National Aeronautics and Space Administrion

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many nonaerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. Perhaps more importantly, our exploration of space has taught us to view Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While the tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve previously inconceivable feats, we also are humbled by the realization that Earth is just a tiny "blue marble" in the cosmos. Check out our "Thinking About NASA History" folder online as an introduction to how history can help you.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Binary Star Map

"Scientists said yesterday (February 22, 2021) that they’ve now created a 3D plot of more than a million pairs of binary stars, that is, double stars orbiting a common center of gravity. Astronomer Kareem El-Badry of UC Berkeley created the new plot, which wildly improves upon previous data that revealed just 200 double-star pairs."

https://earthsky.org/space/3d-map-million-binary-stars/?mc_cid=45ce9f1e7d&mc_eid=7fad6b6067

ISS anniversary

"The last time no representative of the human race was in space Bill Clinton was in his final year in the White House, Vladimir Putin was in the first year of his quarter-century reign, the New England Patriots had yet to win any of their six eventual Super Bowl titles, and Taylor Swift was turning 11."https://time.com/7316394/international-space-station-25th-anniversary/?utm_source=beehiiv&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-the-brief&_bhlid=233b0548e26f5240fdebdad384446ab9be88dbdf

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Vehicle for Space Station

"A new and enhanced vehicle for researchers to send science to the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) has successfully launched and berthed with the orbiting outpost."https://issnationallab.org/press-releases/new-jaxa-cargo-vehicle-transports-research-to-the-international-space-station/

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

ISS Repair

"The International Space Station can't last forever, but since its first occupation in 2000, there has always been a crew of astronauts living and working in space."https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-missions/future-space-stations-replace-iss?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Saturday, October 25, 2025

5 Truths of Dark Matter

"Every so often, advocates of a fringe theory — one that doesn’t fit the evidence as well as the mainstream theory — do what they can to breathe life back into it."https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/5-truths-dark-matter/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=swab

Super Earth

"The discovery of a possible “super-Earth” less than 20 light-years from our own planet is offering scientists new hope in the hunt for other worlds that could harbor life, according to an international team including researchers from Penn State."https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/newly-discovered-super-earth-offers-prime-target-search-alien-life

Big Bang

"Everyone is familiar with our universe’s explosive beginnings—things got really hot and really dense until there was a Big Bang."https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/telescope-desert-reached-back-billion-130000877.html