Riding With Robots
@ridingrobots.bsky.social
Robotic solar system exploration, night sky photography, exasperating earnestness. My day job is impersonating some of your favorite planets and spacecraft on social media for one of your favorite government agencies. Opinions here are my own.
25 years ago today the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous – Shoemaker spacecraft touched down on the Asteroid Eros, after orbiting it and making a map of the elongated 34 km long asteroid. It gently landed on the surface with its cameras obtaining views during the final descent. Digital art. #SCIART
February 13, 2026 at 4:36 AM
Everyone knows the "very poorly" quote, but I was unfamiliar with the extent of his game...
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Everyone knows the "very poorly" quote, but I was unfamiliar with the extent of his game...
Non-definitive, but interesting. From NASA:
A new study suggests that non-biological sources cannot fully account for the abundance of organic compounds found in a sample collected by the Curiosity rover.
Dig into the details: science.nasa.gov/blogs/scienc...
A new study suggests that non-biological sources cannot fully account for the abundance of organic compounds found in a sample collected by the Curiosity rover.
Dig into the details: science.nasa.gov/blogs/scienc...
NASA Study: Non-biologic Processes Don’t Fully Explain Mars Organics - NASA Science
In a new study, researchers say that non-biological sources they considered could not fully account for the abundance of organic compounds in a sample
science.nasa.gov
February 12, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Non-definitive, but interesting. From NASA:
A new study suggests that non-biological sources cannot fully account for the abundance of organic compounds found in a sample collected by the Curiosity rover.
Dig into the details: science.nasa.gov/blogs/scienc...
A new study suggests that non-biological sources cannot fully account for the abundance of organic compounds found in a sample collected by the Curiosity rover.
Dig into the details: science.nasa.gov/blogs/scienc...
Just in time for Valentines, it's the 25th anniversary of NEAR Shoemaker's exploration of the asteroid Eros. The first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, it wasn't designed to land, but did anyway. This was its last, closest image of Eros before contacting the surface science.nasa.gov/mission/near...
February 12, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Just in time for Valentines, it's the 25th anniversary of NEAR Shoemaker's exploration of the asteroid Eros. The first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, it wasn't designed to land, but did anyway. This was its last, closest image of Eros before contacting the surface science.nasa.gov/mission/near...
From NASA
POV: You’re on a field expedition with NASA 🤿🥾🌋
Iceland, summer 2025. Scientists are spread out across the island's rugged terrain, studying our home planet to better understand worlds beyond.
Dive in! Field videos, team profiles, & more:
go.nasa.gov/4ty5WCd
POV: You’re on a field expedition with NASA 🤿🥾🌋
Iceland, summer 2025. Scientists are spread out across the island's rugged terrain, studying our home planet to better understand worlds beyond.
Dive in! Field videos, team profiles, & more:
go.nasa.gov/4ty5WCd
NASA Fieldwork Spotlight: Iceland
Go behind the scenes of a Goddard Instrument Field Team expedition and see how scientists study Earth to learn about the Moon, Mars, and ocean worlds.
go.nasa.gov
February 12, 2026 at 6:07 PM
From NASA
POV: You’re on a field expedition with NASA 🤿🥾🌋
Iceland, summer 2025. Scientists are spread out across the island's rugged terrain, studying our home planet to better understand worlds beyond.
Dive in! Field videos, team profiles, & more:
go.nasa.gov/4ty5WCd
POV: You’re on a field expedition with NASA 🤿🥾🌋
Iceland, summer 2025. Scientists are spread out across the island's rugged terrain, studying our home planet to better understand worlds beyond.
Dive in! Field videos, team profiles, & more:
go.nasa.gov/4ty5WCd
In it for the long haul.
🚨🚨 ¡NOVEDAD! 🚨🚨
📡🛰️ Listado de las sondas y observatorios que llevan más de 20 años en funcionamiento
🗓️ Febrero 2026
www.infosondas.com/infografias-...
📡🛰️ Listado de las sondas y observatorios que llevan más de 20 años en funcionamiento
🗓️ Febrero 2026
www.infosondas.com/infografias-...
February 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM
In it for the long haul.
Source: eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos...
February 12, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Source: eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos...
Agreed. Yes, I did adjust the white balance in the ISS image to more closely match my own settings, but admittedly not in any precise way.
February 12, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Agreed. Yes, I did adjust the white balance in the ISS image to more closely match my own settings, but admittedly not in any precise way.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
Auroras seen on Nov. 4, 2021 from the ground on the Salt Flats in Utah, and a few minutes later from the International Space Station about 250 miles over Idaho.
February 12, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Auroras seen on Nov. 4, 2021 from the ground on the Salt Flats in Utah, and a few minutes later from the International Space Station about 250 miles over Idaho.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
for the "billionaires are the loose nukes of policy" file
I'm still SHOCKED by the obscene rise in billionaire election spending since Citizens United in the NYT piece, despite already knowing that election corruption w/ $ was profound. (Recall that BCRA fought dangerous campaign $ in *2002*)
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
February 12, 2026 at 5:10 PM
for the "billionaires are the loose nukes of policy" file
Reposted by Riding With Robots
Public shaming works. Keep it up.
collaborators suddenly realize that they could cancel their contract for a concentration camp after insisting it wasn’t possible. a world of fascists who have never felt pushback once in their life, suddenly stunned to see everyone hates them. makes you think!
kansascitydefender.com/justice/plat...
kansascitydefender.com/justice/plat...
BREAKING: Platform Ventures Backs Down From ICE Detention Center Sale After Weeks of Mass Organizing and Protest – The Kansas City Defender
The people won. For now.
kansascitydefender.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Public shaming works. Keep it up.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
Ending this operation is not enough.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
February 12, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Ending this operation is not enough.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
We need justice and accountability. That starts with independent investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, economic restitution for businesses impacted, abolishing ICE, and the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
Hey let’s talk about cool science for once! 🧵
A new paper is out showing something that’s been discussed for about a decade…Titan may have originally been multiple Titan-ish objects that merged!
And it may have even happened recently!
Here’s the new paper: arxiv.org/abs/2602.09281
A new paper is out showing something that’s been discussed for about a decade…Titan may have originally been multiple Titan-ish objects that merged!
And it may have even happened recently!
Here’s the new paper: arxiv.org/abs/2602.09281
Origin of Hyperion and Saturn's Rings in A Two-Stage Saturnian System Instability
The age of the rings and some of the moons of Saturn is an open question, and multiple lines of evidence point to a recent (few hundred Myr ago) cataclysm involving disruption of past moons. The main ...
arxiv.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Hey let’s talk about cool science for once! 🧵
A new paper is out showing something that’s been discussed for about a decade…Titan may have originally been multiple Titan-ish objects that merged!
And it may have even happened recently!
Here’s the new paper: arxiv.org/abs/2602.09281
A new paper is out showing something that’s been discussed for about a decade…Titan may have originally been multiple Titan-ish objects that merged!
And it may have even happened recently!
Here’s the new paper: arxiv.org/abs/2602.09281
Reposted by Riding With Robots
please enjoy these classic Moon Tweets™
February 12, 2026 at 8:40 AM
please enjoy these classic Moon Tweets™
Reposted by Riding With Robots
Believe that they're really ending the surge in Minnesota when people on the ground say it's happened but also *even* if this is nothing but more face saving, it's a huge acknowledgement that they know they're losing and that the people of Minnesota are never going to stop protecting their neighbors
February 12, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Believe that they're really ending the surge in Minnesota when people on the ground say it's happened but also *even* if this is nothing but more face saving, it's a huge acknowledgement that they know they're losing and that the people of Minnesota are never going to stop protecting their neighbors
Reposted by Riding With Robots
hey everybody lifelong tech expert here
> "system crash” deleted nearly two weeks of surveillance footage from inside the facility
that's not how anything works they're lying and destroying evidence hope that helps
> "system crash” deleted nearly two weeks of surveillance footage from inside the facility
that's not how anything works they're lying and destroying evidence hope that helps
And what is happening inside ICE detention centers? 404 Media also learned that the federal government claimed that the day after it was sued for allegedly abusing detainees at an ICE detention center, a “system crash” deleted nearly two weeks of surveillance footage from inside the facility.
ICE Says Critical Evidence In Abuse Case Was Lost In 'System Crash' a Day After It Was Sued
The government also said "we don't have resources" to retain all footage and that plaintiffs could supply "endless hard drives that we could save things to."
www.404media.co
January 25, 2026 at 5:26 PM
hey everybody lifelong tech expert here
> "system crash” deleted nearly two weeks of surveillance footage from inside the facility
that's not how anything works they're lying and destroying evidence hope that helps
> "system crash” deleted nearly two weeks of surveillance footage from inside the facility
that's not how anything works they're lying and destroying evidence hope that helps
My high school.
It’s East High, where they filmed High School Musical. We were the Leopards, not the Wildcats, and we only broke into song occasionally.
Oh and Apollo astronaut Jim Irwin.
It’s East High, where they filmed High School Musical. We were the Leopards, not the Wildcats, and we only broke into song occasionally.
Oh and Apollo astronaut Jim Irwin.
Who's the most famous alum of your high school?
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
guys i just found out i went to the same high school as howard lutnick. please respect my privacy at this time.
February 12, 2026 at 5:24 AM
My high school.
It’s East High, where they filmed High School Musical. We were the Leopards, not the Wildcats, and we only broke into song occasionally.
Oh and Apollo astronaut Jim Irwin.
It’s East High, where they filmed High School Musical. We were the Leopards, not the Wildcats, and we only broke into song occasionally.
Oh and Apollo astronaut Jim Irwin.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
I will support any non GOP candidate who promises to shoot most of these out of the sky.
A whole lot of satellites are going to go up in the next year or so; everyone and their aunt wants to put up a constellation or two
Shared: The FCC approves Amazon's request to launch a second-generation satellite constellation for its Leo system by deploying an additional 4,504 satellites (Michael Kan/PCMag) ift.tt/M5i0FUG
#WinObsWiKi
#WinObsWiKi
February 12, 2026 at 3:20 AM
I will support any non GOP candidate who promises to shoot most of these out of the sky.
I'd settle for one of NASA's real, canceled missions to Venus...
February 12, 2026 at 3:05 AM
I'd settle for one of NASA's real, canceled missions to Venus...
That was the first time I ever saw auroras with my own eyes. I didn't even know it was possible at my latitude. I've captured many better pictures since, but I'll never forget the incredulous delight I felt that night.
February 12, 2026 at 2:20 AM
That was the first time I ever saw auroras with my own eyes. I didn't even know it was possible at my latitude. I've captured many better pictures since, but I'll never forget the incredulous delight I felt that night.
The astronauts had a better view, but I doubt their breakfast burritos were as good as the all-night diner I went to afterward.
February 12, 2026 at 1:45 AM
The astronauts had a better view, but I doubt their breakfast burritos were as good as the all-night diner I went to afterward.
Auroras seen on Nov. 4, 2021 from the ground on the Salt Flats in Utah, and a few minutes later from the International Space Station about 250 miles over Idaho.
February 12, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Auroras seen on Nov. 4, 2021 from the ground on the Salt Flats in Utah, and a few minutes later from the International Space Station about 250 miles over Idaho.
Reposted by Riding With Robots
A quad-jet to commemorate Ilya Malinin’s Olympic quad-jumps!
Image of comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) showcasing what appear to be not one, two or three but four tails. Image obtained by Gerald Rehman and Michael Jaeger.
February 12, 2026 at 12:59 AM
A quad-jet to commemorate Ilya Malinin’s Olympic quad-jumps!