johnmpowell.bsky.social
@johnmpowell.bsky.social
Dad, spaceship and submarine builder, balloon flyer, violist and lover of old black and white scifi.
New Video: youtu.be/KNYTQl8FYgA?...
I added 30 seconds to video I just posted and put it up on YouTube.
I added 30 seconds to video I just posted and put it up on YouTube.
January 3, 2026 at 8:41 PM
New Video: youtu.be/KNYTQl8FYgA?...
I added 30 seconds to video I just posted and put it up on YouTube.
I added 30 seconds to video I just posted and put it up on YouTube.
Sometimes we work on the big ones, sometimes we work on the little ones.
January 3, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Sometimes we work on the big ones, sometimes we work on the little ones.
Ascender 9 airship heading out.
January 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Ascender 9 airship heading out.
New Video for New Years Eve:
youtu.be/Ygexoz8W96s?...
Just a minute and a half of images we're taken up top. It really is a beautiful place.
youtu.be/Ygexoz8W96s?...
Just a minute and a half of images we're taken up top. It really is a beautiful place.
January 1, 2026 at 1:52 AM
New Video for New Years Eve:
youtu.be/Ygexoz8W96s?...
Just a minute and a half of images we're taken up top. It really is a beautiful place.
youtu.be/Ygexoz8W96s?...
Just a minute and a half of images we're taken up top. It really is a beautiful place.
Submarine troubleshooting. Yesterday the sensor display on the sub showed it was at a depth of 500 feet & water temp was 2000 degrees F. Both unlikely while sitting in the shop. 2 hours later, after starting at the sensors & working inward, the culprit, a bent I2c pin was found.
December 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Submarine troubleshooting. Yesterday the sensor display on the sub showed it was at a depth of 500 feet & water temp was 2000 degrees F. Both unlikely while sitting in the shop. 2 hours later, after starting at the sensors & working inward, the culprit, a bent I2c pin was found.
When I want to look at the moon, I like to get a little closer.
Up top on a JP Aerospace mission.
Up top on a JP Aerospace mission.
December 29, 2025 at 6:55 PM
When I want to look at the moon, I like to get a little closer.
Up top on a JP Aerospace mission.
Up top on a JP Aerospace mission.
New Video: youtube.com/shorts/5DHYT...
A 20 second cheeky summary of our Tandem edge of space airship.
A 20 second cheeky summary of our Tandem edge of space airship.
December 28, 2025 at 8:34 PM
New Video: youtube.com/shorts/5DHYT...
A 20 second cheeky summary of our Tandem edge of space airship.
A 20 second cheeky summary of our Tandem edge of space airship.
Magnetohydrodynamic test firing #139. Nothing new on this one. This firing is part of a series to get base line data for the sensors. I love seeing the curls of the charged bits dancing around the edges.
December 27, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Magnetohydrodynamic test firing #139. Nothing new on this one. This firing is part of a series to get base line data for the sensors. I love seeing the curls of the charged bits dancing around the edges.
New Video: youtube.com/shorts/0xB8D...
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood"
Daniel Burnham
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood"
Daniel Burnham
December 27, 2025 at 12:22 AM
New Video: youtube.com/shorts/0xB8D...
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood"
Daniel Burnham
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood"
Daniel Burnham
Ascender H1 airship in orbit.
We've built 11 airships. I think we're three away from a space demonstrator.
We've built 11 airships. I think we're three away from a space demonstrator.
December 26, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Ascender H1 airship in orbit.
We've built 11 airships. I think we're three away from a space demonstrator.
We've built 11 airships. I think we're three away from a space demonstrator.
Bridge Christmas! With the storm approaching I did my annual Christmas eve trek across the Golden Gate Bridge a day early. There was a crisp breeze and the ships were running. A beautiful day. You can have 'Elf on the Shelf', I prefer 'Jabba on the Bridge'. Note: It rhymes in Huteese.
December 25, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Bridge Christmas! With the storm approaching I did my annual Christmas eve trek across the Golden Gate Bridge a day early. There was a crisp breeze and the ships were running. A beautiful day. You can have 'Elf on the Shelf', I prefer 'Jabba on the Bridge'. Note: It rhymes in Huteese.
Nothing says Christmas like Symphony d'Oro's Christmas Concert in the grocery store. Out reach at its best. Did you even know that our humble Rancho Cordova has a symphony?
December 24, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Nothing says Christmas like Symphony d'Oro's Christmas Concert in the grocery store. Out reach at its best. Did you even know that our humble Rancho Cordova has a symphony?
Artists concept of the Ascender Load airship up top.
December 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Artists concept of the Ascender Load airship up top.
Term of the Day: Extralinguistic Realities.
It's from the study of ancient scripts. It's part of the transition from symbols that mean ideas (glyphic) to symbols that represent sounds of a spoken language (alphabet). The push for more meaning. It's hyperspace for language nerds.
It's from the study of ancient scripts. It's part of the transition from symbols that mean ideas (glyphic) to symbols that represent sounds of a spoken language (alphabet). The push for more meaning. It's hyperspace for language nerds.
December 22, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Term of the Day: Extralinguistic Realities.
It's from the study of ancient scripts. It's part of the transition from symbols that mean ideas (glyphic) to symbols that represent sounds of a spoken language (alphabet). The push for more meaning. It's hyperspace for language nerds.
It's from the study of ancient scripts. It's part of the transition from symbols that mean ideas (glyphic) to symbols that represent sounds of a spoken language (alphabet). The push for more meaning. It's hyperspace for language nerds.
Project Hazel reimaged. Hazel was a SR-71 competitor in 1958. It was a designed to be a completely inflated, foldable, Mach 3, 150k feet cruise aircraft. Yes, it was a balloon. It's amazing what you can learn from old programs.
December 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Project Hazel reimaged. Hazel was a SR-71 competitor in 1958. It was a designed to be a completely inflated, foldable, Mach 3, 150k feet cruise aircraft. Yes, it was a balloon. It's amazing what you can learn from old programs.
Little red wagon thruster work. Last night we did three MHD test firings. All were calibration and data tests. We're working on getting the firings as uniform as possible before the next step in the development.
December 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Little red wagon thruster work. Last night we did three MHD test firings. All were calibration and data tests. We're working on getting the firings as uniform as possible before the next step in the development.
The gang working away on the back deck of the submarine.
December 18, 2025 at 5:11 PM
The gang working away on the back deck of the submarine.
Today is an engine firing and submarine training day at JP Aerospace.
December 18, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Today is an engine firing and submarine training day at JP Aerospace.
Video! youtu.be/fdfTCBRwijI
This is the updated animation for the Airship to Orbit launch system. We put in all the new updates & we show how this huge crazy project works. This is just an animation but we're building it in the real world, one mission at a time.
This is the updated animation for the Airship to Orbit launch system. We put in all the new updates & we show how this huge crazy project works. This is just an animation but we're building it in the real world, one mission at a time.
December 16, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Video! youtu.be/fdfTCBRwijI
This is the updated animation for the Airship to Orbit launch system. We put in all the new updates & we show how this huge crazy project works. This is just an animation but we're building it in the real world, one mission at a time.
This is the updated animation for the Airship to Orbit launch system. We put in all the new updates & we show how this huge crazy project works. This is just an animation but we're building it in the real world, one mission at a time.
Bellavia heading out.
December 13, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Bellavia heading out.
Back to engine work on our little red wagon test stand. Last night we did two MHD firings, #135 and #136. No new breakthroughs, these were getting baseline data and testing sensors.
December 12, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Back to engine work on our little red wagon test stand. Last night we did two MHD firings, #135 and #136. No new breakthroughs, these were getting baseline data and testing sensors.
Gemini 6 seen from Gemini 7.
These were two seater 'sports car' spacecraft. They were hugely successful. Today the US is focused on big capsules. Little ones are cool too.
These were two seater 'sports car' spacecraft. They were hugely successful. Today the US is focused on big capsules. Little ones are cool too.
December 10, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Gemini 6 seen from Gemini 7.
These were two seater 'sports car' spacecraft. They were hugely successful. Today the US is focused on big capsules. Little ones are cool too.
These were two seater 'sports car' spacecraft. They were hugely successful. Today the US is focused on big capsules. Little ones are cool too.
New Video! youtube.com/shorts/ZXBEZ...
Space Kitten! Just a fun clip from a mission we flew a few years ago.
Space Kitten! Just a fun clip from a mission we flew a few years ago.
December 9, 2025 at 2:32 AM
New Video! youtube.com/shorts/ZXBEZ...
Space Kitten! Just a fun clip from a mission we flew a few years ago.
Space Kitten! Just a fun clip from a mission we flew a few years ago.
Monday morning. 100,000 feet, the no man's land between the sky and space.
Love my job.
Love my job.
December 8, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Monday morning. 100,000 feet, the no man's land between the sky and space.
Love my job.
Love my job.
New Video Short: youtube.com/shorts/yZwYj...
Inside the Ascender 9 airship envelope.
Inside the Ascender 9 airship envelope.
December 8, 2025 at 5:56 AM
New Video Short: youtube.com/shorts/yZwYj...
Inside the Ascender 9 airship envelope.
Inside the Ascender 9 airship envelope.