1. Gemini app for Mac adding ‘Spark’ agent and voice control this summer  9to5Google
2. AI is changing the internet forever. Here’s how  CNN
3. Gemini 3.5: frontier intelligence with action  blog.google
4. Ask AI or just Google it? Google makes a big change to a little search box  NPR
5. Google, please don't ruin the internet with your changes to search  Business Insider

1. Searching for 'Disregard' Breaks Google [Updated]  MacRumors
2. You can no longer Google the word ‘disregard’  TechCrunch
3. Google Is Currently Struggling To Define Words Like Disregard, Stop And Ignore  Engadget
4. Google’s AI Overviews break the dictionary when you use words like ‘disregard’  9to5Google
5. AI may have broken Google in the funniest way you can imagine  PhoneArena

1. Google goes for the glitter with disco-ball icons: ‘Are y’all sure you still want this?’  TechCrunch
2. Google Pixel adds ‘Disco’ custom icons, and it’s a whole vibe [Gallery]  9to5Google
3. Your Pixel Phone Just Got a Surprise Set of New Icons to Play With  Droid Life
4. Google Pixel Disco Icons Bring AI-Powered Animated Icons - NPowerUser  nokiapoweruser.com
5. Google gives Pixel phones a Spotify-style disco makeover with glittery app icons  Techlusive

1. Take a look at what's new for the Galaxy S24 Ultra on One UI 8.5  SamMobile
2. Samsung Releases New Free Upgrade To Millions Of Galaxy Phones  Forbes
3. One UI 8.5 update: List of all Samsung Galaxy devices that have received it  tech-ish.com
4. Good Stuff: Samsung Sending One UI 8.5 Updates to Even More Devices  Droid Life
5. Samsung Pushes One UI 8.5 to Tablets — Starting with Galaxy Tab S11  Android Headlines

As NASA pushes the boundaries of exploration and innovation for the benefit of humanity, the agency is looking for partners to share mission stories covering Artemis Moon missions, nuclear propulsion, aeronautics, and more.

NASA published an Announcement for Proposals on May 21 asking filmmakers, documentarians, songwriters, storytellers, poets, and others to submit proposals to partner with the agency by Tuesday, June 30.

In this initial round, NASA is seeking up to 10 partners for unfunded Space Act Agreements to share the stories behind, and insights into, multiple NASA missions, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Artemis program, including the recently added Artemis III mission in 2027, and Artemis IV lunar landing in 2028, as well as plans for the agency to develop a Moon Base. Learn more about Artemis on the agency’s website.
• NASA’s advancement of nuclear propulsion, including the Space Reactor-1 Freedom mission to Mars in 2028 carrying the Skyfall payload.
• NASA’s cutting-edge aviation work through flight tests and other efforts.

While this opportunity is focused on U.S. creators, the agency will consider proposals with a minority of international participants. Proposals should detail which area of focus is desired, funding and distribution arrangements, and any specifics needs from NASA to move forward (access to facilities, personnel, etc.).

Full requirements and other details are available online:

https://go.nasa.gov/CreatorProposals

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Camille Gallo / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

NASA will provide live coverage on Wednesday, May 27, as two Roscosmos cosmonauts conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:15 a.m. EDT and last roughly five hours.

Watch NASA’s live coverage beginning at 9:45 a.m. 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.

International Space Station Expedition 74 commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev will install a solar radiation experiment on the Zvezda service module and remove other science hardware from the Poisk and Nauka modules of the orbiting complex’s Roscosmos segment. If time allows, the duo also will photograph one of the Progress 94 cargo spacecraft’s Kurs rendezvous antennas, which failed to deploy in March following its launch to the space station.

This Roscosmos spacewalk will be the second for Kud-Sverchkov and the first for Mikaev. Kud-Sverchkov will wear a spacesuit with red stripes, and Mikaev will wear a spacesuit with blue stripes. It will be the 279th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

To learn more about International Space Station research, operations, and its crews, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

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

This near-infrared image released on May 6, 2026, shows a section of one of the spiral arms of Messier 51 (M51). M51 is one of four nearby galaxies observed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in a study of nearly 9,000 star clusters.

Data from the study shows that more massive star clusters emerge more quickly from the clouds they are born in. Learning about star formation helps us understand galactic evolution, the dynamics within a galaxy, as well as how and where planets form.

See what scientists learned.

Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Pedrini, A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the FEAST JWST team

From high‑speed research flights to high‑altitude science campaigns, NASA depends on aircraft that perform at their best and the ground crews who keep them mission ready.

At NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, specially trained maintenance crews are essential to keeping the agency’s aircraft flying safely and reliably.

This year, NASA added two F-15s and a Pilatus PC-12 to its fleet at Armstrong. These aircraft – alongside platforms such as the high-altitude ER-2s and NASA’s newest X-plane, the X-59 – reflect a wide range of capabilities. The maintenance staff is responsible for keeping each one mission ready.

“That’s the beauty of our Armstrong maintenance teams. They adapt to any type of change,” said Jose “Manny” Rodriguez, NASA Armstrong Gulfstream G-IV crew chief. “One day you could have an instrument being loaded, and the next day it may be aircraft reconfiguration, all while other aircraft systems may need fixing. They adapt and they overcome any situation.”

Each aircraft supports a specific mission, whether it’s conducting science research, serving as a support or chase aircraft, or assisting NASA rocket launches. The aircraft fly at different speeds, carry specialized hardware, and require maintenance crews to stay agile with fast-paced changes.

To ensure NASA can make aeronautics and science advancements safely, the crews work continuously, checking on the ejection seats, filling the tanks with fuel, and changing out brakes, wheels, wiring, and hardware constantly, all of which can degrade with each flight.

On any given day, an aircraft may be flight-ready for a mission, undergoing scheduled maintenance or modifications, or down for longer-term care.

There are typically multiple NASA Armstrong aircraft in the air in one day. Currently, the center’s C-20A is flying in Peru and Panama, the X-59 is often  flying twice per day with a chase plane, and the center’s ER-2 is flying in Colorado, supporting the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx). All this work is happening at the same time, and Armstrong’s skilled maintenance staff is prepping and fixing aircraft as needed along the way.

The team includes mechanics with both military and civilian backgrounds, and the job involves a lot of on-the-job training.

Maintenance crews are composed of:

• a crew chief – the person in charge of the airplane
• an avionics technician, who specializes in navigation, communication, and flight control systems
• quality assurance personnel, who oversee the work being done
• additional mechanics assigned to each airplane

After the maintenance crew ensures the aircraft is in the best condition possible, the team tows it out to the flightline, and it becomes ready for operations. The NASA pilot assigned to the mission will walk around the aircraft with the assigned crew chief for a final safety check before flight.

“There is a crew chief assigned to every aircraft,” Rodriguez said. “The crew chief is responsible for the integrity of that aircraft, and at the end of the day, his signature and the pilot’s together are what constitutes that the aircraft is safe for flight.”

Maintenance crews track each flight to help ensure it completes the mission without returning early. If an aircraft does return to base early, the maintenance team stands ready. When it lands, the crew is right there again, helping the research team complete the mission and fixing whatever is needed to stay nimble and ready for the next flight.

“It’s difficult at times to work with different airplanes from both the civilian and military sides, but it’s very rewarding to see that we have the capability and the expertise to keep these aircraft flying,” Rodriguez said.

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NASA announced plans Friday to compete the next contract for managing and operating the agency’s federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in Southern California at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to ensure continued accountability and strong value for U.S. taxpayers.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has managed the laboratory since its inception in the 1930s, and previous NASA contracts for its management and operations have been awarded sole source to the university since the facility was transferred from the U.S. Army to NASA in 1958.

The rapid growth of the U.S. space economy indicates there may now be a viable competitive market for programmatic and institutional elements of the FFRDC operations.

Conducting a competition for this contract enables NASA to assess the potential benefits of alternative management approaches to the FFRDC, including opportunities to enhance mission performance, innovation, and overall cost and operational efficiency, consistent with federal competition requirements.

This decision is part of a broader governmentwide and agency effort to find efficiencies, strengthen performance, and drive mission outcomes faster and more affordably.

“The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has delivered some of the most extraordinary scientific and engineering achievements in NASA’s history,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As America’s space economy evolves, we have a responsibility to the American people and the scientific community to evaluate how we can execute faster, operate more efficiently, and continue to deliver world-class science and engineering at the highest level. The decision to compete this contract reflects NASA’s commitment to strong stewardship of taxpayer resources and positions Jet Propulsion Laboratory to continue driving world-changing scientific discovery and technological innovation for decades to come.”

The work conducted at JPL remains critically important to the agency, and NASA is committed to maintaining continuity for active and future missions throughout the procurement process. NASA also is committed to maintaining the FFRDC’s existing physical location.

This approach is consistent with broader government practices, including at the Department of Energy, which has held full and open competitions for five of its 16 FFRDC management and operations contracts over the past 10 years.

The current contract with Caltech began Oct. 1, 2018, and runs through Sept. 30, 2028, with a potential maximum value of $30 billion, if all options are exercised. NASA has initiated the procurement process to compete the contract. Beginning this process now allows the agency sufficient time to conduct a comprehensive competition and award cycle while maintaining continuity for ongoing missions and laboratory operations.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

George Alderman / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov