Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Juno

Europa

Goddard Space Flight Center

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Jupiter

Jupiter Moons

Rings of Jupiter

The Solar System

NASA’s Juno to Get Close Look at Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io on Dec. 30

The orbiter has performed 56 flybys of Jupiter and documented close encounters with three of the gas giant’s four largest moons. NASA’s Juno spacecraft will on Saturday, Dec. 30, make the closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io that any spacecraft has made in over 20 years. Coming within roughly 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) from the […]

Posted December 27, 2023

Deep Space Network

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA History

Space Communications & Navigation Program

NASA’s Deep Space Network Turns 60 and Prepares for the Future

Editor’s Note: Text regarding the name of JPL’s first ground stations was updated on Dec. 27, 2023. The agency’s DSN provides critical communications and navigation services to dozens of space missions, and it’s being modernized to support dozens more. NASA’s Deep Space Network marks its 60th year on Dec. 24.

Posted December 22, 2023

The Universe

Astrophysics

Astrophysics Division

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Exoplanet Science

Galaxies

Herschel Space Observatory

Infrared Space Observatory (ISO)

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Nebulae

SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) / 747-SP

SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe and Ices Explorer)

Spitzer Space Telescope

Stars

WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)

Meet the Infrared Telescopes That Paved the Way for NASA’s Webb

The Webb telescope has opened a new window onto the universe, but it builds on missions going back 40 years, including Spitzer and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. On Dec. 25, NASA will celebrate the two-year launch anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope – the largest and most powerful space observatory in history. The clarity […]

Posted December 22, 2023

Climate Change

Carbon Cycle

Earth

Greenhouse Gases

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Oceans

As the Arctic Warms, Its Waters Are Emitting Carbon

Runoff from one of North America’s largest rivers is driving intense carbon dioxide emissions in the Arctic Ocean. When it comes to influencing climate change, the world’s smallest ocean punches above its weight. It’s been estimated that the cold waters of the Arctic absorb as much as 180 million metric tons of carbon per year […]

Posted December 21, 2023

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Psyche Mission

Space Communications & Navigation Program

Space Operations Mission Directorate

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Tech Demo Missions

NASA’s Tech Demo Streams First Video From Deep Space via Laser

The video, featuring a cat named Taters, was sent back from nearly 19 million miles away by NASA’s laser communications demonstration, marking a historic milestone. NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment beamed an ultra-high definition streaming video on Dec.

Posted December 18, 2023

NEOWISE

Comets

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA)

NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor Space Telescope)

Planetary Defense

Planetary Defense Coordination Office

WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)

NASA’s NEOWISE Celebrates 10 Years, Plans End of Mission

The asteroid and comet-hunting infrared space telescope has gathered an impressive haul of observations, but it’s now at the mercy of the Sun, which is accelerating its demise. NASA’s NEOWISE has had a busy decade. Since its reactivated mission began on Dec.

Posted December 13, 2023

Perseverance (Rover)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Mars

Mars 2020

The Solar System

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Deciphers Ancient History of Martian Lake

Now at 1,000 days on Mars, the mission has traversed an ancient river and lake system, collecting valuable samples along the way. Marking its 1,000th Martian day on the Red Planet, NASA’s Perseverance rover recently completed its exploration of the ancient river delta that holds evidence of a lake that filled Jezero Crater billions of […]

Posted December 12, 2023

EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation)

Dust Storms

Earth

Earth Science Division

International Space Station (ISS)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Sensor Produces First Global Maps of Surface Minerals in Arid Regions

EMIT delivers first-of-a-kind maps of minerals in Earth’s dust-source areas, enabling scientists to model the fine particles’ role in climate change and more.

Posted December 11, 2023

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Students Create Elaborate Homemade Machines for JPL Competition

To compete in a race against the clock and each other, 18 student teams built complicated contraptions for the annual Invention Challenge at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Some 250 students hauled homemade machines they’d spent weeks honing to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Friday, Dec.

Posted December 9, 2023

Airborne Science

Ames Research Center

Animal Biology

Earth

Earth System Observatory (ESO)

Ecostress (ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station)

EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation)

International Space Station (ISS)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Plant Biology

NASA Helps Study One of the World’s Most Diverse Ecosystems

NASA satellite and airborne tools aid an international team studying biodiversity on land and in the water around South Africa. An international team of researchers spent October and November 2023 in the field studying one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas – South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region.

Posted December 8, 2023