National Aeronautics and Space Administration  - NASA News

Hey listeners, welcome to your space update. This week's biggest NASA headline? Teams are racing to recontact the MAVEN spacecraft, silent since December 6, just ahead of Mars solar conjunction starting December 29, when Sun interference blacks out signals until January 16. According to NASA's MAVEN blog, they're commanding recovery via Deep Space Network and analyzing data fragments, even enlisting Curiosity rover for sightings that didn't pan out.Shifting to policy, President Trump's December 18 Executive Order on American Space Superiority shakes things up, directing NASA to prioritize commercial solutions in acquisitions, review international partnerships by April 17, 2026, and reform buying processes by June 16. NASA's 2025 recap highlights Artemis II stacking complete for its early 2026 crewed Moon flyby—the first in 50 years—plus 10 new astronaut candidates from 8,000 applicants and seven nations joining the Artemis Accords, now at nearly 60 signatories.These moves boost American citizens with jobs in rocket building across states and inspire via NASA+ on Prime Video, hitting 7.7 million streamed minutes. Businesses score streamlined contracts favoring Space Act Agreements, fueling private innovation. States like Florida gain from Kennedy Center work, while internationally, accords strengthen U.S.-led exploration with partners like Norway and Malaysia. NASA's Europa Clipper and Parker Solar Probe even snagged bonus views of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, with principal investigator Dr. Kurt Retherford calling it a "unique and nuanced view."Watch for post-conjunction MAVEN updates January 16 and Artemis milestones. Dive deeper at science.nasa.gov or nasa.gov/news-releases. Tune your telescope for lingering comet views.Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Welcome to your weekly space update, listeners. NASA's biggest headline this week: the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on December 19, zipping by at 168 million miles—safe, but a rare cosmic visitor from beyond our solar system. NASA's Parker Solar Probe, Europa Clipper, and a fleet of telescopes captured stunning data, including X-ray glows from its 250,000-mile tail, as revealed by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and Japan's XRISM.NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya confirmed in a press briefing, "It looks and behaves like a comet... but this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating and scientifically very important." This builds on 2025's Artemis momentum, with the SLS rocket and Orion stacked for Artemis II's early 2026 crewed lunar flyby—the first in over 50 years—paving the way for Americans on Mars. Seven new nations, including Bangladesh and Norway, joined the Artemis Accords, now nearing 60 signatories, boosting safe lunar and Martian exploration.President Trump's new executive order on space superiority demands a strategy within 180 days to counter threats from orbit to cislunar space, plus a 2028 Moon base prototype deadline. Amid budget flatlines from continuing resolutions and office closures like Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA pushes innovation—new astronaut candidates from 8,000 applicants train now, and fission power lead Steve Sinacore eyes lunar habitats.For Americans, this means jobs in 50 states from rocket builds and safer flights, inspiring kids via NASA+ streams hitting 7.7 million minutes watched. Businesses gain from partnerships like Motiv Space Systems' robots; states host simulations and university grants. Globally, it strengthens U.S. leadership, drawing allies while eyeing rivals.Watch Artemis II prep and Jared Isaacman's admin moves. Track 3I/ATLAS via NASA's Eyes on the Solar System or skywatching tips for Geminids echoes. Citizens, share your comet sightings on NASA socials.Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Hey listeners, welcome to your weekly dive into NASA's world. The biggest headline this week: NASA whistleblowers are sounding the alarm on safety risks from early implementation of the President's FY26 budget cuts, with one warning they're very concerned we'll see an astronaut death within a few years due to this chainsaw approach, according to a new Democratic staff report from the Senate Commerce Committee.These cuts, pushed since June by NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes and OMB directives, have created a culture of fear where employees are told to keep their heads down and prioritize the President's budget request over everything else. NASA's operating under a flat FY25 budget via continuing resolutions, but the push to gut programs like SLS and Orion for commercial alternatives is shaking things up. On the science front, the 2025-2026 NASA Science Plan emphasizes balanced programs guided by National Academies decadal surveys, innovative partnerships, and priorities from Congress and the Administration.This hits American citizens hard—delayed missions could mean fewer breakthroughs in Earth science, space weather predictions vital for power grids, and Artemis astronaut safety. Businesses face uncertainty with contracts like the University of Alabama's Lunar Freezer System or Blue Origin's ESCAPADE Mars mission reopening for media. States and locals tied to NASA centers worry about jobs amid furlough threats from shutdowns.Internationally, it's mixed: Artemis Accords meetings advance Moon and Mars cooperation, while Soyuz arrivals expand ISS crew to 10, including Chris Williams.Exciting sky news from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab: Catch Comet 3I/ATLAS at its closest on December 19th, Geminids peaking soon, and Moon-Jupiter conjunction December 7th. Astronaut Jonny Kim recaps his eight-month ISS mission December 19th at 3:30 p.m. EST.Joe Westlake, NASA's heliophysics director, says of recent Parker Probe solar wind insights: These breathtaking images expand what we know about our star and space weather for Artemis safety.Impacts? Everyday folks get inspired by free skywatching, but budget squeezes could slow public benefits like better weather forecasts. Businesses hustle for commercial low-Earth orbit transitions by April 2025 under the NASA Transition Authorization Act.Watch Jonny Kim's briefing, ESCAPADE launch, and Sentinel-6B for sea level data. Head to science.nasa.gov for sky tips and missions. Tune in those evenings—grab binoculars!Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

NASA is back online after a turbulent government shutdown, and the biggest headline this week is that missions are ramping up again just as two rare visitors from deep space, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and comet 2025 R2 SWAN, move into prime view, giving scientists and the public a front‑row seat to historic observations, according to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.NASA reports that the Psyche spacecraft, currently about 260 million miles from Earth, has used its multispectral imager to precisely track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, while Hubble has just revisited the same comet with its Wide Field Camera 3 to study its faint coma and nucleus. At the same time, NASA’s new PUNCH mission has been tracking comet 2025 R2 SWAN over several weeks, tying comet science directly to how the solar wind flows from the Sun. These campaigns are giving scientists fresh data on how material from other star systems behaves, and how comets interact with the space environment that also affects satellites, power grids, and communications here on Earth.Behind the scenes, the story is just as dramatic. The Planetary Society explains that NASA has been operating under flat, continuing‑resolution funding, even as the White House pushed agencies to plan for deep cuts, delays in grant awards, and possible mission shutoffs. Congress is now working through NASA’s 2026 budget with bipartisan moves to shield key science missions, and the Senate’s version currently offers the strongest protections. That funding fight will determine whether future missions like Psyche’s extended science, Hubble operations, and new small missions like PUNCH can continue to deliver.For American citizens, this week’s developments mean more than pretty space pictures. The same physics that PUNCH and SWAN are probing helps improve models that feed into space‑weather forecasts, which protect GPS, aviation, and the power grid. For businesses, especially satellite operators and emerging commercial space stations, stable NASA funding and clear plans coming out of the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025 shape everything from launch contracts to research partnerships in low Earth orbit. State and local governments benefit when NASA grants and collaborations with universities resume at full speed, supporting jobs and STEM pipelines. Internationally, joint efforts like the SOHO mission with the European Space Agency and shared comet campaigns bolster U.S. leadership and cooperation in space science at a time of heightened global competition.According to NASA and SpacePolicyOnline, the key dates to watch over the next few weeks include congressional markups of the NASA budget, space policy hearings, and new observation windows for comet 3I/ATLAS as it moves to the far side of the Sun and then reappears for follow‑up measurements. Listeners who want to engage can contact their members of Congress about supporting robust NASA science funding, follow mission updates on NASA’s official website and social channels, and participate in citizen‑science projects that use real mission data.Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the latest from NASA and beyond. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# NASA This Week: Interstellar Comet, Budget Battles, and Safety ConcernsHello listeners, welcome back to your weekly NASA briefing. This week, the space agency finds itself at a crossroads as it prepares for a rare cosmic encounter while navigating unprecedented internal challenges. Let's dive into what's happening at America's space agency.Our top story comes from the cosmos. On December nineteenth, just over two weeks away, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth in what astronomers are calling a once in a lifetime cosmic encounter. Now, don't worry about a collision. The comet will pass at approximately one hundred seventy million miles away, roughly twice the distance between Earth and the Sun. But this is significant because it represents only the third interstellar object ever discovered. NASA held a press conference on November nineteenth, sharing new data from multiple telescopes including Hubble, James Webb, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists are particularly interested in studying the comet's jets to determine whether they're produced by natural sublimation or potentially something more exotic. Listeners will need a decent telescope to observe it, and astronomers worldwide are monitoring for any accompanying fragments.But here's where things get serious. Behind the scenes at NASA, whistleblowers are raising alarm bells about safety and organizational stability. According to Democratic staff reports, the Trump administration has been implementing the President's proposed budget cuts since June twenty twenty-five, creating what insiders describe as a culture of fear. One whistleblower expressed grave concerns, stating they're very concerned that we're going to see an astronaut death within a few years. NASA employees report being told to keep their heads down, with fears of retaliation if they raise safety issues. The agency has already closed three offices including the Office of Chief Scientist and has eliminated diversity and inclusion branches.The financial picture is equally troubling. There are rumors circulating that the White House may seek to cut NASA's Science Mission Directorate budget by up to fifty percent. This comes as Congress debates the NASA Transition Authorization Act of twenty twenty-five, which proposes authorizing approximately twenty five point five billion dollars for the agency's fiscal year operations.For listeners who care about space exploration and scientific discovery, this moment matters. These budget cuts and organizational changes could impact everything from climate monitoring satellites to fundamental research about our universe. If you're concerned about NASA's direction, contacting your representatives in Congress is crucial. They're actively debating these funding levels through the end of the year.Stay tuned for updates on the comet's approach and any announcements about NASA's budget resolution. Thank you for tuning in to NASA This Week. Make sure to subscribe for updates on space exploration and policy developments. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI