NASA

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a galaxy whose asymmetric appearance may be the result of a galactic tug of war. Located 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo, the spiral galaxy Messier 96 is the brightest of the galaxies in its group. The gravitational pull of its galactic neighbors may be responsible for Messier 96’s uneven distribution of gas and dust, asymmetric spiral arms, and off-center galactic core. This asymmetric appearance is on full display in the new Hubble image that incorporates data from observations made in ultraviolet, near infrared, and visible/optical light. Earlier Hubble images of Messier 96 were released in 2015 and 2018. Each successive image added new data, building up a beautiful and scientifically valuable view of the...

Earlier this year, the Moon Mascot design contest challenged people of all ages from all over the world to contribute ideas for the zero gravity indicator for the Artemis II mission. This plush item serves a very important purpose — it indicates when the astronauts have reached space by floating around the spacecraft! The zero gravity indicator also reminds the astronauts of Earth when they are far from home.The Moon Mascot design contest received thousands of entries from over 50 countries — but only 25 are entering the finalist round.“Rise” | Lucas Ye from Mountain View, CaliforniaALT“Rise” has a soft round body that resembles the Moon and wears a baseball cap that represents Earth. This design is inspired by the “Earthrise” photo captured in 1968 by the Apollo 8 crew.“Zappy Zebra” | Ken...

Recognizing the people and passion behind our mission. Space Center Houston recently came together to honor the incredible achievements of our crew during the Expanding Horizons All-Crew Awards Celebration. The evening was filled with pride, connection, and inspiration as we recognized those who bring our mission and values to life every day. These awards are more than recognition; they reflect the heart of who we are: Space Enthusiasts, People-Driven, and Champions of Curiosity. Each honoree was selected because their actions advance our mission to reveal how science and humanity power space exploration, while strengthening our crew culture. 2025 Award Winners Culture in Action AwardCelebrating the crew who bring our values to lifeThis award honors crew who help create a ...

A future with advanced air mobility aircraft populating the skies will require the U.S. to implement enhanced preflight planning that can mitigate potential risks well before takeoff – and NASA is working to develop the tools to make that happen.  Preflight planning is critical to ensuring safety in the complex, high-risk environments of the future airspace. Timely, predictive, and up-to-date risk assessment within a single platform makes it much easier for drone or air taxi operators to check flight plans for high-risk concerns.   NASA is working on tools to deliver those services, and in June, the agency and aviation safety company ResilienX Inc. demonstrated how these tools can be integrated into commercial systems.   During a series of tests conducted at ResilienX’s facility in Syracu...

Until now, additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, of engine components was limited by the lack of affordable metal alloys that could withstand the extreme temperatures of spaceflight. Expensive metal alloys were the only option for 3D printing engine parts until NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, developed the GRX-810 alloy. The primary metals in the GRX-810 alloy include nickel, cobalt, and chromium. A ceramic oxide coating on the powdered metal particles increases its heat resistance and improves performance. Known as oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys, these powders were challenging to manufacture at a reasonable cost when the project started.  However, the advanced dispersion coating technique developed at Glenn employs resonant acoustic mixing....