• Pic of the Week: Progress 86 Approaches the ISS

    This week’s image shows the Roscosmos Progress 86 cargo craft approaching the International Space Station (ISS) last Sunday with three tons of needed supplies. The space craft almost appears to be performing ballet. I expect everyone one on board the station was happy to see it arriving, hopefully loaded with some holiday treats. The Russian…

  • A Day in Astronomy: First Operation of the International Space Station

    On this day in 1998, two modules, the Russian Zarya and American Unity, were joined in Earth orbit to create the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS was built by five space agencies involving 15 nations. NASA notes that 273 people from 21 countries have visited the ISS over the years to assist with more…

  • Space Stories: Mad Rush for the Moon, An Unusual Exoplanet, and Flinging the Earth

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Science.org: “Moon’s Scientifically Important Sites could be ‘Lost Forever’ in Mining Rush“ Science and commerce may be headed for a clash on remote terrain: the Moon. For the first time in half a century, NASA is sending a craft to the lunar surface, with the launch at the end…

  • Audit Report: Artemis III May Not Be Possible Until 2027

    The legislative branch’s audit arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), has some bad news regarding the Artemis mission to the moon – the landing on the Moon may need to wait until 2027. Here is what the auditors said in their November 30 report, NASA Artemis Programs: Crewed Moon Landing Faces Multiple Challenges, about NASA’s…

  • Gift Ideas: Books by Astronauts

    Are you looking for that perfect book for a space enthusiast? You may want to take a look at some of the books authored by NASA astronauts in the last few years. Be it inspiration or adventure you are seeking, you can find it with these authors. Below are three books to consider as gift…

  • Space Quote: The Megachurch Called Star Trek

    “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…

  • Pic of the Week: Odyssey Over Mars

    The image this week is what the International Space Station might see if it were traveling over Mars. Instead, this is the view of NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. You can learn more about this image by watching this video with Laura Kerber, deputy project scientist for NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. You can also read more…

  • Podcast: The Search for Planet Nine

    I listened to a recent Cool Worlds Lab podcast where Professor David Kipping interviewed Professor Malena Rice from Yale University’s Department of Astronomy. The episode, titled  Planet Nine, Oumuamua, Misaligned Exoplanets, covered a good range of topics, as the title suggests. Of greatest interest to me was the continued search for a ninth planet in our solar…

  • Study Findings: A Resonant Sextuplet of Sub-Neptunes Transiting the Bright Star HD 110067

    Nature abstract of the study findings: Planets with radii between that of the Earth and Neptune (hereafter referred to as ‘sub-Neptunes’) are found in close-in orbits around more than half of all Sun-like stars. However, their composition, formation and evolution remain poorly understood. The study of multiplanetary systems offers an opportunity to investigate the outcomes of planet…

  • Space Stories: Japan Bolsters it Space Investments, The Next Starship, and Russia’s Declining Space Program

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Forbes: “Modern Space Race: Japan Pledges $6.6 Billion For Developing Space Sector As U.S. And China Plan Historic Missions“ The Japanese government has said it will establish a $6.6 billion (¥1 trillion) fund to develop the country’s space industry as programs in the U.S., Russia, China and India rush…