Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is one of the most popular billionaires in history. His fame is understandable. Rocket ships and electric cars are cool. These and other technological innovations have the potential to change the human condition for the better. Musk is especially beloved in Texas, a state that has had its share of larger-than-life people, to which he recently moved.
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Fifty years after the last humans walked on the moon, humankind has started to go back to Earth’s nearest neighbor. After all the false starts, the political wrangling, the technological difficulties and the bureaucratic ineptitude that has accompanied the effort, NASA’s Artemis 1 mission will launch as soon as Monday, Aug. 29.
Saturday, August 27, 2022
Friday, August 26, 2022
Thursday, August 25, 2022
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Monday, August 22, 2022
Sunday, August 21, 2022
As SpaceX continues ground tests of its Starship Superheavy rocket ship in preparation for its first orbital flight, the scientific community is starting to wake up to the possibilities that the company’s spaceship presents for science-oriented space exploration. The same rocket that will take humans back to the moon and, perhaps, to Mars will also revolutionize sending robotic space explorers to all corners of the solar system, according to a recent piece in Science.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Friday, August 19, 2022
Thursday, August 18, 2022
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Monday, August 15, 2022
Sunday, August 14, 2022
NASA had planned to send a probe to the asteroid, 16 Psyche, in 2022. It is sometimes called “the golden asteroid” because many people believe it contains an abundance of valuable metals. Unfortunately, NASA recently announced a launch delay because of the need to review software. The probe may launch in 2023 or 2024 to arrive at 16 Psyche in 2029 or 2030, respectively. The mission may be canceled altogether, since the delay would cause further cost.
Saturday, August 13, 2022
Friday, August 12, 2022
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Tuesday, August 09, 2022
Monday, August 08, 2022
Sunday, August 07, 2022
The most recent mission to the moon was launched by South Korea, a signatory to the Artemis Accords. The mission is called Danuri, or Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. Danuri, which is a combination of the Korean words “dai” meaning moon and “nuri” meaning enjoy, is South Korea’s first deep-space mission. It is another example of the growing international nature of space exploration.