“As a kid, I looked up at night and imagined the possibilities. I thought flying airplanes would be the closest I would ever get to the stars. My journey goes all the way back to kindergarten, from picture books to watching Top Gun, to Space Camp, to flying fighter jets in airshows, and eventually to walking in space. When it comes to aviation, the adventure can take you quite literally anywhere.” — @NASAAdmin, Jared Isaacman ✨ What sparked your love of aviation? Share your Flight Spark through Aug. 19! Post a photo that captures your Flight Spark, a photo of where that journey has taken you today, and a short caption using #FlightSpark# and #NationalAviationDay#.

"From a very early age I was fascinated by all things aviation and when I was around six years old, I knew I wanted to be a pilot. It wasn’t long after that I learned about engineering and test pilots at NASA, and I remember very clearly talking with my parents about that being my dream. I have been blessed to have had the help and grace of so many people throughout my life as I have pursued my ambitions and can plainly say I wouldn’t be here without them. Contributing to experimental and research programs like the X-59 at NASA is a remarkable privilege, and when I fly, I feel as though I am bringing every one of those people with me." — Michael Lippert, NASA Pilot ✈️ ✨ What sparked your love of aviation? Share your Flight Spark through Aug. 19! Post a photo that captures your Flight Spark, a photo of where that journey has taken you today, and a short caption using #FlightSpark# and #NationalAviationDay#.

If you're fortunate enough to be in the path of tomorrow's total solar eclipse, we're here to help you capture the moment! Learn how to take the best photos with these tips from our photography experts.

Over a billion‑pixel view👀 Our Advanced Supercomputing facility’s hyperwall is one of the largest and most powerful visualization systems in the world. The 300-square foot display can show supercomputer-scale visualizations of the massive datasets produced by NASA supercomputers. This system helps researchers explore their data at large scale, across different viewpoints or using different parameters for new insights. Learn more:

A Mars helicopter with a tuxedo tail? In this demo for SkyFall, a new, flexible antenna is put through its paces. This ground penetrating radar antenna will hunt for frozen water beneath the Martian surface ⏤ a critical resource for future astronauts.

On Aug. 12, you have the chance to experience a total solar eclipse from anywhere in the world. Starting at 1:15pm ET (1715 UTC), we'll stream live as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, bringing the views and the science straight to you. Get safe viewing tips in this video.

What sparked your love of flight? ✈️ Celebrate National Aviation Day on Aug. 19 by sharing your aviation story! Share: 📸 The Spark – The photo that inspired your love of aviation. 📸 The Journey – A recent photo showing where that spark has taken you. ✍️ Add a short story or quote, then share your story between now and Aug. 19 using #FlightSpark# and #NationalAviationDay# 🌟 Selected stories may be featured on NASA Ames and Aeronautics' X and Facebook accounts on Aug. 19.

It's National Intern Day! 🎉 We're celebrating with a special message to interns (past, present & future) from @NASAArtemis II astronaut @Astro_Christina! Learn more about internships & other ways to get involved in this week's NASA EXPRESS newsletter!

There's a solar eclipse happening on Wednesday, Aug. 12 — and if you're not in the path of totality, you can watch along with us online! Get the details:

Oh, deer! It’s that time of year 🌕🦌 Look up to the skies tomorrow! The Buck Moon is set to reach peak illumination in the early morning hours but your best viewing opportunity will be in the evening shortly after sunset. Where do you plan to moongaze from?

Behind‑the‑scenes magic @NASAAmes ✨ This week, we welcomed creators for a tour where they got an inside look at VIPER mission control, ARMADAS autonomous technology and robots, Orion heat shield instruments, and our simulated Lunar Lab, where they met experts who are helping drive NASA’s Moon missions forward.

To honor the workforce helping NASA achieve the near-impossible, Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin is offering standout employees a one‑of‑a‑kind experience to fly as a ride-along passenger aboard a NASA aircraft. Julie Levri, a systems engineer and project manager at Ames, was recognized for her exceptional project management leadership on the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) mission. Her efforts contribute to future Artemis missions and help keep our astronauts safe from radiation and health risks. Congratulations Julie!

Our resource-mapping Moon rover 🔍🌙 The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, will explore the lunar South Pole in search of water ice and other potential resources to help characterize the Moon’s environment. VIPER will inform future landing sites under Artemis and bring us a significant step closer to NASA’s long-term presence on the Moon.

Builders of the future 🤖 Our ARMADAS project is developing software and hardware that will autonomously assemble structures on future deep space missions, such as lunar infrastructure, landing pads, habitation components, and more. Learn how this work is preparing us for exploration on the Moon:

Fresh from space! ☄️ Scientists snagged a meteorite days after it fell to Earth. Inside, they uncovered clues about ancient water, long-lost minerals, and the early evolution of asteroids. Explore more:

Ultra-realistic Moon environment? We’ve got it! 🌕 At our Lunar Lab and Regolith Testbeds, we create custom, realistic terrain and lighting conditions in large boxes filled with simulated lunar dust to mimic the features that future robots, rovers, and astronauts will experience on the Moon’s surface. Explore how testing in this simulated lunar environment prepares us for future long-duration stays on our celestial neighbor:

🚀A new CubeSat called R5 S9 launched on the Transporter 17 mission with SpaceX from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 7! Built with commercial off the shelf components, the spacecraft advances rapid and low cost development approaches. The mission was manifested for NASA by @SEOPSLLC and carries prototypes from Sandia National Laboratories and The Aerospace Corporation, including autonomous observation technology and a low cost optical communication system.