• RIP: Thomas Stafford, Apollo 10 Astronaut

    As we plan our return to the Moon, we cannot forget the Apollo astronauts who showed us the way last century. One of those astronauts, Thomas Stafford, died today at the age of 93. Among his many achievements, including his Apollo 10 mission that prepared the way for the first Moon landing by Apollo 11,…

  • Make Your 2024 Solar Eclipse Plans Now

    If you are planning to get a good seat for the total solar eclipse on April 8, you may want to consult the NASA Solar Eclipses map (shown above) to figure our where you want to be. Hint for 2024 – California is not the place to be. The 2024 solar eclipse map (shown below)…

  • Two Japanese Commercial Missions, Only One Reaching Space

    Earlier this week, Japanese cargo was launched towards space by two commercial companies. Unfortunately, only of the rockets made it into space. On March 13, US company Rocket Lab launched a payload for Japan’s Synspective, an Earth-imaging company, from its launch site in New Zealand. The launch was successful and the StriX-3 satellite was placed…

  • Last Chance to Get Your Name on the Moon

    You have until midnight today to submit your name to NASA and be part of the Agency’s first robotic Moon rover, called Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). Go to this link and provide your name and PIN code to ensure your name goes to the Moon (and you also get your boarding pass as…

  • Pic of the Week: Third Launch of the Starship

    This week’s pic is from this morning’s launch of the SpaceX Starship from the facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The flight went well until the point of reentry, when SpaceX lost contact and the rocket was lost. The plan had been for both a successful launch and return of the Starship. The Starship’s rocket booster…

  • Movie: Jodorowsky’s Dune

    Now that Dune: Part Two is in theaters, it may be worth your time to revisit an earlier attempt to create a Dune movie by Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky. The 2014 film, Jodorowsky’s Dune, discusses the filmmaker’s elaborate plans in the 1970s to create a 12-20 hour film covering the life of Paul Atreides.…

  • Space Stories: Oxygen Issues on Europa, the Puzzling Expansion Rate of the Universe, and Mini Moon-Bound Rovers

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —The Columbian: “Europa Might Have Less Oxygen Than Expected“ New research suggests there’s less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa than thought — and that could affect what, if any, life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. Even with little or no oxygen, microbes…

  • An Interesting Message for Europa

    In past NASA missions to the outer planets of our solar system, we attached messages for any distant civilization that might be out there. Both the Pioneer and Voyager missions contained such messages. So what about NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter’s moon set to launch in October? It too will have some messages, but…

  • Where is This? March 10, 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: No Invading Aliens to Report

    “AARO found no evidence that any USG investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology.“ -Conclusion of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) February 2024 report, Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), covering claims of UAP…