I take it back, Mike Collins grew one on Apollo 11
November 23, 2025 at 1:39 AM
I take it back, Mike Collins grew one on Apollo 11
Boston area folks:
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
November 15, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Boston area folks:
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
Brickbottom Open Art Studios next weekend, Nov 22-23 afternoons, including my exhibit of images from the Smithsonian's telescopes.
The Chinese station made another orbit reboost on Oct 29, a couple of days before the Shenzhou-21 launch
November 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Chinese station made another orbit reboost on Oct 29, a couple of days before the Shenzhou-21 launch
Chinese astronauts Col. Zhang Lu, Maj. Wu Fei and Dr. Zhang Hongzhang are aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship scheduled for launch shortly (1544 UTC)
October 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Chinese astronauts Col. Zhang Lu, Maj. Wu Fei and Dr. Zhang Hongzhang are aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship scheduled for launch shortly (1544 UTC)
Based on analysis of TLEs, the Chinese Space Station
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
October 27, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Based on analysis of TLEs, the Chinese Space Station
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
made a 3.2 m/s reboost on Oct 17 at about 0947 UTC
Via ABC news,
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
October 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Via ABC news,
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
Planet imagery showing the change in the view from space of the White House over the past month
North Korea's Manligyeong-1 F3 spy sat, launched in 2023, made another orbit reboost on Oct 2, showing that it is still
working.
working.
October 21, 2025 at 10:04 PM
North Korea's Manligyeong-1 F3 spy sat, launched in 2023, made another orbit reboost on Oct 2, showing that it is still
working.
working.
Looks like the UA1093 incident is tentatively confirmed to be a balloon and not space debris, per this exchange on the other site
October 21, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Looks like the UA1093 incident is tentatively confirmed to be a balloon and not space debris, per this exchange on the other site
I haven't seen any official announcement, but TLEs show ISS orbit boost using the Dragon boost trunk did occur as scheduled on Oct 14 at 1812 UTC
October 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I haven't seen any official announcement, but TLEs show ISS orbit boost using the Dragon boost trunk did occur as scheduled on Oct 14 at 1812 UTC
SpaceX webcast data consistent with a Starship orbit of -1 x 192 km, with uncertainty of about plus or minus 3 km in the perigee value. The Raptor restart raised perigee to about +52 km (but the vehicle was by then already well past apogee, at 145 km on the way down.)
October 14, 2025 at 2:02 AM
SpaceX webcast data consistent with a Starship orbit of -1 x 192 km, with uncertainty of about plus or minus 3 km in the perigee value. The Raptor restart raised perigee to about +52 km (but the vehicle was by then already well past apogee, at 145 km on the way down.)
A reentry observed over California at 0245 UTC Sep 26 (7.45pm PDT Thu Sep 25) is consistent with Starlink 1586.
September 26, 2025 at 11:51 PM
A reentry observed over California at 0245 UTC Sep 26 (7.45pm PDT Thu Sep 25) is consistent with Starlink 1586.
However, it does match well with Starlink 1586 which also reentered today.
September 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
However, it does match well with Starlink 1586 which also reentered today.
Starlink 1636, launched in Aug 2020, reentered over Texas last night (Sep 22 0130 UTC / Sep 21 8.30pm CDT) and was observed widely.
September 23, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Starlink 1636, launched in Aug 2020, reentered over Texas last night (Sep 22 0130 UTC / Sep 21 8.30pm CDT) and was observed widely.
Just back from the Camden Intl. Film Festival
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
September 14, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Just back from the Camden Intl. Film Festival
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
in Rockland Maine, where I got to see the US premiere of Julien Elie's new documentary Shifting Baselines
@shiftingbaselines.bsky.social
, in which I make a small appearance.
Had fun on Thursday talking about the Boston area space sector at the UK consulate, with proper afternoon tea
September 14, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Had fun on Thursday talking about the Boston area space sector at the UK consulate, with proper afternoon tea
SM005 and SM001's Space Force tracking data put them occasionally within 20 km of each other, but I think this is probably just a tracking mistake and the satellites are being confused with each other?
August 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
SM005 and SM001's Space Force tracking data put them occasionally within 20 km of each other, but I think this is probably just a tracking mistake and the satellites are being confused with each other?
Here is a snapshot of the sat positions at 0h UTC today, note that two of them (SM005 and SM001) are close to each other
August 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Here is a snapshot of the sat positions at 0h UTC today, note that two of them (SM005 and SM001) are close to each other
The five large AST Space Mobile BlueBird comm sats were launched in 2024; time to take a look at their orbits. After ejecting their antenna covers in October (magenta lines) the main sats (blue) decreased drag and appear to be using drag control to stay at the same height but at 10000 km spacings
August 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The five large AST Space Mobile BlueBird comm sats were launched in 2024; time to take a look at their orbits. After ejecting their antenna covers in October (magenta lines) the main sats (blue) decreased drag and appear to be using drag control to stay at the same height but at 10000 km spacings
Attempt to fit the SpaceX webcast height-velocity data for flight 10 with a 192 km apogee and -15 km (green), 0 km (red), +14 km (blue) perigees. 0 looks like the best fit overall. I would say the perigee is somewhere in the -2 to +10 km range with moderate confidence.
August 27, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Attempt to fit the SpaceX webcast height-velocity data for flight 10 with a 192 km apogee and -15 km (green), 0 km (red), +14 km (blue) perigees. 0 looks like the best fit overall. I would say the perigee is somewhere in the -2 to +10 km range with moderate confidence.
Hi John
Of 1450 cubesats launched since 2020, 1300 were to syn synch orbit, usually in 500 to 600 km range. Of those, majority were to 9 to 10 am descending node orbits as shown in this histogram on left. Histo on right is orbit height.
Of 1450 cubesats launched since 2020, 1300 were to syn synch orbit, usually in 500 to 600 km range. Of those, majority were to 9 to 10 am descending node orbits as shown in this histogram on left. Histo on right is orbit height.
August 27, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Hi John
Of 1450 cubesats launched since 2020, 1300 were to syn synch orbit, usually in 500 to 600 km range. Of those, majority were to 9 to 10 am descending node orbits as shown in this histogram on left. Histo on right is orbit height.
Of 1450 cubesats launched since 2020, 1300 were to syn synch orbit, usually in 500 to 600 km range. Of those, majority were to 9 to 10 am descending node orbits as shown in this histogram on left. Histo on right is orbit height.
This was definitely the fuel dump from the upper stage of the Chang Zheng 8A launch. The predicted trajectory has the upper stage passing over Germany at 2035 UTC on the path shown here.
August 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM
This was definitely the fuel dump from the upper stage of the Chang Zheng 8A launch. The predicted trajectory has the upper stage passing over Germany at 2035 UTC on the path shown here.
They are 0.1 kg, 0.020 x 0.048 x 0.048 m irregular shape, built by ThumbSat of Tijuana, Mexico in collab with Hainan International Satellite Data and App. Research Center, Wenchang.
August 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
They are 0.1 kg, 0.020 x 0.048 x 0.048 m irregular shape, built by ThumbSat of Tijuana, Mexico in collab with Hainan International Satellite Data and App. Research Center, Wenchang.
Jonathan's Space Library Relocation Lack-Of-Update (with acknowledgement to Randall Munroe)
August 15, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Jonathan's Space Library Relocation Lack-Of-Update (with acknowledgement to Randall Munroe)
32 years of the SAO Astronomy REU summer program
planet4589.org/jcm/pics/int...
planet4589.org/jcm/pics/int...
August 15, 2025 at 3:15 AM
32 years of the SAO Astronomy REU summer program
planet4589.org/jcm/pics/int...
planet4589.org/jcm/pics/int...
On the other side of the planet, we see the launch trajectory north from French Guiana over the Atlantic and Labrador, circa 0040 UTC, and then on the second orbit over Colombia, Cuba, the eastern US and Ontario circa 0225-0240 UTC. The deorbit burn was at 0235 UTC, 800 km above Lake Superior
August 14, 2025 at 3:35 AM
On the other side of the planet, we see the launch trajectory north from French Guiana over the Atlantic and Labrador, circa 0040 UTC, and then on the second orbit over Colombia, Cuba, the eastern US and Ontario circa 0225-0240 UTC. The deorbit burn was at 0235 UTC, 800 km above Lake Superior