Explore:
NASA’s EXCITE Mission Prepared for Scientific Balloon Flight
An infrared telescope called EXCITE will fly to the edge of space for a test flight. In the future, it will study the atmospheric characteristics of hot Jupiter-type exoplanets.
Learn More![Photo of EXCITE’s infrared detector on a lab bench.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/excite-detector-15.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
The Pillars of Creation and the Interplay of Stars and Dust
Using data from Hubble, Webb, Spitzer, and Chandra, this scientific visualization explores the iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, and the various ways that stars and dust are intertwined in the process of star formation.
Learn moreRepair Kit for NASA’s NICER Mission Heading to Space Station
In May 2023, the NICER X-ray telescope developed a “light leak,” where unwanted sunlight began entering the telescope. Photos taken on board the International Space Station revealed damage to several thermal shields beneath the telescope’s sunshields. Now a repair kit is on the way to the station, where astronauts will install patches during a spacewalk.
Learn More![A zoomed-in photograph of NICER.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/iss069e051526.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)