Rocket Lab is acquiring Iridium Communications Inc – one of the most transformative deals in the space industry.
By combining our launch capability and satellite manufacturing with @IridiumComm’s global satellite communications network and rare spectrum, Rocket Lab becomes a fully integrated, self-launching, tier-1 space power, delivering critical communications capability to millions of users worldwide.
Full details and important information: https://t.co/hj5aWrDPjz
Join me in the @Space_Station airlock! We’re T-2 days until our next Expedition 74 spacewalk. @Astro_ChrisW and I will venture outside on Tuesday to repair one of the joints on the Canadarm2, our robotic arm outside the ISS. Wish us luck, and be sure to tune in on NASA+!
Tonight, @SpaceX is launching a new SXM-11 satellite for @SiriusXM on Falcon 9 from Florida.
This satellite will enable more reliable SiriusXM coverage across North America. Pretty cool.
TESLA Cybercabs: Houston, TX, 6-27-2026
78 Cybercabs counted yesterday in the Houston fleet lot and the Tesla Cypress Center. Actively testing, so more out there than what I saw. Robotaxi fleet is huge!
Like always, I attached a Subscriber Photo-Thread. So sub it up for access. Enjoy!
A 360 degree view of the planet Mercury as mapped by the MESSENGER spacecraft, with exaggerated colors to show the distinct chemical, mineralogical, and physical regions across its cratered surface.
Earthrise, captured by the Japanese spacecraft Kaguya from lunar orbit 🌏
Such a "rise" can only be filmed from orbit, because from the lunar surface, Earth always remains in roughly the same spot in the sky. This is because the Moon always faces Earth with the same side due to tidal locking.
The video is sped up.
600+ feet of crane assembled incredibly fast by the team. We will start pulling down the tower (segment by segment) so we can modify each piece in parallel.
This is what production at Wild Hornets looks like 😎
In this video, you'll see the coordinated work of hundreds of specialists helping protect Ukraine from enemy attacks.
We never stop working. More to come!
This image of Messier 64 is a combined view from @NASAHubble and @NASAWebb.
The gas in the outer regions is rotating in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in its inner regions. This strange behavior may be due to a merger between M64 and a satellite galaxy.
Surface Temperatures
Surface temperatures tell only part of the story. A planet's temperature depends on many factors, including its distance from the Sun, atmosphere, reflectivity, and greenhouse effect. Looking at surface temperatures across the Solar System reminds us that planets are shaped by complex physics—not just sunlight.
#DIDYOUKNOW: Mobula rays have wing-like fins that allow them to launch out of the water, earning them the nickname “flying rays!”
It’s uncertain why they jump, but it may be to rid themselves of parasites, evade predators, communicate, corral food, or even just for fun.
🚨 In 2020, something near the centre of the Milky Way switched on and off six times in radio waves, then disappeared from every follow-up search in X-rays and infrared
The @usairforce has been working around the clock to accelerate the delivery of vital, life-saving help to Venezuela.
C-17 Globemasters and C-130 Hercules aircraft are airlifting critically needed aid, teams of first responders, disaster experts, and heavy equipment to power the @StateDept-led U.S. government support to the international earthquake relief effort in Venezuela.@DeptofWar@SecWar@WHAAsstSecty@USForeignAssist@USAenEspanol@usembassyve
Mars is home to Olympus Mons, a volcano so gigantic that Mount Everest would stand less than halfway up its slopes.
Olympus Mons is the largest known volcano in the Solar System, rising about 21.9 kilometers (13.6 miles) above the Martian surface. At more than twice the height of Mount Everest, which stands 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) above sea level, it is the tallest volcano ever discovered.
Its immense size extends beyond its height. Olympus Mons stretches roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) across, and its slopes are so gradual—averaging only about a 5% incline—that someone standing nearby on Mars might not even realize they were looking at a mountain. Scientists believe it reached these extraordinary dimensions because Mars lacks active plate tectonics, allowing lava to erupt from the same hotspot for millions of years. At its peak lies a vast caldera complex nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) wide, large enough to encompass many major cities on Earth.
Freedom flies high. 🇺🇸✈️
NASA’s fleet of aircraft based at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, recently received a special touch up to celebrate America’s big birthday. With the 4th of July right around the corner, our WB-57, T-38s, and Gulfstream V now take to the skies proudly displaying the Freedom 250 emblem.
Some perspective: This star and galaxy NGC 4900 seem close but are vastly separated: the star is located 7,109 light-years away in our own galaxy, while NGC 4900 is 45 million light-years from Earth...
(Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. J. Smartt, C. Kilpatrick)
UNUSUAL
Chemical-free, technology-based: A mosquito-free park in CHINA
In a park in Hangzhou, a smart mosquito control system has been implemented without the use of chemicals.
The traps mimic human body signals—heat, scent, and carbon dioxide—attracting mosquitoes and then killing them using air suction.
This technology offers an alternative to traditional urban pest control methods.
Shades on☀️🕶
It's #NationalSunglassesDay, which means it’s time to share this iconic photo of Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott after splashdown of the Gemini VIII mission.