Why birthright citizenship is trending  CNN

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols are reportedly 'trending' to get a big off-the-field win over Clark Lea and Vanderbilt  A to Z Sports

What is 'Floccinaucinihilipilification'? Why this rare word is trending  India Today

Why is Oracle trending? Tech giant joins 'layoff club', cuts 30,000 jobs in major restructuring  The Times of India

Florida State trending for WR target on campus  On3

1. Apple releases new iOS 26.5 beta 1 build for iPhone  9to5Mac
2. iOS 26.5 release date: Here’s when to expect new iPhone features  9to5Mac
3. Apple releases iOS 26.5 beta: What's new this time  Mashable
4. iOS 26.5 and iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone  MacRumors
5. iOS 26.5 developer beta 1 gets revised release, for reasons unknown  AppleInsider

1. Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it  Mashable
2. Gemma 4: Byte for byte, the most capable open models  blog.google
3. From RTX to Spark: NVIDIA Accelerates Gemma 4 for Local Agentic AI  NVIDIA Blog
4. Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed  Interconnects AI
5. Bring state-of-the-art agentic skills to the edge with Gemma 4  blog.google

Your Galaxy's Weather app just got a facelift: Here is what's new  Android Authority

1. NASA did eventually solve Artemis II’s Outlook glitch  The Verge
2. Even Artemis II Astronauts Have Microsoft Outlook Problems  WIRED
3. Artemis II astronaut finds two Outlook instances running on computers, calls on Houston to fix Microsoft anomaly — puzzled caller describes ‘two Outlooks, and neither one of those are working’  Tom's Hardware
4. NASA astronauts prove that sending an email really is rocket science  TechCrunch
5. Artemis II Astronauts Have ‘Two Microsoft Outlooks’ and Neither Work  404 Media

1. Samsung could soon launch a completely new type of Galaxy Buds  SamMobile
2. Samsung may have a mysterious new pair of Galaxy Buds on the way  Android Authority
3. Your next Galaxy Buds might do something Samsung earbuds have never done before  PhoneArena
4. Galaxy Buds Able Battery Clears BIS Certification  SammyGuru
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds Able Spotted in App Code With Unusual Model Number  Gadget Hacks

NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 8:49 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 8, for the next launch delivering science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

Filled with approximately 11,000 pounds of cargo, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24.

Watch the agency’s launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Following launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the Cygnus XL on Friday, April 10, before ground controllers install it to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading.

Highlights of space station research and technology demonstrations being delivered aboard this Cygnus XL spacecraft include:

• A new module for the Cold Atom Lab to advance quantum science that could improve computing technology and aid in the search for dark matter
• Hardware to produce a greater number of therapeutic stem cells for blood diseases and cancer
• Model organisms to study the gut microbiome
• A receiver that could enhance space weather models that protect critical space infrastructure such as GPS and radar

Media interested in speaking to a science subject matter expert should contact Sandra Jones at sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov.

The spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the orbiting laboratory until October before departing with several thousand pounds of trash and burning up harmlessly during re-entry.

Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft the S.S. Steven R. Nagel in honor of the former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions, logging more than 720 hours in space.

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern; subject to change based on real-time operations):

Wednesday, April 8

8:30 a.m.: Launch coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

8:49 a.m.: Launch

Friday, April 10

12:30 a.m.: Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

1:10 a.m.: Capture

NASA website launch coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 8:30 a.m. April 8 as the countdown milestones occur.

On-demand streaming video on NASA+ and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our International Space Station blog for updates.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Watch, engage on social media

Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:
 
X: @NASA, @NASASpaceOps, @NASAKennedy, @Space_Station, @ISS_CASIS

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab

Learn more about the mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/event/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-24/

-end-

Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
amanda.a.griffin@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Business attire, headsets, and multiple computer monitors are a much different backdrop than hiking gear, rock hammers, and the volcanic fields of Iceland. For Kelsey Young of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Trevor Graff and Angela Garcia of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, comfort and skill across both environments have made them uniquely suited to be certified as NASA’s first Artemis II science officers.  

The integration of science operations into human spaceflight dates back to Apollo, but Artemis introduces a new dedicated position in NASA’s Mission Control, marking an evolution of how science is embedded in mission operations.

“The science officer is the senior flight controller responsible for lunar science and geology objectives during Artemis missions,” said Young, who also serves as NASA’s Artemis II lunar science lead. “They will integrate with all the other console disciplines and ensure NASA’s lunar science objectives are seamlessly integrated into mission execution.”

The front room of Mission Control is filled with consoles, or workstations, each dedicated to a particular system or function of the mission. Flight controllers at each console monitor areas such as communications, life support, propulsion, and now, science. Many of the console positions are supported by larger teams of experts who work from either different “back rooms” at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, or other locations.

Young, Garcia, and Graff completed months of flight controller training, testing, and certification simulations in Mission Control, while also executing geology and lunar observation trainings and integrated simulations with the astronauts.

“One of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding components of the process are the simulations, where we tested our skills and knowledge while immersed in very realistic mission scenarios,” said Graff.

The simulations often included the Artemis II astronauts and covered the lunar flyby portion of the mission, planned for Monday, April 6, during which time the crew will take photographs of the Moon and record audio of their observations. They will be the eyes of the lunar scientists on Earth and have gone through geology training in the classroom and in the field to be able to capture as much information as possible during their pass around the far side of the Moon. Young said the astronauts have worked incredibly hard at building their lunar science toolboxes, studying lunar geography, traipsing across lunar-like landscapes in Iceland, and cultivating their ability to provide scientifically impactful descriptions of the Moon.  

Listen to this audio clip from Kelsey Young talking about how the Artemis II astronauts have studied lunar geography to prepare for their mission. Credit: NASA’s Curious Universe

“After so many months of hearing their descriptions of lunar visualizations during simulations, I’m most excited for the very first time I hear them describing the actual Moon out of the Orion windows,” said Young. “Hearing the excitement and scientific meaning behind their descriptions will be an incredible moment.”

Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in color, texture, and other surface characteristics. Having astronaut eyes observe the lunar surface directly, in combination with the context of all the advances that scientists have made about the Moon over the last several decades, may uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon. While Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface, its contributions to lunar science are significant.

“The crew will be exploring through observation—a foundational scientific tool,” said Garcia.

As the astronauts make those observations, their photos and recorded audio will be fed down to two science back rooms at NASA Johnson, the Science Evaluation Room and Science Mission Operations Room. Experts in these rooms will provide data analysis and strategic guidance in real time to the science officer in Mission Control. These processes represent a major component of Artemis II as a test flight: refining science mission operations.

This mission will test the lunar science team’s workflows, technical requirements, and integration into Mission Control. Lessons learned during Artemis II will pave the way for lunar science operations for future Artemis missions. Young explained that science integration into human spaceflight has a long, rich history. While there was no science representative in the front room of Mission Control during Apollo, there was a geology back room onsite at Johnson. As Apollo missions progressed, the structure of integrating with the rest of the flight control team evolved and the footprint expanded as the science capability of each mission grew.

Garcia said she is humbled, honored, and grateful to be a part of the flight control team and to have trained the astronauts. The Moon is something everyone, everywhere, can see and connect with, according to Young.

“I hope people all over the world can be inspired by this push away from our planet,” said Young, “I also hope they remember the Moon, how much we still have to learn about our nearest neighbor but also the special place it holds to people everywhere.”

Download high-res images and videos

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, born April 3, 1926, in Mitchell, Indiana. As one of NASA’s first seven astronauts, he became America’s second astronaut to fly in space when he launched aboard the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft on July 21, 1961, just weeks after Alan Shepard’s historic first Project Mercury spaceflight.

In this photo, Grissom is seen enjoying a meal aboard the recovery ship, USS Randolph, following his 15-minute suborbital mission. Although the flight itself was smooth, the situation turned dangerous after splashdown when the capsule’s hatch blew prematurely and the spacecraft began flooding with water. Grissom escaped, but his spacesuit also filled with water as the recovery helicopters attempted to save his sinking spacecraft. He was successfully rescued, but the Liberty Bell 7 sank to the ocean floor.

Grissom made history again in March 1965 as the first NASA astronaut to fly in space twice, serving as commander of Gemini III, the first crewed Gemini mission, alongside John Young. Reflecting on this test flight, he wrote, “To our intense satisfaction we were able to carry out these maneuvers almost exactly as planned… The longer we flew, the more jubilant we felt. We had a really fine spacecraft, one we could be proud of in every respect.”

One year later, in March 1966, NASA announced that Grissom had been selected to command the first Apollo mission, with crewmates Edward White and Roger Chaffee. On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck during a preflight test at Cape Kennedy when fire swept through the command module. Grissom, White, and Chaffee lost their lives in an accident that stunned the nation and shook NASA to its core.

Just weeks before the tragedy, Grissom wrote: “There will be risks, as there are in any experimental program, and sooner or later, we’re going to run head-on into the law of averages and lose somebody. I hope this never happens, and… perhaps it never will, but if it does, I hope the American people won’t think it’s too high a price to pay for our space program.”

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn. There are two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

This and another photo of Earth are the first downlinked images from the Artemis II astronauts. See more photos from Orion as they are shared.

See and hear what the astronauts do with our 24/7 feed.

Image credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman

At the top of the planet, the cap of sea ice across Arctic waters grows and shrinks with the seasons, usually reaching its annual maximum extent in March. In 2026, this peak occurred on March 15, when the extent reached 14.29 million square kilometers, matching the lowest maximum observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979. One of the key areas contributing to the low maximum this year was the Barents Sea.

The Barents Sea lies at the periphery of the Arctic Ocean, bordered to the northwest by the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, and to the northeast and east by the Russian islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, respectively. It is one of more than a dozen subregions—including the Central Arctic Ocean and nearby seas, bays, and waterways—across which scientists use remote sensing to track sea ice. The region is important for fisheries, shipping routes, and scientific research.

On March 17, 2026, the Terra satellite captured this image of the northern Barents Sea. Near Franz Josef Land, broken sea ice drifted near areas of open water closer to Novaya Zemlya. The region is often cloudy, as it was that day, but most clouds were thin enough to reveal the sea ice and water below.

In addition to the low extent, data from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite indicate that Barents sea ice in mid-March 2026 was also very thin, according to Nathan Kurtz, chief of the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Previous years, such as 2021 and 2025, also saw especially thin ice around the time of the maximum. “What was striking this year, however, was that the ice was also completely melted away in more of the Barents Sea, in addition to areas of thinning spreading northward,” Kurtz said.

On the opposite side of the Arctic, the Sea of Okhotsk also contributed to the low total sea ice extent across the Arctic in March 2026. But the factors driving the losses differ between the two regions.

In the Barents, studies have shown that the main driver is large-scale atmospheric circulation, with winds channeling warm, humid air from the North Atlantic straight into the area, accelerating melt. These winds can be influenced by tropical weather thousands of miles away. Disturbances originating over the Maritime Continent near Indonesia can “send ripples through the atmosphere that reach the Arctic within one to two weeks,” Kurtz said.

In contrast, the Sea of Okhotsk mostly has thin, seasonal ice that changes thickness from year to year. Local winds play a big role, sometimes pushing the ice together to create thicker, ridged areas, and other times spreading it out, making it thinner. Because of this, the ice loss there is mainly driven by local weather, unlike in the Barents Sea, where distant atmospheric forces have a greater impact.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.

References & Resources

• NASA (2026, March 26) Arctic Winter Sea Ice Ties Record Low, NASA, NSIDC Scientists Find. Accessed April 2, 2026.
• National Snow and Ice Data Center (2026) MASIE-NH Daily Image Viewer. Accessed April 2, 2026.
• National Snow and Ice Data Center (2026, March 25) Arctic sea ice record low maximum strikes again. Accessed April 2, 2026.
• Nihashi, S. et al. (2018) Estimation of sea-ice thickness and volume in the Sea of Okhotsk based on ICESat data. Annals of Glaciology, 59 (76pt2), 101-111
• NOAA (2025) Regional Sea Ice. Accessed April 2, 2026.
• Yu Feng Siew, P. et al. (2023) Physical Links from Atmospheric Circulation Patterns to Barents–Kara Sea Ice Variability from Synoptic to Seasonal Timescales in the Cold Season. Journal of Climate, 36, 8027–8040.
• Zheng, C. et al. (2022) Turbulent Heat Flux, Downward Longwave Radiation, and Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation Associated with Wintertime Barents–Kara Sea Extreme Sea Ice Loss Events. Journal of Climate, 35, 3747–3765.

When Fizz quietly debuted in Saudi Arabia, founder and CEO Teddy Solomon wasn’t expecting the app to catch on like it did.

Tesla's headcount fell from 21,191 workers to 16,506 workers in 2025, according to a report, as it grappled with its second straight year of declining sales.

In addition to Lightcap's new role, OpenAI CMO Kate Rouch will be stepping away from the company to focus on cancer recovery, with a plan to return when her health allows.

Anthropic has purchased the stealth biotech AI startup Coefficient Bio in a $400 million stock deal, according to The Information and Eric Newcomer.

With the midterms right around the corner, the new group is positioned to back candidates who support the AI company's policy agenda.