A Digital Billboard in Space. Just Kill Me Now.
9th Aug, 2021
If this is the future of humanity in space, then we're never gonna make it. (Gizmodo)
GAO Turns Down Bezos' Blue Origin Petition to Build a Lunar Lander
2nd Aug, 2021
When billionaires have fits, they are over big stuff (because they have bigger problems than us lower forms of life), so I'm sure fits are being pitched in the Bezos casa. Jeff even offered to spend 2 billion of his own dollars to get the contract! You know he wanted that puppy. The GAO says NASA didn't break any procurement rules choosing SpaceX as the only provider of a lunar lander even though NASA said it would pick two. Read the GAO statement here, if you can drown out the crying sound in the background. (NASA)
Arianespace Ariane 5 Launches two Satellites this Weekend
2nd Aug, 2021
This is important because this rocket will launch JWST late this year and the rocket has been grounded since August 2020 for some fairing issues when deploying satellites. It goes without saying the JWST mission does not want any 'issues' with the rocket when it comes time for launch. For now, it's looking like late November 2020 for a launch. Don't be surprised if that's pushed back. (SpaceNews)
Harvard's Galileo Project will search for technosignatures of civilizations around the Galaxy
30th Jul, 2021
Avi Loeb was very intrigued by the object known as Oumuamua, a strangely shaped thing following a trajectory from outside the solar system. Inspired by Oumuamua, Loeb's team at Harvard started The Galileo Project, a network of 10-inch telescopes around the globe that will look for signs of technology in our galaxy. (Harvard)
NASA's Roman Space Telescope Data will be housed at the MAST Archive
29th Jul, 2021
The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes at STScI in Maryland will store, serve and archive the data from the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Formerly called WFIRST, this is the NEXT BIG THING after JWST. Scheduled to launch sometime in this decade, this telescope will have a big impact on our understanding of our place in the universe. (Hubblesite.org)
Astronomers Work on "Satellite Constellation Problem"
28th Jul, 2021
It's no secret that the tens of thousands of new satellites being launched by SpaceX, Amazon and others are going to have an impact on our night skies. At the most recent SATCON2 workshop, astronomers are trying to get ahead of the problem. (Space.com)