Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 7h

Emerald Lucille Lovebird 🦜 wishes all, peace 🕊️ #TheDailyLovebird

A peach-faced pied lovebird sits on her food bowl.

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

David S. F. Portree @dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social · 1d

"In theory" is doing an awful lot of work here.

Jon Kelvey @jonkelvey.bsky.social · 1d

I'm in the fall issue of Aerospace America with a closer look at the SpaceX/Musk Mars plan, such as it's been made public.

Is it doable? Sure, in theory!
Are there major unanswered questions that could kill the whole thing? Oh, absolutely!
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/a-c...

A closer look at SpaceX’s Mars plan

aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

David Dickinson @astrodave.bsky.social · 9h

Skies are clear... here's tonight's image of Comet R2 SWAN taken with a Dwarf3 smartscope. The coma looks a little 'smushed' to my eye.

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 8h

Thank you, you gave me a ton of laughter and smiles.

The A.V. Club @avclub.com · 2d

The influential, top hat-wearing DJ, Dr. Demento, wrapped his long-running radio show yesterday with a countdown of his top 40 most requested songs.

www.avclub.com/dr-demento-f...

Dr. Demento ends 55-year run as radio's weirdest DJ

www.avclub.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

Museum of Science @museumofscience.bsky.social · 12h

Debris from Halley’s Comet lights up the sky with the Orionid meteor shower! 🌌🧪

This meteor shower will be active from Sept. 26 to Nov. 22, and will peak on October 21. These are actually fragments from Halley’s Comet, which orbits the Sun every 76 years.

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 11h

Quite welcome!

a man in a military uniform adjusts his hat while another man looks on

ALT: a man in a military uniform adjusts his hat while another man looks on

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO @thenrao.bsky.social · 13h

#astronomy #radioastronomy #alma #interferometry

National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO @thenrao.bsky.social · 15h

🚨 ALMA Ambassadors Program Cycle 13 - Application Deadline October 31, 2025! 🚨

Provides training and up to $5,000 research grant to students / researchers interested in expanding their ALMA / interferometry expertise.

Details and apply: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/ambassadors-program/

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

NASAWATCH @nasawatch.bsky.social · 12h

JPL Hit With Another 550 Layoffs as NASA’s Budget Crisis Deepens
gizmodo.com/jpl-hit-with... #NASA #Shutdown #NASASTRONG @nasajpl.bsky.social

JPL Hit With Another 550 Layoffs as NASA’s Budget Crisis Deepens

The 11% staffing cut is the fourth round of layoffs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory since January 2024. And we’re supposed to beat China back to the Moon?

gizmodo.com

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 14h

There's a LOT that still needs to be accomplished. I was pointing out just one of them.

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 15h

A reminder: we still need to see a complete demonstration of on orbit fueling to see this thing really come into it's own. It might be great for delivering the company's Starlink satellites but there is a LONG road to hoe before it's ready to deliver on its promises.

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 20h

With the successful eleventh test flight of its Starship megarocket, SpaceX is on the cusp of a new era in spaceflight

SpaceX’s Starship Succeeds in Final Test Flight of 2025

With the successful eleventh test flight of its Starship megarocket, SpaceX is on the cusp of a new era in spaceflight

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

Mike Feher @saxmike71.bsky.social · 16h

This is actually the first time I’ve read in clear terms just exactly how the agency plans to use Starship (*multiple* at that) to land astronauts on the Moon. In my informed yet humble opinion, this feat will not be pulled off for a very long time:

www.cnn.com/2025/10/12/s...

Is NASA losing the moon race? All eyes are on the megarocket launching Monday for answers | CNN

Calls for the US to land astronauts back on the moon before China have been increasingly loud and frequent. But it all hinges on SpaceX’s Starship.

www.cnn.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

David Grinspoon @drfunkyspoon.bsky.social · 16h

A year ago we launched Clipper towards Europa.
Since then NASA science has been ravaged & threatened by our malevolent administration. By the time Clipper is orbiting Jupiter and sending back precious data we will have different people in power. As perilous as the journey is, that gives me hope.
🧪🔭

The rocket carrying Europa Clipper, rising from the launchpad.

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

Phazzee 🐼🚀 | 中国航天 🇨🇳 | 🇵🇸🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @china-in-space.com · 20h

No Qianfan satellites have been launched since March due to satellites tumbling and propulsion failures, but a return to orbit may be close according to some hardware updates

Details -> www.china-in-space.com/p/shanghai-b...

Shanghai-Backed Qianfan Constellation May Be Nearing Return to Orbit

Technical issues may have kept the constellation grounded since March.

www.china-in-space.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

vsamsondc.bsky.social @vsamsondc.bsky.social · 16h

That's quite the headline

www.spacedaily.com/reports/Myan...

Myanmar scam centres booming despite crackdown, using Musk's Starlink

Mae Sot/Paris, Thailand (AFP) Oct 14, 2025 - Scam centres in Myanmar blamed for swindling billions from victims across the world are expanding fast just months after a crackdown that was supposed to ...

www.spacedaily.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 18h

Why do some rocky planets have atmospheres when others don’t? #NASAWebb and Hubble space telescopes are teaming up to find out. ➡️ https://go.nasa.gov/47a9fFD 🔭 🧪

Artist's concept showing a distant star, with two rocky planets in the foreground. One planet is larger than the other.

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

AAS Press Office @press.aas.org · 19h

Diamond Light Source: Cosmic Dust Could Have Sparked Life on Earth www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/News/La...

Cosmic dust could have sparked life on Earth - - Diamond Light Source

The building blocks of life may have travelled to Earth on interstellar dust grains, potentially helping kickstart biology as we know it.

www.diamond.ac.uk

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

AAS Press Office @press.aas.org · 19h

University of York: Dark Matter Might Leave a “Fingerprint” on Light, Scientists Say www.york.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Dark Matter might leave a ‘fingerprint’ on light, scientists say

Dark Matter, the substance that makes up most of the Universe, could potentially be detected as a red or blue light ‘fingerprint’, new research shows.

www.york.ac.uk

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 16h

Despite the shutdown, NASA will provide live coverage of the Russian spacewalk on Thursday, Oct 16, but with minimal technical commentary. (ISS ops are excepted activities.) Watch on NASA's YouTube channel starting at 12:15 pm ET: www.youtube.com/live/NWzZ-8z...

Roscosmos Spacewalk 64

YouTube video by NASA

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

CNBC @cnbc.com · 1d

NASA unit JPL to lay off about 550 workers, citing restructure

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a research and development lab funded by NASA — the federal space agency — and managed by the Caltech.

cnb.cx

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.social · 19h

Impulse Space announces lunar lander plans

In-space transportation company Impulse Space says it plans to develop a lunar lander to fill what it sees as a gap in missions to the moon.

Impulse Space announces lunar lander plans

In-space transportation company Impulse Space says it plans to develop a lunar lander to fill what it sees as a gap in missions to the moon.

spacenews.com

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

Celeste Labedz @celestelabedz.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of comments on Mars rovers or Moon landings, but it's important to remember that the planet NASA studies most is Earth. This is less about cutting flashy things like moonwalks and more about keeping communities in the dark on climate, weather, agriculture, pollution, natural hazards, and more.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Monday it will cut nearly 550 jobs as part of a restructuring, not related to the current U.S. government shutdown.

reut.rs

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

stunt nuts @decafbeef.bsky.social · 1d

in addition to the environmental impact, the cost would make it infeasible for any real commercial passenger or cargo usage.

they're hoping for lucrative military contracts. even if it was never used "for real" there would be a steady stream of income from training flights and maintenance contracts

Rocket Cargo - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Reposted by Gene J. Mikulka

CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @cosmicrami.com · 1d

Another really silly talking points that people (not Lora, what is being said) blurt out to make them sound intelligent, when the lack of any coherent detail gives away their true nature.

Show me the business case, how many consumers drive revenues into profits, expected market share on this idea.

Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 1d

Watching the SpaceX Starship test flight 11 stream and they keep talking about how this Starship will someday just take you to any place on Earth in about an hour like US to Australia in an hour not 20 hours. (That speed is tantalizing but I find the enviro impacts worrying.)

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 20h

It's WAY too early at this point. I'm still not sure that it will carry humans any time soon.

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 20h

Not for anything but NASA is working on an aircraft that muffles "sonic booms" thus removing one of the impediments to super sonic transport. PS its totally absurd to use a SaturnV class launch vehicle in such a manner.

Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 1d

Watching the SpaceX Starship test flight 11 stream and they keep talking about how this Starship will someday just take you to any place on Earth in about an hour like US to Australia in an hour not 20 hours. (That speed is tantalizing but I find the enviro impacts worrying.)

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