Feed aggregator

How did a hamster wheel get into space? The Hamster Wheel Nebula (Longmore 8) was

Many of Earth's mass extinctions await clear explanations. We know an impact wiped out the dinosaurs, but what about the planet's other extinction events? New research says flybys of planetary mass objects could've been responsible.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program (CSDA) announced contract awards with eight commercial satellite data providers offering a range of data types to support the agency’s Earth science research and application goals.  

The CSDA program On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award contract is a firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple-award contract with a maximum cumulative value of $476 million and a performance period through November 2028.

The CSDA IDIQ contract includes an on‑ramp provision that allows NASA to periodically reopen the solicitation, giving new vendors the opportunity to submit proposals. This mechanism also enables existing CSDA vendors to propose new data products, whether newly developed or derived from new instruments, that were not available during the original proposal period.

Newly Added Contract Holders

Vendor Sensor HydroSat Thermal Infrared Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR) Ororatech Thermal Infrared – Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) and Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) ImageSat Optical Multispectral Instrument (MSI) Satlantis Optical MSI / Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Kuva Space Hyperspectral – VNIR and Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Wyvern Hyperspectral – VNIR Orbital Sidekick Hyperspectral – VNIR and SWIR Muon Space Global Navigation Satellite System – Radar (GNSS-R)

Current CSDA Contract Holders with New Products

Vendor Sensor Airbus Optical MSI / Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ICEYE SAR GHGSat GHG Emissions Planet Labs Optical MSI / Hyperspectral PlanetiQ Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) Tomorrow.io Microwave Sounder

“NASA’s Earth science community relies on a diverse suite of observations from spaceborne, airborne, and in situ assets to better understand our changing planet,” said CSDA Project Manager Dana Ostrenga. “The commercial providers added through this latest CSDA contract on-ramp complement NASA’s existing Earth observation capabilities and our current portfolio of commercial partners, expanding the range of data available for evaluation and use. Together, these observations provide researchers with a more comprehensive view of Earth’s atmosphere, land, oceans, cryosphere, and solid Earth, helping advance scientific discovery and applications that benefit our communities.”

Following issuance of the contract awards, the selected vendors’ data products will be made available to authorized CSDA data users via the Satellite Data Explorer (SDX), CSDA’s web-based data discovery and data access tool that allows approved users to search, discover, access, task, and download the data the program has acquired from its commercial partners.

The Vendor Selection Process

The award process begins with the CSDA issuing a request for proposals that is posted on Sam.gov, the U.S. government’s official system for managing federal contract proposals. Interested companies then submit proposals to enter into an IDIQ contract with CSDA. A Solicitation Evaluation Board is formed to determine whether the proposals are competitive and meet the CSDA’s technical requirements for continuous observations, orbit platforms, and data that aligns with NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) goals. The CSDA makes its selections from the proposals that meet the requirements and then submits them to NASA leadership for approval. Once approved, the contracts are then awarded and the companies are able to get their data evaluated by CSDA. Once the evaluations are complete, the commercial data providers can then compete for competitive task orders through CSDA.

About the CSDA Program

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA Program as the agency’s central mechanism for identifying, acquiring, and evaluating commercial Earth observation (EO) data. The program augments NASA’s and partner agencies’ Earth-observing capabilities by acquiring commercial satellite data that offer higher spatial resolution, increased revisit frequency, complementary measurement capabilities, and taskable observations. To learn more about the program, its commercial partners, data evaluation process, and more, visit the CSDA website.

Become an Authorized Data User

Commercial data discoverable through the SDX is made available to CSDA authorized data users. To become an authorized user, fill out the CSDA Program Data Authorization Form. Note: Use of SDX also requires an Earthdata Login.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program (CSDA) announced contract awards with eight commercial satellite data providers offering a range of data types to support the agency’s Earth science research and application goals.  

The CSDA program On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award contract is a firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple-award contract with a maximum cumulative value of $476 million and a performance period through November 2028.

The CSDA IDIQ contract includes an on‑ramp provision that allows NASA to periodically reopen the solicitation, giving new vendors the opportunity to submit proposals. This mechanism also enables existing CSDA vendors to propose new data products, whether newly developed or derived from new instruments, that were not available during the original proposal period.

Newly Added Contract Holders

Vendor Sensor HydroSat Thermal Infrared Ororatech Thermal Infrared (Medium Wave Infrared (MWIR) and Longwave Infrared (LWIR)) ImageSat Optical Multispectral Instrument (MSI) Satlantis Optical MSI / Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Kuva Space Hyperspectral (Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR) and Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) Wyvern Hyperspectral Orbital Sidekick Hyperspectral (VNIR-SWIR) Muon Space Global Navigation Satellite System – Radar (GNSS-R)

Current CSDA Contract Holders with New Products

Vendor Sensor Airbus Optical MSI / Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ICEYE SAR GHGSat GHG Emissions Planet Labs Optical MSI / Hyperspectral PlanetiQ Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) Tomorrow.io Microwave Sounder

“NASA’s Earth science community relies on a diverse suite of observations from spaceborne, airborne, and in situ assets to better understand our changing planet,” said CSDA Project Manager Dana Ostrenga. “The commercial providers added through this latest CSDA contract on-ramp complement NASA’s existing Earth observation capabilities and our current portfolio of commercial partners, expanding the range of data available for evaluation and use. Together, these observations provide researchers with a more comprehensive view of Earth’s atmosphere, land, oceans, cryosphere, and solid Earth, helping advance scientific discovery and applications that benefit our communities.”

Following issuance of the contract awards, the selected vendors’ data products will be made available to authorized CSDA data users via the Satellite Data Explorer (SDX), CSDA’s web-based data discovery and data access tool that allows approved users to search, discover, access, task, and download the data the program has acquired from its commercial partners.

The Vendor Selection Process

The award process begins with the CSDA issuing a request for proposals that is posted on Sam.gov, the U.S. government’s official system for managing federal contract proposals. Interested companies then submit proposals to enter into an IDIQ contract with CSDA. A Solicitation Evaluation Board is formed to determine whether the proposals are competitive and meet the CSDA’s technical requirements for continuous observations, orbit platforms, and data that aligns with NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) goals. The CSDA makes its selections from the proposals that meet the requirements and then submits them to NASA leadership for approval. Once approved, the contracts are then awarded and the companies are able to get their data evaluated by CSDA. Once the evaluations are complete, the commercial data providers can then compete for competitive task orders through CSDA.

About the CSDA Program

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA Program as the agency’s central mechanism for identifying, acquiring, and evaluating commercial Earth observation (EO) data. The program augments NASA’s and partner agencies’ Earth-observing capabilities by acquiring commercial satellite data that offer higher spatial resolution, increased revisit frequency, complementary measurement capabilities, and taskable observations. To learn more about the program, its commercial partners, data evaluation process, and more, visit the CSDA website.

Become an Authorized Data User

Commercial data discoverable through the SDX is made available to CSDA authorized data users. To become an authorized user, fill out the CSDA Program Data Authorization Form. Note: Use of SDX also requires an Earthdata Login.

58th Girl Scouts Unite Event, July 23-25, 2026

Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #206) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below.

Thursday, July 23

11:00AM – 11:15 AM From Daisy to NASA Engineer Barbara Hilton 11:15AM – 11:30 AM Exploring Mars, The Planet Next Door Lindsay Hays 11:30AM – 11:45 AM Get Ready With Me: Going to the Moon Naoma McCall 11:45Am – 12:00 PM NASA Is for Everyone! (talk about careers at NASA beyond science and engineering) Amy Kaminski 12:00PM – 12:15 PM Finding Asteroids Before They Find Us: Planetary Defense at NASA Kelly Fast

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM How to Nerd Your Way Into Science Communications Karen Romano Young 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Earth: Exploring our home planet is a team effort Lesley Ott 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM TBD Jenny Mottar 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM The Journey Starts HERE: One CREW, Your HOME, Our MISSION Kaitlin Harbeck 3:15 PM – 3:30PM TBD – Artemis Overview Dominique Brewer 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Social Media… For Science! Sofie Bates

:

58th Girl Scouts Unite Event, July 23-25, 2026

Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #206) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below.

Thursday, July 23

11:00AM – 11:15 AM From Daisy to NASA Engineer Barbara Hilton 11:15AM – 11:30 AM Exploring Mars, The Planet Next Door Lindsay Hays 11:30AM – 11:45 AM Get Ready With Me: Going to the Moon Naoma McCall 11:45Am – 12:00 PM NASA Is for Everyone! (talk about careers at NASA beyond science and engineering) Amy Kaminski 12:00PM – 12:15 PM Finding Asteroids Before They Find Us: Planetary Defense at NASA Kelly Fast

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM How to Nerd Your Way Into Science Communications Karen Romano Young 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Earth: Exploring our home planet is a team effort Lesley Ott 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM TBD Jenny Mottar 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM The Journey Starts HERE: One CREW, Your HOME, Our MISSION Kaitlin Harbeck 3:15 PM – 3:30PM TBD – Artemis Overview Dominique Brewer 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Social Media… For Science! Sofie Bates

:

Astronomers have discovered a huge reservoir of cold molecular gas, the direct fuel for star formation, in REBELS-25, a massive, star-forming galaxy.The team, led from ​​Leiden University, focused on REBELS-25, seen when the universe was only about 700 million years old, around 5% of its current age. Astronomers use “redshift” to describe this distance, which measures how much the universe’s expansion has stretched a galaxy’s light to redder wavelengths.

Noether's work helped prove the conservation of energy in physics, a key foundation for Einstein's theory of relativity

Fans can make you hotter rather than cooler, but the temperature at which you should turn them off depends on several factors, including your age and the humidity level

Fans can make you hotter rather than cooler, but the temperature at which you should turn them off depends on several factors, including your age and the humidity level

On 17 June at 09:21 local time (13:21 BST, 14:21 CEST) Ariane 6 flight VA269 soared to orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 36 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation were placed into their orbit just over an hour after liftoff – the eighth successful mission insertion in a row for Europe’s newest rocket.

Astrophysicists have found what is likely the very first pair of sibling supernova remnants. One is the well-known Jellyfish Nebula, and the other was long thought to be hidden in the bright glare from the Jellyfish. The pair are connected by a bright filament of gas.

A cave in Belize contains teeth from dozens of important Maya people buried elsewhere, which may attest to a ritual intended to ensure their passage to the underworld

A cave in Belize contains teeth from dozens of important Maya people buried elsewhere, which may attest to a ritual intended to ensure their passage to the underworld

Raising children appears to keep the brain young, potentially acting as a buffer against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s

Raising children appears to keep the brain young, potentially acting as a buffer against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s

Not much is known about Starfall, SpaceX's new delivery system, but an assessment published in May revealed its intended purpose

Not much is known about Starfall, SpaceX's new delivery system, but an assessment published in May revealed its intended purpose

2 min read

2026 ALA Hyperwall Schedule

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, June 25-29, 2026

Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #2243) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26

• 5:45 PM ——Roman Space Telescope Quiz! —— Peter Sooy
• 6:00 PM ——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events —— Martha Irene Saladino
• 6:15 PM ——Open Science Resources for Libraries ——Amanda Adams
• 6:30 PM ——Launching NASA Earth Science Exhibits in Libraries Across America ——Eleanor Stokes
• 6:45 PM ——NASA Citizen Science Projects——Sarah Kirn

SATURDAY, JUNE 27

• 10:00 AM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 10:15 AM——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events——Martha Irene Saladino
• 10:30 AM——Nancy Grace Roman: The Person——Courtney Lee
• 10:45 AM——Cosmic Canvas: Exploring the Process of Science Through Art and Astronomy——Tim Rhue
• 12:30 PM——Roman Space Telescope Quiz! —— Peter Sooy
• 1:00 PM——“Our Friend Orion” Children’s Book Reading——Lane Polak
• 2:30 PM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 3:00 PM——”The Adventure of Echo the Bat” Book Reading——Ginger Butcher
• 3:30 PM——Bring a NASA Solar System Ambassador to YOUR Library!——Danielle Diamond
• 3:45 PM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Christine Milotte

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

• 10:00 AM——Webb Space Telescope Quiz!——Peter Sooy
• 10:15 AM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Christine Milottet
• 10:30 AM——Science Explorer (SciX) Demo——Daniel Chivvis
• 10:45 AM——NASA Data and Open Science Quiz!——Adam Farragut
• 12:30 PM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 1:00 PM——“There and Back with EGS” Children’s Book Reading——Lane Polak
• 2:30 PM——Real NASA Research Projects Open to Everyone——Sarah Kirn
• 3:00 PM——Cosmic Canvas: Exploring the Process of Science Through Art and Astronomy——Tim Rhue
• 3:30 PM——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events—— Martha Irene Saladino
• 3:45 PM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Milotte

MONDAY, JUNE 29

• 9:45 AM——Webb Space Telescope Quiz!——Peter Sooy
• 10:00 AM——“Hooray for SLS” Children’s——Lane Polak
• 10:30 AM——Bring a NASA Solar System Ambassador to YOUR Library!——Mark Benson

2 min read

2026 ALA Hyperwall Schedule

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, June 25-29, 2026

Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #2243) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26

• 5:45 PM ——Roman Space Telescope Quiz! —— Peter Sooy
• 6:00 PM ——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events —— Martha Irene Saladino
• 6:15 PM ——Open Science Resources for Libraries ——Amanda Adams
• 6:30 PM ——Launching NASA Earth Science Exhibits in Libraries Across America ——Eleanor Stokes
• 6:45 PM ——NASA Citizen Science Projects——Sarah Kirn

SATURDAY, JUNE 27

• 10:00 AM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 10:15 AM——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events——Martha Irene Saladino
• 10:30 AM——Nancy Grace Roman: The Person——Courtney Lee
• 10:45 AM——Cosmic Canvas: Exploring the Process of Science Through Art and Astronomy——Tim Rhue
• 12:30 PM——Roman Space Telescope Quiz! —— Peter Sooy
• 1:00 PM——“Our Friend Orion” Children’s Book Reading——Lane Polak
• 2:30 PM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 3:00 PM——”The Adventure of Echo the Bat” Book Reading——Ginger Butcher
• 3:30 PM——Bring a NASA Solar System Ambassador to YOUR Library!——Danielle Diamond
• 3:45 PM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Christine Milotte

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

• 10:00 AM——Webb Space Telescope Quiz!——Peter Sooy
• 10:15 AM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Christine Milottet
• 10:30 AM——Science Explorer (SciX) Demo——Daniel Chivvis
• 10:45 AM——NASA Data and Open Science Quiz!——Adam Farragut
• 12:30 PM——Heliophysics Jeopardy!——Erin Mahoney
• 1:00 PM——“There and Back with EGS” Children’s Book Reading——Lane Polak
• 2:30 PM——Real NASA Research Projects Open to Everyone——Sarah Kirn
• 3:00 PM——Cosmic Canvas: Exploring the Process of Science Through Art and Astronomy——Tim Rhue
• 3:30 PM——NASA’s Next Flagship is Launching Soon! Share in the Excitement with Roman Community Events—— Martha Irene Saladino
• 3:45 PM——Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color——Milotte

MONDAY, JUNE 29

• 9:45 AM——Webb Space Telescope Quiz!——Peter Sooy
• 10:00 AM——“Hooray for SLS” Children’s——Lane Polak
• 10:30 AM——Bring a NASA Solar System Ambassador to YOUR Library!——Mark Benson