National Astronaut Day

I learned something today. 

 

It’s National Astronaut Day - in recognition of United States first manned space flight. Who knew?

 

Mercury-Redstone 3, or Freedom 7, was the first United States human spaceflight, on May 5, 1961, piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first crewed flight of Project Mercury. The project had the ultimate objective of putting an astronaut into orbit around the Earth and return him safely.

 

As a space/astronomy geek even more than six and a half decades ago I was allowed to miss school that morning so I could watch the launch and recovery on television.

 

I still remember it. Better than what I had to eat yesterday…..

On This Day In History

On Valentine's Day 1990, thirteen years after leaving earth, Voyager 1 directed its cameras back towards the sun and took a series of images of the planets, creating the first ever 'family portrait' of our solar system.

Image credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Cal tech

Famed astronomer Carl Sagan spent years trying to convince NASA to have Voyager 1 turn around and take this picture on the way out. The picture is actually a mosaic that combines sixty frames.

Destination Door County

The title of this post is the motto and catch-phrase for the peninsula's tourism org.  If you think New Jersey had problems last year; they’re back.  

It has been a year and a half since their last visit but I have irrefutable evidence of their return. 

Yup - those pesky extraterrestrial beings from the fringes of our galaxy that periodically pay a call to the peninsula to vex me. 

One of the patient and stealthy trail cameras recorded the return of their spacecraft as it landed nearby.  Curiously, the visitation is right on time.  I looked back at my records and captured photographic evidence plenty of times during the month of July.   

Maybe it is winter back on their home planet.  Why not; everyone else seems to vacation here…..

 

Out Of This World Kimchi

On Thursday (July 24), NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, a flight engineer on the space station's Expedition 73 crew, spoke with the 125 participants from 39 countries in the International Space University Space Studies Program held this year in Seoul, South Korea. A medical doctor and a former U.S. Navy SEAL, Kim's parents immigrated from South Korea.

"I had a cargo mission come up that had some of my most favorite foods. So of course I had kimchi brought up. I had gochujang, which is a red pepper paste, and I had rice come up. So with those ingredients, and of course, some Spam, I was able to make my space version of kimchi fried rice. It wasn't as good as I could make at home, on earth, but in space you work with the best you've got, and I really, really enjoyed it," said Kim, after hearing that that the ISU attendees had also been enjoying the local cuisine.

Polezniy*

Astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) safely returned to earth today.  This tidbit has been floating around on the cesspool of Face Book misinformation.

The truth is easy people. And as AI Technology evolves it might possibly inject thought into social media. Thanks to the ChatGTP and other AI sources it takes only a couple of taps on a device to reveal the facts. 

Besides, do the people that re post these lame and lazy memes understand they're largely regurgitating content served-up by Russian and Communist Red Chinese troll farms?

You’re welcome…..

NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore returned safely to Earth today, March 18, 2025, after an extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, initially planned for eight days to test Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, was prolonged to over nine months due to technical issues with the Starliner capsule. Consequently, their return was facilitated by SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida.    

During their extended stay, political figures, including former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, alleged that the Biden administration had neglected efforts to expedite the astronauts’ return. However, these claims have been refuted by NASA officials, who emphasized that the astronauts were safe throughout their mission and that the delays were due to technical challenges rather than political decisions.   

Therefore, the assertion that President Biden abandoned the astronauts is unfounded. The delays in their return were primarily caused by technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft, and NASA ensured the astronauts’ safety and well-being during their extended mission. 

*Translation - Useful Idiot
 

On This Day In History

 

Sixty-three years ago, February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the planet Earth. 

Time flies when you pay attention to a lifetime of advances in space exploration.

He went on to become a United States senator and flew to space again on the Space Shuttle STS-95 mission. 

John Glenn passed away at the age of 95 on December 8, 2016; a true American hero.

The Right Stuff is what made America great...... 

Big Blue Marble

image credit - NASA

Having launched on December 7, was this view of the earth as seen by Apollo 17 crew - astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt - traveling toward the moon. 

This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Antarctica South polar ice cap.  This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the South polar ice cap.  

Take note of the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere.  Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible.  The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the Northeastern edge of Africa.  The large island off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic.  The mainland of Asia is on the horizon toward the Northeast.

On this day in history, December 11, 1972, Apollo 17 became the last manned moon mission.  Two astronauts landed the lunar module Challenger, in a location called the Taurus-Littrow Valley spending three days collecting samples from the lunar surface.

image credit - NASA

Commander Eugene Cernan was the last person to set foot on the lunar surface as he followed lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, back onto their space craft to prepare to depart the lunar surface.

Meanwhile, command module pilot Ronald Evans had to hang out orbiting the moon as he awaited the return of his crew mates.

Apollo 17 successfully returned to earth; splashing-down on December 19.

It has been 52 years since humans last explored the lunar surface..... 

They're Back!

It has been a bit longer than normal since the aliens from outer space have returned to torment me.  I was actually beginning to think that they had left for good. Alas, they're not chilling on their home planet.  They're back.

One the ever vigilant trail camera captured evidence of their recent visitation in the photos that follow.

Spaceship at rest directly in front of the camera.

As the propulsion system powers-up and fires you can see the photons hurtling from the thrusters.  With that it is gone in the blink of an eye!

If this keeps-up it's going to be a long summer.  My visitors from outer space have allied themselves with the local coyotes....

ISS Spotting

Spot The Station Tonight 

First image is rising above the WNW horizon 

Second image is sailing directly over the house 

 

In both images the International Space Station (ISS) is the brightest object, center image.

Bonus:  The woodcock sky dance has commenced. Will attempt recording the audio as the tempo picks-up

Time: Fri Apr 01 8:15 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 88°, Appears: 10° above WNW, Disappears: 17° above ESE

 

 

The Aliens Strike Back!

Near the end of last month I published evidence of the possible return of extraterrestrial lifeforms around these parts.

I think the aliens read this blog.  

How is it I suspect this?  

Both their visitations and the level of their belligerence has increased.  

Trail camera captured the blinding flash of the the alien space ship's thrusters as the commander of the space craft fired space balls at the camera.

The camera survived unscathed.  

Poor marksmen the aliens are.....

They Have Returned

If you've been reading the news lately there has been a significant amount of chatter about unidentified flying objects or UFOs.  It doesn't mean that we're being visited by extraterrestrial beings or aliens - but you never know.  Here at The Platz there has been periodic evidence of aliens and UFOs over the years.  Nothing that I've personally witness - but evidence captured by my trail cameras.

I have evidence that the aliens are back.

They've returned for their first visitation of 2021.

That's because the ever-vigilant camera captured their coming or going.  Including this action shot of them firing their maneuvering thrusters on their spacecraft.

Creepy stuff..... 

ISS Pays a Call

 

Great viewing tonight as the ISS flew directly over the house. 

Time: Sun May 16 10:03 PM, Visible: 7 min, Max Height: 59°, Appears: 10° above WSW, Disappears: 10° above NE

Spring peepers and whitetail snorts are optional.

The Right Stuff

Sixty years ago my folks allowed me to stay home from school so I could watch live television coverage of Alan Shepard riding a Redstone rocket in his Freedom 7 Mercury space capsule to become the first American in space. 

It was May 5, 1961

That was the beginning of a long and enduring love affair with America's space program - manned and unmanned.  

 

This country’s accomplishments in space travel continue to grab me. 

 

This short video is some good stuff.  It continues to be The Right Stuff

 

Official NASA video of Perseverance Rover’s Descent and Touchdown on Mars.......

 

ISS

International Space Station (ISS) directly over the house!

Time: Sun Oct 04 7:34 PM, Visible: 3 min, Max Height: 77°, Appears: 33° above WNW, Disappears: 27° above SE

Manned Space Flight Comes Home

Space X  is at the cusp of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.  The mission - named Demo-2 - will include NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launched-aboard a Space X Crew Dragon spacecraft.   

A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch at 4:32 p.m. EDT on May 27 from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  That's tomorrow folks.

With the retirement of the shuttle program in 2011 NASA has since relied on Russia’s space program to send astronauts to the station.  This launch will mark the official return of manned space flight from American soil.

photo NASA.gov

A public-private initiative, Demo-2 is the final test for Crew Dragon before regularly-scheduled flights resume under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.  Boeing is developing its competing Starliner astronaut taxi and the Boeing spacecraft will fly in NASA’s  second manned mission.

As with all space missions the date/time could change on short notice.  Furthermore the agency is following CDC guidance with regard to this mission while in the midst of the COVID-19 emergency.

So, check your news feeds for confirmation of the mission launch and know that you can watch it live on YouTube.

Aliens

They have returned.

An action shot of them firing their maneuvering thrusters on their spacecraft.

Spot the Station

There are advantages and disadvantages to rural living.  For instance, access to doctors, dentists and accountants is not very convenient.  Same for hardware stores.  These are simple disadvantages.  

Advantages include fresh air, peace and quiet, hunting access, exercising the dogs off-lead and night skies.  Yup, star-gazing.  I’ve blogged about this before and the subject of light pollution.   Escaping the urban environment brings darker skies.   And as a consequence viewing constellations, planets, meteor showers and such is more easily accomplished.   

One of my most favorite pastimes is viewing the ISS – short for International Space Station.  It is one of the brightest objects as it crosses the sky.  The hitch is that the navigation of the sky by this satellite is fast.  It appears above the horizon and in a matter of moments crosses the night sky and disappears over the opposite horizon.   Furthermore it is unpredictable (relative to stuff like constellations, the moon and planets) so it’s helpful to have advance warning of its arrival and from what direction.   

NASA.Gov

I use NASA's Spot The Station site, which furnishes me dates and times and where to look based on my latitude and longitude.  Alerts are sent hours in-advance by email or text.   

Among several astronomy apps I make use of is Night Sky – an app on my Smartphone.  Available for Apple and Android devices this tool has a significant amount of information on the screen and all I have to do is aim my device in the direction of where I’m viewing and stars, planets, constellations and satellites are usefully arrayed on the screen for ease of identification. 

If I get an email from NASA about the arrival of the ISS the Night Sky app allows me to spot it while it is still out of sight and below the horizon.   Night Sky also includes data-about and country of origin for man-made objects too numerous to list here.  

So get with the program and get yourself outdoors and view the heavens above.  People have been doing this for as long as there have been people - only the technology is better nowadays.

Flyover

Time: Wed Apr 01 8:12 PM

Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 44°, Appears: 25° above NW, Disappears: 18° above E 

International Space Station (ISS) flyover directly over the house tonight

Woodcock Sky Dance to accompany it.

Bonus.

Night Sky

click on image for a closer look at the ISS
 

Time: Sun Dec 08 5:37 PM, Visible: 5 min, Max Height: 78°, Appears: 10° above WNW, Disappears: 26° above SE. 

The International Space Station (ISS) came directly over the house tonight.

That is the moon in the lower-left corner and the ISS directly in the center of the photo.

Predictable Extraterrestrials

They’re back. 

Yup - those pesky extraterrestrial beings from the fringes of our galaxy that periodically pay a call to the peninsula to vex me.  The evidence is irrefutable. 

click on the image for a closer look

One of the patient and stealthy trail cameras recorded the return of their spacecraft as it landed nearby.  Curiously, the visitation is right on time.  I looked back at my records and it was only a year ago I captured photographic evidence of their November visit. 

Predictable the aliens are…..