huntsville hosted a visit by the NWS Office of Science and Technology Integration. OSTI is the main office within the NWS that manages and plans research to operations projects for the NWS and the integration of technology across NWS field offices. The visit by OSTI leadership and management started with […]

June 07, 2024
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Paper on Land-Use Planning in West Africa Published in IEEE J-STARS

As part of his NASA SERVIR research project, Pontus Olofsson (ST11) co-authored a paper for publication in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. The paper, titled Applications of Remote Sensing for Land Use Planning Scenarios With Suitability Analysis, presents results from a suitability analysis model using time series of […]

June 07, 2024
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NASA Invites Media to Watch Agency’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge Final Phase

NASA will announce the winners of the final phase of its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge on Wednesday, June 12 at Alabama A&M University’s (AAMU) Agribition Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The challenge aims to develop new technologies that could support a sustained human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade. Media and […]

June 07, 2024
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SPoRT Undertakes New Collaboration with the United Nations (U.N.) Satellite Centre

Patrick Duran and Anita LeRoy (ST11) met with Samir Belabbes from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research to investigate ways for SPoRT to provide NASA remote sensing products to the UN Satellite Centre. The new collaboration springs from a presentation given by Belabbes at last year’s Joint Applications Workshop of NASA’s CYGNSS and […]

June 07, 2024
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NPR News: A fungus turning cicadas into horny zombies — but don’t panic

A fungus turning cicadas into horny zombies — but don’t panic
The fungus takes over cicadas’ lower halves and sex drives, fueling them to keep mating and spreading the disease in the process. That's why some scientists call them “flying salt shakers of death.”

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Moon Tree Dedication with Artemis II Crew

NASA astronauts Victor Glover (left), Reid Wiseman (middle left), and Christina Koch (middle right), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen (right), pose for a photo after a Moon Tree dedication ceremony, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at the United States Capitol in Washington. The American Sweetgum tree pictured was grown from a seed that […]

June 06, 2024
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Sols 4207-4208: A Taste of Rocky Road

Earth planning date: Wednesday June 5, 2024 Curiosity was still at the ice cream shop for planning today, with the delicious feast of rock flavours still at arm’s reach and begging to be sampled. In the previous plan, one such flavour, captured in today’s blog image and perhaps most analogous to Rocky Road (not only given that […]

June 06, 2024
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NASA Scientists Take to the Seas to Study Air Quality

Satellites continuously peer down from orbit to take measurements of Earth, and this week a group of scientists set sail to verify some of those data points. On June 2, the SCOAPE (Satellite Coastal and Oceanic Atmospheric Pollution Experiment) research team, in partnership with the U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, took to […]

June 06, 2024
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NASA, Global Astronomers Await Rare Nova Explosion

Around the world this summer, professional and amateur astronomers alike will be fixed on one small constellation deep in the night sky. But it’s not the seven stars of Corona Borealis, the “Northern Crown,” that have sparked such fascination. It’s a dark spot among them where an impending nova event – so bright it will […]

June 06, 2024
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Targeted Genome Editor Delivery Challenge

Gene editing holds the promise to treat genetic diseases at the source by correcting the faulty genetic patterns within our cells. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched the TARGETED (Targeted Genome Editor Delivery) Challenge to advance genome editing technology by sourcing innovative solutions for delivering genome editors to somatic cells. The Challenge is […]

June 06, 2024
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The Marshall Star for June 5, 2024

LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station. As part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, the astronauts lifted off at 9:52 a.m. CDT June 5 […]

June 05, 2024
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Starliner to the Stars

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, in this image from June 5, 2024. As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the flight test will help validate the transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations capabilities, and return to Earth […]

June 05, 2024
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Mountain Rain or Snow Volunteers Broke Records This Winter

The Mountain Rain or Snow project asks volunteers to track rain, snow, and mixed precipitation all winter long—and this was a winter like no other! This season, 1,684 people submitted precipitation observations—that’s about a third more than last season. These volunteers submitted over 32,110 observations, breaking last year’s record by over 10,000. Some observers excelled by sending in hundreds of observations—Patrick Thorson submitted […]

June 05, 2024
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LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station. As part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, the astronauts lifted off at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space […]

June 05, 2024
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Carving Into Carbonates at Old Faithful Geyser

This past week on Mars, Perseverance made a pit stop near Overlook Mountain to abrade a rock called Old Faithful Geyser. This target is situated within the Western side of the Margin Unit, an area around the upper edge of Jezero Crater that is astrobiologically-interesting due to its abundant carbonate. Carbonate-bearing rocks have been a […]

June 05, 2024
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Sols 4205-4206: Curiosity Would Like One of Each, Please!

Earth planning date: Monday, June 3, 2024 You know that feeling at the ice cream shop when you’re presented with so many tantalizing options and you have to narrow it down to just a few to taste test, and then you have to strategize how to fit all the best flavors in your bowl?  That’s […]

June 05, 2024
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Sols 4202-4204: Sticking Around

Earth planning date: Friday, May 31, 2024 Our most recent drive delivered us, as planned, right alongside ‘Whitebark Pass.’ This last drive was only about 9 metres, but Curiosity has been doing a lot of travelling lately and this weekend we’re giving the rover a well-deserved break from driving – but not a break from […]

June 05, 2024
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Ted Michalek: Engineering from Apollo to Artemis

From the first lunar footsteps of Apollo to the threshold of humanity’s return aboard the Artemis missions, Ted Michalek has been part of the fabric of Goddard for 55 years — and counting! Name: Theodore “Ted” MichalekTitle: Chief technical engineer (retired), now consultantFormal Job Classification: Thermal engineerOrganization: Thermal Engineering Branch (Code 545), Mechanical Division (Code […]

June 04, 2024
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55 Years Ago: Star Trek Final Episode Airs, Relationship with NASA Endures

The voyages of the Starship Enterprise came to a sudden and premature end on June 3, 1969, with the airing of the final episode of the Star Trek original television series. Ironically, the show’s cancellation came just six weeks before humanity embarked on its first voyage to land on another celestial body. Although the show […]

June 04, 2024
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NPR News: After saying Charlotte, a lone stingray, was pregnant, aquarium now says she's sick

After saying Charlotte, a lone stingray, was pregnant, aquarium now says she's sick
Charlotte the ray was touted as a case of asexual reproduction. Her aquarium now says she's actually sick with a rare disease — not pregnant. "This is a very weird story," an expert tells NPR.

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Solid State Quantum Magnetometers—Seeking out water worlds from the quantum world

“Follow the water!”  The solar system is full of water in different states, from the Sun’s water vapor to the ice of Pluto and beyond. Water is not only linked to the possibility to sustain life, it is also interesting for its own geological properties and potential uses. For example, ice on the Moon and Mars could support human exploration. Comets that hit Earth may have deposited water on our planet. The icy comets and rings of Saturn reveal how solar systems change over time.

June 04, 2024
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Aerospace Trailblazer: Shirley Holland-Hunt’s Visionary Leadership Transforms Space Exploration

From pioneering space initiatives to championing diversity and innovation, Shirley Holland-Hunt’s multifaceted leadership at NASA exemplifies the future of aerospace exploration. Her efforts have driven technological advancements and advocated for the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM fields.  Holland-Hunt currently serves as the associate division chief for Houston’s Johnson Space Center Aeroscience and Flight […]

June 04, 2024
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NASA Wallops Visitor Center Extended Hours June 12

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center will be open for extended hours from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, June 12, to conduct outreach focused around NASA’s environmental work at Wallops. In addition, the Visitor Center exhibit gallery and auditorium will be open for the public to visit, and personnel will be onsite to share information on current and […]

June 04, 2024
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NASA Updates Coverage for Crew Flight Test Launch, Docking to Station

NASA will provide live coverage of launch activities for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, which will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and from the International Space Station. Launch of the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner spacecraft is targeted for 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 5, […]

June 03, 2024
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NPR News: A record shark migration, metalhead woodpeckers and how the brain understands 'not'

A record shark migration, metalhead woodpeckers and how the brain understands 'not'
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Emily Kwong of Short Wave about shark migration, why woodpeckers are "metalheads," and how the brain interprets the word "not."

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NASA Invites Media to Discuss Hubble Operations Update

NASA will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 4, to provide an update on operations for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. NASA anticipates Hubble will continue making discoveries, working with other observatories such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope, throughout this decade and into the next. Audio of the teleconference will stream […]

June 03, 2024
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Winners Announced in Gateways to Blue Skies Aeronautics Competition

The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, team, with their project titled “Aero-Quake Emergency Response Network,” took first place at the third annual Gateways to Blue Skies Competition. Competing among eight finalist teams that presented their ideas for aviation-related systems for natural disasters, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona team earned the top award at the […]

June 03, 2024
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NASA Excites Over 52,000 Fans at Comicpalooza

Comicpalooza, the largest annual pop culture festival in the southern United States, is home to thousands of comic book, science, anime, and gaming fanatics in Houston. Guests have the opportunity to celebrate their passions through a variety of entertainment, panels, and meet and greets. NASA’s Johnson Space Center has participated in Comicpalooza’s festivities for the […]

June 03, 2024
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Summary of the 2023 Precipitation Measurement Mission Science Team Meeting

Andrea Portier, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Science Systems and Applications, Inc., andrea.m.portier@nasa.gov Introduction The annual Precipitation Measurement Mission (PMM) Science Team Meeting (STM) took place September 18–22, 2023, in Minneapolis, MN. The PMM program supports scientific research and applications, algorithm development, and ground-based validation activities for the completed Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and current […]

June 03, 2024
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Rayos X en el firmamento

Esta imagen de todo el cielo muestra 22 meses de datos de rayos X registrados por la carga útil del Explorador de la Composición Interior de las Estrellas de Neutrones (NICER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA —que viaja a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional— durante sus barridos nocturnos entre los diferentes objetivos a los […]

June 03, 2024
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NASA Lawyer Contributes to the Commercialization of Space

Cassi Meyer, a NASA lawyer, can certainly testify that the nontraditional path taken from law school to NASA has landed her in the right place to work with the diverse workforce at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

June 03, 2024
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NASA’s Stennis Space Center Employees Receive NASA Honor Awards

NASA Stennis Space Center Director John Bailey and NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Kenneth Bowersox presented NASA Honor Awards to Stennis employees during an onsite ceremony May 15. Prior to presenting NASA Honor Awards to Stennis employees, Bailey received the Meritorious Senior Executive Presidential Rank Award. The award from the President of the United […]

June 03, 2024
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NPR News: Don't just blame rat fleas. Lice may have helped spread 'black death' plague

Don't just blame rat fleas. Lice may have helped spread 'black death' plague
The mystery: How did bubonic plague spread so rapidly? Could rat fleas have done it all? A new study points the finger at lice as possible accomplices.

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NPR News: How earning $30 too much a month keeps a cancer patient in Georgia from cheaper care

How earning $30 too much a month keeps a cancer patient in Georgia from cheaper care
Georgia hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Some people suffer more than others because of that coverage gap.

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NPR News: Misconduct claims may derail MDMA psychedelic treatment for PTSD

Misconduct claims may derail MDMA psychedelic treatment for PTSD
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may soon have a new treatment option: MDMA, the chemical found in ecstasy. In August, the Food and Drug Administration plans to decide whether MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD will be approved for market based on years of research. But serious allegations of research misconduct may derail the approval timeline. NPR science reporter Will Stone talks to host Emily Kwong about the clinical trials on MDMA-assisted therapy research and a recent report questioning the validity of the results. Read Will's full story here.

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NPR News: Misconduct claims may derail MDMA psychedelic treatment for PTSD

Misconduct claims may derail MDMA psychedelic treatment for PTSD
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may soon have a new treatment option: MDMA, the chemical found in ecstasy. In August, the Food and Drug Administration plans to decide whether MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD will be approved for market based on years of research. But serious allegations of research misconduct may derail the approval timeline. NPR science reporter Will Stone talks to host Emily Kwong about the clinical trials on MDMA-assisted therapy research and a recent report questioning the validity of the results. Read Will's full story here.

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NPR News: As Republicans probe COVID’s origins, some see an attack on science; others say it’s long overdue

As Republicans probe COVID’s origins, some see an attack on science; others say it’s long overdue
Hearings have turned up embarrassing emails and problems with grants, but evidence of a larger cover-up is lacking.

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