• 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention

    You still have time to sign up for the Mars Society’s 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention, happening from August 8-11 in Seattle, WA. Some of the guests include: These are just a few of the names and presenters this year. You can also watch the presentations from prior conventions if you want to see…

  • Space Stories: Starliner Still Stuck, Space Walks Nixed, and ISS Artifacts Being Considered

    Here are some recent stories of interest related to the International Space Station (ISS). —WFLA.com: “Astronauts Remain in Space as Boeing’s Starliner Mission Exceeds 45-day Window at ISS“ Two astronauts aboard Boeing’s Starliner remain stuck in space as the mission exceeded its 45-day battery window being docked at the International Space Station. The capsule, which arrived…

  • In Case You Missed It: Experiencing Disney’s Star Wars Hotel

    The Disney hotel lasted for less than two years, but for more than four hours you can experience it on YouTube. Opened in March 2022, Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was an expensive, all-inclusive hotel that brought Star Wars adventures directly to the well-heeled. By September 2023, the fun was over when Disney shuttered the…

  • Where is This? July 21, 2024 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 “Where is This? The Answer Sheet” page.

  • Space Quote: Second Thoughts About a Journey to Mars

    “”It would still cause me a great deal of thought, but I think my answer now is it would be very difficult to leave my partner, to leave my people, for that amount of time, because it would be far more than a year…That commitment, it’s going to be a tremendous effort when people go,…

  • Study Findings: Radar Evidence of an Accessible Cave Conduit on the Moon Below the Mare Tranquillitatis Pit

    Nature Astronomy abstract of the study findings: Several potential subsurface openings have been observed on the surface of the Moon. These lunar pits are interesting in terms of science and for potential future habitation. However, it remains uncertain whether such pits provide access to cave conduits with extensive underground volumes. Here we analyse radar images of the Mare…

  • Pic of the Week: Stellar Penguin and Egg

    This week’s fun image comes from the James Webb Space Telescope. Called the Penguin and the Egg, these two galaxies of similar mass are locked together. Here is the story of the two galaxies from NASA: Before their first approach, the Penguin held the shape of a spiral. Today, its galactic center gleams like an…

  • NASA Cancels VIPER Moon Mission

    It has not been a great year for NASA so far. While the Chinese brought back samples from the far side of the Moon, we saw two NASA-contracted commercial spacecraft either fail to reach the Moon or critically mess up the landing. Plus we now have a Boeing capsule stranded at the International Space Station…

  • A Day in Astronomy: Launch of the Manned Saturn V Rocket to the Moon

    On this day in 1969, NASA launched the Saturn V rocket that carried astronauts Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins on the first manned lunar landing. The 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:32 a.m. EDT.  While this was the most significant use…

  • Space Stories: Redefining Planets, Second Thoughts About Crashing the ISS, and NASA Preparing for Artemis II

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Space.com: “‘What Exactly is a Planet?’ Astronomers Want to Amend the Definition“ Three astronomers last week proposed expanding the official definition of a planet to encompass worlds orbiting stars other than our own, a nuance not currently included in the formal definition of the term established in 2006 by…