NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has experienced some serious wear and tear during its nearly 14 years on the Red Planet.

A new photo posted to Curiosity's raw image server offers a close-up of the damage one of the rover's wheels has experienced as it explores the Martian surface.

What is it?

Curiosity landed in Mars' Gale Crater on Aug. 5, 2012, touching down while hanging under a 'sky crane' that lowered it to the planet's surface. Since then, the rover has traveled over 20 miles (32 kilometers) across the rocky Martian soil, searching for potential signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

All of that mileage has taken a toll on the rover, as these new images show. Curiosity weighs over one ton, and the terrain on Mars can be quite rocky and rugged.

NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) periodically use the rover's cameras to check on the wheels, and despite the holes and cracks, the agency said in a 2024 statement that they're "holding up well despite taking some of the worst abuse from Mars."

Why is it amazing?

We've been exploring Mars for decades now, so it can be easy to take for granted how incredible it is that we get new images beamed from the surface of another planet to Earth daily from NASA's two robotic explorers.

These images of Curiosity's wheels help illustrate the incredible feats of engineering and science it took to place wheeled robots safely on the surface of another planet where they spend years and travel dozens of miles to bring us answers about what other worlds are like.

While they might not be human, Curiosity and Perseverance nonetheless represent humanity's first foray into becoming an interplanetary species. The groundwork laid by the rovers and other Mars orbiters, landers and probes could someday help humanity take its first steps on another planet.

Infant stars or "protostars" celebrate their independence with cosmic fireworks in a stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

NASA released this image to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the U.S. It is a fitting tribute as the protostars break away from the molecular cloud in which they formed to become fully fledged stars in their own right.

Protostars are born when patches in vast molecular clouds cool and form clumps, collapsing under their gravity. Protostars continue to gather material from these prenatal clouds until they have enough mass to trigger the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in their cores, the process that defines what a main-sequence star is.

What is it?

The protostars sit in a region known as FS Tau, located around 450 light-years away, which has become a popular target for astronomers aiming to study the evolution of low-mass stars.

Why is it incredible?

Though previously well studied, it has taken the incredible infrared observing power of the JWST to peer through the thick clouds of star-forming gas and dust in FS Tau and visualize the protostars of this region in great detail.

One of the aims of this research is to investigate the impact that radiation and outflows of material from low-mass stars have on their environment. The outflows occur as protostars gather matter from their surroundings, occasionally blasting out some of this matter.

The JWST image of FS Tau reveals gaps between the outflows that support the theory that protostars gather or "accrete" matter in discrete episodes, between which they lie dormant.

The effect of protostar outflows on their environment can be seen in the JWST image via the prominent blue ridges. These represent gas that has been shunted by outflows, creating dense regions of matter that reflect light from proximate protostars.

The result is cosmic fireworks that put even the most impressive July 4 celebrations to shame. But at least we get hot dogs.

Over 1,300 deaths have been attributed to a heat wave that swept across Europe and broke temperature records earlier this month.

From its perch in sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, Europe's Sentinel-3 satellite captured data that helps visualize the heat wave and aids researchers in understanding both the causes and effects of the atmospheric phenomena that led to these soaring temperatures.

What is it?

In this image from the European Space Agency (ESA), land surface temperatures are depicted on a scale that depicts hotter temperatures as red and violet. On the date this image was taken, June 23, France recorded its hottest June day ever, according to ESA.

The Sentinel-3 satellite detected surface temperatures as high as 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) in parts of central Spain, western France and northern Africa, while Madrid saw 118 degrees F (48 degrees C), and surface temperatures in Rome reached 111 degrees F (44 degrees C).

Why is it incredible?

Temperatures this high were unprecedented across of much of Europe. Authorities with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that over 1,300 deaths may be linked to the heat wave. And things may get worse for the continent.

"Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X.

By providing real-time temperature data over both water and land using its Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer instrument, the Sentinel-3 satellite is providing unprecedented data about these extreme weather events and how they affect populations.

SpaceX's Cargo Dragon capsule shines in the sunlight over Earth as it departs from the International Space Station in a new image snapped from onboard the station.

What is it?

Peering through the window of the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Jessica Meir snapped a striking photo as she watched a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule depart from the station.

With sunbeams gleaming downward, reflecting off of the spacecraft's hull, the Dragon can be seen backing away from the station mere moments after undocking from the port on the station's Harmony module. The undocking is so recent that you can clearly see both the docking port and the hatch of the Dragon where the two connected.

The Dragon disconnected from the space station on June 16, and just one day later, parachuted into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California where it was retrieved, chock-full of cargo and finished science experiments.

Why is it incredible?

The space station has been in orbit since 1998 and continuously occupied since November, 2000. With decades of work in orbit, it can be easy to take for granted the incredible transport system that supports cutting-edge research hundreds of miles above Earth's surface.

The work done on the station is impressive, but this system is just as mind-boggling. In addition to launching and returning astronauts who perform critical maintenance and repair work on the station on top of their research duties, cargo missions keep the station stocked.

From food and clothing to medical equipment and intricate science experiments, these missions are essential for both keeping astronauts safe and healthy on station as well as continuing the progression of science in-orbit. This back-and-forth between Earth and the space station is an impressive feat, and this photo shows the system fully in-motion.

NASA is fast-tracking a mission to launch a spacecraft that will attempt to boost another one of the agency's science satellites into a higher orbit before it falls to a fiery death in Earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft was recently prepped for encapsulation inside its rocket at one of NASA's launch facilities.

What is it?

This photo shows Katalyst Space's LINK robotic servicing satellite awaiting encapsulation inside the fairing of Northrop Grumman's Pegasus XL rocket at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Pegasus XL is an air-launched rocket that is carried to around 39,000 feet (12,000 meters) by a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar mothership aircraft, known as Stargazer. Once at altitude, the aircraft releases the rocket, which then ignites its motor to send its payload to space.

In this case, that payload is the LINK servicing satellite, which will attempt to rendezvous with NASA's $500 million Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, or Swift. The satellite's orbit has decayed from an initial 373 miles (600 kilometers) to about 249 miles (400 km), but NASA wants to save it by using LINK to boost it back up to a healthy orbit.

Why is it incredible?

NASA's mission to boost Swift is an ambitious one, not only because it will involve using one spacecraft to rendezvous with and boost another, but because NASA is still attempting to predict where Swift will be when LINK meets up with it.

The mission is incredible, too, in that it will involve four separate vehicles: the Stargazer mothership, the Pegasus XL rocket, Katalyst Space's Link spacecraft, and NASA's Swift observatory.

Swift launched on Nov. 20, 2004, on a planned two-year mission to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a breathtaking view of auroras on Earth from orbit while sheltering with her fellow astronauts in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as a pair of cosmonauts attempted to fix a concerning air leak on the International Space Station.

What is it?

Last week on Friday, June 5, the four Crew-12 astronauts on the ISS took shelter in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that carried them to the station. They did this as a precaution as cosmonauts attempted to fix a leak in a tunnel leading to a Russian module.

But Meir made good use of her temporary surroundings, capturing truly incredible images (and even video) of auroras over Earth from the Dragon.

"There is a lot going on right now on the @Space_Station, but fortunately we are all safe and witnessed a spectacular southern aurora show yesterday thanks to a recent solar event," Meir said in a post on X.

Why is it incredible?

While these images, and the video that Meir shared are stunning on their own, the context behind their capture is fascinating. Meir wasn't just in the Dragon capsule for fun, her and the rest of the Crew-12 astronauts were told to shelter in the capsule as the cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, attempted to fix an ongoing leak on the station.

They hunkered down "out of an abundance of caution," according to NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens, while two cosmonauts went out on a spacewalk to attempt to fix an air leak on the station.

This has been a persistent, ongoing leak caused by cracks in the PrK transfer tunnel which connects to the Russian Zvezda service module. But while Russia's space agency Roscosmos manages the leak with occasional repairs, according to Stevens, the leak started presenting as more of an issue recently.

Four glowing laser beams blasting through open space converge at the center of our galaxy. But this isn't Star Wars, it's real science.

What is it?

The European Space Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile has four giant Unit Telescopes (UTs), which emitted lasers pointed to the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

The UTs create what ESO refers to as "artificial stars" in our atmosphere, about 56 miles (90 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

These beams of light allow scientists to see how our planet's ever-changing atmosphere might be distorting incoming light, which is critical for accurately analyzing telescope observations.

This information allows the VLT to make real-time changes in response to Earth's atmosphere, making sure that it can see through the cosmos clearly.

Why is it incredible?

This image shows four lasers appearing as if they are piercing space itself as they seem to meet in the galaxy's center, or the area surrounding the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. But this spectacular view hides some interesting details.

Four blowing dots appear on these lasers toward the point where they converge. These strange, glowing orbs in the lasers path are actually the result of clouds that the lasers are traveling through clouds that just happened to be in the way. However, if you look even closer at the image at the point where the beams seem to connect, you will see four even tinier dots.

"For me, this image is an accomplishment," the photographer behind this cosmic view, ESO astronomer Anthony Berdeu, said in a statement, reflecting on the moment. "The first night the lasers were shined to point at the galactic center, I had to be on the VLT platform to take a picture."

The rocket boosters from NASA's Artemis 2 mission appear in striking unison in this photograph.

This dual-booster moment was captured following the boosters' separation from the rocket's core stage, which you can see on the left, heading off to set the Orion spacecraft on its way around the moon.

What is it?

On April 1, 2026, NASA's Artemis 2 mission blasted off carrying four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back. The mission sent the crew — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch of NASA and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen — to space aboard the Orion spacecraft (named Integrity).

The capsule launched atop NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, a heavy-duty launch vehicle designed for missions just like this that propel humans to the moon.

SLS features two solid rocket boosters that add power behind this massive rocket. In fact, these two boosters provide 75% of the initial thrust that the mission needs to escape Earth's gravity. But once their fuel is used up, which happened just two minutes and 8 seconds after liftoff on this flight, the boosters' 16 different separation motors ignite to push the boosters away from the rocket and one another. Ultimately, the boosters fall into the Atlantic Ocean and are discarded.

Why is it incredible?

It is amazing to see these boosters separating so perfectly and elegantly in Earth's upper atmosphere as the mission travels into space.

The SLS rocket has been a massive undertaking for NASA. But despite all of the time and budget concerns that have plagued the rocket's reputation over the years, this photograph shows a brilliant execution of separation.

Between the Orion spacecraft seamlessly motoring onward on the left of this image and two boosters mirroring one another on the right, this booster separation is picture perfect.

There are few sights as unanimously adored as a sunset. From the beach to the driver's seat of a car, a sunset looks beautiful from anywhere. And, as we can see in this photograph, sunsets might be even more spectacular from space.

What is it?

NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured this image of a sunset from aboard the International Space Station, as it orbited 266 miles (428 kilometers) above Earth on May 4, 2026. The photograph reveals bands of color in the clouds in Earth's atmosphere, just seen from above.

Against the stark black backdrop of space, a bright red and orange stripe of color streaks across this sunset view as a deep well of blue lies below.

While it's not visible in the image, this sunset was captured from above the Patagonia region in South America.

Why is it incredible?

Perspective is everything. While a sunset might be a beautiful sight from just about anywhere on (or off) Earth, this view is really something spectacular.

Being able to see Earth from space is an incredible privilege. The first color view of Earth from space was seen with the groundbreaking Earthrise image captured of our planet from lunar orbit during Apollo 8 in 1968. This view was incredibly influential, showing our planet as it is, with just a thin atmosphere between us and the vast vacuum of space. This view is credited with inspiring many to participate in the environmentalist movement.

It has been almost 30 years since the first module of the ISS launched in 1998. The ISS has been a cutting-edge laboratory ever since, a site of international cooperation, and a place where humans have consistently lived in space for over 25 years. This consistent habitation, in addition to facilitating ongoing science, has essentially given humanity a lens to see Earth from afar.

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover has stumbled across an unusual sight: a stack of rocks on the Martian surface.

How did they end up this way? Did Perseverance knock them over? So many questions.

What is it?

Perseverance, or Percy for short, captured this bizarre image of rocks stacked on Mars on May 13(or Sol 1859, the rover's 1,859th day on the Red Planet). The image was captured with the rover's Mastcam-Z camera — a pair of two cameras located high up on the rover's mast, looking almost like a pair of eyes that the craft sees through.

You may have seen rock stacks like this while hiking, and while there can sometimes be reason to knock them over, some serve as important trail markers, according to the National Parks Service.

But this rock stack isn't pointing the way on any hiking trail. Instead, it's sitting strangely on the surface of the Red Planet appearing as three rocks stacked on top of one another, almost like a sandwich, in the middle of the dusty, reddish terrain.

However, it's more likely that what we're seeing is actually one rock that broke apart this way due to wind erosion or being exposed to flowing water on ancient Mars. Based on observations made by NASA's other Mars rover, Curiosity, scientists suspect that winds are the primary force of geological change on Mars, wearing down rocks over hundreds of millions or even billions of years.

Why is it incredible?

This isn't the first strange rock we've seen on the surface of Mars. Everything from a sphere-studded rock to bizarre evenly-spaced rocks and even a striped rock have been found by NASA's Mars rovers, sparking curiosity along the way. Conspiracies even arose when a photo from NASA's Viking mission in 1976 revealed a rocky site that, to some, resembled a human head and face.

While it's fun to explore and entertain the "what ifs" when we stumble across something new or unusual, getting to the real answer can be even more interesting.

No humans have ever been to Mars (yet), so we can be certain a rogue hiker didn't stack these rocks up for fun. But uncovering the true backstory of these rocks and their appearance on Mars can help scientists to better understand the planet's history and inner workings.

Is this a galaxy or a movie poster for a sci-fi smash hit?

A new image captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows the galaxy Messier 77 (M77) in stunning new detail with beams of glowing light shining outward. And the secret behind its incredible glow? A black hole.

What is it?

The galaxy M77, nicknamed the Squid Galaxy, takes center stage in this striking new image snapped by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around.

M77 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 47 million light-years from Earth and can be found in the night sky in the constellation Cetus. The galaxy is visible to skywatchers, with a magnitude of 9.6, you can typically spot it with the help of a small telescope.

Interestingly, while this object is a Messier galaxy, meaning it was catalogued by astronomer Charles Messier, it was actually discovered by another French astronomer named Pierre Méchain who told Messier of his discovery.

Why is it incredible?

The secret behind this ethereal glow is actually a black hole. Scientists think that at the heart of most galaxies lies a black hole, and in M77, its central black hole's intense gravity is pulling gas inward. This movement causes the gas to heat up, releasing radiation and glowing tremendously as we can see in this snapshot, according to a statement from NASA.

In addition to the glow, the image stands out because of the incredible rays of light shining from its center. But these lines of light aren't caused by the gravitational pull of a black hole, instead they are actually an optical effect caused by the telescope, according to the statement.

Whatever the reason behind its appearance, one thing is certain: this galaxy is truly breathtaking in this new image.

The winds across Antarctica's frozen landscape have carved incredible, swirling vortexes in the clouds above the icy terrain.

These vortexes were spotted all the way from space, by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite.

What is it?

A pattern of swirling vortexes, called von Kármán vortex streets, can be seen from space spiraling through the clouds hanging over the artic tundra. These vortexes form when fast winds (up to 34 mph, or 21 kph) encounter obstacles in their way like islands, mountains, or volcanoes.

In this case, the brutal arctic winds met Peter I Island, which spun them into these striking shapes.

Peter I Island is an uninhabited volcano off the coast of Antarctica, surrounded by the frigid waters of the Bellingshausen Sea in the Southern Ocean. The island's icy volcano, which has erupted in recent history, stretches up to over 5,300 feet (1,615 meters) from sea level to summit.

Why is it incredible?

NASA's Landsat 8 satellite captured this image of these swirling vortexes, according to a statement. The satellite used the Operational Land Imager (OLI) to do so.

Landsat 8, which launched in 2013, is the second-most recent Landsat satellite, with the most recent, Landsat 9, launching in 2021. NASA's Landsat missions have been launching since 1972 to look at Earth from space.

When we think of space missions, we might imagine far-off galaxies and stars. But "the final frontier" can actually be a powerful asset in understanding our own world as space is our best vantage point to see Earth.

These types of images, and the vast array of data collected by Earth-observing missions like Landsat, help to support agriculture and farmers, scientists combatting climate change, and more. This image is a beautiful, swirling reminder of how space can bring us closer to Earth.

This tiny capsule was just shot out of a gun at over 2,600 mph (4,200 kph).

While miniature, this space capsule is no toy. It's part of a rigorous testing process for the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars mission.

What is it?

ESA is developing a landing module, formally called the Entry Descent and Landing Module (EDLM), for its ExoMars mission that will carry the agency's Rosalind Franklin rover to the Martian surface. This mission aims to launch in 2028.

To make sure that the EDLM is ready to launch into space and land on Mars, the mission team launched 20 of these tiny models of the capsule on Earth. The little, 3-inch wide capsules were shot out of a bore gun at over 2,600 mph, or nearly four times the speed of sound.

These "micro launches," as I'm calling them unofficially, mimicked the aerodynamics that a Mars capsule would experience careening through the Martian atmosphere at supersonic speeds.

Each of these 20 mini capsules launched while outfitted with electronic circuits, monitoring their flight. During their nearly 755-foot (230-meter) flights, the capsules captured important data about their acceleration, movement, trajectory and stability, according to ESA.

Why is it incredible?

These miniature space capsules look like toys, but in these tests, they withstood almost 17,000 g-forces of acceleration.

The tiny robot figurine in this image and the Martian-esque reddish dirt underneath give the capsule the appearance of a fancy toy display. But as cute as the mini capsule is, it's doing an important job.

It is no small feat to launch something to another planet and have it survive the harrowing downward trip through that world's atmosphere, all the while keeping the delicate instrumentation inside intact.

ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover aims to search for signs of ancient life on Mars, and to do that it has to stay protected from the extreme elements of spaceflight by the EDLM. And these cute, strange little capsules are helping, with the data they generate during their superfast micro launches.

NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth.

The Artemis 2 mission launched four astronauts on a journey around the moon aboard an Orion capsule that its crew named "Integrity." Looking at the capsule now, you can see what it went through to get home.

What is it?

On April 1, NASA launched four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth. This mission, called Artemis 2, was the first time humans have traveled to the moon in over 50 years, since NASA's final Apollo mission in 1972.

On their trip home, the crew — NASA astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, mission pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen — hurtled back through Earth's atmosphere before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

This return trip was no picnic. During its descent, temperatures around the capsule reached up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). And while the capsule's heat shield kept the astronauts inside safe, this picture clearly shows the extreme environment that the craft had to ensure.

In the photo, the capsule sits, burned by its return journey, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Multi-Payload Processing Facility in Florida.

Why is it incredible?

Launching to space is a spectacular feat. To have a rocket launch with astronauts on board go perfectly well is even more amazing. But once you're in space, whether it's on a mission to the moon or the International Space Station, at some point you have to come home to Earth. And returning can be just as tricky as getting there.

The Orion capsule, sitting propped up at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is a charred testament to the challenge of that return trip. You can see the dark tiles on the capsule's side, and underneath it is entirely burnt.

Moving forward from Artemis 2, experts at NASA will take a closer look at the aftermath of this fiery return to better understand if and how the spacecraft and its heat shield might have to change with the program's upcoming mission, Artemis 3, which will stay in Earth orbit to perform rendezvous and docking tests.

NASA's Juno spacecraft has snuck a peek at one of Jupiter's largest inner moons.

During a close flyby, the spacecraft got a look at Jupiter's moon Thebe from just 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) away.

What is it?

NASA's Juno mission made a close pass of Jupiter's moon Thebe on May 1, 2026. While about 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) away from the moon, the spacecraft snapped this photo using its camera known as the Stellar Reference Unit (SRU).

Jupiter has over 100 moons discovered so far and Thebe is the second largest of the planet's inner moons. Those inner moons are all smaller than the gas giant's famously huge Galilean moons — Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto — which orbit farther out. The moon was first discovered in 1980 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft as it flew by Jupiter.

Juno launched in 2011 to travel to, orbit around, and study Jupiter. The mission has delivered incredible images and groundbreaking data on the planet and its surrounding moons. The mission has spotted cyclones on Jupiter and watched volcanoes erupt on its moon Io.

Why is it incredible?

It is amazing to see such a far-off moon up close. But Juno's SRU was actually not designed to take cool photos of Jupiter's moons.

The SRU is primarily intended to image star fields so Juno can navigate our solar system. Juno launched to Jupiter in 2011, but after completing its primary mission in 2021, the spacecraft has continued on as part of an extended mission. Ever since, it has been exploring Jupiter and its orbiting moons with greater depth.

Similarly, the SRU is stretching its functionality. To be able to image star fields well, the instrument is designed to work in low light. As a result? We get to have awesome images like this.

Can you imagine picking up a lucky penny on Mars?

One rover already has. In this snapshot from the Red Planet, Martian dust covers a penny that has traveled farther than any human (so far).

What is it?

NASA's Curiosity rover captured a surprisingly Earthly image on the surface of Mars. With its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MHLI), the rover snapped a close-up image of a penny. (To clarify: The penny wasn't found there by accident; it traveled to Mars with the rover.)

This image was captured on Oct. 2, 2013 on the 411th sol, or Mars day, of the Curiosity rover's mission on the planet. On the penny's surface, reddish Martian dust has collected over the 14 months that the mission had already been on Mars by that point.

Why is it incredible?

It's neat to see a penny on another planet. It's a (now endangered) relic from our own world minted over 100 years ago, in 1909, feeling the Martian wind dragging dusty debris across its surface millions of miles away.

But this penny serves a surprisingly important purpose: scale. In photographs, it can sometimes be difficult to tell how big or small something is without an object of known size, like a penny or a banana, in frame for scale.

"When a geologist takes pictures of rock outcrops she is studying, she wants an object of known scale in the photographs," MAHLI Principal Investigator Ken Edgett said in a statement in which NASA refers to the coin as a "lucky penny on Mars."

"If it is a whole cliff face, she'll ask a person to stand in the shot. If it is a view from a meter or so away, she might use a rock hammer. If it is a close-up, as the MAHLI can take, she might pull something small out of her pocket. Like a penny."

Blue Origin's moon lander has passed its tests in the vacuum chamber.

This marks one big step forward for the company and its possible participation in humanity's return to the moon.

What is it?

Blue Origin's uncrewed cargo lunar lander, called Moon Mark 1 (MK1) and nicknamed Endurance, has completed its testing in the vacuum chamber, NASA shared on May 4.

The lander, which is being developed in support of NASA's Artemis program, was tested in Thermal Vacuum Chamber A at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. These tests evaluated how the spacecraft can hold up against extreme temperatures, and modeled how it will eventually fare in the extreme environments of spaceflight and in the vacuum of outer space.

Why is it incredible?

Blue Origin's lander is being developed as part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028.

With the recent success of Artemis 2, which saw astronauts fly around the moon and back, the program established the first human presence at the moon since the agency's Apollo program launched its last lunar mission in 1972.

MK1 is scheduled to carry NASA science experiments and technology to the moon's south pole as early as late 2026. The success of this test represents a step forward in solidifying the public-private partnership that will support this return to the moon.

Looking like a scene out of a "Star Wars" title crawl, this photograph from the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) atop Cerro Paranal in Chile's Atacama Desert showcases some advanced techniques astronomers use to look out into the cosmos.

What is it?

This image shows the ESO's VLTI beaming four separate lasers into the sky towards the Tarantula Nebula. "It might look like we started a space war, but we didn't," the ESO wrote in a statement accompanying the image.

Far from waging galactic warfare, astronomers use these lasers to create "artificial stars" in order to measure atmospheric turbulence. First, scientists can use telescopes pointed at the cosmos to observe how points of light created by the lasers blur and disturb molecules in Earth's atmosphere. Then, they can use computer algorithms on the same images to account for and cancel out that blurring and disturbance.

The Tarantula Nebula is situated some 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

Why is it amazing?

Aside from looking like the iconic yellow-on-black "Star Wars" title crawl or laser bolts fired by an Imperial Star Destroyer chasing down the Tantive IV, this image demonstrates the great progress astronomers have made in developing technologies and concepts to better observe the distant universe.

Using laser guide stars and adaptive optics is still very much a young, developing technique only a handful of observatories worldwide have tapped into. The VLTI, which consists of four separate telescopes that work together to form one large virtual telescope, has only been using its Four Laser Guide Star Facility system since 2016.

Springtime has arrived on Mars as ice melts on the planet's northern ice cap.

A new photo captured by the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals crescent-shaped dunes and melting ice across the Martian surface.

What is it?

This new image from HiRISE, which stands for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, shows the surface of Chasma Boreale, a large valley in Mars' northern ice cap.

Here, ice melts and recedes in the springtime, some evidence of which can be seen in this image.

In this image, you can also see dunes streaking across the Martian surface. They hold information about the winds on the planet, as you can tell the direction of the wind based on the direction of the dunes' sharp tips.

Why is it incredible?

Chasma Boreale is a valley with walls rising up 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) from its flat floor. Hundreds of millions of miles away from Earth, this barren landscape lies at the planet's northern ice cap.

And yet, however icy cold, desolate, or far away this planet is, it feels the change of springtime just as we do here on Earth.

This image is a visual reminder of the similarities worlds share across the solar system, however different they may be.

A new image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a spectacular nebula in all its glory. (And yes, it does kind of look like a cosmic sea slug.)

Nearly 30 years ago, Hubble looked at the Trifid Nebula. To celebrate the upcoming 36th anniversary of the telescope's launch on April 24, it looked at the nebula once again. And the image it captured is breathtaking.

What is it?

The Trifid Nebula, more formally known as Messier 20, is a star-forming region located about 5,000 light-years away.

The Hubble Space Telescope first looked at this nebula about 29 years ago in 1997. In looking at the nebula again all these years later, Hubble can show us how the nebula itself has changed over time, but it can also reveal new details as Hubble's camera has improved since taking its original image. During the space shuttle mission STS-125 in 2009, a of astronauts installed a better camera on Hubble with a wider field of view and improved sensitivity.

Why is it incredible?

While this is a massive cloud of dust and gas where stars are created, in this new image, the nebula looks a bit like a sea slug, some have pointed out.

In the image, the nebula has a "body" made out of dust and gas and even a "horn" or "antenna" that is actually part of a plasma jet ejected by a young protostar in the nebula.

Happy Earth Day!

This year, we're celebrating with brand-new photos captured by the astronauts who journeyed around the moon and back on NASA's Artemis 2 mission.

What is it?

On April 1, 2026, four astronauts launched on Artemis 2, the first crewed mission to the moon since NASA's final Apollo mission took place over 50 years ago, in December 1972.

In this photograph snapped by the Artemis 2 crew, affectionately titled "Hello, World," we can see our home planet out in space from the window of the Orion capsule "Integrity."

Why is it incredible?

In sending astronauts on a trip around the moon, Artemis 2 also delivered some incredible new photographs of our home planet.

This particular image is especially interesting, as it was captured just after the crew completed their translunar injection burn, which sent Integrity on course toward the moon. So as the astronauts made their way into the great beyond, they took a moment to look back at their home as it got smaller and smaller in the distance.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight (April 21). And, if you spot any Lyrid meteors, you have something cool in common with an astronaut!

Yesterday (April 20), NASA astronaut Jessica Meir shared a photograph that she took of the Lyrid meteor shower from aboard the International Space Station (ISS). But her view was a bit different from yours, as she saw a Lyrid streaking through Earth's atmosphere from above.

What is it?

The Lyrid meteor shower is at its peak this week, with prime viewing happening overnight from April 21 to April 22.

The Lyrids are made up of bits of debris trailing the long-period comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. Long-period comets have very long orbital periods, taking hundreds of years or more to orbit the sun.

Every year around this time, Earth passes through this comet's debris field. Pieces of it burn up in our atmosphere, creating the spectacular meteors that streak across the sky.

The shower produces up to 15 to 20 Lyrid meteors per hour. You can see the Lyrids radiating from around the constellation Lyra (hence their name). If you can, find dark skies for optimal viewing.

In a photograph snapped from aboard the ISS, Meir revealed that she was able to see a Lyrid meteor shower lighting up the dark night skies over Earth.

Why is it incredible?

This photograph is so much more than just proof of a successful meteor shower watch.

It is a stunning visual reminder that our planet is protected by a surprisingly thin atmosphere. As Meir shared in her post, you can see below the horizon where the meteor is streaking.

The experience of living in space aboard the ISS is unique for so many reasons. But what a remarkable moment, for astronauts in space to be able to look down at their home planet and watch our atmosphere interact with a comet like this.

Have you ever seen the far side of the moon?

In a new image, snapped by astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis 2 mission on April 6, 2026, you can see a little piece of the moon's far side.

NOTE: It is not known if the crew was listening to Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" when this image was captured.

What is it?

On April 6, the crew onboard NASA's Artemis 2 mission's Orion spacecraft were in the middle of their mission and flying by the moon.

This mission, which launched on April 1 and splashed back down to Earth on April 10, sent a crew of four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back. This was the first crewed mission to the moon since NASA's final Apollo mission in 1972, over 50 years ago.

On their incredible journey, the Artemis 2 crew went farther from Earth than humans have ever gone before — a whopping 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) miles from home.

Why is it incredible?

During their lunar flyby, the crew actually flew behind the moon, allowing them to see its mysterious far side.

The moon is tidally locked in our orbit. This means that the moon has a side that is always facing us (the near side) and one that is perpetually facing away (the far side). The far side is sometimes known as the "dark side of the moon," which is inaccurate, because sunlight bathes it as well.

As the Orion capsule flew behind the moon, communications between Earth and the crew actually stopped for about 40 minutes.

This photograph is a beautiful insight into those minutes of quiet, when the crew observed what we so rarely are able to see.

The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a spiral galaxy swirling through the darkness of space, emanating an otherworldly glow through its cosmic, branching arms.

What is it?

A new image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the barred spiral galaxy IC 486 in all its glory.

This galaxy is located about 380 million light-years from Earth, just to the left of the constellation Gemini.

IC 486 is a barred spiral galaxy, which means that it is a spiral galaxy — or a galaxy with a spiraling disk with "arms" that extend from its center — with a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars. These bars are seen in about two thirds of all spiral galaxies we've observed.

Why is it incredible?

The incredible nature of this image speaks for itself. The soft, gossamer glow of the spiral galaxy seems straight out of science fiction, but it is even more amazing to know that it is a real image of a real, massive galaxy far out in the cosmos.

But beyond its beauty, this image holds a multitude of scientific wonders. Highlighted at the center of the galaxy by a bright white glow, for instance, is IC 486's active galactic nucleus (AGN), the center of the galaxy and an active supermassive black hole.

Dark energy and dark matter remain some of the biggest mysteries in the universe. But with amazing new science and technologies, we're putting together pieces of this strange puzzle.

In a brilliant new 3D map, you can see a fantastic visual representation of the cosmos, which will allow scientists to investigate dark energy further.

Read more: A dark energy tool just created the most comprehensive 3D map of our universe ever: 'This is a major paradigm shift'

What is it?

Dark energy remains a complete unknown. In essence, it is the explanation for why our universe is expanding at an accelerated rate over time. But what this mysterious force (or not force) driving this acceleration is remains a mystery.

On April 14, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed the largest 3D map of the universe ever in an effort to investigate dark energy.

Why is it incredible?

Our expanding universe holds countless unknowns. But to be able to see the universe visually, even three-dimensionally, is something truly spectacular.

In this image, every single point of light is a galaxy, with Earth at the center. It's a breathtaking view of our ever-expanding universe.

Even in space, we love to make our friends laugh.

On April 13, NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway worked to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL spacecraft from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. But before the successful capture, the pair had a bit of fun.

Williams played on an optical illusion, reaching his hand out and appearing to "hold" the Cygnus XL from the ISS' cupola alongside Hathaway as the pair smiled and laugh.

What is it?

On April 11, NASA's Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission sent over 11,000 pounds of cargo, including scientific investigations, to the ISS aboard a Cygnus XL spacecraft, identifiable by its two, round solar arrays.

On April 13, Williams and Hathaway captured the spacecraft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Once captured, they positioned it for installation on the ISS' Earth-facing port.

As you can see in the image, while the Cygnus was visible outside of the cupola, the pair had some fun pretending to "hold" the spacecraft between their fingers with a classic optical illusion.

Why is it incredible?

Space is hard. With the Cygnus XL's arrival, Williams and Hathaway accomplished a challenging feat, capturing and installing a spacecraft carrying thousands of pounds of cargo to another orbiting spacecraft.

But what's amazing is that, despite the constant and plentiful challenges of outer space, astronauts still manage to find the joy. And their fellow astronauts shared in the joy with them.

"Congratulations to @Astro_ChrisW and @astro_hathaway on their first cargo vehicle capture using the @csa_asc Canadarm on the @Space_Station! Mission accomplished today. Hatch opening and cargo ops, including many scientific experiments (and even some fresh food!), commence early tomorrow. Well done, @northropgrumman, @NASA, @SpaceX teams!" fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir shared on X on April 13 X.

We're not the only ones still feeling the joy of NASA's Artemis 2 mission.

Mission commander NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman was seen experiencing some serious joy following the mission splashdown. With his fist raised to the sky and his crew and teammates behind him, the excitement of this accomplishment was written all over his face. But one detail stands out — Rise, the Artemis 2 mission mascot, is securely attached to Reid's water bottle.

And it seems like the pair have been inseparable ever since.

What is it?

NASA's Artemis 2 mission sent four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon and back. This historic mission marked the first crewed trip to the moon since the final mission of the Apollo program in 1972.

On Friday (April 10), the astronauts onboard this mission — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

Following confirmation of a successful and safe splashdown, the crew boarded a recovery ship, triumphant and beaming. But while walking across the deck of the ship, some pointed out that Wiseman appeared to be carrying a special stowaway: Rise, the mission's mascot.

Why is it incredible?

It turns out that Wiseman was supposed to leave Rise — a plush moon toy and the mascot of the mission — behind on the Orion spacecraft. But he just couldn't do it, and he brought Rise along for the ride.

"I was supposed to leave Rise in Integrity ... but that was not something I was going to do," Wiseman wrote on X on Saturday (April 11).

Rise was invented by third-grader Lucas Ye as part of a public contest to come up with a mascot that could serve as a zero-gravity indicator. In other words, the object would need to be used to "float," or visually indicate zero gravity aboard the capsule.

In a heartwarming, additional note of sentimentality, at some point, "Carroll" was inscribed on the Ye's plush. This is in reference to Wiseman's wife Carroll, who died in 2020. During their lunar flyby livestream, the Artemis 2 crew suggested naming a moon crater Carroll, after her.

This little moon plush with an Earth-colored hat has become so beloved by both the public and the crew, with Wiseman even nicknaming the plush "Rise Wiseman," welcoming it into his family after the mission.

The Artemis 2 astronauts are all smiles back on Earth.

The joy is infectious in this image of mission pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch who soak in the moment while sitting together after splashing down on Friday (April 10).

What is it?

On Friday (April 10), after a 10-day mission around the moon, the crew of NASA's Artemis 2 mission headed home. The astronauts, who successfully completed the first crewed mission to the moon since NASA's Apollo program ended in 1972, strapped into the Orion capsule and hurtled through the atmosphere on an intense ride back to Earth.

After splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, the crew was extracted from their capsule into a small boat before each of the four crew members — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — were airlifted by helicopter onto a U.S. Navy recovery ship.

Once on the recovery ship, the astronauts were able to exit their helicopters and connect with NASA team members and personnel. In this photo, Glover (left) gives a thumbs-up and Koch (right) throws out a wave to the camera as the two smile and take in their momentous achievement.

Why is it incredible?

NASA's Artemis 2 mission is incredible for a multitude of reasons scientific, technical, and historical. But this moment captured between Glover and Koch shows a glimpse into how this mission accomplished more than just technical goals.

The crew made waves over social media throughout their mission for their incredible bond. They've been seen hugging, cheering each other on, snapping photos of one another, and more.

This photo was snapped after the crew endured a return to Earth, which meant hurtling through the atmosphere at over 24,000 miles per hour (38,000 kilometers per hour) and in a capsule enduring temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). The blistering journey was followed by a splash landing in the ocean where the crew rocked on the water awaiting extraction before being transported to a boat, then a helicopter, and finally the recovery ship. This was no easy journey.

And yet, Glover and Koch sit together after all of that beaming smiles out to the world who watched them land with baited breath.

With the success of Artemis 2, NASA is moving forward toward Artemis 3, another crewed lunar mission that will run ahead of the agency's planned moon landing with Artemis 4.

The Artemis 2 crew captured a spellbinding photo of the crescent Earth shining above the moon's horizon on Flight Day 6 of their mission, shortly before our planet was lost behind the lunar horizon.

What is it?

White clouds can be seen swirling on Earth's sunlit arc above the line separating night from day while the cratered expanse of the lunar disk stretches out below. The 590-mile-wide (950-kilometer-wide) Orientale basin can be seen darkening the upper right of the lunar crescent, while prominent features such as the Chebyshev, Vavilov and Hertzsprung impact sites dominate the shadowed lunar far side in the lower half of the image.

The photo was captured on Monday (April 6), as Artemis 2's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen executed their successful flyby of the lunar far side. The mission marked the first time astronauts had visited lunar space since Apollo 17 departed in 1972. Artemis 2 also set a new record for the most distant crewed mission in the history of spaceflight, surpassing the previous record set by the crew of Apollo 13 in April 1970.

Why is it incredible?

Every human being that has ever lived is contained within the scope of this single image, with the exception of the four crewmembers of the Artemis 2 Orion capsule "Integrity".

Prior to Artemis 2, only 24 people — the astronauts of Apollo 8 through Apollo 17 — have had the privilege of seeing the far side of the moon with their own eyes. That number has now risen to 28, with NASA's Christina Koch making history by becoming the first woman to join the ranks, while Victor Glover became the first Black man to perform the feat.

Artemis 2's Orion spacecraft is now racing towards Earth on a return journey that will see the four-person crew splash down off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. EDT on April 10 (0007 GMT on April 11), and you can watch it unfold live right here at Space.com.

Be sure to stay up to date with all the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog and discover the answers to all your Artemis program questions with our in-depth explainer article!

Artemis 2 astronaut Christina Koch starred in an out-of-this-world selfie with the zero-gravity indicator "Rise" on April 4, captured from a camera mounted on a solar panel as the crew were half way to the moon ahead of their historic lunar flyby.

What is it?

Koch can be seen smiling alongside Rise in an illuminated Orion viewport, with the spacecraft's service module bathed in bright sunlight on Flight Day 4 of their 10-day lunar mission.

The NASA photo was captured using a modified GoPro camera mounted on the end of a 7-meter-long (23-foot) solar panel — one of four such "wings" that power the Orion spacecraft by transforming sunlight into usable electricity.

Why is it incredible?

Zero-g indicators are traditionally flown on space missions as both a mascot and a simple way for astronauts to confirm they have reached microgravity.

NASA held an open competition to design the Artemis 2 zero-g indicator, receiving more than 2,600 entries from over 50 countries. The winning design from Californian 3rd grader Lucas Ye was inspired by astronaut Bill Anders' iconic Apollo 8 "Earthrise" photo and features a smiling moon-like head and Earth-themed cap.

Safely tucked within the adorable mascot is a tiny SD card bearing the names of the 5,647,889 people who applied for an Artemis 2 "boarding pass". Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are due to return to Earth on April 10, enduring a fiery atmospheric re-entry before finally splashing down off the coast of San Diego to bring an end to their 10-day space odyssey.

Want to know more? Then be sure to keep up to date with the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog and read up on NASA's efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the moon with our Artemis program explainer.

The Artemis 2 crew captured this majestic photo of the Milky Way through the window of their Orion spacecraft "Integrity" on April 7, less than a day after completing a historic lunar flyby that saw them temporarily lose communications with Earth as they looped around the far side of the moon.

What is it?

A river of shining stars and dusty filaments marks the galactic plane of the Milky Way — the colossal galaxy that we call home. This particular view of our host galaxy doesn't look directly towards the core, but rather into one of its spiral arms, where countless deep-space objects areshining against the blackness of space.

Why is it amazing?

The pink cloud at the center of the shot is the Homunculus Nebula, a vast glowing structure of interstellar dust and gas 7,500 light-years from Earth, according to NASA, created in the wake of a cataclysmic eruption of the double star system Eta Carinae.

Star clusters and dimmer nebulas are visible threaded through the galactic plane, while the Large Magellanic Cloud — a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way — appears as a hazy patch of light to the bottom right of the shot.

From space, the crewmember who captured the image was blissfully free of the atmospheric interference that usually comes hand in hand with capturing the glowing band of the Milky Way. However, a slight blurring of stars at the edge of the frame seems to betray the subtle motion of the spacecraft — or camera — over the course of the 10-second exposure.

When was it taken?

The image was captured less than a day after NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen executed a historic flyby of the lunar surface that took them farther from Earth than any human before them.

Over the coming days, the Artemis 2 crew will perform a series of course correction burns to finesse their trajectory as they journey back to Earth, before finally splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco at the culmination of their 10-day space odyssey.

Want to know more? Then be sure to stay up to date with the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog and to check out our Artemis program reference page for answers to all of your Artemis questions as NASA and its partners look to establish a sustainable presence on the moon.

The Artemis 2 crewmembers captured a spectacular view of Earth setting behind the moon through the window of their Orion spacecraft on Flight Day 6 of NASA's historic 10-day mission, as they passed over the far side of the lunar surface. They called it "Earthset," in reference to the iconic image captured by Bill Anders on Christmas Eve in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission.

What is it?

The photo was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT (1041 GMT) on April 6, as the majority of Earth's surface was veiled in shadow from the perspective of the Artemis 2 crew. Just a crescent of our planet could be seen illuminated by direct sunlight, revealing white clouds swirling over Australia and Oceana.

Countless craters can be seen scarring the moon's ancient surface, including the 40-mile-wide (64-kilometer-wide) expanse of Ohm Crater, which can be seen close to where the lunar horizon meets the shadowed night side of Earth. The crater features a prominent central peak and a sloping "terraced" rim.

NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — the crew of the Orion spacecraft they named "Integrity" — witnessed Earth slip silently from view shortly after, as they passed over the far side of the moon.

They would later experience a planned 40-minute communications blackout while traveling beyond the range of NASA's relay satellites. But then, they witnessed an iconic "Earthrise" even more similar to what Anders saw in the 60s, as our Blue Marble emerged from behind its natural satellite.

Later that day, the crew would be treated to one of the rarest sights in human history, a total solar eclipse witnessed from a free-flying spacecraft, as Orion's trajectory placed the moon between the NASA spacecraft and our parent star.

Want to know more? Then be sure to stay up to date with the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog. You can also find out what the Orion crew will be getting up to over the rest of their 10 day lunar trip with our day-by-day breakdown of the trailblazing mission, which has seen humans travel farther from Earth than ever before.

The Artemis 2 astronauts have shared a view that the billions of us stuck on Earth will never get firsthand: a gorgeous shot of our home planet shining like a sapphire in the blackness of space.

What is it?

This photo shows Earth as seen from Artemis 2's Orion spacecraft, which on Thursday evening (April 2) aced a crucial engine burn that took it out of Earth orbit and toward the moon.

The Artemis 2 astronauts — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — have since been watching Earth recede into the distance, and NASA shared one of their photos today (April 3) on the social media site X.

"We see our home planet as a whole, lit up in spectacular blues and browns. A green aurora even lights up the atmosphere. That's us, together, watching as our astronauts make their journey to the moon," NASA officials wrote in the X post.

Why is it amazing?

The photo by itself is amazing enough, showing our planet as it truly is — a shimmering, fragile outpost of life in a vast and dark cosmos. But the connection to Artemis 2 makes it even more special.

Artemis 2 is the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 back in 1972. If all goes to plan, Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen will loop around the moon on Day 6 of the mission, which lifted off on April 1. They'll come back to Earth for a splashdown on Day 10.

Artemis 2 won't land on the moon or even enter lunar orbit. It's designed to pave the way for those milestones, and in fact even more ambitious ones: NASA's Artemis program aims to build a base near the lunar south pole in the early 2030s.

Keep tabs on the mission's latest developments with our Artemis 2 live updates page.

Humanity is on its way back to the moon as NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) blasts the space agency's Orion space capsule on April 1. The launch was even captured from space!

What is it?

This photo shows NASA's SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft blasting off from the historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT) on Wednesday, April 1.

The launch is represented by a white plume of smoke seen by the GOES-19 weather satellite.

Why is it amazing?

The Artemis 2 mission represents the first time that humans have visited the moon since the Apollo 17 mission back in 1972. Not only this, but during this mission, the four-person crew of Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover will journey farther into space than any other human before them.

The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to last for around 10 days. Though the crew won't set foot on the lunar surface during this mission, this sets the scene for the future of the Artemis program, particularly Artemis 4 and 5, which will finally return humans to the moon's surface after over half a century.

Follow along with our Artemis 2 mission live updates page for the latest developments.

Breaking up is never easy. That's definitely the case for this SpaceX Starlink spacecraft, which underwent a "fragmentation event" on March 29, 2026.

Today's image shows the spacecraft weeks prior to it breaking apart.

What is it?

SpaceX described the fragmentation event on its Starlink X feed, writing:

"On Sunday, March 29, Starlink satellite 34343 experienced an anomaly on-orbit, resulting in loss of communications with the satellite at ~560 km above Earth. Latest analysis shows the event poses no new risk to the @Space_Station, its crew, or to the upcoming launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission. We will continue to monitor the satellite along with any trackable debris and coordinate with @NASA and the @USSpaceForce.

"The event also posed no new risk to this morning's Transporter-16 mission, which was designed to avoid Starlink with payload deploys well above or well below the constellation. The SpaceX and Starlink teams are actively working to determine [the] root cause and will rapidly implement any necessary corrective actions."

Why is it amazing?

Today's image of Starlink satellite 34343 was captured by HEO Robotics on Feb. 14, 2026. HEO posted the image to X

HEO is now working toward imaging the current state of the SpaceX unit after its fragmentation.

The four astronaut's of NASA's Artemis 2 mission arrived in style ahead of their historic moon mission.

What is it?

NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen landed their T-38 jets at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Friday (March 27).

The crew of four landed at KSC shortly before unveiling their zero gravity indicator, "Rise." Zero gravity indicators are small stuffed items that accompany crews into space to serve as a visual signal that they've left Earth's gravity as they begin to float around their spacecraft.

Rise consists of a smiling moon, wearing a cap decorated to resemble Earth, featuring a brim covered in stars.

Rise was designed by second-grader Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California, and was inspired by the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission, according to a statement from NASA. The agency opened a call for submissions for the Artemis 2 mission's zero-g indicator last year and received over 2,600 submissions from over 50 countries.

Why is it amazing?

Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission to lunar space in over 50 years, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The flight will test the Orion spacecraft and see the crew carry out experiments that will help NASA prepare for further Artemis program missions.

The overall goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, including building permanent moon bases.

NASA is currently 'go' to launch Artemis 2 as early as Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT).

Follow along with the latest updates on our Artemis 2 mission live blog.

NASA's next moon rocket casts a striking silhouette against the rising sun in this photo taken just a week prior to the agency's impending Artemis 2 mission, currently scheduled for April 1.

What is it?

This photo shows the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft standing upright at the historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

SLS rolled back out to the launch pad on March 20 after being brought in to NASA's massive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repairs. Mission teams have secured the rocket's mobile launcher to infrastructure at the pad, connected power and communications linkages and installed the crew's emergency egress system. The tower's crew access arm, through which the four Artemis 2 astronauts will walk to enter the rocket, has been extended to allow them to access their Orion spacecraft.

Why is it amazing?

After years of planning, training and multiple delays, NASA says it's finally ready to launch Artemis 2 on a journey around the moon and back.

"Our flight systems are ready, the ground systems are ready, our launch and operations teams are ready, and our flight operations team in Houston are also ready," Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said during a mission status update on Sunday (March 29).

The four Artemis 2 astronauts  — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen  — arrived at KSC on Friday (March 27).

If all goes according to plan, Artemis 2 will launch on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 GMT). NASA has additional launch dates available through April 6, should this attempt be delayed.

Follow along with our Artemis 2 mission live updates page for the latest developments.

A NASA X-ray telescope has captured a breathtaking portrait of a supernova remnant, revealing unseen features of the exploded star.

What is it?

This image depicts the supernova remnant SN 185, found some 8,000 light-years away from Earth in the direction of the sun's closest sibling, the triple star Alpha Centauri. Based on historical records made by Chinese astronomers, scientists believe the star exploded in the year AD 185. It may have been visible in the sky for as many as eight months.

In this new image, NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory helped astronomers study the outer rim of this object (also known as RCW 86) and discover that the expansion of the remnant's gases appears to have stopped in the region NASA has highlighted by a purple ring in the image.

Astronomers have previously found that a large low-density "cavity" in the center of the supernova caused it to expand more rapidly than they would normally expect, and now IXPE's new observation of this outer rim helps "fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have observed," NASA wrote in a statement accompanying the image.

Why is it amazing?

IXPE captured the image using its unique ability to study the polarization of X-rays, or how waves of X-ray light oscillate relative to their direction.

By studying this polarization, IXPE can help astronomers probe some of the deepest mysteries of the cosmos, such as why black holes spin, what powers the extreme jets blasting from supermassive black holes, or why pulsars glow so brightly in X-ray light.

IXPE launched on Dec. 9, 2021, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. In its first four years of operation, it has studied a black hole's "heartbeat", observed supernova remnants, and peered into the magnetic fields of neutron stars.

NASA released a new image of its next-generation Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope undertaking environmental testing that determined it can withstand vibrations it will experience during launch.

What is it?

Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GFSC) in Maryland put the Roman Space Telescope through acoustic testing this month in which the observatory was placed in a sound booth and blasted with acoustic waves up to 138 decibels, or around the loudness of a jet engine from 100 feet (30 meters) away, NASA wrote in a statement accompanying the image.

"If you've ever been at a concert with an extremely loud bass, that load you felt was acoustic energy," said Cory Powell, the lead Roman structural analyst at GFSC. "Now think about how loud a launch is. The acoustics can produce very high loads on a large structure like Roman."

Engineers also placed Roman on a "shaker table" that subjected the space telescope to high levels of vibration similar to what it will experience during launch in order to ensure the observatory and its instruments will remain intact after liftoff.

Why is it amazing?

This photo offers a rare peek behind the curtain at the extensive and intricate testing that spacecraft like space telescopes undergo before launch. The Roman Space Telescope is estimated to cost over $4 billion, so ensuring a successful launch is paramount for NASA.

When it becomes operational, the Roman Space Telescope is expected to offer scientists an unprecedented look into the cosmos, boasting an 8-foot (2.4-meter) mirror similar to the Hubble Space Telescope, but with a field of view 100 times larger than Hubble's. Roman is also outfitted with a coronagraph that allows it to block the light from distant stars, enabling it to see planets that might be orbiting around those stars.

If all goes according to plan, Roman will be able to map structures on cosmic scales, measure dark energy and dark matter throughout the universe, detect distant black holes and potentially discover tens of thousands of alien planets.

Roman is currently estimated to launch as early as fall 2026.

A gorgeous new photo shows the northern lights rippling across the night sky above Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket.

What is it?

Isar Aerospace, based in Germany, is attempting to launch Spectrum into orbit on Wednesday (March 25) from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. If it is successful, it will become the first rocket to reach orbit from European soil.

The rocket's first flight in March 2025 saw Spectrum lift off and clear the pad, only to crash spectacularly less than a minute later. Still, Isar hailed the test flight as a success.

While the first flight carried no payloads, this second flight, which Isar has named "Onward and Upward," will attempt to put five cubesats and one scientific experiment in orbit.

Why is it amazing?

In this photo, tendrils of green light appear in the sky over the Spectrum rocket upright on its launch pad, thanks to the northern lights, or aurora borealis. This stunning phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with atmospheric gases like oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere, exciting the atoms in these gases and releasing energy in the form of light.

Earth's magnetic field funnels charged particles from the sun towards the poles, making arctic locations like Norway's Andøya Spaceport prime locations for viewing the northern lights.

Isar Aerospace shared this photo on March 18, close to the March 20 spring equinox for the Northern Hemisphere. Earth's tilt during equinoxes orients the planet's magnetic field in such a way that it strengthens auroras at these times.

NASA has released new Hubble telescope images of the Crab Nebula — taken 25 years after the iconic observatory first gazed at the colorful cosmic crustacean.

What is it?

These new images reveal the changing clouds of gases being expelled from the site of a powerful supernova that exploded in the year 1054. It was so bright at the time of its explosion that it was visible during the day.

That supernova left behind the colorful remnant we see today known the Crab Nebula, or Messier 1. It is found 6,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope first imaged the nebula in 1999, before the observatory was upgraded with its Wide Field Camera 3. Astronauts on the space shuttle STS-125 mission installed that camera in 2009, giving Hubble much greater resolution.

NASA pointed Hubble at the Crab Nebula again in 2024, revealing filaments of gas moving outward away from the site of the nebula's progenitor supernova at 3.4 million miles per hour (5.5 million kilometers per hour).

Why is it amazing?

Compared with Hubble's 1999 images, the 2024 images reveal changes in the temperature, density and chemical composition of the nebula's gases. Astronomers are now able to study how supernova remnants like this one change over time, and it's thanks to the tenure of the Hubble telescope.

"We tend to think of the sky as being unchanging, immutable," Johns Hopkins University astronomer William Blair said in a NASA statement accompanying the image. "However, with the longevity of the Hubble Space Telescope, even an object like the Crab Nebula is revealed to be in motion, still expanding from the explosion nearly a millennium ago."

The aptly named Very Large Telescope captured a colorful new portrait of the Triangulum Galaxy, revealing complex clouds of gas in between the galaxy's 40 billion stars.

What is it?

This image was captured by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile's Atacama Desert and depicts clouds of gas in the Triangulum Galaxy, found some 3 million light-years away from Earth.

Astronomers used the VLT's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument to separate light from the Triangulum Galaxy (also known as Messier 33, or M33) into its constituent wavelengths, revealing the presence of different elements in clouds of gas between the galaxy's young stars.

In the image, blue represents oxygen, green represents hydrogen, and red denotes the presence of sulfur.

Why is it amazing?

According to Anna Feltre, a postdoctoral researcher at the INAF-Astrophysical Observatory and author of a new study about the Triangulum Galaxy, this new image is a reminder that the space between stars is far from empty.

"This cosmic interplay produces a spectacular and dynamic landscape, revealing that the birthplaces of stars are far more beautiful and complex than we ever imagined," Feltre said in an ESO statement accompanying the new image.

Stars  —  particularly young, still-forming ones like those found in the central region of the Triangulum Galaxy  —  shape their surrounding environments with radiation, ionizing clouds of gas and causing those clouds to glow. This process is what's seen in the highlighted VLT image.

NASA has used advanced imaging techniques to peer inside samples of an asteroid, discovering extensive networks of cracks running throughout the rock particles.

What is it?

These images show two different views of two small rock particles NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe collected from asteroid Bennu. NASA has been peering inside the samples using X-ray computed tomography (XCT), a special type of imaging that can reveal the interiors of objects without damaging them.

These scans have revealed that the samples contain networks of fine cracks. Scientists can now use this discovery to understand why Bennu appears to have such low thermal inertia, meaning its surface heats up and cools down rapidly as different faces of the asteroid rotate in and out of sunlight.

One theory to explain this feature of Bennu was that the object might be more porous than telescopic observations of its boulder-strewn surface suggested. However, scientists needed a detailed analysis of the asteroid samples to confirm this theory  —  and that's what they just got.

"It turns out that they're really cracked too, and that was the missing piece of the puzzle," said Andrew Ryan, who led the OSIRIS-REx sample physical and thermal analysis working group, in a NASA statement.

Why is it amazing?

These images offer a rare look inside a piece of the early solar system. This study could help scientists better predict the structures of asteroids based on the thermal properties we can observe from Earth using telescopes and other instruments — in other words, without needing to collect physical samples.

In September 2023, NASA returned samples of asteroid Bennu collected by the historic OSIRIS-REx mission. The samples landed in the Utah desert after OSIRIS-REx made a 4-billion-mile (6.2-billion-kilometer) journey from Earth to Bennu and back again.

NASA has been studying the Bennu samples, and has already discovered that they contain amino acids — some of the "building blocks" of life as we know it — and appear to be older than our own solar system.

NASA's X-59 jet looks ready to fly into the sunset in this new image taken before its second test flight.

What is it?

The X-59 is an X-plane (experimental plane) built by NASA and Lockheed Martin to break the sound barrier without producing the typical thunderous sonic booms that accompany supersonic flight.

The "quiet' supersonic jet already made one test flight in October 2025, and is now readying for its second test flight. In this photo, technicians monitor the aircraft as it undergoes engine runs ahead of flight number two at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center near the historic Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.

On its second flight, the X-59 will take off from Armstrong and land at Edwards after around an hour, during which it will reach a maximum altitude of 20,000 feet (6 kilometers) and a max speed of 260 mph (418 km/h). Future flight tests will "gradually take the X-59 faster and higher to ensure the aircraft’s safety and assess its performance," according to NASA.

Why is it amazing?

As seen in this photo, the X-59 features a radical elongated geometry and altered engine placement that shape the way air flows over the aircraft in an attempt to spread out the shockwaves it produces at supersonic speeds.

By spreading these shockwaves out over a larger area, the X-59's sonic booms are perceived as quieter by people on the ground below the X-59; NASA likens the booms it produces to a "thump," similar in volume to a car door slamming as heard from indoors.

Sonic booms can be quite loud and disturb people on the ground below. Because of how disruptive these booms can be, supersonic flight has been prohibited over the U.S. since 1973. But programs like the X-59 hope to change that by making supersonic flight less of a nuisance to people on the ground.

There are also new next-generation supersonic commercial aircraft in development, such as the Boom X-1. If supersonic flight is once again approved over the U.S., the shorter flight times it would enable would revolutionize travel and give a boost to industries that depend on rapid response times.

Incredible satellite imagery shows a wall of dust being blown through Texas as a cold front pushed its way across the United States on Monday (March 16).

What is it?

The footage was captured by the GOES-19 weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It shows a line of dust being driven southward, far below clouds much higher in the atmosphere blowing from west to east.

The wall of dust was blown across West Texas by a cold front that brought extreme winter weather to much of the United States from March 14 to 16. The storm, known as Winter Storm Iona, brought record snowfall totals to the Midwest and damaging winds and tornadoes throughout the southern U.S.

The dust storm created travel complications and other issues for Texans. At least one multi-vehicle pileup was reported due to the blinding dust sweeping across the state.

Why is it amazing?

It's rare to see such a pronounced line of dust visible from space. Colorado State University's Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) described the imagery as "spectacular" in a post on X.

Views of Earth like this one are are only made possible by NOAA's fleet of next-generation satellites. GOES 19 launched in June 2024 carrying what NOAA describes as "the most sophisticated technology ever flown in space to help forecast weather on Earth." The satellite has even captured images of solar eclipses, thanks to special sun-watching instruments aboard the spacecraft.

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has spied a pitted rock face as it explores a region of the Red Planet known as Mount Sharp, a mountain 3 miles (5 kilometers) tall within Mars' Gale Crater. NASA has named the rock "Timboy Chaco."

What is it?

Curiosity has been investigating the region for months, examining rocks that mission team members call "boxwork formations." These geological features resemble spiderwebs when viewed from orbit, but up close appear as low-lying ridges and hollows carved into the Martian rock by wind and erosion.

Curiosity is currently exploring the eastern and southern "borderlands" of this region, according to a NASA statement accompanying the image.

Why is it amazing?

Curiosity has discovered evidence that water once flowed through the area, leaving behind rich mineral deposits. Over the course of Martian history, winds have blown the Red Planet sands away, revealing these deposits that now appear as pitted, scarred rock formations like Timboy Chaco.

Scientists hope that detailed investigations of these rocks, like the ones Curiosity is currently undertaking, could reveal whether there is evidence of microbial life left behind in the mineral deposits. Some of these formations have led scientists to theorize that groundwater could have been present much later in Mars' history than we previously thought.

"Seeing boxwork this far up the mountain suggests the groundwater table had to be pretty high," said Tina Seeger, a mission scientist from Rice University, in a September 2025 statement from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory about Curiosity's investigation of the region. "And that means the water needed for sustaining life could have lasted much longer than we thought, looking from orbit."

A new satellite image has captured a rare view of an erupting volcano, revealing its bright red lava flow as seen from space.

What is it?

This image taken by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite captures lava, ash, and gases flowing from Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, on Feb. 26, 2026. Mayon is found on Luzon, the nation's largest island, and rises over 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level.

Mayon began erupting in January 2026 when clouds of hot ash and flows of lava began pouring from the volcano's crater. The eruption has displaced hundreds of families in surrounding areas, according to NASA.

Previous eruptions have caused massive damage and fatalities. An eruption in 1993 killed at least 77 people, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.

Why is it amazing?

This image is a rare natural color glimpse into the eye of a volcano mid-eruption.

Bright red lava flows stand out starkly against the vivid green vegetation of the surrounding landscape, made more vibrant by combining visible light observations with infrared imagery.

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) instrument on Landsat 8 can capture light in both visible and near-infrared bands, enabling it to reveal features and events on Earth's surface that would otherwise be difficult to see from ground level.

A new extra-large spacecraft loaded with garbage prepares to meet its fiery demise in Earth's atmosphere in this shot from the International Space Station.

What is it?

In this screenshot from one of the live cameras aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the new Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL freighter is being jettisoned away from the station.

Cygnus XL arrived at the ISS on Sept. 18, 2025, carrying around 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) of supplies to the astronauts aboard the station, making it the largest-ever cargo spacecraft to arrive at the orbital laboratory.

After docking at the station for seven months, Cygnus XL was released from its berth on the Earth-facing port of the ISS's Unity module on Thursday (March 12) while over the south Atlantic Ocean. It will now deorbit into Earth's atmosphere and burn up, carrying thousands of pounds of garbage produced on the ISS, according to NASA.

Why is it amazing?

Images like this one are a reminder of the mind-boggling technological achievement that is the International Space Station.

The ISS measures around 356 feet (109 meters) end-to-end and weighs close 925,000 pounds (420 metric tons) and orbits Earth at a speed of 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h), or about 4.8 miles per second (7.7 km/s) — all while 260 miles (420 km) above the surface of Earth.

Even at such an altitude and orbital velocity, cargo spacecraft like Cygnus XL  —  not to mention crewed spacecraft like SpaceX's Crew Dragon  —  routinely launch from the surface and dock with the orbital laboratory.

The ISS is currently scheduled to be deorbited into a spacecraft graveyard in the Pacific Ocean around 2030, although some U.S. lawmakers would like to see its operations extended to 2032 while commercial replacements are still being developed.

A new image captured by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) is helping astronomers discover a new cloud of gas orbiting the supermassive black hole at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy.

What is it?

This image offers a new view of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, where the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*) resides. In the image, a dense cluster of stars and gas can be seen orbiting Sgr A*. Two clouds of gas known as G1 and G2 had been previously observed orbiting our galaxy's black hole, but astronomers believe this image helps reveal the existence of a third cloud known as G2t.

The three clouds of gas likely originate from the same pair of massive stars, known as IRS16SW. "As IRS16SW moves around the black hole, each cloud of gas is ejected in a slightly different orbit, explaining the small differences in the trajectories of the 'G-triplet'", ESO wrote in a statement accompanying the image.

Why is it amazing?

Like all black holes, astronomers can't directly observe Sgr A* because even light can't escape its gravitational pull. However, in 2022, scientists managed to capture an image of light, in the form of radio waves, from hot gases swirling around the edge of Sgr A*.

Observations of features like G2t are helping astronomers get a better glimpse at the "invisible giant" at the core of our cosmic home. "This discovery shows that, despite decades of monitoring our Milky Way center, new unanswered curiosities still arise," the ESO wrote in the statement accompanying the image.

"But what could be more exciting than mysteries waiting to be solved?"

Two powerful space telescopes turned their gaze onto the Cat's Eye Nebula, a planetary nebula 4,400 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Draco. The new images reveal stunning details about what happens as a star approaches the end of its evolutionary life cycle.

What is it?

The Cat's Eye Nebula is known as a planetary nebula, but that name is somewhat misleading, as these clouds of ionized gas don't have anything to do with planets. These nebulas appeared spherical through early telescopes, prompting astronomers to believe they might be similar to the gas giants in our solar system.

Today, we know these colorful objects are massive shells of gas emitted by stars in their final stages. When stars begin to run out of hydrogen, the fuel needed for nuclear fusion, the outward pressure of fusion decreases, causing the stars' gaseous outer layers to contract. Upon contracting, the atoms in these gases begin to collide and release energy, causing them to expand outward in the colorful nebulas we see in the case of the Cat's Eye Nebula.

Why is it amazing?

The combined observations of the Euclid and Hubble space telescopes help "reveal the remarkable complexity of stellar death in this object," NASA wrote in a statement accompanying the image. While Hubble was able to zoom in for a close-up of the central shell of the nebula, Euclid captured a wider view that reveals a larger halo of gases expanding outward into space. This halo was blasted out away from the star at a much earlier stage, before the main nebula formed.

Euclid's wide view also reveals thousands of distant galaxies in the background behind the nebula, offering a glimpse at the true vastness of space that space telescopes like Euclid and Hubble are revealing to astronomers.