NEW FROM NASA
NEW FROM NASA NEWS
NASA to Play Key Role in Establishment of the U.S. Space Force Academy
“Less than two weeks after an Executive Order was signed to create the first United States Space Academy, NASA-led work is in full swing to make the academy a reality and shape the future of America’s aerospace workforce and leadership.
“NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chaired the first Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy meeting on Sept. 9. Following that meeting, NASA published a Request for Information Thursday seeking input from governors or their designees interested in hosting and sponsoring the up-and-coming academy in their state.” (Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-answers-presidents-call-to-establish-united-states-space-academy)
Given that I live in Colorado Springs, I am of the opinion that Colorado Springs would be the best and most logical location for the new service academy. The Springs are host to: two Space Force bases (Schriever and Peterson), Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (NORAD), the U.S. Air Force Academy, a major Army base (Fort Carson), numerous Space-related businesses, and the U.S. Space Foundation. Buckley Space Force Base is just up the road in Aurora (a suburb of Denver). Lockheed has 14,000 aerospace employees in Colorado, spread over major facilities in Colorado Springs, Denver, Boulder, and Littleton. Many other aerospace companies have a significant presence in Colorado (e.g. https://coloradosbr.org/partners).
The Space Foundation “is a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983, offering a gateway to education, information and collaboration for space exploration and space-inspired industries that define the global space ecosystem. Driven by a partnership model, Space Foundation operates three divisions that unite the entire spectrum of stakeholders — business, government, education and local communities — through corporate membership, sponsorship, fundraising and grants. Space Education is a lifelong learning platform, offering workforce development and economic opportunity for students, teachers, entrepreneurs and professionals. Symposium 365 is the premier source for media and events, offering authoritative news and information and venues for networking and conducting business, including the world-renowned Space Symposium and The Space Report.” They are also home to the Space Technology Hall of Fame. See also: https://www.spacefoundation.org.
The location of the U.S. Space Force HQ has been somewhat of a political issue, but I stand by the Springs has having the best in-place infrastructure to support the new branch of our military!
JPL at 90
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “NASA’s Leading Center for Robotic Exploration of the Universe,” is celebrating its 90th year of operation this year. To help celebrate, JPL is inviting the public to an open-house event called “Explore JPL.” The two-day event will occur on October 10/11, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn more about four important JPL themes: Missions That Changed the World, Moon to Mars, In Flight, and Makerspace. Check out more about the event at the Explore JPL webpage: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explore-jpl! The event is sold out, but some tickets may become available due to cancellations. Keep trying!
NASA’s MAX POWER Aerospace Expo in November
“Celebrate the spirit of American innovation at NASA MAX POWER — an exposition of air and space technologies at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, November 7-8. The two-day event will feature immersive experiences for all ages to enjoy, including NASA air shows, technology demonstrations, spaceflight hardware, military aircraft, and behind‑the‑scenes access to America’s spaceport. Attend talks led by NASA experts and meet astronauts from some of agency’s most famous missions!”
For more information, see: https://www.nasa.gov/maxpower.
NEW FROM NASA FYI
NASA’s First A is Important, Too!
Some of NASA’s best tools in conducting research in aeronautics are its amazing wind tunnels, especially at its Ames and Langley Research Centers. On July 31, NASA opened its newest, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at Langley, the first fully-new NASA wind tunnel in more than 40 years.
“The wind tunnel opening marks a major milestone in the evolution of NASA and the nation’s aeronautics and space research capabilities. The state-of-the-art facility will support research and technology development that will advance NASA’s aeronautics, exploration, and science goals, including establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface through the Artemis program and the development of a Moon Base.” (source) Learn more about the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at: https://go.nasa.gov/4yzKEGQ
An El Niño is Coming!
I learned recently that Inca-era priests could advise crop planting schedules based on the appearance of the Pleiades star cluster when it first appears in the morning sky. Warm ocean surface temperatures associated with an El Niño made it difficult to see all of the stars of the Pleiades, suggesting that planting should be delayed. Clearer morning skies, hence more Pleiades stars, meant “plant now.”
Today, NASA and ESA use a somewhat more high-tech method to determine ocean temperatures, the E.U. Copernicus Programme, built around the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which measures subtle water heights associated with the warmer surface temperatures of an El Niño event. This particular satellite was launched in 2020; the newest Sentinel satellite was launched last November; see: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-spacex-launch-us-european-satellite-to-monitor-earths-oceans.The data show that an El Niño event is likely this year. But check out the Pleiades, just to make sure! For more information about the Copernicus Programme, see: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-european-sea-level-mission-homes-in-on-el-nino and https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sentinel-6-michael-freilich/sentinel-6-michael-freilich-stories.
Astrobiology Clue from South Korea
“A hidden crater in South Korea may hold clues to one of the biggest turning points in Earth’s history: the rise of oxygen. Scientists discovered fossil-like stromatolites — layered structures built by ancient microbes — inside the Hapcheon impact crater, suggesting that asteroid strikes may have created warm, mineral-rich lakes where early oxygen-producing life could flourish.”
“According to the researchers, the stromatolites likely formed in a hydrothermal lake that developed after an asteroid strike. The impact would have generated intense heat, melting surrounding rock and warming the water for long periods of time. Those warm, mineral rich conditions may have provided an ideal environment for ancient microbes to survive and grow.
“The discovery could also help scientists better understand the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), which occurred about 2.4 billion years ago when oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere rose dramatically.”
For more information, see: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260521072357.htm.
NEW FROM NASA LINKS AND OTHER INFORMATION
NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel
“The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel is a senior advisory committee that reports to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Congress. The Panel was established by Congress after the Apollo 204 Command and Service Module spacecraft fire in January 1967.
“The Panel’s statutory duties, established under Section 6 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 1968, and as amended under 51 U.S.C. § 31101 are as follows:
- Review safety studies and operations plans referred to it, including evaluating the Administration’s compliance with the return-to-flight and continue-to-fly recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, and make reports thereon;
- Advise the Administrator and Congress with respect to-
(A) the hazards of proposed or existing facilities and proposed operations;
(B) the adequacy of proposed or existing safety standards; and
(C) management and culture related to safety; and
- Perform such other duties as the Administrator may request.”
The Panel is Chaired by Lt.Gen. Susan Helms. USAF (retired); the Panel members and their bios, and the annual reports (through 2025) are available here: https://www.nasa.gov/asap.
Apollo 12 Graphic Novel Updated! Tuesday (11/19) was the 56th anniversary of the landing on the Moon of Apollo 12’s LM, Intrepid, with astronauts Pete Conrad and Al Bean aboard. Celebrate this milestone two ways: See the two previous Items of the Week that spotlight the mission hereand my personal hero, Al Bean, here. Also, check out the NASA graphic novel of the Apollo 12 mission augmented by info about Artemis (The NASA links to it are dead, but I downloaded it from Wikipedia Commons, and it is listed as being fully in the public domain; you can find it in the “Archive: Other Stuff” section of my website at: https://www.airandspacethisweek.com/otherstuff.
JPL Von Kármán Lectures: Theodore von Kármán was an aerodynamics expert who came to the USA in 1930, fleeing rising tide of Nazism. He was a member of the National Academy of Science and one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL hosted a lecture series named for him that offered a number of interesting Space-related lectures, “Shake and Bake,” being one from last year. For more information on the Von Kármán Lectures, see the archive at: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-and-the-community/lecture-series.
Did you know that NASA has an entire Scientific Visualization Studio at the Goddard Space Flight Center? The data they make relatable is really terrific; see: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Latest News Releases:https://www.nasa.gov/2026-news-releases
Media Contact Info:https://www.nasa.gov/news/media/info/index.html
JPL News:https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news