Justin Walsh
@jstpwalsh.bsky.social
Space archaeologist, hab consultant, ancient Mediterranean, heritage | Prof at Chapman U | Fellow at USC | Explorers Club 50 | https://issarchaeology.org / http://brickmoonspace.com | He/him | Settler on unceded Tongva land (LA) | avi by Zach Weinersmith
PSA: if you're in the US, and you traveled for the holiday, please wear a mask on your way home. We know that Thanksgiving marks the beginning of peak COVID season each year.
November 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
PSA: if you're in the US, and you traveled for the holiday, please wear a mask on your way home. We know that Thanksgiving marks the beginning of peak COVID season each year.
It's harder to pull out the human spaceflight numbers from NASA's 2026 budget request, but it's basically the top two major lines, which go from $11.9b to $11.5b (-3.5%). Europe is going big.
November 26, 2025 at 3:23 PM
It's harder to pull out the human spaceflight numbers from NASA's 2026 budget request, but it's basically the top two major lines, which go from $11.9b to $11.5b (-3.5%). Europe is going big.
Previous breakdown for comparison
November 26, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Previous breakdown for comparison
Fundamentally, the relationship we are encouraged and expected to have with LLMs is that of the citizens of Oz to their Wizard. It's magic, it's all-powerful...until we look behind the green curtain.
November 26, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Fundamentally, the relationship we are encouraged and expected to have with LLMs is that of the citizens of Oz to their Wizard. It's magic, it's all-powerful...until we look behind the green curtain.
Just your average carry-on item at the El Paso airport
November 22, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Just your average carry-on item at the El Paso airport
White Sands National Park
November 21, 2025 at 6:21 PM
White Sands National Park
Couple more photos from today at Spaceport America
November 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Couple more photos from today at Spaceport America
Excited to present results from our survey of Soyuz landing sites in Kazakhstan at the annual meeting of the ICOMOS Aerospace Heritage Scientific Committee at New Mexico State University today!
November 19, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Excited to present results from our survey of Soyuz landing sites in Kazakhstan at the annual meeting of the ICOMOS Aerospace Heritage Scientific Committee at New Mexico State University today!
Like, this is just sad
November 4, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Like, this is just sad
The ISS Archaeological Project studied the phenomenon of crew-created visual displays in two articles (both open access): www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... and www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11...
November 2, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The ISS Archaeological Project studied the phenomenon of crew-created visual displays in two articles (both open access): www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... and www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11...
Here's a photo from our experiment on the ISS showing the table on the US side on a Saturday, with a leftover Russian pastry in a Ziploc bag at lower left.
November 2, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Here's a photo from our experiment on the ISS showing the table on the US side on a Saturday, with a leftover Russian pastry in a Ziploc bag at lower left.
This situation was seen as suboptimal by some crew, though. It stuck out into a space that it wasn't designed for, and people hurt themselves bumping into it. ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli solved the problem by tilting it at 45°. www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
November 2, 2025 at 4:47 AM
This situation was seen as suboptimal by some crew, though. It stuck out into a space that it wasn't designed for, and people hurt themselves bumping into it. ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli solved the problem by tilting it at 45°. www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
But that original table also did not go in the waste stream. Instead, it was installed in the US Node 1 module, because it seemed like a second table was needed for the larger crew.
November 2, 2025 at 4:46 AM
But that original table also did not go in the waste stream. Instead, it was installed in the US Node 1 module, because it seemed like a second table was needed for the larger crew.
The various ISS mission controls did not like this, because the drilling and screwing needed to make the table generated metal bits that could be inhaled in a microgravity environment. The crew didn't care. They had a table.
November 2, 2025 at 4:43 AM
The various ISS mission controls did not like this, because the drilling and screwing needed to make the table generated metal bits that could be inhaled in a microgravity environment. The crew didn't care. They had a table.
This is one of the most remarkable achievements in spaceflight - the first permanent habitat off the Earth, and unique example of international cooperation. It's the largest, most complex, and most durable spacecraft ever made.
November 2, 2025 at 4:41 AM
This is one of the most remarkable achievements in spaceflight - the first permanent habitat off the Earth, and unique example of international cooperation. It's the largest, most complex, and most durable spacecraft ever made.
THREAD: 25 years ago today, the first crew of the International Space Station for a four-and-a-half month stay. Two cosmonauts - Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev - were joined by NASA astronaut William Shepherd. Since that moment, the ISS had had at least two people onboard.
November 2, 2025 at 4:41 AM
THREAD: 25 years ago today, the first crew of the International Space Station for a four-and-a-half month stay. Two cosmonauts - Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev - were joined by NASA astronaut William Shepherd. Since that moment, the ISS had had at least two people onboard.
Someone please explain the railings to me
October 30, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Someone please explain the railings to me
There is exactly *one* cool skull to get a tattoo of. I will die on this hill.
October 25, 2025 at 1:44 AM
There is exactly *one* cool skull to get a tattoo of. I will die on this hill.
For me, the most powerful piece was one of the preparatory sketches that Walker made during her artistic process. It relates to America's original sins (Black slavery and Native genocide). It also spoke to me as an archaeologist who tries to understand the effects of the past on present/future.
October 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
For me, the most powerful piece was one of the preparatory sketches that Walker made during her artistic process. It relates to America's original sins (Black slavery and Native genocide). It also spoke to me as an archaeologist who tries to understand the effects of the past on present/future.
There are other pieces besides the Jackson-and-horse statue (Walker really engaged with the horse's story). She also pulled apart the grantite base and altered it.
October 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
There are other pieces besides the Jackson-and-horse statue (Walker really engaged with the horse's story). She also pulled apart the grantite base and altered it.
I just saw one part of the MONUMENTS show of decommissioned public monuments from across the American South. Specifically, I saw Kara Walker's reinterpretation of the Stonewall Jackson equestrian statue from Charlottesville, VA (where I lived for three years). The show is timely, to say the least.
October 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
I just saw one part of the MONUMENTS show of decommissioned public monuments from across the American South. Specifically, I saw Kara Walker's reinterpretation of the Stonewall Jackson equestrian statue from Charlottesville, VA (where I lived for three years). The show is timely, to say the least.