NASA

NASA has selected Caltech to operate the Orbiting Carbon Observatory missions (OCO-2 and OCO-3) starting this fall. These missions, which include a satellite and an instrument on the International Space Station (ISS), identify where carbon is being emitted or absorbed by natural sinks like forests and oceans. The data gathered will aid in understanding agricultural health, providing information on plant productivity and ecosystem health.

The upcoming near-total lunar eclipse will cover a whopping 96% of the moon's surface and is visible to billions primarily across North and South America. This partial phase event will last over three hours, with the entire viewing period stretching for 5 ½ hours. The celestial show will be viewed from prime positions across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Americas are in a prime position to view a near-total lunar eclipse, which will mask about 96% of the moon’s surface. This celestial event is being viewed alongside the ongoing progress of space exploration by NASA, particularly in preparation for lunar missions and establishing bases. More than 3 billion people globally are positioned to catch at least part of this partial phase.

Donald Trump plans to award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—for their historic journey aboard Artemis II. The crew set a human spaceflight distance record by traveling 252,756 miles from Earth during the mission around the moon.

President Donald Trump will honor four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The award recognizes their Artemis II mission, a record-breaking voyage during which they traveled 252,756 miles from Earth around the moon. This celebration highlights the achievement of reaching farther from Earth than any humans in history.

Minnesota is now one of seven new NASA workforce hubs, launching a three-year aerospace job training effort led by the Transportation Center of Excellence in Rosemount. The program received $1.5 million funding for Minnesota State and aims to train up to 2,400 students in areas like welding, robotics, and avionics. This initiative addresses over 8,000 recorded aerospace-related job openings in the state.

Space station startup Vast cut 4% of its employees this week, with the company stating that the job losses were performance-related. This California-based startup, which is developing a commercial replacement for the International Space Station (ISS), recently raised $500 million in funding to launch Haven-1 and plan future stations.

Security researchers at Cycode disclosed a chain of flaws in AIT-GUI, the operator console for NASA/JPL's open-source AMMOS Instrument Toolkit. These flaws allow an unauthenticated attacker to issue arbitrary commands to the software’s spacecraft and instrument command bus. The vulnerability was tracked as GHSA-p9r8-2q67-fp86 and rated 9.4 on CVSS v3.1.

Skyview High School, Fairfax County’s newest high school in decades, will welcome students on August 24, 2026. The 34-acre campus features pool- and pod-style classrooms, two cafeterias, and an indoor swimming pool, making it the first of its kind in Fairfax County. While being a comprehensive high school, Skyview will also offer special programming in technology, robotics, and aerospace science.

NASA has successfully located the impact site of a wayward SpaceX rocket on the Moon. The space agency publicly credited professionals and hobbyists for assisting in locating the crash site.

A summer internship at Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers students from universities like Caltech an opportunity to play an active role in discovery and exploration. This program has created a talent ecosystem whose influence spans fields such as quantum physics and NASA. During academic year studies, Tatyana McVay is researching polyatomic molecules for potential applications.

Tech billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman, predict a future where humans live and work in space. Dylan Taylor, CEO of Voyager Technologies, forecasts that the next step is establishing a moon base by the early 2030s. He noted that specialized human roles will be necessary for tasks such as resource mining, orbital data centers, and power grid construction.

American technological leadership requires supporting industrial infrastructure, including factories and supply chains, beyond just research labs or startups. The article argues that sustained innovation depends on capital expenditures (CapEx), which are often overlooked in favor of highlighting breakthrough discoveries. Examples demonstrating this principle include Boeing Company's investments in U.S. manufacturing facilities and Lockheed Martin's expansion across multiple states.

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak over Southern California on Wednesday night and early Thursday. Under ideal viewing conditions, observers could potentially see 50 to 100 meteors per hour according to NASA, while the American Meteor Society estimates rural viewers may see between 30 and 50 meteors per hour.

The Perseid meteor shower is a perennial light show caused by Earth passing through debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Viewing conditions are highly favorable, especially when the moon is in its new phase and away from city lights. The best time to observe these meteors is between midnight and dawn, focusing on the constellation Perseus in the northern sky.

The Perseid meteor shower promises a summer light show, with visibility peaking Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday morning under promising viewing conditions. Meteors, which can range from 30 to 100 per hour, are caused by Earth passing through debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Optimal viewing requires dark skies away from city lights, especially when the moon is in its new moon phase.

The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket struck the Moon near the Einstein crater after 18 months in orbit. NASA confirmed the unplanned impact posed no risk to Earth or lunar missions.

A SpaceX rocket's upper stage crashed into the moon as predicted, creating a debris plume observed by a Chilean telescope. The collision, caused by solar activity and gravity, highlights growing concerns about lunar litter as the U.S. and China race to expand lunar exploration. SpaceX and NASA are collaborating to prevent future incidents.

NASA scientists believe a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket debris crashed into the moon at over 5,000 mph, creating an explosion and debris field. The incident, attributed to solar activity and gravity, highlights growing concerns about space junk, with over 170 million tracked debris pieces orbiting Earth. Former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe emphasized the need for a global strategy to address uncontrolled orbital debris.

A SpaceX rocket's upper stage is confirmed to have collided with the moon near Einstein Crater as predicted. Scientists and space tracking experts confirmed the impact, which was not deliberate, and noted it follows a 2022 Chinese rocket's unintentional lunar collision. SpaceX is working with NASA to prevent future incidents.

A SpaceX rocket stage that drifted off course after launching lunar landers in January 2025 is confirmed to have collided with the moon near Einstein Crater. Scientists attribute the collision to solar activity and gravity, emphasizing it was inevitable. This follows a 2022 incident where a Chinese rocket struck the moon, highlighting growing concerns about space debris on the moon.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage is expected to crash into the moon after launching two lunar landers in January 2025. Scientists confirm the impact poses no danger to Earth but could create a 65-90 foot crater on the moon's surface. The event is being observed for scientific purposes, though it is unlikely to be visible from Earth.

NASA is set to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to study dark energy and dark matter, which may also aid in detecting potentially hazardous asteroids. The U.S. is considering banning Chinese data center components as part of broader tech import curbs.

NASA's PUNCH mission has significantly improved the ability to predict when solar storms will impact Earth. The advancement allows for more accurate forecasting of these solar events.

A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage crashed into the moon at 8700 km/h, creating a crater near the Einstein crater. The rocket, which launched in January 2023 carrying the Hakuto-R spacecraft from ispace, was uncontrollably on a collision course. Astronomers and lunar orbiters are observing the impact site for scientific data.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman predicts humans will reach Mars in over a decade, discusses the U.S. leading the global space race, and highlights the possibility of extraterrestrial life and Elon Musk's role in America's space program.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, launched in January 2025 to assist a Firefly Aerospace lunar lander, is believed to have crashed into the moon's Einstein Crater at high speed. The impact, caused by solar and gravitational forces, highlights concerns about uncontrolled space junk, though no danger was posed. This follows a 2022 Chinese rocket stage crash and NASA's 2009 intentional moon impact.

A potential deal between Iran and other parties on the Strait of Hormuz, with significant conditions, could be announced today. The article also highlights other news including Elon Musk's SpaceX developments, stock market trends, and comments from Goldman Sachs' Hatzius.

NASA chief Jared Isaacman discussed his NIMBY solution to address backlash against data centers during an appearance on the 'Pod Force One' podcast. Over 1,500 data centers were under construction nationwide as of this year.

NASA’s moon base will be a reality with Americans living there within 20 years, as stated by Administrator Jared Isaacman. The agency has grand plans for the United States and space travel.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in August, will study dark energy and dark matter but can also detect asteroids up to 60 feet long, aiding planetary defense. Its infrared camera and wide field of view enable asteroid tracking, complementing missions like the James Webb Space Telescope.

Scientists warn that while 2026 is not yet the hottest year on record, a strengthening El Niño combined with human-caused global warming could push it to surpass 2024 by year-end. Current data shows 2026 as the third-hottest year, with 2027 likely to break records further. Rising ocean temperatures and marine heatwaves are accelerating global warming impacts.

Current summer is not breaking heat records, but a strengthening El Niño could push 2026 to become the hottest year on record. Scientists warn of accelerated global warming and extreme weather, with 2027 likely to surpass 2026 in temperatures. Oceans are already experiencing record heat, contributing to rising global temperatures.

Elon Musk faces investor scrutiny during SpaceX's first public earnings call as shares decline by half from their June peak. Concerns include financial losses, Starship rocket testing delays, and insider stock sales following a lockup expiration. SpaceX's satellite business Starlink generates cash, but its AI and social media ventures remain unprofitable.

SpaceX stock has lost half its value since June, prompting investor concerns over Elon Musk's future plans and financial performance. The company faces its first quarterly earnings report since going public, with expected second-quarter losses of $1.9 billion and insider share sales set to increase after a lockup period expires. Musk may address delays in Starship rocket testing, Starlink's growth, and unconfirmed merger rumors with Tesla.

Damian A. Peach is a British amateur astronomer and astrophotographer recognized for his planetary imaging and contributions to astronomy organizations. His work has been featured in major publications, used by NASA and ESA, and earned awards like the Merlin Medal and ALPO Walter H. Haas award. He has also conducted public outreach through BBC programs and scientific exhibitions.

NASA is using Tesla's Cybertruck for astronaut rescue missions despite the vehicle having 11 recalls for defects like falling trim panels and stuck accelerator pedals. The Cybertruck will replace heavily armored MRAPs used for rapid launchpad evacuations, with NASA citing speed and ease of use as advantages. The decision was announced during a discussion about the SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station.

Elon Musk will face investor questions during SpaceX's first public earnings call, as shares have dropped by half from their June peak due to concerns about overselling future prospects. The company is expected to report a $1.9 billion Q2 loss, with ongoing financial struggles despite Starlink's revenue contributions. A lockup expiration may trigger volatile trading as insiders can sell shares.

Elon Musk will face investor questions during SpaceX's first public earnings call, as shares have halved from their June peak due to concerns about future prospects. The company faces potential volatile trading after a lockup provision expires, and reports significant financial losses, though analysts predict a possible rebound. Musk may address Starship rocket testing, Starlink's growth, and unconfirmed merger rumors with Tesla.

New NASA renderings depict Earth as lumpy, contrasting with previous smooth images from missions like Apollo 11 and Artemis II. Wired magazine's Brian Kahn discusses the findings.