Now I know what I want for my birthday.
Abort test delayed
SpaceX abort test delayed until tomorrow (1/19) due to weather at recovery area.
www.spaceflightinsider.com Crew Dragon abort test tomorrow
SpaceX will conduct an inflight abort test of Crew Dragon tomorrow morning. As the Falcon 9 reaches max-Q, it will shut off its engines to simulate a worst case failure. This should trigger the Crew Dragon to separate from the rocket and fire its own Super Draco engines to get away from the failing rocket. Once clear, Crew Dragon will pop its parachutes and land gently in the Atlantic. This should be quite a show and is the last major milestone before an actual crewed launch.
www.spaceflightinsider.com Curiosity’s path
Generation Mars on Planetary Radio
In this week’s episode of Planetary Radio, Emily Lakdawalla talks about and reads an excerpt from Generation Mars: Scratching the Surface. Check it out! (at 11:05)
Astronaut training for cancer patients
A new study suggests that following the training regimen of astronauts may help cancer patients during treatment.
Apollo 12: way more fun
I think I would have preferred to go second.
“Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me.”
Scratching the Surface on Planetary Society list!
The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla publishes an annual list of recommended children’s books about space. Scratching the Surface made it onto this year’s list!
I’m honored to be included with all these other great titles.
Unexplained oxygen fluctuations
Oxygen levels above Gale Crater appear to fluctuate seasonally and scientists don’t yet know why.
ISS as Mars transit testbed
Transit to Mars using current technology takes about six months. How might a crew react to that length of time in close quarters, moving ever farther from Earth? The ISS could provide a testbed and training facility for such a trip.


The Planetary Society