NASA's scrapping VIPER, a rover that was to look for water ice on the moon, to save other missions from cancellation/disruption amid a "highly constrained science budget environment" after costs went from $433m-$609m. Its ride, @Astrobotic's Griffin lander, will still fly.

When the turmoil over the Dem presidential nominee ends, voters will want a return to key issues - like women’s reproductive rights. My story (from June, so the sub-head didn’t age well) on the little clinic on the front line in America’s reddest state thetimes.com/world/us-world…

Meanwhile at Microsoft headquarters.. 😅

Analog missions allow NASA to simulate how astronauts might in future live & work on the moon, Mars & asteroids. Nathan Jones lived as a Martian (sorta) for 378 days at the Mars Dune Alpha habitat as part of the four-strong CHAPEA-1 mission crew. My ivu: thetimes.com/article/nathan…

I’m nothing but proud today of my Pop, our President, Joe Biden, who has served our country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction. Not only has he been—and will continue to be—the most effective president of our lifetime, but he has likely already cemented

With their orange/black colouring, painted woolly bats are victims of a bizarre Hallowe'en trade that cld hasten extinction. Monitor Conservation Research Society aims to end the "senseless slaughter." You can donate here: globalgiving.org/projects/save-… Story at: thetimes.com/world/us-world…

Janet Mello stole $109m meant for military families & bought herself 32 homes, 82 cars, 1,500 items of jewellery & 100s of designer handbags & shoes. Her lawyer said she lived "a simple life." thetimes.com/world/us-world…

Albert the alligator lived in harmony with his human companion, Tony Cavallaro, for 34 yrs. Then authorities seized him & a legal battle over custody ensued. My interview w/Cavallaro in The Times and The Sunday Times: thetimes.com/world/us-world…

Missing since late Sun Jul 21. Need every doorbell/security/traffic camera checked along the route the car took. Need searches, public awareness & for #CarolTormey to be found. #FortLauderdale #Hollywood #Miramar #missingperson #missing Fort Lauderdale Police Miramar Police HollywoodFL Police

I love how my story even quotes a former International Space Station commander stressing that Butch & Suni aren’t “stranded”…yet still we get “stranding” in the headline. We tried Terry Virts thetimes.com/article/starli…

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As NASA switches out Butch Wilmore & Suni Williams’ ride home on #Starliner for a SpaceX Crew Dragon, frustration at Boeing seems high, with the company expressing continued confidence in its spacecraft making a “safe & successful” return without them thetimes.com/world/us-world…

Touchdown in N/Mexico for Boeing’s #Starliner as it returns to Earth after a tense and controversial three month test mission - minus its crew. Boeing had insisted it was safe for crew; @Nasa had doubts and left the crew on the ISS. Nice work Boeing Space.

They were doubted, dissed & derided; but this is the sight that the folks at Boeing Space had faith would happen: a safe return to Earth of #Starliner.

“All of us feel happy about the successful landing but we wish it wld have been the way we planned it…with Butch & Suni on board”- NASA mgr Steve Stich, as Boeing Space execs skip the post-landing press conf amid tensions over #Starliner’s uncrewed return thetimes.com/world/us-world…

THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS

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“Back at home we all have a lot of work to do but from here, it sure looks like a perfect world.” Jared Isaacman becomes the first citizen astronaut to egress a spacecraft and take spacewalk 460 miles above Earth. #PolarisDawn #SpaceX

So… Sarah Gillis, a lead space ops engineer SpaceX, is also a classical violinist. The unifying power of space & the freedom of commercial astronauts to harness it for good, adds a powerful touch to the already impactful #PolarisDawn mission, on which she is a crew member.