On the last Thursday in January, NASA pays tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA colleagues who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. via NASA http://ift.tt/2GiIbGQ

This image shows NASA’s InSight lander after it was commanded to deploy its solar arrays to test and verify the exact process that it will use on the surface of the Red Planet. via NASA http://ift.tt/2n8D7Mx

Ships churning through the Atlantic Ocean produced this patchwork of bright, criss-crossing cloud trails off the coast of Portugal and Spain. via NASA http://ift.tt/2rwOAuH

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Parker Solar Probe is lowered into the 40-foot-tall thermal vacuum chamber. The thermal vacuum chamber simulates the harsh conditions that the spacecraft will experience on its journey through space, including near-vacuum conditions and severe hot and cold temperatures. via NASA http://ift.tt/2Dl77LM

This image of Jupiter’s swirling south polar region was captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft as it neared completion of its tenth close flyby of the gas giant planet. via NASA http://ift.tt/2mM8M68

For the second time in three years, snow has accumulated in the desert near the northern Algerian town of Aïn Séfra. via NASA http://ift.tt/2FLXibp

On January 16, 1978, NASA announces the first astronaut class in nine years, which included the first African Americans. via NASA http://ift.tt/2FHMDPa

Colorful swirling cloud belts dominate Jupiter’s southern hemisphere in this image captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. via NASA http://ift.tt/2D6t9pP

A new analysis of about 10,000 normal Sun-like stars in the Milky Way’s galactic bulge reveals that our galaxy’s hub is a dynamic environment. via NASA http://ift.tt/2msTe80

On Jan. 9, 1969, NASA announced the prime crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. This portrait was taken on Jan. 10, the day after the announcement of the crew assignment. From left to right are lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, commander Neil Armstrong; and command module pilot Michael Collins. via NASA http://ift.tt/2D1kpjU