To The Moon

NASA has announced nine companies, large and small, that will be part of its effort to return to the Moon.

The agency wants to encourage commercial enterprise in space.

Musk

Elon Musk said recently there's a 70% chance that he will go to Mars.

We'll see.

Successful Landing

Mars InSight successfully landed yesterday afternoon.

The mission will be to study the interior of Mars.

Mars InSight

NASA's Mars InSight lander is scheduled to touch down later today.

Landing safely on Mars has always been a challenge-- the planet is littered with failures-- so we'll see what happens.

Wobbling Hotspots

Astronomers have found "wobbling hotspots" at the center of our galaxy that are more proof of a supermassive black hole.

The hotspots are associated with an accretion disk.

VG Orbital

Virgin Galactic successfully completed a test flight of its orbital system this week.

Orbital flights are due to commence next year.

BFR To Starship

Elon Musk has announced a new name for his BFR spaceflight stack.

The booster will now be Super Heavy, and the space vehicle, Starship.

ISS

Twenty years ago today, the first component of ISS was launched.

While some question the ultimate value and utility of the project, good science has been done on ISS, and any project that keeps competing powers working together peacefully for twenty-odd years has some value.

Lunar 3D Printing

ESA researchers recently used simulated lunar regolith to 3D print small items like screws, gears, and even a coin.

More testing needs to be done, but this might be a glimpse of the future.

SpaceX Launch

SpaceX has successfully launched another satellite with a first stage rocket that has flown before.

The first stage landed softly on a ship, so it could potentially fly yet again.

Greenland

Scientists have found a 20-mile wide circular feature under the Greenland ice sheet that could be an impact crater.

The age of the feature could be anywhere from three million to 12,000 years.  Much more work needs to be done.

Barnard's Star

Barnard's Star, a red dwarf only 6 light years away, may have a super-Earth orbiting it, new research suggests.

It may also have a second planet.

UFO

Tucker Carlson had a segment on his show last night reporting on a recent UFO sighting by commercial pilots over Ireland.

Carlson has committed to steady coverage of the subject.

Rovers

Curiosity, after a time of troubles, is back functioning well.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Mars, Opportunity, having been hit by a huge dust storm, remains silent.

Perspective

Alibaba has announced sales of $30 billion on Singles' Day.  One day.

That's half again as much as NASA's current annual budget.

Seeking Life

Breakthrough Initiatives is considering privately funded missions to seek life in this Solar System.

Possible targets include Europa, Enceladus, and the high clouds of Venus.

Relic?

Scientists have found a star in our galaxy they think might be 13.5 billion years old.

That would make it nearly as old as the universe itself.

Mini-BFR Ship

SpaceX is planning to flight test a mini-BFR ship atop a Falcon 9 rocket next year.

The company plans to send people to Mars in the 2020s.

Life

A new study suggests life could spread between stars on objects like Oumuamua.

It further suggests life could also spread between galaxies.

Lakes On Mars

Scientists have more evidence that Mars once had lakes of water on its surface.

Some lakes were fed by rivers, others by underground springs, and still others by precipitation.

Spreading Life

A new study suggests life can travel from planet to planet.

That makes the seven worlds of the TRAPPIST-1 system absolutely fascinating.

Moon Direct

Robert Zubrin, of Mars Direct fame, is now proposing a Moon Direct plan to kickstart lunar exploration.

The plan calls for establishing a base in the lunar polar regions where water and solar energy are readily available.

Dawn

NASA's Dawn spacecraft ran out of fuel this week.

It was the first probe to orbit two worlds.

Arecibo

Today is the 55th anniversary of operations for the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Damaged last year by Hurricane Maria, Arecibo is functioning, and updates are planned.