Blogs - NASA (original) (raw)

September 30, 2025 5:35PM

NASA Draws Closer to Artemis II Rocket Completion with Newest Addition

The Orion stage adapter connects the upper stage to the Orion spacecraft, isolates the spacecraft from hazardous gases, deploys small science satellites, and will be used in a maneuvering test during the Artemis II mission.

NASA integrated the Artemis II Orion stage adapter with the rest of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Wednesday in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Built by NASA engineers at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the adapter connects the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion […]

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September 30, 2025 2:24PM

Sentinel-6B Satellite Moves into Payload Processing Phase

The Sentinel-6B spacecraft recently made a crucial transition in its prelaunch journey when technicians transferred the spacecraft from the NASA hangar to the Astrotech Space Operations payload processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on Sept. 24. After the move, technicians removed the satellite from its transport container and began processing activities. At […]

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September 30, 2025 2:23PM

Crew Works Advanced Science Hardware and Conducts Lab Inspections

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, both Expedtion 73 Flight Engineers, pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module during science hardware maintenance in Kibo's airlock.

Space science hardware once again topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. Life support and electronics maintenance to keep the orbital outpost in tip-top shape filled the rest of the day for the space lab residents.

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September 30, 2025 1:00PM

NASA’s SunRISE Set to Launch in 2026

NASA is targeting a summer 2026 launch for its SunRISE (Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment) mission. The heliophysics mission will launch as a rideshare aboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket, sponsored by the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command. The SunRISE mission will study solar radio bursts and map the Sun’s magnetic […]

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September 29, 2025 2:42PM

Crew Begins Week Configuring Advanced Physics, Space Tech Demo Hardware

Pictured inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo craft are (clockwise from left) Flight Engineers Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, and Jonny Kim of NASA, and Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Highlighted at center, is a poster of William “Willie” McCool, in honor of the NASA astronaut who perished in 2003 during the space shuttle Columbia accident and for whom the Cygnus spacecraft is named.

Science hardware was the focus on Monday as the Expedition 73 crew configured foam and material physics research gear and installed a space technology demonstration. Meanwhile, blood circulation studies and cargo operations rounded out the day aboard the International Space Station.

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September 26, 2025 3:41PM

Hammering Out a Way to Find Shelter on the Moon and Mars

With several hundred blows of a 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) sledgehammer, researchers tested a method to find subsurface caves that could serve as safe underground habitats and research facilities on the Moon and Mars. The team, which includes NASA scientists, conducted their field experiments near Flagstaff, Arizona, and Tulelake, California, in locations that resemble the landscapes future […]

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September 26, 2025 2:52PM

Crew Studies Space Orientation, DNA Data Storage as Dragon Reboosts Station

Expedition 73 Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, both NASA astronauts, smile for a portrait during a break in thier research duties duties aboard the International Space Station.

The Expedition 73 crew ended the work week exploring how living and working in space affects the sensory system and DNA. The International Space Station residents also continued researching how digestion is impacted by microgravity and unpacking a U.S. cargo craft.

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September 25, 2025 6:09PM

Space Medicine Protecting Crews, Station Reboost Aborted

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fires its Draco engines fine-tuning its automated approach and rendezvous with the International Space Station. Dragon would dock a few moments later to the Harmony module's forward port delivering over 5,000 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware to the Expedition 73 crew.

Eye structure, digestion, and heart health were the top research subjects for the Expedition 73 crew aboard International Space Station on Thursday.

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September 24, 2025 2:48PM

Cutting Edge Medical Studies Look at Crew Fitness and Vision

Pictured inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo craft are (clockwise from left) Flight Engineers Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, and Jonny Kim of NASA, and Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Highlighted at center, is a poster of William “Willie” McCool, in honor of the NASA astronaut who perished in 2003 during the space shuttle Columbia accident and for whom the Cygnus spacecraft is named.

Fitness research and vision studies once again topped the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday helping doctors ensure the crew remains healthy on orbit. The Expedition 73 crewmates also worked throughout the day inspecting lab module hatches, installing research cables, and testing robotic communications.

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September 24, 2025 11:37AM

Artemis II Crew Members Name Their Orion Spacecraft

The Artemis II crew members named their Orion spacecraft Integrity during a news conference Sept. 24. The name Integrity embodies the foundation of trust, respect, candor, and humility across the crew and the many engineers, technicians, scientists, planners, and dreamers required for mission success. The name is also a nod to the extensive integrated effort […]

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