August Skies and Mars Exploration Highlight the Week

This week, NASA announced coverage for the August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse. The Astronomical Picture of the Day (APOD) featured several celestial events, including the Perseids from Perseus, a golden corona eclipse, and the Elephant’s Trunk in Cepheus. SpaceX is preparing for a Falcon 9 launch of Supernova, which will include rideshare payloads. On Mars, the Hera mission's flyby guided an impact study of Deimos moon, and the ExoMars mission continues its preparations, with ramps tested for cold, shaking, and vacuum conditions. You can fly around Schiaparelli Crater with Mars Express, as seen at https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/08/Fly_around_Schiaparelli_Crater_with_Mars_Express.