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.

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Jezero Crater



"When NASA’s Perseverance rover reached the inner edge of Mars’ Jezero Crater in September 2023, mission scientists were surprised by what they found."


https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-discovery-reveals-complex-water-systems-on-early-mars/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Little Red Dots



"Since their discovery by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, little red dots (LRDs) have been the subject of great interest to astronomers."

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-explores-family-tree-of-newly-discovered-distant-objects/

Monday, September 21, 2026

Space Force Orbit



"Northrop Grumman has won a U.S. Space Force deal to develop a new reconnaissance satellite for geosynchronous orbit."

https://interestingengineering.com/space/us-ghost-r-spy-satellite-prototyp

Hubble Space Telescope



"Though the spiral galaxy in this new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope seems serene, it hides a chaotic secret."


https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hubble-sync-galaxy.html#google_vignette

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter



"NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has orbited the Moon for 17 years, mapping its surface with unprecedented precision."


https://www.iflscience.com/the-moon-has-a-massive-new-crater-over-200-meters-wide-thats-larger-than-the-colosseum-84676?utm_source=newsletters.iflscience.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=twis-the-us-admits-it-placed-weapons-in-space&_bhlid=37d8b697a5d3246305212fd16a37f58527f95616

Cyber Conference



"Speaking at the Air, Space, and "Cyber Conference on Monday, September 14, US Secretary of the Air Force Dr Troy Meink confirmed that the United States had deployed a space weapon in Earth’s orbit."

https://www.iflscience.com/the-us-has-admitted-for-the-first-time-that-it-placed-weapons-in-space-what-does-this-mean-84669?utm_source=newsletters.iflscience.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=twis-the-us-admits-it-placed-weapons-in-space&_bhlid=60a5d25f89a5d65f630f8c7e9a48a8ccd2434217

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Elias 2-24b

 "Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas."https://science.nasa.gov/universe/newfound-baby-planet-smashes-record-for-youngest-known-world/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

James Webb Space Telescope in summer of 2022



"Since it began sending observations back to Earth in summer 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has helped scientists create a much clearer picture of the universe, but it has also delivered some frustrating mysteries."


https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/galaxies-housing-the-james-webb-space-telescopes-mysterious-little-red-dots-mightve-revealed-their-secrets

IC 348



"The star-forming region IC 348 is located just 1000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus. In regions like IC 348, cold clouds of molecular hydrogen gas collapse to form new stars, creating glowing, sculpted scenes like this one."

https://petapixel.com/2026/09/17/the-31-out-of-this-world-winners-of-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/

Voyager 1



"On Sept. 18, 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took its first photo of Earth and the moon."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/on-this-day-in-space-september-18-2026

Friday, September 18, 2026

IC 348



"The star-forming region IC 348 is located just 1000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus. In regions like IC 348, cold clouds of molecular hydrogen gas collapse to form new stars, creating glowing, sculpted scenes like this one."


https://esawebb.org/news/weic2619/?lang

Blackholes Ring



"It is 9 am on a warm July Sunday in Cambridge, as I head towards a café in the city centre."


https://aeon.co/essays/black-holes-ring-like-bells-what-happens-next-is-stranger

Megarocket launch pushed back



"SpaceX has pushed the next launch of its Starship megarocket back by nearly a week."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-next-starship-launch-now-on-sept-28-for-1st-orbital-flight

Heavy Hitter Observation



"As the newest heavy hitter in orbital observatories continues the journey to its final destination, NASA has begun the process of switching the spacecraft on."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/roman-space-telescope-starts-waking-up-as-nasa-powers-on-instruments-for-the-1st-time

Youngest Exoplanet on Record



"Astronomers have discovered the youngest exoplanet on record, and they spotted the "newborn" world hiding in old data archives."


https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/scientists-find-youngest-exoplanet-on-record-a-newborn-named-elias

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

September 22 orbital flight



"SpaceX announced today (Sept. 15) that it's targeting Sept. 22 for the first orbital flight of Starship, the fully reusable megarocket that the company is developing to help humanity settle the moon, Mars and more."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacexs-next-starship-launch-will-lift-off-on-sept-22-and-aim-to-reach-orbit-for-1st-time?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Troy Meink



"Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday that the U.S. has weapons stationed in Earth’s orbit, the first public acknowledgment of a capability long assumed to exist after decades of debate over the weaponization of space."

https://abcnews.com/Politics/air-force-secretary-acknowledges-us-weapons-space/story?id=136437923&utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Moon Life



"For centuries, people on Earth have imagined what it would be like to live on the moon."


https://abcnews.com/International/forget-lunar-metropolises-water-limits-capmoonspopulation-scientists/story?id=136371711&utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Eye Surgery in Space



"An eye surgeon with a passion for space since childhood predicts that as astronauts start to make journeys to the moon and Mars in the near future, eye surgery in space will eventually become a necessity."

https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cataract-surgery-space-surgeon.html

Unimaginable UFOs and UAPs



"Whatever they are and from where, UFOs, now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAP, are the subject of serious scrutiny at the highest levels of the U.S. government."


https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/the-us-government-is-sincere-in-its-efforts-to-understand-uap-new-white-house-council-chair-says

Monday, September 14, 2026

Moon Home



"NASA’s Apollo missions proved that humans could make it to the Moon."


https://research.ibm.com/blog/nasa-ibm-lunar-foundation-model?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Birth of Cosmos



"Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light."


https://theconversation.com/physicists-zoom-into-the-birth-of-cosmic-rainstorms-with-new-cern-study-280890

Sunday, September 13, 2026

Shrinking Mercury

"A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster than expected, the cosmos’ version of a grape shriveling into a raisin under the sun."

https://apnews.com/article/mercury-shrinking-planet-47b010ee65287f76565bc4859c7c09b3?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Monday, September 7, 2026

Plant in Space

"In 2021, a chile plant did something on the International Space Station that it has never done on Earth: it held its fruit out straight."


https://spacedaily.com/j-in-2021-nasa-hatch-chile-peppers-iss-137-days-26-peppers-straight-stems/

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Earth's Moon



"The Moon has been an object of fascination for as long as humanity has been gazing up at the heavens."

https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/moon-base-race?utm_campaign=Thursday%203%20September%202026&utm_content=Read%20more&utm_term=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra

LUX-ZEPLIN



"One day in June 2023, the numerous, unblinking electronic eyes of the LUX-ZEPLIN detector may have glimpsed something remarkable — possibly the first direct detection of the shadowy dark matter that pervades the cosmos. Or it may have been just another Friday."

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dark-matter-particle-wimp-lz-experiment?utm_medium=email&utm_term=N%2FA&utm_source=D365&utm_content=SN%20Latest%20Headlines%202026%2009%2003&utm_campaign=SN%20Latest%20Headlines%2009%2003%2026#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=354e440a-8a78-41b1-952c-9e3ec4db0300

New Clouds formations over Saturn's South Pole



"Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn’s south pole."


https://apnews.com/article/saturn-nasa-hubble-decagon-1fd4a0a90badacb6e4e18ac019ac6ead?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Centaurs



"Centaurs are small solar system bodies that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune."


https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-see-how-a-centaur-can-become-a-comet

Next Mars orbiter



"Blue Origin will build NASA's next Mars orbiter."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/blue-origin-wins-usd700-million-contract-to-build-nasas-next-mars-orbiter

Mercury-bound spacecraft



"Two Mercury-bound spacecraft left their mother ship behind on Thursday and headed down the home stretch of their nearly decade-long voyage to the solar system's smallest and closest-to-the-sun planet."

https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pair-spacecraft-closer-mercury-decade.html

Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory



"The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, or Swift, is NASA’s multitool, and it may be re-entering Earth's atmosphere sooner than hoped after an attempt to boost the craft was unsuccessful."


https://www.discovermagazine.com/nasa-s-attempt-to-boost-the-swift-observatory-falls-short-but-there-s-still-much-to-learn-from-the-mission-49572?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Moon Symbols

Moon Symbols Certain Symbols have been associated with the Moon and Moon


deities for thousands of years. Many symbols recur in diverse cultures with

no contact with each other. Ancient spiritual leaders knew how to communicate

with the collective unconscious, which is the storehouse of all knowledge,

and hear the deities' voices which speak there.



Using these symbols in meditation, ritual, or spell-working may intensify

your connections with the archetypal powers of the Moon. Examine the entries

carefully and decide what is appropriate for the situation, be it simple

meditation of a full-blown ritual. For instance, I have no trouble

identifying with Cats, but have never been able to decide on how to use Bats.



Ambrosia: The feminine mysteries of the menstrual cycle; the re-creative

power of menstrual blood. Called soma among the Hindus, red claret of the

faeries, and wise blood.



Bat: A creature of frequent association with the Moon and darkness. In China,

bats were symbols of good fortune and happiness; in Europe, a companion

creature of the Goddess Hel. Christians made the bat evil and demonic in

order to disengage people from the Goddess.



Blood: The words "blessing" and "blood" are related. Red has always been

considered the color of life. It is also the color of the Mother aspect of

the Triple Goddess, indicative of Her fruitfulness through menstruation and

birth. Smudging and staining the hands and feet with henna was practiced by

followers of Hecate, Anath, and many Hindu Goddesses. Altars and people were

consecrated by sprinkling with blood in these ancient times. Today, objects

and people are sprinkled with salted water.



Boat: The Moon was called the Boat of Light by the Babylonians. Egyptians

depicted the Crescent Moon with the horns turned upward either as part of the

lunar deities headdress or carved sky-boats, such as the ones pictured in the

temple of Isis.



Bull: Originally the lunar symbol of the Great Mother with the horns

representing the Crescent Moon, the bull later came to represent the Sun

Gods. However, it was often still connected with a Moon Goddess such as

Cybele or Attis.



Cat: Mau: The Egyptian word for Cat. To the Egyptians especially, the cat was

a Moon creature, and sacred to such Goddesses as Isis, Bast, Artemis, Diana,

and Freyja. When Diana became known as Queen of Witches in the Middle Ages,

the cat was associated with Witchcraft and Goddess worship.



Circle: The circle was symbolic of the Moon long before being seized by the

Sun Gods. In Scotland, the Orkney Islands are still called Temples of the

Moon. The ancient Greek divinatory tool known as Hecate's Circle was a gold

sphere with a sapphire in its center, and was hung on a thong of oxhide.



Color: Primary Moon deity colors are white, red, or black, depending on Moon

phase. The Hindu Goddess Kali and many European Triple Goddesses specifically

used these colors to designate their various aspects: white - maiden; red -

mother; black - crone.



Cow: Feminine symbol of both Moon and the Earth. Egyptian Moon Goddesses

connected with the cow were Isis, Hathor, Neith, amongst others.



Crescent: The New Moon; marking the change from the Dark Moon, it is the very

first sliver of Moon. Old European designs portray the lunar cycle by a right

crescent, a circle, and a left crescent. At times, the circle was replaced

with a large snake coil. Semicircles also symbolized the crescent, as did

bull horns. U-shaped marks not only represented crescents, but were also

combined with dots to symbolize owls - Moon birds. The croissant, or any

crescent-shaped cake is sacred to Moon deities.



Crow: This bird was frequently associated with the Dark Moon Goddesses such

as the Morrigan, due to its black color.



Crystal: This stone most often represents the Full Moon and its divinatory

powers.



Dew, Rain: Many cultures associate these forms of condensation with the Moon.

The early dew after a Full Moon is said to heal and improve beauty if rubbed

into the skin. Certain phases and signs of the Moon are purported to be

conducive to rain.



Dogs: Canines have long been associated with Moon deities, especially

Crescent New Moon Goddesses. Managarmr (Moondog) was the mightiest of all

dog-wolf supernatural beings according to a Norse story.



Dragon: Dragons are primarily associated with solar eclipses, but are also

associated with the Moon and lunar eclipses. The idea of dragons and eclipses

was held in China, Northern Asia, Finland, Lithuania, North Africa, and

Persia. Legend dictates that dragons often fly about in the moonlight.



Eye: Often associated with the Moon, especially in ancient Egypt. Many little

Eye Goddesses have been found in Mediterranean and European sites.



Fan: Among the ancient Asiatic and Oriental cultures, the fan represented the

phases of the Moon.



Fish: Some cultures symbolized the Moon with a fish instead of a snake. Some

Moon Goddesses were depicted with fish-tails, akin to mermaids.



Frog: Many times a lunar symbol; sometimes called a toad. Hekat the frog

Goddess was connected with birth in ancient Egypt.



Grotto, Garden: It was common to worship a Moon Goddess or God in a grotto or

garden. These sacred spaces usually contained a Moon tree such as an olive, a

sacred stone, or a spring, or all of these.



Groves: Groves of trees were often sacred to the Moon Mother, especially if

they held springs, pools, or lakes. Ceremonies of drawing water and pouring

it were part of her rituals. If a grove contained a grotto where water came

directly out of a rock, it was especially sacred.



Hare or Rabbit: Many cultures around the world, including Tibet, China,

Africa, Ceylon, and some Native Americans, said that a hare lived on the Moon

along with the ruling Moon deity. Especially associated with lunar Goddesses.



Horns: Bull or cows horns have always been connected with the Moon and Moon

dieties. Cattle and bison horns have been recovered that have thirteen

notches carved into them; the Great Goddess of Laussel is such an example.

These notches represent the thirteen Moon months of a seasonal year. The

Greek Hera was also called Keroessa ("Horned One") in her aspect of Io, the

Moon Cow.



Horseshoe: A crescent Moon symbol and also a yonic emblem.



Hounds, Dogs: Packs of hounds, such as Alani of Diana, represent the

dangerous energies of the Moon.



Labrys, Double Axe: A Goddess and Moon symbol, said to have been one of the

weapons preferred by the Amazons. A thunderbolt was said to have been given

in this shape to the Amazons by Hera. In Crete and at Delphi, both originally

Goddess centers, the labyrs was a ceremonial scepter.



Lamp: The Moon is called by many the lamp of the night. Their close

connection with the Moon's light is demonstrated by the additional titles

attached to Goddess names such as Juno Lucina , and Diana Lucifera.



Mirror, round: The Moon is called the heavenly mirror in Central asia and

many other parts of the world. The mirror is a Goddess symbol sometimes

called a soul-carrier or soul-catcher. Some cultures believed that the souls

of the dead went to the Moon to await reincarnation.



Moonstone: A feldspar gemstone with a white, cloudy form. It is said to

contain the image of the Moon. The Hindus said it was formed from the

congealing of the Moon's rays. Pope Leo X (1475-1521 CE) was said to own a

moonstone that waxed and waned in brilliance with the Moon. The stone is said

to cure nervousness and bring luck to the owner.



Old Man, Old Woman: The markings on the Moon surface are often called the Old

Man or Old Woman in the Moon. Some cultures such as the Asians, Mayans, or

Aztecs, called these markings the hare, frog, or toad.



Owl: A night hunter possessing large eyes, the owl has long been associated

with the Moon. The Egyptians considered the owl a symbol of death, night, and

cold. To the Greeks, however, it was an emblem of wisdom and the Goddess

Athena. Its staring eyes connected it with the Eye Goddesses, Lilith,

Minerva, Blodeuwedd, Anath, and Mari, among others. The owl has long been

associated with the Moon, wisdom, sacred lunary mysteries, and initiations.



Ox: In Greece and Rome, this animal was seen as a lunar animal.



Pomegranate: Due to its blood-red juice and its many chambers and seeds, the

pomegranate is symbolic of blood, the Dark Moon deities, and the land of the

dea.



Pillar, Cone: The earliest representation of the Moon; sometimes this stone

was a meteorite. Often it was grouped with a circular stone which represented

the Full Moon. Some pyramids fall into this category.



Raven: A black bird associated with the Dark Moon Goddesses such as the

Morrigan and Rhiannon.



Scythe, Sickle: A symbol of the Crescent Moon. Used by the Amazons and women

who worshipped Moon Goddesses, particularly Crone deities. Even the Druids

used a Moon-shaped sickle for their sacred ceremonies.



Semicircle: The semicircle represents the Crescent Moon in symbology.



Shell: A symbol of the Great Mother and related to the Moon.



Silver: This metal has long been regarded as the Moon's metal. Silver was

used for divinatory cups.



Snake: As a Goddess symbol, the snake is the same as the spiral when it is

coiled. Each turn of the coil marks a day in the lunar calendar. Zigzag lines

represent snakes. Serpents were associated with the Dark Moon because they

were considered related to the Underworld. Some Dark Moon Goddesses were

depicted with snakes as hair. There are pictures showing Cybele offering a

cup to a snake. In the mythology of Mexico are tales of the woman serpent

(Moon) who is devoured by the Sun, a description of an eclipse or the phases

of the Moon.



Soma: A sacred liquid connected with the Moon. In India it was called soma;

the Persians knew it as haoma, and the Celts as red claret. See Blood. The

Chinese Goddess Ch'ang-O drank this sacred liquid, then fled to live on the

Moon.



Sow: The white sow has been associated with Moon dieties from the Celtic

lands to the Mediterranean. It was connected with Astarte, Cerridwen,

Demeter, Freyja, and the Buddhist Marici.



Spiral: The spiral, whichever way it turned, represented an aspect of the

Great Goddess, and also the Moon. The upward and downward spiraling, or in

and out, can be compared with the waxing and waning of the Moon. The Greek

Crane Dance, probably originally performed in Crete by the bull-dancers, was

danced around a horned altar which was part of the labyrinth. Spirals appear

on some ancient Goddess statues, primarily replacing what would be eyes.



Toad: Some cultures saw a toad, instead of a hare, in the Moon. In some parts

of Asia, Africa, and North America, the toad is a symbol of the Moon and

fertility.



Tree: Frequently a tree, called a Moon tree, was an emblem of the Moon. Many

Assyrian pictures portray this. Sometimes, it is more like a maypole with

ribbons hanging from it rather than an actual tree. Often the Moon tree was

guarded by animals.



Triple Symbols: Many groups of triple symbols represent the three phases of

the Moon. Hecate Triformis is an example of the Triple Moon Goddess, as is

the Celtic Morrigu. The tripod, triangle, and trident are all connected

directly with the three phases of the Moon Goddesses, or with Gods who are

consorts of these Goddesses.



Wishing Well: There is an Icelandic charm of this name which has four

Crescent Moons as dippers about its edge. The Moon has long been associated

with water and the granting of wishes or prayers. Several Goddesses, such as

the Greek Demeter and the celtic Brigit, had sacred Moon wells where rituals,

large and small, were held for the granting of desires.



Wheel: Though the wheel has most often been a Sun symbol, there were

occasions when it represented the Moon. Arianrhod's Silver Wheel or Oar Wheel

is really the Moon.



Willow: A Moon tree sacred to such Dark Moon Goddesses as Hecate, Circe, and

Persephone. The willow (helice) gave its name to the Helicon, abode of the

nine muses, the orgiastic abode of the Moon Goddess.



Wings: Long before the Persians adopted the winged disk as a symbol of their

Sun God, the Moon Goddess was shown with wings. Sometimes the Moon itself,

whether Crescent or Full, was pictured with wings. Certain birds, such as

doves and pigeons, were associated with the Moon.



Wolf: Many Gods and Goddesses who had connections with the Moon, also had the

wolf as their symbol. The wolf howls as the Moon, as do dogs; they hunt and

frolic by moonlight. The Moon priestesses of many cutures were adept at

astral traveling and shape shifting, both talents usually practiced at

night. They also practiced rituals, dancing and singing, outdoors under the

Moon. A Roman festival, the Lupercalia, was in honor of the wolf Goddess Lupa

or Feronia. The Norse believed that the giant wolf Hati dogs the courses of

the Moon, and in the final days will eat this celestial body.



Yin and Yang: This Chinese symbol represents the joined powers of the male

and female, positive and negative; in other words, a cyclical alternation ofduality. At one point in ancient Chinese history, this design symbolized the phases of the Moon, the light and dark cycles. Much of the ancient world spoke of the Two Ladies or Two Mistresses of the Moon.**unknown author ~from elsewhere**

Brief description of Solor System

The sun
If you weighed a hundred pounds on Earth you would weigh 2707 pounds on the sun.

Mercury
A year is 87.97 days. A day lasts 58.65 Earth days. Your weight would be 58 pounds if you weighed 100 pounds on Earth.

Venus
A day is 243 earth days. A hundred pounds equal 88 pounds on Venus. It is 900 degrees.

Mars
A year on Mars is 686.98 days. A day about the same day as Earth. Your weight would be 38 pounds if you weighed 100 pounds on Earth.

Jupiter
Jupiter is 318 times bigger then Earth. A year is 11.9 Earth years. It has well above 60 known moons. It has a ten hour day. 100 pounds is 234 pounds on Jupiter. If it was 20 times larger it could be classified as a star. It has unseen rings.

Saturn
This is the second largest planet. It is flatest at the poles. This has 62 known moons. Titon is its largest. A year is 29.5 times as long as on Earth. A day is 10 hours and 14 minutes. 100 pounds would weigh 115.

Uranus
It's year is 84.01 Earth years. It has 27 moons. It also has rings. 100 pound would be 89 pounds.

Neptune
Its day is 16 hours. One year is 164.83 Earth years. It has 13 moons. The largest is Triton. It has rings. 100 pounds would equal 113 pounds.

Andromeda Galaxy

"If you can spot the Andromeda Galaxy with your naked eyes, you can see something 14.7 billion billion miles away."


https://www.astronomy.com/astronomy-for-beginners/20-unusual-space-facts/

Jupiter’s Icy Moon

"A spacecraft that will hunt for signs of alien life on one of Jupiter’s icy moons has blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida."https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1482xzrge1o?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Pushing the Boundaries of Space Travel



"As NASA strives to push the boundaries of space travel with the Artemis program and the agency’s upcoming deep-space science missions, increased system autonomy and resiliency have inevitably become key technology needs."


https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/science-enabling-technology/technology-highlights/integrating-model-based-systems-engineering-and-fault-management-to-enable-autonomous-space-missions/

PANORAMIC Survey

"Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has detected a new grand-design spiral galaxy as part of the PANORAMIC survey."https://phys.org/news/2024-12-astronomers-ultra-massive-grand-spiral.html?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter#google_vignette

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Low Orbit Satellites



"An entire batch of Russian low Earth orbit satellites, intended to help create Moscow's version of Starlink, has failed to reach or remain at their anticipated altitudes just over a month after launch."


https://www.businessinsider.com/all-16-new-russian-starlink-rival-satellites-short-target-orbit-2026-9

Space Exploration and Spaceflight Research



"Space exploration and spaceflight research often evoke images of astronauts and large spacecraft, but some of the most revealing experiments have flown on satellites no bigger than a loaf of bread."


https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/in-2011-nasa-launched-a-12-pound-satellite-the-size-of-a-loaf-of-bread-with-2-bacillus-populations-radiation-exposure-reached-nearly-15-times-the-iss-orbit/articleshow/133675438.cms

New Visor Deployed



"Roman will downlink the highest data volume of any NASA astrophysics mission so far via its high-gain antenna, which measures 5.6 feet wide yet only weighs 24 pounds. "


https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/09/01/nasa-roman-space-telescopes-antenna-visor-deployed/

Faster Turbines



"Elon Musk says he’s found a way to solve one of AI’s biggest bottlenecks by making a hard-to-manufacture turbine part himself."

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/30/musks-faster-path-to-more-gas-turbines-comes-with-pollution-problem/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Nancy Grace Roman Telescope



"NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope separated from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy’s second stage at 7:57 a.m. EDT and is flying on its own."

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/08/30/nasas-roman-space-telescope-flying-on-its-own/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c92f5d78644b3ac5d5b4

Launch of Rocket is Momentous



"Witnessing the launch of a rocket is not something you can enjoy every day; only a few lucky spectators were able to watch live from French Guiana as Ariane 6 carried MTG-I2 into orbit, the new generation of weather satellites that will monitor the atmospheric conditions affecting Earth."


https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/31/public-reacts-to-ariane-6-rocket-launch-with-mtg-i2

Full Moon September 2026



"The full moon of September 2026 will occur at 12:49 p.m. EDT (1649 GMT) on Sept. 26 as the moon glows opposite the sun in Earth's sky."


https://www.space.com/stargazing/september-full-moon-2026-when-where-and-how-to-see-the-harvest-moon