• More Satellite Pollution Impacting Ground Telescopes

    It is called Bluewalker 3, and it may change the night sky for years to come. Launched in September 2022 aboard a SpaceX rocket, the Bluewalker3 prototype communications satellite from AST SpaceMobile spread its 693 square feet antenna array in low-Earth orbit. It has now become as bright as the brightest stars in the evening…

  • The UK is in the Space Rocket Business

    Later this year, the United Kingdom (UK) is getting into the commercial space business with Virgin Orbit’s launch of the LauncherOne rocket. The 70-foot long rocket stuffed with a satellites will be loaded onto Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747 (called the “Cosmic Girl”) for a mid-air launch. It will be the first satellite launch from the…

  • Television: Andor – Finally a Star Wars Story for Adults

    I am 10 episodes into Disney+’s Star Wars: Andor series and I love it. I am impressed that Disney+ finally dug a little deeper into the Star Wars material to find a new perspective, for now we get to see the Imperial bureaucracy in action. This is the first of the four new live action…

  • Space Quote: The Loss of the Challenger Crew 36 Years Ago

    “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’” -Statement…

  • Space Stories: Challenger Debris Located, Chinese Mars Engine, and Risky Trip to the Space Station

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —NASA: “NASA Views Images, Confirms Discovery of Shuttle Challenger Artifact“ NASA leaders recently viewed footage of an underwater dive off the East coast of Florida, and they confirm it depicts an artifact from the space shuttle Challenger. The artifact was discovered by a TV documentary crew seeking the wreckage…

  • Pic of the Week: A View of Peru

    This week’s image is from the International Space Station (ISS). It shows an October 1, 2022 photo of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti enjoying a view of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru. She is sitting in the ISS’s so called “window to the world.” You can learn more about photo’s…

  • Artemis I Launch: A Moving Target

    Florida does have its issues this time of year (and I don’t mean elections), making rocket launches more difficult. Now Tropical Storm Nicole is battering the state, leading to a delay in the upcoming Artemis I launch. The new launch date is November 16, as noted on NASA’s latest Artemis blog: NASA is continuing to…

  • A Day in Astronomy: The Birth of Carl Sagan

    On this day in 1934, scientist and communicator Carl Edward Sagan was born in Brooklyn, NY. He was to become a great communicator of all things related to astronomy. He has played a key role over the years introducing millions to our place in the universe through his books, television series, speeches, and scientific work.…

  • Gift Ideas: Lego Lunar Research Base

    While we await the Artemis III crew landing on the Moon and related lunar base, you might want to create your own mission with the Lego Lunar Research Base (shown above), which has “NASA-inspired” details. The playset has almost 800 Lego pieces, so you can build it yourself (to NASA specs, of course). The playset…

  • Where is This? November 7, 2022 Quiz

    Take a look at the image above. Can you determine where this image originated? Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the menu and selecting the “Where is This? The Answer Sheet” page.