Max Fagin
@maxfagin.bsky.social
Aerospace engineer, pilot & astronomer. Astrodynamics, space systems and ISRU/space resources at Blue Origin. Formerly Purdue, NASA, SpaceX and Made In Space. 🌎🌖🔴☄️
Opinions my own, but call me out if I'm an asshole about them. The 🦜 is Beetlejuice.
Opinions my own, but call me out if I'm an asshole about them. The 🦜 is Beetlejuice.
Max Faget, NASA design engineer on Mercury, Gemini, Apollo *and* Shuttle.
October 31, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Max Faget, NASA design engineer on Mercury, Gemini, Apollo *and* Shuttle.
Bolide in the sky on the drive back from Portland!
October 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Bolide in the sky on the drive back from Portland!
Good design is redesign.
That said, if this design could hurry up and converge already, my scrap part bin would really appreciate it.
That said, if this design could hurry up and converge already, my scrap part bin would really appreciate it.
August 17, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Good design is redesign.
That said, if this design could hurry up and converge already, my scrap part bin would really appreciate it.
That said, if this design could hurry up and converge already, my scrap part bin would really appreciate it.
My high school friends in 2005: "You know what would be fun? Let's spend a year remaking #MontyPython and the Holy Grail and uploading it to this new website called uh... UTube?"
Same friends in 2025: "Hey! Let's relive the time we did that!"
Tonight at 6PM PT:
youtu.be/0YjQArPxL5I
Same friends in 2025: "Hey! Let's relive the time we did that!"
Tonight at 6PM PT:
youtu.be/0YjQArPxL5I
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 20th Anniversary Full Resolution Livestream
YouTube video by Max Fagin
youtu.be
August 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM
My high school friends in 2005: "You know what would be fun? Let's spend a year remaking #MontyPython and the Holy Grail and uploading it to this new website called uh... UTube?"
Same friends in 2025: "Hey! Let's relive the time we did that!"
Tonight at 6PM PT:
youtu.be/0YjQArPxL5I
Same friends in 2025: "Hey! Let's relive the time we did that!"
Tonight at 6PM PT:
youtu.be/0YjQArPxL5I
Most of what I know about mid 20th century pop culture, I learned from either Monty Python, or Tom Lehrer. Truly and unparalleled legend in the world of musical satire (and math, and science, and and and and and)
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97
www.nytimes.com
July 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Most of what I know about mid 20th century pop culture, I learned from either Monty Python, or Tom Lehrer. Truly and unparalleled legend in the world of musical satire (and math, and science, and and and and and)
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
When I was a kid, my jazz pianist / computer scientist Dad gave me a book on the physics of music. I ate that kind of stuff up.
Now ~20 years later, Minute Physics drops this banger of a video that covers the same material, but unlike a book, you can actually *hear* the physics being talked about 🤩
Now ~20 years later, Minute Physics drops this banger of a video that covers the same material, but unlike a book, you can actually *hear* the physics being talked about 🤩
July 19, 2025 at 6:53 AM
When I was a kid, my jazz pianist / computer scientist Dad gave me a book on the physics of music. I ate that kind of stuff up.
Now ~20 years later, Minute Physics drops this banger of a video that covers the same material, but unlike a book, you can actually *hear* the physics being talked about 🤩
Now ~20 years later, Minute Physics drops this banger of a video that covers the same material, but unlike a book, you can actually *hear* the physics being talked about 🤩
Space folks: You should see #Elio! The world needs more movies that teach good lessons about friendship, family, and the importance of redundant distributed Space Domain Awareness capabilities for orbital debris mitigation.
June 25, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Space folks: You should see #Elio! The world needs more movies that teach good lessons about friendship, family, and the importance of redundant distributed Space Domain Awareness capabilities for orbital debris mitigation.
Reposted by Max Fagin
Whew, what a day!
Today we revealed the preview of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's epic cosmic movie🎬 #RubinFirstLook
From wide-field and deep views of the Universe, to the dynamic and changing sky, Rubin is already bringing the night sky to life! 🔭🧪
rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...
Today we revealed the preview of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's epic cosmic movie🎬 #RubinFirstLook
From wide-field and deep views of the Universe, to the dynamic and changing sky, Rubin is already bringing the night sky to life! 🔭🧪
rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...
Ever-changing Universe Revealed in First Imagery From NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory | Rubin Observatory
From distant stars and galaxies to asteroids whizzing through the Solar System, this next-generation facility unveils its first imagery and brings the night sky to life like never before
rubinobservatory.org
June 24, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Whew, what a day!
Today we revealed the preview of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's epic cosmic movie🎬 #RubinFirstLook
From wide-field and deep views of the Universe, to the dynamic and changing sky, Rubin is already bringing the night sky to life! 🔭🧪
rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...
Today we revealed the preview of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's epic cosmic movie🎬 #RubinFirstLook
From wide-field and deep views of the Universe, to the dynamic and changing sky, Rubin is already bringing the night sky to life! 🔭🧪
rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...
In Southern California, and the heat has reached Flat Squirrel levels.
June 24, 2025 at 1:19 AM
In Southern California, and the heat has reached Flat Squirrel levels.
Reposted by Max Fagin
Unless these decisions are reversed, this will be remembered as a disastrous week for @NASA. First, I am not optimistic that whomever this administration nominates next for NASA Administrator will be nearly as qualified or enthusiastic about the agency’s mission as Jared.
1/
1/
June 1, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Unless these decisions are reversed, this will be remembered as a disastrous week for @NASA. First, I am not optimistic that whomever this administration nominates next for NASA Administrator will be nearly as qualified or enthusiastic about the agency’s mission as Jared.
1/
1/
3D Printable Coordinate Axes. For when you need to illustrate spacecraft dynamics and sever the limbs of your enemies.
www.printables.com/model/131135...
www.printables.com/model/131135...
May 29, 2025 at 5:53 AM
3D Printable Coordinate Axes. For when you need to illustrate spacecraft dynamics and sever the limbs of your enemies.
www.printables.com/model/131135...
www.printables.com/model/131135...
Now, behold, I am become Max: Router of my foes, and also 4' x 4' plastic sheets for a project I can't wait to share with everyone.
May 4, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Now, behold, I am become Max: Router of my foes, and also 4' x 4' plastic sheets for a project I can't wait to share with everyone.
3D printed dinosaur parts for a friend. Actual dinosaur for scale.
April 25, 2025 at 2:49 PM
3D printed dinosaur parts for a friend. Actual dinosaur for scale.
I take back 85% of the jokes I have ever told about Harvard lawyers.
Harvard University sues Trump administration, media reports say reut.rs/433SQAz
April 22, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I take back 85% of the jokes I have ever told about Harvard lawyers.
Passover is a joyus celebration of freedom and family coupled with terrible food. I'm glad that my juidaism permits a family brunch of bacon, steak, egg and toast skillets before we "enjoy" the gafilta fish and dry matzah.
April 20, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Passover is a joyus celebration of freedom and family coupled with terrible food. I'm glad that my juidaism permits a family brunch of bacon, steak, egg and toast skillets before we "enjoy" the gafilta fish and dry matzah.
Growing up in Colorado Springs, I didn't consider this kind of weather shift to be weird at all.
But now that I'm back... yeah. This is weird and fascinating.
(Photos taken 24 hours apart)
But now that I'm back... yeah. This is weird and fascinating.
(Photos taken 24 hours apart)
April 19, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Growing up in Colorado Springs, I didn't consider this kind of weather shift to be weird at all.
But now that I'm back... yeah. This is weird and fascinating.
(Photos taken 24 hours apart)
But now that I'm back... yeah. This is weird and fascinating.
(Photos taken 24 hours apart)
"I can flyyyyyy... Oh wait"
April 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM
"I can flyyyyyy... Oh wait"
The Breakthrough Awards + songs about science + Gilbert & Sullivan is striking a lot of my Venn Diagram. This is a *very* good parody of one of the hardest songs to parody well. Transcribed lyrics included next for greater appreciation:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG02...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG02...
James Corden Opening Monologue and Song: 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony
YouTube video by Breakthrough
www.youtube.com
April 14, 2025 at 7:35 AM
The Breakthrough Awards + songs about science + Gilbert & Sullivan is striking a lot of my Venn Diagram. This is a *very* good parody of one of the hardest songs to parody well. Transcribed lyrics included next for greater appreciation:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG02...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG02...
Hello NASA JSC! I am at you for the next 3 days. Anyone I know here want to grab lunch?
March 31, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Hello NASA JSC! I am at you for the next 3 days. Anyone I know here want to grab lunch?
SciFi authors: If you are looking for a convenient but also semi-realistic reason for why humans play a pivotal role in your galactic federation of dozens of alien species; this can be it: Because Earth's heavy gravity forced humans to develop an overpowered spaceflight capability as a baseline.
I kind of love the fact that Earth is the highest gravity object in the solar system that it is really possible for life like us it to have arisen.
Everything we've ever accomplished in defiance of gravity (bridges, skyscrapers, aircraft, space programs) we've done it on *hard mode*.
Everything we've ever accomplished in defiance of gravity (bridges, skyscrapers, aircraft, space programs) we've done it on *hard mode*.
March 31, 2025 at 6:39 AM
SciFi authors: If you are looking for a convenient but also semi-realistic reason for why humans play a pivotal role in your galactic federation of dozens of alien species; this can be it: Because Earth's heavy gravity forced humans to develop an overpowered spaceflight capability as a baseline.
I derive some measurable wonder from the fact that we inhabit a world where part of a pre-travel checklist can be "Make sure the robots are set up to keep building things and cleaning the home until you get back"
March 30, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I derive some measurable wonder from the fact that we inhabit a world where part of a pre-travel checklist can be "Make sure the robots are set up to keep building things and cleaning the home until you get back"
I won the pi day pi recitation contest at work today, and for reasons that I will leave it to future historians to puzzle out, it's thanks to @tylerboschert.bsky.social
March 15, 2025 at 2:20 AM
I won the pi day pi recitation contest at work today, and for reasons that I will leave it to future historians to puzzle out, it's thanks to @tylerboschert.bsky.social
Made it too the moon! The year of CLPS is well unerway. 🌗
Blue Ghost is on the moon.
The lunar horizon, with Earth in view, seen from our lander's top deck:
The lunar horizon, with Earth in view, seen from our lander's top deck:
March 2, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Made it too the moon! The year of CLPS is well unerway. 🌗
Not the relevant subject of today's news cycle, but still a major misunderstanding about terraforming Mars that I am seeing a lot people be confidently wrong about today.
Terraforming is *hard* and there are good arguments to be had about how hard; but
"You can't build an atmosphere on Mars because no magnetosphere"
is on the same scale of silly/wrong as
"You can't build interstate highways on Earth because plate tectonics"
Just a massive failure of scicomm.
"You can't build an atmosphere on Mars because no magnetosphere"
is on the same scale of silly/wrong as
"You can't build interstate highways on Earth because plate tectonics"
Just a massive failure of scicomm.
Even if you had some means of terraforming Mars (still pure science fiction at this point) the atmosphere would never be self-sustaining and would require constant human effort and resources to replenish it.
March 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Not the relevant subject of today's news cycle, but still a major misunderstanding about terraforming Mars that I am seeing a lot people be confidently wrong about today.