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https://science.nasa.gov/Joined July 2026

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NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 11:45:31 PM

NASA’s CRAVE validates satellite radiation data

The experiment provides continuous surface radiation measurements to validate CERES and other satellite products.
Two sites are active: Granite Island, Michigan, and NASA Langley, Virginia. They are among 43 operational Baseline Surface Radiation Network sites worldwide.
The Chesapeake Light Station site operated from 2000 to 2016 and was indefinitely suspended over structural concerns.

By Jay Madigan

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 4:22:27 PM

Urban growth moves in unsynchronized cycles

A study of Dubai, Lagos, Mexico City, Mumbai, Seattle and Shenzhen found construction activity rises in bursts, with nearby neighborhoods often changing at different times.
The Urban Pulse method uses deep learning and Landsat-Sentinel satellite data, with observations every 2–3 days, to track the timing and intensity of neighborhood change.
Researchers found construction activity dipped around COVID-19 across the cities, but recovery patterns differed.
The framework could help planners identify neighborhoods for closer checks on infrastructure strain, rapid development or environmental risks; local evidence is needed to interpret signals.

By Ross Walter

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 3:17:34 PM

NASA seeks commercial options to extend Hubble’s mission

NASA issued a request for information on Oct. 29, seeking ideas to boost Hubble to a higher orbit, service it, or safely dispose of it at mission’s end.
Responses are due by 3 p.m. EST on Nov. 30.
Hubble is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2033–34; NASA anticipates any servicing mission would need to take place by 2032.
The request explores possibilities; NASA has not announced an approved mission.

By Alise Fisher

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 12:03:25 PM

Voyager 1 to reach one light-day from the Sun on Nov. 18

The milestone comes 49 years after Voyager 1 launched in 1977.
One light-day is about 16.1 billion miles from the Sun.
Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause in August 2012; Voyager 2 crossed in November 2018.

By Kat Troche

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 8:35:02 AM

Vega Island shows extensive bare ice after warm Antarctic winter

Landsat 9 images from October 10, 2026, show large areas without snow, unlike the snow-covered ice in an image from March 22, 2025.
Glaciologist Mauri Pelto said above-average winter temperatures, limited snowfall, sublimation and wind scouring contributed to exposed ice.
Darker bare ice absorbs more solar energy, which may speed melting as spring days grow longer and warmer; Devil’s Bay Glacier has lost mass since monitoring began in 1998–99.

By Lauren Dauphin

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 3:43:36 AM

Voyager 1 saves power to keep science instruments running longer

NASA completed a months-long power-saving upgrade in early September, replacing three devices with lower-power alternatives.
The upgrade should delay switching off another science instrument, which otherwise could have happened as early as summer 2027.
Voyager 1 lost contact during two scheduled attempts on Oct. 18 and 19; its signal returned Oct. 20 after 48 hours.
Engineers are investigating; one thruster group went offline and backups activated automatically.
NASA expects Voyager 1 to reach 16.09 billion miles from Earth on Nov. 18, when its radio signal will take 24 hours each way.

By Amanda Barnett

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/30/2026, 1:55:16 AM

Map identifies 13 possible origins for ancient Martian meteorite

The sites match Teghaza 001’s mineralogy and chemistry; clues point to Mars’s southern highlands.
Scientists cannot determine the meteorite’s origin with certainty.

By Rafael Alanis

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/29/2026, 9:48:05 PM

NASA’s TRACERS finds magnetic reconnection is mainly spatial

First-year observations indicate reconnection’s location moves more than the process changes over time; future measurements are needed to confirm the result.
The twin spacecraft now measure the southern polar cusp several times a day.
NASA approved an extension in September, allowing the mission to study reconnection through spring 2027.

By Desiree Apodaca

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/29/2026, 4:56:19 PM

Hubble and Webb reveal the Cat’s Head Nebula in detail

The star-forming region lies about 7,500 light-years away in the Carina Nebula.
Hubble’s visible-light images show a dust pillar and glowing rim; Webb’s infrared views reveal its structure, stars and background galaxies.
The paired views are helping astronomers study star formation and how radiation from massive stars erodes gas and dust.

By Marty McCoy

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/29/2026, 4:48:09 AM

Cyclone Arnab hit India’s Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28

The storm made landfall with sustained winds of 130 km/h, classified by India’s meteorological agency as a very severe cyclonic storm.
It uprooted trees, flooded crops and homes, and disrupted fishing, transport and power networks.
Authorities evacuated tens of thousands from vulnerable coastal areas before landfall.

By Michala Garrison

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/29/2026, 2:37:29 AM

Arizona’s Chiricahua site redesignated as a national park in October 2026

The area was designated a national monument in 1924.
Volcanic eruptions about 27 million years ago spread more than 1,000 times Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption volume; erosion later shaped the rock spires and canyons.
The park spans ecosystems supporting about 1,000 plant species.

By Lauren Dauphin

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/28/2026, 11:14:03 PM

NASA’s Lucy Enters Jupiter Trojan Asteroid Region

The spacecraft has traveled more than 2.2 billion miles since its Oct. 16, 2021, launch, becoming the first to enter the region.
Lucy’s first Trojan encounter, with Eurybates, is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2027; it will then visit three more asteroids through November 2028.
After a 2030 Earth gravity assist, Lucy is set to explore Trojan pair Patroclus and Menoetius in March 2033.

By Lonnie Shekhtman

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/28/2026, 7:07:42 PM

NASA selects 19 citizen-science proposals for 2026

Twelve proposals were selected through NASA’s Citizen Science Seed Funding Program; seven teams were selected through its Science Activation Program.
Projects will invite public participation in research including exoplanet searches, space-weather monitoring, lunar resource mapping, comet discovery and environmental observations.
The projects include classroom crop experiments for space food research and access to 22 robotic telescopes.

By Andrew Dollar

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/28/2026, 1:33:18 PM

Video captures Ganymede briefly occulting Io on October 20

The rare mutual occultation occurs when Earth sees the Galilean moons’ orbits edge-on, about once every six years as Jupiter reaches equinox.
Ganymede also cast its shadow on Jupiter, creating a solar eclipse there.

By Jerry Bonnell

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/28/2026, 6:16:46 AM

Curiosity prepares to drill at Mars site ‘Nazca’

The rover’s science team approved preparations for drilling after images showed abundant disc- and needle-shaped forms at the target.
Curiosity planned a drill preload test and detailed imaging to build higher-resolution 3D models of the forms.
A 150-shot laser test on nearby target ‘Toucan’ is designed to probe about five times deeper than a normal measurement and compare subsurface composition with the surface.
The team also planned surface-composition measurements at Nazca before drilling.

By Stephen Carney

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/27/2026, 11:36:57 PM

NASA HWO technology study proposals due Nov. 20

Phase 1 seeks one-month studies to develop technology plans for five UV-visible candidates: multi-object selection, low-scatter UV gratings, FUV imaging filters, image slicers and compatible fiber optics.
Phase 2 funding depends on the available budget; only teams that submit and are selected for Phase 1 may qualify.
Awards are due to be announced by Dec. 31, 2026, with funding to follow immediately.
The lead proposer must be affiliated with a U.S. entity; NASA Centers, including JPL, cannot apply.

By Patricia Tyler

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/27/2026, 8:59:51 PM

Minnesota students intercept wildfire smoke with stratospheric balloons

Two 2026 flights detected aerosol spikes consistent with wildfire smoke at 8–10 km and 9–13 km altitude.
The first flight, on July 17, sampled a plume over southern Minnesota; the second, on August 12, targeted an older plume from Utah’s Widemouth 2 wildfire.
The August balloon flew for just over two hours, reached 102,000 feet (31 km) and traveled about 75 miles.
Researchers say further work is needed to verify the second plume’s origin; the data has been shared with pyroCb researchers.

By Christina Campen

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/27/2026, 6:28:12 PM

NASA approves UVEX after key review

The agency commits to launching the ultraviolet survey telescope by January 2031, with a total lifecycle cost of $590 million.
UVEX will survey ultraviolet light across the sky and rapidly observe sources linked to neutron-star mergers.

By Alise Fisher

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/27/2026, 5:23:06 PM

HEASARC website taken offline for security upgrades

NASA said on 27 October 2026 the site was offline for upgrades addressing PHP security vulnerabilities.
HEASARC data remain accessible through AWS public datasets; NASA recommends the HARK command-line tool.
NASA gave no restoration date and said it would notify users when the website is back online.

By Patricia Tyler

[1] NASA Science

NASA Science@nasa_science·10/27/2026, 3:13:24 PM

NEO Surveyor completes solar-array integration on its sunshade

The 20-foot-tall sunshade’s 864 solar cells can produce up to 2 kilowatts and will provide all power for the spacecraft’s systems.
The shade blocks sunlight to keep the infrared telescope cool as it searches for near-Earth asteroids and comets, including those near the Sun.
The solar array passed functional and performance testing; the sunshade was delivered to BAE Systems in May, ahead of schedule.

By AMANDA BARNETT

[1] NASA Science