Executive Order to Ensure American Space Superiority

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Apollo Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. (NASA)

Just as Jared Isaacman, NASA’s new Administrator, started to settle into his new post, the White House updated the nation’s space priorities.

A new executive order on Thursday, titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” provides clear goals for NASA, which includes:

  • Returning to the Moon by 2028, and the establishment of initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030;
  • Deploying of nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030; and
  • Spurring private sector innovation and investment by upgrading launch infrastructure and developing a commercial pathway to replace the International Space Station by 2030.

Adding nuclear reactors as its own goal seems a little odd since it could simply be wrapped into the first goal related to a permanent lunar outpost, but maybe this is just to kick regolith into the eyes of the Chinese who announced a similar intention.

Returning to the Moon by 2028 will certainly be a challenge, but luckily Administrator Isaacman is showing no favorites when it comes to meeting this goal. This week he made this statement about plans to return to the Moon:

I don’t think it was lost on either vendor that whichever lander was available first to ensure that America achieves its strategic objectives on the moon is the one we were going to go with.

His friend Elon Musk was certainly listening, but so far we have not heard him say that the new NASA Administrator has a 2 digit IQ. Of course, it has only been a few days, though the honeymoon is likely to be very short.

Video: The Eschatian Hypothesis

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by Jazella from Pixabay

I recommend you check out the latest Cool Worlds Labs video for an intriguing new theory about mankind’s contact with an alien civilization. British astronomer and associate professor at Columbia University David Kipping narrates this new idea, called the Eschatian Hypothesis, in his latest video titled “Our First Contact with Aliens Will Be Their Last Words.”

He discusses how the early detection of hot Jupiters dominated the early discussion about exoplanets, even though we later learned that they are found around less than 1 percent of stars with exoplanets. He attributes this to detection bias, or Malmquist bias, because they were so easy to detect. The same applies to stars in their giant phase, which represents only 1 percent of all stars but about 1/3 of the stars we can see with the naked eye.

In this sense, the first contact with an alien civilization will probably follow this pattern as well. Hence, an alien civilization in disequilibrium will become louder and thereby more detectable by us. At the same time, the more advanced civilizations in balance with nature will be harder to detect.

As a result, the Eschatian Hypothesis contends that the more detectable alien civilizations will be the less stable ones. This is certainly a unique twist on the Fermi principle.

View the video for the full story.

Pic of the Week: Moonrise Perfection over the Dolomites

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): “Moonrise Perfection over the Dolomites” by Fabian Dalpiaz. (Royal Observatory Greenwich)

This week’s image is one of the winning photographs in the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 contest. The photograph, ranked as highly commended under Skyscapes, was submitted by Fabian Dalpiaz and is titled “Moonrise Perfection over the Dolomites.” It was taken on November 15, 2024 in Santuario di Pietralba, Deutschnofen, South Tyrol, Italy.

Here is the notation attached to the photo:

This is a perfectly planned shot of the Full Moon rising above the rugged peaks of the Dolomites. With no clouds in sight and in flawless conditions, the golden light of sunset bathes the mountains, creating harmony between Earth and sky. All it takes is being in the right place at the right time and pressing the shutter button.

NASA Has a New Administrator

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Earlier today, Jared Isaacman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new administrator of NASA. The final Senate vote was was 67-30, which is an encouraging sign showing that he is off to a good start. Anything bipartisan is unique in this environment.

Sean Duffy, the acting administrator, can now go back to the Department of Transportation. Fortunately, his effort to make NASA a sub-component of his department has failed.

The Planetary Society had a nice statement welcoming Mr. Jared to his new role and also emphasizing what needs to be done in partnership with the Congress:

The Planetary Society congratulates Jared Isaacman on becoming NASA’s 15th Administrator. After nearly a year of historic disruptions to the agency’s workforce, facilities, and budget, Mr. Isaacman has the opportunity to stabilize and reinvigorate the U.S. space program.

Congress is on a path to provide Mr. Isaacman with a restored budget that better funds national priorities: returning humans to the Moon, maintaining U.S. leadership in space science and exploration, and training the next generation of scientists and aerospace engineers. This is a remarkable statement of support for NASA’s mission, and Mr. Isaacman publicly committed to make full use of the funds that Congress provides.

The Planetary Society is ready to work with the new Administrator to advance our shared goals of maintaining NASA as the world leader in space science and exploration.

We should all wish Mr. Isaacman the best of luck in his new role. He will need all the support he can get to set the agency on a sustainable path.

Final Gift Ideas: Memberships and Magazines

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Okay, you are running out of time to buy the perfect gift. Yet you do not need to fret. You still have some good options for that friend or family member.

First, why not consider getting this person a membership in a space-advocacy organization. In this way, they can stay abreast of space news while also supporting an organization pushing (1) Congress for more space funding and (2) NASA in the direction of more exploration.

Here are three such organizations you can support:

All three space advocacy organizations also have great magazines for members.

And speaking of magazines, another option is to get this person an annual subscription to a space magazine. Here are some magazines covering astronomy that are worth considering.

I am not getting a red cent by endorsing any of these organizations and magazines, but it does make a lot of sense to consider these gift options. It is a quick and easy way to give a great gift while supporting those organizations that educate the public on space.

Happy shopping.