Breaking News & Random Musings on Space, Technology, Sci-Fi & the View From A Writer’s Window
Perseverance recently captured this adorable selfie with its little buddy, Ingenuity. Is it any wonder we anthropomorphize these wonderful robots?
By the way, Ingenuity is scheduled to fly for the NINTH time in the next week. Pushing ever farther, faster and higher.
See the high-res version here.
Originally posted on Twitter.
This was no boating accident!
...but it *is* what happens when you let me shop at a geek emporium. Thanks, 2nd and Charles!
New trailer for the FOUNDATION series! It arrives - yes, really, actually arrives, which no one thought would ever happen - on Sept. 24 on Apple+. Watcher the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvOAA1U0li8
From reader Sam Ash Rob on Facebook:
“Re-reading 'Starshine', a fun game came to me. Post the opening lines of a famous book, and add 'and that was when the dragon attacked.'
I'll start.
'James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought abo'ut life and death. And that was when the dragon attacked.'
Goldfinger, Ian Fleming”
My contribution:
"In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to visit the mother of the boy, Paul. And that was when the dragon attacked."
- Dune, Frank Herbert
This generated a really awesome thread on Facebook - so many great opening lines from incredible books, and each one turned funny, witty, ridiculous and more with the addition of dragons. ;) If you’re so inclined, give the comments a read, and add your contribution below!
I think we all knew this was going to happen.
I anticipate adding at least 12K more words before it's done!
Originally posted on Facebook.
As the photographer phrased it, “wagon wheel road, green airglow, and the galactic plane.” This stunning image was taken in a single exposure at Hastings Pass, Utah by the delightful “Riding with Robots” http://www.ridingwithrobots.org/).
Credit: https://twitter.com/ridingrobots/status/1404247108266315778
Originally posted on Twitter.
This isn't the first "relative size of objects in the universe" graphic to be created, but this one caught my attention beause it includes several of the famous nebulae we all recognize, and the comparison casts them in a new light.
Just use the arrow keys or swipe to experience how tiny we are, and how vast the universe is: https://neal.fun/size-of-space/
Thanks to James Jackson for the link!
Originally posted on Facebook.
Okay, one more hike. This one (Red Rock Canyon) was a little different, scenery-wise: less forested mountains, more central Colorado's vaunted red rocks and expansive vistas.
The picture of me sitting on the ledge comes with a story. When we we came upon the outcropping, I immediately scrambled up it and plopped down. Then I declared, "This is exactly like in DISSONANCE when Alex and Caleb visited Seneca's doppleganger planet in the Mosaic. They went up into the mountains, then found a ledge, sat on the edge of it to contemplate the view, and said philosophical things."
#MrJennsen: "And what philosophical things do you have to say?"
Me: "That I wrote a scene where my characters sat on a ledge in the mountains and said philosophical things."
‘I have a problem, and its name is “Jordandene.” In addition to the "There's Coffee In That Nebula" shirt pictured (virtual gold star to you if you know the reference!), over the last few months I have collected the following apparel:
- TWO styles of "We're All Mad Here"
- "Higher, Further, Faster"
- "Punch Holes In The Sky"
- "We're All Stories In The End"
I would say, "Send Help!" But honestly, I think I'm good. I mean, I might need "We Make Our Own Future." And "Look to the Stars. Aim. Ignite.".....
If you want to join me in my crazy, you can visit https://jordandene.com/ (No, I'm in no way whatsoever being paid for feauturing them. But if they *want* to offer me a discount, I could certainly use it.... )
Er, I mean, Venus - so very lovely from afar, so very deadly up close.
DAVINCI+, slated to launch around 2029, will fly by Venus twice to snap close-up photos of the planet’s surface before tossing a robotic probe into its thick atmosphere to measure its gasses and other elements.
VERITAS is slated to launch around 2028. It’ll orbit Venus and map its surface, giving scientists a better picture of the planet’s geological history. It’ll use a synthetic aperture radar and track surface elevations to “create 3D reconstructions of topography and confirm whether processes such as plate tectonics and volcanism are still active on Venus,” NASA said in a statement.
Another camera on VERITAS will be sensitive to a wavelength that could spot signs of water vapor in Venus’ atmosphere, which, if detected, could hint that active volcanoes had been degassing on the planet’s surface sometime long ago.
Both missions are part of NASA's Discovery Program, which is focused on solar system exploration. Each mission has a far lower cost cap than NASA's "big" missions, and tends to be more focused on a specific scientific goal.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/2/22465588/nasa-mission-to-venus-davinci-veritas-discovery-program
Originally posted on Facebook.
Since she's currently winning the spin-off poll...in my mind, this is the spitting image of Marlee.
(I did take some color liberties with the original image to make it even more on point, but her expression and demeanor grabbed me immediately. All credit to the artist, Shai Daniel: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/zOoz3Z)
Originally posted on Facebook.
Ginny has done such an incredible job in 5 flights (each one more daring than the last), that NASA is extending its mission! The little helicopter that could is no longer a simple technology demonstration - now it's going to be Percy's assistant for a while.
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/01/992739491/nasa-makes-new-plans-for-ingenuity-helicopter-on-mars
Originally posted on Facebook.
I love round numbers, and I think I might love this one most of all.
Only a fraction of a fraction of readers ever leave reviews (and no amount of pleading, abasing oneself or tempting with free virtual cupcakes will increase this number). But look what happens when people do! Amazing things, that's what.
I am incredibly proud of this book for holding on to those 4.5 stars for 7 years and 1,000 reviews. Selfishly, it validates this frankly insane pursuit I've chosen to dedicate my life to. Thank you all so much for sharing your love of Starshine with the world!
Originally posted on Facebook.
I took a week off from ALL OUR TOMORROWS to write a ridiculously fun short story (that ended up being not so short...).
It has to remain under wraps for a while, but I can't wait for you all to read it. So much fun. Now, back to AOT!
Originally posted on Facebook.
This weekend's hike was "We Don't Actually Know Where the Hell We Are Trail" (somehwere in North Cheyenne Canyon?). Our chosen hike was a no-go for #reasons, so we just parked and struck out on the first dirt path we found - and it worked out awesomely.
P.S.: A few of you expressed skepticism that I was really me in the last hiking photo due to the distance...well, here you go.
Oxygen on Mars. And I'm not even kidding. https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8926/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-extracts-first-oxygen-from-red-planet/
Granted, not a lot of oxygen just yet - about 5 grams produced in an hour - but Percy's MOXIE module just MADE oxygen out of the carbon dioxide in the Mars atmosphere.
MOXIE, like Ingenuity, is another technology demonstration project included in the Perseverance mission. And like Ingenuity, it worked!
Honestly, this might be the biggest breakthrough to come from the entire Perseverance mission. There are a thousand challenges to overcome for humans to live and work on Mars, but oxygen generation has got to be one of the biggest (note: oxygen is also enormously helpful to get people back home to Earth).
What a month for our future in space!
Originally posted on Facebook.
This video is absolutely stunning, and not *just* because it features one of my favorite places in space: https://youtu.be/vkFe4_wjRlY
More info about AG Carinae and the video can be found here: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/hubble-captures-giant-star-on-the-edge-of-destruction
Fun Hubble facts:
Launched on April 24, 1990, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has made more than 1.5 million observations of about 48,000 celestial objects.
Hubble observations have produced more than 169 terabytes of data, which are available for present and future generations of researchers.
Astronomers using Hubble data have published more than 18,000 scientific papers, with more than 900 of those papers published in 2020.
Originally posted on Facebook.
Here's the full high-res video of Ingenuity's successful test flight on Mars, marking the first powered flight beyond Earth. It takes a few seconds to get going, then executes everything exactly as planned, including landing safely and in excellent shape (actually in better shape, as the flight shook loose some of the dirt coating its solar power panels). The goals of the test flight were for the copter to take flight, rise about 10 feet (3 meters) into the air, then hover in place for 30 seconds before turning in midair and descending back to the surface, and it succeeded beautifully.
Human *ingenuity* in action here. Go us. Go our robots.
Ingenuity will fly several more times in the coming weeks - expect new heights and tricks - before its test mission ends.
The area where Ingenuity flew has been named “Wright Brothers Field,” in honor of this historic achievement. And here’s a really cool fact: the world’s currently oldest living person was alive when the Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk AND when the first copter flew on Mars. It’s easy to lose sight of the incredible pace of human progress in the noise of messy day-to-day life, but it’s there nonetheless. This is amazing.
If the video doesn’t play for you in the post, you can view it on YouTube here.
Originally posted on Facebook.
Wow, I've been waiting for a long time to write the final scene of ALL OUR TOMORROWS. Not quite as long as I waited to write a certain final scene of RUBICON. Or of REQUIEM. But a *long time* nonetheless (let's call it since I outlined Asterion Noir). Even in first draft form, it's something else....
To celebrate, have a sneak-peek snippet of the ALL OUR TOMORROWS cover.
Originally posted on Facebook.
