Two 2001 images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor orbiter show a dramatic change in the planet’s appearance when haze raised by dust-storm activity in the south became globally distributed. The images were taken about a month apart. Credit:  NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   20 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  The escalating dust storm

Illustration of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft approaching the sun. Blastoff is targeted for August 2018 from Cape Canaveral, FL.  Credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   19 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Blastoff of NASA’s groundbreaking Parker Solar Probe mission that will virtually ‘touch the sun’ has been retargeted to early August 2018 from

President Donald Trump delivers opening remarks as Vice President Mike Pence looks on during a meeting of the National Space Council in the East Room of the White House, Monday, June 18, 2018, in Washington. Chaired by the Vice President, the council’s role is to advise the President regarding national space policy and strategy, and review the nation’s long-range goals

NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered ancient organic molecules on Mars, including the molecule thiophene, embedded within sedimentary rocks at Gale Crater that are billions of years old.  The rover used an instrument called SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars).  Credit:  NASA/GSFC Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   15 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered additional signs of

This pre-dust storm panaromic mosaic view was taken by NASA’s Opportunity rover showing the spectacular view from her approximate current position in June 2018 after traveling halfway down the fluid carved slope of Perseverance Valley – while peeing into the interior of vast Endeavour Crater.  This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled by Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo from

This global map of Mars shows a growing dust storm as of June 6, 2018. The map was produced by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. The blue dot indicates the approximate location of NASA’s Opportunity rover. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   11 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  A massive dust

This extraordinary view of Jupiter was captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft on the outbound leg of its 12th close flyby of the gas giant planet was created from images on April1, 2018 by the Junocam camera.   This new perspective of Jupiter from the south makes the Great Red Spot appear as though it is in northern territory. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstäd/Seán

The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft is pictured moments after docking to the space station’s Rassvet module on June 8, 2018 with new Expedition 56 crew members Soyuz Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, and flight engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency).  Credit: NASA CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Following a flawless mid-week launch from Kazakhstan

The Soyuz MS-09 rocket is launched with Expedition 56 Soyuz Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, and flight engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency), Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   6 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – A German, American and

Six ton SES-12 telecommunications satellite roars off Space Launch Complex-40 on a tail of fire, fury and smoke on SpaceX Falcon 9 just after at midnight Monday June 4, 2018 at 12:45 a.m. EDT on its way to orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com Ken Kremer  —   SpaceUpClose.com  —   5 June 2018 CAPE CANAVERAL AIR