Featured Stories
Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility Receives Approval to Begin Full-scale Construction
AIKEN, South Carolina, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
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Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility receives approval to begin full-scale construction
October 19, 2026
AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has reached approval to proceed with full-scale construction following the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) approval of Critical Decision (CD)-2/3 for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project on October 15,
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AIKEN, South Carolina, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
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Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility receives approval to begin full-scale construction
October 19, 2026
AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has reached approval to proceed with full-scale construction following the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) approval of Critical Decision (CD)-2/3 for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) project on October 15,2026. The decision authorizes the start of full-scale construction of SRPPF in support of NNSA's plutonium pit production mission.
As part of the Department of Energy's process for the acquisition of capital assets, CD-2/3 approval marks formal completion of the design phase for the SRPPF Main Process Building, authorizes construction, and establishes a performance baseline for the project. CD-2/3 approval is a landmark step in advancing the SRPPF project.
"The approval to proceed with full construction of SRPPF is a monumental achievement - one that will have a tremendous impact on SRS and the region for years to come," said Jeff Griffin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the management and operations contractor for the site. "The construction of SRPPF and its role in modernizing America's strategic deterrent is a top priority for our government. We recognize the urgency, and we are working together with our NNSA and subcontract partners to meet our commitments and deliver this project for the nation."
Following CD-2/3 approval, mobilization for construction activities will now significantly increase at SRS with more than 3,000 new workers anticipated at peak construction.
When complete and operational, SRPPF is expected to employ a workforce of over 2,000 personnel. Pit production workforce pipeline and development initiatives are already in progress at SRS, including construction of the High-Fidelity Training and Operations Center (HFTOC). The HFTOC is forecast for completion in 2028 and will allow for pit production workforce development to advance while SRPPF is under construction.
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Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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Original text here: https://public.srs.gov/2026/10/savannah-river-plutonium-processing-facility-receives-approval-to-begin-full-scale-construction/
National Gallery of Art Presents First Exhibition Exploring the Fragment in Sculpture Across Time and Place
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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National Gallery of Art Presents First Exhibition Exploring the Fragment in Sculpture Across Time and Place
October 19, 2026
Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture brings together more than 70 works across continents and millennia, including some never before on view in the US
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Washington, DC--The National Gallery of Art presents Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture, the first exhibition to consider the fragment as an artistic concept across place and time. Breakage has always been
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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National Gallery of Art Presents First Exhibition Exploring the Fragment in Sculpture Across Time and Place
October 19, 2026
Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture brings together more than 70 works across continents and millennia, including some never before on view in the US
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Washington, DC--The National Gallery of Art presents Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture, the first exhibition to consider the fragment as an artistic concept across place and time. Breakage has always beena part of the history of art. Time, natural events, war, devotion, and even artists themselves have transformed sculptures into fragments that hold their own distinctive power. For millennia fragments have captivated viewers, revealing their fascinating histories while eliciting a range of complex responses--from awe to curiosity to empathy.
Featuring more than 70 works from over 50 lenders, including many that have never been on view in the United States, the exhibition brings together sculptures from the ancient world to today and represents a broad range of artistic traditions and geographies. Broken opens in the United States at the National Gallery on March 13, 2027, and will remain on view in the West Building through June 27, 2027, following its presentation at the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy.
"Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture considers the unique emotional responses and creative impulses prompted by fragmented sculptures, a familiar yet intriguing form present throughout history," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. "This ambitious exhibition would not have been possible without our close collaboration with the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the extraordinary generosity of public and private collections around the world. They have entrusted us with some of their most beautiful and extraordinary objects, a testament to museums' role as sites of preservation as well as repositories for the important histories behind objects both broken and whole."
The exhibition features rare loans from major public collections, including the British Museum in London, the Hellenic National Archaeological Museum in Athens, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City, the Musee du Louvre in Paris, and the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. The fragments on view span the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Japan, Mesoamerica, Mesopotamia, and Rome, and extend through the pre- and early modern cultures of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, France, Germany, Mali, Mexico, and Peru. The exhibition concludes with works by modern and contemporary artists, including El Anatsui, Huma Bhabha, Louise Bourgeois, Constantin Brancusi, Camille Claudel, Alberto Giacometti, Geumhyung Jeong, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Paul Pfeiffer, Auguste Rodin, Danh Vo, and Fred Wilson.
"Among the ways fragments exert their power is by making us think about the vastness of time and the passage of cultures. Many of the fragments in Broken have been carefully selected to do just that, representing extraordinary survivals from the distant past that carry us into the present," said C. D. Dickerson III, cocurator of the exhibition and dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art.
"We are very grateful to the contemporary artists who are showing their works in Broken, many of whom made their own selections. Their contributions powerfully demonstrate how the fragment is a way to both reflect on the ruptures of the past and imagine new and generative futures," said cocurator Andrew Sears, associate curator of northern European paintings at the National Gallery of Art
Broken unfolds through thematic sections that examine the forces that have rendered so many sculptures broken across time, and the resonances that the resulting fragments have held for viewers. The opening galleries introduce viewers to the visual and expressive power of the fragment. Visitors will first encounter the famous right hand of a colossal statue traditionally identified as the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (c. 330 CE), an unprecedented loan from the courtyard of Rome's Capitoline Museum. Another highlight is a rare life-size sculpture of a scarified woman (c. 200 CE) from the ancient city of Tamtoc in north central Mexico, discovered in 2005.
The next section examines how natural forces have taken their toll on sculptures, both gradually, through environmental processes like erosion, and suddenly, through cataclysmic events like earthquakes and floods. Among the exhibition's most striking objects is a Greek statue of a boy, possibly a wrestler, dating to the early 1st century BCE. It was recovered in 1900 from an ancient shipwreck after resting on the seafloor for two millennia, and it has never before been exhibited in the United States. Another highlight is a wood sculpture of Christ carrying the cross from late 14th- or early 15th-century Tuscany. Swept away in the catastrophic flooding that devastated Florence in 1966, it was later found downstream on the bank of the Arno River. Its precise origin remains unknown. This section also features a contemporary work by Cannupa Hanska Luger (enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold [Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara] and Lakota): a pair of ceramic bison skeletons that reflect on the species' near-extinction and its effect on the environment and inhabitants of the Great Plains.
The exhibition then pivots to focus on acts of iconoclasm--the destruction of objects driven by religious or political beliefs, often marked by instances of protest, violence, or regime change. On view in the National Gallery's presentation is Joseph Wilton's Tail from the Equestrian Statue of King George III (1770-1776), which reflects political protest from the early days of US independence. Part of a larger display on the history of equestrian statues, the fragment comes from a colonial-era equestrian statue of the British monarch, which was dismantled in 1776 during the American Revolution. This work is placed in conversation with fragments from the earliest surviving bronze equestrian statue of a ruler (c. 320-270 BCE), which was originally installed near the Athenian Agora and has never been exhibited outside Greece. Another highlight in this section is the fragmented torso of an Akkadian ruler (c. 2300-2250 BCE), probably attacked by political opponents, which has never been exhibited publicly before.
Another group of objects demonstrates the effects of war and vandalism from antiquity to the modern era. Among the highlights are two works from German collections that were severely damaged during World War II: a monumental grave figure (c. 1000-800 BCE) excavated at the archaeological site of Tell Halaf in Syria and a gothic Pieta from a Prague workshop (c. 1380), of which only the heads of Christ and the Virgin Mary survive. This section also explores efforts to repair objects destroyed by violence. One example is a 10th-century statue of the Hindu god Rama. Sawn from its base during the Cambodian Civil War, it was sold on the art market, but in 2016 it was returned to Cambodia and reunited with its original pedestal.
The exhibition concludes by exploring how artists throughout history have embraced fragmentation as a creative and generative act. Works in this section range from premodern sculptures of individual body parts that convey expressive gestures or are charged with devotional power; to figures that were sculptued through acts of breakage; and works by contemporary artists responding to the fragment as an artistic concept and form of social commentary. One notable work, a terracotta figure by Michelangelo, appears to have been deliberately modeled as a fragment, thus in emulation of the many fragments of ancient sculpture being discovered in Italy during the Renaissance. Among the modern and contemporary artists featured are Huma Bhabha, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Gober, Paul Pfeiffer, Alina Szapocznikow, Danh Vo, and Fred Wilson. Geumhyung Jeong's mixed-media installation Removed Parts: Restored, first shown in 2021 and reimagined specifically for the National Gallery's presentation, brings together medical and mechanical parts to explore the contemporary body as an assemblage of interchangeable components.
Exhibition Tour
Fondazion Palazzo Strozzi, September 25, 2026-January 24, 2027
National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 13-June 27, 2027
Exhibition Organization and Support
Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence. Leadership support for the exhibition has been provided by Sarah F. Perot. Major support for the exhibition has been provided by Laura and John Arnold. The exhibition is also made possible through the generosity of the Richard C. von Hess Foundation, the Buffy and William Cafritz Family Fund, and Daniel W. Hamilton. Additional support is provided by the Annenberg Fund for the International Exchange of Art, the Edwin L. Cox Exhibition Fund, and the Virginia Cretella Mars Endowment.
Exhibition Curators
The exhibition is curated by C. D. Dickerson III, dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, and Andrew Sears, associate curator of northern European paintings, both from the National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with Arturo Galansino, director general of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi.
Accompanying Publication
Published in conjunction with the University of Chicago Press, the 280-page illustrated book that accompanies the exhibition explores the enduring fascination with broken sculptures through a range of interdisciplinary perspectives. It features contributions by scholars and artists, together with a lavish program of images illustrating fragments from the third millennium BCE to the present. Organized in three sections, the publication investigates what makes fragments so intriguing and the act of breaking itself, exploring the forces--both natural and human--that shaped these objects, the power dynamics of iconoclastic dismantling and defacement, and how various cultures treat broken statues. The book concludes by considering one of the most powerful ways humans have responded to fragments over the course of history: by creating new works that are intentionally fractured.
In the Library: Ode to the Broken
In conjunction with Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture, the National Gallery of Art Library presents an installation that is a visual meditation on art and architecture transformed by damage, destruction, or theft. It will examine the ways in which the works and places have been broken and, in some cases, transformed by their breaking.
The installation showcases rare photographs and photographic albums, stereoviews, prints, and rare books depicting art and architecture from around the world, including the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Merida Cathedral in Mexico, temple sculptures from Nara, Japan, Roman ruins, the environs of the World Trade Center, and modern art that riffs on the meaning of broken. Visitors to the exhibition can follow Alexander the Great as he enters Babylon, visit a raucous dinner at a table in 17th century Flanders, witness theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and glimpse various scenes from World War II, all representations of the universal experience of transformation.
Curated by Molli Kuenstner, image specialist for northern and central European art at the National Gallery of Art, this installation is on view from April 5 through June 25, 2027, in the East Building Library and Study Center from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
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About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is the nation's art museum, home to a renowned collection of over 160,000 works of art, from antiquity to today. Each year, the museum welcomes millions of people in person and online to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Located on the National Mall, admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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About the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi
The Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence is one of the leading international cultural institutions and a key reference point for the Italian art scene, housed in an icon of Renaissance architecture. Its exhibition program ranges from major shows devoted to old masters and modern art to site-specific projects and exhibitions by internationally renowned contemporary artists, such as Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson, Marina Abramovic, Anselm Kiefer or Anish Kapoor. Within this ongoing dialogue between past and present, Palazzo Strozzi is a place of artistic production and research, guided by innovation and accessibility for the public.
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Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, September 25, 2026-January 24, 2027
National Gallery of Art, Washington, March 13-June 27, 2027
For millennia, broken sculptures--or fragments--have captivated viewers and been admired for their ability to elicit a range of responses, including awe, curiosity, and empathy. As visually alluring as they are emotionally challenging, fragments bear witness to the histories they have endured, histories of violence, war, conquest, and upheaval. Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture is the first exhibition to consider the fragment as a transhistorical and transgeographical concept. The exhibition brings together more than 70 works from over 50 lenders worldwide, including several that have never been on view in the United States. Following its presentation at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy, from September 25, 2026, to January 24, 2027, Broken will debut in the United States at the National Gallery of Art in March 2027.
Broken frames the fragment as a category of sculpture in its own right. After considering why fragments provoke such powerful responses, the exhibition will explore the many forces responsible for breakage and the lessons they teach. Visitors will be led through thematic sections that engage a wide range of objects, geographies, and moments in history. One section will focus on acts of iconoclasm, or the destruction of objects driven by religious or political beliefs--from regime changes in ancient Mesopotamia to the Protestant Reformation in northern Europe and the American Revolution. Another will examine sculptures affected by war and vandalism, with examples from ancient Egypt and Greece, as well those impacted by more recent events, including World War II and the Cambodian Civil War. The exhibition will also look at how natural forces have left their mark: sculptures gradually eroded over time will be displayed alongside those suddenly altered by earthquakes or floods. The presentation will conclude with a consideration of how fragments have inspired artists to create sculptures meant to be seen as broken--a story that spans from prehistory to today. Among the modern and contemporary artists represented are Huma Bhabha, Louise Bourgeois, Constantin Brancusi, Camille Claudel, Cannupa Hanska Luger (enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold [Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara] and Lakota), Auguste Rodin, Danh Vo, and Fred Wilson.
Other exhibition highlights include the fragment of the right hand from the colossal statue of the Roman emperor Constantine (c. 330 CE), which has not left the courtyard of Rome's Capitoline Museum since being installed there in 1486; a rare life-size sculpture of a woman (c. 200 CE) from the ancient Mesoamerican city of Tamtoc, discovered in 2005 and never before exhibited in the United States; and the remains from one of the earliest known bronze equestrian statues (c. 303-302 BCE), originally installed at the Athenian Agora and never before exhibited outside Greece. Additionally, contemporary artists, including Paul Pfeiffer, have been invited to create site-specific installations for the National Gallery's presentation of the exhibition.
The exhibition is curated by C. D. Dickerson III, dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, and Andrew Sears, assistant curator of northern European paintings, both from the National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with Arturo Galansino, director general of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi.
Exhibition Organization and Support
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington and the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence.
Leadership support for the exhibition has been provided by Laura and John Arnold.
The exhibition is also made possible through the generosity of the Buffy and William Cafritz Family Fund and the Richard C. von Hess Foundation.
Additional support is provided by the Annenberg Fund for the International Exchange of Art.
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About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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URL: Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/national-gallery-art-presents-first-exhibition-exploring-fragment-sculpture-across-time-and-place
FBI Detroit Announces Michigan Results of Operation Summer Heat 2.0
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The FBI issued the following news release:
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October 19, 2026
FBI Detroit Announces Michigan Results of Operation Summer Heat 2.0
The FBI Detroit Field Office and its law enforcement partners announced Michigan results from Operation Summer Heat 2.0, a four-month nationwide initiative focused on combating violent crime, apprehending fugitives, disrupting criminal organizations, and identifying and locating child victims.
From June 1 through September 20, 2026, all 56 FBI field offices worked with law enforcement partners to focus investigative resources on violent
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The FBI issued the following news release:
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October 19, 2026
FBI Detroit Announces Michigan Results of Operation Summer Heat 2.0
The FBI Detroit Field Office and its law enforcement partners announced Michigan results from Operation Summer Heat 2.0, a four-month nationwide initiative focused on combating violent crime, apprehending fugitives, disrupting criminal organizations, and identifying and locating child victims.
From June 1 through September 20, 2026, all 56 FBI field offices worked with law enforcement partners to focus investigative resources on violentcrime and public safety. According to the FBI's national announcement, the operation produced the following results nationwide:
* 8,927 arrests, including more than 5,900 under the FBI's violent crime and gang program
* 5,013 illegally possessed weapons recovered
* 687 kilograms of fentanyl seized
* 27,512 kilograms of cocaine seized
* 1,410 child victims identified or located
In Michigan, FBI Detroit reported the following results during the initiative:
* 177 arrests
* 66 weapons recovered
* 77.2 kilograms of drugs seized
* 21 children located
"Our partnerships across Michigan are vital to reducing violent crime and keeping communities safe. Through the coordinated efforts of our FBI personnel and law enforcement partners, Operation Summer Heat 2.0 resulted in 177 arrests, 66 weapons recovered, more than 77 kilograms of drugs seized, and 21 children located," said Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "These results demonstrate what we can accomplish when local, state, federal, and international partners work together toward a shared mission. While this operation has concluded, our commitment to protecting Michigan families, holding violent offenders accountable, and safeguarding communities across our state continues."
The initiative brought together FBI agents, intelligence analysts, task force officers, and law enforcement partners to execute federal warrants, investigate violent offenders and criminal networks, and locate vulnerable children. FBI Detroit's work to combat violent crime continues beyond the conclusion of the nationwide operation. Anyone with information about violent criminal activity can contact local law enforcement or submit a tip to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov. For more information on the nationwide results, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-operation-summer-heat-20-nets-thousands-of-violent-crime-arrests
An accompanying graphic summarizes FBI Detroit's Michigan results.
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Original text here: https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases
Bureau of Transportation Statistics: County and Congressional District Transportation Profiles Updates
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics issued the following news:
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County and Congressional District Transportation Profiles Updates
Monday, October 19, 2026
In September 2026, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) updated both the County Transportation Profiles and the Congressional District Transportation Profiles. These profiles provide neutral, free, and publicly accessible baseline information on transportation infrastructure, use, and performance. Utilizing both the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) and curated infrastructure
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics issued the following news:
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County and Congressional District Transportation Profiles Updates
Monday, October 19, 2026
In September 2026, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) updated both the County Transportation Profiles and the Congressional District Transportation Profiles. These profiles provide neutral, free, and publicly accessible baseline information on transportation infrastructure, use, and performance. Utilizing both the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) and curated infrastructuredata, BTS provides information on the fundamental transportation statistics for counties, county-equivalents, and all 435 Congressional Districts from the 50 States and the District of Columbia for the 119th Congress.
The infrastructure data shown are derived from geospatial datasets covering airports, maritime docks, rail lines, and bridges; while the demographic and economic statistics are derived from both the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates and from 2023 County Business Patterns complete the profile's narrative with population and housing data.
In this update, all profiles utilize 2024 congressional district and county boundary data respectively. American Community Survey 5-year estimates for population and housing data reflect 2024 statistics. Infrastructure data is sourced from various years: airports and bridges are 2025 data, while rail and maritime are 2026 data.
To maintain strict geographic integrity, the 2023 Census's County Business Patterns data were not included in the 119th Congressional District profiles, due to non-conforming geographies. Additionally, updates to the maritime statistic reflect a data architecture update by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). USACE consolidated its framework from three legacy layers into a single dataset. The maritime statistic now reflects USACE's modernization effort, increasing accuracy when counting distinct active operational dock facilities.
To receive updates from BTS directly to your email, please consider subscribing to our GovDelivery service (https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOT/subscriber/new?category_id=USDOT_C17).
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Original text here: https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/county-and-congressional-district-transportation-profiles-updates
Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Airline Service Quality Performance Data - August 2026
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics issued the following news:
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Airline Service Quality Performance Data - August 2026
October 19, 2026
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Airline Service Quality Performance data compiled for the month of August 2026 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, mishandled wheelchairs, and scooters.
For additional information and interactive charts on transportation's role in aviation, please visit BTS' Aviation Facts and Figures (https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/Aviation-Facts-and-Figures/2ub2-svfq/).
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics issued the following news:
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Airline Service Quality Performance Data - August 2026
October 19, 2026
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Airline Service Quality Performance data compiled for the month of August 2026 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, mishandled wheelchairs, and scooters.
For additional information and interactive charts on transportation's role in aviation, please visit BTS' Aviation Facts and Figures (https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/Aviation-Facts-and-Figures/2ub2-svfq/).
BTS regularly updates TranStats, with both Marketing Carrier On-Time Performance (Beginning January 2018) and the Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987-present).
To receive updates from BTS directly to your email, please consider subscribing to our GovDelivery service (https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOT/subscriber/new?category_id=USDOT_C17).
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Original text here: https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/airline-service-quality-performance-data-august-2026
Artemis Generation Trains in the Nevada Desert: NASA Personnel, UNLV Students Complete Lunar Surface Operations Course at NNSS
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Nevada National Security Sites issued the following news:
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The Artemis generation trains in the Nevada desert: NASA personnel, UNLV students complete Lunar Surface Operations Course at NNSS
October 19, 2026
Before NASA astronauts take their historic steps on the lunar surface during the upcoming Artemis missions, they are honing their navigational, operational, and scientific skills in the rugged terrain of the Nevada desert.
Last month, the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) hosted a group of NASA personnel and University
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Oct. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Nevada National Security Sites issued the following news:
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The Artemis generation trains in the Nevada desert: NASA personnel, UNLV students complete Lunar Surface Operations Course at NNSS
October 19, 2026
Before NASA astronauts take their historic steps on the lunar surface during the upcoming Artemis missions, they are honing their navigational, operational, and scientific skills in the rugged terrain of the Nevada desert.
Last month, the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) hosted a group of NASA personnel and Universityof Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) students at its Nevada Space Proving Grounds (NSPG) for an intensive run of the NNSS-developed Lunar Surface Operations Course (LSOC). The hands-on training provided participants with direct exposure to full-scale lunar analogue operations, bridging the gap between academic space studies and real-world aerospace careers.
Rebooting a historic NASA legacy
The LSOC curriculum is built on a rich historical foundation. During the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s, NASA astronauts traveled to the Nevada Test Site--now known as the NNSS--to train in the vast crater fields created by historic underground testing. Every astronaut who walked on the moon first trained in these Nevada craters.
"The LSOC and other NSPG training is really a reboot of the NASA-affiliated work that was done out here at the test site in the 1960s and '70s," said NNSS Principal Scientist Nick Downs. "All of the Apollo astronauts trained out here. All of the astronauts who set foot on the moon first came here and trained in these same craters. It's hard to find craters that are 300, 400 meters in diameter, let alone hundreds of craters of that size clustered this closely together, anywhere on Earth. It just doesn't exist, and that makes the NNSS an exceptional place to do this kind of work. It's truly the only place you can train at a kilometer scale."
As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon for the first time in more than half a century, the NNSS's unique terrain offers an irreplaceable environment for testing equipment and operational concepts.
"Going back to the moon, this is the first time since Apollo days where crew will actually be walking on a terrestrial body for good distances. We haven't done this in a very long time," explained Quinn Dunn of NASA's New Moon Base Program. "Having the ability to have hands-on access to the type of terrain reminiscent of that we'll see on the moon... you can only do so much in a chamber. This gives us the vastness of what we're going to see on the moon."
Hands-on science at 1:1 scale
Developed over two years by Downs and fellow Principal Scientist Bryan Eleogram, the LSOC features an approximate 80/20 split between field operations and classroom instruction. The curriculum is designed to teach space industry participants how to execute rigorous science under demanding physical conditions.
During the course, UNLV students engaged in a variety of simulated lunar surface activities, including:
* Simulated Extravehicular Activities: Students conducted simulated moonwalks, practicing movement, communication, and field geology techniques across rocky, cratered slopes.
* Traversal route planning: Participants plotted traversal courses on the lunar surface using high-resolution remote sensing datasets and digital elevation models.
* Extreme lighting navigation: Students experienced the unique visual challenge of navigating under a low-horizon sun using the "Lunar Dominator 800,000"--a massive, high-output light source that mimics the intense, blinding glare astronauts encounter on the moon.
"The craters at the Site provide a great analogue for lunar surface training for all sorts of space professionals, whether from industry, government or academia," noted NNSS Geoscientist Tara Bartlett.
Inspiring Nevada's aerospace future
In addition to serving NASA program objectives, the LSOC offers Nevada students exposure to a unique, exclusive opportunity in their aerospace career trajectory.
"One thing we noticed is that infrastructure for Nevada students doesn't really exist in the aerospace area, and this really helps bridge that gap," said UNLV student Kylee Brahman. "The impacts of the research that's been going on here, and continues to go on here, is so monumental. It makes me excited about the future of aerospace and space flight, as well as the Artemis generation as a whole. I would encourage people to get involved."
The collaborative relationship between the NNSS and UNLV allows scientists to refine course modules while providing students with unforgettable career insights.
"UNLV has been a great partner to help us grow, develop, and fine-tune this course," Bartlett said. "This is the second time they've been out here, and their feedback has been invaluable in making the course better."
For the attending students, the three-day immersion offered both educational value and career inspiration.
"This is honestly the best three days of my summer," UNLV student David Gonzalez shared. "I saw great sights and learned a lot about Nevada and the test site history. It was amazing."
"I could have a career here, with other people who are like me, who look like me, who get to do this field work every day," added UNLV student Maya Lopez. "It's like, oh my god, that could be me someday. We're all just a bunch of little space nerds and this course has warmed our little space hearts."
For the NNSS scientific team, guiding university cohorts through the program is a rewarding extension of their primary mission.
"We walk them through all the training that the Apollo crew took, and all the training that the Artemis team took," Downs said. "Being able to have a small role in training the Artemis crew and training the next generation of university students who may one day work for NASA and who may be astronauts in 10 or 20 years is inspirational and just... fun."
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Original text here: https://nnss.gov/news/article/the-artemis-generation-trains-in-the-nevada-desert-nasa-personnel-unlv-students-complete-lunar-surface-operations-course-at-nnss/
Anthea M. Hartig, Director of the National Museum of American History, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Anthea M. Hartig, Director of the National Museum of American History, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
October 19, 2026
Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies whose members include George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, astronomer Maria Mitchell and other leaders from across a variety
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Anthea M. Hartig, Director of the National Museum of American History, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
October 19, 2026
Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies whose members include George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, astronomer Maria Mitchell and other leaders from across a varietyof disciplines. Hartig was recognized for her contributions as a public historian and leader in the fields of scientific, cultural and nonprofit leadership. She was formally inducted during a ceremony Saturday, Oct. 10, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Since joining the Smithsonian in 2019, Hartig has led the National Museum of American History through a period of growth and transformation, advancing efforts to make the museum more accessible, inclusive, relevant and sustainable while expanding its reach to audiences across the country and online. She is the first woman to lead the museum. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Hartig was the executive director and CEO of the California Historical Society.
In her acceptance letter, which was one of 12 selected for display at the academy, Hartig wrote that she was grateful and humbled by the election.
"To join such a remarkable roster, one that has been building for nearly 250 years, fills me with pride in our collective commitment to service, learning and the future of the democratic republic," Hartig wrote. "To be elected in this, the United States' semiquincentennial year, honors not only me but also those alongside whom I serve here at the Smithsonian."
Hartig joins a distinguished group of Smithsonian colleagues who have been elected to the academy, including Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian; Kevin Gover, Under Secretary for Museums and Culture; Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research; Cynthia Chavez Lamar, director of the National Museum of the American Indian; and Richard Kurin, Smithsonian distinguished scholar and ambassador-at-large.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded during the American Revolution and is both an honorary society that celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center that convenes leaders across disciplines. Hartig is among more than 250 new members elected to the academy this year.
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About the National Museum of American History
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum offers always expanding access to online exhibitions, PK-12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For more information, visit the museum's website. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/anthea-m-hartig-director-national-museum-american-history-elected-american
