The Moon readies for Artemis II, Orion shines bright, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky NASA’s Artemis II mission has its first opportunity to launch to the moon, Orion the Hunter takes center stage, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky. Skywatching Highlights Feb: Artemis II launch window opens. [...]

4 Min Read Preparing for Artemis II: Training for a Mission Around the Moon Artemis II astronauts, from left, NASA astronaut Victor Glover, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman stand on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher as part of an integrated ground [...]

NASA/JPL-Caltech Deep Space Station 15, one of the 112-foot antennas at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, looks skyward, with the stars of the Milky Way overhead, in September 2025. Goldstone is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which operates three complexes around the globe that support communications with dozens of [...]

NASA NASA has awarded more than $5 million to 29 institutions nationwide to expand and strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning beyond the classroom. The awards are designed to help build skills that lead directly to STEM careers. These organizations collaborate with libraries, after-school programs, and youth-serving groups to provide sustainable learning opportunities [...]

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This image captured by NISAR’s L-band SAR instrument on Nov. 29, 2025, shows the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and a range of wetlands, farmlands, and populated areas. The colors indicate different types of land cover.NASA/JPL-Caltech This [...]

3 Min Read I Am Artemis: Doug Parkinson NASA’s Doug Parkinson is the Launch Integration and Mission Operations lead for the SLS (Space Launch System) Program. Credits: NASA/Brandon Hancock Doug Parkinson’s face lights up as he starts telling his story, how someone from  Wisconsin now plays a part in the team that will help [...]

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, a total lunar eclipse will take place across several time zones. In this data visualization, the Moon moves from right to left, passing through Earth’s shadow and leaving in its wake an eclipse diagram with the times (in UTC) at various stages of the eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization [...]

This image of the Atlantic Ocean around Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba was taken from the International Space Station in 2024. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. A NASA analysis shows that the global mean sea level rose 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters) in 2025.NASA A mild La Niña caused greater rainfall over [...]

7 min read NASA Researchers Probe Tangled Magnetospheres of Merging Neutron Stars New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they crash. The team identified potential signals emitted during the stars’ final [...]

5 Min Read Networks Keeping NASA’s Artemis II Mission Connected An artist’s conceptual image of network antennas supporting the Orion spacecraft. Credits: NASA / Dave Ryan NASA’s Artemis II mission will transport four astronauts around the Moon, bringing the agency one step closer to sending the first astronauts to Mars. [...]