A White House budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 would reduce NASA's funding by about 25%, from about $24 billion to about $18.8 billion.
October 01, 2026
high
temporal
Budget proposal numbers specifying an approximate percentage cut and dollar amounts for NASA for FY2026.
The Sentinel-6 satellite series carries a cloud-penetrating radar altimeter that measures sea surface height by timing radar pulse returns, enabling sea level tracking to an accuracy of about one inch and also providing measurements of wave height and wind speed.
November 17, 2025
high
measurement
Describes the measurement technique and accuracy of the Sentinel-6 satellites for sea level monitoring.
Sentinel-6 satellites operate in an approximately 830-mile-high orbit with an inclination of about 66 degrees to the equator, covering latitudes between 66° north and 66° south and having an orbital period of roughly 112 minutes.
November 17, 2025
high
technical
Orbital parameters for the Sentinel-6 class of sea level-monitoring satellites.
A geomagnetic storm occurs when charged particles from the Sun's atmosphere interact with Earth's magnetic field.
November 12, 2025
high
temporal
Definition of the physical process that produces auroras and space weather effects.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is an eruption of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's outer atmosphere that can expand as it travels through space and trigger geomagnetic storms upon reaching Earth.
November 12, 2025
high
temporal
Explanation of a solar phenomenon that can drive geomagnetic storms.
Geomagnetic storms can disrupt technological systems on Earth, including satellites, GPS, radio communications, and electrical power grids.
November 12, 2025
high
temporal
Typical impacts of geomagnetic storms on infrastructure and communications.
Aurora displays, known as the northern and southern lights, occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with and excite atoms in Earth's atmosphere, and these displays are most commonly visible at high latitudes near the poles.
November 11, 2025
high
descriptive
Explains the physical cause and usual geographic location of auroras.
The Sun follows an approximately 11-year activity cycle during which its magnetic poles reverse, and solar maximum phases of that cycle are associated with increased magnetic activity and more frequent and widespread auroral displays.
November 11, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the solar cycle and its relationship to aurora frequency and extent.
When fast-moving solar particles and plasma from solar storms interact with Earth's magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt technology on Earth and in orbit, including power grids, satellites, radio communications, GPS navigation, and air-traffic-control radio links.
November 11, 2025
high
causal
Summarizes common technological impacts of geomagnetic storms and space weather.
Operational space weather forecasting cannot reliably predict solar storms months in advance and typically issues alerts to relevant parties in the days before solar outbursts are expected to reach Earth; the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a Space Weather Prediction Center that provides aurora and space weather forecasts.
November 11, 2025
high
procedural
Describes limitations and practices of space weather forecasting and a primary forecasting organization.
SpaceX holds extensive contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to transport astronauts and equipment.
November 05, 2025
high
descriptive
Commercial space provider contracts with a government space agency for crew and cargo transport.
Jared Isaacman has purchased multiple commercial spaceflights from SpaceX.
November 05, 2025
high
descriptive
Personal participation in commercial spaceflight through purchases from a private launch provider.
SpaceX holds extensive contractual relationships with NASA.
November 04, 2025
high
institutional
Commercial spaceflight provider engaging in multiple contracts with a U.S. government space agency.
Jared Isaacman has purchased multiple chartered flights from SpaceX and participated in private commercial orbital missions.
November 04, 2025
high
biographical
Private individual engagement with commercial spaceflight services.
U.S. Space Command's functions include enabling satellite-based navigation, supporting troop communications, and providing warning of missile launches.
October 29, 2025
high
functional
Describes primary operational functions of the U.S. military's Space Command.
Huntsville, Alabama is home to the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command.
October 29, 2025
high
location
Lists major military and NASA installations located in Huntsville.
Huntsville, Alabama is nicknamed "Rocket City" because of its historical role in building the first rockets for the U.S. space program.
October 29, 2025
high
historical
Explains the origin of Huntsville's common nickname tied to early U.S. rocketry.
SpaceX was awarded a NASA lunar lander contract over Blue Origin in 2021.
October 22, 2025
high
temporal
Procurement decision for development of lunar lander capability in support of NASA's Artemis lunar program.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are companies developing technology intended to support NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon.
October 22, 2025
high
temporal
Commercial companies are participating in development of lunar lander and related systems for NASA's Artemis efforts.
NASA's Artemis program includes planned crewed lunar missions with launches targeted for 2026 and 2027.
October 22, 2025
high
temporal
Schedule targets for NASA's crewed Artemis missions as reported in 2025.
The radio spectrum band between 2025 megahertz (MHz) and 2110 MHz is internationally allocated for uplinking (Earth-to-space transmissions) to orbiting satellites.
October 17, 2025
high
technical
Frequency allocation for satellite communications.
Starship is described as the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built.
October 13, 2025
high
descriptive
General description of the SpaceX Starship vehicle
SpaceX's Starship is a reusable 403-foot (123-meter) launch vehicle designed to transfer astronauts between lunar orbit and the lunar surface.
October 13, 2025
high
design
Intended capability and physical specification of the Starship vehicle
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, has stated an intention to use the Starship vehicle to send people to Mars.
October 13, 2025
high
intent
Stated long-term goal for Starship's human spaceflight use
NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon.
October 07, 2025
high
temporal
Stated program objective of NASA's Artemis human lunar exploration program.
Technologies commonly used in everyday life such as global positioning systems (GPS), certain situational awareness systems, and digital imaging have origins or were significantly advanced by investments in space exploration and related research.
October 07, 2025
medium
temporal
General attribution of several widespread technologies to developments driven by space exploration research and investment.
SpaceX's Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas operates under contracts with both NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense.
June 01, 2025
high
organizational
Starbase functions as a commercial launch and test site with contractual relationships with U.S. government agencies.
Earth's magnetic field deflects and helps protect the planet from cosmic radiation and particles charged by the sun, and the field is generated by electrical currents in the molten iron of Earth's outer core.
January 01, 2025
high
general
Basic geophysical description of the origin and protective role of Earth's magnetic field.
A 2025 analysis of Swarm satellite measurements covering 2014–2025 found that the South Atlantic Anomaly expanded by about two million square miles (nearly half the size of continental Europe).
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Quantitative finding from a multi‑year satellite study of changes in Earth's magnetic field.
A 2025 analysis of Swarm satellite data from 2014–2025 reported that different strong-field regions changed in opposite ways: the strong magnetic region near Canada shrank by an area approximately the size of India, while the strong magnetic region over Siberia grew by an area approximately the size of Greenland; the analysis also found the rate of weakening of the South Atlantic Anomaly increased since 2020 with spatially variable change rates.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Spatial and temporal changes in multiple regional magnetic field anomalies identified in a multi‑year satellite dataset.
The 2021 Inspiration4 mission marked the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth.
January 01, 2021
high
temporal
Historical milestone in private human spaceflight.
The 2021 Inspiration4 mission sought to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through a donation-based sweepstakes to select a crew member.
January 01, 2021
high
temporal
Fundraising model used in a private orbital mission.
Commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman led two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including the 2021 Inspiration4 mission.
January 01, 2021
high
temporal
Biographical detail about a private astronaut's involvement in commercial missions.
The South Atlantic Anomaly is a region southeast of South America and southwest of Africa where Earth's magnetic field strength is lower than surrounding areas and the field lines dip toward the planet's surface; the anomaly was first identified in the 19th century.
January 01, 1801
high
general
Geographic and historical description of the South Atlantic Anomaly.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is a rocket and space-technology company associated with entrepreneur Elon Musk.
high
descriptive
Organizational description of SpaceX.
Jared Isaacman conducted the first private spacewalk.
high
descriptive
A milestone in private-sector human spaceflight activities involving extravehicular activity.
SpaceX holds extensive contracts with NASA for launch services and other space-related activities.
high
descriptive
Commercial space companies commonly enter multi-contract relationships with government space agencies for launch services, cargo, and crew transport.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses a geomagnetic storm scale with categories G1 through G5; G4 is classified as "severe" and G5 is classified as "extreme".
high
technical
NOAA categorizes geomagnetic storm severity to indicate potential impacts on technology and infrastructure.
New Glenn is a rocket developed by Blue Origin.
high
descriptive
Identifies the launch vehicle manufactured by Blue Origin.
ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft Mars mission consisting of two spacecraft built by Rocket Lab and to be operated for NASA by the University of California, Berkeley.
high
descriptive
Describes the composition and operations arrangement of the ESCAPADE mission.
NASA's Communications Services Project supports technology-demonstration payloads from commercial partners such as Viasat.
high
descriptive
Describes the role of NASA's Communications Services Project in accommodating commercial technology demonstrations.
United Launch Alliance operates Atlas V rockets that launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
high
descriptive
Describes a common launch vehicle and launch complex association used by United Launch Alliance.
The Blue Origin New Glenn orbital launch vehicle is approximately 321 feet tall and is powered by a first stage with seven BE-4 methane-fueled main engines producing about 3.8 million pounds of liftoff thrust.
high
technical_specification
Vehicle size, engine type, and liftoff thrust are design characteristics of the New Glenn heavy-lift rocket.
The New Glenn launch system is designed with a reusable first stage that can perform a controlled descent to an offshore landing platform, be recovered, and be refurbished for potential reflight.
high
vehicle_capability
Reusable first-stage recovery and refurbishment are part of New Glenn's operational concept to enable multiple flights of the booster.
The New Glenn second stage is configured with two engines and is capable of conducting multiple engine burns to achieve trajectories that escape Earth orbit.
high
operational_capability
Multiple burns by an upper stage enable insertion onto high-energy or Earth-escape trajectories for planetary missions.
Mars mission launch windows typically recur about every two years when Earth and Mars reach orbital positions favorable for direct interplanetary transfers using current chemical rockets.
high
astronomy_orbital_mechanics
Synodic alignment between Earth and Mars determines periodic launch opportunities for efficient direct flights.
The ESCAPADE mission name is an acronym for Escape, Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, and the mission architecture uses two small satellites named Blue and Gold built by Rocket Lab for the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory under a NASA program aimed at developing lower-cost, fast-track planetary missions.
high
mission_architecture
ESCAPADE exemplifies an approach to planetary science using smaller, lower-cost spacecraft developed through streamlined NASA programs.