America's Newest X-Plane Moves One Step Closer to Flight...

NASA / Carla Thomas

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests (News Release)

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, marking the first time that this one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has moved under its own power.

NASA test pilot Nils Larson and the X-59 team, made up of NASA and contractor Lockheed Martin personnel, completed the aircraft’s first low-speed taxi test at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on July 10, 2025.

The taxiing represents the X-59’s last series of ground tests before first flight. Over the coming weeks, the aircraft will gradually increase its speed, leading up to a high-speed taxi test that will take the aircraft just short of the point where it would take off.

During the low-speed tests, engineers and flight crews monitored how the X-59 handled as it moved across the runway, working to validate critical systems like steering and braking. These checks help ensure the aircraft’s stability and control across a range of conditions, giving pilots and engineers confidence that all systems are functioning as expected.

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s QueSST mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight by reducing the loud sonic boom to a quieter “thump.” Data gathered from the X-59 will be shared with U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

Source: NASA.Gov

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On This Day in 2015: Remembering New Horizons' Historic Flyby of Pluto and its Moons...

NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute

So it was 10 years ago today that NASA's New Horizons spacecraft became the first-ever robotic probe to explore the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons (Charon, Nix, Styx, Kerberos and Hydra) up-close. Even though Pluto has been a dwarf planet since the summer of 2006...when the International Astronomical Union demoted the former ninth planet from the Sun, this flyby completes NASA's robotic investigation of all the classical worlds (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) in our Solar System. Dozens of other objects have been discovered in the Kuiper Belt region beyond Pluto since then, but the 2015 encounter marked a major milestone in planetary exploration.

New Horizons is now destined to become the third functioning spacecraft to reach interstellar space—behind Voyager 1 and 2. Of course, saying that New Horizons will still be functional when it leaves the heliosphere may be a bit optimistic, as Trump lackey Russ Vought wants New Horizons to be one of the dozens of space missions that gets decommissioned under the White House's crappy budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Fortunately, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives reject the attempt by Vought to impose his PROJECT 2025 nonsense to NASA's venerable planetary science program.

We'll see what happens when the FY 2026 budget supposedly becomes enacted on October 1st. Stay tuned.

A CD carrying the names of 430,000 people is onboard NASA's New Horizons spacecraft as it literally heads to the stars...

I missed the deadline to submit my own name (as well as those of my family members and friends) in September 2005. 😭 pic.twitter.com/bAoZ23VBbw

— Rich Par (@AstroPnoy) July 14, 2025

ANOTHER TRUMP FAILURE: The Planetary Society Has Something to Say About Russ Vought's Stupid Attack on the U.S. Space Program...

NASA / JPL - Caltech

Every Living NASA Science Chief Unites in Opposition to Unprecedented Budget Cuts (Press Release)

Seven former leaders of NASA’s Science program urge Congress to reject the wasteful 47% cuts proposed in the White House’s FY 2026 budget proposal

Pasadena, CA — In a joint statement, every living former head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate SMD — the agency's top science leadership position — has condemned the White House's proposed 47% cuts to NASA science activities in the White House’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget proposal. This letter has been transmitted to the leadership of the House and Senate appropriations committees.

The letter, publicly released today, warns that the White House’s budget proposal would “walk away from dozens of current, extraordinarily successful and productive science missions” and halt nearly all future investments in exploration and innovation. The signatories — John Grunsfeld, Alphonso Diaz, Lennard Fisk, Wesley Huntress, Alan Stern, Edward Weiler and Thomas Zurbuchen — each served as Associate Administrator for NASA's science program. They are calling on Congress to preserve U.S. leadership in space exploration and reject the unprecedented cuts to space science concocted by the White House’s Budget Director, Russ Vought.

“NASA science endeavors are exercises in long-term national commitment that pay dividends to the American people,” they write. “Given the scale of the proposed cuts, their long-term consequences, and the potential loss of human knowledge and inspiration, we unanimously urge Congress to reject the proposed cuts.”

Together, the signatories span nearly four decades of NASA’s scientific leadership serving under every administration from Reagan to Biden.

The full letter can be read here.

Source: The Planetary Society

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The Planetary Society

IDIOCRACY Has Become a Documentary in the Trump Era...

So yesterday, the image above was shared online days after it was announced that an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match will take place at the White House's South Lawn on July 4, 2026... America's 250th birthday.

The reason why this event is such a farce has to do with the fact that Donald Trump is close friends with UFC CEO Dana White. And just like what Trump did when he promoted Tesla near the South Lawn about four months ago (back when he and Elon Musk were still buddies), the Felon-in-Chief is using his undeserved residency at the White House to prop up wealthy donors like White and Musk.

Considering the fact that Trump has populated his cabinet with clowns like former FOX News host Pete Hegseth (who's now the Signal Chat-loving Secretary of Defense), FOX News host Judge Jeanine Pirro (the wine-soaked U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia), FOX News contributor and Russian puppet Tulsi Gabbard (the Director of National Intelligence), World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon (the U.S. Secretary of Education) and dog-killing cosplayer Kristi Noem (the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Secretary, who didn't know what 'habeas corpus' was), it's no wonder why folks are comparing this country's current political climate to that of Idiocracy.

If you've never heard of Idiocracy before, it's a 2006 movie (which was test-screened by a marketing company I used to work at back in November 2004) starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph and Terry Crews that is a dystopian satire tackling such issues as commercialism (epitomized by the Trump/Musk photo directly below) and anti-intellectualism—the latter of which has been prevalent among the MAGA faithful since 2016. Idiocracy has become increasingly relevant as Trump continues to make a mockery of American democracy and causing his supporters to be more mistrusting of science; believing that geo-engineering is responsible for extreme weather (like the one that caused the tragic floods currently plaguing Texas) and not climate change itself.

Another movie that defines Trump is 2000's Gladiator. Much like Emperor Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), Trump is a sad and insecure would-be tyrant who's apparently using the spectacle of arena combat to hide the fact that he is an incompetent leader catering to the dregs of society to attain popularity. And this will increasingly become the case as Trump gets more desperate for adulation after doing such destructive things to the American people as signing that One, Big, Bullshit Bill into law two days ago.

Presumably, this nightmare will be over by early 2029—unless Trump succeeds in getting a MAGA successor voted into the Oval Office in late '28, or worse (F**k you, Andy Ogles). It will be a very, very long time before the U.S. begins some kind of healing from the wounds that the convicted felon has been inflicting upon the American Experiment since the summer of 2015...when Trump began his chaotic run for the presidency. Carry on.

There Was No Reason to Celebrate Today...

So today is Independence Day here in the U.S. and a lot of Americans celebrated with fireworks and barbecues despite the fact that Donald Trump just signed a massively destructive piece of legislation (the so-called One, Big, Beautiful Bill) that will take health insurance away from 17 million people (possibly including me), adding up to $3.1 trillion to the national debt, and providing over $160 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify their terrorization of non-white communities here in Southern California and other parts of the country.

You can thank spineless weasels like Alaska's Lisa Murkowski in the U.S. Senate, and Trump boot-licking halfwits like House Speaker Mike Johnson for allowing the convicted felon to continually do damage to this country from his undeserved residence in the White House. Oh, and let's not forget Trump's concentration camp known as Alligator Alcatraz (a.k.a. Alligator Auschwitz) in Florida...which was built in just eight days and is where ICE detainees will face the wrath of a hurricane if they're unlucky enough to be held at the camp when a powerful storm hits.

So yea, I hope you enjoyed your grilled hot dogs, steaks and hamburgers, fellow Yanks— The One, Big, Bullshit Bill is just one part of PROJECT 2025 and the Trump Administration will soon try to enact other destructive pieces (such as "election reform"...which may lead to Trump being given the power to delay future elections or remove the venues, such as mail-in ballots, that allow Americans to vote) of that Heritage Foundation-provided blueprint. The Fourth of July is an irrelevant holiday for at least the next three years.

History Was Made at Dodger Stadium Last Night (Plus a Lakers Update)...

Congrats to Clayton Kershaw for achieving his 3,000th career strikeout in the Dodgers' 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox yesterday! The left-handed pitcher and 2-time World Series champion accomplished the feat at the top of the 6th inning...striking out White Sox baseman Vinny Capra and becoming the 20th player in the history of Major League Baseball to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

In other Los Angeles sports news, the Lakers acquired center Deandre Ayton from the Portland Trail Blazers in a 2-year deal worth $16.6 million. Ayton will earn a total of $33.7 million next season since he is also owed $25.6 million from the Portland buyout.

The bottom line is, the Lakers have their new big man! We'll see how Ayton does playing with Luka Doncic and LeBron James (who recently opted in for $52.6 million next season...LeBron's 23rd in the NBA) this coming fall. Stay tuned!

Strikeout No. 3,000!

Clayton Kershaw becomes the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/mD7tM1POJC

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025

DEANDRE AYTON IS A LOS ANGELES LAKER 🤯

How far can the Lakers go? 👀

(via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/DmHhIemznW

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 2, 2025

A Galactic Visitor Will Soon Fly Through Mars' Orbit...

NASA / JPL - Caltech

NASA Discovers Interstellar Comet Moving Through Solar System (News Release)

On July 1, the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, first reported observations of a comet that originated from interstellar space. Arriving from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, the interstellar comet has been officially named 3I/ATLAS. It is currently located about 420 million miles (670 million kilometers) away.

Since that first report, observations from before the discovery have been gathered from the archives of three different ATLAS telescopes around the world and the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. These “pre-discovery” observations extend back to June 14. Numerous telescopes have reported additional observations since the object was first reported.

The comet poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a distance of at least 1.6 Astronomical Units (about 150 million miles or 240 million kilometers). It is currently about 4.5 AU (about 416 million miles or 670 million kilometers) from the Sun. 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the Sun around October 30, at a distance of 1.4 AU (about 130 million miles or 210 million kilometers) — just inside the orbit of Mars.

The interstellar comet’s size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing for renewed observations.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Cosmic Discovery by JWST...

NASA, ESA, CSA, Anne-Marie Lagrange (CNRS, UGA), Mahdi Zamani (ESA / Webb)

Likely Saturn-Mass Planet Imaged by NASA Webb Is Lightest Ever Seen (News Release - June 25)

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have captured compelling evidence of a planet with a mass similar to Saturn orbiting the young nearby star TWA 7. If confirmed, this would represent Webb’s first direct image discovery of a planet, and the lightest planet ever seen with this technique outside the Solar System.

The international team detected a faint infrared source in the disk of debris surrounding TWA 7 using Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). The distance between the source and TWA 7 is estimated to be about 50 times the distance of Earth from the Sun. This matches the expected position of a planet that would explain key features seen in the debris disk.

The results published on Wednesday, June 25, in the journal Nature.

Using MIRI’s coronagraph, the researchers carefully suppressed the bright glare of the host star to reveal faint nearby objects. This technique, called high-contrast imaging, enables astronomers to directly detect planets that would otherwise be lost in the overwhelming light from their host star. After subtracting residual starlight using advanced image processing, a faint infrared source was revealed near TWA 7.

The team ruled out an object in our Solar System that happened to be in the same part of the sky as the source. While there is a very small chance that it is a background galaxy, the evidence strongly points to the source being a previously undiscovered planet.

The source is located in a gap in one of three dust rings that were discovered around TWA 7 by previous ground-based observations. The object’s brightness, color, distance from the star, and position within the ring are consistent with theoretical predictions for a young, cold, Saturn-mass planet that is expected to be sculpting the surrounding debris disk.

"Our observations reveal a strong candidate for a planet shaping the structure of the TWA 7 debris disk, and its position is exactly where we expected to find a planet of this mass," said Anne-Marie Lagrange, CNRS researcher at the Observatoire de Paris-PSL and Université Grenoble Alpes in France, lead author of the paper.

“This observatory enables us to capture images of planets with masses similar to those in the Solar System, which represents an exciting step forward in our understanding of planetary systems, including our own,” added co-author Mathilde Malin of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

Initial analysis suggests that the object — referred to as TWA 7 b — could be a young, cold planet with a mass around 0.3 times that of Jupiter (about 100 Earth masses, or one Saturn mass) and a temperature near 120° Fahrenheit (47° Celsius). Its location aligns with a gap in the disk, hinting at a dynamic interaction between the planet and its surroundings.

Debris disks filled with dust and rocky material are found around both young and older stars, although they are more easily detected around younger stars as they are brighter. They often feature visible rings or gaps, thought to be created by planets that have formed around the star, but such a planet has yet to be directly detected within a debris disk. If verified, this discovery would mark the first time that a planet has been directly associated with sculpting a debris disk, and could offer the first observational hint of a “trojan disk” — a collection of dust trapped in the planet’s orbit.

TWA 7, also known as CE Antilae, is a young (about 6.4 million years-old) red dwarf star located about 34 light-years away in the TW Hydrae association. Its nearly face-on disk made it an ideal target for Webb’s high-sensitivity mid-infrared observations.

The findings highlight Webb’s ability to explore previously unseen, low-mass planets around nearby stars. Ongoing and future observations will aim to better constrain the properties of the candidate, verify its planetary status, and deepen our understanding of planet formation and disk evolution in young systems.

These observations were taken as part of the Webb observing program 3662.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our Solar System, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our Universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

Source: NASA.Gov

The First Cosmic Photos Taken by the World's Largest Digital Camera Have Been Revealed...

RubinObs / NOIRLab / SLAC / NSF/ DOE / AURA

Ever-changing Universe Revealed in First Imagery From NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (News Release - June 23)

The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a major new scientific facility jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, released its first imagery today at an event in Washington, D.C. The imagery shows cosmic phenomena captured at an unprecedented scale. In just over 10 hours of test observations, NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory has already captured millions of galaxies and Milky Way stars and thousands of asteroids.

The imagery is a small preview of Rubin Observatory's upcoming 10-year scientific mission to explore and understand some of the Universe's biggest mysteries.

“The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory demonstrates that the United States remains at the forefront of international basic science and highlights the remarkable achievements we get when the many parts of the national research enterprise work together,” said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The Rubin Observatory is an investment in our future, which will lay down a cornerstone of knowledge today on which our children will proudly build tomorrow.”

“NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our Universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the Universe.”

“We’re entering a golden age of American science,” said Harriet Kung, acting director of DOE's Office of Science. “NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory reflects what’s possible when the federal government backs world-class engineers and scientists with the tools to lead. This facility will drive discovery, inspire future innovators and unleash American excellence through scientific leadership.”

The result of more than two decades of work, Rubin Observatory is perched at the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile, where dry air and dark skies provide one of the world's best observing locations. Rubin’s innovative 8.4-meter telescope has the largest digital camera ever built, which feeds a powerful data processing system. Later in 2025, Rubin will begin its primary mission, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, in which it will ceaselessly scan the sky nightly for 10 years to precisely capture every visible change.

The result will be an ultrawide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the Universe. It will bring the sky to life with a treasure trove of billions of scientific discoveries. The images will reveal asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, supernova explosions, far-off galaxies and perhaps cosmic phenomena that no one has seen before.

Rubin Observatory is named in honor of trailblazing U.S. astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who found conclusive evidence of vast quantities of invisible material known as dark matter. Understanding the nature of dark matter, dark energy and other large-scale cosmic mysteries is a central focus of Rubin Observatory's mission. Dark energy is what scientists call the mysterious and colossally powerful force that appears to be causing galaxies in the Universe to move away from each other at an accelerating rate.

Although dark matter and dark energy collectively comprise 95% of the Universe, their properties remain unknown.

Rubin Observatory will also be the most efficient and effective Solar System discovery machine ever built. Rubin will take about a thousand images of the Southern Hemisphere sky every night, allowing it to cover the entire visible Southern sky every three to four nights. In doing so, it will find millions of unseen asteroids, comets and interstellar objects.

Rubin will be a game changer for planetary defense by spotting far more asteroids than ever before, potentially identifying some that might impact the Earth or Moon.

The amount of data gathered by Rubin Observatory in its first year alone will be greater than that collected by all other optical observatories combined. This treasure trove of data will help scientists make countless discoveries about the Universe and will serve as an incomparable resource for scientific exploration for decades to come.

Rubin Observatory is a joint program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who will cooperatively operate Rubin. NOIRLab is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).

“Releasing our first scientific imagery marks an extraordinary milestone for NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory. It represents the culmination of about two decades of dedication, innovation and collaboration by a global team,” said Željko Ivezić, Director of Rubin Observatory Construction. “With construction now complete, we’re turning our eyes fully to the sky — not just to take images, but to begin a whole new era of discovery.”

The LSST Camera at the heart of Rubin Observatory captures extremely fine features in distant galaxies, stars and other celestial objects. A team of scientists, engineers and technicians at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory designed and constructed the camera, which is roughly the size of a small car and weighs almost 6200 pounds (2800 kilograms). Each image taken by the LSST Camera covers an area on the sky as big as 45 full Moons.

"Making the world’s largest digital camera will let scientists explore the cosmos in new ways, and at a scale that enables discoveries that should fundamentally change our understanding of the Universe,” said Aaron Roodman, Director of the LSST Camera and Deputy Director of NSF–DOE Rubin Construction from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. “Just as you would with the camera in your phone, it is finally time to point and shoot — our science begins now."

“I want to extend my gratitude to the brilliant and dedicated team of people who made this milestone possible,” said SLAC Director John Sarrao. “Rubin Observatory, and the LSST Camera at its heart, are unprecedented tools and a testament to the expertise, partnerships and leadership that drive discoveries forward, benefitting the nation and the world.”

During its ten-year survey, Rubin will generate approximately 20 terabytes of data per night, plus an additional 15 petabyte catalog database. In 10 years, Rubin data processing will generate around 500 petabytes, and the final dataset will contain billions of objects with trillions of measurements. With regular data releases, scientists will be able to conduct their own investigations into Rubin’s data remotely, enabling and expediting countless discoveries about our Universe and advancing science in ways that we can’t yet predict.

“We are so thrilled to share NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s first images with the world — it’s a proud moment for our whole team,” said Sandrine Thomas, Deputy Director of Rubin Construction and Associate Director of Rubin Observatory for Rubin Summit Operations, “While we still have a few important months of commissioning and testing ahead, everything we learn now brings us closer to full science operations later this year. Today is just the beginning!”

“It is not every day that a revolution stares you in the face, but that is precisely what the Rubin Observatory team — together with our colleagues at the NSF and DOE — has delivered with these first images. Astronomy is on the brink of transformation!” said Matt Mountain, AURA President. AURA is the managing organization for the Rubin Construction project and NSF NOIRLab. “Congratulations to the entire team for mastering the complexity of a fully active telescope and a pioneering optical system — imaging vast swaths of the sky with extraordinary precision with the world’s largest astronomical camera, and streaming data into an audacious real-time processing system. Everyone at AURA is proud to be part of this landmark moment — and the incredible science that now lies just ahead.”

Source: Rubin Observatory

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RubinObs / NOIRLab / SLAC / NSF/ DOE / AURA


RubinObs / NOIRLab / SLAC / NSF / DOE / AURA


NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / F. Bruno

The Latest Update on SOLAR PROBE PLUS...

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Parker Solar Probe Completes 24th Close Approach to Sun (News Release - June 23)

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 24th close approach to the Sun on Thursday, June 19, matching its record distance of 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the solar surface. Following this flyby — the last of the spacecraft’s baseline mission plan — Parker Solar Probe will remain in orbit around the Sun and continue making observations until next steps for the mission are formally reviewed in 2026.

Parker Solar Probe checked in with mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland — where it was also designed and built — on Sunday, June 22, reporting that all systems are healthy and operating normally. The spacecraft was out of contact with Earth and operating autonomously during the close approach.

During this flyby, the spacecraft also equaled its record-setting speed of 430,000 miles per hour (687,000 kilometers per hour) — a mark that, like the distance, was set and subsequently matched during close approaches on December 24, 2024, and March 22, 2025.

This close to the Sun, the spacecraft relied on its innovative carbon foam shield, known simply as the Thermal Protection System, to protect itself from the intense heat. Spacecraft operators expect that the shield faced temperatures of between 1,600 to 1,700°F (870 to 930°C) at closest approach.

During the solar encounter — which began on June 14 and ends June 24 — Parker’s four scientific instrument packages are gathering unique observations from inside the Sun’s corona. The flyby, as the third at this distance and speed, is allowing the spacecraft to conduct unrivaled measurements of the solar wind and solar activity while the Sun is in a more active phase of its 11-year cycle.

Parker’s observations of the solar wind and solar events, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, are critical to advancing humankind’s understanding of the Sun and phenomena that drive high-energy space weather events that pose risks to astronauts, satellites, air travel and even power grids on Earth. Understanding the fundamental physics of space weather enables more reliable prediction of astronaut safety during future deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars.

“Parker Solar Probe remains in excellent health, with both the spacecraft and its instruments ready to continue their groundbreaking mission,” said Arik Posner, Parker Solar Probe program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The spacecraft will keep exploring the solar atmosphere as the Sun enters the declining phase of its 11-year cycle, providing a unique opportunity to study how solar activity evolves and shapes the heliosphere during this pivotal period.”

Parker Solar Probe was developed as a part of NASA’s Living With a Star (LWS) program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The LWS program is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL manages Parker Solar Probe for NASA and designed, built and operates the mission.

Source: NASA.Gov