1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: This is too much phone  Mashable
2. Deals: Last day for Galaxy S26 pre-orders, Anker Smart Display power bank, more  9to5Google
3. Samsung Galaxy S26 Review: Fun AI Tricks for a Steeper Price  CNET
4. I'm not surprised the Galaxy S26 Ultra pre-orders are soaring this high  Android Central
5. Galaxy S26 Series U.S. Pre-orders Showing Strong Early Momentum  Samsung Global Newsroom

1. After using MacBook Neo, it's clear Windows needs to rethink its PC strategy (and fast)  ZDNET
2. MacBook Neo  Apple
3. Asus Co-CEO: MacBook Neo Is a 'Shock' to the PC Industry  PCMag
4. Apple just created a billion more Mac users  Macworld
5. Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo is the laptop I’m telling my dad to get  CNN

1. Intel announces Core Ultra 270K Plus and 250K Plus, its ‘fastest gaming desktop processors ever’  The Verge
2. Intel shores up its desktop CPU lineup with boosted Core Ultra 200S Plus chips  Ars Technica
3. Intel announces Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs, claims 15% higher gaming performance and multi-threaded boost — Core Ultra 7 270K and Core Ultra 5 250K come with more cores, faster memory, and a price cut  Tom's Hardware
4. Intel finds its Zen undercutting AMD with Arrow Lake refresh  theregister.com
5. Intel Launches "Arrow Lake Refresh": Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, New Binary Optimization Tool  TechPowerUp

1. Google is optimizing Android's core to make your phone feel faster  Android Authority
2. Google finally using a five-year old performance boost feature to make phones faster  Neowin
3. Your Android phone is set for a performance upgrade  Tech Advisor
4. Google Plans a New Kernel Optimization to Speed Up Android  SammyGuru
5. Google is making Android phones faster and improving battery life with this change  9to5Google

1. Studio Display vs. Studio Display XDR Buyer's Guide  MacRumors
2. Apple unveils new Studio Display and all-new Studio Display XDR  Apple
3. I tried the new Studio Display XDR, and it’s Apple’s most impressive (and brightest) monitor yet — but there’s a catch  Tom's Guide
4. The Apple Studio Display XDR is an excellent but expensive pro option  The Verge
5. New Apple Studio Displays Double Internal Storage to 128GB  MacRumors

This March 3, 2026, image combines views from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Euclid and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to feature one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying star: the Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. This extraordinary planetary nebula lies 4,400 light-years away in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades with its elaborate and multilayered structure.

See what this observation reveals about this planetary nebula.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov

Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute

Earth planning date: Friday, March 6, 2026

Curiosity is in the last stage of its exploration of the spiderweb-like boxwork unit. This stage consists of exploring the eastern and southern borders of this terrain. There were two multi-sol plans assembled this week. The previous plan put Curiosity at a site on the eastern extent of the boxwork unit with bedrock that allowed for brushing and in-place measurements with APXS and MAHLI of the bedrock target “Infiernillo.” The ChemCam also took a LIBS chemical measurement of this target as well as a nodular-rich piece of bedrock assigned the name “Humahuaca.” MAHLI was tasked to image a pitted vertical rock face which was dubbed “Timboy Chaco” (part of which is shown in the MAHLI color image accompanying this report). Mastcam color mosaics and ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) mosaics were also collected to characterize nearby terrain including a butte to the south and the geologic contact between the boxwork terrain and the adjacent layered, light-toned unit.

A midweek drive put the rover even closer to the eastern edge of the boxwork unit and set it up for two or more drives to the southern edge of the boxwork. The workspace present for Friday planning included bedrock exposures and a dark-toned float rock. The float rock was large enough for in-situ observation by APXS, and it was also targeted for up-close imaging by MAHLI and a measurement by ChemCam to observe its reflectance properties. Some other dark float rocks observed by Curiosity in the past year have been hypothesized as being stony meteorites (chondrites). Measuring the chemistry and reflectance of this dark rock, named “Thola,” will allow the team to determine if it is native to Mars or a meteorite from beyond. The Friday plan also included ChemCam remote chemistry measurements of the smooth bedrock target “Valle Fertil” and a nodular bedrock target “Norte Grande.” The plan also included Mastcam mosaics of light-toned bedrock across the eastern contact of the boxwork unit to assess sedimentary structures and determine stratigraphic relationships, observations of smaller troughs in the regolith, and other mosaics of nearby ridges as well as a two-frame mosaic of the dark float rock Thola and another dark-toned pebble.

The plan concludes with a drive toward the southern border of the boxwork unit. Given that this southern contact is approximately 100 meters (about 109 yards) away, it will likely require two drives.

• Want to read more posts from the Curiosity team?

  
  
  Visit Mission Updates
  
  

• Want to learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments?

  
  
  Visit the Science Instruments page
  
  

Explore More

3 min read

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4818-4824: Thinking Out of the Boxwork

Article


1 week ago

2 min read

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4812-4817: Back Into the Hollows

Article


2 weeks ago

3 min read

Curiosity Blog Sols 4804-4811: Kicking Off the Final Phase of Boxwork Exploration

Article


3 weeks ago

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…

All Mars Resources

Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…

Rover Basics

Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…

Mars Exploration: Science Goals

The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…

Scientists estimate that Earth is home to more than 100 million lakes. Among the most unusual is Lake Unter-See, one of Antarctica’s largest and deepest surface lakes, known for its distinctive water chemistry. Its ice-covered waters have exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, low dissolved carbon dioxide, and a strongly alkaline (basic) pH.

The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured this image on February 16, 2026, during the Antarctic summer. Most of the lake’s water comes from seasonal meltwater draining from the margins of the nearby Anuchin Glacier, which flows south from the Gruber Mountains in Queen Maud Land.

With mean annual temperatures of about minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), Lake Unter-See remains frozen year-round, its waters sealed beneath several meters of ice. Sunlight penetrates the ice and warms the water below, but the cold surface and strong winds drive evaporation and sublimation, preventing significant surface melting. The lake’s maximum depth is thought to reach nearly 170 meters (558 feet).

The lake’s water chemistry is unusual partly because it is one of the only perennially frozen lakes with a community of large, conical stromatolites. The layered microbial reef structures grow slowly upward as photosynthetic microbes—primarily cyanobacteria—trap sediment on their sticky surfaces and form calcium carbonate mineral crusts. These conical stromatolites—as well as pinnacle and flat forms of the microbial communities—release oxygen that becomes trapped under the ice, increasing its concentration in the lake.

Lake Unter-See’s stromatolites, discovered by SETI geobiologist Dale Andersen and colleagues in 2011, offer a glimpse into a time more than 3 billion years ago, when microbes were the only form of life on Earth. The formations are thought to be modern, living examples of the organisms that likely produced some of Earth’s oldest fossils—stromatolites found in places such as southwestern Greenland and western Australia.

Some Antarctic lakes, such as Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, contain conical stromatolites, but they reach only a few centimeters tall. By contrast, the formations in Lake Unter-See tower up to half a meter. Scientists think Unter-See’s stromatolites grow unusually tall because they are sheltered from tides and waves beneath permanent ice, live in exceptionally clear waters with little sediment, grow toward limited light, and face little grazing. The lake’s largest creatures are tardigrades—microscopic “water bear” invertebrates known for their ability to survive in extreme environments.

Astrobiologists also point to the lake as a possible analog for the type of environment where life might have formed or survived on icy moons with oceans such as Europa and Enceladus, or perhaps on Mars, which has ice caps and glaciers.  

Yet despite its seemingly stable conditions, Lake Unter-See occasionally experiences abrupt changes. During fieldwork in 2019, researchers observed an increase in the lake’s water levels. The team, led by scientists at the University of Ottawa, later analyzed elevation data from NASA’s ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2) and confirmed a 2-meter rise was caused by a glacial lake outburst flood from nearby Lake Ober-See.

The University of Ottawa team also showed that the outburst flood had released 17.5 million cubic meters of meltwater, altering Unter-See’s pH and replenishing it with carbon dioxide-rich waters that likely enhanced the productivity of the lake’s microbial life. The scientists noted that similar periodic flooding may provide “biological stimuli to other carbon dioxide-depleted Antarctic ecosystems and perhaps even icy lakes on early Mars.”

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads

February 16, 2026

JPEG (8.91 MB)

References & Resources

• Andersen, D.T., et al. (2011) Discovery of large conical stromatolites in Lake Untersee, Antarctica. Geobiology, 9(3), 280-293.
• Astrobiology (2026) Dale Andersen’s Field Reports. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Austrian Polar Research Institute (2023, May 22) Glacier shapes unique Antarctic lake ecosystem. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Extinct (2025, June 1) From Stromatolites to Martian Leopard Spots: Circumstantial Traces and the Reconstruction of Early Life. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Faucher, B., et al. (2021) Glacial lake outburst floods enhance benthic microbial productivity in perennially ice-covered Lake Untersee (East Antarctica). Communications Earth & Environment, 2, 211.
• Greco, C. et al. (2020) Microbial Diversity of Pinnacle and Conical Microbial Mats in the Perennially Ice-Covered Lake Untersee, East Antarctica. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11(607251).
• NASA Earth Observatory (2006, June 18) Strelley Pool Chert and Early Life. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• SETI (2026, February 26) Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Season 18-19 February. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Verpoorter, C., et al. (2014) A global inventory of lakes based on high-resolution satellite imagery. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(18), 6396-6402.
• Vimercati, L. Lake Untersee, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Accessed March 10, 2026.

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

Lake Eyre Blushes

3 min read

Rounding out a remarkable year, the outback lake displayed distinct green and reddish water in its two main bays.

Article

Cooper Creek Replenishes Lake Eyre

3 min read

Another major tributary reached the Australian outback lake in 2025, extending the months-long flood of the vast, ephemeral inland sea.

Article

Finding Freshwater in Great Salt Lake

4 min read

Reed-covered mounds exposed by declining water levels reveal an unexpected network of freshwater springs that feed directly into the lake…

Article

Keep Exploring

Discover More from NASA Earth Science

Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters

Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.

Earth Observatory Image of the Day

NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.

Explore Earth Science

Earth Science Data

Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data

Project Overview

NASA’s Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) project develops technologies and tools for various types of aircraft that fly in different speed regimes, including next-generation vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing subsonic aircraft.

The research advances knowledge, technologies, and concepts that enable major steps to lowering operating costs of the next-generation single-aisle aircraft. SVTT also develops computer modeling and simulation tools to study the noise and performance of multi-rotor urban air mobility vehicles.

Purpose

SVTT subsonic aircraft research enables revolutionary advancements in future aircraft performance to keep the nation ahead of global competitors.

Next-Generation Fixed-Wing Aircraft

SVTT works to advance the next-generation single-aisle aircraft through efficient airframes, reduced fuel consumption and noise, and propulsion-airframe integration.

Project research benefits U.S. industrial competitiveness in the subsonic transport aircraft market and will open new markets for U.S. regional jets and smaller size aircraft. SVTT research includes new, efficient airframe designs, the emerging area of electrified aircraft propulsion, and the complementary gas turbine engine research needed to develop new engines to power the new vehicles.

Urban Air Mobility

SVTT develops modeling and simulation tools to explore the noise and performance of multi-rotor urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles. Vertical lift vehicles have the unique ability to operate in confined areas, as evidenced by the emerging UAM industry within the broader advanced air mobility industry.

Additionally, advanced vertical lift capabilities support public good missions, such as disaster relief, emergency services, and medical transport.

Timeline and Impact

Although the SVTT project focuses on the long-term technology timeframe, it also contributes to both near-term and mid-term progress by demonstrating useful technology improvements along the way.

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Explore More

4 min read

NASA, GE Aerospace Hybrid Engine System Marks Successful Test 

Article 1 month ago

5 min read

NASA, Boeing Test How to Improve Performance of Longer, Narrower Aircraft Wings 

Article 3 months ago

4 min read

NASA Software Raises Bar for Aircraft Icing Research 

Article 3 months ago

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans In Space

Aeronautics STEM

Explore NASA’s History

Download PDF: Insights into Spallation Mechanisms of Thermal Protection System Materials from Mass Spectrometry and HyMETS Testing

An effort was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms responsible for internal pressure build up within thermal protection system (TPS) materials subjected to high-enthalpy environments. Understanding how gases evolve, migrate, and interact with the microstructure of a TPS is essential for predicting degradation and failure modes such as spallation. To this end, complementary experimental approaches were employed that provided both chemical and mechanical insight into subsurface processes.  

Chemical evolution and internal pressure buildup were identified using the processes illustrated in Figure 1. In part A, in-depth pressure measurements obtained during testing in the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HyMETS) quantified the dynamic buildup of subsurface pressure as gases evolved. In part B, mass spectrometry was applied to characterize volatile species released as the TPS decomposed under heating. This analysis distinguished between species that desorb at lower temperatures, such as water release prior to significant changes in permeability, and those produced during the breakdown of the polymer backbone through high-temperature pyrolysis. Together, these data sets established a quantitative link between chemical decomposition and mechanical response, forming a foundation for interpreting how microscale chemical processes manifest as macroscale material instability.  

Lessons gleaned from mass spectrometry and HyMETS testing led to an enhanced understanding of the spallation mechanisms of TPS, as illustrated in Figure 1. Initial heating of the TPS induces the release of absorbed water from microballoons and the surrounding matrix before extensive pyrolysis (I). This early release of exiguous water can generate localized stresses when the material is in a state of low permeability and may result in localized crack formation before pyrolysis. As heating continues, the pyrolysis front advances, liberating a significant amount of gas and a rapid buildup of pressure occurs (II). If the internal pressure surpasses the local material strength, sudden ejection of fragments follows, marking a spallation event (III). This sequence highlights the probable interplay between early-stage volatile release, pyrolysis gas evolution, and stress generation, all of which govern the stability of TPS material under entry conditions.  

For information, contact Dr. Brody K. Bessire. brody.k.bessire@nasa.gov