Keith’s note: Why is NASA saying that this is going to be a year-long mission? It is not. Close – but not a year. NASA goes out of their way to use simple math on Twitter to make their #YearInSpace point – but – that math also easily shows that Kelly is only going to be in space for 342 days. A year is 365 days long. I guess its too much to ask for NASA to be accurate on Twitter as it simultaneously hypes all of this STEM education stuff. Its not as if any of the 9 million Twitter followers are actually paying attention. Or are they?
Reader (Max Fagin) comment: “And actually, since the ISS will be going through two high-beta periods in the next 342 days (one in late Dec 2015, and one in early June 2016) there won’t even be that many sunsets. In the 342 day period starting with the last Soyuz launch, the ISS will only see 10,372 sun-rise/set pairs.” Click on image to enlarge.
Reader (Max Fagin) correction: “High-Beta periods are June and December of THIS YEAR (not 2016). And if you define a sunset/rise cycle as a complete eclipse (rather than just anytime the sun contacts the horizon), the number falls to 10356.”

sunsets.jpg

Keith’s update: Unlike a certain space agency, Max is quick to clarify and update inaccurate data.

@NASASocial is a Little Confused About SLS
“If the QM-1 SRB engine is going to burn for 126 seconds (per NASA) that means that 693 million pounds of propellant will be used – or 693 million tons – depending on which Tweet you believe. But wait: the whole SRB only weighs 1.6 million pounds. Hmm … NASA’s infographic says that it is only burning 5.5 tons per second. No “million” pounds or tons is mentioned. Clearly @NASASocial needs to spend a little more time reading before tweeting.”

Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member 🖖🏻

15 replies on “More Confusing Twitter Math From @NASA (Update)”

  1. It looks like the tweet also says that the ISS travels 17500 miles per hour. Is that exactly accurate, or does it travel a little faster or slower depending on the scenario? It also says that there is one orbit every 90 minutes. Again, what is the exact orbital time from sunset to sunset?

    My point is that while calling this the “year long mission” might not be exactly scientifically precise, the 23 day difference is less than one month. That’s close enough in my book to round up to one year for the purposes of outreach. Calling it a “342 day mission (maybe, as long as there are no delays for launch or landing)” might be more accurate, but it doesn’t do much for public outreach.

    Honestly, I think you’re reaching a bit here, Kieth.

    1. They say it is a year and then put precise math out that does not add up if you understand what “year” means. This just confuses people – and many may think that their math is wrong when in fact NASA was being misleading in its precision.

      1. Things happen and this mission could run a little shorter or longer than planned (barring the extreme). Has happened before. It could last 340 days, or maybe it could last 370. If they had rounded down from 370 to “one year” would that still matter to you as much? For their hashtag purposes/simplifications/marketing does one year really have to be exactly 365, or maybe 365.2425?
        Would that be liftoff to touchdown? Time spent above the Karman Line? Or just on Station?
        Anyway, I hope he literally doesn’t have to “see” all 10,944 sunrises and sunsets (give or take) just because NASA tweeted he will. Get some rest when you can Captain.

    1. Probably has to do with Increment planing. Soyuz/Progress flights, and other mission even phasing,

  3. Keith, I thought this was only driving me nuts. They advocate STEM and then can’t do simple math. It is a lot closer to an 11 month mission than it is to a year long one. Why not publicize it as an extended mission? it doesn’t demean the mission. Maybe the scientists at NASA have discovered “dwarf” ” year. Something worthwhile for the $18B the are spending.

  4. Keith–its all about knowing your audience. The approximation as “year
    long” is more than sufficient in the Twitter world, and that’s not an
    insult to anyone. In the proper context, NASA will use “342 days” as the
    length, and we all know this. I agree here that you are reaching a bit.
    But, then again, it’s all about knowing your audience, isn’t it? 🙂
    Please note that I have read your site for the entire 15 years I have
    worked as a CS at NASA and I have no plans on stopping. Keep up the good
    work!

    1. I think the problem not so much referring to 342 days as a year, as it is doing math with that “year”. Under many situations it would be appropriate to refer to the quantity 10.3 as “ten”. But if you then say “ten times two equals twenty-one” it will make people very confused. So, not a huge deal, but certainly bad form as far as communications go.

    2. I think a real misunderstanding could come up if the word “first” appears. As in, “the first American to spend a year in space.” That’s the sort of thing NASA might like to post to Twitter, and in that context calling 342 days a year would be wrong. Making someone else think it’s a year invites having someone else make an incorrect statement about a “first.”

  6. And actually, since the ISS will be going through two high-beta periods in the next 342 days (one in late Dec 2015, and one in early June 2016) there won’t even be that many sunsets. In the 342 day period starting with the last Soyuz launch, the ISS will only see 10,372 sun-rise/set pairs.

    1. Correction: High-Beta periods are June and December of THIS YEAR (not 2016). And if you define a sunset/rise cycle as a complete eclipse (rather than just anytime the sun contacts the horizon), the number falls to 10356.

      1. Thanks – and not only do you do the math – you quickly point out errors – unlike a certain space agency 😉

  7. NASA in the last few years has been bit by the social media bug and so most of what it says now is focused on hype and sound bites. “A year in space”; “Orion, first test of the Mars vehicle”…NASA used to be known for precision and accuracy. 342 days versus 365 days…close enough for government work.

  8. I’m not actually sure that my fellow Americans really know how many days constitute a year.

Comments are closed.