Eric Berger
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sciguyspace.bsky.social
Eric Berger
@sciguyspace.bsky.social
12K followers 140 following 230 posts
Senior Space Editor, Ars Technica. Likes rockets.
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sciguyspace.bsky.social
I went in-depth here on Bridgit Mendler and Northwood Space. There's a lot of bad news out there, but this is one of the most uplifting stories I've reported on in awhile.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
She was a Disney star with platinum records, but Bridgit Mendler gave it up to change the world
“The space industry has a ground bottleneck, and the problem is going to get worse.”…
arstechnica.com
June 11, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
gbrumfiel.bsky.social
NASA to end work in nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion for deep space exploration.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Some parts of Trump’s proposed budget for NASA are literally draconian
“That’s exactly the kind of thing that NASA should be concentrating its resources on.”…
arstechnica.com
June 3, 2025 at 8:45 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Major shakeup at NASA's premiere science facility. Effective June 1, Laurie Leshin is resigning as director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
May 7, 2025 at 4:42 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Scientists, would you consider the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to be a success? Is the tracking layer upgrade worth it? If you don't want to comment publicly, feel free to message me instead. Not looking for on-the-record quotes.
May 7, 2025 at 2:06 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Did you know that SpaceX asked the FBI to investigate the ULA sniper theory back in 2016? Until last week, I did not.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
SpaceX pushed “sniper” theory with the feds far more than is publicly known
“It came out of nowhere, and it was really violent.”…
arstechnica.com
May 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Don Pettit wants to go back to space again. And you know what, he should.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
What’s it like to be 70 years old in space? “All those little aches and pains heal up.”
“When the flight docs say I’m ready to go back, I’m ready to do it.”…
arstechnica.com
April 28, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
arstechnica.com
Despite recent comments from the Secretary of Transportation, if Katy Perry wants to call herself an astronaut, there's no one who can tell her she's not.
Trump official to Katy Perry and Bezos’ fiancée: “You cannot identify as an astronaut”
It turns out the FAA now takes no role in identifying who is an astronaut.
arstechnica.com
April 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
planet4589.bsky.social
Soyuz MS-26 has begun its return to Earth, undocking from the ISS Rassvet module at about 2157:33 UTC Apr 19 with crewmembers Ovchinin, Vagner and Pettit
April 19, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
mattlanza.bsky.social
Losing 200 employees to early resignations with no sign of backfilling will be a detriment to public safety nationally.
jamiboettch.bsky.social Jami Boettcher @jamiboettch.bsky.social · Apr 16
Just in: Additional losses due to early resignations & retirements are 870 NOAA wide & 200 NWS. It is crucial to understand these positions will NOT be back filled for the foreseeable future. NOAA’s mission (operations & research) supports both public safety and the economy. God help us. 🙏
tornatrix.bsky.social Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · Apr 16
Let’s recap: Over the last two months, hundreds of probationary NOAA employees were fired, then un-fired and immediately placed on administrative leave, then fired again. This is not a way to build a sustainable workforce, nor maintain morale within the existing one. The cruelty is the point.
April 16, 2025 at 6:39 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
This really is an extinction level event for NASA's science programs.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA
“This would decimate American leadership in space.”…
arstechnica.com
April 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
varmaz.is
I love love love this shoutout to the Mission Control team from Wilmore here in this great @sciguyspace.bsky.social piece: arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Wilmore: "Thankfully, these folks are heroes. And please print this. What do heroes look like? Well, heroes put their tank on and they run into a fiery building and pull people out of it. That's a hero. Heroes also sit in their cubicle for decades studying their systems, and knowing their systems front and back. And when there is no time to assess a situation and go and talk to people and ask, 'What do you think?' they know their system so well they come up with a plan on the fly. That is a hero. And there are several of them in Mission Control."
April 2, 2025 at 4:58 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
You probably won't believe how desperate Starliner's flight to the space station got last summer ...

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
April 1, 2025 at 5:53 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
United Launch Alliance gets some great news: Vulcan is officially certified for national security launches.
March 26, 2025 at 6:01 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
What’s going on with Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA?

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Momentum seems to be building for Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator
“We believe that Jared Isaacman is uniquely qualified to lead NASA.”…
arstechnica.com
March 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
astrojonny.bsky.social
Hi space people, I'm looking for non-NASA experts to comment on the MAV portion of Mars Sample Return, and why it's so challenging to take off from Mars.

If that's you, or you know someone, do get in touch. jdaoca[at]gmail[dot]com

Thanks!
March 24, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
planetdr.bsky.social
NASA started terminating grants :(
March 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
kevinmgill.bsky.social
Sol 1453 (tosol!) WATSON closeups of rock near the Mars Perseverance Rover. White balanced.

flic.kr/p/2qTv2F3
flic.kr/p/2qTtR8Q
Rock and sand. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill Rocks and sand. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
March 23, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Reposted by Eric Berger
nomadd.bsky.social
Thank you to @sciguyspace.bsky.social for putting words to the “ick” I’ve been feeling about the language around bringing the Starliner astronauts home.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/can-nasa-remain-nonpartisan-when-basic-spaceflight-truths-are-shredded/
Can NASA remain nonpartisan when basic spaceflight truths are shredded? - Ars Technica
“Let’s bring them home NOW, Sir!”…
arstechnica.com
March 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
eaterofsun.bsky.social
A giant step back for womankind?

On February 28th the main Artemis page at nasa. gov read as follows
web.archive.org/web/20250313...
text from https://web.archive.org/web/20250313041133/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis/ which reads: Artemis With the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.
March 21, 2025 at 12:49 AM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
You sit on a throne of lies.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Can NASA remain nonpartisan when basic spaceflight truths are shredded?
“Let’s bring them home NOW, Sir!”…
arstechnica.com
March 19, 2025 at 12:39 AM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Then they came for the Brookies ...

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Popular program to promote women becoming aerospace engineers is at risk
“Ten years ago this was embraced by everyone, and seen as a win-win for all.”…
arstechnica.com
March 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Eric Berger
astrojonny.bsky.social
Somewhat ridiculously, Saturn now has 128 new moons, bring its total to 274.

These are mostly tiny rocks, a few miles across, that orbit the planet backwards – but they might be evidence of a recent smashup in the planet's orbit.

Story by me in The New York Times

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/s...
Saturn Gains 128 New Moons, Bringing Its Total to 274 (Gift Article)
The objects around the ringed planet are tiny, but some of them may have formed relatively recently in the solar system’s history.
www.nytimes.com
March 11, 2025 at 9:17 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
It has been an uncharacteristically messy start to the year for the world's leading spaceflight company, SpaceX.

Why?

arstechnica.com/uncategorize...
After years of acceleration, has SpaceX finally reached its speed limit?
SpaceX has long had a hard-charging culture. Is it now charging too hard?
arstechnica.com
March 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
So long, Solar System.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
White House may seek to slash NASA’s science budget by 50 percent
“It would be nothing short of an extinction-level event for space science.”…
arstechnica.com
March 7, 2025 at 2:05 PM
sciguyspace.bsky.social
Albedo is nearing the launch of its first atmosphere-skimming satellite.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
How low can you go? Firm near launch of atmosphere-skimming satellite.
Flying closer to Earth delivers higher-resolution imagery, but there’s a catch.
arstechnica.com
March 3, 2025 at 4:03 PM