Curiosity and the desire to explore are traits deeply rooted in human nature. Space exploration is no exception; it reflects humanity’s timeless drive to seek new horizons, challenge our limits, and understand our universe. The advancements of modern civilization—from the electricity that powers our homes to basic hygienic breakthroughs that ensure our health— happened thanks […]...
Golden sunglint highlights Lake Balkhash in this May 31, 2016, photo taken from the International Space Station. The large lake in Kazakhstan is one of the largest lakes in Asia and is the 15th largest lake in the world. Since the space station became operational in November 2000, crew members have produced hundreds of thousands […]...
In 2016, NASA awarded a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract to Sierra Space, formerly part of Sierra Nevada Corporation, to resupply the International Space Station with its Dream Chaser spaceplane and companion Shooting Star cargo module. As part of its contract, Sierra Space was awarded a minimum seven flights, and the agency previously issued firm-fixed price task orders for […]...
Editor’s note: As of Oct. 1, 2025, this news conference was cancelled due to a lapse in government funding. NASA will host a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 1, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to highlight the upcoming mission of astronaut Chris Williams to the International Space Station. The […]...
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, to correct that the signed contract is an unfunded Space Act Agreement, rather than a reimbursable Space Act Agreement. NASA is continuing the Astrobee mission through a collaboration with Arkisys, Inc., of Los Alamitos, California, who was awarded an unfunded Space Act Agreement to sustain […]...
The Milky Way appears above Earth’s bright atmospheric glow in this Aug. 23, 2025, photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 261 miles above southern Iran at approximately 12:54 a.m. local time. The camera was configured for low light and long duration settings. Our home galaxy has hundreds of billions of stars, enough […]...
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman processes bone cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox on Aug. 28, 2025, as part of an experiment that tests how microgravity affects bone-forming and bone-degrading cells and explore potential ways to prevent bone loss. This research could help protect astronauts on future long-duration missions to the Moon […]...
Editor’s Note: NASA and Northrop Grumman are targeting the safe arrival of the company’s Cygnus XL at approximately 7:18 a.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 18, to the International Space Station. Arrival coverage begins at 5:45 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more. Read more on the International Space Station blog. Editor’s Note: There is a delay in the […]...
NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 23, or Northrop Grumman CRS-23, will deliver more than 11,000 pounds of science and supplies to the International Space Station. This mission will be the first flight of the Cygnus XL, the larger, more cargo-capable version of the company’s solar-powered spacecraft. The Cygnus XL will launch on a SpaceX […]...
Space missions rely on cryogenic fluids — extremely cold liquids like liquid hydrogen and oxygen — for both propulsion and life support systems. These fuels must be kept at ultra-low cryogenic temperatures to remain in liquid form; however, solar heating and other sources of heat increase the rate of evaporation of the liquid and cause […]...