May 2026

For NASA’s TESS, Stellar Eclipses Shed Light on Possible New Worlds

A study of NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) data on stellar pairs undergoing mutual eclipses has uncovered more than two dozen candidate exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system.

Posted May 4, 2026

LAGEOS (LAser GEOdynamics Satellite)

NASA History

LAGEOS: An Earth Science Mission Built for Enduring Precision

On May 4, 1976, a spacecraft resembling a disco ball entered orbit almost 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) above Earth. This shiny, two‑foot‑wide (60‑centimeter) sphere called the Laser Geodynamics Satellite, or LAGEOS, is covered with 426 retroreflectors—small mirrored prisms designed to bounce laser light directly back to where it came from.

Posted May 4, 2026

Earth Observatory

Ice & Glaciers

Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)

Remote Sensing Technology

Sea Level Rise

Topography

Record-Setting Retreat of Hektoria Glacier

Scientists relied on satellite data to understand how the Antarctic glacier lost so much ice so rapidly.

Posted May 4, 2026

People of NASA

Kennedy Space Center

NASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to Retire

NASA announced Friday Janet Petro, center director for the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is retiring. Prior to joining NASA, Petro worked in a variety of military and industry positions, ultimately beginning her career at the agency in 2007 and working her way up to center director, as well as serving as acting administrator […]

Posted May 1, 2026

Artemis 2

Christina H. Koch

G. Reid Wiseman

Victor J. Glover

NASA Artemis II Crew Rings Nasdaq Closing Bell

Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crewmembers CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman, right, ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Posted May 1, 2026

Dark Energy

Kennedy Space Center

Launch Services Program

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Key Support Equipment Arrives at Kennedy for Roman Space Telescope

Technicians at NASA’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offloaded eight high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) wall modules and other ground support equipment on April 27. The equipment will support launch processing of the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Posted May 1, 2026

Earth's Magnetic Field

Goddard Space Flight Center

Heliophysics

Heliophysics Division

International Space Station (ISS)

ISS Research

Magnetosphere

Space Weather

The Sun

NASA’s STORIE Mission to Tell Tale of Earth’s Ring Current

Earth’s magnetic field is like a powerful trap. It lures electrically charged particles in space, near our planet, and snares them in an invisible, doughnut-shaped pen around Earth known as the ring current.

Posted May 1, 2026

Learning Resources

Grades 9 - 12

Space Out This Summer with Variety of NASA STEM Activities

Summer is “Go” for launch, and NASA has a universe of ways to help you to jump in, explore, and create! Whether you prefer to spend this season fueling your creativity, going outdoors into nature, or daydreaming about your future, NASA offers ways to take your interests to the next level. Here are some opportunities […]

Posted May 1, 2026

Earth Observatory

Extreme Weather Events

Landsat 9

Landslides