discovery

In 1983, NASA’s Guy Bluford broke barriers and made history as the first African American astronaut in space. Hear from Bluford himself, see footage from his Space Shuttle missions, and celebrate the milestones that forever changed the landscape of space exploration.

After launching to the International Space Station on March 2, 2023, NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission is wrapping up its time in orbit, with a return to Earth in early September 2023.

Here’s a big question: How did life begin on Earth? We don’t quite know, but this fundamental question is a driving force behind astrobiology research at NASA. Understanding how life originated on our planet could inform us about the potential for life to exist throughout the universe.

Northrop Grumman's 19th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station is carrying scientific investigations including a 3D neuron cell culture to test gene therapy, instruments to monitor plasma density, and an updated potable water dispenser system.

What the Webb telescope found way back in the early Universe, another hot trip around the Sun for our Parker Solar Probe, and we’re back in touch with our helicopter on Mars … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

On Oct. 14, 2023, a “ring of fire,” or annular, solar eclipse will travel from Oregon coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Weather permitting, most of the Americas will be able to view at least a partial solar eclipse.

Join the journey as NASA’s Psyche mission team prepares for a targeted Oct. 5, 2023, launch to explore a unique metallic asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid, likely made largely of nickel-iron metal mixed with rock, could contain metal from the core of a planetesimal (the building block of an early rocky planet) and may offer a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created the terrestrial planets like Earth. Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. JPL, which is managed by Caltech for NASA, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.

Find out why July 2023 was a record-breaking month, a high-flying NASA aircraft is helping to study lighting, and making landings safe for flights of the future … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

An international crew is preparing to launch to the International Space Station aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos will perform research technology demonstrations, science experiments, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory. Crew-7 is targeted to launch no earlier than 3:27 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-7 marks the eighth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the seventh crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020 for NASA.

Where are the Moon rocks from the Apollo missions kept? When they’re not being studied by institutions or enjoyed by museumgoers, NASA has a specialized Lunar Sample Curation Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to store and keep these otherworldly samples safe. Studying these samples helps us learn more about the origin of not only our moon, but our planet. Deputy Apollo Sample Curator (Sept 2019 – Dec 2022) Dr. Juliane Gross explains more about lunar sample curation.

Our Webb Space Telescope captures a cosmic ring, the team behind our upcoming Psyche mission, and the unique thing about a star that was ripped apart by a black hole … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

It's the ultimate buddy movie, with two astronauts hitting the road and landing on the moon. Earth. November 14, 1969. Three astronauts, with spacesuits, food, water, and a battery of scientific and communications equipment, prepared to fly to the moon. Thousands gathered at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including President and Mrs. Richard Nixon, to witness the historic launch. It was raining that day, but that was no cause for delay. The ship that would carry them into space was designed to launch in any weather. But how would it respond to a powerful electrical storm now gathering above the launch pad? That was just the beginning of the incredible journey of Apollo 12. With three astronauts fastened into their seats, the countdown proceeded. Astronaut and Mission Commander Pete Conrad would say later: "The flight was extremely normal, for the first 36 seconds." The five engines of the Saturn 5's huge first stage were designed to burn through 5 million pounds of liquid oxygen in just two and a half minutes, and to send the spacecraft up 67 kilometers above the Atlantic Ocean. When it reached an altitude of 2000 meters, something unexpected happened. Racing through the stormy environment, the rocket generated a lightning bolt that traveled down its highly conductive exhaust trail. Another bolt hit 16 seconds later. All of the spacecraft's circuit breakers shut off. The tracking system was lost. A young flight controller in Houston, Texas instructed astronaut Alan Bean on how to turn on an auxiliary power system. The mission was back on track. Once in Earth orbit, all systems appeared to check out, and flight control officials gave the crew the green light to leave Earth. The astronauts were not told of concern that the lighting strikes had damaged the pyrotechnic system used to deploy the parachutes that would ease them back through the Earth's atmosphere. If that system failed, the astronauts would not return alive. This mission would have its share of perils, not unlike those faced by a long line of past explorers, whose courage and restless spirit propelled them into the unknown. This one, however, was backed by years of technology development, test flights, astronaut training, and the largest support team back home that any mission ever had. But hundreds of thousands of kilometers out in space the three astronauts were pretty much on their own. What made Apollo 12 unique was the friendship and chemistry of its crew. Conrad, Bean, and Richard Gordon were all Navy men. Working and training together on the Gemini program, they had gained each other's respect and trust. Now, hurtling across more than 400,000 kilometers to the moon, they prepared to fullfill the mission's goals. One was to set up a scientific station designed to record seismic, atmospheric, and solar data. Another was to visit an unmanned lunar probe called Surveyor III that had landed there two and a half years before. The idea was to bring back a part to study the effect of the lunar environment. A third goal was to improve on the landing of Apollo 11 just 5 months before. Dropping down over a region called the Sea of Tranquility, pilot Neil Armstrong found himself heading straight for a crater full of boulders. He had to fly over the planned landing site and find a new one. Now kilometers beyond the target, the lander, called Eagle, was literally running out of gas. With less than 30 seconds of fuel left, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin finally touched down on a landscape obscured by dust stirred up by the vehicle's thrusters. Future astronauts would have to be able to make precision landings at locations dictated by science. That meant they would have to touch down on landscapes filled with all kinds of rocks and craters. For Apollo 12, the science pointed to a region known as the Ocean of Storms, some 2000 kilometers from where the Eagle had landed. Here, the landscape is dark from lava that cooled to form its flat expanse billions of years ago.

NASA is delaying the launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station in order to take more time to confirm safety issues. Meanwhile, engineers are working on a spacecraft that will put astronauts in a lunar fly-by as a new space race is taking shape. NBC’s Tom Costello reports for TODAY. » Subscribe to TODAY: http://on.today.com/SubscribeToTODAY » Watch the latest from TODAY: http://bit.ly/LatestTODAY About: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. We wake up every morning to give you and your family all you need to start your day. If it matters to you, it matters to us. We are in the people business. Subscribe to our channel for exclusive TODAY archival footage & our original web series. Connect with TODAY Online! Visit TODAY's Website: http://on.today.com/ReadTODAY Find TODAY on Facebook: http://on.today.com/LikeTODAY Follow TODAY on Twitter: http://on.today.com/FollowTODAY Follow TODAY on Instagram: http://on.today.com/InstaTODAY » Stream TODAY All Day: https://www.today.com/allday About: TODAY All Day is a 24/7 streaming channel bringing you the top stories in news and pop culture, celebrity interviews, cooking, and more. All in one place.

India on Wednesday became the fourth nation to safely land a spacecraft on the moon, following the U.S., Russia and China, where few have gone before. Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao joins CBS News to discuss the significance of the feat.

In this video, you will learn about a surprising discovery that has changed our understanding of Neptune’s weather and its connection to the Sun. You will find out how the clouds on Neptune, which are mostly made of methane gas, have almost disappeared since 2019, and how this phenomenon is linked to the solar cycle, which is the 11-year cycle of the Sun’s activity. You will also discover how astronomers using two powerful telescopes, the Keck Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, noticed this change and what it means for our knowledge of the solar system. You will also see some amazing images of Neptune and its clouds that will show you the beauty and diversity of nature. This video is based on a scientific paper published in the journal Icarus and two articles from Phys.org and The New York Times. If you are interested in learning more about Neptune and its clouds, please watch this video and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more videos like this. Thank you for your attention and enjoy the video!

Our first wheels on the Moon. On the Apollo 15 mission, the Lunar Roving Vehicle allowed the astronauts to cover a much greater distance on the Moon than the previous three flights had accomplished. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 15 mission. On July 26, 1971, David R. Scott (Commander), James B. Irwin (Lunar Module Pilot) and Alfred M. Worden (Command Module Pilot) launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. Apollo 15 set several new records for crewed spaceflight: heaviest payload in a lunar orbit of approximately 107,000 pounds, maximum radial distance traveled on the lunar surface away from the spacecraft of about 17.5 miles, most lunar surface moonwalks (three) and longest total of duration for lunar surface moonwalk (18 hours, 37 minutes), longest time in lunar orbit (about 145 hours), longest crewed lunar mission (295 hours), longest Apollo mission, the first satellite placed in lunar orbit by a crewed spacecraft, and first deep space and operational spacewalk.

There are many challenges associated with living on the International Space Station. Things that are easy to do on Earth where there is gravity can be difficult in space, for astronauts have been living for more than a decade aboard the space station and have developed a few tricks that make these everyday tasks easier. Expedition 36 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg shows how she washes and rinses her hair in microgravity aboard the International Space Station

Expedition 33 commander Suni Williams showcase the sleeping accomodations, how the bathroom is utilized, brushing teeth in microgravity and the common room with food. Harmony, Tranquility and Unity are the nodes toured.

Hello there, curious explorers! Today's topic is an amusing one: Eating and drinking in space. What does an astronaut eat in a day? How do they actually prepare and eat food in microgravity, while food is floating around? If you've ever wondered these questions and couldn’t find the answer to what an astronaut's diet looks like, you’ve arrived at the correct place. As you might imagine, astronauts don’t always get to eat fresh-out-the-oven kind of food, instead, they usually get their food in the form of a paste, straight from little pouches or tubes. On the other hand, there are exceptional meals if you prefer pizza for dinner. “Do they use an oven?” you might also ask, and the answer is yes. One might not be satisfied eating cold food every meal. If you'd like to know more about the way astronauts eat and how they survive that way, make sure to watch the video above!

Our next space station crew rotation flight, a launch day simulation for our upcoming Moon mission, and visiting the splashdown recovery crew for Artemis II … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!