Blog

NASA JPL Looks to Next 90 Years of Innovation, Exploration

Interstellar probes. Lunar drones. Helicopters on Mars. When a group of Caltech graduate students and enthusiasts began conducting rocket-propulsion tests in Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco on Oct. 31, 1936, they had no idea that their work marked the inception of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Posted October 21, 2026

Marshall Space Flight Center

Aeronautics

General

NASA Aircraft

NASA Headquarters

NASA to Conduct NCAA Flyover, Engage Fans at University of Alabama

As part of the agency’s Inspiration Tour, NASA will conduct a flyover at the University of Alabama vs. Texas A&M football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Posted October 21, 2026

Blogs

Tracks Along the Longest Drive on Another World

Written by Vandi Verma, Chief Engineer for Robotic Operations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Oct. 12, 2026 Since the last blog update, Perseverance has achieved a major milestone on Mars. On Sol 2006 (Oct.

Posted October 21, 2026

ISS Research

Jessica Watkins

Science on the Space Station with NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins

NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Jessica Watkins works inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox on Oct. 9, 2026, safely mixing living cell samples with a bioink and then filling a special cartridge with the cell‑ink mixture.

Posted October 21, 2026

3D Resources

Earth Science

Earth Surface & Interior

Science Instruments

Technology Highlights

NASA’s CASALS Instrument Bridges Gaps in 3D Maps of Earth’s Surface

From orbit, today’s space-based laser instruments measure Earth’s forests and terrain one narrow line at a time. Between those lines are enormous gaps that include millions of acres of land scientists never directly measure.

Posted October 21, 2026

APOD

APOD: 2026 October 21 – New Ghosts Revealed in Cassiopeia

APODScienceAPODAPOD: 2026 October 21 – New…Today’s APODArchiveSubmissionsIndexSearchCalendarRSSEducationAboutDiscuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

Posted October 21, 2026

Earth Observatory

Extreme Weather Events

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)

Extratropical Cyclone Whips Past Iceland

The powerful low-pressure system formed over the North Atlantic out of the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.

Posted October 21, 2026

General

Ames Research Center

NASA Aircraft

Science in the Air

NASA to Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Oct. 15, 2026, and has been updated to correct the location of the flights. A NASA Dynamic Aviation A200 aircraft will conduct low-flying research flights over farmland near Amarillo, Texas, from Thursday, Oct. 22, through Monday, Nov. 9.

Posted October 20, 2026

Glenn Research Center

General

Science & Research

Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP)

Technology

NASA’s SR-1 Freedom Advances with Progress on Nuclear Power Module

Destined for Mars and beyond, NASA’s Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom will be humanity’s first fission-powered spacecraft to travel outside Earth’s orbit. Announced during NASA’s “Ignition” event, this mission will demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep space, and progress is underway on its key element: the nuclear power module.

Posted October 20, 2026

Aeronautics Research

Ames Research Center

General

Ingenuity (Helicopter)

NASA Aircraft

NASA Experimental Mars Helicopter Blade Designs Target Longer Flights

NASA researchers are developing the future of flight on Mars, laying the groundwork for helicopters with the ability to fly higher and farther while conducting science on the Red Planet.

Posted October 20, 2026