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The latest on the US space agency's crafts, missions, and discoveries—from low-Earth orbit to deep space.

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a blue, purple, and white galaxy whose clouds of dust and matter appear shaped like a butterfly

5 dazzling interstellar images to celebrate Hubble’s 35th birthday 5 dazzling interstellar images to celebrate Hubble’s 35th birthday

By Laura Baisas

Illustration of planet disintegrating during orbit around star

Astronomers discover hellscape world crumbling into its host sun Astronomers discover hellscape world crumbling into its host sun

close up of asteroid Donaldjohanson

NASA snaps detailed photos of ‘strikingly complicated’ asteroid NASA snaps detailed photos of ‘strikingly complicated’ asteroid

Two planets and crescent moon form smiley face in night sky

Rare ‘smiley face’ will light up the night sky on April 25 Rare ‘smiley face’ will light up the night sky on April 25

A photomosaic taken by the Curiosity Rover on April 30, 2023 at the Ubajara drill site in Gale Crater, Mars. Rock powder samples drilled here contained substantial amounts of siderite (an iron carbonate mineral). The siderite played a role in ancient carbon cycling processes that impacted conditions at the planet’s surface. Rover tracks in the foreground are 40 cm wide. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Curiosity rover finds key ingredient for past life on Mars Curiosity rover finds key ingredient for past life on Mars

Jared Isaacman speaking at congressional hearing

NASA nominee: ‘We will prioritize sending astronauts to Mars’ NASA nominee: ‘We will prioritize sending astronauts to Mars’

Lunar rover prototype in parking lot

All-terrain space truck hopes to drive astronauts on the moon All-terrain space truck hopes to drive astronauts on the moon

A collage of three images showing the black expanse of space. Two-thirds of the collage is taken up by the black background sprinkled with small, blurry galaxies in orange, blue, and white. There are two images in a column at the right side of the collage. On the right side of the main image, not far from the top, a very faint dot is outlined with a white square. At the right, there are two zoomed in views of this area. The top box is labeled NIRCam and shows a fuzzy dot at the center of the inset. The bottom box is labeled MIRI and shows a fuzzy pinkish dot.

JWST snaps first image of asteroid that threatened Earth JWST snaps first image of asteroid that threatened Earth

Martian landscape taken by NASA rover

Toxic dust on Mars could make astronauts sick Toxic dust on Mars could make astronauts sick

Mars Curiosity rover selfie picture against Martian background

Curiosity finds largest-ever organic molecules on Mars Curiosity finds largest-ever organic molecules on Mars

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed Herbig-Haro 49/50, an outflow from a nearby still-forming star, in high-resolution near- and mid-infrared light.

JWST spots an energetic ‘Cosmic Tornado’ 625 light-years away JWST spots an energetic ‘Cosmic Tornado’ 625 light-years away

Total solar eclipse showing ring of sunlight

Lunar lander snaps mesmerizing views of a solar eclipse Lunar lander snaps mesmerizing views of a solar eclipse

Two astronauts holding plushies inside ISS

NASA wants your help designing its Artemis II mascot NASA wants your help designing its Artemis II mascot

This artist concept depicts NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago.

NASA squeezes more life from 47-year-old Voyager probes NASA squeezes more life from 47-year-old Voyager probes

This artist’s concept shows what the isolated planetary-mass object SIMP 0136 could look like based on recent observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and previous observations from Hubble, Spitzer, and numerous ground-based telescopes.

Mysterious cosmic body is a rogue ‘Super-Jupiter’ Mysterious cosmic body is a rogue ‘Super-Jupiter’

Sunrise on moon taken by Blue Ghost lunar lander

NASA uses GPS on the moon for the first time NASA uses GPS on the moon for the first time

A colorful, glowing nebula that reaches beyond the top and bottom of the image. It is made of translucent clouds of gas: wispy and thin with hard edges in some places, and puffy and opaque in others. Blue, red and yellow colours mix together, showing light emitted by different types of atoms in the hot gas. Bright and pointlike stars are scattered across the nebula. The background is black

Candy-colored atoms shine in new image of the Veil Nebula Candy-colored atoms shine in new image of the Veil Nebula

By Laura Baisas

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured these drifting noctilucent, or twilight, clouds in a 16-minute recording on Jan. 17. (This looping clip has been speeded up about 480 times.) The white plumes falling out of the clouds are carbon dioxide ice that would evaporate closer to the Martian surface.

Curiosity rover spots rare shimmering clouds above Mars Curiosity rover spots rare shimmering clouds above Mars

Europa clipper illustration

How space missions make discoveries on the way to their main destinations How space missions make discoveries on the way to their main destinations

By Briley Lewis

Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane landing on runway

Curvy spaceplane is one step closer to its ISS rendezvous Curvy spaceplane is one step closer to its ISS rendezvous