Nurseries, names, and nominations

NASA has released more than 12,000 photos from Artemis II. The collection contains the first images taken by humans beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years, including views of Earth setting behind the Moon, a solar eclipse from the Moon’s far side, and star trails captured as the crew capsule rotated. Note: the images are not yet accessible via the archive's regular search function. Image credit: NASA.

Congress is pushing back on proposed cuts to NASA science. A House Appropriations subcommittee approved a bill that would fund the agency at similar levels to last fiscal year. Instead of the White House’s plan of a 46% cut to NASA science, the House bill cut it by roughly 18%. At the same time, members of the corresponding subcommittee in the Senate said that the NASA budget request was “shortsighted” and “a disaster for the NASA mission.” The House introduced a bill with similar cuts to NASA science last year, but instead, NASA’s budget was fully restored.

Cracks in the International Space Station remain a problem. Though astronauts have largely sealed the air leaks in a Russian module of the space station, the chairman of the station’s Advisory Council recently said that NASA and Roscosmos have yet to agree on exactly what is causing them or how dangerous they are. The leaks, which have raised concerns for years, are still under investigation.

Two of our leaders have won a major award. The American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences has named Casey Dreier, our chief of space policy, and Jack Kiraly, our director of government relations, as recipients of the 2026 Harold Masursky Award for exceptional service to planetary science and space exploration. The recognition comes on the heels of one of the largest Days of Action in the Society's history, which you can get a front row seat to in this week’s episode of Planetary Radio. The Masursky Award was first given to Carl Sagan in 1991; now, it goes to two of the people carrying his work forward. Image credit: The Planetary Society.

What does Artemis II actually mean? On this month's Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition, host Casey Dreier sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to unpack why human presence in space feels different from even the most sophisticated robotic mission.

Catch up on a stellar book club conversation. Last month, the Society's book club met with Hugo Award-winning author Becky Chambers to discuss her novella "To Be Taught, If Fortunate." The story follows four astronaut-scientists as they explore four extraordinary worlds in a distant star system. Members can join book club events live in our digital community and participate in discussions with the authors. Not a member yet? Join today.

Why is Mercury named after a Roman god, but asteroids get named things like “Potato” and “Tomhanks”? From myth and fictional characters to nine-year-olds with naming contests, our latest article explores the long history of how things in space get their names.