desiree-plata-appointed-associate-dean-of-engineering

Desirée Plata, the School of Engineering Distinguished Climate and Energy Professor in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named associate dean of engineering, effective July 1. In her new role, Plata will focus on fostering early-stage research initiatives across the school’s faculty and on strengthening entrepreneurialContinue Reading

octopuses-use-mirrors-to-find-food-they-cannot-see

Octopuses may be even smarter than we thought. Researchers at Dartmouth found that octopuses can learn to use mirrors to locate food hidden behind them—a skill previously seen only in vertebrates like mammals and birds. After training, the animals correctly identified the food’s location about 73% of the time, showingContinue Reading

total-solar-eclipse-on-august-12,-2026

Explore This Section Eclipses Overview Safety Science Types History NASA Research Geometry FAQ Citizen Science Future Eclipses Stories All Eclipse Stories Shadow Notes For Media Resources & More Resources Glossary 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse 2024 Total Solar Eclipse August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse On Aug. 12, 2026, a totalContinue Reading

nasa-provides-update-on-space-station-leak

The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021. The Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel, known as the PrK, on the International Space Station has experienced cracks since 2019 that have resulted in small atmosphere leaks and prompted ongoing monitoringContinue Reading

nasa’s-incus-mission-on-road-to-launch,-study-storms-from-space

Two of the three SmallSats for NASA’s INCUS mission, including the one shown here, have completed assembly and testing in preparation for shipment to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for a 2027 launch. From low Earth orbit the satellites will observe the dynamics of tropical convective storms. Blue CanyonContinue Reading

nasa’s x-59 aircraft flies-supersonic-for-first-time

4 min read NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Flies Supersonic for First Time NASA’s X-59 eXternal Vision System shows Mach 1.077 on Friday, June 5, 2026, marking the aircraft’s first time reaching supersonic speed in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. The moment represents a milestone for the aircraft as it transitions to include test flights faster thanContinue Reading

nasa-announces-winners-of-2026 university-innovation competition 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology team that won the 2026 RASC-AL competition for their project, Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm. Credit: National Institute of Aerospace NASA announced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology project, Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm, as the first place winner for the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition, which challenges students to bridge gaps in aerospace technology byContinue Reading

nasa-satellites help-map-ocean-nutrient-stress 

Warming waters decrease upwelling and lead to stress on marine microorganisms due to limited availability of vital nutrients. Red indicates the regions of highest nutrient-related stress. Kel Elkins/NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 5. A new study combining NASA satellite observations, ocean surveys, andContinue Reading

nasa’s-artemis-ii-moon-mission-research-continues-on-earth

5 min read NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Research Continues on Earth Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover walks on a treadmill while in a space suit harnessed to NASA’s Active Response Gravity Offload System at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Glover is simulating a walk on a planetary surface while inContinue Reading

swift-boost-media-resources

Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Swift Home Spacecraft Science Boost News For Scientists Swift Boost Mission Swift Boost Media Resources After more than two decades, the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has entered a phase of rapid decay. While NASA could allow the observatory to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, asContinue Reading