Space Stories: Crew Returns from ISS, Isaacman Nomination Advances, and Robotic Spacecraft to Save Space Telescope

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft undocking from the ISS earlier today. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—CBS News: “3-man Crew Undocks from International Space Station, Wrapping Up 8-month Stay“

A NASA astronaut and two cosmonaut crewmates strapped into their Soyuz ferry ship and undocked from the International Space Station on Monday, heading for landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan to wrap up an eight-month mission…With Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov strapped into the descent module’s center seat, flanked on his left by cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky and on the right by NASA’s Jonny Kim, the Soyuz MS-27/73S spacecraft undocked from the lab at 8:41 p.m. ET.

—Reuters: “US Senate Committee Votes to Advance NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman“

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted late on Monday to advance the nomination of billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA...Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz said: “You are as committed to American supremacy in the final frontier as is this committee and the entire Senate. My hope is that you will be confirmed and in this role before the end of this year.” He also won support of the panel’s top Democrat, Senator Maria Cantwell.

—Indian Defence Review: “A Rescue Mission Will Save NASA’s Space Telescope Using a Rocket Dropped from a Plane“

Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift has been a crucial asset in understanding some of the most energetic events in the universe. However, over time, the spacecraft’s orbit has been decaying due to the drag from Earth’s atmosphere. As the orbit continues to degrade, the telescope is set to fall from its current 249-mile altitude unless action is taken. The problem is that Swift lacks onboard thrusters for orbit adjustments. With no replacement mission in the pipeline, NASA has turned to the private sector for a solution, and Katalyst is stepping in with a bold plan…For Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, however, no astronauts will be involved. Instead, Katalyst will perform the rescue entirely remotely.

Astronomy Question: The Demise of Skylab

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Skylab as it appeared to the final crew upon its departure. (NASA)

Two-Part Multiple Choice: 

Part 1: When the US space station Sklyab fell from the sky in 1979, what country was hit with falling debris?

    A. Argentina
    B. Australia
    C. New Zealand
    D. Papua New Guinea

    Part 2: What was the size of the fine that this country tried to impose on NASA as compensation for the falling debris?

    A. $400
    B. $40,000
    C: $4 million
    D: $14 million

    Take a guess and then check your answers by going to the “Astronomy Question Answer Sheet” page.

    Space Quote: China, the Moon, and the Military

    Posted on by onespaceman2000
    Image (Credit): China’s Chang’e-4 Lander on the Moon’s surface, as captured by the Yutu-2 rover in early 2019. (CNSA)

    “Politically, China’s lunar program has demonstrated an ability to undertake cutting edge scientific programs, as demonstrated in the innovative Chang’e-4 and Chang’e-6 probes. In terms of direct military benefits, its value is more limited. China is not in a direct space race with any other state, nor is it racing to establish settlements or “space colonies.” While there are theories of how one might employ a lunar base to undertake surveillance or even kinetic operations against terrestrial targets, the costs associated with such ambitions would be enormous. Surveillance platforms on the Moon, for example, would be almost 240,000 miles from Earth. To obtain high resolution images would be enormously costly. It is not at all clear that such efforts would win a cost-benefit analysis against systems in standard earth orbits (LEO, MEO, GEO), or even air-breathing systems. Instead, the most likely military benefits are in terms of improvements in Chinese space support capabilities, thus expanding the volume of space employed for military purposes.”

    -Statement by Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, from a hearing before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee titled “Strategic Trajectories Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership.” Mr. Cheng was one of four witnesses at the hearing.

    Television: Pluribus

    Posted on by onespaceman2000
    Credit: Apple TV+

    The sixth episode of Apple TV+’s Pluribus dropped this week. If you haven’t heard of the new series, you may want to check in. It starts like the movie Contact, has elements of 3 Body Problem (including the clock), and turns into The Last Man on Earth, though in this case its an angry, lone woman dealing with Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

    Interested? Oh yeah, it comes from Vince Gilligan, the same guy who also gave us on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. It also stars Rhea Seehorn from Better Call Saul.

    It all starts when a radio signal from a civilization about 600 light-years away is intercepted by Earth. This signal contains a RNA sequence. Of course, the dumb Earthlings find it necessary to recreate this sequence, lose control of the experiment (alla Jurassic Park), and thereby release a virus that turns the human population into the Borg. The rest of the story is how one woman and twelve other unaffected humans make their way in this new world.

    It’s an odd start to a very odd show, but it is fun and thought-provoking in its own way. It also doesn’t have simple story lines where the everyone agrees there is a problem with the new human state, or at least not all of the 13 remaining people agree. We know the collective mind seems to work in nature, be it bees or ants, so it is not impossible.

    It is too early to know whether this show has a soft landing or even a future, but it’s the type of show, like Severance, that is sure to be discussed at the virtual office water cooler.

    Okay, that’s enough references to other shows and movies. I counted eight, but I can also say that Pluribus is unique enough that none of those references really does it any justice.

    Pic of the Week: Virgo Galaxy Cluster

    Posted on by onespaceman2000
    Image (Credit): The Virgo galaxy cluster as captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. (NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory)

    This week’s image comes from the Planetary Society’s recent competition to find the best space exploration images. It shows the Virgo galaxy cluster, which was the winning entry. The image was released on June 23, 2025 by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory located in Chile.

    The Virgo galaxy cluster is comprised of anywhere between 1,300 and 2,000 galaxies. What you can see in this image is an impressive array of galaxies, some of them intertwined. How many different worlds within this cluster may be peering back at us? Of course, the Virgo galaxy cluster is 65 million light-years away, so the image of the Milky Way appearing on their telescopes right now was from the time when dinosaurs still walked on the Earth.