Jeff Balcerski
@astroagro.bsky.social
Professor of 🚀🛰️🌠 Engineering. Planetary science PhD. Former NASA guy. 🌘🪐
Firefighter, Paramedic, Trombonist. 🚒🚑🎵
Inspired by nature and technology. 🌿💾
ADHD. 🐿️
Taking the road less traveled, and it has made all the difference. 🧭
Firefighter, Paramedic, Trombonist. 🚒🚑🎵
Inspired by nature and technology. 🌿💾
ADHD. 🐿️
Taking the road less traveled, and it has made all the difference. 🧭
In Texas with the Kent State student team for the International Rocket Engineering Competition, and now I've experienced my first thunderduststorm!
6x timelapse from my hotel window.
6x timelapse from my hotel window.
June 11, 2025 at 2:42 PM
In Texas with the Kent State student team for the International Rocket Engineering Competition, and now I've experienced my first thunderduststorm!
6x timelapse from my hotel window.
6x timelapse from my hotel window.
More progress on the satellite assembly cleanroom. Therval-vacuum oven training/commissioning next week. Helmholtz cage control system work this summer. 6U cubesat chassis in-house fabrication starts next week.
May 17, 2025 at 1:17 PM
More progress on the satellite assembly cleanroom. Therval-vacuum oven training/commissioning next week. Helmholtz cage control system work this summer. 6U cubesat chassis in-house fabrication starts next week.
Spacecraft Design Lab getting a cleanroom addition! Hallway passersby will be able to look in and see the hardware we're assembling (soon, Kent State's FlashSat-1 student-built satellite.)
April 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Spacecraft Design Lab getting a cleanroom addition! Hallway passersby will be able to look in and see the hardware we're assembling (soon, Kent State's FlashSat-1 student-built satellite.)
Well happy spring to you too, Ohio.
April 8, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Well happy spring to you too, Ohio.
The science-engineering communications gap is A Real Thing. Be bilingual.
"In science, if you know what you are doing, you should not be doing it."
"In engineering, if you do not know what you are doing, you should not be doing it." -Richard Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
"In science, if you know what you are doing, you should not be doing it."
"In engineering, if you do not know what you are doing, you should not be doing it." -Richard Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
April 4, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The science-engineering communications gap is A Real Thing. Be bilingual.
"In science, if you know what you are doing, you should not be doing it."
"In engineering, if you do not know what you are doing, you should not be doing it." -Richard Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
"In science, if you know what you are doing, you should not be doing it."
"In engineering, if you do not know what you are doing, you should not be doing it." -Richard Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering
Today's dumb mental challenge that didn't need to be: Worrying about how the use of the phrase, "Technical Readiness Level maturation through environmental testing" will affect the success of a grant proposal.
March 31, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Today's dumb mental challenge that didn't need to be: Worrying about how the use of the phrase, "Technical Readiness Level maturation through environmental testing" will affect the success of a grant proposal.
Class prop catastrophe!
"KHHHAAANNNNnnnnn!!!"
"KHHHAAANNNNnnnnn!!!"
March 25, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Class prop catastrophe!
"KHHHAAANNNNnnnnn!!!"
"KHHHAAANNNNnnnnn!!!"
My takeaway from the last couple months of indiscriminate government downsizing: How very affordable are/were the amazing services, science, and research done with our tax $. Given that these cuts haven't made a dent in the deficit, imagine what we could have done with slightly more instead of less.
March 19, 2025 at 9:35 PM
My takeaway from the last couple months of indiscriminate government downsizing: How very affordable are/were the amazing services, science, and research done with our tax $. Given that these cuts haven't made a dent in the deficit, imagine what we could have done with slightly more instead of less.
All Amendments Matter
March 11, 2025 at 11:38 AM
All Amendments Matter
Hey #LPSC2025 - I'm on the lookout for a potential PhD student who wants to explore the niche intersection of planetary science, engineering, and technology. Instruments, exploration platforms, and space resource utilization are the sweet spots. I have funding, and a new cubesat award. Let's talk.
March 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Hey #LPSC2025 - I'm on the lookout for a potential PhD student who wants to explore the niche intersection of planetary science, engineering, and technology. Instruments, exploration platforms, and space resource utilization are the sweet spots. I have funding, and a new cubesat award. Let's talk.
Reposted by Jeff Balcerski
If you're working on extraterrestrial resource exploration/prospecting, extraction, processing, and utilization, as well as economic, environmental, legal, and policy issues then publish in this new diamond open access journal! link.springer.com/journal/44461
Space and Planetary Resources
An integrated platform to publish novel data and findings, as well as innovative concepts, models, and technological advances related to various aspects of ...
link.springer.com
March 6, 2025 at 8:12 AM
If you're working on extraterrestrial resource exploration/prospecting, extraction, processing, and utilization, as well as economic, environmental, legal, and policy issues then publish in this new diamond open access journal! link.springer.com/journal/44461
Confirmed. Starting at around age 14, they have a focused unit on recognizing and evaluating propaganda, both contemporary and historical, along with understanding historical and cultural context. Further, critical thinking skills are taught as part of social studies curriculum throughout.
#Teaching #U.S. 🇺🇸 #Propaganda in #Germany 🇩🇪 #livingingermany #germanyvsusa #americanabroad
YouTube video by Aly: @usa.mom.in.germany
youtu.be
March 3, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Confirmed. Starting at around age 14, they have a focused unit on recognizing and evaluating propaganda, both contemporary and historical, along with understanding historical and cultural context. Further, critical thinking skills are taught as part of social studies curriculum throughout.
This is a tectonic shift in collaborative publishing. The need is obvious and the timing is perfect.
If you are going to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#lpsc) next week, please take the time to reflect on the future #planetaryscience and to use the time at the conference to organize and prepare for the future.
March 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM
This is a tectonic shift in collaborative publishing. The need is obvious and the timing is perfect.
Reposted by Jeff Balcerski
#PPOD: On 3 January 2023, Mercury crossed the Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s field of view, resulting in a solar transit in which Mercury appeared as a perfectly black circle moving across the face of a very active Sun. Credit: ESA & NASA / Solar Orbiter 🧪 🔭
February 27, 2025 at 7:02 PM
#PPOD: On 3 January 2023, Mercury crossed the Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s field of view, resulting in a solar transit in which Mercury appeared as a perfectly black circle moving across the face of a very active Sun. Credit: ESA & NASA / Solar Orbiter 🧪 🔭
As a Gen-Xer, I wholly endorse the use of the word "radical" in regular conversation.
As in, I believe that we should be having regular conversations how Radical Empathy can create "a more perfect union".
As in, I believe that we should be having regular conversations how Radical Empathy can create "a more perfect union".
February 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
As a Gen-Xer, I wholly endorse the use of the word "radical" in regular conversation.
As in, I believe that we should be having regular conversations how Radical Empathy can create "a more perfect union".
As in, I believe that we should be having regular conversations how Radical Empathy can create "a more perfect union".
One of my favorite country songs is the one where Toby Keith sings about all the diversity that makes his bar special.
#WeAreAllDEI
#WeAreAllDEI
February 18, 2025 at 7:17 PM
One of my favorite country songs is the one where Toby Keith sings about all the diversity that makes his bar special.
#WeAreAllDEI
#WeAreAllDEI
For all my NASA friends tomorrow.
a woman in a black jacket is giving a peace sign
ALT: a woman in a black jacket is giving a peace sign
media.tenor.com
February 18, 2025 at 3:13 AM
For all my NASA friends tomorrow.
As I frantically edit 3 students' applications/abstracts for scholarships/conferences, due at the same time, I suddenly understand why so many professors are present at conferences as co-authors instead of primary authors.
February 14, 2025 at 9:09 PM
As I frantically edit 3 students' applications/abstracts for scholarships/conferences, due at the same time, I suddenly understand why so many professors are present at conferences as co-authors instead of primary authors.
Found while browsing the local used bookstore, Last Exit. This text describes what came to be known as the Aldrin Cycler, an interplanetary ferry that would use a periodic, minimal energy orbit between Earth and Mars, to move astronauts and supplies between the two worlds in a sustainable(ish) way.
February 12, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Found while browsing the local used bookstore, Last Exit. This text describes what came to be known as the Aldrin Cycler, an interplanetary ferry that would use a periodic, minimal energy orbit between Earth and Mars, to move astronauts and supplies between the two worlds in a sustainable(ish) way.
My PhD advisor warned me that missions are a lot of work. But this is the fun kind of work, and I'm really proud of our effort to put a student-built satellite in orbit!
Kent State Student Organization Awarded Prestigious Satellite Program
What started as a vision to help students in Northeast Ohio reach for the stars has rocketed to new heights. Kent State University's AstroFlashes CubeSat club has been selected for the University Nan...
www.kent.edu
February 12, 2025 at 12:24 AM
My PhD advisor warned me that missions are a lot of work. But this is the fun kind of work, and I'm really proud of our effort to put a student-built satellite in orbit!
The use of federal services for archiving research grant data suddenly seems very questionable. Turns out, "on my department server" might not have been such a bad idea after all.
February 5, 2025 at 9:18 AM
The use of federal services for archiving research grant data suddenly seems very questionable. Turns out, "on my department server" might not have been such a bad idea after all.
Another week of indoctrinating young minds to the radical oblate, spheroid Earth theory.
February 3, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Another week of indoctrinating young minds to the radical oblate, spheroid Earth theory.
Very proud of this student team for diving right in to the hard work of designing and building an actual satellite!
I stole a couple minutes at the beginning to establish one major rule:
Anyone must be empowered to throw the BS flag. Groupthink is a huge threat to success, and sadly, pervasive.
I stole a couple minutes at the beginning to establish one major rule:
Anyone must be empowered to throw the BS flag. Groupthink is a huge threat to success, and sadly, pervasive.
February 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Very proud of this student team for diving right in to the hard work of designing and building an actual satellite!
I stole a couple minutes at the beginning to establish one major rule:
Anyone must be empowered to throw the BS flag. Groupthink is a huge threat to success, and sadly, pervasive.
I stole a couple minutes at the beginning to establish one major rule:
Anyone must be empowered to throw the BS flag. Groupthink is a huge threat to success, and sadly, pervasive.
Downtown #Cleveland on a cold, misty January evening. Cathedral of St. John the Apostle.
February 1, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Downtown #Cleveland on a cold, misty January evening. Cathedral of St. John the Apostle.
When you need to fix a Mansfield toilet tank fill valve and don't have time for Prime shipping.
January 29, 2025 at 3:01 AM
When you need to fix a Mansfield toilet tank fill valve and don't have time for Prime shipping.