Oddly @pinballme @NASA has made no mention whatsoever of the Wallops launch since Monday. Much of the account's 46 million followers can see it when it does launch. You even released a map that says so. Not everyone in Indiana and Maine knows to follow @NASA_Wallops Just sayin' pic.twitter.com/vkA3yeyA8c — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) May 12, 2021 LAUNCH SCRUBBED ? Tonight's launch of the KiNET-X sounding rocket has been scrubbed due […]
EmDrive, a Supposed Fuel-less Engine, Is Knocked Down Again, Gizmodo “Five years ago, NASA researchers experimented with an object called the EmDrive (or electromagnetic drive), a Y-shaped metal chamber in which, they reported, thrust could be produced without propellant. Such a contraption would refute core principles of physics as we know them and eliminate a huge barrier to deep space travel by nullifying the need to carry fuel. … If […]
How It Started | How It’s Going Keith’s note: NASAWatch turns 25 on 1 Apr 2021. It started as “NASA RIFWatch” on 1 Apr 1996 with this post “RIF at NASA In Summer 1997?“. The website was first hosted on a Mac Classic II on a 128 kbps ISDN line in my old little condo in Reston, Virginia (see 20 Years Ago Today: The Seeds of NASAWatch). Here are a […]
Moffett Field will not be used to house unaccompanied migrant children, SJ Mercury News “The Biden administration will not use vacant facilities at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field as overflow temporary housing for unaccompanied migrant children, an elected official said.” US considers using NASA facility to house migrant children, abcnews “The Department of Health and Human Services has requested federal agencies to determine whether they have currently vacant […]
Environmental Liabilities: NASA’s Reported Financial Liabilities Have Grown, and Several Factors Contribute to Future Uncertainties, GAO “NASA’s reported fiscal year 2019 environmental liabilities estimate for restoration projects does not include certain costs, and some factors may affect NASA’s future environmental liabilities, potentially increasing or decreasing the federal government’s fiscal exposure. Certain costs are not included in the fiscal year 2019 estimate because some projects are in a developing stage where […]
Keith’s 11 January note: There is a agency wide Town Hall coming up soon. Nothing is online yet and NASA PAO has not responded to my inquiry. Usually when Administrators depart and the White House changes hands there is an agency-wide event with farewell messages, awards given out etc. Stay tuned. Keith’s 12 January update: PAO says that no “public” event is scheduled at this time. Keith’s 14 January update: […]
Revealed: all 27 monkeys held at Nasa research center killed on single day in 2019, The Guardian “A total of 27 primates were euthanized by administrated drugs on 2 February last year at Nasa’s Ames research center in California’s Silicon Valley, it has emerged. The monkeys were ageing and 21 of them had Parkinson’s, according to documents released under freedom of information laws. … A Nasa spokesperson said: “Nasa does […]
The Worm is Back: A Discussion with Designer Richard Danne, NASA “NASA Worm creator Richard Danne answers your questions in a conversation about the relevance of the Worm in the 1970s and today, and why the Worm continues to be so popular, now available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLe4lOrj3Ck. Bettina Inclán, Associate Administrator for Communications, hosts this conversation, which includes a presentation from NASA’s Worm Working Group on the philosophy of the […]
The most significant space news of the week is not in Washington but is hurricane Sally. Hope they are all tied down and checked the pumps at Stennis and Michoud. Consequences of major damage would have long term consequences. — Wayne Hale (@waynehale) September 14, 2020
NASA Advisory Council Meeting “Virtual meeting via dial-in teleconference and WebEx only. … Note: Please be advised that the NASA large event WebEx account is being used to support this meeting; this WebEx account is incompatible with the newest Mac operating system introduced in October 2019–MacOS Catalina.” Keith’s note: Anyone who has attempted to connect to NASA FACA meetings such as the NASA Advisory Council by Webex over the past […]
Painting of the @NASA logo is underway on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at @NASAKennedy Apparently @JimBridenstine is getting carried away with the whole #TheWormIsBack thing. Just sayin' pic.twitter.com/3vTEAYHM2E — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) May 9, 2020
Keith’s note: NASAWatch turns 24 on 1 Apr 2020. It started as “NASA RIFWatch” on 1 Apr 1996 and was first hosted on a Mac Classic II on an ISDN line in my little condo in Reston, Virginia (see 20 Years Ago Today: The Seeds of NASAWatch). Here a few things from those early days that are still online: – Rogue Webmasters, Government Executive, 1 Oct 1996 – NASA’s Most […]
Man charged in Springfield killing is NASA executive, former police officer who fatally shot two others, Washington Post “A Springfield man charged with shooting and killing a neighbor Tuesday is a NASA executive and a former police officer who fatally shot two people in separate line-of-duty incidents, according to family members and government officials. Michael J. Hetle, 52, worked in NASA’s headquarters on risk mitigation for the space agency’s programs […]
Remembering Jim Lehrer, PBS “PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer, a giant in journalism known for his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Thursday, at the age of 85. For Jim, being a journalist was never a self-centered endeavor. He always told those who worked with him: “It’s not about us.” Night after night, Jim led by example that being yourself […]
NASA to Provide Coverage of Key Events at 70th International Astronautical Congress “NASA will provide live coverage on NASA Television of key events at the 70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which takes place Oct. 21-25 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. In addition, the agency will provide coverage of other events during the week online and via its social media channels.” IAC 2019 website
NASA engineer’s ‘helical engine’ may violate the laws of physics, New Scientist “Burns has worked on his design in private, without any sponsorship from NASA, and he admits his concept is massively inefficient. … I know that it risks being right up there with the EM drive and cold fusion,” he says. “But you have to be prepared to be embarrassed. It is very difficult to invent something that is […]
Keith’s update: Three days ago I asked NASA PAO these questions. “1. Why was this paper posted on NTRS, a publicly accessible NASA website and then taken offline? Will it be reposted? 2. Who is funding this research? NASA? A private company (if so who)? Both? How much has NASA spent on this project? How much have commercial parters spent on this project? Is the project ongoing or has it […]
Cruz’s test: how to keep Houston central to space flight [Editorial] “But the flesh-and-blood part of the techno-wizardry of the Space program has always run first through Houston. Not Huntsville, Cape Canaveral nor any of many NASA facilities around the country. Isn’t the Texas congressional delegation disproportionately influential on this issue? It sure ought to be. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas chairs the Senate subcommittee on space. Rep. Brian Babin […]