https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/nasa/RSS feed for NASAenThu, 16 Jul 2026 21:22:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buzz-aldrin-used-this-humble-felt-tip-pen-to-save-the-apollo-ii-astronauts-it-just-sold-for-more-than-850000-180989142/In July 1969, a quick-thinking Aldrin used the writing instrument to rearm the engine arm circuit of the lunar module "Eagle" after the switch broke off during the moon landingThu, 16 Jul 2026 21:22:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buzz-aldrin-used-this-humble-felt-tip-pen-to-save-the-apollo-ii-astronauts-it-just-sold-for-more-than-850000-180989142/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/The Hillsborough meteorite belongs to a rare class of rocks from space, according to a new study. It holds amino acids and other organic compounds, as well as evidence of salty waterThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:04:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/The gas giant, called Beta Pictoris d, had been hiding in plain sight for more than a decade, until two independent teams verified its existenceWed, 15 Jul 2026 19:40:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/artemis-1s-orion-spacecraft-withstood-the-heat-of-re-entry-in-a-critical-test-for-humans-return-to-the-moon-now-nasa-will-loan-the-historic-capsule-to-the-smithsonians-national-air-and-space-museum-180989094/The exact timeline for the spacecraft's display hasn’t been announced, but the artifact will fit into an upcoming exhibition on how humans have built a long-term presence in Earth orbit and laid the groundwork for farther space travelMon, 13 Jul 2026 19:09:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/artemis-1s-orion-spacecraft-withstood-the-heat-of-re-entry-in-a-critical-test-for-humans-return-to-the-moon-now-nasa-will-loan-the-historic-capsule-to-the-smithsonians-national-air-and-space-museum-180989094/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-reveal-that-this-asteroid-is-actually-two-conjoined-space-rocks-that-form-a-peanut-shaped-object-called-a-contact-binary-180989090/A flyby conducted by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 uncovered the asteroid's strange shape. Data gathered by the probe will also help defend the planet against potentially threatening space rocksWed, 08 Jul 2026 21:21:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-reveal-that-this-asteroid-is-actually-two-conjoined-space-rocks-that-form-a-peanut-shaped-object-called-a-contact-binary-180989090/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-spheres-washed-ashore-on-an-australian-beach-authorities-say-theyre-probably-space-balls-empty-fuel-vessels-from-a-rocket-180989082/The shiny objects—each roughly twice the size of a basketball—began to appear on July 3. Authorities initially worried that they were hazardous but have since determined that they're likely safe bits of space junkTue, 07 Jul 2026 21:15:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-spheres-washed-ashore-on-an-australian-beach-authorities-say-theyre-probably-space-balls-empty-fuel-vessels-from-a-rocket-180989082/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/New observations of WD 1856 b, a gas giant closely orbiting a white dwarf, offer a preview of what could happen to Jupiter and Saturn after the sun dies in about five billion years.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:09:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-space-shuttle-endeavour-in-a-unique-vertical-display-before-its-new-exhibition-launches-at-the-california-science-center-180989073/This November, visitors to the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles will get to see the "ready-to-launch" "Endeavour" complete with rocket boosters and a fuel tankMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:21:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-space-shuttle-endeavour-in-a-unique-vertical-display-before-its-new-exhibition-launches-at-the-california-science-center-180989073/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/americas-first-space-station-proved-humans-could-live-and-work-in-orbit-for-months-now-the-public-can-see-what-it-looked-like-in-person-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years-180989055/A backup version of Skylab was displayed when the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum opened 50 years ago. After renovation of the building, the artifact is once more on view in a new galleryWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:30:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/americas-first-space-station-proved-humans-could-live-and-work-in-orbit-for-months-now-the-public-can-see-what-it-looked-like-in-person-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years-180989055/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/After a year of testing, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has started capturing data as part of the much-anticipated Legacy Survey of Space and TimeWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:21:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/Along with other recent discoveries, the new finding from Perseverance boosts the case that Mars once hosted conditions that could support living things—but it isn’t a definitive sign of ancient organismsTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:38:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-most-detailed-photo-of-the-milky-ways-heart-ever-taken-in-visible-light-which-will-help-astronomers-hunt-for-exoplanets-180989027/The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope was built to study dark matter and dark energy, but for one day last year, it captured the densely packed stars brightening the center of our galaxyFri, 26 Jun 2026 21:09:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-most-detailed-photo-of-the-milky-ways-heart-ever-taken-in-visible-light-which-will-help-astronomers-hunt-for-exoplanets-180989027/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-might-be-the-oldest-object-ever-seen-in-our-solar-system-a-study-suggests-180989007/Based on the composition of gases spewed by the icy space rock, researchers estimate that our guest might be up to 12 billion years old—about three times the age of the solar systemWed, 24 Jun 2026 19:55:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-might-be-the-oldest-object-ever-seen-in-our-solar-system-a-study-suggests-180989007/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/this-week-nasa-will-launch-a-first-of-its-kind-mission-to-save-a-space-telescope-that-has-observed-the-sky-for-nearly-22-years-180988998/In 2024, researchers realized that the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was falling from its orbit faster than expected. Now, a robotic spacecraft called LINK aims to give the satellite a boostTue, 23 Jun 2026 18:21:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/this-week-nasa-will-launch-a-first-of-its-kind-mission-to-save-a-space-telescope-that-has-observed-the-sky-for-nearly-22-years-180988998/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-stunning-view-of-the-southern-lights-dancing-across-the-earth-captured-by-a-nasa-astronaut-180988960/Jessica Meir, commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission, shared photos and videos of a green aurora she shot while sheltering in a capsule outside the International Space StationTue, 16 Jun 2026 16:04:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-stunning-view-of-the-southern-lights-dancing-across-the-earth-captured-by-a-nasa-astronaut-180988960/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/see-a-diamond-planet-an-exploding-star-and-a-black-hole-up-close-in-a-new-immersive-virtual-reality-experience-180988945/Informed by science from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and astronomers worldwide, this “documentary that you can walk through” visualizes the cosmos in a 3D introduction to the universeFri, 12 Jun 2026 16:19:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/see-a-diamond-planet-an-exploding-star-and-a-black-hole-up-close-in-a-new-immersive-virtual-reality-experience-180988945/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-announces-the-crew-of-artemis-3-four-astronauts-who-will-take-calculated-risks-in-low-earth-orbit-and-pave-the-way-for-a-future-moon-landing-180988920/The mission, expected to launch next year, will practice meeting and docking with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue OriginTue, 09 Jun 2026 20:53:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-announces-the-crew-of-artemis-3-four-astronauts-who-will-take-calculated-risks-in-low-earth-orbit-and-pave-the-way-for-a-future-moon-landing-180988920/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/The United States banned supersonic flights over its land in 1973 due to their ear-splitting sonic booms. Experts are building a plane that should travel at those speeds but create only gentle thumpsMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-supermassive-black-hole-at-the-heart-of-our-galaxy-seems-to-be-blowing-wind-just-as-scientists-long-theorized-180988908/Scientists have been searching for evidence of this breeze since the 1970s. They've seen intense wind from other black holes, but they've struggled to observe the one at the Milky Way's centerFri, 05 Jun 2026 19:34:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-supermassive-black-hole-at-the-heart-of-our-galaxy-seems-to-be-blowing-wind-just-as-scientists-long-theorized-180988908/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/see-15-inspiring-images-of-americans-accomplishments-in-space-exploration-that-will-have-you-reaching-for-the-stars-180988822/These photographs from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show the many ways that the nation’s brightest minds explore the great beyond with crewed spacecraft, rockets and space stations.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:43:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/see-15-inspiring-images-of-americans-accomplishments-in-space-exploration-that-will-have-you-reaching-for-the-stars-180988822/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-officially-ends-the-maven-mission-months-after-losing-contact-with-the-mars-orbiter-180988897/The agency last heard from the spacecraft on December 6. Recovered fragmentary data suggest that MAVEN was spinning unexpectedly, hinting at a change in its trajectory and draining its batteriesThu, 04 Jun 2026 18:51:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-officially-ends-the-maven-mission-months-after-losing-contact-with-the-mars-orbiter-180988897/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bright-meteor-lit-up-the-new-england-sky-before-exploding-with-a-loud-boom-and-its-pieces-may-have-landed-in-cape-cod-bay-180988869/People reported seeing the glowing space rock or hearing or feeling its breakup from Delaware to Montreal. Experts estimate that it was about three feet wide and traveling at 75,000 miles per hour when it broke apartMon, 01 Jun 2026 18:44:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bright-meteor-lit-up-the-new-england-sky-before-exploding-with-a-loud-boom-and-its-pieces-may-have-landed-in-cape-cod-bay-180988869/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-unveils-new-details-about-the-future-moon-base-and-the-missions-laying-the-groundwork-to-build-it-180988837/The first three missions are targeted to launch this year. They’ll involve lunar landers developed by several aerospace companies, including Blue Origin, and deliver scientific instruments and a roverWed, 27 May 2026 20:47:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-unveils-new-details-about-the-future-moon-base-and-the-missions-laying-the-groundwork-to-build-it-180988837/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nasas-stunning-new-images-of-mars-captured-during-an-asteroid-bound-spacecrafts-strategic-flyby-180988788/The Psyche mission, on its way to study an asteroid of the same name, approached within 2,864 miles of the red planet on May 15Fri, 22 May 2026 20:14:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nasas-stunning-new-images-of-mars-captured-during-an-asteroid-bound-spacecrafts-strategic-flyby-180988788/