[NASA REPORTS]

What's New at the Earth Observatory August 4, 2026

2026-08-04T10:30:51Z

August 4, 2026

Weekly News

Latest Images of the Day

Smoke Streams Across Eastern Washington

Wildland fires in early August 2026 pushed air quality to unhealthy levels, destroyed hundreds of structures, and triggered mandatory evacuations…

A Bare Summer for Barnes Ice Cap

The expanse of glacial ice on Canada’s Baffin Island lost its snow cover quickly and early in summer 2026, revealing…

Destructive Fires Char Western Europe

Raging wildfires disrupted summer in Spain and France amid sweltering heat waves and prolonged drought.

New Zealand’s Southern Wilderness

Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand’s third-largest island, is known for its vibrant birdlife, unique forests, wilderness beaches, and views of the…

Sizing Up the Sargassum Belt

Seaweed composing the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt hit near-record levels in June 2026, with the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of…

Daily Natural Event Updates August 4, 2026

2026-08-04T10:24:27Z

August 4, 2026

Natural Events

Latest Natural Event Images

View the natural events archive

Smoke Streams Across Eastern Washington

Wildland fires in early August 2026 pushed air quality to unhealthy levels, destroyed hundreds of structures, and triggered mandatory evacuations…

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Solar Region Summary (SRS)

2026-08-03T17:33:02Z

:Product: Solar Region Summary

:Issued: 2026 Aug 04 0030 UTC

# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,

# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.

#

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary

SRS Number 216 Issued at 0030Z on 04 Aug 2026
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 03 Aug

I.  Regions with Sunspots.  Locations Valid at 03/2400Z 

Nmbr Location  Lo  Area  Z   LL   NN Mag Type

4496 N04W77   058  0060 Hsx  02   01 Alpha

4498 N14W17   357  0180 Dsi  07   16 Beta-Delta

4499 N04W51   031  0060 Dai  08   07 Beta

4500 N18W12   352  0050 Cso  05   02 Beta

4501 S07W53   034  0100 Dso  07   07 Beta

4502 S06W10   351  0120 Dao  06   11 Beta

IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots.  Locations Valid at 03/2400Z Aug

Nmbr  Location  Lo

None

II. Regions Due to Return 04 Aug to 06 Aug

Nmbr Lat    Lo

4489 S07    212

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Solar Region Summary (SRS)

2026-08-02T17:38:29Z

:Product: Solar Region Summary

:Issued: 2026 Aug 03 0030 UTC

# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,

# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.

#

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary

SRS Number 215 Issued at 0030Z on 03 Aug 2026
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 02 Aug

I.  Regions with Sunspots.  Locations Valid at 02/2400Z 

Nmbr Location  Lo  Area  Z   LL   NN Mag Type

4496 N04W65   059  0050 Hsx  03   03 Alpha

4498 N15W03   356  0120 Dsi  07   17 Beta-Delta

4499 N04W38   032  0030 Cso  08   07 Beta

4500 N19E02   352  0050 Cso  06   06 Beta

4501 S07W42   036  0090 Dso  06   07 Beta

4502 S06E03   351  0020 Cro  04   05 Beta

IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots.  Locations Valid at 02/2400Z Aug

Nmbr  Location  Lo

None

II. Regions Due to Return 03 Aug to 05 Aug

Nmbr Lat    Lo

None

Solar Region Summary (SRS)

2026-08-01T17:38:28Z

:Product: Solar Region Summary

:Issued: 2026 Aug 02 0030 UTC

# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,

# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.

#

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary

SRS Number 214 Issued at 0030Z on 02 Aug 2026
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 01 Aug

I.  Regions with Sunspots.  Locations Valid at 01/2400Z 

Nmbr Location  Lo  Area  Z   LL   NN Mag Type

4496 N05W50   057  0070 Cso  04   03 Beta

4498 N14E10   357  0150 Dai  05   12 Beta-Delta

4499 N04W21   028  0050 Dai  06   11 Beta

4500 N18E14   353  0060 Dao  06   08 Beta

4501 S07W27   034  0070 Dao  06   06 Beta

4502 S06E17   350  0010 Bxo  01   02 Beta

IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots.  Locations Valid at 01/2400Z Aug

Nmbr  Location  Lo

4494  S05W85   092

II. Regions Due to Return 02 Aug to 04 Aug

Nmbr Lat    Lo

None

ALERT: Electron 2 MeV Integral Flux exceeded 1,000 pfu

2026-08-01T10:00:52Z

Space Weather Message Code: ALTEF3

Serial Number: 3723

Issue Time: 2026 Aug 01 1644 UTC



ALERT: Electron 2MeV Integral Flux exceeded 1,000pfu 
Threshold Reached: 2026 Aug 01 1644 UTC
Station: GOES-19
Comment: Yesterday's max: 1157 pfu

Solar Region Summary (SRS)

2026-07-31T17:38:55Z

:Product: Solar Region Summary

:Issued: 2026 Aug 01 0030 UTC

# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,

# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.

#

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary

SRS Number 213 Issued at 0030Z on 01 Aug 2026
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 31 Jul

I.  Regions with Sunspots.  Locations Valid at 31/2400Z 

Nmbr Location  Lo  Area  Z   LL   NN Mag Type

4492 N15W88   108  0110 Hax  02   02 Alpha

4494 S05W70   090  0010 Axx  01   01 Alpha

4495 S04W83   103  0010 Axx  01   01 Alpha

4496 N05W37   056  0110 Cso  05   04 Beta

4498 N14E22   358  0150 Dai  06   08 Beta-Gamma

4499 N05W08   028  0080 Dao  08   12 Beta

4500 N18E28   352  0050 Cao  04   07 Beta

4501 S08W12   032  0040 Cao  08   08 Beta

IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots.  Locations Valid at 31/2400Z Jul

Nmbr  Location  Lo

4497  S21W88   108

II. Regions Due to Return 01 Aug to 03 Aug

Nmbr Lat    Lo

None

NASA to Host Florida Event Celebrating American Air, Space Leadership

2026-07-31T14:31:04Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-061

JULY 31, 2026

NASA to Host Florida Event Celebrating American Air, Space Leadership

An American flag is seen in front of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2026, ahead of the historic Artemis II test flight. NASA will host a news conference at NASA Kennedy on Friday, Aug. 14, to highlight American leadership in space and aviation. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA will hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 14, live from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and media and digital creators are invited to attend in person.

The announcement, held in the XLV Hangar at the Shuttle Landing Facility, will preview a new event at NASA Kennedy later this year tied to America’s 250th anniversary, showcasing American leadership in aviation, space exploration, and emerging technologies while bringing together the public, industry leaders, innovators, and the next generation of explorers.

Participants include:

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
NASA leadership
Members of Congress

The agency will stream this news conference live through a variety of platforms:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

This event is open to U.S. media and digital creators. The request to attend must be received no later than 12 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, to the Kennedy newsroom at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

For more information about NASA’s missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Read on NASA.gov

Contact

George Alderman / Cheryl Warner

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

Danielle Sempsrott

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-298-8990

danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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NASA Opens New Flight Dynamics Research Facility in Virginia

2026-07-31T10:50:50Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-062

JULY 31, 2026

AERONAUTICS

NASA Opens New Flight Dynamics Research Facility in Virginia

From left to right: Casey Swails, NASA deputy associate administrator; Mike Waller, vice president of BL Harbert International Federal Division; Edward C. Forst, administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration; NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman; Dr. Trina Dyal, director of NASA’s Langley Research Center; Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.); Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala F. Hashmi; Jimmy Gray, mayor, City of Hampton; and Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator, pose for a photo before cutting the ribbon to open the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, NASA’s newest wind tunnel, Friday, July 31, 2026, at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

NASA opened its newest wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, Friday, providing a critical resource for the agency and its partners to test the safety and performance of future generations of aircraft, rockets, and space exploration vehicles.

Located at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility will support advances in aircraft safety, X‑plane development, drone research, and spacecraft technology. The facility will enable both free‑flight and mounted testing of a wide range of scale-model vehicles designed to travel through an atmosphere, from airplanes to space capsules returning to Earth.

“The Flight Dynamics Research Facility is NASA’s first major new wind tunnel in more than 40 years and gives us a powerful new platform to test the ideas and technologies that will shape the future of aviation and exploration,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “America has led in air and space because we were willing to take on hard problems, challenge assumptions, and build what didn’t exist before. This facility gives the talented team at Langley, and our partners across government, industry, and universities, the tools to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and ensure America remains the world leader in air and space.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at NASA Langley marked the start of a new chapter in flight research. Agency leaders, partners, and Virginia officials emphasized how the Flight Dynamics Research Facility’s state-of-the-art capabilities will shape the future of flight and exploration.

“The opening of the Flight Dynamics Research Facility represents a significant advancement for NASA and for the nation,” said Dr. Trina Dyal, NASA Langley center director. “By bringing modernized testing capabilities under one roof, we are enabling transformative research that will ensure the United States remains at the forefront of aeronautics and exploration.”

Built through a partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the facility replaces aging infrastructure with an energy-efficient facility that reduces maintenance costs and provides the flexibility needed for future research. The Flight Dynamics Research Facility is part of a broader, long-term collaboration between the agencies, representing the fourth new building GSA has delivered to NASA under Langley's 20-year campus revitalization plan.

"GSA is proud to partner with NASA in delivering the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, a state-of-the-art asset that will power the next generation of American dominance in aeronautics and space exploration," said Edward C. Forst, GSA administrator. "This facility reflects what we do best: provide the advanced, expertly designed installations that federal agencies need to carry out their missions. With these new capabilities, NASA will be better equipped to test bold ideas, validate new designs, and advance technologies that will serve the nation for decades to come."

The Flight Dynamics Research Facility combines and improves upon the capabilities of two historic NASA Langley wind tunnels – the 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel and the 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel. The 25,000-square-foot building features a vertical wind tunnel with improved airflow, modern digital systems, and flexible testing capabilities that will allow researchers to study how aircraft, spacecraft, parachutes, and other vehicles behave during flight.

The facility’s 20-foot diameter test chamber is much larger than those of its NASA Langley predecessors, allowing for more air to pass around test models and improving data accuracy. Its increased size also allows for the use of larger, more detailed models during testing.

The Flight Dynamics Research Facility’s top airspeed of 117 miles per hour is twice as fast as the old facilities, enabling free-flight tests of heavier scale models. This will allow simulations of full-scale vehicles flying at higher altitudes – a critical capability for operations such as studying the stability of aircraft or reentry capsules coming back from space.

The facility’s wind power comes from four 750-horsepower motors, each with an integrated, 14-foot diameter, eight-bladed fan. The fan blades are made of lightweight carbon fiber, enabling rapid, precise airspeed adjustments during free‑flight tests.

The Flight Dynamics Research Facility illustrates the powerful synergy between NASA’s aeronautics and space exploration efforts, with each driving innovation in the other. The facility will drive experimental research across a wide range of flight systems, advancing the development of autonomous flight vehicles, drones, commercial and military aircraft, and X‑planes.

As NASA prepares for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface through the Artemis program and the development of a Moon Base, the facility will play a key role in testing vehicle designs for entry, descent, and landing that will help reduce mission risk and support the safe return of crews to Earth. NASA also will be able to use the wind tunnel to help design aircraft for Mars and other destinations in our solar system where atmospheric flight is possible.

With the Flight Dynamics Research Facility now open, NASA is entering a new era in flight research – one that will shape the aircraft and spacecraft of tomorrow, strengthen industry partnerships, and extend the agency’s legacy of pioneering aerospace leadership.

The facility is managed under the Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities portfolio in the Aeronautics Division of NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

Learn more about the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at:

https://go.nasa.gov/4yzKEGQ

-end-

Read on NASA.gov