Written by Vandi Verma, Chief Engineer for Robotic Operations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Oct. 12, 2026 Since the last blog update, Perseverance has achieved a major milestone on Mars. On Sol 2006 (Oct. 11, 2026), its odometer reached 45.22 kilometers (28.10 miles), setting a new record for the farthest distance driven on another celestial […]
Science on the Space Station with NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins
NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Jessica Watkins works inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox on Oct. 9, 2026, safely mixing living cell samples with a bioink and then filling a special cartridge with the cell‑ink mixture. The advanced research operations were part of the InSPA‑Auxilium Bioprinter‑Cell Printing investigation, which explores 3D […]
NASA’s CASALS Instrument Bridges Gaps in 3D Maps of Earth’s Surface
From orbit, today’s space-based laser instruments measure Earth’s forests and terrain one narrow line at a time. Between those lines are enormous gaps that include millions of acres of land scientists never directly measure. NASA’s CASALS instrument will blend machine learning with an ultra-compact lidar instrument to adaptively ‘sweep’ large swaths of Earth’s surface. This […]
All 46 new Metro trains officially handed over for service
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler has formally handed over the 46th and final new Class 555 Metro train to Nexus this month – two months ahead of an end of 2026 target date. It marks the final stages of a a £362 million project project which has been transformational for many thousands of customers and has […]