NASA

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.

Monday, May 18, 2026

SpaceX Starships

"SpaceX's newest version of its massive Starship, the world's largest and most powerful rocket, is scheduled to launch on a critical test flight no earlier than Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) from Starbase, Texas."https://www.space.com/news/live/spacex-starship-flight-12-launch-updates-may-18-2026

Skeletons of Cosmos

"Astronomers have reconstructed the "skeleton" of the cosmos in unprecedented detail, thanks to the largest-ever survey conducted by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)."

https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/truly-significant-james-webb-telescope-reveals-largest-ever-map-of-the-universes-hidden-megastructures

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Abell 2029

"If galaxy clusters were contestants in a pageant, then Abell 2029 would likely win the title of most relaxed cluster in the Universe."https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-galaxy-clusters-wild-youth

Voyager

"The popular version of this story has hardened into a fixed shape."https://spacedaily.com/nasa-still-maintains-some-of-the-voyager-spacecraft-code-in-a-1970s-era-programming-language-that-almost-nobody-on-earth-fully-understands-anymore-and-the-handful-of-engineers-who-do-are-now-in-their/

Bright Star

"This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals an enigmatic galaxy with a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no obvious spiral arms."https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-sights-galaxy-in-transition/

ENIAC

"Eighty years ago, Penn researchers J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly launched the age of electronic computing by harnessing electrons to solve complex numerical problems with ENIAC, the world's first general-purpose electronic computer."https://phys.org/news/2026-05-physicists-hybrid-particles-interact-strongly.html#google_vignette

Objects

"Astronomy is full of objects that sound similar, look similar, or are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. But once you understand the differences, the night sky suddenly makes a lot more sense."https://astrophotons.com/space-comparisons