Very cool overview, thanks for sharing!

Three science highlights we’ve been able to do with 500+ days of PACE so far:
1. terrestrial productivity measurements (w spectral reflectance)
2. advanced aerosol identification
3. started the HUGE endeavor of reconstructing clouds in 3D

LET’S GOO PACE 🌎🛰️

pace.oceansciences.org/pace_result_...

Big colorful frosted sheet cake with the PACE mission logo in fondant (I think) and lettering that says “500 Days and Counting”

A picture of one of the presentations by the HARP2 team, which is one of the payloads on PACE. It’s a polarimeter developed at UMBC and the presentation was a lighthearted story about the struggles of the concept, development, testing, and delivery of the instrument to Goddard prior to integrating it to the PACE observatory. Very timely!

Fun little scale model of PACE on a standard sized Earth globe. The PACE model is not to proportional scale though.. it would dwarf us and violate at least 12 laws of physics. And likely not enough precious metals in the world to build it. BUT it would keep our hardware ppl busy :)

This week we celebrated the #NASAPACEMission “500 Days (And Counting) In Orbit” milestone, hosted by the #HARP2 team at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. I’ve been on the mission 3 yrs but the it’s been going on 10+ yrs and it was a well-earned day to enjoy w colleagues 🍻

That’s a really helpful analogy, I’ll be using it!

NASA just won an Emmy for our live broadcast of the total solar eclipse last year. We produced a documentary film about the James Webb Space Telescope that's out in theaters and on Netflix. We have podcasts, we write feature stories. People wear the agency logo on t-shirts. We're still getting cut.

Words fail to describe how heartbroken I am after reading this post.

The photograph, taken on December 7, 1972 onboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft on its way to the Moon, is one of the most widely distributed photographic images in existence. Source: NASA

Hubble Space Telescope’s “Pillars of Creation” image is so familiar that many people can call it by name without so much as a glance at their phone. Source: NASA

“Taken by Voyager 1 on 14 February 1990 as it departed our planetary neighborhood for the fringes of the solar system, it turned it around for one last look at its home planet and captured this portrait of our world. Caught in the center of scattered light rays (a result of taking the picture so close to the Sun), Earth appears as a tiny point of light, a crescent only 0.12 pixel in size.” Excerpt from planetarysociety.org

“On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it completed the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet. Here is a “selfie” shortly after it deployed from the belly of the Perseverance Rover days before that flight. would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, the helicopter eventually completed 72 flights in just under 3 years, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. Ingenuity embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for scientists and rover planners, and for engineers ready to learn more about Perseverance’s landing gear debris. In its final phase, the helicopter entered a new engineering demonstration phase where it executed experimental flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of the vehicle’s aerodynamic limits. It flew for the last time on January 18, 2024.” Source: nasa.gov (a little sazon by me lol)

So what about earth and planetary science makes the US so special? These iconic images were made possible by Americans for all humans on earth in the name of science. NASA science is facing a 50% cut in funding and is at risk of losing its role as the leading space science agency. Unfathomable.

I took the day off yesterday to advocate for planetary science with new and old friends at @planetarysociety.bsky.social. One of my fave things about earth and planetary science is also something that makes the US special, so any proposed cut to science is very concerning to me as an American.

A huge privilege and very grateful for it 😊🌔

Truly one of the best. It reflects the best of humanity, imo.

For those who may not know… this camera took this pic btw

picture of the annual WMATA SmarTrip National Cherry Blossom Festival design metro card. It’s a pretty water colored theme with bright colors and big flowers, and purples, blues, and yellows in the background leading to the Jefferson memorial and the Washington monument.

finally got around to collecting the annual special edition cherry blossom metro card loot drop 🌸

Some Mars fun: Curiosity Cold Brew at the Mars Cafe. Which has gratuitous Mastcam-z landscapes of the Jezero crater rim on the walls—including my favorite outcrop in the entire solar system, Kodiak! The line was too long to try the cold brew but I’ll try it next time 🙂

Photos of the LRO Control room at NASA GSFC

Selfie of me and the LRO Structural Verification Unit that was used to test the spacecraft structure during the severe vibrations of launch (vibe testing!).

I saw a version of an old dear friend of mine, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is the 1st NASA mission I worked on and kicked off my NASA career almost a decade ago (😳😅). I was a moon mapper!

Fun fact: the LRO control room at Goddard is now the PACE control room, the mission I work on now.

This Camera Captured the World Using this Hasselblad camera, astronauts photographed Earth on the first crewed round-the-Moon space journey—the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968. An astonishing image taken by William Anders was soon immortalized as Earthrise, becoming a profound symbol for humanity of Earth's place in the cosmos. The photo was adopted as an icon of the environmental movement. Hasselblad 500EL 70 mm Camera, 1968 Transferred from Kansas Cosmosphere Remember to Take Photos! This detailed checklist reminded astronaut William Anders to take photographs-for scientific purposes and to convey the story of space travel to everyone back home. William Anders' Checklist Apollo 8, 1968

This Camera Captured the World Using this Hasselblad camera, astronauts photographed Earth on the first crewed round-the-Moon space journey—the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968. Hasselblad 500EL 70 mm Camera, 1968

This detailed checklist reminded astronaut William Anders to take photographs-for scientific purposes and to convey the story of space travel to everyone back home. William Anders' Checklist Apollo 8, 1968

I went to the National Air and Space Museum today, which was nicely timed after a particularly hard work week, and it felt like a reminder of what we’re fighting for. And BOY what a great reminder. I got to see THE Apollo 8 Hasselblad camera… yep, I fangirled out in the corner a bit.

Iconic pic. A great day on Mars

Outside of the perimeter but what’s your take on Lucky Buns?

NASA RIF Tiger Team Rollout Meeting (Update) There is going to be a "Tiger Team Rollout" meeting

The RIFs at NASA began last week but haven’t reach us in the Science Mission Directorate yet. They will soon. Very few words can describe how devastated we already are.

nasawatch.com/personnel-ne...

A mini Curiosity Rover with Henry my office neighbor—a crossover episode I didn’t realize I needed!

not great pic of a very cloudy sky with one clearing between clouds where you can see a total lunar eclipse, which has a red-color appearance. I took it in front of the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

odds weren’t great for clear skies in DC tonight BUT I went out anyway. during the tiniest window of opportunity I snapped one clear-ish phone pic of the blood moon eclipse in front of National Air and Space Museum 🥹🌖

mmm lunar eclipse peach (what I thought I saw at first)

I really only listen to a few people when it comes to day to day economics and one of them is Kai Ryssdal and boy this is VERY concerning

A photo of Georgetown University’s Healy Hall looking east towards a moonrise at dusk with an almost full moon.

To put it lightly, I’ve been on edge this week. Tonight I took a long walk around campus and caught this view of the moonrise over Healy Hall. Tomorrow will bring us a full moon’s total eclipse with a coppery hue — a blood moon. And the date is the eve of the Ides of March. Poetry.

The NASA LRO team has spotted the IM-2 Athena lander, near the center of Mons Mouton. Centre of the image, with the box showing an enlarged view. www.lroc.asu.edu/images/1409

**This would end space science as we know it.**

I’d probably be out of a job.

Successful ongoing missions would be turned off.

Future missions would be axed.

Some research centers (NASA & non-NASA) would likely dissolve.

A very proud Hoya today!

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Not far from you and also still stunned. Here and gone within minutes! Reminded me of an intense microburst from out west.

My pleasure! I think the mall, museums, and the monuments at night are extra beautiful, especially on a full moon. I gravitate there during special sky/weather events like these. Plus it’s less crowded at night 😉

Snowy pic of the Smithsonian Institution Castle in Washington, DC

The National Mall as it is actively snowing pretty good. Over 5 inches at this point. You can’t see the monument!

Finally logged off and ran to the snow! NWS reported 5”+ of fresh pow at the National Mall at the time and it’s still going ☃️

Said hi to the Smithsonian Castle which looks timeless with the snowy roof. The Monument is MIA but it’s for a good cause.