Justin Bartel
@cephalopernicus.bsky.social
#BetterKnowAnAsteroid has made it to the sky site, prepare for space rock news. Space wizard. Dog haver. Seasonal baker.
First rule in government spending: why build 10 with a high failure rate on the cheap, when you can have two at twice the price and have a very good chance to be successful, make attention-grabbing discoveries, support a highly skilled workforce, and inspire the future?
November 6, 2025 at 3:42 AM
First rule in government spending: why build 10 with a high failure rate on the cheap, when you can have two at twice the price and have a very good chance to be successful, make attention-grabbing discoveries, support a highly skilled workforce, and inspire the future?
You're almost certainly right, but if they really want to beat China at something, green-lighting a multi-billion dollar Uranus mission would be a great strategy.
November 6, 2025 at 3:36 AM
You're almost certainly right, but if they really want to beat China at something, green-lighting a multi-billion dollar Uranus mission would be a great strategy.
EscaPADE and its SIMPLEx cousins are probably the best examples of what he's envisioning, but that program hasn't notched a single successful mission yet. We probably shouldn't put all of our eggs in that basket until we know its bottom won't fall out.
November 6, 2025 at 12:43 AM
EscaPADE and its SIMPLEx cousins are probably the best examples of what he's envisioning, but that program hasn't notched a single successful mission yet. We probably shouldn't put all of our eggs in that basket until we know its bottom won't fall out.
Oh, he has a response, including, "better to have 10 x $100 million missions and a few fail than a single overdue and costly $1B+ mission."
My dude, the smaller New Frontiers missions run $500 million, and the medium Discovery missions $900 million. What're these $100 million things gonna DO??
My dude, the smaller New Frontiers missions run $500 million, and the medium Discovery missions $900 million. What're these $100 million things gonna DO??
NASA Administrator Nominee Would Shift Future of Space Exploration
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
“Most importantly,” Cowing adds, “he was not a sore loser and thanked everyone for the opportunity and then went back to what he had been doing.” #NASA
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
“Most importantly,” Cowing adds, “he was not a sore loser and thanked everyone for the opportunity and then went back to what he had been doing.” #NASA
Rejected NASA Chief Pick Jared Isaacman Renominated to Head Agency
Ahead of Jared Isaacman’s renomination for the position of NASA’s administrator, a dispute between him and its acting chief Sean Duffy spilled into the open, with potentially profound consequences for...
www.scientificamerican.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Oh, he has a response, including, "better to have 10 x $100 million missions and a few fail than a single overdue and costly $1B+ mission."
My dude, the smaller New Frontiers missions run $500 million, and the medium Discovery missions $900 million. What're these $100 million things gonna DO??
My dude, the smaller New Frontiers missions run $500 million, and the medium Discovery missions $900 million. What're these $100 million things gonna DO??
Maybe you think we could build the spaceships somewhere else. Well, it's worth repeating that other places with the labs and cleanrooms NASA would need for that is under an even more urgent threat.
Building a wall around the country goes hand in hand with limiting our knowledge of the universe.
Building a wall around the country goes hand in hand with limiting our knowledge of the universe.
NASA may be quietly gutting an iconic campus with what it calls strategic closures, workers fear | CNN
Buildings at Goddard’s Maryland campus are being emptied and padlocked, sources say. NASA leadership has pushed back against the concerns.
www.cnn.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Maybe you think we could build the spaceships somewhere else. Well, it's worth repeating that other places with the labs and cleanrooms NASA would need for that is under an even more urgent threat.
Building a wall around the country goes hand in hand with limiting our knowledge of the universe.
Building a wall around the country goes hand in hand with limiting our knowledge of the universe.
I've read some pretty strong criticisms of the Starship architecture too, and it's not like their HLS is really poised to attempt a landing very soon, as far as I know. Does anybody really have hardware that can enable human lunar flights in the next few years?
November 1, 2025 at 5:06 AM
I've read some pretty strong criticisms of the Starship architecture too, and it's not like their HLS is really poised to attempt a landing very soon, as far as I know. Does anybody really have hardware that can enable human lunar flights in the next few years?
At this very moment, Juno is transmitting to the Madrid DSN station, so it hasn't been turned off yet
eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now...
eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now...
Deep Space Network Now
The real time status of communications with our deep space explorers
eyes.nasa.gov
October 7, 2025 at 12:47 AM
At this very moment, Juno is transmitting to the Madrid DSN station, so it hasn't been turned off yet
eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now...
eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now...
They lost me with the first half sentence of the abstract. Calling its last few months before perihelion the "early stages" of its passage through the solar system shows they don't really understand what the solar system looks like, so how can they be trusted to recognize alien spaceships?
July 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
They lost me with the first half sentence of the abstract. Calling its last few months before perihelion the "early stages" of its passage through the solar system shows they don't really understand what the solar system looks like, so how can they be trusted to recognize alien spaceships?
Next up on arXiv: engine exhaust plumes and waste water venting as technosignatures to identify alien spacecraft
July 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Next up on arXiv: engine exhaust plumes and waste water venting as technosignatures to identify alien spacecraft