Keith’s note: NASA issued a press release “NASA Releases Report on Starliner Crewed Flight Test Investigation” today: ” NASA released a report of findings from the Program Investigation Team examining the Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.” Full release and report link below

Keith’s note (from 2003): “We were here to erect a memorial to Columbia astronaut Michael Anderson. These memorials take the form of an inukshuk, a stone sculpture in rough human form used by the Inuit to mark territory and as reference points for those who traverse this desolate place. As we establish these memorial inukshuks, we do so for the very same reason the Inuit do: to aid in future exploration – in this case, of Devon Island. Given the sheer mass of the structure, and the slow manner with which things change here, this inukshuk may well be standing 500 years from now. That should be long enough. Maybe someone serving on a starship will think to visit it.” Ad Astra More

Keith’s note: according to NASA: “NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down early Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, concluding a more than five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.”

Keiths note: I was on Deutsche Welle TV tonight talking about the crew 11 return in a few hours. [Audio] [Video] 15 Jan update: I just recorded another, post-splashdown interview with DW which should air this evening.

Keith’s note: This was posted last night from the International Space Station on LinkedIn by Mike Fincke: As many of you have heard, our crew will be coming home just a few weeks earlier than planned due to an unexpected medical issue. (Full note below)

Keith’s note: I live-tweeted the ISS crew telecon at @NASAWatch – highlights:

• Jared Isaacman: It is in the best interest of crew II to return early. Crew 12 will launch in mid-Feb. Evaluating earlier launch opportunities.
• JD Polk: no mention will be made of a particular astronaut or diagnosis. Need to respect privacy of astronaut. That astronaut is “absolutely stable”. The incident was sufficient enough that we would like to complete work-up on the ground with full suite of medical hardware. Not a emergency departure but there is a lingering risk.
• JD Polk: Previous incidents on ISS that guide response? JD Polk – yes – we have had capabilities on orbit that very always able to treat medical things that popped up during past 25 years.
• JD Polk: Previous incidents on ISS that guide response? JD Polk – yes – we have had capabilities on orbit that very always able to treat medical things that popped up during past 25 years.
• Jared Isaacman: Will there me a medical officer on ISS? All astronauts have extensive medical training. Having a M.D. on board would not really change anything. We are exercising capabilities that were engineered into ISS – at will.
• Jared Isaacman: Good question: what in space medical capabilities need to be in place for Moon and Mars missions. ISS already has a capability. We continue to learn. We will see if that informs on-orbit space ops – then to the Moon – then deep space missions to Mars.

Keith’s note: Jared Isaacman took several Trump family members for a plane ride the other day. Before you start to wag your fingers at him for this – understand that there will be many more opportunities for lots of NASA employees – and others – to get the same opportunity and that Isaacman is footing the bill for all of the expenses – in his own jets (yes he painted NASA logos on them). FYI he likes to fly lots of people in these jets and has been doing so for years. Silver Snoopys are nice. But pulling a bunch of Gs is … fun. Two tweets were posted that go into further detail. (see below).

Keith’s note: Good Morning NASA. Critics wallow in the mud. Heroes live above the sky and reach for the stars. You rock Mark Kelly. Turn up the volume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ydz5-ecdpg

Keith’s 2 Jan 2025 update: I posted this a year ago. We are coming up on the agency’s Remembrance Day observations. We’re about to see humans return to the Moon. NASA has not bothered to update or repost this link. Why airbrush history when you are trying to repeat it? Keith’s original 26 Jan 2025 note: Looks like this DEIA-oriented page at NASA.gov needs to be erased ASAP: “45 Years Ago: NASA Selects 35 New Astronauts On Jan. 16, 1978, NASA announced the selection of 35 new astronauts, the first time in more than eight years that the agency had admitted new astronauts. The selection of the first class of space shuttle astronauts held historic significance not only because of its then-record size but also because, for the first time, the group included women and minorities. Previous astronaut selections in the 1960s consisted of test pilots or scientists, in those days the domain principally of white men.“ Update: I posted this on Sunday morning, 26 January. I checked today – 27 January – and it is gone.  This is what it looked like 2 days before being removed.

Keith’s note: according to a press release from the National Academies of Science “A new report “A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars“ from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies the highest priority science objectives for the first human mission to Mars, and says searching for evidence of existing or past life on Mars should be the top priority. Improving our understanding of the effects of Mars’ environment on humans, plants, and animals; water cycles; geologic records; and dust storms are also among the 11 science priorities named in the report.” There will be a media event today from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (ET). Watch live.

Keith’s note: Last week a large group of former NASA astronauts sent a letter to Senators Cruz and Cantwell in support of Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA Administrator. His (re)nomination hearing will be held on Wednesday. Letter below.

Keith’s note: the other day Russia broke the only launch pad it has that can launch Soyuz or Progress missions to the ISS. Space social media is all over the place with what needs to be fixed and how long it will take, cost, etc. NASA has not said much of anything other than admitting “yea, we noticed”. SpaceX is doing just fine. Boeing Starliner – well, not so much and they are not going to be in a position to do much heavy lifting for a while until they prove – for the fourth time – that their system works. As was the case after the loss of Columbia we’re back to a single string of crew launch capability i.e. no back-up. And you will recall all of the arm waving and fuss that the incoming Administration had about two “stranded” astronauts on ISS. Cargo supply to ISS is better off (Dragon, Cygnus, JAXA). Yet, when you add in the ticking clock for splashing ISS and what a reimagined Artemis will look like and NASA is going to have its hands full in 2026. With fewer staff and a significantly smaller budget projection, this is going to be a challenge. ‘Per Aspera’ is going to be more pronounced as we do the whole ‘Ad Astra’ thing.

Keith’s note: This is how a NASA person speaks truth to power. You can leave NASA but NASA never leaves you. It’s that ‘Right Stuff’ we all share. Senator Mark Kelly posted this via @SenMarkKelly to deal with the ‘Wrong Stuff’ issued by the White House: “When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution. I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired – which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents. In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets. At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much. Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death. If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

Keith’s note: ISS astronaut Zena Cardman will be participated in the 2025 Global Women’s Summit today. This could have only happened without coordination with NASA Public Affairs. This astronaut took time out of their scheduled to speak. Check the hourly cost of an astronaut’s time – fully loaded. Its not insignificant. Alas, the @NASA Twitter account with 87.8 million followers and all other agency social media outlets, NASA TV, NASA.gov etc. made zero mention. Yet another chance to reach outside the space bubble squandered.

Keith’s note: According to a post by Heron House: “Today our Heron House Family remembers and celebrates the remarkable life of Captain Rick Hauck, a man whose courage carried him through every chapter of life, from commanding missions in space to bravely facing Parkinson’s disease for more than fifteen years. Rick was a NASA astronaut, naval officer, physicist, husband, and father, but to those of us who had the honor of knowing him here at The Heron House, he was something even more profound: a man of quiet strength and dignity.” Ad Astra.

Keith’s note: Everyone is pleased that Jared Isaacman is back in the NASA Administration nominee’s chair at NASA. But the current Administration just can’t take this win without taking a swipe at the previous Administration by calling them out on DEI issues – including the agency’s statement about sending the “first woman” to the Moon. see “NASA Nominee Plans to Prioritize America First Agenda in Space, Not DEI“ in the Daily Signal quoted by the White House press secretary: “Under the Biden administration, the public emphasis of the 2026 mission to the moon, Artemis III, was taking the first woman and first person of color there. But astronaut selection is about merit, expertise, and experience, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens said. Under the Trump administration, NASA has refined its public messaging to reinforce that Artemis is primarily about advancing space exploration.” Newsflash: during the Trump 1.0 Administration (not The Biden Administration) the “first woman” wording was added according to the NASA press release: “NASA Publishes Artemis Plan to Land First Woman, Next Man on Moon in 2024.” Just sayin’. Use Grok next time to check these things.

Keith’s note: according to a well researched and brutally accurate story “NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown” at Space.com: “The workforce at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, say this has put groundbreaking missions at risk, and is degrading roadblocks designed to safeguard human lives. Now, under the cloak of a closed U.S. government, nearly half the GSFC campus — the hub of NASA science — is marked for abandonment.”

Keith’s note: NASA OIG just released this report: “NASA’s Management of ISS Extravehicular Activity Spacesuits“. In a nutshell: “To ensure the continued operations of the International Space Station and the safety of the crew, NASA and its spacesuit support contractor must ensure the suits used for spacewalks, designed more than 50 years ago, are well-maintained and reliable. The contractor, Collins Aerospace, has struggled to ensure sufficient life support components for the suits are delivered when needed and within budget and that meet quality expectations. While Collins’ performance over the last several years has declined, NASA has limited leverage to incentivize improved performance.”

Keith’s note: Once upon a time NASA PAO would have talked about increasing diversity – in the Astronaut Corps – and elsewhere across the agency. Now — not so much.