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Fly around Schiaparelli Crater with Mars Express
ESA’s Mars Express takes us on another mesmerising flight, this time around one of the biggest craters on Mars.
Despite measuring a huge 460 km across, Schiaparelli Crater seems to be relatively shallow. Perhaps it has been filled in over the last few billion years by sediment blown by the wind or deposited by water, by lava – or by a combination of all three.
Schiaparelli Crater is named after Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835–1910). Although he studied Mercury and Venus, he is best known for his observations of the Red Planet.
During the ‘Great Opposition’ of 1877, when Mars passed close to Earth, Schiaparelli mapped the planet, perceiving several straight dark lines across the red surface. He assumed that these were natural water-filled channels and used the equivalent Italian word, ‘canali’.
However, other astronomers thought he meant canals, meaning artificial irrigation and transportation routes, which led to a few astronomers, and a large number of the general public, believing that they had been created by intelligent martians.
Now we know that Schiaparelli’s ‘canali’ were illusions created by the comparatively poor telescopes of the time and there are no water-filled channels on Mars today. Nevertheless, we do believe that water was once present in this region of the planet, perhaps in the form of a lake.
Schiaparelli Crater is also important in popular culture, being the final destination of astronaut Mark Watney in Andy Weir’s novel ‘The Martian’.
Enjoy the flight, and be sure to turn up the volume for the full audio guide experience.
Processing notes:
This film was created using the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera Mars Chart (HMC-30) data, image mosaics made from multiple observations by the mission’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). The mosaic image, centred at 8°S/17°E, is combined with topography information from the digital terrain model to generate a three-dimensional landscape.
For every second of the movie, 50 separate frames are rendered following a predefined camera path in the scene. The vertical exaggeration used for the animation is three-fold. Atmospheric effects, like clouds and haze, have been added to conceal the limits of the terrain model. The haze starts building up at a distance of 250 km.
The HRSC camera on Mars Express is operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The systematic processing of the camera data took place at the DLR Institute for Space Research in Berlin-Adlershof. The working group of Planetary Science and Remote Sensing at Freie Universität Berlin used the data to create the film.
Behind the Lens: Meet NASA Johnson’s Photographers
Photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have documented some of the most defining moments in human spaceflight.
From astronaut training and engineering tests to mission control operations and milestone celebrations, their images preserve the history of exploration while capturing the people and teams behind the missions shaping the next era.
Meet the photographers behind the lens and explore the stories behind the images that have helped tell NASA’s story.
Robert Markowitz NASA photographer Robert Markowitz flies aboard a T-38 aircraft during flight operations.NASA/Robert Markowitz Being able to help tell the human spaceflight story, frame by frame, has been an incredible adventure.
Robert Markowitz
NASA Photographer
For more than three decades, NASA photographer Robert Markowitz has documented the people and milestones that have shaped NASA’s human spaceflight program. His career has spanned the space shuttle program, 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, and Artemis II.
“My favorite part of this job has always come down to the range of assignments we take on and the people I get to work with every day,” Markowitz said.
One of Markowitz’s early career highlights came during the filming of “Apollo 13,” when he served as the behind-the-scenes still photographer for nearly every KC-135 zero-gravity flight. “Looking back as a 25-year-old photographer at Johnson, I don’t think I fully appreciated how unique an opportunity it was to be there documenting those moments,” he said.
Markowitz says the job has challenged him to grow as both a photographer and a communicator. Whether photographing dozens of individual portraits in a day or coordinating a 300-person group photo, each assignment has strengthened his ability to adapt, collaborate, and connect with people.
“This work has shaped not just my career, but my life,” he said. “Being part of a team that captures and preserves the story of human spaceflight continues to be one of the great honors of my time at Johnson.”
NASA’s Artemis II flight control team works on console in the White Flight Control Room in the Mission Control Center in Houston during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.NASA/Robert Markowitz Former Expedition 1 crewmembers Yuri Gidzenko, Bill Shepherd, and Sergei Krikalev celebrate the International Space Station’s 25th anniversary of continuous human habitation at Space Center Houston on Jan. 19, 2026. NASA/Robert Markowitz The Counterweight-Offload Astronaut Suited Test and Evaluation Rig is displayed in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. NASA/Robert Markowitz NASA’s Artemis II training team gathers in front of the Orion spacecraft mockup at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center on May 6, 2026.NASA/Robert Markowitz Country music artist Garth Brooks performs from mission control during a live event with the Expedition 52 crew aboard the International Space Station. From left are Dina Contella, deputy manager for the International Space Station in NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program; NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson; Garth Brooks; and Norm Knight, Flight Operations Director. NASA/Robert Markowitz Members of the Apollo 13 movie cast and crew take part in a zero-gravity flight aboard a KC-135 aircraft, owned by NASA at the time. Floating from left are actor Tom Hanks, who portrayed astronaut Jim Lovell; director Ron Howard; actor Bill Paxton, who portrayed astronaut Fred Haise; actor Kevin Bacon, who portrayed astronaut Jack Swigert; actor Gary Sinise, who portrayed astronaut Thomas Mattingly; and executive producer Todd Hallowell.NASA/Robert Markowitz Bill Stafford NASA photographer Bill Stafford photographs an event in the Teague Auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos I love figuring out how to frame a single image so it captures not just a moment, but the significance behind it.
Bill Stafford
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Bill Stafford’s path to Johnson began during his senior year of college, when a friend who was completing a photography internship at the center told him about an opening on the photography team. With a longtime interest in science and technology, Stafford saw the opportunity to combine those interests with photography in an extraordinary environment.
Stafford approaches each assignment as a technical challenge and a storytelling opportunity. Whether working around constraints in lighting, timing, or access, he uses composition, visual psychology, and an understanding of how a viewer’s eye moves through an image to shape the final photograph.
“My favorite part of the job is the problem-solving that comes with it,” Stafford said.
Working at Johnson has sharpened those instincts as he photographs spacecraft, hardware, astronauts, and the people behind NASA’s human spaceflight missions.
“So many of the subjects I photograph carry weight and history that I want the image to reflect,” he said.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (right) and Victor Glover (left) participate in an Artemis II entry simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford NASA’s Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program test team conducts a mock spacewalk to prepare for lunar surface operations and technology development for future Artemis missions.NASA/Bill Stafford NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 Flight Engineer Anil Menon participates in photography training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Bill Stafford NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit is photographed inside a thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Bill Stafford Participants test technology during NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) test week at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford James Blair NASA photographer James Blair prepares to capture imagery during a flight operations assignment. NASA I truly enjoy capturing candid photos of people during decisive moments.
James Blair
NASA Photographer
From newspapers across the country to working as a photographer and photo editor for a publication in Ecuador, NASA photographer James Blair began his career in photojournalism. Photography has taken him around the world, a path that has continued at Johnson with assignments ranging from astronaut training to geology field training in Iceland.
“Since I was very young, I have always been fascinated by spaceflight and the technology it takes to reach beyond Earth’s atmosphere,” Blair said.
At Johnson, Blair combines that fascination with his photojournalism background to document the people and technology shaping NASA’s next era of exploration.
“I enjoy documenting the new hardware that is being developed to return us to the Moon,” he said. “From spacesuits to rovers and potential lunar habitats, I get to show the world what NASA has in store for the future of human spaceflight.”
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA/James Blair Artemis II crew members Christina Koch (middle) and Victor Glover (right) participate in an Artemis lunar imaging training using an Orion crew configuration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/James Blair From left, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide and NASA astronaut candidates Yuri Kubo and Cameron Jones participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland. From left, EVA task officer Bridget Scheib, chief training officer John Ray, NASA astronaut candidate Cameron Jones, geology instructor and Artemis science officer Kelsey Young, associate research scientist Patrick Whelley, geology instructor and Artemis curation lead Juliane Gross, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland.NASA/James Blair From left, Artemis IV chief training officer Bryce Prescott, geology instructor Jacob Richardson, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland. NASA/James Blair Helen Arase Vargas NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas captures a news conference on lunar terrain vehicles for Artemis missions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 3, 2024. NASA/Robert Markowitz I’ve always liked the idea of my work serving the public interest.
Helen Arase Vargas
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas began her career in photojournalism and reporting in Southern California before joining Boeing’s scientific photography team in El Segundo. Her experience photographing aerospace sparked an unexpected interest that eventually led her to Johnson.
“The best part of the job is my coworkers; cheesy, but there is so much to learn from everyone,” Arase Vargas said. “Our core team has so much knowledge. They are all quick to offer help and are great humans.”
Arase Vargas says much of the work at Johnson reflects the journalism ethics she learned early in her career and fulfills her desire to serve the public interest.
The range and volume of assignments also helped her become more comfortable working in different environments while continuing to develop her craft.
For Arase Vargas, documenting the Artemis II crew’s return to Ellington Field in Houston came with a heightened sense of responsibility.
“The world is watching, and all that imagery must be rushed out by the lab,” she said. “Your photo could be the one that ends up on every news site, and you don’t want to miss capturing the joy and celebration the moment deserves.”
NASA’s Artemis II crew returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the mission on April 11, 2026. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait in Houston, Texas. In the back row, from left, are NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio. In the front row, from left, are ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot poses in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit during a portrait session at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class participates in geology training at Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico on May 20, 2026. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas The 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class poses for a holiday photo during wilderness survival training at Fort Rucker in Alabama. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA teams conduct nighttime operations training with a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Ground Test Unit at Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas Luna Posadas Nava NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava documents the Artemis II crew return at Ellington Field in Houston. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava I have used the camera as a bridge between curiosity and understanding.
Luna Posadas Nava
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava’s path to Johnson spans emerging technology, optics and imaging systems, and photographing artists across the East Coast. Her work grew from a desire to visualize and expand the boundaries of what is possible.
Joining Johnson shortly before the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, one of Posadas Nava’s first experiences was helping bring Moon Joy to the world. She documented the Science Evaluation Room, where scientists worked together to conduct real-time lunar science observations during the mission’s lunar flyby.
Posadas Nava said it was inspiring to witness the team at work and especially meaningful to see so many women contributing to the mission’s science.
Seeing the response from women in her own life and online reinforced for Posadas Nava the power of representation through photography.
“When we see ourselves in stories, we imagine new futures,” she said. “I hope my work helps more people see themselves in the story of exploration, because what we see shapes what we believe is possible.”
The Artemis II lunar science team celebrates in the Science Evaluation Room following the mission’s successful lunar flyby. Artemis II Deputy Lunar Science Lead Marie Henderson stands at left. From the right foreground are lunar science team members Ariel Deutsch; Maria Banks, behind her; Ryan Watkins, to her right; and Sara Schmidt.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava Artemis II deputy lunar science lead Jacob Richardson, left, and Artemis II lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes react to the astronauts’ verbal observations of the Moon during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava Artemis II science officer Angela Garcia, left, and lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes discuss science operations in the Science Evaluation Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava NASA engineers and teams from the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge test rover prototypes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Rock Yard in Houston on July 31, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava NASA’s Artemis III crew participates in a video shoot for the crew announcement at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on June 3, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava The Expedition 73 crew attends a debrief and awards ceremony at Space Center Houston on June 16, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava David DeHoyos NASA photographer David DeHoyos is photographed during an assignment in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA I am very aware of the importance of preserving history and what it means to others when our images are shared with the world.
David DeHoyos
NASA Photographer
Growing up in Houston during the Apollo era, NASA photographer David DeHoyos knew from an early age that he wanted to be part of the space industry. His interest in photography began with his mother’s Kodak Instamatic camera and continued through school and a decade working in photo labs. In 1991, that path brought him to Johnson’s photo lab and eventually behind the camera as a NASA photographer.
After more than three decades at Johnson, DeHoyos says connecting with people remains one of his favorite parts of the job. He enjoys learning about the people he photographs, sharing what he has learned about Johnson with visitors and new employees, and encouraging the next generation.
“I keep an assortment of NASA goodies in my camera bag, and the ultimate joy I get is giving a pin or sticker to a child and seeing their little faces just light up,” DeHoyos said. “It just warms my heart to encourage a youngster to work hard and pursue their dreams because that’s how I got here.”
For DeHoyos, photography is also about preserving moments that can take on greater meaning over time.
“I love the process of figuring out technical details to create an image that will make someone say, ‘Wow, cool shot, how did you do that?’” he said.
NASA’s Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman participates in emergency cabin leak training for the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the crew’s nearly 10-day mission around the Moon on April 11, 2026.NASA/David DeHoyos NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participates in emergency consultation training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos Members of NASA Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity, Robotics, and Crew Operations Division gather for a group photo in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory high bay. NASA/David DeHoyos NASA astronaut Anil Menon participates in a hardware review run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston on April 23, 2025. NASA/David DeHoyos The Honeybee Robotics prototype undergoes lunar VSAT (Vertical Solar Array Technology) testing inside Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/David DeHoyos About the AuthorSumer Loggins Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 5 min read Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA FindsLee esta historia en español aquí. Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride…
Article 2 hours ago 3 min read NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure Article 1 day ago 6 min read NASA Glenn’s Legacy Forged Through Decades of Flight Research Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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Behind the Lens: Meet NASA Johnson’s Photographers
Photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have documented some of the most defining moments in human spaceflight.
From astronaut training and engineering tests to mission control operations and milestone celebrations, their images preserve the history of exploration while capturing the people and teams behind the missions shaping the next era.
Meet the photographers behind the lens and explore the stories behind the images that have helped tell NASA’s story.
Robert Markowitz NASA photographer Robert Markowitz flies aboard a T-38 aircraft during flight operations.NASA/Robert Markowitz Being able to help tell the human spaceflight story, frame by frame, has been an incredible adventure.Robert Markowitz
NASA Photographer
For more than three decades, NASA photographer Robert Markowitz has documented the people and milestones that have shaped NASA’s human spaceflight program. His career has spanned the space shuttle program, 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, and Artemis II.
“My favorite part of this job has always come down to the range of assignments we take on and the people I get to work with every day,” Markowitz said.
One of Markowitz’s early career highlights came during the filming of “Apollo 13,” when he served as the behind-the-scenes still photographer for nearly every KC-135 zero-gravity flight. “Looking back as a 25-year-old photographer at Johnson, I don’t think I fully appreciated how unique an opportunity it was to be there documenting those moments,” he said.
Markowitz says the job has challenged him to grow as both a photographer and a communicator. Whether photographing dozens of individual portraits in a day or coordinating a 300-person group photo, each assignment has strengthened his ability to adapt, collaborate, and connect with people.
“This work has shaped not just my career, but my life,” he said. “Being part of a team that captures and preserves the story of human spaceflight continues to be one of the great honors of my time at Johnson.”
NASA’s Artemis II flight control team works on console in the White Flight Control Room in the Mission Control Center in Houston during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.NASA/Robert Markowitz Former Expedition 1 crewmembers Yuri Gidzenko, Bill Shepherd, and Sergei Krikalev celebrate the International Space Station’s 25th anniversary of continuous human habitation at Space Center Houston on Jan. 19, 2026. NASA/Robert Markowitz The Counterweight-Offload Astronaut Suited Test and Evaluation Rig is displayed in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. NASA/Robert Markowitz NASA’s Artemis II training team gathers in front of the Orion spacecraft mockup at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center on May 6, 2026.NASA/Robert Markowitz Country music artist Garth Brooks performs from mission control during a live event with the Expedition 52 crew aboard the International Space Station. From left are Dina Contella, deputy manager for the International Space Station in NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program; NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson; Garth Brooks; and Norm Knight, Flight Operations Director. NASA/Robert Markowitz Members of the Apollo 13 movie cast and crew take part in a zero-gravity flight aboard a KC-135 aircraft, owned by NASA at the time. Floating from left are actor Tom Hanks, who portrayed astronaut Jim Lovell; director Ron Howard; actor Bill Paxton, who portrayed astronaut Fred Haise; actor Kevin Bacon, who portrayed astronaut Jack Swigert; actor Gary Sinise, who portrayed astronaut Thomas Mattingly; and executive producer Todd Hallowell.NASA/Robert Markowitz Bill Stafford NASA photographer Bill Stafford photographs an event in the Teague Auditorium at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos I love figuring out how to frame a single image so it captures not just a moment, but the significance behind it.Bill Stafford
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Bill Stafford’s path to Johnson began during his senior year of college, when a friend who was completing a photography internship at the center told him about an opening on the photography team. With a longtime interest in science and technology, Stafford saw the opportunity to combine those interests with photography in an extraordinary environment.
Stafford approaches each assignment as a technical challenge and a storytelling opportunity. Whether working around constraints in lighting, timing, or access, he uses composition, visual psychology, and an understanding of how a viewer’s eye moves through an image to shape the final photograph.
“My favorite part of the job is the problem-solving that comes with it,” Stafford said.
Working at Johnson has sharpened those instincts as he photographs spacecraft, hardware, astronauts, and the people behind NASA’s human spaceflight missions.
“So many of the subjects I photograph carry weight and history that I want the image to reflect,” he said.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (right) and Victor Glover (left) participate in an Artemis II entry simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford NASA’s Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program test team conducts a mock spacewalk to prepare for lunar surface operations and technology development for future Artemis missions.NASA/Bill Stafford NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 Flight Engineer Anil Menon participates in photography training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Bill Stafford NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit is photographed inside a thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Bill Stafford Participants test technology during NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) test week at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford James Blair NASA photographer James Blair prepares to capture imagery during a flight operations assignment. NASA I truly enjoy capturing candid photos of people during decisive moments.James Blair
NASA Photographer
From newspapers across the country to working as a photographer and photo editor for a publication in Ecuador, NASA photographer James Blair began his career in photojournalism. Photography has taken him around the world, a path that has continued at Johnson with assignments ranging from astronaut training to geology field training in Iceland.
“Since I was very young, I have always been fascinated by spaceflight and the technology it takes to reach beyond Earth’s atmosphere,” Blair said.
At Johnson, Blair combines that fascination with his photojournalism background to document the people and technology shaping NASA’s next era of exploration.
“I enjoy documenting the new hardware that is being developed to return us to the Moon,” he said. “From spacesuits to rovers and potential lunar habitats, I get to show the world what NASA has in store for the future of human spaceflight.”
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA/James Blair Artemis II crew members Christina Koch (middle) and Victor Glover (right) participate in an Artemis lunar imaging training using an Orion crew configuration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/James Blair From left, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide and NASA astronaut candidates Yuri Kubo and Cameron Jones participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland. From left, EVA task officer Bridget Scheib, chief training officer John Ray, NASA astronaut candidate Cameron Jones, geology instructor and Artemis science officer Kelsey Young, associate research scientist Patrick Whelley, geology instructor and Artemis curation lead Juliane Gross, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland.NASA/James Blair From left, Artemis IV chief training officer Bryce Prescott, geology instructor Jacob Richardson, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participate in an Artemis geology field training expedition in Iceland. NASA/James Blair Helen Arase Vargas NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas captures a news conference on lunar terrain vehicles for Artemis missions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 3, 2024. NASA/Robert Markowitz I’ve always liked the idea of my work serving the public interest.Helen Arase Vargas
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Helen Arase Vargas began her career in photojournalism and reporting in Southern California before joining Boeing’s scientific photography team in El Segundo. Her experience photographing aerospace sparked an unexpected interest that eventually led her to Johnson.
“The best part of the job is my coworkers; cheesy, but there is so much to learn from everyone,” Arase Vargas said. “Our core team has so much knowledge. They are all quick to offer help and are great humans.”
Arase Vargas says much of the work at Johnson reflects the journalism ethics she learned early in her career and fulfills her desire to serve the public interest.
The range and volume of assignments also helped her become more comfortable working in different environments while continuing to develop her craft.
For Arase Vargas, documenting the Artemis II crew’s return to Ellington Field in Houston came with a heightened sense of responsibility.
“The world is watching, and all that imagery must be rushed out by the lab,” she said. “Your photo could be the one that ends up on every news site, and you don’t want to miss capturing the joy and celebration the moment deserves.”
NASA’s Artemis II crew returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the mission on April 11, 2026. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas The Artemis III crew poses for an official portrait in Houston, Texas. In the back row, from left, are NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio. In the front row, from left, are ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot poses in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit during a portrait session at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class participates in geology training at Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico on May 20, 2026. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas The 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class poses for a holiday photo during wilderness survival training at Fort Rucker in Alabama. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA teams conduct nighttime operations training with a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Ground Test Unit at Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas Luna Posadas Nava NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava documents the Artemis II crew return at Ellington Field in Houston. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava I have used the camera as a bridge between curiosity and understanding.Luna Posadas Nava
NASA Photographer
NASA photographer Luna Posadas Nava’s path to Johnson spans emerging technology, optics and imaging systems, and photographing artists across the East Coast. Her work grew from a desire to visualize and expand the boundaries of what is possible.
Joining Johnson shortly before the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, one of Posadas Nava’s first experiences was helping bring Moon Joy to the world. She documented the Science Evaluation Room, where scientists worked together to conduct real-time lunar science observations during the mission’s lunar flyby.
Posadas Nava said it was inspiring to witness the team at work and especially meaningful to see so many women contributing to the mission’s science.
Seeing the response from women in her own life and online reinforced for Posadas Nava the power of representation through photography.
“When we see ourselves in stories, we imagine new futures,” she said. “I hope my work helps more people see themselves in the story of exploration, because what we see shapes what we believe is possible.”
The Artemis II lunar science team celebrates in the Science Evaluation Room following the mission’s successful lunar flyby. Artemis II Deputy Lunar Science Lead Marie Henderson stands at left. From the right foreground are lunar science team members Ariel Deutsch; Maria Banks, behind her; Ryan Watkins, to her right; and Sara Schmidt.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava Artemis II deputy lunar science lead Jacob Richardson, left, and Artemis II lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes react to the astronauts’ verbal observations of the Moon during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava Artemis II science officer Angela Garcia, left, and lunar science team member Kiarre Dumes discuss science operations in the Science Evaluation Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.NASA/Luna Posadas Nava NASA engineers and teams from the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge test rover prototypes at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Rock Yard in Houston on July 31, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava NASA’s Artemis III crew participates in a video shoot for the crew announcement at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on June 3, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava The Expedition 73 crew attends a debrief and awards ceremony at Space Center Houston on June 16, 2026. NASA/Luna Posadas Nava David DeHoyos NASA photographer David DeHoyos is photographed during an assignment in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA I am very aware of the importance of preserving history and what it means to others when our images are shared with the world.David DeHoyos
NASA Photographer
Growing up in Houston during the Apollo era, NASA photographer David DeHoyos knew from an early age that he wanted to be part of the space industry. His interest in photography began with his mother’s Kodak Instamatic camera and continued through school and a decade working in photo labs. In 1991, that path brought him to Johnson’s photo lab and eventually behind the camera as a NASA photographer.
After more than three decades at Johnson, DeHoyos says connecting with people remains one of his favorite parts of the job. He enjoys learning about the people he photographs, sharing what he has learned about Johnson with visitors and new employees, and encouraging the next generation.
“I keep an assortment of NASA goodies in my camera bag, and the ultimate joy I get is giving a pin or sticker to a child and seeing their little faces just light up,” DeHoyos said. “It just warms my heart to encourage a youngster to work hard and pursue their dreams because that’s how I got here.”
For DeHoyos, photography is also about preserving moments that can take on greater meaning over time.
“I love the process of figuring out technical details to create an image that will make someone say, ‘Wow, cool shot, how did you do that?’” he said.
NASA’s Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman participates in emergency cabin leak training for the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover returns to Ellington Field in Houston following the crew’s nearly 10-day mission around the Moon on April 11, 2026.NASA/David DeHoyos NASA astronaut Zena Cardman participates in emergency consultation training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/David DeHoyos Members of NASA Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity, Robotics, and Crew Operations Division gather for a group photo in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory high bay. NASA/David DeHoyos NASA astronaut Anil Menon participates in a hardware review run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston on April 23, 2025. NASA/David DeHoyos The Honeybee Robotics prototype undergoes lunar VSAT (Vertical Solar Array Technology) testing inside Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/David DeHoyos About the AuthorSumer Loggins Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 5 min read Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA FindsLee esta historia en español aquí. Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride…
Article 18 hours ago 3 min read NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure Article 2 days ago 6 min read NASA Glenn’s Legacy Forged Through Decades of Flight Research Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
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Juan Pablo Castañeda The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
Explanation: Whatdunit? What disappeared while crossing a partially eclipsed Sun? Let’s present the evidence. The 24 frames-per-second video was taken in Spain (40°34’30.3″N 1°12’28.8″W) at 20:28 local time on August 12, 2026. The Perseids meteor shower was at its peak during this time. Is this a meteor? Meteor showers trace back to a region of the sky called a radiant point that corresponds to where the Earth is crossing a comet’s path. The object’s path might trace back to the Perseids’ radiant point in the Perseus constellation. The object trails a smaller angle on the sky than the 0.5 degree Sun and Moon, which is smaller than expected for a meteor. Its brightness does not extend much past the Sun, but a meteor burning up in the sky would not need sunlight to be seen. Perhaps the sunlight is reflecting off of the object? After cross-referencing the location, time, and point in the sky with a flight database, the culprit is found to be an airplane contrail!
Tomorrow’s picture: another mystery
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. Random APOD Generator Yesterday’s Image APOD: 2026 August 18 – Perseids from Perseus Tomorrow’s Image
APOD: 2026 August 19 – The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
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Juan Pablo Castañeda The Case of the Mysterious Maybe Meteor
Explanation: Whatdunit? What disappeared while crossing a partially eclipsed Sun? Let’s present the evidence. The 24 frames-per-second video was taken in Spain (40°34’30.3″N 1°12’28.8″W) at 20:28 local time on August 12, 2026. The Perseids meteor shower was at its peak during this time. Is this a meteor? Meteor showers trace back to a region of the sky called a radiant point that corresponds to where the Earth is crossing a comet’s path. The object’s path might trace back to the Perseids’ radiant point in the Perseus constellation. The object trails a smaller angle on the sky than the 0.5 degree Sun and Moon, which is smaller than expected for a meteor. Its brightness does not extend much past the Sun, but a meteor burning up in the sky would not need sunlight to be seen. Perhaps the sunlight is reflecting off of the object? After cross-referencing the location, time, and point in the sky with a flight database, the culprit is found to be an airplane contrail!
Tomorrow’s picture: another mystery
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. Random APOD Generator Yesterday’s Image APOD: 2026 August 18 – Perseids from Perseus Tomorrow’s Image
Life On Earth May Have Had A Cold Start
Nitrous oxide (otherwise known as laughing gas) is likely a key atmospheric component of life in the cosmos.
Touchdown! Private Chinese rocket aces landing on 2nd-ever flight (video)
China just notched another big spaceflight milestone.
The Beijing startup LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket this evening (Aug. 18), becoming the first Chinese company ever to do so during an orbital launch.
It was just the second Chinese orbital rocket touchdown overall. The first was pulled of on July 10 by a Long March 10B, which is built by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The first stage of Landspace's Zhuque-3 rocket rests on its landing pad shortly after its historic touchdown on Aug. 18, 2026. (Image credit: LandSpace)The Long March 10B had some help returning to Earth, settling softly into a net-like device affixed to a ship at sea. But Zhuque-3 came down on terra firma and stayed upright thanks to a set of landing legs, like those sported by SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
"This mission marks China's first-ever successful recovery attempt of the first stage of an orbital-class launch vehicle using landing legs, and China's first successful booster recovery on land," LandSpace said via X this evening.
"It is a pivotal flight test for Zhuque-3 as it transitions from the technological demonstration and verification phase toward the engineering application phase of reusability," the company added. "This mission further verified the design correctness and reliability of the Zhuque-3 reusable launch vehicle system, validated its first-stage recovery capability and engineering maturity."
Zhuque-3 broadly resembles the Falcon 9, which made its first landing way back in 2015 and now has more than 600 of them under its belt. Both feature a reusable booster and an expendable upper stage, and they're about the same height — 230 feet (70 meters) for the Falcon 9 and 216 feet (66 m) for Zhuque-3.
Their lifting power is similar as well. Zhuque-3 can haul about 40,350 pounds (18,300 kilograms) to low Earth orbit, while the Falcon 9's LEO payload capacity is 50,265 pounds (22,800 kg).
The two rockets use two very different fuels, however — a combination of liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene for the Falcon 9, compared to LOX and liquid methane for Zhuque-3. This "methalox" mixture is also used by Starship, the fully reusable megarocket that SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other spaceflight tasks.
LandSpace's Zhuque-3 rocket launches on its second-ever mission on Aug. 18, 2026. The flight was a success, and Zhuque-3's first stage returned to Earth for a landing — the first ever for a private Chinese orbital rocket. (Image credit: LandSpace)Today's launch — which occurred from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China at 7:35 p.m. EDT (2335 GMT; 7:35 a.m. on Aug. 19 Beijing time) — was the second overall for the Zhuque-3. The rocket first flew on Dec. 2, 2025, on a mostly successful debut; Zhuque-3's upper stage reached orbit as planned, which is rare for a first flight.
LandSpace tried to bring the booster back for a touchdown that day as well, but the attempt failed. Zhuque-3 suffered "an abnormal combustion" as it neared the ground, according to the state-run outlet Xinhua (translation by Google), and ended up exploding near the designated landing pad.
Today's mission, however, was an unqualified success for the Zhuque-3: The rocket's upper stage delivered a satellite called Honghu 03, which was developed by Hongqing Technology, to its designated orbit, LandSpace wrote in another X post today.
MISSION SUCCESS | ZhuQue-3 Y2 Reusable Launch Vehicle Achieved Full Success in Orbital Insertion and First-Stage RecoveryOn August 19, 2026, at 07:35 (UTC+8), the ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 reusable launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone.… pic.twitter.com/fshijOxgtcAugust 19, 2026
Zhuque-3 is part of a concerted Chinese push toward rocket reusability, an efficiency-boosting feature that has helped make the Falcon 9 the world's leading launcher by far. (The SpaceX rocket flew 165 times in 2025, roughly equalling the activity of all other orbital launchers combined.)
For example, CASC isn't just working on the Long March 10 line (which includes the 10A crew-carrying variant); its Long March 12A and 12B rockets will also have reusable first stages. The Long March 12A has lifted off once to date, in December 2025, and its debut was similar to that of Zhuque-3: The Long March 12A second stage reached orbit successfully, but its booster failed to stick the landing.
And then there are the private rockets. A number of Chinese companies in addition to LandSpace are working on vehicles with reusable first stages, including CAS Space, Deep Blue Aerospace, Galactic Energy, iSpace, Orienspace and Space Pioneer. So Chinese rocket landings may not be a novelty for much longer.
Even Near a Supermassive Black Hole, Stars Enrich the Interstellar Medium
Astronomers know that evolved AGB stars shed their outer layers, contributing to the makeup of the interstellar medium. But new JWST observations show this can happen even near a supermassive black hole, where powerful radiation could obliterate molecules.
Forget 'Halo' — the latest 'Futurama' episode has a ring world covered in super-intelligent rats (exclusive)
Ringed worlds seem to be a fertile source of science fiction material, whether it be in sci-fi master Larry Niven's circular alien constructs in his "Ringworld" novels, the spherical megastructures of "Halo's" video game universe — which just launched its "Campaign Evolved" remake of the original game for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 28 — or the ringed orbital habitat for the ultra-rich depicted in director Neill Blomkamp's 2013 sci-fi flick, "Elysium."
Leave it to the funny folks at Hulu's "Futurama" to tap into that popular trope in the latest episode titled "Lords of the Ring," where the Planet Express crew crash-lands on a strange world whose shape resembles a colossal space ring.
This weird location is inhabited entirely by super-smart rats, and it's not long before Fry, Leela, Amy, Bender, Hermes, Zoidberg and Professor Farnsworth are embroiled in a mission to figure out how this all came to be. "Futurama" Season 14 just blasted off Aug. 3, so there's plenty of time to catch up with the zany far-future antics.
A scene from the new "Futurama" season 14 episode, "Lords of the Ring" (Image credit: Hulu)"'Lords of the Ring' is absolutely loaded up with references and inspirations from classic sci-fi, even by our standards," showrunner David X. Cohen tells Space. "To begin with, the setting of the episode is a massive 'space ring' that creates its own artificial gravity as it rotates. I am a huge fan of space rings.
"The classic influence, of course, is the novel 'Ringworld' by Larry Niven, often cited as a prime example of the 'Big Dumb Object' genre of science fiction. It's a very memorable book, but the part you remember is the ring. If you have to pick one or the other, I'd recommend the 'Futurama' episode for more action."
Exclusive concept art for "Futurama's" latest episode, "Lords of the Ring" (Image credit: Hulu)Another influential ring for series executive producer Cohen, and a particular favorite of episode writer Bill Odenkirk, is the elegant orbiting space station seen in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" from 1968.
"I think in our earliest discussion of the episode he proposed something more like that, but it evolved as we pitched out the story from a small orbiting ring into a medium-sized big dumb space ring," he adds. "I need to mention that both Bill and I played a lot of 'Halo' back in the early 'Futurama' days and that surely lurked in the back of our minds.
"Aside from rings, the episode draws influence from 'Planet of the Apes.' If not for the whole ring aspect, we could have called it 'Planet of the Rats.' Several aspects of the episode, including the idea of forbidden ancient relics and the non-human mammal civilization, take inspiration from 'Planet of the Apes.' I guess it's an example of convergent evolution… all mammals in science fiction eventually evolve to run their own terrifying Planet-of-the-Whatever. And lastly... I'll mention there are some Easter-Egg references to the classic 'Rats of NIMH.' Keep an eye out!"
Gorgeous space imagery from this week's "Lords of the Ring" episode (Image credit: Hulu)Spectacular visuals presented in this seriously geeky episode are another standout for Cohen, who claims it's one of his favorites of the new season.
"The director, Crystal Chesney Thompson, actually had pet rats, and she really brought this insane world to life," he notes. "The rat acting as they switch between animal and human behaviors is hilarious, the ring itself is one of the most glorious things ever seen in the series, and the stylized section depicting the mysterious backstory of the ring world is a classic. I hope our nerding out over the details comes through!"
"Futurama" Season 14 currently airs on Hulu, with new episodes arriving each Monday through Sept. 28, 2026. "Lords of the Ring" aired on August 17, so it's available to watch right now.
NASA astronaut and 1st female French spacewalker remove failed ISS antenna but run out of time for replacement
Two astronauts — including the first French woman in history to perform a spacewalk — worked outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (Aug 18), becoming temporary TV repairpersons. Just like what frequently happens on Earth, the work required more time than the "appointment" allowed, requiring a second visit to be scheduled.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot were tasked with the removal and replacement of a Space-to-Ground antenna that since November had ceased being able to track NASA's data relay satellites, rendering it unusable. A second antenna has been in use since, continuing the transmission of critical data and enabling high-speed communications with Mission Control Houston.
Spacewalk planners had allocated about six and a half hours for the work to be completed. The two Expedition 75 crewmates were successful in removing the failed Space-to-Ground antenna from its mount on the station's truss but ran into delays disconnecting its electrical connections and and locking down gimbal bolts, or pins, to secure the large dish assembly during its transport to its temporary stowage location.
"We got into this with the mindset that we wanted everything to go perfectly," said Menon as the spacewalk came to an end. "Things were a lot different than expected, but what I would say that I am really impressed with is that all of those contingencies were well thought out."
As such, flight controllers had the astronauts tether the failed antenna to the truss and waived them off installing the replacement antenna, leaving it for a future extravehicular activity (EVA) still to be scheduled. Mission managers will decide whether to add that task to a spacewalk already planned for next Tuesday (Aug. 25) or to leave it for a later outing.
"We are looking at times," radioed Mission Control to the spacewalkers. "We are going to go directly to the long-duration tie-down of this SGANT on the Z-1 truss."
NASA astronaut Anil Menon is maneuvered outside of the International Space Station by the Candarm 2 robotic arm, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (Image credit: NASA)Menon and Adenot began the spacewalk at 8:29 a.m. EDT (1229 GMT) when they switched their spacesuits to battery power. Their EVA ended once they were back inside the U.S. Quest airlock and re-pressurization began at 2:52 p.m. EDT (1852 GMT).
Their total time logged on this spacewalk was 6 hours and 23 minutes.
Tuesday's spacewalk was the 282nd in support of ISS assembly, maintenance and upgrades. It was Menon's second EVA since making his first outing with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on Aug. 6, increasing his total spacewalking time to 12 hours and 50 minutes.
It was the first time that Sophie Adenot ventured into the vacuum of space, making her the first female and fifth citizen of France to perform a spacewalk after Jean-Loup Chrétien, Jean-Pierre Haigneré, Philippe Perrin, and Thomas Pesquet.
"What a day!" said Adenot. "My deepest gratitude to everyone who made this possible — the pioneers who came before us, but also the incredible teams working behind the scenes today."
This was the fifth spacewalk conducted out of the International Space Station this year, the second for Expedition 75 and the 97th using U.S. extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuits at the space station.
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The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects the nation’s forests from logging and other industry activities
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details
3 min read
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details This is an animated before-and-after view of the crater formed after a Falcon 9 upper stage struck the Moon’s surface on Aug. 5, 2026. These images were taken between Aug. 11 and 12 by the Narrow-Angle Camera on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. These images are enlarged three times from the original, with north facing up, and they cover an area about a quarter of a mile wide.NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines
Between Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. The crater formed on Aug. 5, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface following its January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission.
To capture imagery of the impact, engineers tilted the spacecraft so its cameras would point toward the crater each time LRO passed about 60 miles above the Moon, traveling 1 mile per second. The orbiter circles the Moon from pole to pole every two hours, while the Moon slowly rotates underneath it. To photograph a specific spot, the spacecraft must wait until that location turns into view, which took six days in this case.
Getting the pointing right was only half the challenge; timing had to be accurate as well. If the camera snapped even 10 seconds too early or too late, the target would drift off-center by 10 miles.
An artist concept video showing NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter circling the Moon.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabBecause of the variety of viewing angles, scientists could see the crater under multiple lighting conditions that revealed unique features. In images where the crater rim stood out, scientists measured its 60‑foot width. Scientists also determined the crater is less than 10 feet deep based on the length of its shadow.
To capture these details, LRO used its Narrow-Angle Camera, which can spot features as small as 3 feet wide.
Collected between Aug. 11 and 12 by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, six days after a Falcon 9 upper-stage booster impacted the Moon, these images were taken from different viewing angles, bringing out different features. The darker area that fans around the crater in the upper-left image is rougher than the surroundings, as this surface material has been altered over a long time by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. The brighter rays and splotch above the crater in the lower-right image is fresher material that was excavated from deeper below the surface. The pictures are arranged in the order they were taken, starting at the top left and moving toward the bottom right, with the lighting angle from the Sun gradually changing from one image to the next. Each image is enlarged two times and shows an area of the Moon about 1,000 feet wide.NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines
The images above show bright and dark rays stretching out from the crater. The darker streaks are made of surface dust and rocks altered over a long time by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. This weathered material was excavated by the collision from 1.5 feet into the lunar surface. The brighter streaks near the crater rim are made of fresh material excavated from deeper underground.
This image from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows two oval regions where the Falcon 9 upper stage was likely to impact the Moon, based on calculations by engineers with NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Both ellipses are 2.1 miles long and 0.4 miles wide. Both predictions use the same booster-trajectory calculations, but only the blue ellipse takes into account the lunar terrain. The red and blue dots show predicted impact locations, whereas the cyan dot shows the actual impact site.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Finding the impact site took global coordination among experts and hobbyists. Independent astronomers first identified the rocket’s trajectory using publicly available data. NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, which tracks natural objects that could pose hazards to Earth for the agency’s Planetary Defense program, used this opportunity to test and validate tools and techniques for predicting impacts.
Based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the center incrementally refined the trajectory until identifying the location of impact, which it provided to the Republic of Korea for their Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) team. The team used the high-resolution LUTI camera on Danuri a few hours later to image the crater, finding the prediction was accurate to about 0.6 miles.
After capturing images of the crater, the Danuri mission sent coordinates to NASA’s LRO team to help refine their follow-up imaging sequence. Comparing their new crater images with the pre-impact images, the LRO team updated the crater center coordinates: 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E, 511 meters elevation.
About the AuthorNASA Science Editorial Team Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 5 min read Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds Article 49 minutes ago 3 min read Elephant Butte Reservoir Runs LowDrought in the Rio Grande basin contributed to New Mexico’s largest reservoir dwindling to its…
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NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details
3 min read
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details This is an animated before-and-after view of the crater formed after a Falcon 9 upper stage struck the Moon’s surface on Aug. 5, 2026. These images were taken between Aug. 11 and 12 by the Narrow-Angle Camera on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. These images are enlarged three times from the original, with north facing up, and they cover an area about a quarter of a mile wide.NASA Goddard/Intuitive MachinesBetween Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. The crater formed on Aug. 5, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface following its January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission.
To capture imagery of the impact, engineers tilted the spacecraft so its cameras would point toward the crater each time LRO passed about 60 miles above the Moon, traveling 1 mile per second. The orbiter circles the Moon from pole to pole every two hours, while the Moon slowly rotates underneath it. To photograph a specific spot, the spacecraft must wait until that location turns into view, which took six days in this case.
Getting the pointing right was only half the challenge; timing had to be accurate as well. If the camera snapped even 10 seconds too early or too late, the target would drift off-center by 10 miles.
An artist concept video showing NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter circling the Moon.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabBecause of the variety of viewing angles, scientists could see the crater under multiple lighting conditions that revealed unique features. In images where the crater rim stood out, scientists measured its 60‑foot width. Scientists also determined the crater is less than 10 feet deep based on the length of its shadow.
To capture these details, LRO used its Narrow-Angle Camera, which can spot features as small as 3 feet wide.
Collected between Aug. 11 and 12 by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, six days after a Falcon 9 upper-stage booster impacted the Moon, these images were taken from different viewing angles, bringing out different features. The darker area that fans around the crater in the upper-left image is rougher than the surroundings, as this surface material has been altered over a long time by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. The brighter rays and splotch above the crater in the lower-right image is fresher material that was excavated from deeper below the surface. The pictures are arranged in the order they were taken, starting at the top left and moving toward the bottom right, with the lighting angle from the Sun gradually changing from one image to the next. Each image is enlarged two times and shows an area of the Moon about 1,000 feet wide.NASA Goddard/Intuitive MachinesThe images above show bright and dark rays stretching out from the crater. The darker streaks are made of surface dust and rocks altered over a long time by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. This weathered material was excavated by the collision from 1.5 feet into the lunar surface. The brighter streaks near the crater rim are made of fresh material excavated from deeper underground.
This image from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows two oval regions where the Falcon 9 upper stage was likely to impact the Moon, based on calculations by engineers with NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Both ellipses are 2.1 miles long and 0.4 miles wide. Both predictions use the same booster-trajectory calculations, but only the blue ellipse takes into account the lunar terrain. The red and blue dots show predicted impact locations, whereas the cyan dot shows the actual impact site.NASA/JPL-CaltechFinding the impact site took global coordination among experts and hobbyists. Independent astronomers first identified the rocket’s trajectory using publicly available data. NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, which tracks natural objects that could pose hazards to Earth for the agency’s Planetary Defense program, used this opportunity to test and validate tools and techniques for predicting impacts.
Based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the center incrementally refined the trajectory until identifying the location of impact, which it provided to the Republic of Korea for their Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) team. The team used the high-resolution LUTI camera on Danuri a few hours later to image the crater, finding the prediction was accurate to about 0.6 miles.
After capturing images of the crater, the Danuri mission sent coordinates to NASA’s LRO team to help refine their follow-up imaging sequence. Comparing their new crater images with the pre-impact images, the LRO team updated the crater center coordinates: 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E, 511 meters elevation.
About the AuthorNASA Science Editorial Team Share Details Last Updated Aug 19, 2026 Related Terms Explore More 5 min read Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds Article 49 minutes ago 3 min read Elephant Butte Reservoir Runs LowDrought in the Rio Grande basin contributed to New Mexico’s largest reservoir dwindling to its…
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NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Credit: National Institute of Aerospace
NASA’s next Gateways to Blue Skies competition invites collegiate teams to imagine innovative new ways aircraft could inspect land-based infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, to improve safety, reliability, and costs by 2035 or sooner.
Infrastructure is the foundation of the nation’s strong economy, global competitiveness, and daily quality of life. When that infrastructure is damaged or in disrepair, it restricts the movement of people, goods, and critical resources like water and energy. Inspections are important throughout the lifetime of infrastructure projects, but they often come with challenges.
Structures such as tunnels, bridges, highways, railways, and electric grids can be massive in size and difficult to reach. They can require disruptive shutdowns to access, or force workers to navigate extreme heights, confined spaces, and hazardous environments. As infrastructure ages and expands, there are opportunities to use innovative airborne platforms to improve current inspection practices.
“The demands for creative solutions like airborne platforms to improve the infrastructure sector are increasing exponentially,” said Steven Holz, Gateways to Blue Skies competition lead, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “The time is ripe for innovative students to transform how we work with our critical infrastructure, and this competition gives talented students the opportunity to do so.”
Sponsored by NASA’s University Innovation Project, the 2027 Gateways to Blue Skies competition encourages multidisciplinary teams of college students to conceptualize innovations in the world of aviation. Each year, the competition selects a new theme based on a complex challenge facing the Nation. It aims to engage as many students as possible from all backgrounds, majors, and collegiate levels.
The competition is open to teams of two to six students and divided into two phases. In Phase 1, teams will submit a proposal and an accompanying two-minute video, which will be judged by NASA and industry experts. Up to eight finalist teams will each receive a $9,000 prize and advance to Phase 2, where they will present their updated work to a panel of NASA and industry experts at a forum in May 2027. Winners will be offered the opportunity to intern with NASA Aeronautics in the academic year following the forum.
Teams interested in participating in the competition can review guidelines and eligibility requirements posted on the competition website. Teams are encouraged to submit a non-binding Notice of Intent by Monday, Oct. 12, via the website to stay apprised of competition news. Proposal and video submissions are due Feb. 22, 2027. The Gateway to Blue Skies Competition is run by the Aeronautics Division in NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate. NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, manages the challenge contract. The National Institute of Aerospace administers the challenge on behalf of NASA.
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NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Credit: National Institute of AerospaceNASA’s next Gateways to Blue Skies competition invites collegiate teams to imagine innovative new ways aircraft could inspect land-based infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, to improve safety, reliability, and costs by 2035 or sooner.
Infrastructure is the foundation of the nation’s strong economy, global competitiveness, and daily quality of life. When that infrastructure is damaged or in disrepair, it restricts the movement of people, goods, and critical resources like water and energy. Inspections are important throughout the lifetime of infrastructure projects, but they often come with challenges.
Structures such as tunnels, bridges, highways, railways, and electric grids can be massive in size and difficult to reach. They can require disruptive shutdowns to access, or force workers to navigate extreme heights, confined spaces, and hazardous environments. As infrastructure ages and expands, there are opportunities to use innovative airborne platforms to improve current inspection practices.
“The demands for creative solutions like airborne platforms to improve the infrastructure sector are increasing exponentially,” said Steven Holz, Gateways to Blue Skies competition lead, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “The time is ripe for innovative students to transform how we work with our critical infrastructure, and this competition gives talented students the opportunity to do so.”
Sponsored by NASA’s University Innovation Project, the 2027 Gateways to Blue Skies competition encourages multidisciplinary teams of college students to conceptualize innovations in the world of aviation. Each year, the competition selects a new theme based on a complex challenge facing the Nation. It aims to engage as many students as possible from all backgrounds, majors, and collegiate levels.
The competition is open to teams of two to six students and divided into two phases. In Phase 1, teams will submit a proposal and an accompanying two-minute video, which will be judged by NASA and industry experts. Up to eight finalist teams will each receive a $9,000 prize and advance to Phase 2, where they will present their updated work to a panel of NASA and industry experts at a forum in May 2027. Winners will be offered the opportunity to intern with NASA Aeronautics in the academic year following the forum.
Teams interested in participating in the competition can review guidelines and eligibility requirements posted on the competition website. Teams are encouraged to submit a non-binding Notice of Intent by Monday, Oct. 12, via the website to stay apprised of competition news. Proposal and video submissions are due Feb. 22, 2027. The Gateway to Blue Skies Competition is run by the Aeronautics Division in NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate. NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, manages the challenge contract. The National Institute of Aerospace administers the challenge on behalf of NASA.
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Astronomers Finally See the Twisted Magnetic Fields That Drive Protostar Jets
For decades, scientists have theorized that young protostar jets are shaped and driven by complex, twisted magnetic fields. But they couldn't detect them. Now, thanks to ALMA, they've found them around a young binary protostar.
Starship lives! SpaceX craft arrives at Christmas Island after 24-day ocean ordeal
The seas have been kind, or at least kinder than expected, to SpaceX's Starship spacecraft, as it's been tugged through the Indian Ocean to friendlier tides.
Ship 40, the upper stage that flew on Starship's Flight 13 test launch, performed the vehicle's first successful intact ocean splashdown at the end of its mission on July 24, after lifting off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas. The spacecraft landed in the Indian Ocean as planned and has since become the focus of the SpaceX Recovery team, tasked with hauling it to port.
Over the past 24 days, that team faced "challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas," SpaceX said in an Aug. 7 post on X, and at one point was not expected to be successful in its efforts to haul Ship 40 safely to shore. Despite the odds, however, they have now reached calmer waters. The massive, 171-foot-tall (52 meters) spacecraft now floats just offshore of Christmas Island, awaiting inspection. "A team of SpaceX engineers is on their way to conduct additional analysis on the vehicle in calmer waters before attempting to return it to Starbase," the company said in an Aug. 18 update.
SpaceX Ship 40 from Starship's 13th test flight to calm waters off the shore of Christmas Island. (Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceXSpaceXChristmas Island is an Australian territory about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) northwest of Broome. Most of the island is a national park, and it's famous for its 40 million or so red land crabs, which migrate en masse to the sea to spawn in one of the world's great wildlife spectacles.
Flight 13 was the second launch for the Version 3 (V3) design of SpaceX's towering Starship rocket. V3's debut on Flight 12 in May didn't quite go as planned — engine issues after stage separation caused the vehicle's Super Heavy booster to crash into the Gulf of Mexico instead of splashing down softly as intended. Ship 39 executed its landing burn above the Indian Ocean just like Ship 40 did, but Ship 39 exploded after toppling into the water — the expected outcome for Ship during Starship test flights. Ship 40 was the first one to survive the splashdown intact.
The fact that Ship 40 didn't explode has given SpaceX the unexpected opportunity to study the spacecraft up close. The company's iterative design process has led to the introduction of incremental improvements for each progressive Starship launch. Ship 40 is the first upper stage that has flown in space and returned in one piece, and it therefore provides a previously unstudied article for evaluation as SpaceX works to perfect the spacecraft's aerodynamics, hydraulics, heat tile efficiency and overall design.
After approx. 24 days at sea, the SpaceX Recovery team successfully guided Starship to a location just off the coast of Christmas Island. A team of SpaceX engineers is on their way to conduct additional analysis on the vehicle in calmer waters before attempting to return it to… pic.twitter.com/h6YYWb0LT5August 18, 2026
Starship is SpaceX's super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to be the world's most powerful rocket, and the first capable of full reusability. Starship's expected readiness for operational missions has been a shifting goalpost since its first test launch in April 2023, and there are still some big milestones that SpaceX needs to reach in order to avoid rippling delays through other parts of the space industry.
NASA has contracted SpaceX to build a version of Starship to land astronauts on the moon as a part of the Artemis IV mission in 2028, and to fly a compatible V3 Starship to practice rendezvous and docking maneuvers with the Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit on Artemis III next year. Starship still has several boxes to check on NASA's qualifications list before it will be certified to fly astronauts, and a significant one of the those, reaching orbit, may be just on the horizon.
SpaceX is already preparing Ship 41 and its Super Heavy booster for Flight 14. During that flight, the company plans to not only deliver the upper stage to orbit but also to return Ship to Starbase for recovery using the "Mechazilla" launch tower's chopstick arms — a major step toward Starship's full reuse capability. SpaceX hopes to launch Flight 14 before the end of August, CEO Elon Musk said during the company's first earnings call earlier this month.
SpaceX launches its 100th mission of the year, sends Starlink satellites to orbit (video)
SpaceX has hit the century mark for the third year in a row.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday (Aug. 19) at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT; 9:01 p.m. on Aug. 18 local time).
It was the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th mission of 2026 overall for SpaceX.
The Falcon 9's first stage rests on the deck of a drone ship after its successful landing on Aug. 19, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)The mission is carrying 24 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit. If all goes according to plan, the Falcon 9's upper stage will deploy them there 61.5 minutes after liftoff.
The rocket's first stage, meanwhile, came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes into flight as planned, landing in the Pacific Ocean on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." It was the 12th mission for this particular booster, which is designated B1097.
B1097 is no stranger to milestone flights. During a Starlink launch this past April, for example, the booster performed the 600th landing of an orbital rocket in SpaceX's illustrious history.
Previous Booster B1097 launchesSentinel-6B | Twilight | NROL-172 | Transporter-17 | 7 Starlink missions
The vast majority of SpaceX's launches this year — at the moment, 74 of them — have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 11,000 operational satellites.
One of SpaceX's three non-Falcon 9 launches of 2026 was performed by its Falcon Heavy rocket. The other two were suborbital test flights of Starship, the giant, fully reusable vehicle that SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other tasks.
SpaceX first topped 100 launches in 2024, when it conducted a total of 138 missions (132 by Falcon 9, two by Falcon Heavy and four by Starship). In 2025, the company flew a total of 170 times (165 by Falcon 9 and five by Starship).
Such numbers will jump dramatically in the coming years, if all goes to plan. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has said the company wants to launch Starship multiple times per day, boosting annual tallies to 1,000 or so. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy aren't part of this longer-term picture; SpaceX wants to phase them out and have Starship shoulder the load.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:20 a.m. ET on Aug. 19 with news of successful launch and rocket landing.