Friday, December 30, 2022

Sunday, December 25, 2022

For all who celebrate, have a Merry Christmas!
Why did Nigeria and Rwanda sign NASA’s Artemis Accords?

Nigeria and Rwanda are the first African countries to sign NASA’s Artemis Accords, an agreement between 23 nations to adhere to a set of rules regarding space exploration and the economic development of other worlds. Participation in the NASA-led Artemis program not a prerequisite for signing the Artemis Accords. However, American officials strongly implied that the two countries would, in due course, become partners in the effort to return astronauts to the moon and eventually to Mars.

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Which will fly around the moon first: Artemis II or DearMoon?

Still, if all goes well, the world will have not just one but two crewed circumlunar voyages to look forward to very soon. Artemis II and DearMoon will have different goals, however.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

It seems that a friend of Chantal's and mine, Liz Patton, passed away last night. Our hearts are on the ground.

The note posted on Liz's Facebook: "Good evening Everyone. I regret to inform you that Liz Patton has passed away. We have little information at this time, however it appears she passed away in her sleep.

"Any memorial services will be shared via Facebook.

"Liz will be forever missed, and we are blessed for having been a part of her life. Please send any prayers and energy to those working through this difficult time."

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Nigeria and Rwanda: First African Nations Sign the Artemis Accords

In living memory, the only news to come out of Nigeria and Rwanda has been mass death by genocide and starvation. That the Artemis program is going to turn those two countries into space powers is mind boggling and wonderful.

Sunday, December 11, 2022

The BBC is going to interview me about the Orion splashdown and the conclusion of the Artemis 1 mission. I'll post the recording when it becomes available.
The mission of Artemis 1 had concluded successfully with the splashdown of the Orion capsule. After all of the aggravating cost overruns and schedule delays, NASA and its partners made it look easy. For all of you who have never seen a moonwalk in life, this is just the foretaste of something wonderful.
NASA starts thinking how to build a moon base

NASA, as it prepares to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years, is thinking about building a place for them to live. The Apollo astronauts only needed the lunar module to rest between moon walks. The Artemis astronauts, who will eventually stay on the moon for months at a time, will need more roomy facilities.

Friday, December 09, 2022

Fifty years after Apollo 17, why have we not gone back to the moon?

Fifty years ago on Dec. 14, Gene Cernan, the commander of Apollo 17, spoke the last words a human being has spoken on the moon’s surface: “As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.”

ernan’s wish has yet to be fulfilled. Indeed, he departed this life before human beings could return to the moon. The Artemis Project promises that, at long last, human footsteps will tread the lunar surface once again after over five decades. But why has it taken so long?

Sunday, December 04, 2022

Joint mission: Japan, UAE, NASA and SpaceX head to the moon

With the NASA-led Artemis 1 mission to the moon still ongoing and the Capstone probe collecting information on the moon’s orbit, a joint Japanese, UAE, SpaceX mission is scheduled to launch a probe tasked with landing on the lunar surface. The Japanese lander, the Hakuto-R M1, will take a UAE rover, dubbed “Rashid,” to the lunar surface, with landing scheduled for March 2023. Rashid is designed to snap pictures of the lunar surface and examine its electrically charged environment. The launch has been delayed due to ongoing problems with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

A dystopian Canadian infomercial presents euthanasia as an aspirational lifestyle choice and if green protein rich waffers start showing up at Canadian super market shelves, we'll know that life is really imitating art.

Saturday, December 03, 2022

The director of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny denies the rumors that the movie will erase Indy from history and replace him with a woman. Of course, the article also goes into full woke mode by calling such rumors "misogynist" and even suggests that even if the rumors were true it wouldn't matter since we will still have the first four moviews. Woke Hollywood really needs to stop disrespecting its audience.
Both Chantal and I found Tiktok apps on our phones even though we never downloaded them. Everyone might check their phones and, if they find the app, uninstall that Red Chines spyware.
For over 400 years, she has walked the night. The Gabriella Novels #CommissionEarned