| In this week’s newsletter, catch up on the latest updates from NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission, which launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida; watch the newest episode of Planetary Defenders: This Is Not an Exercise to see how experts around the world worked together to track a newly discovered asteroid that once appeared to pose a threat to Earth; and discover how to become a NASA flight director and help shape humanity’s next steps in space. Plus, more stories you might have missed. |
| HUMANS IN SPACE NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 Arrives at Space Station |
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| The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission launched at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, beginning their science expedition to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov arrived at the station at 7:05 p.m. EDT — just 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch—marking the fastest launch‑to‑docking of a U.S. spacecraft in the station’s history. “Crew-13 is another demonstration of America’s unmatched capability in human spaceflight and the strength of our commercial partnerships,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Jessica, Luke, Joshua, and Sergey will carry forward important work aboard the International Space Station while helping us build the experience and capabilities needed for ambitious missions to the Moon and beyond. Congratulations to the crew and the NASA and SpaceX teams who made today’s launch possible.” During their mission, the Crew‑13 astronauts will support a wide range of research aboard the International Space Station. Their work includes using microgravity to produce human stem cell‑derived tissues that could improve personalized medicine, disease modeling, and pharmaceutical testing for conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson’s. The crew also will study crop production with a new, largely autonomous plant‑growth system and investigate how plants grow outside dedicated facilities. In addition, they will continue human‑health studies focused on factors linked to blood-flow abnormalities in microgravity and test a new in-flight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health. MISSION UPDATES |
 | TECHNOLOGY Small Satellite Missions Three NASA-supported small spacecraft launched at 2:32 p.m. EDT Thursday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The missions will demonstrate new propulsion technologies, study the movement of galactic dust and high-energy radiation, and test capabilities for inspecting inactive satellites. They flew as part of SpaceX’s Transporter‑18 commercial rideshare mission, which enables NASA to economically test emerging science and technology by sharing a launch with other government and commercial payloads. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS |
| NASA+ ORIGINAL This is Not an Exercise When a newly discovered asteroid looked like it could threaten Earth, NASA and scientists worldwide sprang into action. Planetary Defenders: This Is Not an Exercise reveals how experts around the globe worked together to track the asteroid, model its future path, assess the risks, and eventually determine it posed no danger. NOW ON NASA+ |  |
 THE UNIVERSE Planet-Shattering Collisions In the early days of our solar system, scientists theorize that a Mars‑sized object called Theia smashed into the young Earth, vaporizing huge amounts of rock and launching debris into space. That violent, ancient impact reshaped our planet. Now, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are studying young stellar systems that show signs of experiencing similar dramatic events. Their observations help reveal how much energy these collisions release and offer new insights into the composition and evolution of these chaotic systems. LEARN MORE |  EARTH Hunting Storms The Wildhorse grass fire in eastern Idaho erupted on Aug. 24 with a sudden, massive pulse of smoke. Although unexpected, the wildfire generated a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, or pyroCb — a rare weather phenomenon that scientists on NASA’s INSPYRE, or INjected Smoke and PYRocumulonimbus Experiment, campaign had spent weeks tracking across western North America. Researchers collected smoke particles, sampled gases, photographed ice crystals, and monitored radiation passing through clouds and reflected back into space. Their goal was to understand how wildfire‑generated clouds lift smoke upward, how clouds alter the particles and gases within that smoke, how much reaches the stratosphere, and what happens once it gets there. LEARN MORE |
| More NASA News |
 | On Monday, leadership from NASA and Boeing provided an update on the Starliner spacecraft, including adding additional crew missions and certifying a new rocket for crew transportation to low Earth orbit. |
 | A commercial mission to boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory ended without raising the spacecraft’s orbit, but both NASA and the industry partner, Katalyst Space, gained valuable experience that will benefit future in‑space servicing efforts. |
 | Marking a significant expansion in the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords, NASA recently welcomed Albania, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, and San Marino, bringing total participation to 76 countries. The United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, and seven other nations launched the Artemis Accords in 2020 to guide growing global interest in lunar activity. |
 | NASA is now accepting applications for the next class of flight directors! These future flight directors won’t just support missions — they’ll help shape humanity’s next steps in space. From guiding teams during operations aboard the International Space Station to steering Artemis missions to the Moon and, ultimately, preparing for the first human journeys to Mars, this role places you at the heart of NASA’s most ambitious explorations. The application window closes on Monday, Oct. 12. |
 | NASA has selected three new scientific investigations, each with a suite of instruments and technologies designed to advance our understanding of the Moon and support the creation of humanity’s first lunar outpost, Moon Base. These payloads will help scientists understand lunar resources, locate natural shelters, and evaluate environmental hazards. |
| Do You Know? |
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| NASA marked its 68th anniversary this week, celebrating the day it officially began operations as America’s civilian space agency. On Oct. 1, 1958, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was transformed into NASA, a new organization changed with leading the nation into the Space Age. |
| Which former U.S. president led NASA’s creation in 1958? A. John F. Kennedy B. Dwight D. Eisenhower C. Lyndon B. Johnson D. Harry S. Truman |
| Find out the answer in next week’s NASA newsletter! |
 | Last week, we asked what year a female astronaut surpassed Shannon Lucid’s 188‑day space‑duration record set in 1996. The answer: 2007. In June 2007, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned from a 192‑day mission aboard the International Space Station (195 days in space), breaking Lucid’s long‑standing record. Today, NASA astronaut Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, following her 328‑day mission in 2019–2020. |
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| Participate in advancing NASA’s work in discovery, innovation, and exploration through gifts and donations. These contributions help further NASA’s mission, including advancing science and engineering to sustain U.S. leadership in space. Under 51 U.S.C. § 20113(d), NASA is authorized to accept unconditional gifts of services, monetary contributions, and real or personal property. LEARN MORE |
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