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The Webb Telescope is
closer to starting its mission of science

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… An historic
look at the center of our galaxy

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… And the Crew-3 astronauts
reflect on their mission

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… a few of the stories
to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

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Our James Webb Space Telescope

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is in the phase of its mission
known as science instrument commissioning.

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This involves
about two months of extensive calibrations

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and the last group
of required setup activities

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before the telescope begins
science observations this summer.

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A recent test image Webb

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took of a region of the Large
Magellanic Cloud was compared to an image

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our Spitzer Space Telescope
previously captured of that same region.

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The comparison demonstrates

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the improved clarity
with which Webb can see the infrared sky.

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This ability could yield

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more detailed views of the cosmos
and unprecedented discoveries.

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For more information about the Webb
mission, visit nasa.gov/webb.

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According to the Event Horizon
Telescope Collaboration,

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this is the first image
of the supermassive black hole, known

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as Sagittarius A *, located
at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

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The Event Horizon Telescope uses data
from a worldwide network of telescopes.

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Observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray

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Observatory, NuSTAR, and Swift Observatory

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were used to help astronomers
study Sagittarius A *.

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The astronauts of NASA’s SpaceX
Crew-3 mission reflected on their recent

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stay aboard the International Space
Station during a May 11 news conference.

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NASA’s Kayla Barron,
Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn,

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along with Matthias
Maurer of the European Space Agency, spent

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175 days aboard the station
conducting microgravity science

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research and technology demonstrations.

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It was just this awe-inspiring experience
and incredible honor

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to represent the NASA team
and family in that role, and also to have

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our relationships as a crew grow
through that expeditionary living

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and really supporting each other
so that we could get the most out

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of every single day
in terms of accomplishing our mission.

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Crew-3 splashed down
May 6 off the coast of Florida

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in SpaceX’s
Crew Dragon “Endurance” spacecraft.

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Our InSight lander on Mars

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has detected the largest quake
ever observed on another planet.

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The estimated magnitude 5 quake
occurred earlier this month, on May 4.

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The largest “Marsquake”
previously recorded by InSight

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was an estimated magnitude
4.2 detected

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Aug. 25, 2021.

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A magnitude 5 quake is comparable
to a medium-size quake on Earth

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but is close to the upper limit
of what scientists hoped to see

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on Mars during InSight’s mission.

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For the first time
ever, researchers have grown

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the hardy and well-studied plant
Arabidopsis thaliana in nutrient-poor

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lunar regolith samples collected
during several Apollo Moon missions.

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The plant is a relative of mustard
greens, broccoli, cauliflower,

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and Brussel sprouts.

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This NASA-funded study could help
pave the way for future astronauts

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to someday grow more nutrient-rich plants
on the Moon and elsewhere in deep space.

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Data from
NASA’s ICON mission has helped researchers

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determine that effects
from the volcanic eruption

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on the South Pacific island of Hunga
Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai in January 2022,

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actually reached beyond Earth –
into space.

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The data show that in the hours
after the eruption, hurricane-speed

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winds and unusual electric currents
formed in the ionosphere

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– Earth’s electrified upper
atmospheric layer at the edge of space.

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ICON launched in 2019 to identify

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how Earth’s weather interacts
with weather from space.

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That’s what’s up this week
@NASA … For more on these