Howard Levine, Ph.D., a research scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews the growth of several tomato plants in a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility. The tomato plants are growing in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

PONDS Watering System for Veggie

Tomato plants are growing inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

PONDS Watering System for Veggie

Tomato plants are growing inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

PONDS Watering System for Veggie

Tomato plants are growing under red and blue LED lights in a growth chamber inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

PONDS Watering System for Veggie

Tomato plants are growing inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

VEG-PONDS-03 Infographic

Infographic illustrating the Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) plant growth unit. The PONDS units are an entirely passive system – meaning no electricity, no pumps and no moving parts – and the basic concept involves using a free-standing reservoir of water that plants can draw from when needed, cutting down on time astronauts would spend watering plants during the growth interval.

Seepage and Ponding within a Southern Hemisphere Crater

Veggie PONDS

iss055e070862 (5/14/2018) --- NASA Astronaut Drew Feustel is photographed performing Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) operations - including cleaning the Veggie Ponds hardware and Veggie facility (location COL1A1_B1/D1) and then setting up for Drying Out - in the Columbus module. The primary goal of the Veggie PONDS hardware validation test is to demonstrate plant growth in a newly developed plant growing system, PONDS.

Maneuvering Melt Ponds

On July 10, 2011, Don Perovich, of Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, maneuvered through melt ponds collecting optical data along the way to get a sense of the amount of sunlight reflected from sea ice and melt ponds in the Chukchi Sea. The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is a NASA shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research took place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter looks near the northeast edge of the unusually large melt pond adjacent to the lunar far side crater King.

King Crater Unusual Melt Pond

Sipping From a Melt Pond

On July 19, 2011, Zachary Brown of Stanford University sipped freshwater from a melt pond on sea ice in the Arctic ocean. The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is a NASA shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research took place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>

Melt Pond Optics

On July 6, 2011, Don Perovich, of Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, used a spectroradiometer to measure the amount of sunlight reflected from the surface of ice and melt ponds in the Chukchi Sea. The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is a NASA shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research took place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>

Sampling Melt Ponds

On July 10, 2011, Jens Ehn of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (left), and Christie Wood of Clark University (right), scooped water from melt ponds on sea ice in the Chukchi Sea. The water was later analyzed from the Healy's onboard science lab. The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is a NASA shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research took place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>

iss059e035465 (April 25, 2019) --- NASA astronaut Christina Koch works on space botany using the Veggie PONDS research gear to cultivate and harvest lettuce and mizuna greens for consumption on the International Space Station and analysis on Earth.

Veggie Ponds experiment Initiation

iss059e035668 (April 25, 2019) --- NASA astronaut Christina Koch works on space botany research using the Veggie PONDS gear to cultivate and harvest lettuce and mizuna greens for consumption on the International Space Station and analysis on Earth.

Veggie Ponds experiment Initiation

Veggie Ponds Germination Cap Remove

iss059e035838 (4/28/2019) --- Documentation taken during removal of Germination Cap from each Veggie Ponds Module while module is in Veggie Bellows. Veggie PONDS uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens which are to be harvested on-orbit, and consumed, with samples returned to Earth for analysis.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

Seeds are being planted in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

Dr. Ye Zhang, a project scientists, places seeds in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units are being prepared for seed planting inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

Seeds are being planted in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

Seeds are being planted in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

From left, Matthew Romeyn and Dr. Ye Zhang, project scientists, place seeds in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

View of Johnson Space Center Administrative Building 1 taken from across the fish pond.

View of Building 1 from across the fish pond

S65-41769 (1965) --- View of facilities at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. Photo is taken from across the fish pond. NOTE: The Manned Spacecraft Center was named Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in memory of the late President following his death.

BLDG. - MISC - VIEW ACROSS POND

Sediment Ponds in Tithonium Chasma

This survey of the canyon floor of Tithonium Chasma in Valles Marineris reveals terrain of two distinct ages. The slopes and hilltops here are made up of rough rocky outcrop that was sculpted by impact craters of all sizes. In contrast, the valley floors are filled with light toned, smooth materials with far fewer large craters. At HiRISE resolution, we can see that the "smooth" materials are in fact littered with boulders and small impact craters, so they cannot have been emplaced very recently. However, the absence of larger craters tells us that the smooth materials are much younger than the ancient rocky outcrops of the canyon floor. The smooth materials appear to be sediments that were deposited possibly by the wind, long after the canyon was formed. The sediments filled in the low lying spots in the canyon floor, leaving a landscape that resembles lakes and ponds but is made up of dust and sand instead of water. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26328

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 10 crew

ISS010-E-06681 (12 November 2004) --- Shark Bay, Australia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 10 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). This image shows large solar salt works developed in Useless Loop and Useless Inlet, Shark Bay, Western Australia. The salt (sodium chloride) is produced when ponds are repeatedly flooded with seawater, which is progressively concentrated by evaporation. This particular salt farm opened in 1967 and expanded operations in the 1990s. Today, this salt farm comprises over 50 ponds, the newest pond in the outermost pond in Useless Inlet, which provides the first evaporation cycle to increase the salinity of the water prior to entering the next pond. Complex chemical and biological adjustments occur in the system each time the configuration of ponds is changed.

GRC-2009-C-03906

Vallis Alpes

In many parts of the world, wetlands are being converted to shrimp ponds in order to farm these crustaceans for food and sale. One example is on the west coast of Ecuador, south of Guayaquil. This image was acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft.

Shrimp Farms, Ecuador

The Bushveld Igneous Complex BIC is a large layered igneous intrusion within the earth crust, exposed at the edge of the Transvaal Basin in South Africa. Numerous mines, tailings piles, and leach ponds are shown in blue.

Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa

Flooded Crater

Huron, South Dakota

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Two blue-winged teals swim in a pond near KSC. The species prefers marshes and shallow ponds and lakes for nesting and range from Canada to North Carolina, the Gulf Coast and Southern California, as well as Florida. KSC shares a boundary with the National Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, which provides wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds.

iss059e038845

iss059e038845 (5/2/2019) --- Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut David Saint-Jacques is photographed performing a reservoir fill on the Veggie Ponds facility in the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS). The primary goal of the Veggie PONDS hardware validation test is to demonstrate plant growth in a newly developed plant growing system, Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS).

NASA New Horizons spacecraft captured this feature which appears to be a frozen, former lake of liquid nitrogen, located in a mountain range just north of Pluto informally named Sputnik Planum.

Pluto: On Frozen Pond

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this view of layered, flaky rocks believed to have formed in an ancient streambed or small pond. The six images that make up this mosaic were captured using Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on June 2, 2022, the 3,492nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25368

Curiosity's Mastcam Views Flaky, Streambed Rocks

NASA Terra satellite presents this false color view of portions of Wisconsin and Michigan, including Devil Lake, Druid Lake, Ghost Lake, Spider Lake, and Witches Lake in Wisconsin; and Bat Lake, Corpse Pond and Witch Lake in Michigan.

NASA Satellite Scares Up An Eerie Image of Haunted Lakes and Ghost Ships

This image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the southern latitude Hale Crater, a rather large, pristine elliptical crater possessing sharp features, impact melt bodies ponded throughout the structure and few overprinting impact craters.

Light-Toned Gully Materials on Hale Crater Wall

KSC-99wl07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the Kennedy Space Center, is winter home to hundreds of waterfowl such as these coots and pintail ducks. The smaller coot inhabits open ponds and marshes, wintering in saltwater bays and inlets. They range from southern Canada to northern South America. The pintail can be found in marshes, prairie ponds and tundra, and salt marshes in winter. They range from Alaska and Greenland south to Central America and the West Indies

iss062e112685

U.S. eastern seaboard with Cape Cod taken from Atlantis during STS-106

STS106-710-060 (8-20 September 2000) --- One of the STS-106 crew members on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis used a handheld 70mm camera to photograph this image of Cape Cod and parts of Massachusetts. Partial sun glint highlights the coastline and brings out subtle details in the waters around Massachusetts. The maximum advance of an ice sheet 23,000 years ago is marked by the unique shape of Cape Cod and by the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Rocks and debris left at the edges of the ice fronts made parts of the landscape slightly higher and more resistant to erosion. Glacial retreat and sea level rise covered the lower ground and gave us the more modern coastline that we are familiar with. The city of New Bedford can be located near the coast and just below the circular lakes of Long Pond, Great Quiittacas Pond, and Assawompset Pond.

KSC-07pd0727

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Snowy egrets wade through a pond for their food. The pond is near Kennedy Space Center. This species inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice field and shallow coastal bays along the coast from Maine to southern South America. They are also found in northern California, Texas and Oklahoma. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 22 Crew

ISS022-E-012224 (15 Dec. 2009) --- Evaporation ponds in the Salar de Atacama, Chile are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member on the International Space Station. The Salar (salt flat) de Atacama in Chile is an enclosed basin with no drainage outlets. While the grey-brown surface of the Salar is flat and desiccated, mineral-rich brines - water with a high percentage of dissolved salts - are located below the surface. The subsurface brines of the Salar de Atacama are particularly rich in lithium salts. Lithium is an essential component of advanced batteries and medicines, among many other uses. The brines are pumped to the surface through a network of wells and into large shallow evaporation ponds ? three such evaporation pond facilities are visible in the center of the image. Color variations in the ponds are due to varying amounts of salts relative to water. The dry and windy climate enhances evaporation of the water, leaving concentrated salts behind for extraction of the lithium. The Salar de Atacama is located in the southern half of the Atacama Desert ? with no historical or current records of rainfall in some parts of this desert, it is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth. This photograph illustrates the central portion of the Salar de Atacama. It is bounded by brown to grey-brown folded and faulted strata of the Cordillera de la Sal to the northwest (upper left) and darker bedrock of the Cordon de Lila to the south (lower right).

Sutton Island Model of Drying Lakes (Animation)

This animation demonstrates how streams may have flowed from Mount Sharp to the floor of Gale Crater, where salty ponds may have been left behind as the region dried out over time. Rocks enriched with mineral salts discovered by NASA's Curiosity at a location on Mount Sharp called "Sutton Island" suggest that water vanished slowly, rather than all at once, possibly returning to the area in a persistent cycle of drying and overflow. This discovery serves as a watermark for when the Martian climate was gradually getting drier. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23375

ISS015-E-08879 (18 May 2007) --- An evaporation pond near the Colorado River in Utah is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 15 Crew

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41D-42-045 (30 Aug-5 Sept 1984) --- Lake Carnegie in western Australia, 600 miles northeast of Perth. This is an island basin dotted with numerous salt lakes, ponds, flats, benches, and dunes.

Earth observations taken during STS-41D mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A great egret preens its feathers while standing in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The breed feeds alone, stalking fish, frogs, snakes and crayfish in shallow water. They inhabit freshwater and salt marshes, marshy ponds and tidal flats. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

SpaceX CRS-14 What's On Board Science Briefing

Howard Levine, at left, chief scientist in the Utilization and Life Sciences Office at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and Dave Reid, a project manager with Techshot, discuss continuing research on growing food in space, as the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) experiment tests a new way to deliver nutrients to plants. PONDS is one of the experiments that will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:30 p.m. EST, on April 2, 2018. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 14th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

KSC-99wl08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A pintail duck is poised for landing, joining other ducks and coots on the waters of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge at Kennedy Space Center. The refuge is winter home to hundreds of waterfowl such as these coots and pintail ducks. The smaller coot inhabits open ponds and marshes, wintering in saltwater bays and inlets. They range from southern Canada to northern South America. The pintail can be found in marshes, prairie ponds and tundra, and salt marshes in winter. They range from Alaska and Greenland south to Central America and the West Indies

KSC-08pd4121

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a pied-billed Grebe swims on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge. The normal black band on its bill is lacking in winter. The most common grebe in eastern North America, the pied-billed Grebe inhabits marshes and ponds, eating small fish, crustaceans, especially crayfish, and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4125

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A yellowleg sandpiper wades in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They range through Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern U.S. to southern South America. They inhabit marshy ponds, lake and river shores and mud flats. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Pitted Material from Tooting Crater

Tooting Crater is one of the youngest craters on Mars that is larger than 20-kilometers in diameter. Relatively low areas inside and outside the crater are covered by a distinctive pitted and ponded material. The pits are not impact craters, as they lack ejecta and are very closely spaced. There is one small impact crater near the lower right corner of our picture, which is much more circular than the pits and has a raised rim and ejecta. One interpretation is that this pitted and ponded material was hot impact ejecta from Tooting, and loss of volatiles from this material or underlying materials created the pits as it cooled. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23848

KSC-07pd0729

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An American coot sees its reflection in this pond near Kennedy Space Center. Abundant around KSC in the winter, coots inhabit open ponds and marshes, and in winter, also saltwater bays and inlets. They range from southern Canada to northern South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

The Mall

This archival image was released as part of a gallery comparing JPL's past and present, commemorating the 80th anniversary of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Oct. 31, 2016. This photograph from 1971 shows the open-air gathering area at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory known as "The Mall." It looks east towards the Applied Mechanics building (the blocky white building now numbered 157). The person in the foreground is Robert Steinbacher, the project scientist for the Mariner 9 mission to Mars. The concrete bridge crossing the ponds remains, even though the ponds have been removed. Many trees and another building, the Central Engineering Building (301), block the view to Building 157 now. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21125

KSC-05pd2340

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In a pond near the Launch Pad 39 area at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, an alligator hides in the shadows under overhanging branches. Nearly 5,000 alligators can be found in canals, ponds and waterways throughout the Center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Wildlife Refuge encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An alligator is spotted sunning on the muddy bank of a canal in KSC. Nearly 5,000 alligators can be found in canals, ponds, and waterways throughout the Center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Wildlife Refuge encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles.

Earth Observations by the Expedition 19 crew

ISS019-E-014473 (5 May 2009) --- Salt ponds in Nueva Victoria, northern Chile are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 19 crew member on the International Space Station. This view shows a long alluvial fan, sloping from east to west (left to right) in northern Chile with solar evaporation (or salt) ponds, some brightly colored, near the foot of the fan. The alluvial fan sediments are brown and contrast sharply with tan sediments of the Pampa del Tamarugal, the great hyper arid inner valley of Chile?s northern Atacama Desert. Nitrates and many other minerals are mined in this region. A few extraction pits and ore dumps are visible at bottom right, but most of the shallow diggings (0.5?5 meters deep) of a mine extracting caliche deposits ? a hard, cemented layer in the soil formed by downward movement and redeposition of sodium salts ? lie just outside the picture. Iodine is one of the products from mining; it is first extracted by a process known as heap leaching. Waste liquids from the iodine plants are dried in the tan and brightly colored evaporation ponds to crystallize nitrate salts for collection. Fertilizer production for higher-value crops is the main use for the recovered nitrates, but there are many other uses including the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, explosives, glass, ceramics, water treatment and metallurgical processes.

PAD - GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-3 - CAPE

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hooded Merganser ducks swim on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A snowy egret is on the lookout for food in a pond on NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A type of heron, the snowy egret inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice fields and shallow coastal bays ranging from Maine to southern South America on the east coast. It can also be found in California and Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with two females. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dust particles scatter during an experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fabricated material is designed to mimic the dust on the lunar surface. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to conduct a dust particle experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck stretches its wings. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A snowy egret stands in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A type of heron, the snowy egret inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice fields and shallow coastal bays ranging from Maine to southern South America on the east coast. It can also be found in California and Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A Great Blue Heron majestically takes to the air as it leaves the shallow water behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes in a range from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies. It is frequently found standing at the edge of a pond or pool, watching for fish or frogs, its principal food. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A tall Great Blue Heron warily eyes its surroundings while standing in the shallow water behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes in a range from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies. It is frequently found standing at the edge of a pond or pool, watching for fish or frogs, its principal food. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lesser yellowlegs wade through a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This pond near Schwartz Rd. at Kennedy Space Center is host to a least the nine alligators shown on the banks and in the water. Nearly 5,000 alligators can be found in canals, ponds, and waterways throughout the Center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the Center. American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Wildlife Refuge encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to conduct a dust particle experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to conduct a dust particle experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a male Northern pintail duck swims on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge. Pintails inhabit marshes, prairie ponds and tundra. Widely distributed across the U.S. and Canada, the breed winters south to Central America and the West Indies. It feeds largely on seeds of aquatic plants but may also take small aquatic animals. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hooded Merganser ducks swim on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with a female. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dust particles are readied for an experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fabricated material is designed to mimic the dust on the lunar surface. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to conduct a dust particle experiment for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Dust Mitigation project in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory in the SwampWorks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The technology works by creating an electric field that propagates out like the ripples on a pond. This could prevent dust accumulation on spacesuits, thermal radiators, solar panels, optical instruments and view ports for future lunar and Mars exploration activities.

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A lesser yellowleg slows for landing in a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This pond near Schwartz Rd. at Kennedy Space Center is host to a least the nine alligators shown on the banks and in the water. Nearly 5,000 alligators can be found in canals, ponds, and waterways throughout the Center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the Center. American alligators feed and rest in the water, and lay their eggs in dens they dig into the banks. The young alligators spend their first several weeks in these dens. The Wildlife Refuge encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with a female (right) who is stretching her wings. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A turtle cruises past a lesser yellowleg in a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A snowy egret is spotted in the midst of reeds near a pond on NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A type of heron, the snowy egret inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice fields and shallow coastal bays ranging from Maine to southern South America on the east coast. It can also be found in California and Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A snowy egret marches through a pond near Kennedy Space Center, looking for food. The snowy egret can be identified by its slender black bill, black legs and yellow feet. This species inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice field and shallow coastal bays along the coast from Maine to southern South America. They are also found in northern California, Texas and Oklahoma. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

An adult alligator suns himself along the shoreline of a waterway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

Nature Photography - Gators

Alligators sun themselves along the shoreline of waterway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

Nature Photography - Gators

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Male and female northern shovelers swim in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A mixed group of water birds searches for food in a lake near Kennedy Space Center. Identified are a Great Egret (background, with yellow beak), White Ibis (far right and center, orange beak), and Roseate Spoonbills. All prefer marshes, mud flats, ponds, lagoons and tidal flats as habitat. They are frequently found in the warm, coastal areas of Florida

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Earth Observations taken by the Expedition Seven crew

ISS007-E-08251 (25 June 2003) --- This photo featuring the San Francisco Bay area in California was photographed from the International Space Station (ISS) by astronaut Edward T. Lu, Expedition 7 NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer. The San Francisco Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, and Golden Gate Park are visible at upper right. Stanford University and red salt ponds on the bay near Fremont at lower left.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– Snowy egrets gather in water on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are distinguished by their slim black beaks, black legs and yellow feet. These egrets inhabit salt marshes, ponds, rice fields and shallow coastal bays. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge, which is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Parker Solar Probe Rollback for Launch

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket that will boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe is reflected in a nearby pond during rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An American wigeon cruises through the water in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann