[STS ISS STATUS]

NASA to Host Florida Event Celebrating American Air, Space Leadership

2026-07-31T14:31:01Z

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-

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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

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NASA Opens New Flight Dynamics Research Facility in Virginia

2026-07-31T10:49:58Z

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-

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Contact

Camille Gallo / Rob Margetta

Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov

Kimiko Booker / Brittny McGraw

NASA Langley, Hampton, Virginia
757-506-5939 / 757-769-3763

kimiko.s.booker@nasa.gov / brittny.v.mcgraw@nasa.gov

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NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission

2026-07-30T09:30:59Z

NASA News

NEWS RELEASE 26-061

JULY 30, 2026

NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission

NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham poses for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham will embark on her first mission to the International Space Station, serving as an Expedition 76 flight engineer.

Burnham will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft with cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Konstantin Borisov. Launch is targeted for March 2027, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and the trio will spend about seven months aboard the orbiting laboratory.

During her expedition, Burnham will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars and to benefit people on Earth.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Burnham graduated with the agency’s 23rd astronaut class in 2024. Born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, Burnham moved frequently while growing up in a military family. She was living in Wasilla, Alaska, at the time of her selection.

A former intern at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Burnham earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. An experienced leader in the energy industry, she spent more than a decade managing onsite drilling operations on oil rigs across North America. Burnham also served in the U.S. Navy Reserves as an engineering duty officer. She is a licensed private pilot with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea, instrument airplane, and rotorcraft-helicopter.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Joshua Finch

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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NASA Awards 2026 Innovative Technology Concepts

2026-07-29T14:39:12Z

NASA News

NEWS RELEASE 26-057

JULY 29, 2026

NASA Awards 2026 Innovative Technology Concepts

A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2026 NIAC awardees. Credit: NASA

The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has created 18 new awards to support visionary ideas to improve aerospace technologies in areas ranging from the exploration of the solar system to understanding the universe.

The 18 NIAC Phase I awards total $3.2 million. Each award provides up to $175,000 for a nine-month initial investigation. The NIAC projects are about early-stage concept development and are not considered official NASA missions.

“NASA has outlined an ambitious vision for the future of space exploration, we’re returning the Moon to stay, advancing to Mars, and pushing to deepen our understanding of space,” said Greg Stover, director of the Advanced Research and Technology division within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Achieving that will require more than incremental technological advancement. It means we need great leaps. These awards are the kinds of innovation the world needs NASA to help foster.”

As an innovation incubator, NIAC funds early development of potential breakthrough technologies. Concepts for award consideration must have both transformative potential and possible feasibility for eventual implementation.

“Every innovation, every leap in technology, starts with a seed of an idea,” said Phillip Williams, NIAC’s acting program executive. “The NIAC program allows NASA to germinate those seeds and determine if there’s something that could be grown to benefit future space missions and our nation’s aerospace economy.”

As NASA and its partners push for sustained lunar presence, some of the 2026 awardees focused on ways to help explore the Moon and build infrastructure there. These include a system to support hovering robots to explore lava tubes under the Moon’s surface, a method to manage temperatures for small mobile exploration robots, and a way to incorporate radioisotopic heat sources into suits to help keep astronauts warm when operating in the Moon’s nearly two-week-long lunar nights.

Other concepts focus on exploring some of the solar system’s most remarkable features. Venus, with its hot atmosphere, presents an imposing challenge for research vehicles, so one NIAC awardee explores methods for hardening instruments for longer missions.

Two other concepts could help study planetary rings. One would use a swarm of 10,000 tiny satellites to map and analyze the rings of Saturn, while another would create a system for collecting samples from rings such as those circling Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Some NIAC awardees will look far beyond the solar system, exploring ways to power interstellar spacecraft, map out continents on exoplanets, observe the photon rings around black holes, and detect subtle gravitational waves to explain how galaxies formed. Others will work to answer questions directly related to life on Earth, like the potential use of spaceborne dust to reduce solar radiation, and awareness about the debris orbiting Earth.

Researchers, known as NIAC Fellows, will investigate their concepts and identify potential challenges and opportunities for further development.

The 18 selections for 2026 NIAC Phase 1 grants are:

Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California: Dimming the Sun Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation (DimSun)
David Bugby, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)
A.C. Charania, Zeno Power Systems, Inc., Washington:
Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes (EARENDIL)
Anish Damodaran, University of Central Florida, Orlando: PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies
Artur Davoyan, University of California, Los Angeles: Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions
Daniel Drew, University of Hawaii, Honolulu: Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK)
Gilly Elor, Stone Aerospace, Inc., Del Valle, Texas: Power-over-Fiber to Enable a Lunar Underground eXplorer (LUX)
Zhaoyan Liu, NASA Ames Research Center, California’s Silicon Valley: Quantum Wind Lidar Applications for Planetary and Earth Science Missions
Jeff Nosanov, Orbital Velocity, LLC, Decatur, Georgia: OBLIVIAN: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN (OBLIVIAN)
Keunhan Park, University of Utah, Salt Lake City: Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions
Austin Phoenix, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia: Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental Control (ECLIPSE)
Marco Quadrelli, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling (PRAXIS)
Michael Rubenstein, Northwestern University, Chicago: Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere
Benjamin Schafer, Rarefied Technologies Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico: Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes
David Smith, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina: Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness
Pablo Sobron, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, Mountain View, California: Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
Paul Stankus, Brookhaven Science Associates, Upton, New York: Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging
Paul Stankus, Brookhaven Science Associates, Upton, New York: Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Gravitational Wave Detection

To learn more about NASA’s NIAC program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/about-niac/

-end-

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Contact

Rob Margetta

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-0918

robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA Sets Coverage for August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse

2026-07-29T10:38:58Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-060

JULY 29, 2026

SCIENCE

NASA Sets Coverage for August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse is seen in Dallas, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of Central America and Europe.

Credit: NASA/Chris Williams

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. NASA will stream the eclipse live with views across the path and interviews with subject matter experts through a variety of platforms.

Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Viewers in other places in the Northern Hemisphere also will have the chance to experience a partial solar eclipse, including parts of the U.S. (from Alaska to North Carolina), most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa.

During the eclipse, NASA will conduct experiments in the path of totality. To investigate the dynamics of the Sun’s corona, a NASA-funded science team will chase the Moon’s shadow with a WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft. The NASA-supported Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project is sending students from several U.S. universities to Iceland and Spain to launch scientific balloons before, during, and after the eclipse to research how the temporary darkening of our skies during the eclipse affects Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA’s eclipse coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Aug. 12

1:15 p.m.: Eclipse broadcast begins
1:45 p.m.: Totality begins in Iceland
2:28 p.m.: Totality begins in Spain

NASA photography coverage

Photos of the eclipse, dependent on visibility, will be available shortly after the eclipse. View images on the agency’s Flickr account.

Watch, engage on social media

During the broadcast, NASA experts will answer questions submitted on social media. Send in your questions and let people know you’re watching the eclipse on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience_

Facebook: NASA, NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience

Instagram: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAScience_

Learn more about the eclipse at:

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/

-end-

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Abbey Interrante / Karen Fox

Headquarters, Washington

301-201-0124 / 202-358-1600

abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Space Station Mission

2026-07-27T12:15:59Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-059

JULY 27, 2026

HUMANS IN SPACE

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Space Station Mission

NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Chris Williams shows off the Destiny laboratory module’s Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the International Space Station. Williams was supporting semiconductor crystal research to help advance the commercial space economy and promote Earth-based industries.

Credit: NASA/Chris Williams

NASA astronaut Chris Williams will recap his recent eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station during a news conference at 2:45 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA will stream this event live through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

United States-based media interested in attending in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m., Friday, July 31, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.

Media wishing to participate by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than two hours before the start of the event. To ask a question by phone, media must dial into the news conference no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Williams returned to Earth on July 26, after logging 241 days as an Expedition 73/74 flight engineer during his first spaceflight. He returned along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, completing 3,856 orbits of the Earth over the course of their more than 102-million-mile journey. They also saw the arrival of six visiting spacecraft and the departure of eight.

During his mission, Williams supported a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. He helped advance research for new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics. Williams also completed two spacewalks to prep for space station power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The crew’s work aboard the space station helps improve life on Earth and prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.

To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Contact

Joshua Finch

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA to Cover Three US Spacewalks, Host Preview News Conference

2026-07-27T08:15:56Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-058

JULY 27, 2026

HUMANS IN SPACE

NASA to Cover Three US Spacewalks, Host Preview News Conference

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir works inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock in March, her reflection visible in a spacesuit helmet visor as she installs leg and arm components and swaps parts between suits.

Credit: NASA/Jack Hathaway

NASA will provide coverage as astronauts venture outside the International Space Station during three spacewalks in August to continue upgrading solar arrays, replace a communications antenna, and connect power and data cables in support of space station operations.

Experts will preview the upcoming spacewalks during a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, July 30, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA will stream these events through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

NASA participants in the news conference include:

Bill Spetch, deputy manager of Commercial, Low Earth Orbit Program
Chris Dobbins, spacewalk flight director
Chloe Mehring, spacewalk flight director

United States-based media interested in attending in person must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 29, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. Media joining by phone should request dial-in details by the same deadline. To ask a question, media must dial in no later than 15 minutes before the start of the news conference.

Thursday, Aug. 6

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon will exit the Quest airlock to install hardware that will modify the station’s 3B power channel and prepare it for the future installation of an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA). The solar array, scheduled for delivery later this year, will be the seventh IROSA and will provide additional power to support critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.

Watch NASA’s live coverage of U.S. spacewalk 96 beginning at 6:30 a.m. The spacewalk is expected to start at 8 a.m. and last about six and a half hours.

This spacewalk will be the sixth for Meir and the first for Menon. Meir will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Menon will serve as crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit.

Thursday, Aug. 13

During U.S. spacewalk 97, two astronauts will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the orbital complex. The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses to transmit data and high‑speed communication between the Mission Control Center in Houston and the space station.

Tuesday, Aug. 25

The U.S. spacewalk 98 crew members will connect power channel cables and data relay systems as part of ongoing maintenance, including preparations for the space station’s future deorbit. The astronauts also will replace a navigational aid used for spacecraft docking on the Harmony module’s forward port.

NASA will share additional details about U.S. spacewalks 97 and 98, including timing, assigned crew members, and coverage information, closer to each operation.

The spacewalks will be the 281st, 282nd, and 283rd conducted in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Anna Schneider

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return from Space Station

2026-07-26T04:30:57Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-058

JULY 26, 2026

HUMANS IN SPACE

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return from Space Station

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan with NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Credit: NASA

Concluding an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Chris Williams returned to Earth on Sunday alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.

The crew made its safe, parachute-assisted landing at 5:27 a.m. CDT (3:27 p.m., Kazakhstan time), southeast of Dzhezkazgan, after departing the space station at 2:03 a.m., aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

The crew was in space for 241 days, orbiting the Earth 3,856 times and traveling more than 102 million miles. They launched to the International Space Station on Nov. 27, 2025. The mission was the first for Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud-Sverchkov.

While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Williams supported a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. He helped advance research for new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics. Williams also completed two spacewalks to prep for space station power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The crew’s work aboard the space station helps improve life on Earth and prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.

Following post-landing medical checks, the crew members will fly by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based. Williams then will board a NASA aircraft bound for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:

www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Leah Cheshier / Anna Schneider

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111

leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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NASA to Support Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Testing, Advance Artemis

2026-07-24T09:15:53Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-060

JULY 24, 2026

MISSIONS

NASA to Support Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Testing, Advance Artemis

An image shows the B-1 and B-2 test stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, on July 7, 2026. The test stand features dual, vertical firing positions built in the 1960s to test Saturn V rocket stages that carried humans to the Moon during the Apollo Program. The B-1 position, right, is equipped for single engine tests, while the B-2 position is designed to test full rocket stages. NASA announced an agreement with Blue Origin on July 24, 2026, to use the B-2 test stand for engine testing to advance rocket development for future missions to the Moon under the Artemis program.

Credit: NASA/Danny Nowlin

NASA and Blue Origin announced Friday they recently agreed to conduct second stage hot fire testing for the company’s New Glenn rocket on the B-2 test stand at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

The annex to a reimbursable Space Act Agreement signed earlier this month highlights NASA’s commitment to working alongside commercial partners toward Artemis missions in 2027 and beyond.

“Stennis continues to be a hub for the commercial space industry,” said Sen. Roger Wicker. “Mississippi warmly welcomes Blue Origin’s return to the coast and to our legendary rocket testing facilities.”

“The success of Artemis II has roots at NASA Stennis, and I’m excited about the prospect of Blue Origin establishing a rigorous test program in Mississippi as part of future American crewed missions to the Moon and beyond. I hope its use of B-2 test stand becomes a long-term arrangement that broadens our state’s contribution to space exploration. I will certainly do what I can to make that a reality,” said Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

"Mississippi continues to play a vital role in America's space program, and this agreement between NASA and Blue Origin is another major win for Stennis Space Center. The world-class capabilities at the B-2 test stand will help advance the next generation of rocket propulsion while supporting high-skilled jobs and strengthening our nation's leadership in space exploration. I look forward to seeing the innovation that comes from this partnership," said Rep. Mike Ezell.

Testing, targeted to begin this fall, directly supports NASA’s work to achieve the national goal of landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon and building a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole. These efforts aim to strengthen American leadership in space, unlock scientific discovery, drive innovation with industry, and prepare for human missions to Mars.

“Winning the new space race means moving faster and working alongside a strong commercial industry. Supporting Blue Origin at NASA’s Stennis Space Center puts world-class American infrastructure to work advancing the capabilities needed to return astronauts to the Moon, establish a sustained lunar presence, and prepare for Mars. Partnerships like this strengthen our industrial base and help ensure the United States remains the world’s leader in space,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

Building on the successful Artemis II flight from April, Artemis III is a highly choreographed, multi-launch campaign that will require four astronauts to test rendezvous and docking capabilities of NASA’s Orion spacecraft with commercial human landing systems from Blue Origin and SpaceX in low Earth orbit.

In addition, Blue Origin’s New Glenn will be used to launch missions that will land on the Moon.

“We are proud to partner with NASA and build on our shared commitment to returning America to the Moon and our broader mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth," said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp. "Stennis helped take Americans to the Moon, and through this partnership, it will help take us back.”

In May, NASA announced the first three Moon Base missions to begin building sustained operations, including an award to Blue Origin to launch a robotic mission this fall. The company’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander will deliver NASA payloads to the lunar South Pole’s Shackleton Connecting Ridge, demonstrating capabilities that reduce risk for astronauts to land on the Moon during Artemis IV and V in 2028.

To support upcoming testing at Stennis, NASA will provide the engineers, equipment, and building services needed to design, build, and install parts that will prepare the B-2 for second stage testing of the rocket named in honor of the late NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. The rocket’s second stage is powered by two BE‑3 engines that use liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants, with each engine generating 200,000 pounds of thrust in vacuum.

In addition to providing hands‑on technical support, NASA also will assist Blue Origin’s test operations by providing dedicated workspace and sharing agency expertise and lessons learned from propulsion testing conducted at the test stand.

Blue Origin will work toward second stage rocket testing on a stand with a history of testing rocket stages for Moon missions dating back to the 1960s. The agency constructed the stand to test the Saturn V rocket stages that carried humans to the Moon during the Apollo Program. More recently, NASA conducted a Green Run test series of the SLS core stage on the stand before the Artemis I test flight.

For more information about NASA’s Artemis program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

-end-

Read on NASA.gov

Contact

Camille Gallo / Cheryl Warner

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

Sallie Bilbo

Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

228-342-6512

sallie.n.bilbo@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

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Look for NASA+ Now Streaming on Amazon Fire TV

2026-07-23T12:30:54Z

NASA News

RELEASE 26-059

JULY 23, 2026

MISSIONS

Look for NASA+ Now Streaming on Amazon Fire TV

Credit: NASA

Continuing agency efforts to bring space closer to home, NASA+ is heading to more streaming platforms. On Thursday, NASA announced its programming is on Fire TV Channels. Fire TV customers can easily access this content by asking Alexa+ on compatible devices.

Future programming on Fire TV may include science mission launches, a test flight for rendezvous and docking with human landing systems, robotic lunar deliveries, the first crewed mission to the Moon under Artemis, and more. As always, NASA+ also remains available for free, with no ads, through the NASA app and on the agency’s website.

“The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience, and our streaming partners help us accomplish that,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+ at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “Artemis II captured the hearts and minds of viewers globally, inspiring the Artemis generation. As we work toward building humanity’s first Moon Base, we will continue to provide transparent, engaging content coverage every step of the way.”

Earlier this year during its Ignition event, NASA shared plans for a bold path forward for the agency, including increasing its cadence of Artemis missions to the lunar surface, and building the first Moon Base, among other agency priorities. This distribution partnership is another step in executing NASA's promise to the public for a greater look into the agency, making mission and educational content available on multiple devices for viewers on their preferred channels.

For more about NASA’s missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Read on NASA.gov

Contact

Cheryl Warner

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

Follow NASA

NASA to Showcase Agency’s Newest Wind Tunnel in Virginia

2026-07-22T12:15:54Z

NASA News

MEDIA ADVISORY M26-056

JULY 22, 2026

TECHNOLOGY

NASA to Showcase Agency’s Newest Wind Tunnel in Virginia

The Flight Dynamics Research Facility, located at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is the agency’s first major wind tunnel built in more than 40 years. Credit: NASA

Media are invited to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on Friday, July 31, to attend a media tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, the agency’s first new wind tunnel in more than 40 years.

The event will include a brief media availability with:

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
Dr. Trina Dyal, center director, NASA Langley
Administrator Edward C. Forst, U.S. General Services Administration

This event is in person only and open to members of the media who are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents. Information about timing will be shared closer to the event. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Media requesting to participate in person must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 29. Media RSVPs must be sent to Kimiko Booker, kimiko.s.booker@nasa.gov, and Brittny McGraw, brittny.v.mcgraw@nasa.gov, with the following information:

Legal first and last names (must match government identification)
Email
Phone number
Job title and organization

The wind tunnel opening marks a major milestone in the evolution of NASA and the nation’s aeronautics and space research capabilities. The state-of-the-art facility will support research and technology development that will advance NASA’s aeronautics, exploration, and science goals, including establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface through the Artemis program and the development of a Moon Base.

Learn more about the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at:

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

-end-

Read on NASA.gov

Contact

Camille Gallo / Rob Margetta

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1600

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov

Kimiko Booker / Brittny McGraw

NASA Langley, Hampton, Va.

757-506-5939 / 757-769-3763

kimiko.s.booker@nasa.gov / brittny.v.mcgraw@nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

Visit nasa.gov

Follow NASA