Planetary Defense

 Chinese scientists are proposing a network of probes n orbits similar to that of Venus to protect Earth from asteroids.

The network would serve as an early warning system.

Extremophiles

 New research suggests Earthly extremophiles-- microbes that thrive in extreme conditions-- could survive on Mars.

They could, for example, remain dormant for 200 million years.

Perspective

 Exxon Mobil has announced quarterly revenues of more than $112 billion.

That's over five times NASA's annual budget.

Uranus

 NASA is looking at a mission to Uranus.

It would launch in the 2030s.

Titan

 On this date in 2004, Cassini took the first close-up photos of Titan.

Now we know Titan to be an utterly fascinating world.

Rock Samples

 Perseverance is scheduled to cache half its rock samples by the end of the year..  They will be brought to Earth by another mission.

That could happen as soon as 2033.

V-2

 On this date in 1946, a U. S. V-2 took the first photos of Earth from space.

German V-2s, of course, were terrorizing London two years before.

UFO

 The NASA UFO study is set to begin Monday.

Its report is due next year.

Orion

 NASA is buying 3 more Orion capsules for its Artemis program.

Each will fly only once, in contrast to Dragon capsules.

Marshmallow

 Astronomers have discovered a world with the density of a marhmallow.

It orbits a red dwarf-- the smallest and most common type of star-- 150 light years away.

Oumuamua

 Five years after discovering Oumuamua, astronomers are still trying to determine what it means.

It could be telling us about the number of rogue planets in the galaxy-- or it could be an alien probe.

McDivitt

 James McDivitt, who commanded both Gemini 4 and Apollo 9, has died.

He was 93.

Meteoroid Shield

 NASA is testing the meteoroid shield for the Mars sample return mission by shooting energetic "bullets" at the material that will cover the shield.

Engineers are learning to improve their design.

Crew 4

 SpaceX' Crew 4 successfully returned home from ISS yesterday.

It marked the end of a textbook mission.

Perspective

 In a down year, JPMorgan Chase has reported quarterly earnings of $33.49 billion.

That's well above NASA's annual budget.

Aliens

 Scientist6s are developing several ways to search space for aliens.

It has become acceptable.

Tito

 Dennis Tito and his wife have bought tickets to fly to the Moon in a SpaceX Starship.

The flight is scheduled for later this decade.

Apollo 7

 Apollo 7 launched this date in 1968.

It was the first Apollo mission.

Treaty

 On this date in 1967. the Outer Space Treaty was signed.

It's still the fundamenntal space law.

Cruise

 Tom Cruise is known for doing his own stuns.

In an upcoming project that might include a spacewalk from ISS.

NoKo

 North Korea launched another ballistic missile yesterday.

It was the eighth in under two weeks.

Moon

 New research using a detailed computer simulation suggests the Moon formed in Earth orbit only hours after a Mars-sized body delivered a glancing blow to Earth.

If correct, the new theory could tell scientists about the Moon's internal structure.

Crew 5

 Crew 5 has successfully launched into orbit.

It's scheduled to rendezvous with ISS tomorrow.

NoKo

 North Korea flew a ballistic missile into space and over Japan yesterday.

It was their fifth launch in ten days and twenty-third this year.

V-2

 Eighty years ago today, the first V-2 rocket was successfully tested.

Today, we use rockets to explore deep space, but we still also use them to terrorize each other.

NASA

 Today is the 64th anniversary of the founding of NASA.

Note--even though NASA is likely associated with Kennedy, it was created under Eisenhower.