• Astronomy Question: The Klingon Language

    Multiple Choice: When was first use of a fully constructed Klingon language? A. 1967 in the “Errand of Mercy” episode of the television series Star Trek.B. 1979 in the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture.C. 1984 in the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.D. 1987 in the “Encounter at Farpoint” episode of the television series Star Trek:…

  • House Budget Looking Better for NASA

    The Planetary Society has provided a nice summary of where the NASA funding battle is at this moment. Here is its latest summary of events: The House budget bill that includes NASA funding just cleared a key hurdle, advancing out of the Appropriations Committee. This is the first funding bill for FY 2027 to be…

  • ISS Mission Launched, Starship Launch Delayed

    Delays abound, but at least one space mission successfully launched this week. After delays earlier this week, today the CRS-34 mission successfully launched towards the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon capsule, carrying supplies for the Expedition 74 Crew on the station, is expected to dock with the ISS Sunday morning. The first launch this…

  • Pic of the Week: Spiral Arm of Galaxy M51

    This week’s image is from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Hubble Space Telescope, which together scanned about 9,000 star clusters in the four galaxies. What you are looking at above comes from the spiral arm of one of the galaxies – Messier 51 (M51). Here is a description from the European Space Agency…

  • Movie: Disclosure Day

    If the recent release of UFO information by the White House was not all that exciting, then you may want to turn to Hollywood for a boost. On June 12th, Steve Spielberg’s movie Disclosure Day comes to your local movie screen. From what I read in the press and previews, it should lift your spirits…

  • The ISS Will Need to Wait a Little Longer for Supplies

    Everything was set for a cargo mission to the International Space Station earlier today until the weather decided to mess things up. As a result, the CRS-34 mission with its 6,500 pounds of supplies will be delayed for another day. Here is a summary of some of the cargo going up to the station tomorrow:…

  • Space Stories: Earth Similar to Vesta, Comet 3I/ATLAS is from a Strange Cold Place, and a US/China Telescope Battle in South America

    Here are some recent space-related stories. —BBC Sky at Night: “We Were Truly Astonished” – Astronomers Say Earth Formed from the Same Material as Mars“ Planetary scientists say they’ve taken a step closer to solving the mystery of where the material that formed Earth comes from. While Earth resides in the inner Solar System with Mercury,…

  • Space Quote: Houston, We Have Glitter on the Moon

    “Now we’ve go a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver.” “There’s a whole [bunch] of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window.” -Statements by Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans and…

  • Martian Rover Worksite Problems

    NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover had some issues two weeks ago while drilling on the Martian surface. On April 25th, the drill became stuck on a piece of rock that would not drop off of the robotic arm. The 28.6 pound rock, nicknamed “Atacama,” was fully attached to the rover. NASA stated this is the first…

  • Sci-Fi Stories: A New Murderbot Book Arrives, Captive’s War Planned for Prime, and Somewhere Out There Coming to Netflix

    Here are a few sci-fi stories of interest. —Winter is Coming: “Book review: Platform Decay is Exactly What We Wanted from Martha Wells’s Murderbot Next“ Platform Decay is the eighth book in Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries series, and it gives fans exactly what they love while taking the story in some new directions. If you’ve been…