NASA sends the Artemis II crew on a landmark mission beyond Earth orbit Freepix NASA has released dramatic new high-definition footage showing the final moments of the historic Artemis II mission before the crew safely returned to Earth earlier this year.

Credit: NASA / UCF / University of Arizona On the moon, not much can survive the arctic plunge of nightfall, where temperatures can dip to -330 degrees Fahrenheit for the two-week stretch of darkness each month.

NASA is testing a next-generation space computer chip that could give spacecraft the ability to operate far more independently in deep space. The radiation-hardened processor is showing performance levels hundreds of times beyond current spaceflight computers while surviving punishing tests designed to mimic the harsh conditions of space.

NASA satellites are tracking an intriguing patch of colored plumes in the waters off the US’s Mid-Atlantic coast. Swirling with vivid hues of green and turquoise, and tinged with a little brown, the stained waters were first detected by orbital observatories in early April.

Researchers expected to find "a gradual increase in artificial light at night," but instead saw "much more nuanced patterns," NASA said.

The agency still has big decisions to make, but the preliminary mission plans include some interesting choices.

The SR-71 Blackbird is a legend in the world of military aircraft, and NASA may have received one a bit earlier than it was supposed to. What happened?

NASA has released the final request for proposals for a Mars telecommunications system, confirming requirements that limit the companies that can bid on it.