The solar eclipse is almost here. The map above from The Arctic Portal shows you the path of tomorrow’s eclipse, which reaches its maximum over Iceland.
NASA also has a number of handy maps for past and future eclipses at its Eclipse Data site, though it is a bit technical. The graphic for tomorrow’s eclipse is shown below.
Enjoy the view…and mind your eyes.
Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.
—WBOC News: “Push to Rename NASA Wallops Facility Sparks Debate Over Eastern Shore History“
A request to honor one of the Eastern Shore’s most accomplished aerospace leaders is facing growing opposition from people who say changing the Wallops name could erase an important piece of local history. The Accomack County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution July 15 asking NASA to rename the Wallops Flight Facility in honor of A. Thomas Young, a Wachapreague native who built a decades-long career in the nation’s space program and aerospace industry.
—NASA: “NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission“
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully freed up power on Voyager 2, extending how long the spacecraft can continue to do science. Nicknamed the “Big Bang,” the effort involved simultaneously turning off certain powered devices and substituting them with lower-power alternatives while ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to operate.
—Sky & Telescope: “Where to See the August 12th Solar Eclipse Online“
On August 12, 2026, millions will witness a total solar eclipse that crosses the north Atlantic and parts of Europe. The path of totality passes over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a corner of Portugal. Other parts of Europe and North America will see a partial solar eclipse. If you are in the path of totality or if you will be able to see the partial eclipse, head outside to see it for yourself! (Make sure you bring a good pair of eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.) But if you’re not in the path, or if clouds obscure your view, there are plenty of options for viewing this celestial spectacle online. What’s more, each broadcast listed here has its own roster of experts speaking about different aspects of the eclipse and the science around it.
Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.
“LINK originally was in a multi-axis spin rotating at about 9 degrees per second, which resulted in sporadic communications and impeded LINK’s progress toward Swift. Using a series of burns from one of LINK’s electric propulsion thrusters, the Katalyst team now has slowed that spin to about 1.47 degrees per second. Katalyst plans to keep LINK at that spin rate as it proceeds with next steps for the mission. This includes uploading a flight software update in the coming days with new attitude controllers designed to maintain LINK’s stability in its current configuration. These updates would allow LINK to begin maneuvering to align with Swift’s orbit.”
-Statement by NASA on August 6, 2026 regarding efforts to resolve issues with the LINK spacecraft sent to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbital altitude. Launched on July 3, the spacecraft began to spin in space around July 25, which led to a temporary loss of contact with the ground crew. If all goes well, LINK could reach the observatory before the end of August.
NASA is quickly learning that it needs to get out front with its own PR to promote efforts to build a Moon base near the lunar South Pole. With budget cuts always looming in the background, public support will be essential to ensure the US has a long-term presence on the Moon.
This latest video from NASA does a good job explaining the status of the various vendors creating landers and rovers for phase 1 of the Moon base, which extends to 2029. This phase will be limited to robotics preparing the lunar surface for later astronauts. The video covers the efforts of Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Voyager Lunar Systems, and Northrop Grumman.
The video is a helpful way to keep the public informed, but the best publicity will be success. The lunar landings to date by commercial partners have been mostly disappointing. The success of these upcoming missions is what will convince the public that we can really settle on the Moon.
Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.
—WTOP News: “NASA Opens its First Wind Tunnel in 40 Years at Langley Research Center“
Friday was a historic day for NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. A stellar lineup of VIPs from NASA, GSA, Congress, Virginia and Langley employees celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NASA’s newest and most advanced wind tunnel: the Flight Dynamics Research Facility. The $53 million, 25,000-square-foot FDRF, built by BL Harbert International, is the first wind tunnel added to NASA’s wind tunnel assets in 40 years. The project was started in June 2022, with construction completed in March 2026.
—NASA: “NASA’s Roman Telescope to Carry 1.35 Million Names to Deep Space“
On July 27, technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida installed a memory card containing 1,350,144 names as part of a commemorative plaque on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The names were submitted by people globally, including astronauts from Artemis II and Artemis III. The memory card will travel with the Roman observatory to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, or L2, about one million miles from Earth, where the Sun’s and Earth’s gravity balance out.
—Wired: “Astronomers Have Detected an Exomoon for the First Time“
An international research team has discovered evidence of a moonlike body. It marks the first time such an object has been detected outside our solar system—though just how close it comes to being a moon is a question researchers are still grappling with. Although more than 6,000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, there’s been a lack of definitive evidence of moons in other planetary systems. The new findings challenge that by focusing on an object orbiting the brown dwarf CD-35 2722 B in a system 73 light-years away.
Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.
Our Awesome Universe 