David S. F. Portree
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dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social
David S. F. Portree
@dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social
4.8K followers 1.7K following 8.7K posts
history guy, science writer, educator, map librarian, archivist, 58 yrs a space exploration nut, ex-NASA, ex-US Geological Survey, now doing local history among the pines in Flagstaff AZ USA

Save NASA space science

https://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com
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dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social
David S. F. Portree @dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social · 1d
Just so you don't form the impression that all Bellcomm advance planning was insane, here's another scheme - a joint robotic/human lunar mission we might have seen if the Apollo lunar program had been extended. One of my favorites.

spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2017/01/robo...
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
theonion.com
"I make the rules now, and you mustn’t defy me!" — President Donald Trump
Anguished, Screaming Trump Bans Father’s Ghost From Press Room For Silently Pointing At Him
WASHINGTON—Forcefully closing his eyes, grasping his head with both hands, and repeatedly screaming to be left alone, a visibly anguished President Donald Trump was observed Thursday banning the ghost...
theonion.com
September 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
kevinmgill.bsky.social
Closeup of a cluster of dark pebbles embedded in a rock surface. Image taken by the Mars Perseverance Rover on Sol 1982 (yestersol).

flic.kr/p/2sBoAgx
A dusty rock. The left side has lighter bits in a gray matrix. The right side is much lighter with darker mottling and is closer to the camera and mostly out of focus. In the center is a cluster of dark pebbles that are somewhat embedded in the light toned rock. The cluster (and a few similar, but smaller clusters) seems to sit in a small pocket seeming to indicate that they are more resistant to erosion than the surrounding white matrix. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
September 17, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
kevinmgill.bsky.social
Here's a picture of WATSON taking a picture of that rock. In case there were any doubts....
The rover's robotic arm holding a camera very close to a rock on the ground. The photo is taken from the front hazard avoidance cameras. The front right wheel is visible. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
September 17, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
uahirise.bsky.social
HiPOD: Ridges near Vernal Crater

In this scene, there is contact between a ridged unit and a presumably underlying non-ridged unit. Our observation can help to see if ridges penetrate both units or are confined to just the upper unit.

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_065223_1855
#Mars #NASA
September 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
pomarede.bsky.social
Shishangeni Crater

Natural color image processing by the Mastcam-Z team at ASU.

#Mars 🔭🧪
A mosaic of five red-toned images, on top of a zoom on its central region, capturing a 25-meter wide crater on Mars, somewhere in the expanses west of the rim of Jezero Crater. Images acquired by Perseverance on sol 1946 (August 10, 2026).
September 18, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
vincentledvina.bsky.social
The sunspot number is nearly zero. The official reading comes from many observatories and is subject to change before being confirmed, but a few measurements did say "0" today. Right now, it looks like we will avoid a truly spotless day, but single digit numbers are probable...
September 18, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
palomarskies.bsky.social
Thursday's Moon. 🔭
A photo of the 42.8% illuminated waxing crescent Moon showing many impact craters and smooth dark, lunar plains.
September 18, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
skyandtelescope.bsky.social
Every evening the waxing gibbous Moon reveals a wealth of new telescopic detail. Can you still catch Venus low in twilight as it nears conjunction? On the opposite side of the sky, Saturn nears opposition.
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
September 18, 2026 at 5:59 PM
dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social
I disagree
September 18, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
doctorsbeardpod.bsky.social
May 1999 - The Daleks beat out Ena Sharples of Cornation Street for the honor of appearing on a postage stamp.
#Daleks #DoctorWho #EnaSharples #CoronationStreet #May1999 #PostageStamp #BritishTelevision
September 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
irhottakes.bsky.social
It’s very simple. A reality TV host became dictator because he turned down a role for Sharknado 4 and that’s why the king of outer space, who cheats at Diablo, got to kill Africa. Now the economy is controlled by a sex cult that has something to do with Harry Potter fanfic because of robots.
September 18, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
zeddary.bsky.social
Happy belated 75th to the Mistress of the Dark.
September 18, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
hildur.bsky.social
Okay, HUGE NEWS from Uggi.

Presented to you in a picture thread.
Uggi the dog down at Reykjavík harbour
September 18, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
marwellaspaceart.bsky.social
First Quarter Moon at 8.52 PM (UTC 1.52 PM) on September 18, 2026.
September 18, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
ridingrobots.bsky.social
From NASA: On Sept. 19, people all over the world will observe the Moon together, and you're invited! Join a local or virtual International Observe the Moon Night event, register as an individual observer, or gather your own Moon observing crew. go.nasa.gov/ObserveTheMoon

youtu.be/H-ZGfW1EAXk?...
International Observe the Moon Night 2026 Trailer
YouTube video by NASA Goddard
youtu.be
September 17, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
chinaspace.bsky.social
🛰️ China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) has discovered a binary neutron star system with a 2.36-hour orbit and record-low combined mass of 2.488 Suns. 🌌 It could reveal more about neutron stars and heavy-element formation.
September 18, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
langinspace.bsky.social
Article à paraître demain matin sur la mission Tianwen 3 de retour d'échantillons martiens, avec des infos les + à jour possible. Notamment le fait, encore ignoré par plusieurs spécialistes de Mars, qu'elle compte forer à 2 m de profondeur. Ca part fin 2028, et il pourrait y avoir un hélico à bord.
September 17, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
langinspace.bsky.social
Par ici l'article : www.cieletespace.fr/article/la-c...
La Chine part en 2028 vers Mars pour en rapporter des échantillons | Ciel & Espace
Début septembre à Hefei en Chine, le responsable de la mission Tianwen 3 a indiqué que celle-ci partirait vers Mars dès la fin 2028. L’objectif est de rapporter sur Terre les premiers échantillons de ...
www.cieletespace.fr
September 18, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
jv-honza.bsky.social
Malá mozaika tentokrát z pravé navigační kamery ze současné polohy Curiosity.

Kredit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/JV
September 14, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
pomarede.bsky.social
Perseverance Mastcam-Z “Image of the Month”

Shishangeni Crater

Submitted by Sydney Larriva and the Mastcam-Z Payload Downlink Leads. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS.

mastcamz.asu.edu/galleries/sh...

#Mars 🔭🧪
September 9, 2026: Pit stop! In the middle of a 3-sol (Martian day) drive to a new location called Idubi, the Perseverance rover made a stop to capture this stunning Mastcam-Z mosaic of Shishangeni Crater. Because Perseverance is equipped with auto-navigation capabilities, the Mars 2020 operations team can tell the rover where to stop during its drive to take mosaics like this and can trust the rover to take the images once it determines it’s where it needs to be. In the picture, we can see ejecta from the 25-meter wide crater impact off to the right side. This mosaic is made up of 26 individual frames and has been created with an enhanced-color stretch to show greater visual contrast. Credit image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS. Credit text: Mastcam-Z Team.
September 18, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
vincentledvina.bsky.social
A tendril-like coronal hole is reaching from the south pole of the Sun and sending fast wind into space. Earth may get grazed by the northern edge of this fast solar wind sometime around Sep 23, and slightly enhanced geomagnetic conditions can be anticipated, perhaps up to G1/Kp 5/minor storm levels
September 18, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
tambria.bsky.social
Behold
Tiny cat discovered in Bolivia said to be 1st new feline species in over 100 years
YouTube video by Eyewitness News ABC7NY
youtube.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
davewagner.bsky.social
dang, new cat all pissed. this is not the face of an animal who is pleased to have been discovered.
Close-up of a small wild cat with brown striped fur, large rounded ears, amber eyes, and a dark nose, staring directly at the camera with an intense, slightly irritated expression.
September 17, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
The US already got a do over. A mulligan. A second chance.

Much of the world, especially US allies, were ready to write off Trump’s first term as a fluke.

The American people’s choice to put him back in power—as a convicted felon, after an openly bigoted, anti-democracy campaign—showed it was not.
maxfawcett.bsky.social Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 1d
This is the part many Americans -- including the Bezosites at the Washington Post -- don't understand. Canadians don't see this just as a Trump thing. It's that America elected him twice, and the second time with an even bigger mandate.

The problem we're addressing is America, not Trump.
edwardluce.bsky.social Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 1d
"Out of spite for President Donald Trump, Carney is accelerating the decoupling of a trade bloc that has generated enormous prosperity for North America." Seriously, Wapo editorial - you're going with Canadian spite? www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
September 18, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Reposted by David S. F. Portree
marwellaspaceart.bsky.social
Waxing crescent 37% illuminated with Antares between Tau Scorpii and Sigma Scorpii on September 17, 2026.
September 17, 2026 at 1:39 PM