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Oversight Unit

Aeronautics, Space, and Astronomy Program Area

This program area serves as an authoritative forum for space science policy and applies engineering expertise to aerospace challenges. Our work sets research priorities and guides policy in aeronautics, aviation safety, human spaceflight, astronomy, and space sciences.

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Eagle Nebula (M16 - Messier 16) SHO Palette

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News and Updates

Search for Life Should Be Top Science Priority for First Human Landing on Mars, Says New Report

News Release

When astronauts set foot on Mars, it will be one of humanity’s greatest milestones, marking the start of a new era of discovery on another planet. A new National Academies report identifies the highest priority science objectives for the first human missions to Mars and says searching for evidence of existing or past life on the planet should be the top priority.

Dec 9, 2025
cover art for A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars

Making Sense of Space Weather: Q&A with Physicist Robyn Millan

Feature Story

What is space weather, what causes it, and how does it affect humans? Physicist Robyn Millan, who co-chaired a recent National Academies decadal report on solar and space physics, answered questions about space weather and how scientists can improve their ability to forecast it.

Feb 4, 2025
Aurora Borealis over Reykjavik, Iceland

First Images from Vera C. Rubin Observatory Debut at National Academy of Sciences

Feature Story

Project scientists and others gathered at the National Academy of Sciences building to see the first images from the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, named after the trailblazing astronomer and NAS member whose research provided clear evidence of the existence of dark matter. The observatory was recommended by the National Academies’ 2010 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey.

Jun 24, 2025
In this immense image NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory offers a brand new view of two old friends: the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae. The image provides a demonstration of what makes Rubin unique: its combination of an extremely wide field of view and the speed that allows it to take lots of big images in a very short time. Combining images reveals subtle details in the clouds of gas and dust. The more images we can combine, the more detail we see!  This almost 5-gigapixel image combines 678 exposures taken in just 7.2 hours of observing time, and was composed from about two trillion pixels of data in total. No other observatory is capable of producing an image of such a wide area so quickly and with this much depth.  The Trifid Nebula (also referred to as Messier 20) is a standout in the sky. It’s a bright, colorful cloud of gas and dust about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. What makes it especially striking is the combination of features packed into one place: a glowing pink emission nebula, a cool blue reflection nebula, and dark dust lanes that split it into three sections — hence the name “Trifid.” Inside, new stars are forming and blasting out strong winds and radiation, carving up the gas around them. It gives us a dramatic glimpse at how massive stars shape their surroundings even as they’re being born. Below the Trifid Nebula in this image is the Lagoon Nebula (or Messier 8), another vibrant stellar nursery glowing about 4,000 light-years away. You can actually spot the Lagoon with just a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. At its heart is a cluster of young, massive stars — their intense radiation lights up the surrounding gas and shapes the swirling clouds into intricate patterns. The Lagoon nebula provides scientists with a great place to study the earliest stages of star formation — how giant clouds collapse, how star clusters take shape, and how newborn stars start to reshape their environment.  This expansive image of Trifid and Lagoon together exposes an intricate web of dust lanes and star clusters that make this part of the Milky Way come alive with cosmic activity. The exquisite detail in the structure of the nebulosity shown here  demonstrates the exceptional quality of Rubin’s entire system — from its light-collecting power, to its sensitive camera, to its efficient data transfer and processing system. Over ten years, Rubin Observatory will take millions of images and will image each place in the sky, including this one, about 800 times.  Every time we look at the Universe in a new way, we discover new things we never could have predicted — and with Rubin we will see more than we ever have before. The image was captured by Rubin Observatory using the 3200-megapixel LSST Camera — the largest digital camera in the world.
About Events Projects Publications/Resources News and updates

Projects

Aeronautics, Space, and Astronomy Program Area

Oversight Unit

In Progress
Eagle Nebula (M16 - Messier 16) SHO Palette

21st Century Tools at the Interface of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Science and Quantum Information Science (QIS): Report Series--Committee on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences

Consensus/Advisory Activity

In Progress

Frontiers of Metastable Materials Development Using Artificial Intelligence: A Workshop

Workshop

In Formation

Assessing Opportunities to Advance Coordination of Earth Observations and Data Stewardship: A Workshop

Workshop

In Progress

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science

Other

In Progress

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences

Other

In Progress

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences

Other

In Progress

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science

Other

In Progress

Optimizing Research on Experimental Prescribed Fires to Improve Understanding of Wildland Fire and Smoke Behavior

Consensus/Advisory Activity

In Progress

Frontiers of Learning Materials: A Workshop

Workshop

In Progress

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers

Consensus/Advisory Activity

In Progress

Views on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027

Consensus/Advisory Activity

A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars: Panel on Atmospheric Science and Space Physics

Other

In Progress

A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars: Panel on Biological and Physical Sciences and Human Factors

Other

In Progress

A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars: Panel on Geosciences

Other

In Progress
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