• Space Quote: Everything Normal Here, Please Get Back to Work (In the Office, Of Course)

    “President Trump recently issued a Presidential Memorandum (PM) titled “Return to In-Person Work,” the text of which is included below. NASA intends to fully comply. ‘Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to…

  • Mark Your Calendar: Kennedy Center Earth to Space Festival

    If you are looking for a different type of event, the Kennedy Center has an idea. Come for its Earth to Space Festival, being held from March 28 to April 20. What is it, you ask? Here is what the Kennedy Center has shared: For three weeks, EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky will…

  • Pic of the Week: The Glow of Cassiopeia A

    This week’s image was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and highlighted in Scientific American magazine. It shows a colorful supernova remnant called Cassiopeia A, which is about 350 light-years away. The magazine article notes: The recent photographs are helping scientists answer some of their most pressing questions about supernovae, such as which…

  • NASA Gets to Work Under the New Administration by Shutting Down DEI

    Almost the first words the NASA employees heard from their acting administrator was the end of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within the agency. In an email earlier today, Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro stated, in part: Notice the use of “Radical” in the executive order and the Office of Personnel Management email…

  • Space Stories: Farewell to Bill Nelson, an Unpredictable Universe, and Ponds and Lakes on Mars

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —WESH.com: “NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Writes Letter to Next Leader, Reflects on Legacy and Future of Space Exploration“ In a heartfelt letter addressed to the 15th Administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson expressed his admiration for the agency’s workforce and the immense honor of leading the organization dedicated to space…

  • Space Quote: Next Step Mars?

    “We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.” -Inaugural statement by President Trump on January 20, 2024. He may want to check with NASA on the Artemis program given that the planned trip to the Moon has already cost taxpayers billions…

  • A Day in Astronomy: Birth of Edgar Allan Poe

    On this day in 1809, Edgar Poe was born in Boston, MA. “Allan” was added later as his middle name after he lost both parents and was taken in by the Allan family. He would only live for 40 years, but in that short time he created a wealth of stories that are still fresh…

  • Podcast: Cool Worlds Considers Communicating with Aliens

    You may enjoy this week’s episode from the Cool Worlds Podcast all about leaving evidence of our civilization for alien visitors, or even a future civilization here on Earth. The episode, “Nick Searra – Alien Communication, Golden Record, Future Relics,” covers a lot of ground from the Pioneer and Voyager missions to the idea of…

  • Blue Origin Looses a Booster, and SpaceX Looses a Rocket

    Overall, it was a good week in space with two lunar missions launched and the successful test of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. Unfortunately, it did not end so well when SpaceX lost its Starship rocket during its seventh test of that system. While the Starship’s booster made another dramatic landing, the rocket itself disintegrated…

  • Pic of the Week: Successful Launch of the New Glenn Rocket

    Earlier today, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket safely made its way into the Earth’s orbit from its launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The only piece of the mission that fell short was the loss of the booster that should have landed on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. After the…