A stunningly concentrated and hefty galaxy cluster, from a time in the universe’s history when such massive structures aren’t expected to have fully formed yet, is challenging cosmic evolution theories. Across a series of three recent papers, a team led by researchers from IPAC—a science and data center for astrophysics and planetary science at Caltech—have revealed that the cluster is the most distant example of strong gravitational lensing with a galaxy cluster. The new results, based on observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), were presented in a press conference on June 17, 2026 at the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

The University of Louisville, UofL Health and Kosair for Kids today celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the newly expanded Kosair for Kids Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery, a transformative milestone in pediatric rehabilitation, research and care. The 13,631-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility brings clinical care, therapy and research together in one space, creating a first-of-its-kind environment designed to accelerate recovery and expand access for children with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions.

SAN ANTONIO —June 17, 2026— SwRI is developing electronics and flight software for the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat 10 satellite that is set to launch in 2031 to collect new and improved Earth observation data. The mission is a continuation of NASA’s and USGS’ partnership on the ongoing Landsat program, which has launched nine satellites since 1972 and provided over 10 million images of the Earth’s surface.

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), with help from a ‘natural telescope’ formed by gravity, have identified the source of a neutrino burst. The team expected a supermassive black hole to be the engine driving the remarkably bright galaxy. Instead, the team found that the galaxy was driven by vigorous star formation. This result provides important observational evidence to help explain the mysterious origin of cosmic neutrinos.

New research led by a scientist at IPAC—a science and data center for astrophysics and planetary science at Caltech—studying the hot Jupiter CoRoT-2 b has settled on one of the three leading hypotheses explaining why its atmosphere has a hot spot in the opposite direction than is seen on all other exoplanets of this type. This work was presented during a press conference at the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California on June 16, 2026. 

SAN ANTONIO — June 15, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®), Astroport Space Technologies Inc. and the WEX Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the proposed establishment of an independent National Lunar Research Center (NLRC) initiative. The focus of the collaboration is to accelerate the research and development efforts needed to advance lunar surface infrastructure technologies, demonstrate assisted and autonomous lunar construction capabilities and prepare a specialized workforce to fulfill NASA’s Ignition and Moon-to-Mars objectives.