Blog

From high‑speed research flights to high‑altitude science campaigns, NASA depends on aircraft that perform at their best and the ground crews who keep them mission ready. At NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, specially trained maintenance crews are essential to keeping the agency’s aircraft flying safely and reliably.

Posted May 22, 2026

NASA Centers & Facilities

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA to Compete Contract for Jet Propulsion Laboratory Management

NASA announced plans Friday to compete the next contract for managing and operating the agency’s federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in Southern California at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to ensure continued accountability and strong value for U.S. taxpayers.

Posted May 22, 2026

Missions

Aeronautics

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

NASA Directorates

Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR)

Organizations

NASA Announces Realignment to Accelerate Mission Delivery

Editor’s Note: This advisory was updated May 22, 2026 to include a retirement. NASA announced Friday an agencywide realignment to increase mission focus and move out on the National Space Policy. These changes position the agency to better deliver on the nation’s highest‑priority objectives with speed and efficiency.

Posted May 22, 2026

General

Aeronautics Research

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Glenn Research Center

Materials Science

NASA Centers & Facilities

Space Technology Mission Directorate

New Material Could Help NASA Melt Moon Rocks, Harness Lunar Resources

A material recently discovered and tested at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could help astronauts pack lighter for future missions to the Moon.

Posted May 22, 2026

Astrophysics

Astrophysics Division

Galaxies

Goddard Space Flight Center

Hubble Space Telescope

The Universe

Hubble Captures Galaxy Cluster

Look closely at this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and you’ll see galaxies of various shapes and sizes clustered together toward the center-left of the image. A few foreground stars shine brightly and are easily distinguished by the spikes that appear to extend outward from each star. These spikes, called diffraction spikes, are the […]

Posted May 22, 2026

Earth Observatory

Extreme Weather Events

Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)

Tornado Draws a Jagged Line in Mississippi

The strongest of several twisters to touch down in the southern part of the state in early May 2026 left a visible path of damaged vegetation.

Posted May 22, 2026

Swift Boost Mission

NASA Headquarters

Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

Science Mission Directorate

Wallops Flight Facility

NASA to Showcase Mission to Boost Swift Spacecraft’s Orbit

Media are invited to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Wednesday, June 17, to view Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket, carrying a Katalyst robotic spacecraft that will attempt to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

Posted May 22, 2026

Artemis Accords

Artemis

Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR)

NASA Joins Artemis Accords Workshop as Global Signings Rise

The United States participated in an Artemis Accords workshop in Lima, Peru, last week, following a new wave of nations committing to safe and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Posted May 22, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Artemis 3

Artemis 4

Artemis 5

Marshall Space Flight Center

Space Launch System (SLS)

NASA Seeks Interest for Artemis Mission CubeSats

Organizations interested in launching CubeSats on future Artemis missions should respond to NASA’s request for information (RFI) by Monday, June 1, for initial consideration.

Posted May 21, 2026

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE)

Goddard Space Flight Center

Heliophysics

Heliophysics Division

International Space Station (ISS)

Space Weather

The Sun

NASA’s AWE Completes Mission to Study Earth’s Effect on Space Weather

On May 21, ground controllers powered down NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) instrument, bringing the data collection phase of the mission to a successful and scheduled end, surpassing its planned two-year mission.

Posted May 21, 2026