So, a couple of weeks ago, my work laptop refused to turn on - reported it to uni ICT, they came out, said it was dead, I’d lose all my data, and they’d book a repair. I asked if it was worth it to take it to the Apple Store, they said no. The repair guy came, said the same thing.

I just saw a stranger comforting a girl who had her heart broken on the train. I had assumed it was her dad until he got off and they were saying goodbye. Humans can be so good sometimes.

As we approach the 4th of July, my colleagues at the @usstudiescentre.bsky.social and I wrote a series of Reflections on America at 250. My contribution reflects on the Declaration of Independence, our founding ideals and space: www.ussc.edu.au/american-inn....

American innovation at 250

The first steps on the Moon were not just an extraordinary act of science and engineering — they were also a deafening statement of political power. And that, at its heart, is what the Founders sought...

ussc.edu.au

Literally just discovered that @scifri.bsky.social is here - clearly living under a rock these days (read I have a toddler and am an academic, my brain is barely surviving hahahaha).

Space is hard - and this setback could mean less redundancy for Artemis. I don’t think people realise how precarious our access to space is, and while it seems like there’s a lot of LSPs out there, it’s still a small club of nations and companies who can launch to space.

PBS News@pbsnews.org · 2mo ago

A Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Thursday evening. The New Glenn rocket was undergoing an engine fire test to eventually be able to deliver 48 low-orbit Amazon Leo satellites for the companies’ internet service.

Homunculus Nebula expansion - 2008-2026. A sequence of three images, comparing my backyard C14 image with the two HST images (2008 and 2019). The nebula expands from 17" to 21" in diameter and details such as the hole in the 'near' bubble end and jet-like equatorial blasts consistently grow outwards

Space is moving fast. Governance needs to keep up. Tomorrow, join USSC's @katrobison.bsky.social to unpack the future of the field, at a webinar by the Space Industry Association of Australia and Bartier Perry Law. Register ↓

SIAA-Bartier Perry Space Governance Webinar

Join SIAA and Bartier Perry for a webinar on space governance, exploring legal, regulatory, and policy issues shaping the future of space activity.

events.humanitix.com

Australia can do more in space to position itself as a regional leader and a valuable member of the Quad. Read my latest with Isobel Haddow:

United States Studies Centre@usstudiescentre.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We’re entering a new era of space exploration after Artemis II. But where does Australia fit in? Dr Kathryn Robison and Isobel Haddow explore how we can turn our space strengths into real economic and security gains. https://www.ussc.edu.au/harnessing-australias-space-strengths-for-the-alliance

I enjoyed chatting with you, @biancanogrady.bsky.social! This is an excellent piece with great insights from colleagues across the sector, including @rami.spaceaustralia.com and @drspacejunk.bsky.social. I love good science journalism. Please give Bianca a follow and read her other work.

Bianca Nogrady@biancanogrady.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Australia has so much going for it in the space sector: world-class researchers, engineers, telescopes and prime geographic position for launch, landing and observation. But waning govt interest and funding, and over-regulation, is slowly killing Australia's long-held and lofty space aspirations.

If you’re not watching #ArtemisII is coming home right now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3kR...

NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage (Official Broadcast)

YouTube video by NASA

youtube.com

Congrats on a beautiful launch! I’m off to the phone free parent toddler program, but so excited to see humanity back on the way to the Moon! #ArtemisII

About a minute until the terminal count starts! #ArtemisII

GO!!! The most beautiful word :) #ArtemisII

NASA is getting ready to launch four astronauts to orbit the moon - the first crewed launch of SLS (and the most diverse to leave LEO) - in about an hour and a half. You can watch live here: www.youtube.com/live/Tf_UjBM.... #ArtemisII

NASA's Artemis II Crew Launches To The Moon (Official Broadcast)

YouTube video by NASA

youtube.com

Political scientists see non-violent resistance as much more effective--and it's not just from aggregate statistics. Rather, it's the way that peaceful resistance undermines the state's repressive capacities. This op-ed by Berkeley prof @owasow.bsky.social explains this logic 🎯. Give it a read!

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social · 6mo ago

“What we are seeing is the weakness of strong states. Regimes that rely on repression face a challenge: The more force they deploy, the more they risk exposing their own brutality to politically persuadable observers. Overreach doesn’t just project strength; it also undermines legitimacy.” Gift link

A good friend recommended the book, Hestia Strikes a Match, a few years ago. It was a fascinating read. Right now, the future it imagined feels much too close. However, I’m proud of my fellow Americans who are getting up to good trouble and mourning for those who lost their lives for their values.

I’ve been teaching versions of an intro to American Politics for over a decade - and all my students know her name (laughter helps them learn and retain; thanks, Drunk History). As a pregnant teen, she had more courage than most. Rest in Power.

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 7mo ago

Breaking news: Claudette Colvin, a civil rights pioneer who refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks, died at 86.

I’m devastated by the attack at Bondi. No one deserves to be targeted because of their religion and every Australian deserves to be safe. My heart goes out to the victims.

“If you don’t have rare earths, then you don’t have the high-powered magnets that go into missiles and the jet engines that hold everything together,” says USSC's Hayley Channer. “So it is a national security threat.” Read:

How critical minerals power our daily lives from the moment we wake up

Take a tour around the house and see how everyday life is powered by critical minerals and why we will keep hearing so much about them.

abc.net.au

Some things never change!

Dr Selena Wisnom@lswisnom.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching

When we recently surveyed Australians about their concerns around space - 41.9% cited the accumulation of space debris around Earth.

Guardian Australia@australia.theguardian.com · 10mo ago

Suspected space debris found on fire near WA mining town

I spend too much time thinking about how Free Willy was basically orca propaganda.

a whale is jumping out of the water next to a boat that says bunny castro

Alt: an orca is jumping out of the water over a jetty to escape captivity - which he may have deserved if he’s off to go hunt a poor whale calf or a great white just to eat its liver

media.tenor.com

We published our newest report on Australian public opinion of space from @acsg.bsky.social on Friday, and somehow, in the middle of #IAC2025, @tristanmoss.bsky.social and I found some time to write about it for @theconversation.com. I’ll also link the full report below.

Australians want to spend more on space – but we don’t really know where we’re going

Every single day, space technology impacts our lives. But a new report reveals gaps between what Australians think and what they know about space.

theconversation.com

Political violence is never the answer.

Secondary teachers and educators, @usstudiescentre.bsky.social is hosting a free, half-day, NESA-accredited workshop for professional development which explores the intersections of AI, technology, policy, and the social sciences. Learn more and register here: www.ussc.edu.au/teaching-the....

Teaching the future: AI, policy and the social sciences

Secondary school teachers are invited to join us at the University of Sydney for a half-day NESA-accredited professional development workshop exploring the intersections of AI, technology, policy and ...

ussc.edu.au

I just had the most unprofessional experience contacting @jeromelaxale.com’s office. The person who answered, when asked what his name was, literally answered “Jesus Christ.” This was before I even had a chance to say why I was calling. I have little faith my concern will be taken seriously.

How anyone can see these children starving and not have their souls break is beyond me. As James Baldwin said, all the children, everywhere, are ours. We are failing our children.

NPR@npr.org · last yr.

Hunger and disease continue to stalk Palestinians in Gaza, and aid organizations are warning that children are at greatest risk of starvation. A U.N. worker has described people as "walking corpses."

“The account of the command counters Musk’s narrative of how he has handled Starlink service in Ukraine amid the war. As recently as March, in a post on X, his social media site, Musk wrote: “We would never do such a thing.” Musk and Nicolls didn’t respond to requests from Reuters for comment.”

Eliot Higgins@eliothiggins.bsky.social · last yr.

Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory from Russia www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Sometimes, when watching politics, I like to remind myself that I live in a universe where we know what the stars look like from Jupiter:

As Trump faces legal pushback over deploying the National Guard, what does US Code §12406 actually allow — and how far can presidential power stretch? @sydney.edu.au/USSC’s @katrobison.bsky.social joins SBS World News Weekly to unpack it. Listen:

Israel bombs Iran and Trump takes on LA

Israel says it is defending its very existence with massive, pre-emptive strikes on Iran; Senior Israeli ministers are sanctioned by Australia; and Donald Trump calls in the national guard, setting up...

sbs.com.au