Despite the undeniable (& understandable) personal warmth towards the NASA suits at #MEPAG today, it was hard to ignore the "get with the programme" vibe. I think Gerhard Kminek @science.esa.int was the only person who didn't mention the Moon. Repeatedly. 😉
In the name of God, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful. His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, respected leader of the Catholics of the world We write this letter to you with trembling hands and hearts filled with pain from the ashes and ruins of schools in the city of Minab in southern Iran. We are the fathers and mothers of 168 children who, these days, instead of hugging the warm bodies of our children, we are clutching their burnt bags and bloody notebooks to our chests; innocent children whose only crime was smiling in the classroom, but this crime was inflicted on our innocent children with the instigation and support of irrational warmongers. Your Excellency In the dark days when the terrifying sound of explosions deafened the world to our scenes, the echo of your peaceful words became a balm to our endless wounds. When you courageously called on the powers of the world to reduce the level of violence and bombings, we saw in each of your words an effort to save our children, the same defenseless people whom you tried to protect by emphasizing the need to protect civilians and respect international and humanitarian law. With a heartache and a divine gaze, you warned the awakened consciences of the world that hatred is increasing. Violence is getting worse and many have lost their lives. Today, the empty classrooms in Minab are a bitter witness to this truth; a truth that was created by the construction of American bombs under the guidance of irrational warmongers. We are grateful to you for raising the voice of righteousness amidst the din of war and reminding us that lasting peace and tranquility are not achieved through force and weapons, but through dialogue and the search for a real solution for all. Our children will never return home to build a better tomorrow, but our prayer, Badran and the grieving mothers, is that your message to "lay down your weapons" is heard. Especially when America and the Israeli regime, with their excesses, are fueling the fire of …
Machine translation (in part):
Families of the children from Minab School sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV, thanking him for his peace efforts and urging him to be the voice for their voiceless children. “We ask you to continue to be the voice of children without a voice and to strive to open paths of dialogue"
A Chinese friend once described The Feeling When the deadliest earthquake in history struck (1976 Tangshan). He felt like the Earth disappeared from under him. He told me it completely changed his perspective for the rest of his life.
NASA Begins Implementation for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mission to Mars
Scheduled to launch in 2028, Rosalind Franklin will be the first Mars rover to search for signs of past or present life under the Red Planet’s surface. #Mars #ExoMars 🧪🔭
science.nasa.gov/blogs/mars-r...
It's on a video somewhere: my producer couldn't believe that my only comment on landing was "Rocks!"
NASA is the only operator in the world of what used to be called the Canberra bomber. All the cool IR video of Artemis on parachutes came from a Canberra. NASA calls them WB-57. Another European contribution to Artemis 😉
I haven't seen a splashdown from the moon in 50 years. I am impressed!
Luna! I wasn't expecting this!
I believe that @heidykhlaaf.bsky.social is the first person in human history to use a geological map of Ireland (and some neighbouring islet) as the backdrop for a live television two way. 👏👏👏
@channel4news.bsky.social
Vielen dank
What is the DLR hardware in this image?
 Nice nod to the late great Betty Pierazzo 😢
* bsky.app/profile/spah...
Does anyone know what the DLR hardware is? (A reminder that Europe adds a lot more than just Nutella to this mission!*)
@operations.esa.int @andrewparsonson.bsky.social
Kelsey Young rocks! This is sooo unlike Apollo. I sat through shifts at MCC with Apollo 17 CMP Ron Evans describing lunar observations. Feedback from the back room was so slow, the features has disappeared by that time. This is a great demo of the value of the Science Evaluation Room and a SO. 👏
Required reading, before tonight's flyby!
Fersman is labelled on the West limb, but Ohm is a key Arty observation target, per Kelsey Young at last night's presser. Its distinctive ray pattern shows well here.
https://www.google.com/maps/space/moon/@15.2822792,-63.588303,13465279a,43.4y,0.17t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
The current view from ~ 115,000km (71,000mi) above lovely Luna. Apollo sites marked, with AS-15 & 16 just beyond the terminator.
The problem this time is a frozen valve on the outside of the spacecraft. This prevents the crew from dumping waste water over the side. It's been a problem on spacecraft for decades, most notoriously with the space shuttle - at times ground crews reeled back from the hatch because of the smell
Breaking news: the Artemis 2 crew are set to boldly NOT go where no one has NOT gone before. NASA has instructed the crew that they can only use the space toilet to poo. It is not explained how they can do one but not the other. We can land a man on the moon, but we can't pee! 🙄
quoteslyfe.com
*One of the perpetrators subsequently won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Those of us old enough to remember Apollo 8 also cannot forget that Operation Linebacker was taking place at the same time*. ( @duckduckgo.com it, kids) 1,624 civilians died. "Irony is dead".
Thank you for asking, Aer Lingus. I pick sun spot 4405, which produced an X-flare yesterday, and still has the potential to disrupt tomorrow's launch of Artemis II. Yesterday's flare was not earth-pointed, but a bigger flare tomorrow pointed in our direction could be a real problem 😉
Interesting speculation locally that the small well across the road - "Anne Boleyn's Well" - may have originally been associated with the great Celtic goddess Anu. Countless Irish "holy wells" are thought to have originally been dedicated to Anu. www.secretcarshalton.com/bring-back-b...
The US college hurling champions 2026, Perdue (in black), and their worthy rivals Pennsylvania. A great days hurling (agus peil freisin) here in Orlando. Thinking of my friend and RTÉ colleague Michael Lyster RIP today.
www.ncgaa.org/national-2026
www.instagram.com/reel/DWKpHIo...
I am desperately sorry to hear this. Michael was one of the nicest people in the whole of RTÉ. Go maire a spiorad go brách.
A free Space Bike seeking a deserving Home! Pick up in the Woodlands, North Houston. I buy a bike for events like #lpsc2026 because it is waaay cheaper than renting. Now I need to hear from someone who can place this Bike with someone who needs one.
Ollopa16@planetmail.com
for details.
