"Inside the Astral Realm: Exploring NASA's Channel of Discovery"

NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is the first U.S. mission to return samples from an asteroid to Earth. When it lands, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will release the sample capsule for a safe landing in the Utah desert. The pristine material from Bennu – rocks and dust collected from the asteroid’s surface in 2020 – will offer generations of scientists a window into the time when the Sun and planets were forming about 4.5 billion years ago. Watch NASA’s live broadcast on NASA TV, NASA.gov, the NASA app, or on social media (@NASA) starting at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 24. Set a reminder: • OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return (Of... Learn more about OSIRIS-REx: https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is set to return to Earth this fall after setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. He arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, and will return home after 371 days in space. While on the orbiting lab, Rubio and his fellow crew members conducted dozens of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. Learn more about Frank Rubio’s year-long scientific journey aboard the space station: https://go.nasa.gov/3LrwS29

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio pays tribute to former NASA astronaut José Hernández and his inspirational life story with a message from aboard the International Space Station, orbiting 260 miles above Earth. His message recognizes countless contributions made by other astronauts of Hispanic heritage like Ellen Ochoa, Franklin Chang-Diaz, and Joe Acaba. These pioneering explorers remind us that space needs to remain inclusive — a place for all to discover, explore, and inspire.

A new long-duration spaceflight record, our SpaceX Crew-6 mission is back home, and our asteroid sample return mission is on target … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Record-breaking astronaut Frank Rubio talks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy about his historic mission during a space-to-ground call. On Sept. 11, 2023, Rubio surpassed the U.S. record for single longest duration spaceflight, a record previously set by astronaut Mark Vande Hei in 2022. Rubio is set to return to Earth on Sept. 27, 2023, when he will have spent 371 days in space. His extended stay aboard the orbiting laboratory helps us see how the human body reacts to microgravity and informs future missions to deep space.

Earth-observing satellites like Landsat have documented the shrinking of chimpanzee habitat, Africa's equatorial forest belt. The Jane Goodall Institute uses Landsat and other satellite data to empower local communities to drive conservation on their own land by creating habitat suitability maps for chimpanzees. Mobile apps also bring in data in real-time so communities can protect their village forest reserves, and create land use plans for watersheds, people, and chimpanzees. After years of forest loss, the last few decades have seen habitats recovering.

On Oct. 14, 2023, a “ring of fire,” or annular, solar eclipse will travel from the Oregon coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Weather permitting, most of the Americas will be able to view at least a partial solar eclipse. Click here to see the NASA 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse Map: https://go.nasa.gov/USEclipseMaps An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, but is just far away enough in its orbit that the Sun is not completely covered—creating a large, bright ring in the sky. WARNING: During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. How to safely view an eclipse: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses... Not in the path of the eclipse? Watch with us from anywhere in the world. We will provide live broadcast coverage on Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. EDT (1530-1715 UTC) on NASA TV, NASA.gov, the NASA app, and right here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/LlY79zjud-Q Learn more about the upcoming annular solar eclipse: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses...

Our SpaceX Crew-6 mission safely returns to Earth, the tech demo hitching a ride on our Psyche spacecraft, and studying ancient life on Earth to better understand Mars … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Our Webb Space Telescope captures a cosmic ring, the team behind our upcoming Psyche mission, and the unique thing about a star that was ripped apart by a black hole … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

After launching to the International Space Station on March 2, 2023, NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission is wrapping up its time in orbit, with a return to Earth in early September 2023. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev spent their months on the orbiting lab conducting scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, including running a student robotic challenge, studying plant genetic adaptations to space, and monitoring human health in microgravity to prepare for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth. The astronauts also released Saskatchewan's first satellite, which tests a new radiation detection and protection system derived from melanin.

In 1983, NASA’s Guy Bluford broke barriers and made history as the first African American astronaut in space. Hear from Bluford himself, see footage from his Space Shuttle missions, and celebrate the milestones that forever changed the landscape of space exploration. Bluford’s first mission was STS-8, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Aug. 30, 1983. This was the third flight for the Challenger orbiter, and the first mission with a night launch and night landing. During the mission, the STS-8 crew deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B), operated the Canadian-built RMS with the Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA), operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) with live cell samples, conducted medical measurements to understand biophysiological effects of spaceflight, and activated four “Getaway Special” canisters. STS-8 completed 98 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Sept. 5, 1983.

A new crew heads to the space station, a major storm spotted from space, and a robotic spacecraft enabling human missions to the Moon … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers the State of NASA address for 2023. Learn about our plans to explore the Moon and Mars, monitor and protect the planet, sustain U.S. leadership in aviation and aerospace innovation, drive economic growth and promote equity and diversity within the agency and across the nation, while inspiring the next generation of explorers for the benefit of humanity.

NASA's Jonny Kim and Anita Dey sit down with historian Brian Odom to discuss how NASA is making the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community visible to the world, Kim’s experience with the space program growing up, and the impact of cultural stereotypes. In addition to being an astronaut, Jonny Kim is also a Harvard-trained physician and U.S. Navy SEAL. Anita Dey serves as a strategic partnerships manager in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

The Earth is seen setting from the far side of the Moon just beyond the Orion spacecraft in this video taken on the sixth day of the Artemis I mission by a camera on the tip of one of Orion’s solar arrays. The spacecraft was preparing for the Outbound Powered Flyby maneuver which would bring it within 80 miles of the lunar surface, the closest approach of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, before moving into a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft entered the lunar sphere of influence Sunday, Nov. 20, making the Moon, instead of Earth, the main gravitational force acting on the spacecraft.