Space Quote: Another View of Elon and Drugs

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“If we’re going to link performance to attitudes about drugs, maybe Musk should be setting the tone for NASA. Perhaps a microdosing schedule would get federal employees out of their ruts and set their creative juices flowing.”

-Statement by J.D. Tuccille in his Reason magazine article, “Let Elon Musk Enjoy Drugs.” The libertarian magazine has some strong views on drug laws and government operations, as the quote indicates. The article does note that Mr. Musk would be violating federal rules as the head of SpaceX if the reports of drug use are true, but also notes that only SpaceX can get Americans to the International Space Station. I guess Reason is all in favor of situational morality, something that seems to be gaining favor these days with those who deem themselves above the law.

Space Quote: $5 Million for A Probe of Drug Use at SpaceX

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Image (Credit): Mr. Musk smoking during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience show in September 2018. (Joe Rogan Experience/YouTube)

“It is essential for the integrity of the United States space program to ensure that the development and production of the space systems that will transport astronauts is conducted in a manner that prioritizes safety…The Safety and Health provision in the contract requires SpaceX to comply with standard industry practices, applicable laws, and other relevant provisions of the contract, such as the requirement to maintain a drug-free workplace.”

-Statement by NASA’s Associate Administrator William Gerstenmaier in a letter to SpaceX back in September 2018, as noted in a recent article in Business Insider. The reporter was not able the results of this expensive audit, but noted that Mr. Gerstenmaier later left NASA and joined SpaceX. Nothing to see here, folks.

Space Quote: JPL Struggles to Remain Fully Staffed

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Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

“It was clear that upper management expected us to push through regardless of any challenges happening outside the lab because the robot was the first priority…It resulted in incredible burnout across all the teams. Many of us are honestly still recovering from it.”

-Statement by one of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees working on the Mars Perseverence rover mission as quoted in a Scientific American article, “NASA Lab’s Workforce Woes Threaten Major Space Missions.” The article notes that JPL is dealing with employee shortages as overworked employees depart for better pay more more life balance at private space firms.

Space Quote: The Megachurch Called Star Trek

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Credit: Gallery Books

“Yes. I see it very, very clearly and very strongly. It was about truth and fairness and honesty and respect for others, no matter who they were or what strange alien creature they looked like. That was immaterial. They were alive. And if they needed help, Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, his team, were there to give it. So, yes, in a sense, we were ministers. And I have heard now so many times from individuals who have been honest enough and brave enough to tell me aspects of their life, of their health, of their mental health, and how it was all saved and improved by watching every week.”

-Actor Patrick Stewart in an interview with NPR responding to a question about whether he has noticed the fans’ religion-like reverence for Star Trek: The Next Generation. The conversation follows the release of Mr. Stewart’s new memoir, Making It So.

Space Quote: A Nasty Hit to Our Ozone Layer from 1.9 Billion Light-Years Away

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Image (Credit): A supernova emitting gamma rays. (NASA/Dana Berry/Skyworks Digital)

“The ozone was partially depleted — was destroyed temporarily.”

–Statement by Pietro Ubertini, an astronomer at the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome, regarding supernova gamma rays that hit the Earth’s upper atmosphere in October 2022. The supernova explosion was 1.9 billion light-years away. You can read the paper on this event in Nature. An earlier paper stated that a gamma ray burst may have caused the Ordovician mass extinction about 440 million years ago, which killed off about two-thirds of all species.