Booster Success

SpaceX successfully soft landed its 19th booster recently.

It has also re-flown three booster.

Future Storms

A new study by planetary scientists says Earth's climate is becoming more efficient in its energy usage.

Unfortunately, that will mean more storms and more powerful storms.

Interstellar Visitor?

Astronomers have found what seems to be an interstellar object flying through our solar system.

This would be the first such object discovered.

Bridenstine

Senate Democrats are opposing the nomination of Rep. Bridenstine to be NASA administrator.

Bridenstine, they say, has expressed skepticism about climate change, among other things.

Tabby's Star

NASA has 9 possible explanations for the strange dimmings of Tabby's Star.

In other words, NASA doesn't know what's going on.

Moonbase Hawaii

A conference in Hawaii earlier this month has helped lay the groundwork for a return to the Moon.

Among other initiatives adopted, a prototype moonbase will be built on the Big Island.

Paul Weitz

Former astronaut Paul Weitz, who served on the crew that saved  Skylab before commanding the maiden flight of space shuttle Challenger, died of cancer yesterday.

He was 85.

Phobos

A new NASA study finds the solar wind electrically charges certain areas of the Martian moon Phobos.

The charge could hamper future utilization of Phobos as a human base.

Lunar Lava Tube

Japanese and American researchers have found a lava tube on the Moon large enough to shelter a lunar colony from harmful radiation and the wild temperature swings at the surface.

The entrance to the tube is in the Marius Hills on the Ocean of Storms.

Mars Meltwater

A new study suggests meltwater from glaciers on ancient Mars may have cut some of the valleys we see today.

The computer model used assumes a cold Mars, but has afternoon temperatures just warm enough to melt water at the glaciers edges.

S. S. Gene Cernan

The next Cygnus ISS resupply ship has been named for former astronaut Eugene Cernam, who passed away earlier this year.

Cernan is the last Apollo astronaut to have stood on the Moon.

To The Moon

The United Launch Alliance and Bigelow Aerospace plan to team up to put a space station into lunar orbit by 2023.

The station will consist of at least one of BA's B330 inflatable modules.

Einstein Was Right

Astronomers  have observed the merger of two neutron stars, an extraordinary event.

The merger produced  gravitational waves and other effects predicted by Einstein.

Branson

The president of Virgin Galactic says his boss, Richard Branson, likely won't visit space in six months.

VG still plans to begin commercial flights by the end of 2018, however.

Ion Propulsion

NASA and the University of Michigan are developing an ion propulsion system that could take humans to Mars within 20 years.

The system would be more efficient and much faster than a chemical rocket.

NASA's Future

NASA envisions a behind-the-scenes role for itself as humans go to Mars.

The agency would set technical standards and own infrastructure, not lead.

Branson

Sir Richard Branson said on  CNBC this morning he'll be disappointed if he doesn't fly into space within six months.

Branson has pledged he and his family will be on Virgin Galactic's first passenger flight.

Mars Thermal Vents

A recent study finds thermal vents could have existed at the bottom of an ocean on early Mars.

Such places could be where life begins.

BEAM

NASA is extending the stay of Bigelow Aerospace's BEAM inflatable module at ISS.

BA sees BEAM as a step towards a private space station.

Pale Green Dot

Proxima Centauri b could look green if there's oxygen in its atmosphere, researchers say.

The green would come from auroras, not vegetation.

The Next Giant Leap

Vice President Mike Pence has announced the U. S. Trump administration will return astronauts to the Moon as a stepping stone towards sending humans to Mars.

He also said America will work with international partners and commercial interests to build a space economy.

Perspective

Costco is reporting revenues of over $42 billion dollars in its latest quarter.

That's more than twice NASA's projected annual budget.

No Alien Megastructure

Astronomers have concluded there is no megastructure around Tabby's Star.

They say dust causes the odd dimming.

Sputnik

Today is the 60th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik.

Few events really change the world, but Sputnik did.

Mars Methane

New research suggests intermittent warm periods on Mars can be explained by explosions of methane into the atmosphere.

During such warm periods, lakes of water could exist on the surface.

Mars Water

Researchers going back over old data have found evidence suggesting there may be water near the equator of Mars.

That would be a boon to future manned Mars exploration.