Space videos

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched by NASA, has detected cosmic dust rings. These rings are thought to be caused by collisions between asteroids or comets within a planetary system. The telescope's advanced capabilities allow scientists to study these rings and gain insights into the processes shaping planetary systems and the evolution of dust around stars.

The NASA SpaceX Crew-4 mission was a spaceflight mission in partnership with SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. It involved a team of astronauts who launched to the International Space Station (ISS) for scientific research and other activities. The return journey marked their safe re-entry and landing back on Earth. For the most up-to-date information on the Crew-4 mission's return.

The new supercomputer simulation provides insights into the origin of the Moon. By modeling various scenarios of collision and formation, scientists hope to better understand how the Moon came into existence and its relationship with Earth. This simulation could help refine our understanding of the events that shaped our solar system billions of years ago.

The NASA SpaceX Crew-4 mission undocking from the International Space Station marked a significant moment in space exploration. The event involved the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which had been docked with the ISS for a specific duration. This carefully orchestrated procedure required precise coordination and communication between the crew members on both the spacecraft and the space station, as well as ground control teams. As the Crew Dragon gradually disengaged from its docking port, it embarked on its journey back to Earth, carrying astronauts and potentially scientific experiments or cargo. The undocking represented a critical step in the overall mission, demonstrating the advanced capabilities of the spacecraft and the successful collaboration between NASA and SpaceX in furthering human spaceflight endeavors.

We’re testing a new way of landing on Mars… by crashing into its surface. The Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device (SHIELD) is a lander concept being tested at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It could one day provide a new way for low-cost missions to land on Mars. Rather than rely on parachutes or retrorockets, SHIELD would include a collapsible, accordion-like base to absorb the energy of a landing. A full-size prototype of the base was tested on Aug. 12, 2022. The prototype was hurled at the ground from the top of a nearly 90-foot-tall (27-meter-tall) drop tower at JPL. A steel plate ensured the impact was even harder than what would be experienced on Mars. The design worked: After crushing against the steel plate at 110 mph (177 kph), several electronic components inside the SHIELD prototype, including a smartphone, survived the impact. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/California Academy of Sciences

A new Earth science mission, led by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), will help communities plan for a better future by surveying the planet’s salt and freshwater bodies. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will measure the height of water in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the oceans. As climate change accelerates the water cycle, more communities around the world will be inundated with water while others won’t have enough. SWOT data will be used to improve flood forecasts and monitor drought conditions, providing essential information to water management agencies, civil engineers, universities, the U.S. Department of Defense, disaster preparedness agencies, and others who need to track water in their local areas. In this video, examples of how SWOT data will be used in these communities are shared by a National Weather Service representative in Oregon, an Alaska Department of Transportation engineer, researchers from the University of Oregon

Paul Smith is a night-sky fanatic and photographer. His obsession is sprites: immense jolts of light that flicker high above thunderstorms. Last October, he guided NASA scientist Dr. Burcu Kosar through the backroads of Oklahoma to catch one herself. Although she’d studied sprites for more than 15 years, she hadn’t yet chased one.

This 4K visualization shows the Moon's phase and libration at hourly intervals throughout 2022, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Each frame represents one hour. In addition, this visualization shows the Moon's orbit position, sub-Earth and subsolar points, and distance from the Earth at true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled, as are Apollo landing sites, maria, and other albedo features in sunlight. Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Data visualization by Ernie Wright (USRA) Producer & Editor - David Ladd (AIMM) Music provided by Universal Production Music: “Build the Future” – Alexander Hitchens