Feed aggregator
Career Spotlight: Mechanic (Ages 14-18)
Machines and engines are all around us. They power everything from cars and boats to airplanes and even rockets. Mechanics are experts who know how machinery works, especially engines, and how to fix them.
When you think of a mechanic, you might picture someone working on cars. But mechanics can be experts on all kinds of machinery.
What are some of the different types of work mechanics do at NASA?At NASA, mechanics perform a variety of functions. For example, aerospace mechanics maintain the airplanes studied at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. These might include research planes studying the environment or experimental aircraft testing new wing designs.
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, mechanics keep machines like the crawler-transporters in top working condition. These massive machines carry rockets from the building where they are assembled to the launch pad.
Mechanics at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans ensure the fleet of barges used to carry powerful rocket sections are maintained and ready to use. These large ships have been used for decades to carry rocket parts to various NASA centers for testing and launches.
Mechanics from Aerojet Rocketdyne inspect the engine controller of an RS-25 rocket engine at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.NASA How can I become a mechanic?
There are many options that provide the training needed to get started as a mechanic. Different types of mechanics require different types of training and certifications. Here are a few examples.
Automotive mechanic: Automotive mechanics are experts at the interconnected systems in cars and trucks. After getting a high school diploma or GED, seek out trade or technical schools that have mechanic training programs. These provide hands-on experience. Further training may be required to work on specific types of automobiles. Certifications can help you advance specific skills and demonstrate proficiency.
Heavy equipment mechanic: The path to a career as a heavy equipment mechanic often begins with a two-year degree. Look for a program at your local community college or technical school. Opportunities to begin working right after high school are also available. You may start by doing basic tasks or by being paired with a senior mechanic to build skills. Most heavy equipment mechanics go through three to four years of hands-on training before taking certification and licensing tests.
Aircraft mechanic: Maintaining and repairing aircraft requires a special skillset. Community colleges and technical schools offer programs approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. These programs can fast-track your route to a career. They provide hands-on experience and help you prepare for tests needed to receive your certifications.
For many mechanic roles, military service is also a way to get training and certifications.
How can I start preparing today to become a mechanic?In high school, take courses in math, science, and industrial technology. Check out any career and technical education programs your school might offer. Read repair manuals and look for online tutorials to figure out the basics of how machines work.
You can also gain useful experience through part-time work. Look for jobs or shadowing opportunities at your local repair shop.
Begin researching training programs, community colleges, and apprenticeship opportunities. Compare options to see which pathway seems right for you. This will help you understand program requirements and ensure you’re ready to take the next step.
Rebekah Tolatovicz, a mechanical technician lead, works inside the Artemis III Orion crew module NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.NASA What skills will I need to be a successful mechanic?
Mechanics must be good problem solvers. Troubleshooting repairs on complex machinery requires logical thinking and patience. Being detail-oriented is critical to make sure measurements are correct and safety specifications are met.
Keeping up with the latest technology is important, too. Mechanics use computer equipment and electronic sensors to run diagnostics. And machinery technology can evolve rapidly with new advancements like electric vehicles and drones. Take initiative and stay curious.
Wissam Habbal
Aircraft Mechanic, Armstrong Flight Research Center
Additional Resources- Occupational Outlook for Mechanical Engineering Technicians: Pay, Education, Job Outlook, and More (From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Occupational Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics: Pay, Education, Job Outlook, and More (From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- NASA Careers
- Career Spotlight: Engineer
- Career Spotlight: Scientist
- Career Spotlight: Technologist
- Career Spotlight: Mathematician
- Career Spotlight: Welder
For Students Grades 9-12
NASA Internship Programs
Next Gen STEM for Careers
Careers
Career Spotlight: Mechanic (Ages 14-18)
Machines and engines are all around us. They power everything from cars and boats to airplanes and even rockets. Mechanics are experts who know how machinery works, especially engines, and how to fix them.
When you think of a mechanic, you might picture someone working on cars. But mechanics can be experts on all kinds of machinery.
What are some of the different types of work mechanics do at NASA?At NASA, mechanics perform a variety of functions. For example, aerospace mechanics maintain the airplanes studied at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. These might include research planes studying the environment or experimental aircraft testing new wing designs.
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, mechanics keep machines like the crawler-transporters in top working condition. These massive machines carry rockets from the building where they are assembled to the launch pad.
Mechanics at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans ensure the fleet of barges used to carry powerful rocket sections are maintained and ready to use. These large ships have been used for decades to carry rocket parts to various NASA centers for testing and launches.
Mechanics from Aerojet Rocketdyne inspect the engine controller of an RS-25 rocket engine at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.NASA How can I become a mechanic?There are many options that provide the training needed to get started as a mechanic. Different types of mechanics require different types of training and certifications. Here are a few examples.
Automotive mechanic: Automotive mechanics are experts at the interconnected systems in cars and trucks. After getting a high school diploma or GED, seek out trade or technical schools that have mechanic training programs. These provide hands-on experience. Further training may be required to work on specific types of automobiles. Certifications can help you advance specific skills and demonstrate proficiency.
Heavy equipment mechanic: The path to a career as a heavy equipment mechanic often begins with a two-year degree. Look for a program at your local community college or technical school. Opportunities to begin working right after high school are also available. You may start by doing basic tasks or by being paired with a senior mechanic to build skills. Most heavy equipment mechanics go through three to four years of hands-on training before taking certification and licensing tests.
Aircraft mechanic: Maintaining and repairing aircraft requires a special skillset. Community colleges and technical schools offer programs approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. These programs can fast-track your route to a career. They provide hands-on experience and help you prepare for tests needed to receive your certifications.
For many mechanic roles, military service is also a way to get training and certifications.
How can I start preparing today to become a mechanic?In high school, take courses in math, science, and industrial technology. Check out any career and technical education programs your school might offer. Read repair manuals and look for online tutorials to figure out the basics of how machines work.
You can also gain useful experience through part-time work. Look for jobs or shadowing opportunities at your local repair shop.
Begin researching training programs, community colleges, and apprenticeship opportunities. Compare options to see which pathway seems right for you. This will help you understand program requirements and ensure you’re ready to take the next step.
Rebekah Tolatovicz, a mechanical technician lead, works inside the Artemis III Orion crew module NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.NASA What skills will I need to be a successful mechanic?Mechanics must be good problem solvers. Troubleshooting repairs on complex machinery requires logical thinking and patience. Being detail-oriented is critical to make sure measurements are correct and safety specifications are met.
Keeping up with the latest technology is important, too. Mechanics use computer equipment and electronic sensors to run diagnostics. And machinery technology can evolve rapidly with new advancements like electric vehicles and drones. Take initiative and stay curious.
Wissam Habbal
Aircraft Mechanic, Armstrong Flight Research Center
Additional Resources- Occupational Outlook for Mechanical Engineering Technicians: Pay, Education, Job Outlook, and More (From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Occupational Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics: Pay, Education, Job Outlook, and More (From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- NASA Careers
- Career Spotlight: Engineer
- Career Spotlight: Scientist
- Career Spotlight: Technologist
- Career Spotlight: Mathematician
- Career Spotlight: Welder
For Students Grades 9-12
NASA Internship Programs
Next Gen STEM for Careers
Careers
I sailed to Greenland for a total solar eclipse — what I saw left me speechless
I woke up on the morning of Aug. 12 and looked out of the window to something I hadn't dared hope for: blue sky.
After days of scrutinizing weather models that seemed determined to test the nerves of everyone aboard the HX Expeditions ship MS Spitsbergen, somehow, against the odds, the clouds had cleared. Even then, I didn't trust it (especially after my 2024 eclipse experience). We had traveled thousands of miles, crossed the Greenland Sea and ventured deep into Scoresby Sund to put ourselves in the path of the moon's shadow. Now there was nothing to do but wait — and hope the sky stayed clear.
The wind howled across the deck, but nobody seemed to mind. If anything, it was helping us, keeping the clouds at bay. The atmosphere aboard felt like Christmas Eve with a ship full of overexcited children. Some guests had chased eclipses across the world; for others, this would be their first. Either way, Aug. 12 was the date we'd been waiting years for.
But by the time we reached Scoresby Sund, something had shifted.
I had traveled all this way to look up. Instead, I found myself looking around. I'd come here for 2 minutes and 14 seconds of darkness. Instead, Greenland had spent the previous days relentlessly demanding my full attention.
This trip was made possible by travel and accommodation provided by HX Expeditions.
After a couple of days at sea during the crossing from Svalbard to East Greenland, our first sight of land appeared almost like a mirage on the horizon. Soon, icebergs were drifting past the ship and the scale of the landscape became increasingly difficult to comprehend. We could sail for hours through Northeast Greenland National Park without seeing a single sign of human civilization beyond our own ship. At times, moving through those immense geological landscapes felt less like traveling across Earth and more like exploring some distant, icy-covered moon.
The East Coast of Greenland is one of the most remarkable environments I have ever experienced. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)Yet, the more otherworldly Greenland appeared, the more it made me appreciate our own planet.
At times it felt as though I'd stepped into a geology textbook. Processes and structures I'd previously seen reduced to diagrams were suddenly towering above me. And amongst all the enormity were the tiniest signs of life: lichens and miniature Arctic plants hugging the ground beneath vast mountains and glaciers.
The scale and contrast were overwhelming at times, and no view stayed the same for long.
An iceberg viewed from one side could morph into a completely different form as the ship sailed past it. A break in the clouds could transform a gray mountainside in seconds. In Scoresby Sund, even the ice seemed to echo the landscape around it as jagged peaks, flat-topped slabs and sculpted ridges rose from the water like miniature versions of the colossal mountains behind them.
A landscape dominated by giants. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)The Greenland scenery was a gift that kept on giving, and I found myself increasingly reluctant to go inside. I began meticulously scanning for wildlife, because I'd learned how quickly something extraordinary could appear.
On an impromptu evening walk in Longyearbyen before we set sail, beluga whales had suddenly surfaced in the bay. Later, in Greenland, while I was distracted by a spectacular circumzenithal arc and sundogs overhead, one of a handful of people still standing on deck spotted two tiny white shapes in the water. I thought they were birds bobbing along.
Then I lifted my camera and zoomed in.
Polar bears.
Two unexpected visitors. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future, captured with Sony A7RV and FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens)It became something of a lesson for the expedition: stay curious, keep your eyes open and remember to look both up and down.
That curiosity seemed to unite everyone aboard. Guests had traveled from around the world for this eclipse opportunity. There were seasoned eclipse chasers looking to experience totality somewhere extraordinary, first-timers who had no idea how they would react and people drawn as much by the adventure and wildlife, as the eclipse itself.
HX Expeditions' onboard science and education programme gave that shared enthusiasm somewhere to go. Our days were filled with nature landings, lectures, citizen-science projects and conversations with experts, helping us do more than simply travel through Greenland. The programme encouraged us to pay closer attention — not merely to see the landscape, but to understand and truly experience it.
Conversations jumped from eclipses to wildlife, travel, geology and perhaps, inevitably for a ship full of skywatchers, clouds. We took part in the GLOBE Observer cloud citizen science project and found ourselves happily studying them — while collectively hoping they would be nowhere near the sun on eclipse day.
The eclipse had brought us together, but the journey had quickly become about much more.
MS Spitsbergen poised and ready for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)Then, on Aug. 12, our attention returned to the sky.
When the moon took its first tiny bite from the solar disk, excitement rippled across the deck. For the next hour, it steadily consumed more of the sun.
As totality approached, the quality of the light began to change.
It became strangely yellow and dull, yet at the same time the landscape seemed almost unnaturally sharp. It was eerie — familiar enough to still resemble daylight, but wrong enough that your brain knew something extraordinary was happening.
Poised and ready for the eclipse. I captured the image of totality with a Sony A7RV and FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens and a makeshift solar filter using Baader AstroSolar Safety Film. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)What amazed me most was how long that daylight persisted.
Even when only the tiniest sliver of sun remained, Greenland was still illuminated. I knew scientifically how intensely bright the solar photosphere is, but knowing it and watching that minuscule fraction of sunlight continue to illuminate an entire landscape were two very different things.
Then the final fraction disappeared.
The world around me plunged into twilight.
And there it was.
Totality.
The total solar eclipse viewed from the deck of HX Expeditions' MS Spitsbergen. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)I knew exactly what I was supposed to see. I've written about eclipses for years. I understand the science. I had seen thousands of photographs of the corona, prominences, Baily's beads and diamond rings.
None of it prepared me for the feeling of actually seeing one.
The first thing that struck me was how large the eclipsed sun appeared to the naked eye. Photographs had never prepared me for that sense of scale, nor how much detail I could see with my own eyes.
The giant pink prominence on the lower left limb was bright enough to see with the naked eye. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future, captured with Sony A7RV and FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens)The moon itself looked impossibly dark — a black void punched into the sky — surrounded by the pearly white corona. Long streamers stretched away from the sun and around the moon's edge I could see bright pink prominences.
I was so surprised to see this vivid pink color with my own eyes. For 2 minutes and 14 seconds, I saw the sun as I had never seen it before.
But even then, I couldn't just look up.
I looked around. Jupiter and Mercury shone clearly off to one side of the eclipsed sun, with Mercury far brighter and easier to spot than I had expected. Venus blazed on the other side.
Then I looked down. Below the eclipsed sun were icebergs. Beside us rose the immense walls of Scoresby Sund. Glaciers carved their path through the landscape.
Above it all hung that black disk and its enormous, delicate corona. My brain simply couldn't take it all in.
There was too much beauty. Too much scale. Too much happening at once.
People use words such as "mind-blowing" and "speechless" so often that they begin to lose their meaning.
But my mind was really blown. And I really was speechless. Perhaps the best way I can describe it is that my mind felt full, but quiet. Full because there was almost too much to comprehend, but quiet because for those fleeting moments, there was room for nothing else.
I was astonished by how much of the corona you could see with the naked eye. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future, captured with Sony A7RV and FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens)The intensity of the experience surprised guests who had originally joined the voyage for different reasons.
"My husband and I came to see the wildlife, and we were actually in awe of what we saw in relation to the solar eclipse," Kenya Haupt, from Colorado, told Space.com. "Truly an emotional experience"
The reasons for joining the expedition varied, but beneath the moon’s shadow, the experience became a collective one.
For Shubhada Maitra, from India, it was her first total solar eclipse.
"When I looked around me, I just had a feeling that we were one community, taking part in one of the most spectacular, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime celestial events," Maitra said. "Although we came from different countries, different nationalities, genders, all of that, that solar eclipse just bound us together."
"Without saying anything, we were just so connected in that experience."
Lisa Marie Morse, from Rhode Island, described the eclipse as both "joyous and melancholy."
"In that moment of darkness, I felt a powerful connection with all living things, to an infinite ancient rhythm locking us together for 134 seconds of shared awareness, then releasing us back into our daily slumber," Morse said. "It was magical."
Then, almost as quickly as totality had arrived, it was ending.
The first brilliant beads of sunlight appeared from behind the moon.
They were beautiful, but there was a sadness in seeing them too. The corona, prominences and extraordinary black void that had dominated the sky were about to disappear once more into the overwhelming glare of the sun.
Two minutes and 14 seconds had somehow felt both packed with experience and impossibly brief. I had just enough time to look with my naked eye, search for planets, check it out through binoculars and try to absorb the reactions around me.
Then it was gone.
For seasoned eclipse chaser Roy Tillcock from the Isle of Wight, the clear view had come as a genuine surprise.
"This was one of the most unexpected eclipses I've seen," he said. "I did not have high hopes of seeing it, and there it was. Brilliant."
And, as if to underline just how fortunate we had been, the clouds rolled in shortly after totality. A few minutes later, and this could have been a very different story.
Some skywatchers were emotional. Others were exhilarated. Many, like me, seemed to be struggling to find words big enough for what had happened.
Perhaps that is part of why eclipse chasing becomes so addictive. We can explain the science of totality in extraordinary detail. We can calculate the path of the moon's shadow years in advance, travel thousands of miles to stand beneath it and know exactly when and where darkness will fall.
But knowing what to expect is not the same as experiencing it.
The following morning, Greenland was still there, still demanding my undivided attention. Icebergs drifted past the ship. Mountains towered above the fjord. The sunlight shifted and the landscape transformed once again. I had traveled all this way to look up.
There was never a bad view as we journeyed through Scoresby Sund aboard MS Spitsbergen. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future)But somewhere along the journey, I had learned to truly look around. Here I was, standing on a planet of glaciers, oceans, wildlife and ancient rock, watching its moon pass perfectly across its star at a moment in Earth's history when their apparent size in our sky happened to match. How lucky are we to experience any of this? Luck, ultimately, is something no eclipse chaser can ignore.
We could calculate where the shadow would fall. We could sail into its path. We could scrutinize forecasts, prepare our equipment and position ourselves as carefully as possible.
But we couldn't command the clouds to cooperate.
Nature always has the final say. And on Aug. 12, 2026, in a remote fjord in East Greenland, nature said yes.
Greenland was full of surprises. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future, captured with Sony A7RV and FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens)Editor's note: This trip was made possible by travel and accommodation provided by HX Expeditions.
NASA images reveal 60-foot-wide crater on moon left by SpaceX rocket
The SpaceX rocket fragment hit the moon at several times the speed of sound on August 5
What Can We Actually Find on an Exoplanet? Part 3: Reading the Face of a Planet
A single pixel of light holds astonishing detail. How ocean glint, rotational mapping, and the vegetation red edge let us read a distant planet's oceans, continents, and even forests, all without ever resolving it as more than a point.
How generative AI is reshaping creativity, and what it means for artists
Moiya McTier explores what makes human creativity unique in the age of AI
Astronomers discover a giant, rocky 'mega-Earth' 23 times more massive than our planet
Astronomers have discovered an unusually massive, dense exoplanet that challenges conventional ideas about how rocky planets form.
Called GJ 523b, the exoplanet is about 2.5 times wider than Earth but packs roughly 23 times our planet's mass into that relatively compact size. Worlds this large and dense are sometimes referred to as "mega-Earths," an informal term for unusually massive, predominantly rocky planets. GJ 523b's high density suggests it contains relatively little atmosphere despite being large enough that astronomers would normally expect it to have accumulated a substantial gaseous envelope, according to a statement from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
"This isn't what we expected at all," Max Kroft, lead author of the study, said in the statement. "Dense planets like this aren't uncommon, but they're usually small rocky planets similar to Earth or Mercury. This planet is two and a half times bigger than the Earth."
GJ 523b was initially identified as a candidate by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which searches for periodic dips in starlight caused when planets cross, or transit, their host stars. Researchers followed up with observations from the ground-based WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, using a spectrograph to measure the planet's gravitational tug on its star.
Combining those observations, the team calculated that GJ 523b has a mass about 23.5 times that of Earth, a radius 2.55 times larger and a density of about 126.82 grams per cubic inch. It circles its star every 17.75 days. The planetary system is also relatively young, at an estimated nearly 170 million years old, according to the study.
That combination of size, mass and youth poses a puzzle for planet formation models. Planets begin by building cores of rock and metal, which can then pull in hydrogen and helium from the disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star. In our own solar system, giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn are thought to have begun rapidly accumulating their massive gaseous envelopes once their growing cores reached roughly 20 times Earth's mass.
GJ 523b is already about 23 times Earth's mass, putting it beyond that threshold. Yet instead of developing into a gas-rich world, its unusually high density suggests it has relatively little gas and remains predominantly rocky — raising the question of why it followed such a different path.
"The question is, why didn't this planet do that, if it's 20 times the size of Earth?" Kroft said in the statement.
One possibility is that GJ 523b initially formed with a thick atmosphere that was later stripped away. Another is that it formed through a collision between two planets, creating a larger rocky world while blasting much of their gaseous envelopes into space, according to the statement.
Astronomers have used the term "mega-Earth" for more than a decade to describe exceptionally massive rocky worlds, though it has never represented a formally established class of exoplanets. Finding more examples like GJ 523b could help reveal whether these unusual worlds are rare exceptions or part of a broader population.
"It's hard to infer things about planet formation in general from a sample size of one," Kroft said in the statement. "We're not going to get to 10,000 of these overdense planets, but if we can get to 20 or 30, maybe some trends might pop out."
The findings have been submitted to The Astronomical Journal and are currently available on the preprint server arXiv and have not yet been peer reviewed.
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
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
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.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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.
Trump moves to end protections for 44 million acres of U.S. forests
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…
Article 15 hours ago 3 min read Next Generation of Planetary Scientists Learn Public Engagement SkillsFORCE is a world-class laboratory that uses high-pressure experimental equipment to recreate the extreme conditions…
Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System