APOD: 2026 October 24 – Rosetta’s Selfie

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 24 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Rosetta’s Selfie Explanation: […]

NASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development for 2028 Moon Missions

As NASA returns humans to the lunar surface and establishes a long-term presence on our closest celestial neighbor, the agency and commercial human landing system providers Blue Origin and SpaceX have streamlined the designs and changed both concepts of operations for its future crewed landers. Since NASA established initial contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX […]

NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations

Before astronauts return to the lunar surface, NASA will first conduct one of the most ambitious and complex test missions in the agency’s history.  Launching in 2027, Artemis III will send NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft into low Earth orbit […]

NASA’s Swift Mission Ends, Leaves Behind Scientific Bonanza

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has ended its science mission now that the spacecraft is orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. The greater atmospheric drag at this height prevents the satellite’s telescopes from steadily gazing at their astronomical targets. Swift conducted its final observation on Oct. 20. It is expected to […]