Science Mission

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 has wrapped up its science mission aboard the International Space Station and is heading back to Earth. The crew spent its time aboard the orbiting laboratory carrying out research experiments before departing, with NASA announcing the conclusion of the mission. The return closes out another rotation dedicated to station science.

NASA has opened applications for the next class of flight directors, the people who lead mission control teams during human spaceflight operations at the Johnson Space Center. The announcement invites candidates from engineering, science and aviation backgrounds to apply for one of the most senior operational roles in the space agency.

NASA has unveiled PRIMA, described as the first mission under its new Probe Explorer class. The mission is designed to carry out a first-of-its-kind astrophysics survey, with NASA highlighting that it opens a new category of mid-sized, principal-investigator-led space science missions. Details of the mission's specific science goals and launch timeline have drawn attention among space exploration followers.

NASA has launched a pair of small satellites designed to advance space science, test new technologies, and refine orbital operations. The agency says the SmallSats will demonstrate capabilities that could support future missions, including improved maneuvering and communications in orbit. The launch marks another step in NASA's growing use of compact, lower-cost spacecraft to complement larger missions and expand access to space research.

The question of whether artificial gravity could ever be created aboard a spacecraft is being explored in science coverage. Physicists note that rotation is the most widely studied approach — spinning a spacecraft or station so centrifugal effects mimic gravity — while alternatives like linear acceleration or electromagnetic systems face major engineering and energy hurdles. For now, astronauts on long missions rely on microgravity countermeasures such as daily exercise.

A new crew has launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on its way to the International Space Station. The flight, associated with NASA's Crew-13 mission, continues the routine rotation of astronauts to the orbiting laboratory using commercial spacecraft. The launch drew attention among space and science followers as another milestone in NASA's partnership with SpaceX for crewed flights.

NASA is developing plans to send humanoid robots to the moon, according to a report by Popular Science. The initiative would see human-shaped robotic systems deployed on lunar missions, potentially performing tasks before or alongside human astronauts. The news is drawing attention from space and robotics enthusiasts discussing what role such machines could play in future lunar exploration.

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate has reorganized its research capabilities, according to AFCEA International. The restructure affects how the agency organizes and delivers its research and development work in support of homeland security missions. Details on the specific units involved or the stated rationale have not been made widely available, and public reaction to the change has so far been limited.

The SMILE satellite has ended an 18-year gap in observations of the northern lights, and researchers say new views of Earth's x-ray magnetic shield are just weeks away. The mission is expected to provide fresh insight into how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field, producing auroras. Space science outlets are highlighting the milestone and the images anticipated in the coming weeks.

The four astronauts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission have arrived at the launch pad ahead of their flight to the International Space Station. The crew travelled to Kennedy Space Center for final preparations, with liftoff planned aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The mission will carry astronauts to the orbiting laboratory for a long-duration science expedition.

Cornell University is showcasing a library of images exploring the solar system, according to the Cornell Chronicle. The collection draws on decades of planetary research and spacecraft missions, offering views of planets, moons and other bodies. It highlights the university's long-running role in planetary science and gives the public and researchers access to visual material from across the solar system.

The stratospheric research observatory Sunrise-III has returned new observations revealing intricate magnetic structures on the Sun. Flying high above most of Earth's atmosphere, the observatory captured detailed measurements of solar magnetic fields, findings now reported by science outlets and the Japanese astronomical institute NAOJ. Researchers say the data offers an unusually sharp view of the fine-scale magnetic processes driving solar activity.

Astronomers report that enigmatic flashes of X-rays in the sky may come from the catastrophic merger of two stars, producing an ultra-dense, ultra-magnetic remnant known as a magnetar. The findings emerged from a collaboration between Chinese and European science missions, and are drawing attention among space researchers and enthusiasts discussing what the discovery reveals about how magnetars form.

NASA has launched a science mission to investigate pyrocumulus clouds, the massive smoke-filled clouds spawned by intense wildfires. Researchers aim to understand how these fire-driven formations behave and influence weather and climate. The project highlights growing scientific interest in wildfire impacts as fires become larger and more frequent worldwide.

A high-resolution image from NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, labeled sol 5028 and credited to NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, is being shared on Mastodon alongside Gigapan and GIGAmacro interactive viewers. The image, processed by an independent space imagery enthusiast, lets people zoom into the Martian surface in fine detail. Engagement is modest so far, but it reflects ongoing public interest in the Curiosity rover's latest views of Gale Crater.

NASA is reportedly planning to send humanoid robots to the moon, according to Popular Science. The reported initiative would put human-like machines on the lunar surface, potentially to carry out tasks ahead of or alongside astronaut missions under the agency's broader lunar exploration plans. Details about which robots, timelines or partners would be involved remain limited so far.

NASA's Perseverance rover has carried out another abrasion on a Martian rock, documented with a processed navigation camera image from Sol 1995 looking east-southeast. Space enthusiasts are sharing the raw imagery and noting the rover's ongoing sampling and science work at its current location.

NASA reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has delivered new observations of massive planetary collisions, described as planet-shattering impacts. The findings, published by NASA's science mission directorate, offer insight into how such violent events shape planetary systems. Interest centres on what Webb's infrared instruments reveal about debris and atmospheric effects following giant impacts.

NASA’s Crew-13 mission is set to launch on a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. The crew will travel to orbit for an extended science and maintenance mission, continuing routine rotational operations. The upcoming liftoff is drawing attention as the next step in NASA’s ongoing crewed spaceflight schedule.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission brought samples of asteroid Bennu back to Earth, and analyses show the space rock contains material from both the inner and outer reaches of the Solar System. Researchers describe Bennu as a kind of 'Frankenstein' asteroid, assembled from fragments with very different origins, offering new clues about how the Solar System formed.

Scientific American reports that a new NASA directive could increase the odds of Earth-based microbes contaminating Mars. The piece raises concerns that relaxed planetary protection rules might compromise the search for Martian life and scientific integrity.

NASA's associate administrator for research and mission technology is the subject of current coverage. The role oversees the agency's research portfolio and the technology development behind its science and exploration missions. Reports center on the chief's stewardship of NASA's technology priorities, though specific new announcements or decisions are not detailed in the available information.