October 30th, 2020
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2927 tasks. The rover is busily studying a rock formation called “Hedgehope Hill” reports Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, a planetary geologist at the University of New Brunswick; Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. “Sometimes in geology, as in life, it helps to look at the same thing from different […]
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Virgin Galactic has introduced two new pilots into its “Pilot Corps” as the company moves ahead on commercial suborbital flight services from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Jameel Janjua and Patrick Moran are joining the team, bringing the total number of rocket ship pilots to eight. Both will embark on an extensive training program before […]
A new film to hit theaters in April 2021 celebrates the 20th launch anniversary of the first International Space Station (ISS) crew. Directed by Clare Lewins, “The Wonderful – Stories from the Space Station” is produced by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Emmy nominee George Chignell, and is presented by […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2925 tasks. The rover’s short drive – also called a “bump” – on Sol 2924 went well, reports Ken Herkenhoff, a planetary geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. The robot is now on a relatively steep slope right next to the “Maybole” outcrop. […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2924 tasks. Lucy Thompson, a planetary geologist at University of New Brunswick; Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, reports that the rover – after a weekend drive – is looking at new scenery – after sitting in one parking spot for the last three months. The robot’s drive […]
The Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has unanimously approved the designation of Apollo Lunar Rover Vehicles (LRVs) built by Boeing in Kent, Washington as Washington state historic landmarks. The city of Kent and the Kent Downtown Partnership applied to receive historic landmark designation for the LRVs used in Apollo Mission 15 […]
Today’s gush of water-on-the-Moon stories is heartening. But I would be remiss not to underscore a recent NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on NASA’s management of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), from which the new lunar observations are predicated: From the September 14, 2020 OIG report: “Although responsible for several […]
Fresh from a Kickstarter campaign, the Lunark Habitat mission is now underway. Crew members, Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan, are deep into their three-month journey in the Arctic, Greenland. Their home-away-from-home design for a lunar dwelling combines the ancient Japanese art of paper folding with the method of biomimicry. The result is a lightweight and strong […]
Until recently the Moon was thought to be bone dry and a waterless world. Little by little there seems to be a drip by drip of news that our celestial neighbor sports a wet look. Two research papers published in Nature Astronomy have turned on the tap a bit more to the prospect of molecular […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2923 tasks. Mars scientists are in the homestretch of having Curiosity complete work at the “Mary Anning” and “Groken” drill sites, reports Michelle Minitti, a planetary geologist at Framework in Silver Spring, Maryland. A recent plan checks off final important work boxes at the site before the […]
