This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
Exploration
LATEST
Spaceship Endeavour Is In Orbit
Spaceship Endeavour Is In Orbit

Keith’s note: Crew 8 lifted off on time tonight and is now in orbit. They’ll be arriving at the International Space Station on Tuesday. I was on Bloomberg radio twice today and then on BBC World News TV [AUDIO] to provide some pre- and post-launch commentary. One thing that I noticed – and made mention of – are the names of the spacecraft involved. NASA TV’s hosts talked about the Crew Dragon “Endeavour” – which was named after Space Shuttle “Endeavour”. The Apollo 15 command module also named “Endeavour”. But NASA PAO seems to be uninterested in mentioning that these spaceships of exploration had a historic namesake i.e. Capt. James Cook’s H.M.S. Endeavour. Note that NASA kept the English spelling of Cook’s ship in all of the spacecraft named after it. Also, the Crew Dragon already in space and docked to ISS that will bring some of the current occupants home is named “Endurance” after Sir Ernest Shackleton’s famous antarctic exploration ship “Endurance” – which was recently re-discovered on the Antarctic seabed. NASA refers to these crew stays on ISS as “expeditions”. It would be nice if someone in NASA PAO synched up their commentary so as to remind the public about actual historic resonances with ships of exploration – especially as we prepare to return to the Moon – to explore. Just sayin’.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • March 3, 2024
Domains Of Life Sciences In Spacefaring: What, Where, And How To Get Involved
Domains Of Life Sciences In Spacefaring: What, Where, And How To Get Involved

“The integration of biology and spacefaring has led to the development of three interrelated fields: Astrobiology, Bioastronautics, and Space Bioprocess Engineering. Astrobiology is concerned with the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe, while Bioastronautics focuses on the effects of spaceflight on biological systems, including human physiology and psychology. Space Bioprocess Engineering, on the other hand, deals with the design, deployment, and management of biotechnology for human exploration. This paper highlights the unique contributions of each field and outlines opportunities for biologists to engage in these exciting avenues of research. By providing a clear overview of the major fields of biology and spacefaring, this paper serves as a valuable resource for scientists and researchers interested in exploring the integration of these disciplines.” More here: “Astrobiology, Bioastronautics, And Space Bioprocess Engineering: Domains Of Life Sciences In Spacefaring: What, Where, And How To Get Involved

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • February 6, 2024
An Amazing Interview About The Little Mars Helicopter That Could
An Amazing Interview About The Little Mars Helicopter That Could

Keith’s note: You’ll never hear about this from NASA – but WBUR’s “OnPoint” program just covered the amazing saga of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter [Listen here]. I’ve listened to lots of space coverage – for a very long time – as a young boy and not so young adult. I have to say, “on Point” host Meghna Chakrabarti did a truly masterful interview with the Ingenuity team. Not only did she do her homework in advance, but she took the time to tease out the special little things from the team that made this little project a big success. More below.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • February 6, 2024
Space Force ‘Gets’ The Whole Space Exploration Outreach Thing. NASA …
Space Force ‘Gets’ The Whole Space Exploration Outreach Thing. NASA …

Keith’s note: If only NASA could utilize the same recruitment tools as effectively as Space Force i.e. “Some people look to the stars and ask “what if?”. Our job is to have an answer. … Maybe your purpose on this planet – isn’t on this planet”. The Space Force folks clearly ‘get’ the Star Trek / Star Wars vibe. NASA sometimes gets close to embracing that vide (see above) but then NASA always seems to hold back when they could run with the meme. Why?

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • February 3, 2024
Pam Melroy: Finding Life Elsewhere In The Universe? “Inevitable”
Pam Melroy: Finding Life Elsewhere In The Universe? “Inevitable”

Keith’s note: On Saturday 27 January 2024, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy appeared on CNN with Christiane Amanpour. A variety of topics such as warfare in space, safety, going to the Moon etc. were discussed but the one topic that got the most air time was Astrobiology – the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Transcript of that portion of the interview plus a link to the entire video.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 28, 2024
Remembrance
Remembrance

Keith’s note: From NASA: “From left to right, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Israel Eliav Benjamin, place wreaths at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial during a ceremony that was part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.” Larger image

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 28, 2024
Filling The Empty Cubicles At NASA HQ
Filling The Empty Cubicles At NASA HQ

Keith’s note: There’s a NASA analyst job opening in the NASA Office of Technology, Policy & Strategy. OTPS has an agency-wide, future-leaning role – yet they don’t seem to be at all interested in a serious search for staff. Note the 4 day application window (again) over a weekend. If they were truly interested in getting the best possible applicants – and giving the position opening enough time to circulate widely so as to reach the widest possible pool of potential applicants – and then allow quality people to respond – you have to think that 4 days is rather pointless. People will find out about it after 3 days have already passed – and not enough time remains to seriously consider applying. Unless, of course NASA already has their person for the position hand-picked and they are pretending to be interested in getting applications so as to go through the motions. Its all about checking boxes – not getting quality people. More personnel inbreeding. Just sayin’

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 21, 2024
Peregrine Is On Its Way To The Moon (Updates)
Peregrine Is On Its Way To The Moon (Updates)

Keith’s note: The first launch of a ULA Vulcan rocket – powered by Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman engines – took off this morning at 2:18 a.m. EST and has sent the Astrobotic Pergegrine lander on its way to the Moon. Alas it is having communications and power issues which they managed to fix that but there there are critical propulsion system issues. I am going to be on Deutsche Welle TV just after 12:00 pm EST Update: [Deutsche Welle Audio] – and then on Alhurra TV around 2:45 pm EST Update: [Alhurra audio] – then BBC World News TV at 3:45 pm EST and then Deutsche Welle TV (again) just after 6:00 pm today Update: [second Deutsche Welle Audio] to talk about the mission and the various things on board the Peregrine lander. More from NASA

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 8, 2024
The Dream Is Indeed Alive: Space Exploration For Everyone – Everywhere
The Dream Is Indeed Alive: Space Exploration For Everyone – Everywhere

Keith’s note: The popularity of space exploration – both real and imagined – is something that those of us in the developed and throughly wired developed world take for granted. What we often do not appreciate is how much of our content leaks out and finds its ways across the rest of the world. And in so doing how it can inspire millions of people – ones that we never stop to think about – to aspire to explore space. [much more below]

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 7, 2024
More Talking Head Time With NASAWatch
More Talking Head Time With NASAWatch

Keith’s note: I just did an interview on CGTN and was talking about the year ahead in space – space stations, Moon, Mars – and cooperation in the exploration of space. I mentioned the fact that I was watching a space station EVA clip on social media the other day and was initially confused as to what part of the ISS the astronauts were on – and then I realized it was China’s space Station. How cool – I was confused because there are TWO modern space stations in operation. More please. We then discussed the fact that more than half of humanity has never seen humans walking on another world – live – and for them this will be doing the same thing again for the first time – with more people experiencing this for the first time than watched all of the Apollo landings. I also mentioned the fact that U.S. researchers can now submit proposals to study China’s lunar samples. I then noted that one way great nations can cooperate in space is in great endeavors like space exploration – perhaps the greatest endeavor of them all. [Audio]

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • January 4, 2024
That TBD Artemis III Lunar Landing Date
That TBD Artemis III Lunar Landing Date

Keith’s note: On 14 Dec 1911 Roald Amundsen and his party reached the South Pole. NASA plans to land a crew near the south pole of the Moon – but still does not know what year that will happen. And we really have no indication as to which year NASA will announce what the lunar landing date year is. Just sayin’

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • December 14, 2023
Millions Of People Are Already Training To Fly Helicopters On Other Worlds. Has NASA Noticed?
Millions Of People Are Already Training To Fly Helicopters On Other Worlds. Has NASA Noticed?

Keith’s note: NASA is currently flying the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars as part of the Mars Perseverance rover mission. As of this posting it has flown 67 times and continues to perform well beyond its intended lifetime. Ingenuity was designed as a technology demonstration to guide development of future planetary helicopters. Newer versions are under consideration for a Mars Sample Return mission and the larger Dragonfly drone will fly in the skies of Titan in the 2030s. The technology described in this ACS press release uses commercial off-the-shelf technology such as a commercial quadricopter and an Arduino computer. The application of drones has exploded – in good and not so good ways. Drones are a technology that is now familiar and routine for many millions of people – many of whom comprise the Artemis Generation. As such, learning to use a drone that you get as a present – or perhaps one that is employed by the farm you live on – now offers a career path in planetary exploration. The technology described in this air pollution quadcopter drone by ACS has direct applicability to the sorts of things that you’d want to have with you as you conduct Away Team mission on other worlds in search of possible locations of past or present life. One would think that NASA would be making the most of this chance to engage a vast cadre of interested individuals – in America and beyond. Just sayin’ More at Astrobiology.com

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • December 10, 2023
The Antarctic Treaty And The Artemis Accords
The Antarctic Treaty And The Artemis Accords

Keith’s note: 56 Nations have signed the Antarctic Treaty and 33 have signed the Artemis Accords. Given more than a half century of global, peaceful collaboration in Antarctica we can now work toward a similar mode of cooperation in space – for everyone, everywhere. Alas, you’d think that on #AntarcticaDay that NASA OIIR or NASA PAO or someone at NASA HQ might stop to note the resonance between these two similar efforts. A worthy goal would be for NASA to seek to equal – and perhaps surpass – the size and extent of the successful Antarctic Treaty. But no. They just do photo ops at embassies.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • December 1, 2023
More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica
More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Dale Andersen: “The weather at Lake Untersee has been rough lately. Following the test run of our tents with a small storm that rolled through last week with 70 mph winds, our team of 7 faced the might of a 105 mph (159 kph)blizzard at Lake Untersee over the last several days. Some tents were deliberately collapsed to avoid destruction, while others suffered damage in the storm. Yet, like the Phoenix rising from ashes, we rallied, and, piece by piece we resurrected our camp, a true display of teamwork and resilience in the face of nature’s challenges. #AntarcticaStrong #SciencePrevails – here is an audio recording of a typical night (last night) with winds hitting the tent walls.” See: Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 15 November 2023: More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 15, 2023
My Suborbital Life Blog 10: Looking Up, WAY Up — S. Alan Stern
My Suborbital Life Blog 10: Looking Up, WAY Up — S. Alan Stern

Years ago, whenever I got an email from Burt Rutan, the legendary airplane designer and the mastermind behind the foundational spaceship designs at Virgin Galactic, Burt would always close with, “Looking up, WAY up!” Today, having finally flown to space myself just under two weeks ago in a spaceship that Rutan first conceived, I find myself thinking a lot about “Looking up, WAY up.”

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 14, 2023
Post Flight Re-write?
Post Flight Re-write?

Keith’s note: In 2021 I posted a book review of “Not Necessarily Rocket Science – A Beginners Guide To Life In The Space Age” by Kellie Gerardi – who just became an actual astronaut. So …. I am wondering if she is going to put out a revised version – with her daughter Luna’s input, of course. 😉 Update: @kelliegerardi Bold of me to write a whole damn book before the biggest life dream came true Chagrin!

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 9, 2023
Interstellar +9
Interstellar +9

Keith’s note: Nine years ago – on 7 November 2014 – I had a chance to visit a large scale model of the “Ranger” Spacecraft used in the filming of “Interstellar” (my original 2014 posting “Visiting Interstellar’s Spacecraft” with lots of pictures). A large tent was erected in a parking lot at the Udvar Hazy Facility near Dulles, Airport in Virginia 11 miles from my house. So I visited it more than once. Often times I was the only person in the tent other the lone security guard. Then I went inside to view the film on a vast IMAX screen in original film projection format. I was spoiled. I really loved this film for the way if portrayed a personal approach to the exploration of the universe – the small aspects and the vast aspects. The twin Voyager spacecraft travel ~ 3.5 AUs (325.5 million miles) a year – so they’ve both traversed around 3 billion miles outward across interstellar space since the movie came out. Meanwhile back on Earth we are still tearing our planet’s life support system apart – indeed the fires and natural disasters depicted in the film ring far more true today than they did in 2014. And of course we are doing much the same thing to our society – thus adding to the impetus to move outward. Oh yes: they almost used the NASA worm logo in the movie – and almost spelled my last name right on the aft end of Ranger 😉 Some of my favorite lines (there are so many to chose from):

  • “We must reach far beyond our own lifespans. we must think not as individuals but as species. We must confront the reality of interstellar travel.”
  • “Mankind Was Born On Earth. It Was Never Meant To Die Here.”
  • “We Used To Look Up At The Sky And Wonder At Our Place In The Stars. Now, We Just Look Down And Worry About Our Place In The Dirt.”
  • “Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” (Dylan Thomas)
  • ” We’ve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments. These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known. We count these moments as our proudest achievements. But we lost all that. Or perhaps we’ve just forgotten that we are still pioneers. And we’ve barely begun. And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, that our destiny lies above us.”
(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 9, 2023
Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica
Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Hi Keith, Yesterday here at Lake Untersee, we experienced a day of contrasting weather. It started off beautifully with plenty of sunshine and very little wind. The highlight of the day, our seasoned field team member, Birgit Sattler, rejoined us, arriving via a Twin Otter aircraft operated by Ultima-Antarctic Logistics and operated by the skilled Ken Borek pilots. The serene weather, however, took a dramatic turn in the afternoon. Winds began to surge, reaching gusts of over 70 mph. This sudden change in weather conditions led to the unfortunate loss of one of our North Face Dome tents. We acted swiftly during the ground blizzard that had formed to secure the tent and its contents by weighing it down with rocks. More

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 7, 2023
My Suborbital Life Blog 9: Anticipation, Revealed — S. Alan Stern
My Suborbital Life Blog 9: Anticipation, Revealed — S. Alan Stern

This is the 9th and next to last blog I’ll write surrounding my inaugural spaceflight, which took place as a research and training mission that flew last week on Virgin Galactic. Here, I want to close the loop for you on the things I said I was so highly anticipating knowing once I had flown; I published that list in my 6th blog in this series, called “Anticipation.” So, here’s that list again, this time with answers about how each question turned out.

(more…)
  • NASA Watch
  • November 7, 2023