• Television: The Origin of All Life via Netflix

    Tomorrow, Netflix will premiere a new science program that ties together life on Earth and the origin of the universe. The six-part program, Our Universe, is a BBC project narrated by Morgan Freeman. You can see a trailer of new show here. We have already had a Blue Planet, a Green Planet, and even an…

  • Japan Supports the ISS Through 2030 and Expands Support for the Lunar Gateway

    Late last week, the White House announced that Japan plans to support the operations of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030 as well as further collaborate with the United States on the Artemis Lunar Gateway platform that will orbit the Moon. On November 17, Vice President Kamala Harris stated: The United States welcomes Japan’s…

  • Space Quote: The James Webb Space Telescope Keeps its Name

    “In conclusion, to date, no available evidence directly links Webb to any actions or follow-up related to the firing of individuals for their sexual orientation. However, the research and this report make clear that the Lavender Scare was a painful chapter in our national history. Every effort was made to be as thorough in research…

  • Space Stories: Early Galaxies, Early Life on Mars, and Gold-Rich Stars

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —NASA: “NASA’s Webb Draws Back Curtain on Universe’s Early Galaxies“ With just four days of analysis, researchers found two exceptionally bright galaxies in the GLASS-JWST images. These galaxies existed approximately 450 and 350 million years after the big bang (with a redshift of approximately 10.5 and 12.5, respectively), though…

  • Pic of the Week: Hickson Compact Group 40

    This week’s image is from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. It shows an amazing collection of five galaxies in close proximity to one another in what is known as the Hickson Compact Group 40. In about one billion years they are expected to coalesce into one large galaxy. Here is the summary from the Hubble…

  • Artemis I Has Launched

    After multiple attempts, NASA’s Artemis I mission started earlier today when the Space Launch System took off from the Kennedy Space Center carrying the uncrewed Orion spacecraft. It was a successful start to 25 day mission. For a third time now, I am providing the mission facts, which are more meaningful given that we have…

  • 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…