Dennis
@martiandennis.bsky.social
NASA Systems Engineer & Mars postcard maker. Europa Clipper SE and Perseverance Rover engineering cameras I&T Lead. All opinions are my own.
Pinned
Dennis
@martiandennis.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Hi new followers and welcome! I'm glad to see that we are getting critical mass of new adopters here. Just a self-introduction: I'm a systems engineer at NASA and I've worked on both Europa Clipper and the Perseverance Rover. Here's a picture of me in front of the rover when it was still on Earth. 🌎
Reposted by Dennis
End of a Martian day on Kodiak Hill - Perseverance, sol 416 - From Thomas Appéré (thomasappere.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2ng3fYN
November 6, 2025 at 10:00 PM
End of a Martian day on Kodiak Hill - Perseverance, sol 416 - From Thomas Appéré (thomasappere.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2ng3fYN
Reposted by Dennis
This photo from the Perseverance rover captured in early March, may be my favorite Mars image from this year.
It shows Mars' smaller moon Deimos over the hills of the Nili Planum region in the dark skies before dawn. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rwUwV7
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
It shows Mars' smaller moon Deimos over the hills of the Nili Planum region in the dark skies before dawn. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rwUwV7
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
October 2, 2025 at 4:16 PM
This photo from the Perseverance rover captured in early March, may be my favorite Mars image from this year.
It shows Mars' smaller moon Deimos over the hills of the Nili Planum region in the dark skies before dawn. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rwUwV7
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
It shows Mars' smaller moon Deimos over the hills of the Nili Planum region in the dark skies before dawn. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rwUwV7
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
Reposted by Dennis
Last night, NASA's Perseverance rover looked up at the night sky once more, to capture interstellar #comet 3I/Atlas flying by the red planet.
The distance was "only" 0.2 AU or 30 Mio km, far closer than the comet ever got to Earth. 🔭 #3IAtlas
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Simeon Schmauß
The distance was "only" 0.2 AU or 30 Mio km, far closer than the comet ever got to Earth. 🔭 #3IAtlas
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Simeon Schmauß
October 4, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Dennis
To any (mutual) space journos, I'm happy to answer a few questions about the 3I/Atlas images from Perseverance in the hope we can debunk some of the misinformation that is going around currently.
October 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
To any (mutual) space journos, I'm happy to answer a few questions about the 3I/Atlas images from Perseverance in the hope we can debunk some of the misinformation that is going around currently.
Reposted by Dennis
A recent vista from Mars obtained by the Perseverance Rover on its 1635th Martian day, or 'Sol', Clouds far above the eternal dust pall are unusually well shown in this afternoon view. This is a mosaic of two wide angle color Navcam images.
September 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
A recent vista from Mars obtained by the Perseverance Rover on its 1635th Martian day, or 'Sol', Clouds far above the eternal dust pall are unusually well shown in this afternoon view. This is a mosaic of two wide angle color Navcam images.
Podcast recommendation: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1...
13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle
History Podcast · Weekly Series · Epic space stories. From the first Moon landing, to Apollo 13, to the Space Shuttle. Told by the people who made them happen.
NEW: Season 3: The Space Shuttle. A sci-...
podcasts.apple.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Podcast recommendation: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1...
A colleague of ours made a really cool Mars Weather Dashboard. You should all go and check it out! mars-weather-dashboard-one.vercel.app
Mars Weather Dashboard
Real-time Martian time and planetary data using NASA's Mars24 algorithm
mars-weather-dashboard-one.vercel.app
September 16, 2025 at 9:53 PM
A colleague of ours made a really cool Mars Weather Dashboard. You should all go and check it out! mars-weather-dashboard-one.vercel.app
Reposted by Dennis
The sun was just 10 degrees above the horizon when NASA's Perseverance rover captured this morning view of Nili Planum yesterday. The rim of Jezero crater is casting a long shadow over the rover and foreground landscape. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rt54pJ
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rt54pJ
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
September 13, 2025 at 9:54 PM
The sun was just 10 degrees above the horizon when NASA's Perseverance rover captured this morning view of Nili Planum yesterday. The rim of Jezero crater is casting a long shadow over the rover and foreground landscape. 🔭
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rt54pJ
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
Full res: flic.kr/p/2rt54pJ
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
Flyover animation of the area around Bright Angel and its surroundings, where the Sapphire Canyon sample was collected last year. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FAY...
Mars 2020 Jezero Crater Bright Angel targets overview V2
YouTube video by PRo3D Space
www.youtube.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Flyover animation of the area around Bright Angel and its surroundings, where the Sapphire Canyon sample was collected last year. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FAY...
Dust devils captured by Perseverance's left NavCam on Sol 1617.
September 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Dust devils captured by Perseverance's left NavCam on Sol 1617.
Reposted by Dennis
Thanks to the brilliant experts @nasajpl.bsky.social in Pasadena for making this amazing discovery of potential life on Mars possible!
But we can't know for sure unless we bring these rocks to Earth for study. I'll keep fighting to fully fund the Mars Sample Return mission to do just that.
But we can't know for sure unless we bring these rocks to Earth for study. I'll keep fighting to fully fund the Mars Sample Return mission to do just that.
Breaking news: NASA’s Perseverance rover came across some rocks on Mars that might be evidence of past life on the dusty planet.
The findings amount to one of the strongest signs yet of ancient Martian life.
The findings amount to one of the strongest signs yet of ancient Martian life.
Rocks found on Mars are some of the strongest clues yet of past life
Detailed analysis of images of speckled rocks found by NASA’s Perseverance rover has confirmed a “potential biosignature.”
wapo.st
September 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Thanks to the brilliant experts @nasajpl.bsky.social in Pasadena for making this amazing discovery of potential life on Mars possible!
But we can't know for sure unless we bring these rocks to Earth for study. I'll keep fighting to fully fund the Mars Sample Return mission to do just that.
But we can't know for sure unless we bring these rocks to Earth for study. I'll keep fighting to fully fund the Mars Sample Return mission to do just that.
Reposted by Dennis
To illustrate the place of today's paper sample 😊
Perseverance at Bright Angel | Sol 1176 - From Simeon Schmauß (stim3on.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2pXmF6g
September 10, 2025 at 9:06 PM
To illustrate the place of today's paper sample 😊
Reposted by Dennis
#NASA Joel Hurowitz - Here you can see the chemistry of this rock in red, green & blue. Mud shows up in Red , is iron purple, iron and phosphorus combination of mud and organic matter. These minerals are the byproduct of organic metabolism; however, there are non-biological reasons for this.
September 10, 2025 at 3:40 PM
#NASA Joel Hurowitz - Here you can see the chemistry of this rock in red, green & blue. Mud shows up in Red , is iron purple, iron and phosphorus combination of mud and organic matter. These minerals are the byproduct of organic metabolism; however, there are non-biological reasons for this.
Prelude to the media teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 10, on the analysis of Sample 25 collected at "Sapphire Canyon." science.nasa.gov/resource/mee...
www.nasa.gov/news-release...
www.nasa.gov/news-release...
Meet the Mars Samples: Sapphire Canyon (Sample 25) - NASA Science
Meet the 25th Martian sample collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover – “Sapphire Canyon” – a sample taken from a vein-filled rock named “Cheyava Falls.” The arrowhead-shaped rock contains compelli...
science.nasa.gov
September 8, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Prelude to the media teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 10, on the analysis of Sample 25 collected at "Sapphire Canyon." science.nasa.gov/resource/mee...
www.nasa.gov/news-release...
www.nasa.gov/news-release...
September 8, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reposted by Dennis
Jim Bridenstine mentioned his concerns for what is happening to NASA JPL in terms of budget and personnel cuts.
September 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Jim Bridenstine mentioned his concerns for what is happening to NASA JPL in terms of budget and personnel cuts.
Reposted by Dennis
Just a few hours ago, the Perseverance rover captured this afternoon view of some wispy clouds above the Nili Planum region on Mars.
flic.kr/p/2rkCrHu
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
flic.kr/p/2rkCrHu
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
August 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Just a few hours ago, the Perseverance rover captured this afternoon view of some wispy clouds above the Nili Planum region on Mars.
flic.kr/p/2rkCrHu
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
flic.kr/p/2rkCrHu
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß
Reposted by Dennis
Introducing...your sneak peek at the cosmos captured by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory!
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
June 23, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Introducing...your sneak peek at the cosmos captured by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory!
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
Reposted by Dennis
"To associate Mars exploration with the devastation of American space science...to tie it to the alienation of our allies and partners, is to doom the effort to failure. Mars deserves better." - @caseydreier.bsky.social
Humans deserve better too.
spacenews.com/the-administ...
Humans deserve better too.
spacenews.com/the-administ...
The administration’s anti-consensus Mars plan will fail
The administration’s anti-consensus Mars plan will fail
spacenews.com
June 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
"To associate Mars exploration with the devastation of American space science...to tie it to the alienation of our allies and partners, is to doom the effort to failure. Mars deserves better." - @caseydreier.bsky.social
Humans deserve better too.
spacenews.com/the-administ...
Humans deserve better too.
spacenews.com/the-administ...
Reposted by Dennis
We are in the final days of our effort to collect signatories on our petition to protect NASA science and SO CLOSE to our 20,000 signatory goal. ANYONE in the world can sign. Help us reach our goal:
planet.ly/petition
planet.ly/petition
Advocacy Action Center
The Planetary Society is organizing a new space constituency that is educated, empowered, and loud.
planet.ly
June 11, 2025 at 11:48 AM
We are in the final days of our effort to collect signatories on our petition to protect NASA science and SO CLOSE to our 20,000 signatory goal. ANYONE in the world can sign. Help us reach our goal:
planet.ly/petition
planet.ly/petition
Reposted by Dennis
You can watch the full interview, which includes discussion of national security and commercial space topics as well, here: spacenews.com/live-a-conve...
June 11, 2025 at 12:14 AM
You can watch the full interview, which includes discussion of national security and commercial space topics as well, here: spacenews.com/live-a-conve...
Reposted by Dennis
Listen to the sounds of #BepiColombo's sixth flyby of Mercury this past January 👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6i...
This final flyby used the planet's gravity to steer the spacecraft on course for entering orbit around Mercury in 2026.
🔭 🧪
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6i...
This final flyby used the planet's gravity to steer the spacecraft on course for entering orbit around Mercury in 2026.
🔭 🧪
The sounds of BepiColombo’s sixth flight past Mercury
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
www.youtube.com
June 6, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Listen to the sounds of #BepiColombo's sixth flyby of Mercury this past January 👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6i...
This final flyby used the planet's gravity to steer the spacecraft on course for entering orbit around Mercury in 2026.
🔭 🧪
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6i...
This final flyby used the planet's gravity to steer the spacecraft on course for entering orbit around Mercury in 2026.
🔭 🧪
Reposted by Dennis
Four charts showing the extent of cuts to NASA in the FY26 budget:
- Cuts to every science division
- Smallest science funding since 1984
- 19 active, inflight missions cancelled
- Smallest NASA budget since FY 1961
- Cuts to every science division
- Smallest science funding since 1984
- 19 active, inflight missions cancelled
- Smallest NASA budget since FY 1961
May 31, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Four charts showing the extent of cuts to NASA in the FY26 budget:
- Cuts to every science division
- Smallest science funding since 1984
- 19 active, inflight missions cancelled
- Smallest NASA budget since FY 1961
- Cuts to every science division
- Smallest science funding since 1984
- 19 active, inflight missions cancelled
- Smallest NASA budget since FY 1961