Jason Kastner
@jasonkastner.bsky.social
Fixer @ NASA-JPL. Previously, a mech line manager, mech and systems manager on Europa Clipper, and a mech manager on SMAP and Mars Curiosity.
I believe this with all my heart. 🐕
November 24, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I believe this with all my heart. 🐕
What a delight to get an email saying the book I forgot I ordered in February has now shipped! Looking forward to The Shattering Peace by @scalzi.com
September 11, 2025 at 1:55 PM
What a delight to get an email saying the book I forgot I ordered in February has now shipped! Looking forward to The Shattering Peace by @scalzi.com
Kinkan in Virgil Village is one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. The food is excellent and inventive, the sake pairings are great, the service is on point, and Chef Nan is a joy to be around.
August 31, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kinkan in Virgil Village is one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. The food is excellent and inventive, the sake pairings are great, the service is on point, and Chef Nan is a joy to be around.
With some colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the science.nasa.gov/mission/nisar/ reflector deployment. You can watch a video of us all here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvT...
August 20, 2025 at 10:37 PM
With some colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the science.nasa.gov/mission/nisar/ reflector deployment. You can watch a video of us all here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvT...
I was in JPL's Von Karman auditorium at 5 am to watch a flawless launch of the NISAR-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. The boom is scheduled to be deployed in 9 days, and the reflector in 16 days.
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/5-thing...
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/5-thing...
5 Things to Know About Powerful New U.S.-India Satellite, NISAR
Data from NISAR will map changes to Earth’s surface, helping improve crop management, natural hazard monitoring, and tracking of sea ice and glaciers.
www.jpl.nasa.gov
July 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I was in JPL's Von Karman auditorium at 5 am to watch a flawless launch of the NISAR-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. The boom is scheduled to be deployed in 9 days, and the reflector in 16 days.
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/5-thing...
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/5-thing...
June 14, 2025 at 10:34 PM
If you're not following Emily, you should!
Neat! NASA just released a thermal image of Mars taken by the Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper spacecraft. Their story is here; I'll provide some context in following posts.
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-e...
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-e...
May 12, 2025 at 6:48 PM
If you're not following Emily, you should!
Guess which is my entry in the work Pinewood Derby contest? My colleagues said I didn't understand the rules. I told them I read the rules VERY carefully and asked why they made certain assumptions that weren't written down? I didn't win ( extra wheels contributes to the drag) but I had lots of fun!
May 2, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Guess which is my entry in the work Pinewood Derby contest? My colleagues said I didn't understand the rules. I told them I read the rules VERY carefully and asked why they made certain assumptions that weren't written down? I didn't win ( extra wheels contributes to the drag) but I had lots of fun!
April 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Quote of the day: "People make rocket engines with additive manufacturing, and they don't blow up *that* frequently"
April 16, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Quote of the day: "People make rocket engines with additive manufacturing, and they don't blow up *that* frequently"
Quote of the day: "After the spacecraft cables came out of the oven they were still a little stinky"
April 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Quote of the day: "After the spacecraft cables came out of the oven they were still a little stinky"
I'm looking for something fun to do next weekend and stumbled on this conference. I think it would be a blast if I went into it with the right mindset.
www.eventbrite.com/e/alien-even...
www.eventbrite.com/e/alien-even...
ALIEN EVENT 2025 LOS ANGELES
ALIEN EVENT LOS ANGELES 2025
APRIL 4-6, 2025, LAX SONESTA HOTEL
Sonesta Los Angeles Airport LAX, 5985 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
www.eventbrite.com
March 30, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I'm looking for something fun to do next weekend and stumbled on this conference. I think it would be a blast if I went into it with the right mindset.
www.eventbrite.com/e/alien-even...
www.eventbrite.com/e/alien-even...
Another quote, said to a presenter as he was finishing up. "You did a great job. Better than you should have!"
March 28, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Another quote, said to a presenter as he was finishing up. "You did a great job. Better than you should have!"
Overheard in a review just now: "As the board chair I have another question...and I also realize I am not doing a good job keeping this review on schedule"
March 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Overheard in a review just now: "As the board chair I have another question...and I also realize I am not doing a good job keeping this review on schedule"
Once again, I am at www.exploretock.com/kinkan/ an amazing Thai Japanese fusion place in Los Angeles
March 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Once again, I am at www.exploretock.com/kinkan/ an amazing Thai Japanese fusion place in Los Angeles
This little one hit the window this morning. I'm glad to report they recovered and flew away.
March 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
This little one hit the window this morning. I'm glad to report they recovered and flew away.
Reposted by Jason Kastner
Is there potential for life on Jupiter's moon Europa? Let's ask a NASA expert... oh, that's me! #planetsci 🧪🔭 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfzm...
Is There Potential for Life on Europa? We Asked a NASA Expert
YouTube video by NASA
www.youtube.com
February 27, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Is there potential for life on Jupiter's moon Europa? Let's ask a NASA expert... oh, that's me! #planetsci 🧪🔭 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfzm...
This high res photo of the damage from the Eaton fire is unfahtomable. JPL is on the left side, about 3/4 up
wilg.github.io/la-fire-maps...
wilg.github.io/la-fire-maps...
Los Angeles Eaton Fire, 2025-01-10 10:36 AM Pacific
wilg.github.io
January 14, 2025 at 12:06 AM
This high res photo of the damage from the Eaton fire is unfahtomable. JPL is on the left side, about 3/4 up
wilg.github.io/la-fire-maps...
wilg.github.io/la-fire-maps...
We saw this last night and it was an incredible film. We will be watching it again.
If you're looking for something to watch this week - please consider #OutOfMyMind on @disneyplustr.bsky.social - it's great for the whole family! #DisabilityRepresentation #DisabilityInclusion
November 25, 2024 at 10:26 PM
We saw this last night and it was an incredible film. We will be watching it again.
Science comes to the rescue again!
ICE-T: So let me get this straight: We got two sets of footprints walkin along this beach. Times start getting tough, and this set just vanishes? Did one guy fly away? Did-
LAB GUY (measuring depth of one of the remaining footprints with a little ruler): Detective? You're gonna want to see this...
LAB GUY (measuring depth of one of the remaining footprints with a little ruler): Detective? You're gonna want to see this...
November 23, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Science comes to the rescue again!
Just remember a fantastic interchange from a while back. We had a boom lift that is nearing the end of life and I asked what would happen to it.
"Your dad drives them out to live out on a farm"
"Your dad drives them out to live out on a farm"
November 22, 2024 at 3:36 PM
Just remember a fantastic interchange from a while back. We had a boom lift that is nearing the end of life and I asked what would happen to it.
"Your dad drives them out to live out on a farm"
"Your dad drives them out to live out on a farm"
Did you ever want to learn about Fault Management? This is a fantastic guide!
psyche.asu.edu/2022/03/08/d...
psyche.asu.edu/2022/03/08/d...
Designing the Psyche Spacecraft for the Off-Nominal | Psyche Mission
An Overview of the Psyche Fault Management Design Designing, building, testing, and launching an interplanetary spacecraft like Psyche is one of the most complex engineering achievements of our time. ...
psyche.asu.edu
November 21, 2024 at 3:38 PM
Did you ever want to learn about Fault Management? This is a fantastic guide!
psyche.asu.edu/2022/03/08/d...
psyche.asu.edu/2022/03/08/d...
Overheard: "It could have been amazing if I weren't so lazy"
November 19, 2024 at 3:29 PM
Overheard: "It could have been amazing if I weren't so lazy"