A Day in Astronomy: Death of Hermann Oberth

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Image (Credit): Hermann Julius Oberth. (European Space Agency)

On this day in 1989, rocket pioneer Hermann Julius Oberth died. He was born in Austria-Hungary in 1894 and at a young age was inspired by the rockets in the fictional stories by Jules Verne, such as From the Earth to the Moon.

Oberth’s interest in the stories of Verne led him to build his first rocket at the age of 14. His doctoral dissertation was on rocketry, he wrote books on rocketry, and he later joined an amateur rocketry group called the “Spaceflight Society” where he mentored other rocket enthusiasts, including Wernher von Braun.

Oberth was unable to get a security clearance to work on the Nazis V-2 rocket, thereby limiting his value to Americans following World War II, unlike Wernher von Braun and others who came to the United States under Project Paperclip and later assisted with NASA’s Apollo program.

Wernher von Braun was still able to get Oberth a position with the U.S. Army after the war and paid tribute to his mentor by stating:

I have a boundless admiration for the solitary genius which enabled him to bring into focus all of the essential elements of a gigantic concept, together with the human greatness which allowed him, in shy reserve, to bear with equanimity the “crucify him” as well as the “hosannas” of public opinion. I myself owe him a debt of gratitude not only for being the guiding light of my life but also for my first contact with the theoretical and practical aspects of rocket technology and space travel.

Oberth continues to be known today as the “Father of Space Travel.”

Podcast: A Discussion with the Creator of Andor

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You are in for a treat if you are interested in a deeper dive into the world of Andor. Reason magazine’s podcast The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie has a eye-opening interview with Tony Gilroy, the creator, writer, and director of Andor. The series is without doubt the best of the Star Wars television series. The podcast discussion covers bureaucracy and the surveillance state as portrayed throughout the Andor series.

One of the questions discussed the lack of light sabers and the Force in the series, to which Mr. Gilroy noted:

One of my original questions to them, to the experts there, was, “In the galaxy—in this huge galaxy—how many people would have ever encountered a Jedi? How many people would ever know about the Force? How many people know about this family you keep rotating these movies on?” And the answer is: nobody, or almost nobody. If you’re living in the galaxy, if you’re a being in the galaxy, you’ve probably never had any encounter ever with Jedi or even know what it is, or the Force.

This type of thinking was made the series worth watching. The series did not need to be saved by Darth Vader or a Yoda plush toy anymore than a good Star Trek series should need to be saved by the Borg.

Andor also touches on something real happening just outside our windows rather than a galaxy far, far away. Mr. Gilroy notes it in this way:

The parallels to what’s happening in our world right now are even beyond moralistic…There is a giddy rush—you’ll see people cravenly move toward power because it’s gonna benefit them, or it’s warmer there, or they have no spine or moral commitment to really back up…People getting on board something—getting on board a train that’s on fire that they know is heading toward a cliff. It’s just amazing to watch the sort of giddy rush of people stripping off their clothes and jumping onto the fire here. It’s quite amazing.

Andor is the antithesis of getting along. It is about pushing back at the cost of everything so that others may someday have something worth holding. It is something we seem to have forgotten in our current situation even though we know the broken norms will not somehow reassert themselves via some outside Force. If we cannot see that we are the Force, then we are all truly lost.

Andor is possibly the one series that makes Star Wars relevant to a new generation. Gen Z does not need Jawas and Ewoks. It needs a new hope.

Mr. Gilroy understands this and shares all of his insights via the podcast. You will not be disappointed.

Poll Results: Do You Believe in Aliens?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by myshoun from Pixabay

You might find it comforting that more Americans believe in aliens than Bigfoot. Or maybe not.

A recent YouGov poll found some interesting facts about Americans when it comes to aliens, including:

  • 56% of Americans believe aliens definitely or probably exist;
  • 47% of Americans believe aliens have definitely or probably visited Earth at some point.;
  • 29% of Americans an alien visit would have a negative effect on human civilization (see below);
  • 21% of Americans have seen something they thought was a UFO; and
  • Only 13% of Americans think the government would tell the public if it had evidence supporting the existence UFOs.

These negative feeling towards both aliens and the government seem to be reflected in most of the recent television series and movies. The new TV series Alien: Earth may be the most representative of this feeling, where the corporate tech geeks are the government and also believe they can control alien species. As with all things Alien, the mess is spectacular.

Check out the YouGov poll site for the full story.

Holiday Message from the ISS

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Astronauts aboard the ISS showing the boots ready for Santa. (NASA)

Santa’s gift-giving territory is pretty wide, but it is not clear whether he will make it to the International Space Station (ISS). However, the astronauts are ready if he does show up. They have hung their space boots by the airlock with cheer.

For the complete ISS holiday message, play this video from NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Chris Williams, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui. The message was recorded on December 17, 2025.

Merry Christmas to all!