• 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.

  • Space Mission: Saudi Arabians to Visit the International Space Station

    While the Biden Administration appears to have its issues with Saudi Arabia, this is not stopping the visit of two Saudi Arabian private astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Space News reports that NASA has confirmed that a male and female astronaut from Saudi Arabia will travel to the ISS next spring aboard a…

  • RIP: Astronaut James A. McDivitt

    Back on October 13th we lost another Apollo astronaut. James McDivitt, age 93, passed away in his sleep. Mr. McDivitt, a veteran fighter pilot from the Korean War, was a key part of the Gemini and Apollo missions. Part of NASA’s second class of astronauts, he was commander of the Gemini IV mission in June…

  • Movie: Good Night Oppy

    Here is a new space movie that should keep the crowds happy, and it is based on a true success – our mission to Mars. Good Night Oppy, produced by Amazon Studios, is the story of NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover. You can watch a preview here. Amazon Studies has this preview: Good Night Oppy tells…

  • Pic of the Week: Marian Dust Devils

    This week’s image is from earlier this year when NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured whirling dust on the Red Planet’s surface. Here is more on the dust devils from NASA: During its first couple hundred days in Jezero Crater, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover saw some of the most intense dust activity ever witnessed by a…