• More Artemis Delays Announced

    Orion heat shield issues have contributed to more delays with the Artemis II (crewed capsule around the Moon) and Artemis III (crewed capsule lands on the Moon) missions. The Artemis II launch has moved from September 2025 to April 2026, while the Artemis III launch has moved from 2026 to mid-2027. NASA still has plenty…

  • Nominee Jared Isaacman’s Statement

    This is what Mr. Isaacman posted on Twitter/X after being nominated to be the next administrator of NASA: I am honored to receive President Trump’s…nomination to serve as the next Administrator of NASA. Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human…

  • Pic of the Week: The Best of 2024

    This week’s image is the best space exploration image winner in The Planetary Society’s Best of 2024 contest. It shows the Odysseus lunar lander, launched on February 15, leaving the Earth behind as it travels to the Moon. You can read more about the lunar mission to the lunar South Pole by visiting this NASA…

  • Billionaire Space Tourist Selected to Lead NASA

    I guess it was too much to pick a former astronaut to lead NASA, so the Trump administration is turning to a wealthy space tourist to lead the agency. Jared Isaacman, the CEO and founder of a credit card-processing company, was nominated to be the next administrator of NASA. Mr. Isaacman main experience with space…

  • Space Stories: Venus Without Oceans, Evidence of Black Holes on Earth, and Organic Material on Ceres

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Astronomy.com: “Venus May Never Have Had Oceans“ The story of the inner early Solar System goes something like this: Billions of years ago, there were three rocky worlds with oceans of liquid water. Perhaps all three could have been primed for life. But as Mars lost its atmosphere and…

  • Space Quote: Questions about the Space Launch System

    “To be clear, we are far from anything being settled, but based on what I’m hearing it seems at least 50-50 that Nasa’s Space Launch System rocket will be canceled.” -Comment by US space journalist Eric Berger as quoted in an article from The Conversation titled “Trump May Cancel NASA’s Powerful SLS Moon Rocket—What That…

  • Holiday Fun from NASA

    If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate the holidays, consider using this NASA-provided fireplace video to warm your heart. You can gain access to it here. Yes, NASA has a sense of humor. It is also a nice pitch for the Artemis missions. Enjoy.

  • Television: Skeleton Crew

    On December 2, Disney+ will premiere Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, its latest television series trying to cash in on its Star Wars investment. This is Disney’s quick summary of the story: “Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a…

  • Time to Think About Christmas Shopping

    With Thanksgiving behind us and Black Friday here, it is time to start thinking about that star-gazing person in your life. Fortunately, The Planetary Society is already sharing some gift ideas, including the Astronaut Space Pack Water Blaster (shown above) for the smaller Earth-bound people in your life. Or maybe the Constellations Rocks Glass (shown…

  • Pic of the Week: Thanksgiving on the ISS

    This week’s image shows the four US astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) showing their Thanksgiving meal to all of us (contained in the white plastic bags). The astronauts pictured (clockwise from bottom left) are Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit. You also watch a video where they share their holiday…