At the same time, the Sun flexed its magnetic muscles with two powerful X-class solar flares, briefly disrupting radio communications and hinting at the growing intensity of Solar Cycle\u202f25. In orbit, the Axiom\u20114 mission successfully launched with a crew of four, including astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary. Meanwhile, China\u2019s Tianwen\u20112 probe began its ambitious deep\u2011space trek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From breathtaking sky events to cutting\u2011edge missions, the past week showed off the thrilling unpredictability of space science. Whether you’re watching the heavens or decoding data from a probe, there’s no shortage of cosmic activity to explore – and SpaceWeekly is here to bring it to you with clarity and spark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 Jellyfish Cloud Illuminates West Coast Skies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Jellyfish-shaped](\"https:\/\/images.openai.com\/thumbnails\/url\/Wnc4B3icu1mSUVJSUGylr5-al1xUWVCSmqJbkpRnoJdeXJJYkpmsl5yfq5-Zm5ieWmxfaAuUsXL0S7F0Tw7M9XctyYo3Li2Mdy-2sPTMc84xqijNj3fPcDTLqzDMNzQoj3ctiTDMzjGK8sgqCsksLzMJNA0w9MjKd1QrBgApdSoJ\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn June 16, a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 26 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Minutes later, observers across Southern California witnessed the rocket’s exhaust plume glowing like a jellyfish against the twilight sky. AccuWeather<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis optical phenomenon occurs when rocket emissions rise into sunlight above the dark horizon – no special equipment required, just the right timing and atmospheric conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brief spectacle reminded thousands that orbital launches often offer unintended celestial art – nature meeting engineering in sky\u2011high style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf0b LRO Reveals Fresh Lunar Crater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/lro-crater-small.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured detailed images of a recently formed crater on the Moon\u2019s Oceanus Procellarum with bright ejecta rays and a sharp rim. Researchers believe this impact occurred within the past few years. NASA\/JPL Photojournal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe sharp contrast between the fresh crater and its surroundings lets scientists pinpoint the timing of recent meteoroid strikes – improving our understanding of lunar surface evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monitoring these fresh sites aids mission planners in assessing surface conditions for future landers and habitats by refining impact risk models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf1e Double X-Class Solar Flares Disrupt Communications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Sun unleashed two X-class solar flares on June 17 and 19 – the strongest category of solar storms – with the June 19 event reaching X1.9 intensity and triggering brief radio blackouts over North America. Beaumont Enterprise<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThese flares disturbed the ionosphere, interrupting GPS and short\u2011wave radio systems, while also setting the stage for potential auroras at lower latitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Solar Cycle\u202f25 continues to ramp up, more geomagnetic activity is expected – highlighting the importance of monitoring space weather for satellites, aviation, and power grids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udeeb Axiom\u20114 Launches Private Crew to ISS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Falcon\u00a09](\"https:\/\/tse3.mm.bing.net\/th\/id\/OIP.5lzr_XCdoIJAKKU2iHr3MQHaE7?pid=Api\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn June 25, the Axiom\u20114 (Ax\u20114) mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft named \u201cGrace\u201d from Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Launch Complex 39A. The four\u2011person crew included commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and mission specialists S\u0142awosz Uzna\u0144ski\u2011Wi\u015bniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nAx\u20114 marks the first time astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have flown to the International Space Station (ISS) and represents a milestone in international commercial spaceflight. After a 28\u2011hour rendezvous, Dragon \u201cGrace\u201d docked at the ISS Harmony module on June 26 to begin a multi\u2011week mission featuring microgravity experiments. NASA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nNASA celebrates this as a stride forward in commercial crew capabilities and global cooperation in low Earth orbit. The Ax\u20114 mission reinforces Axiom Space\u2019s expanding role in private space access and highlights the growing importance of inclusive international missions. Space.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\ude80 China Launches Tianwen\u20112 on Dual Mission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On June 28, China launched its Tianwen\u20112 probe toward near\u2011Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo\u02bboalewa, with plans to collect surface samples before heading to main\u2011belt comet 311P\/PANSTARRS. Wikipedia: 2025 in spaceflight<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nEquipped with advanced sampling technology – including touch\u2011and\u2011go and anchor\u2011and\u2011attach mechanisms – the mission aims to return asteroid material in 2027 and study comet dust and gas later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This dual\u2011target expedition marks a first in deep\u2011space robotics and reinforces China\u2019s growing prowess in sample\u2011return and planetary science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd2d Skywatching This Week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- – June 27 – New Moon & Mercury: Spot the Moon near Mercury after sunset. Space.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- – June 27 – Polaris at Zenith: The North Star\u2019s highest point tonight. Astronomy.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- – June 28 – Venus & Saturn low in the evening sky; look west about one hour after sunset. NASA<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- – June 29 – Mars at opposition: the Red Planet reaches its brightest point this summer. Space.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- – June 30 – Comet C\/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan) may be visible low in the eastern sky before dawn. Sky & Telescope<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- – July 1 – Look for the International Space Station crossing early in the night sky. NASA Spot the Station<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This Week in SpaceWeekly: Jellyfish Clouds, Lunar Craters & Solar Flares This Week in SpaceWeekly: A stunning display of sky science lit up the West Coast when a Falcon 9 rocket… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3238,"featured_media":796813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-796977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=796977"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":797008,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977\/revisions\/797008"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/796813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=796977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=796977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=796977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
On June 16, a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 26 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Minutes later, observers across Southern California witnessed the rocket’s exhaust plume glowing like a jellyfish against the twilight sky. AccuWeather<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This optical phenomenon occurs when rocket emissions rise into sunlight above the dark horizon – no special equipment required, just the right timing and atmospheric conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The brief spectacle reminded thousands that orbital launches often offer unintended celestial art – nature meeting engineering in sky\u2011high style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured detailed images of a recently formed crater on the Moon\u2019s Oceanus Procellarum with bright ejecta rays and a sharp rim. Researchers believe this impact occurred within the past few years. NASA\/JPL Photojournal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The sharp contrast between the fresh crater and its surroundings lets scientists pinpoint the timing of recent meteoroid strikes – improving our understanding of lunar surface evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monitoring these fresh sites aids mission planners in assessing surface conditions for future landers and habitats by refining impact risk models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sun unleashed two X-class solar flares on June 17 and 19 – the strongest category of solar storms – with the June 19 event reaching X1.9 intensity and triggering brief radio blackouts over North America. Beaumont Enterprise<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n These flares disturbed the ionosphere, interrupting GPS and short\u2011wave radio systems, while also setting the stage for potential auroras at lower latitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Solar Cycle\u202f25 continues to ramp up, more geomagnetic activity is expected – highlighting the importance of monitoring space weather for satellites, aviation, and power grids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 25, the Axiom\u20114 (Ax\u20114) mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft named \u201cGrace\u201d from Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Launch Complex 39A. The four\u2011person crew included commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and mission specialists S\u0142awosz Uzna\u0144ski\u2011Wi\u015bniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ax\u20114 marks the first time astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have flown to the International Space Station (ISS) and represents a milestone in international commercial spaceflight. After a 28\u2011hour rendezvous, Dragon \u201cGrace\u201d docked at the ISS Harmony module on June 26 to begin a multi\u2011week mission featuring microgravity experiments. NASA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n NASA celebrates this as a stride forward in commercial crew capabilities and global cooperation in low Earth orbit. The Ax\u20114 mission reinforces Axiom Space\u2019s expanding role in private space access and highlights the growing importance of inclusive international missions. Space.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 28, China launched its Tianwen\u20112 probe toward near\u2011Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo\u02bboalewa, with plans to collect surface samples before heading to main\u2011belt comet 311P\/PANSTARRS. Wikipedia: 2025 in spaceflight<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Equipped with advanced sampling technology – including touch\u2011and\u2011go and anchor\u2011and\u2011attach mechanisms – the mission aims to return asteroid material in 2027 and study comet dust and gas later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This dual\u2011target expedition marks a first in deep\u2011space robotics and reinforces China\u2019s growing prowess in sample\u2011return and planetary science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Week in SpaceWeekly: Jellyfish Clouds, Lunar Craters & Solar Flares This Week in SpaceWeekly: A stunning display of sky science lit up the West Coast when a Falcon 9 rocket… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3238,"featured_media":796813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-796977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=796977"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":797008,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796977\/revisions\/797008"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/796813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=796977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=796977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=796977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf0b LRO Reveals Fresh Lunar Crater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf1e Double X-Class Solar Flares Disrupt Communications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udeeb Axiom\u20114 Launches Private Crew to ISS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\ude80 China Launches Tianwen\u20112 on Dual Mission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd2d Skywatching This Week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"