Space Quote: Musk Should Exit Washington and Return to Building Rockets

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Image (Credit): Mark Kelly from his time as a NASA astronaut. (NASA)

”I swore an oath to our Constitution, to protect and defend the Constitution. I have lived that oath my entire life... [The] only oath I can think of that maybe Elon has sworn is an oath to his checking account, to his pocketbook. An oath, maybe, to ruining the lives of veterans.”

-Statement by Senator Mark Kelly, as quoted by The Independent, after Elon Musk called him a traitor for visiting Ukraine and criticizing Russia’s invasion. The Senator, who served as both a Navy pilot and a NASA astronaut, said Mr. Musk should focus his time on building rockets, which is a bit of a slam given that the last two Starship tests ended in explosions. Senator Kelly later said he is getting rid of his Telsa car because it reminds him of the amount of damage Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing to the country.

Space Quote: More on the ISS “Stranded” Story

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen (Twitter/X)

“You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September. Even now, you are not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home. They are returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since last September.”

–Comments by Andreas Mogensen, a Danish astronaut who commanded the ISS between September 2023 to early 2024, in response to Elon Musk’s constant tweets about his efforts to “rescue” the two Starliner astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). NASA already resolved the issue, yet Mr. Musk seems to need the attention given that otherwise the media keeps ignoring his actions (such as harassing federal employees, including those at NASA).

Space Quotes: Are NASA’s Missions Already Threatened?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Testing of the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas. (European Space Agency)

“NASA is about to lose a ton of experienced people who, up until now, have been considered a national asset.”

“Our immensely successful research enterprise is under attack.”

-Statement in a Washington Post article titled “Under Trump, NASA Meetings are On Hold and Missions are Up in the Air” pertaining to disruptions at NASA related to White House reforms (or general chaos if “reform” is too technical). The first quote is from an experienced engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The second quote is from Garth Illingworth, who is an astrophysicist at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is also one of the scientists who brought us the amazing James Webb Space Telescope.

Space Quote: Astronaut’s Comment Shows Musk’s Statement is Unnecessary Drama

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Image (Credit): NASA astronaut  Sunita Williams. (NASA)

“I don’t think I’m abandoned. I don’t think we’re stuck up here…We’ve got food. We’ve got clothes. We have a ride home in case anything really bad does happen to the International Space Station. We’re in a posture … where we have the International Space Station fully manned and doing what the taxpayers wanted, to do world-class science. And so I feel honored, like I said, to be here and a part of the team.”

-Statement by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams to CBS Evening News regarding her extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Her comments were in reaction to false calls about the need for an immediate return of Ms. Williams and her fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who arrived at the ISS via Boeing’s Starliner and were later added to a regular NASA mission. One might think Mr. Musk is trying to make SpaceX sound indispensable while making more money off of the situation.

Space Quote: A Close Call in 2032?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by dlsd cgl from Pixabay.

“We do want to keep an eye on it. We do take it seriously, but we want to put it in perspective … There’s still a very low probability that it would even impact the Earth at all.”

-Statement by Kelly Fast, the acting planetary defense officer for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, as quoted by National Pubic Radio. She is referring to asteroid 2024 YR4, which is between 30 feet to about 300 feet in diameter. Scientists believe the asteroid has about a 1.6 percent chance of hitting the Earth in 2032.