US-India Satellite Captures Time-lapse Video of Volcanic Eruption
Returning to the same spot in orbit numerous times over several months, NISAR documented the ongoing lava flow from a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
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NASA JPL News
Latest Washington, D.C.-related coverage discovered from www.jpl.nasa.gov.
NASA Selects Far-Infrared Telescope as First in New Mission Class
By studying radiant energy that only emerges in the far-infrared, PRIMA will address a wide range of questions about the universe.
NASA Discovery Reveals Complex Water Systems on Early Mars
A new study reveals that Jezero Crater’s enigmatic ‘Margin Unit’ was shaped by a complex sequence of ancient lakes, groundwater systems, and hydrothermal fluids.
NASA Watches Earth’s Weight, Finds Center of Mass
As the seasons change, Earth transfers mass from some locations to pack on the gigatons in others.
How 2 US, European Satellites Are Studying Hurricanes During El Niño
The spacecraft, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B, are collecting data that will help scientists forecast these storms.
NASA’s Dark Universe-Seeking Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launches
The spacecraft will study the mysteries of the cosmos while also testing the Coronagraph Instrument, designed and built by JPL to demonstrate advanced hardware for studying planets around other stars.
NASA Sets Coverage for Roman Space Telescope Launch from Florida
The flagship telescope includes the Roman Coronagraph Instrument, a technology demonstration designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
New Next-Gen Dish Adds Muscle to NASA’s Deep Space Network
Deep Space Station 23 at NASA’s Goldstone facility in the California desert is the latest next-generation antenna to be added by the network’s enhancement project.
NASA Mission Studies Air Pollution Over Ethiopia
What scientists are learning about tiny PM2.5 aerosols in the country’s capital also could benefit U.S. cities.
NASA Tests Featherweight Radar Antenna for SkyFall Mars Helicopters
The hardware will enable the SkyFall mission’s trio of planetary rotorcraft to use ground-penetrating radar to study the Martian subsurface.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Watches Earth Vanish Behind Martian Moon
The first observation of its kind captures our home planet slipping behind Phobos in the Martian evening sky.
NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission
By switching off certain powered devices and substituting them with lower-powered alternatives, the team has been able to avoid turning off more science instruments.
NASA Awards 2026 Innovative Technology Concepts
JPL is leading three of the 18 visionary concepts awarded funding by an innovation incubator program at NASA.
NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers Field of Honeycomb Textures
Mission scientists have never seen so many of the many-sided geologic features in one place on the Red Planet.
NASA’s Juno Takes Temperature of Jupiter’s Fiery Moon Io
The first measurements of the subsurface of the most volcanic world in the solar system reveal heat rising from below.
US-India Satellite Delivers Data, Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica
Data from NISAR, one of the most powerful radar systems ever launched, is now available to the world. A vivid image of Antarctic ice showcases what the satellite can do.
New NASA Earth Missions Gear Up to Start Science Flights
The first of six new venture-class missions will hit the skies this summer to chase dangerous and little understood pyrocumulonimbus storms out West.
NASA’s Psyche Mission Delivers Mars Flyby Data, Time-lapse Video
The spacecraft aced its encounter with Mars. Now mission scientists are studying a trove of data from the flyby in preparation for its arrival at asteroid Psyche in 2029.
NASA Study Finds Near-Earth Asteroid Is Actually Comet
The object looks like an asteroid but moves like a comet, so astronomers used some of the most powerful observatories on the planet to confirm its identity.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reads Record of Ancient Mars Impacts
Old rocks exposed on the rim of Jezero Crater preserve a roughly 4-billion-year-old cosmic “weather report” from the solar system’s most dynamic era.
NASA Scientists Take to Air and Space to Study Arctic Sea Ice
Collecting data by plane, satellite, and on the ground, researchers are improving measurements of Arctic sea ice to better understand how the system is evolving over time.
Caltech Welcomes Astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as New President
Taking the helm of the institute that manages JPL for NASA, the distinguished astrophysicist brings a lifelong interest in space exploration and a track record of scientific discovery.
NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
NASA’s Quantum Lab Aboard Space Station Gets Chilly Upgrade
Upgraded hardware will allow the Cold Atom Lab to set new records in quantum physics and help develop new technologies.
Explore JPL to Take Place Oct. 10, 11
NASA’s leading center for the robotic exploration of the universe is opening its doors for a two-day event. Tickets, available in late August, will go fast.
NASA, USGS Scientists Go Rock Hounding in California’s High Desert
The discovery of topaz on a volcanic outcrop in the Mojave Desert may hint at a porphyry copper deposit below.
NASA’s INCUS Mission on Road to Launch, Study Storms From Space
The mission’s three SmallSats will provide insights to improve storm forecasting, potentially mitigating loss of life and property damage in affected communities.
NASA-European Sea Level Mission Homes in on El Niño
Waves of higher, warmer water move eastward across the Pacific Ocean a few months before an El Niño emerges. Several have shown up in 2026 satellite data.
JPL Prime Contract Update
Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum along with Caltech Vice President and JPL Director Dave Gallagher issued the following memo to the Caltech and Jet Propulsion Laboratory community.
NASA-developed AI Could Help Track Harmful Algae
By fusing data from different space missions, AI could someday support ‘maps without gaps’ when it comes to noxious blooms.
NASA’s Psyche Mission Aces Mars Flyby, Targets Metal-Rich Asteroid
The successful flyby of Mars on May 15 provided the mission team with a valuable practice run ahead of the spacecraft’s arrival at the mysterious asteroid Psyche in 2029.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’ Western Frontier
The agency’s six-wheeled geologist took a self-portrait during its survey of an ancient landscape that may predate the formation of Jezero Crater itself.
Hello Universe: NASA’s Next-Gen Space Processor Undergoes Testing
As part of a commercial partnership, the project is developing a sophisticated chip that will give spacecraft the processing capabilities to think for themselves.
NASA’s Psyche Mission to Fly by Mars for Gravity Assist
The spacecraft is using the Red Planet’s gravity to increase speed and tilt its trajectory on the journey to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.
NASA Pushes Next-Gen Mars Helicopter Rotor Blades Past Mach 1
The faster a Mars helicopter’s rotors spin, the heavier the payloads it can transport and the farther it can fly.
NASA’s Next-Gen Near-Earth Asteroid Space Telescope Takes Shape
A team of engineers and scientists are building NEO Surveyor to seek out the hardest-to-find asteroids and comets that could impact Earth.
US-Indian Space Mission Maps Extreme Subsidence in Mexico City
The NISAR satellite pinpointed areas of the city that are sinking by more than half an inch per month due in large part to groundwater pumping.
NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars
A novel electromagnetic thruster passed an initial test in a specialized chamber at JPL. With further development, these thrusters could support human missions to the Red Planet.
NASA’s Perseverance, Curiosity Panoramas Capture Two Sides of Mars
The two rovers captured scenes that highlight the different journeys they’re taking, helping to piece together the puzzle of the Red Planet’s past.
NASA’s Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars
Seven organic molecules were identified for the first time on Mars, increasing our understanding of the kinds of molecular preservation possible on the Martian surface.
NASA Shuts Off Instrument on Voyager 1 to Keep Spacecraft Operating
To conserve power, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed to turn off one of the science instruments on the most distant spacecraft ever built.
‘Interstellar Glaciers’: NASA’s SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
The water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices are attached to the surface of tiny dust particles in clouds spanning hundreds of light-years across.
NASA Unveils Initiatives to Achieve America’s National Space Policy
JPL will help support several of the agency’s initiatives to advance the nation’s leadership in space.
NASA Research Proposes Technology to Seek Earth-Like Exoplanets
The Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets concept combines an orbiting starshade with a large ground-based telescope to image planets outside our solar system.
NASA-ISRO Satellite Captures Pacific Northwest Through Clouds
Seattle, Portland, Mount Ranier, and Mount Saint Helens are captured in new imagery from NISAR, the most powerful radar system ever launched by NASA or ISRO.
See NASA’s GUARDIAN Catch a Tsunami
A new animation breaks down how JPL’s AI-supported hazard scout gets the drop on the ocean’s biggest waves.
Tiny NASA Spacecraft Delivers Exoplanet Mission’s First Images
The SPARCS cube satellite is ready to begin studying low-mass stars and to reveal details about the habitability of the planets they host.
NASA’s DART Mission Changed Orbit of Asteroid Didymos Around Sun
The spacecraft changed the binary system’s orbit, confirming that a kinetic impactor can be an effective planetary defense technique for deflecting a near-Earth object.
US-French Satellite Takes Stock of World’s River Water
Rivers rise and fall throughout the year, but by how much? Perhaps less than previously thought, according to new data from the SWOT mission. Hidden riverbed contours are also emerging.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sees Martian ‘Spiderwebs’ Up Close
A hilly landscape that looks like spiderwebs when viewed from orbit holds clues to the history of water on ancient Mars.
NASA’s Perseverance Now Autonomously Pinpoints Its Location on Mars
There is no GPS at the Red Planet, but a new technology called Mars Global Localization lets Perseverance determine precisely where it is — without human help.
Archival Data From NASA’s NEOWISE Tracks Star Turning Into Black Hole
Researchers used data from the now-retired spacecraft and other space and ground-based observatories helped to piece together the mystery of a ‘failed’ supernova.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars
The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface without the input of human route planners.
NASA-ISRO Radar Mission Peers Through Clouds to See Mississippi River Delta
A new image from the NISAR mission shows off the satellite’s ability to reveal details of Earth’s surfaces. The science team also released new sample data.
NASA Analysis Shows La Niña Limited Sea Level Rise in 2025
A mild La Niña caused greater rainfall over the Amazon basin, which offset rising sea levels due to record warming of Earth’s oceans.
Networks Keeping NASA’s Artemis II Mission Connected
Artemis missions rely on both the Near Space Network, managed by NASA Goddard, and the Deep Space Network, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA’s Juno Measures Thickness of Europa’s Ice Shell
Results from the solar-powered spacecraft provide a new measurement of the thickness of the ice shell encasing the Jovian moon’s ocean.
How NASA Is Homing in From Space on Ocean Debris
Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its ‘fingerprints.’
NASA Reveals New Details About Dark Matter’s Influence on Universe
With the Webb telescope’s unprecedented sensitivity, scientists are learning more about dark matter’s influence on stars, galaxies, and even planets like Earth.
NASA’s SunRISE SmallSats Ace Tests, Moving Closer to Launch
The small satellites passed a crucible of tests, ending with a simulation of the intense vibrations of launch.
NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other
The telescope will help scientists answer big-picture questions about everything from water deposits in the Milky Way to what happened in the first second after the big bang.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead
The rover has been acing a long-term series of durability tests, making the most of its enhanced navigation capabilities, and ferreting out new findings about Mars’ geologic past.
NASA Study Suggests Saturn’s Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean
Reanalysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission has revealed Saturn’s moon may instead have layers of slush with isolated pockets of liquid water.
One of NASA’s Key Cameras Orbiting Mars Takes 100,000th Image
Mesas and dunes stand out in the view snapped by HiRISE, one of the imagers aboard the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
NASA, Partners Share First Data From New US-European Sea Satellite
Launched in November, Sentinel-6B will track ocean height with ultraprecision to advance marine forecasting, national security, and more.
NASA JPL Shakes Things Up Testing Future Commercial Lunar Spacecraft
As Firefly Aerospace prepares to follow its successful soft landing on the Moon, an engineering model for its next lander is being put through its paces.
NASA’s Webb, Curiosity Named in TIME’s Best Inventions Hall of Fame
The most powerful space telescope ever built and the car-size roving science lab on Mars are among 25 of the most iconic inventions the magazine has covered in the past quarter century.
NASA JPL Unveils Rover Operations Center for Moon, Mars Missions
The center leverages AI along with JPL’s unique infrastructure, unrivaled tools, and years of operations expertise to support industry partners developing future planetary surface missions.
New NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals
Called AVIRIS-5, it’s the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds.
Invention Challenge Brings Student Engineers to NASA JPL
Now in its 26th year, the event brings teams of middle and high school students to the lab to compete with home-built contraptions.
NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science
The JPL-led South Pole Seismic Station will enable scientists to characterize the lunar interior structure to better understand geologic processes that affect planetary bodies.
NASA Completes Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Construction
Set to launch by May 2027, the spacecraft will study mysteries of the cosmos while also testing the Coronagraph Instrument, a new technology designed and built by JPL.
NASA Rover Detects Electric Sparks in Mars Dust Devils, Storms
Perseverance confirmed a long-suspected phenomenon in which electrical discharges and their associated shock waves can be born within Red Planet mini-twisters.
NASA Tests Drones in Death Valley, Preps for Martian Sands and Skies
Next-generation drone flight software is just one of 25 technologies for the Red Planet that the space agency funded for development this year.
NASA Orbiter Shines New Light on Long-Running Martian Mystery
Results from an enhanced radar technique have demonstrated improvement to subsurface observations of Mars.
NASA, Aerospace Corporation Study Sharpens Focus on Ammonia Emissions
The pungent gas contributes to fine airborne particulate pollution, which endangers human health when inhaled and absorbed in the bloodstream.
NASA’s Mars Spacecraft Capture Images of Comet 3I/ATLAS
Two orbiters and a rover captured images of the interstellar object — from the closest location any of the agency’s spacecraft may get — that could reveal new details.
NASA Cassini Study Finds Organics ‘Fresh’ From Ocean of Enceladus
Researchers dove deep into information gathered from the ice grains that were collected during a close and super-fast flyby through a plume of Saturn’s icy moon.
NASA, SpaceX Launch US-European Satellite to Monitor Earth’s Oceans
Sentinel-6B will extend a decades-long legacy of global sea level measurements that help forecast weather, protect coastal communities, and more.
NASA, European Partners Set to Launch Sentinel-6B Earth Satellite
Set to track sea levels across more than 90% of Earth’s ocean, the mission must first get into orbit. Here’s what to expect.