• A Day in Astronomy: The Death of Yuri Gagarin

    On this day in 1968, Russian pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who was the first human in space, died in a MIG-15 crash northwest of Moscow. The crash killed a second pilot, Vladimir Seryogin. Following the accident, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the following statement: YURI GAGARIN’S courageous and pioneering flight into space opened new…

  • Another Delay, But Boeing Aims for Crewed Launch to ISS

    So what is the status of Boeing’s Starliner? Last May, an uncrewed Starliner capsule safely arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). So when will we see a crewed mission? The latest plan was for an April launch after some technical issues back in February. However, in a tweet on Thursday, Kathy Lueders, who serves…

  • Study Findings: Acceleration of 1I/‘Oumuamua from Radiolytically Produced H2 in H2O Ice

    Nature abstract: In 2017, 1I/‘Oumuamua was identified as the first known interstellar object in the Solar System. Although typical cometary activity tracers were not detected, ‘Oumuamua showed a notable non-gravitational acceleration. So far, there has been no explanation that can reconcile these constraints. Owing to energetic considerations, outgassing of hyper-volatile molecules is favoured over heavier…

  • The Test of a 3D Rocket in Florida

    We have heard about the possibility of 3D printing on the Moon and even Mars someday to build habitats, but what about 3D rockets to get us there as well? That is also a possibility, but not just yet. This past Wednesday, the US private company Relativity Space tested its 3D-printed rocket. However, the Terran-1…

  • Pic of the Week: Martian Sample Depot

    This week’s image shows the Perseverance Mars rover looking back on its work – the depositing of 10 titanium sample tubes on the surface of the Red Planet should they be needed as backups (see image below marking the sample locations). The rover is carrying the official samples, but this depot was set up just…

  • A Day in Astronomy: The Birth of Kim Stanley Robinson

    On this day in 1952, science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson born in Waukegan, Illinois. As a writer, he has won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the World Fantasy Award.  Some of his works include: Mars Trilogy Aurora The Ministry of the Future 2312 New York 2140 The…

  • A UFO Over California?

    UFOs came up again last week pertaining to lights over Sacramento, California. As fireballs streaked across the night sky, a few citizens thought they might be watching fireworks or even the arrival of distant visitors to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The explanation for the lights was interesting, but not because it was a UFO. It…

  • Space Stories: Possible Starship Launch, South Korean Rocket Test, and Massive Early Stars

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Forbes: “Elon Musk Gets More Specific About Starship’s First Rocket Launch to Space“ We’ve been waiting for nearly two years to see Elon Musk’s big rocket blast off again, and now the SpaceX founder is starting to narrow the targeted time frame for Starship’s first orbital attempt. The controversial…

  • Space Quote: Firefly is Going to the Far Side of the Moon

    “We look forward to Firefly providing this [Commercial Lunar Payload Services] delivery… This lunar landing should enable new scientific discoveries from the far side of the Moon during the lunar night. This particular group of payloads should not only generate new science but should be a pathfinder for future investigations exploiting this unique vantage point…

  • Blast from the Past: Adventures on Mars

    Back in 2016, NASA put a few fun posters online advertising opportunities on Mars. The posters were originally originally commissioned by NASA to be part of an exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex in 2009. Visit the NASA poster site if you want the files for these images and others. They are great…