Jacob Richardson
@jacobrichardson.bsky.social
NASA planetary geologist with an appropriate amount of house plants
Our A2 science team similarly had to simulate views for months to prepare the crew for shots like this. The beautiful point imho is that humans on crewed AND robotic missions are taking time to capture the wonder along with the baseline data.
Emily Lakdawalla 🏳️⚧️ Uranus Expert@elakdawalla.bsky.social · 7mo agoFun fact: many of the prettiest photos taken by robotic spacecraft were similarly framed ahead of time by humans using simulators of view geometry to pick when the spacecraft should shoot the photo. Case in point: this photo of Europa over Jupiter from New Horizons science.nasa.gov/image-detail...
The Artemis II mission reminds me of these 1960s photos of NASA astronauts training in Iceland because they felt the terrain would be similar to what they'd encounter on the moon. The outfits are so great, even some 60 years later.
On Monday this week, as four humans flew around the far side of the Moon, Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze sat at the heart of the Artemis II mission’s science operations. Here's what she saw. go.nature.com/4dE5gpv
I was with Artemis II’s scientists during the Moon fly-by. Here’s what I saw
Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze describes the joy and tension at mission control in Houston.
go.nature.com
Two main types of rock exposed on the lunar surface. The dark maria are basalt, the same type of black lava rock that flows from Iceland and Hawai`i volcanoes. The lighter highlands are anorthosite, made mostly of gray plagioclase feldspar, labradorite. Lots of kitchens have labradorite countertops!
Martyn@martynslater.bsky.social · 7mo agoThank you. Can you explain the las sentence regarding rock? What type of rock is on the moon? It can't be carbon based so presumably it is metal? Pure metal or a salt?
A few have suggested that some aspects of this mission--joy, international teamwork, diversity--are being played up to stick it to the hateful attitude of the administration. But I don't think it's that. I think it's just that those things are essential to and inseparable from a mission like this.
I am so thrilled to share this guide to the observations that the #ArtemisII crew will be making during their closest approach to the Moon!! I hope you'll follow along! science.nasa.gov/resource/art...
Artemis II Lunar Targeting Plan - NASA Science
A guide to the Artemis II Lunar Targeting Plan (the astronauts' Moon observing assignment).
science.nasa.gov
Science finds a place on Artemis 2 While the Artemis 2 mission is primarily a test flight, the four astronauts on board will conduct some science during the nearly 10-day mission.
Science finds a place on Artemis 2
While the Artemis 2 mission is primarily a test flight, the four astronauts on board will conduct some science during the nearly 10-day mission.
spacenews.com
little fact: The Earth’s core (both solid and liquid) could fit 8 Earth Moons within it
As a Principle Component Analysis hater, I gotta admit that Spotify Wrapped’s sorting of the gays between Burlington and Berkeley is an actually good PCA application if that’s how they did it. Brava
My dream is to one day be described with the phrase “Like an ursine Sarah Connor” (Congrats to 128 Grazer for winning Fat Bear Week) www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1...