February 26, 2025 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Two of NASA’s Deep Space Network antennas look up at Jupiter and Mars
The Mars antenna is in contact with the orbiter Maven, and the Jupiter antenna is talking to Juno.
- Data from China’s Zhurong rover suggests an ocean once existed in the northern Martian lowlands
As always, the assumption of liquid water is very uncertain. It could have been ice.
- Scott Pace, NASA swamp creature who pushed SLS for years, suddenly questions its practicality
Pace was a completely useless advisor to Trump’s National Space Council in the first administration, as he routinely pushed for big NASA projects built by NASA in league with the old space companies. He had no use for private space, and actually worked to hinder it. To suddenly change his tune now is nice, but it simply illustrates why he is not someone Trump or any NASA official should go to for worthwhile advice.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Two of NASA’s Deep Space Network antennas look up at Jupiter and Mars
The Mars antenna is in contact with the orbiter Maven, and the Jupiter antenna is talking to Juno.
- Data from China’s Zhurong rover suggests an ocean once existed in the northern Martian lowlands
As always, the assumption of liquid water is very uncertain. It could have been ice.
- Scott Pace, NASA swamp creature who pushed SLS for years, suddenly questions its practicality
Pace was a completely useless advisor to Trump’s National Space Council in the first administration, as he routinely pushed for big NASA projects built by NASA in league with the old space companies. He had no use for private space, and actually worked to hinder it. To suddenly change his tune now is nice, but it simply illustrates why he is not someone Trump or any NASA official should go to for worthwhile advice.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Scott Pace bailing on SLS is not quite the earthquake that Richard Shelby would be. But it’s a pretty stark marker of just what SLS’ s prospects must be now.
You can view DSN antenna operations at this link: https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now/dsn.html Very nice web page.
Here is more on the Zhuring Mars rover data, complete with the suggestion that Mars once had “vacation-style” beaches, lol.
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/25/mars-beach-ocean-study-rover
Word has it that Donald Trump — with some help from Elon? — is looking at the site as a place to build a resort hotel.
By the way, at the actual House hearing this morning, there was one other development, when both Scott Pace and former NASA executive Dan Dumbacher were asked if Obama’s cancellation of Constellation set back our return to the Moon, and if so, by how much. Pace said it delayed us by a whole decade. Dumbacher said it delayed us by 5 years. I kid you not. No, seriously.
Lori Garver was having none of it. She quipped on X, “Really? Nonpartisan committee reported [Constellation] was never going to get us to the Moon & ISS was to be de-orbited in 2015 in order to pay for Ares V & lunar lander.” This is of course a reference to the 2009 Augustine Committee, and her characterization of its assessment is, of course, correct.
https://x.com/Lori_Garver/status/1894797631286579687?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Eric Berger: “Yeah those responses were something else.”
Homer Hickam: “God and Lori look after fools, drunks, and @NASA. We really did luck out with her persuasive abilities over ol’ Charlie.”
You ain’t wrong in considering Mr Pace still a pretty swampy guy, Bob. I hope he enjoys his retirement.
By the way, this afternoon Firefly posted another video clip of Blue Ghost orbiting the Moon, which is even better than the last one. Worth a look!
https://x.com/Firefly_Space/status/1894833374247698921
Best of luck to Intuitive Machines getting there to join it next week. Launch in just 3 minutes!
I do remember Dwayne Day writing about how ugly Lori Garvers was to him.
He’s been so beaten up he just doesn’t care anymore.