Thursday Afternoon Space-Heavy Links

by | Jan 16, 2025 | Daily Links, I Am Lame | 109 comments

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BLACK MARKET MOON ROCKS: Our journey begins with an article about how Ireland lost its Moon rocks in a tragic fire. That article made me wonder who else got souvenir Moon rocks on the US taxpayers dollar, and what happened to them all. The short answer, pretty much every nation state got souvenir moon rocks and many of them have (predictably) gone missing, and there is a black market in them. It is clear from the article that these mineral specimens were souvenirs encased in lucite rather than samples that would achieve any scientific purpose.

DIRECTOR DAVID LYNCH HAS DIED: A lifetime of chainsmoking will do that to you. I will remember him most for Mulholland Drive.

TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES: The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit just dropped this turd of an opinion. Getting your daily nutpunch (or ovary tap) out of the way early.

APOKÁLYPSIS NOW: I’ve long said that one of the most damaging things Trump could do unilaterally to the deep state is to declassify as much as possible and show the country the long and shameful history of ass-covering, scumbaggery, and illegality. Over at Financial Times, Peter Thiel has this tittilating essay. South Africa confronted its apartheid history with a formal commission, but answering the questions above with piecemeal declassifications would befit both Trump’s chaotic style and our internet world, which processes and propagates short packets of information. The first Trump administration shied away from declassifications because it still believed in the rightwing deep state of an Oliver Stone movie. This belief has faded.

SKYNET COMING: A California-based defense technology company plans to build a 4,000-job facility in central Ohio to manufacture “autonomous weapons systems” for the U.S. and its allies, a development state officials say represents the largest single job creation project in state history.

O’KEEFE MEDIA GROUP, STILL DOING THE LORD’S WORK: If you watch the videos in this article, Mannina totally comes across as some bullshitter trying to make time with a chick by inflating his own importance. “The Tank,” whoa. But then comes this gem. Mannina’s role extended beyond advising military officials. He revealed his involvement with the National Security Leaders for America, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group. As a “ghostwriter,” he contributed to over 100 op-eds intended to sway public opinion against Trump’s potential re-election. “We tried to explain to the American people the national security consequences of another Trump presidency,” Mannina stated, highlighting the organization’s goal of influencing the electorate. Congress needs to start cranking out subpoenas for NSLA. Even if there is nothing that rises to the level of a crime, this sort of thing needs to be exposed.

CREDIT WHERE DUE: Although it pains me to have to praise this bloated, incompetent, and weaponized bureacracy, the FBI apparently did something right.

TOO LOCAL NEWS DEPARTMENT: Richmond water manager resigns after water system goes belly-up for days, also affecting nearby counties. Former director Bingham had no engineering background but was a keen proponent of DEI. Meanwhile, Henrico County hires outside firms to investigate and make recommendations on how to prevent the county from being affected by Richmond’s incompetence.

TWO BIG LAUNCHES TODAY: Today is, of course, a big space day, in a big space week of what promises to be a big space year. Early this morning Blue Origin did its first successful launch of its New Glenn rocket. As you read this I will be glued to the screen watching SpaceX perform another test launch of its Starship rocket. Both of these were uncrewed test launches but by the end of the year we could see crewed launches on both of these rockets. That would give the US three active orbit-capable crewed launch systems (more than everyone else, combined) with two others (Boeing Starliner, Lockheed-Martin Orion) in various stages of development.

TWO MOON PROBES LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS WEEK: Sharing the same ride to orbit earlier this week were two different Moon landers. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 carries a bunch of instruments, the most practical of which are the Electrodynamic Dust Shield, an attempt to zap moon dust off of things like solar panels, and the SCALPSS instrument to study how a spacecraft landing kicks up lunar dust. Dealing with Moon dust was a big thing for Apollo astronauts, and when Apollo 12 landed (STFU, Sloper) near the Surveyor 3 probe, the dust kicked up from the Apollo landing visibly damaged the Surveyor probe. Japanese company ispace is also on the way to the moon with their Hakuto-R Mission 2 which has a cute little micro-rover.

FUCK THE GREEN, IT’S FIFTY PERCENT BETTER: Here is a little piece of space news that has huge potential to accelerate space exploration. ASCENT […] promises a 50 percent increase in specific impulse density compared with hydrazine, plus easier ground handling. For those of you who aren’t space nerds, Hydrazine is some very nasty stuff which powers the little teeny microthrusters which rotate and position spacecraft, ie during docking maneuvers. These spritzy little thrusters are found on everything from satellites to space capsules.

USA, USA…

About The Author

Tonio

Tonio

Tonio is a Glibs shitposter, linkstar (Thursday PM, yo), author, and editor. He is also a GlibZoom personality and prankster. Tonio is a big fan of pic-a-nic baskets. His hobbies include salmon fishing, territorial displays, dumpster diving, and posing for wildlife photographers.

109 Comments

  1. DEG

    Congress needs to start cranking out subpoenas for NSLA. Even if there is nothing that rises to the level of a crime, this sort of thing needs to be exposed.

    I’ve seen some of those O’Keefe Media Group videos.

    I suspect nothing else will happen.

    • Tundra

      I was just thinking about that the other day. OMG BOMBSHELL!!!11!!

      And then crickets.

      I don’t pay much attention to him anymore.

      • DEG

        While I watch his videos, I have to wonder what is really going on with O’Keefe. His schtick is well known. Only once has anyone come close to doing the same to him (and that was a bit of a nothing burger). I wonder sometimes if he is getting played (i.e. fed information when he goes after the Feds) or is controlled opposition.

      • Tundra

        That’s an interesting thought. Throw someone to the wolves while all kinds of fuckery is happening elsewhere.

  2. The Late P Brooks

    As a “ghostwriter,” he contributed to over 100 op-eds intended to sway public opinion against Trump’s potential re-election. “We tried to explain to the American people the national security consequences of another Trump presidency,” Mannina stated

    Fail.

    • SDF-7

      I’d say that at least it helped reveal the shoddy partisanship instead of “crusading security apparatus warrior!” that the IC really is to rest of the country… but then I remember all the discussions about how much of a bubble we’re in and that most of the country probably still thinks that. Le sigh.

  3. Rat on a train

    No mention that Bob Uecker is a just a bit outside of life now.

    • Nephilium

      Mr. Belvedere will be along shortly to buttle.

    • Tonio

      I’m a homo. That gives me a -2 to all my sportsball trivia rolls.

      • Nephilium

        Even with all those tight ends on the field?

      • SDF-7

        Better than all the wide receivers stretching out the game.

      • Shpip

        There’s a Uecker / Tonio “who had more passed balls” joke in there somewhere, but I’m way too classy to make it.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        Even soccer?

  4. SDF-7

    Black market moon rocks sounds a bit loonie to me.

    • Tonio

      It’s an economic bubble that will hopefully soon burst. I hope to live to see a day where samples like the Nixon/Apollo souvenirs are sold in museum girt shops for a hundred bucks. Possibly as a byproduct of cleaning out the holds and cargo containers which return from the moon.

  5. Shpip

    The short answer, pretty much every nation state got souvenir moon rocks and many of them have (predictably) gone missing, and there is a black market in them.

    There’s a pretty good market for fake moon rocks as well. Just find a pebble-sized piece of gravel by the side of the road, encase it in lucite, make up some fake provenance, and viola — profit.

    It’s staggeringly common, so if anyone tries to sell you a “moon rock,” take it with a grain of basalt.

    • Tonio

      Boo! Boo this man.

      • SDF-7

        He’s smarter than the average bear, Tonio?

      • Shpip

        Moon rock collectors are some really gneiss folks, but not as magmanimous as the Glibs.

      • UnCivilServant

        How big is your slate of rock puns?

      • Shpip

        It’s the schist, lemme tell ya (although I admit — talc is cheap).

    • The Other Kevin

      If that joke was on anorthosite people might overlook it.

      • Tonio

        Oh, rille, TOK? Rille?

      • SDF-7

        I don’t think that only TOK was thinking that. It is a pretty common sediment.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      If it’s so common, people might start taking it for granite.

      • juris imprudent

        Yet many will marble about it.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        Surely there will be a lot of talc.

  6. SDF-7

    Getting your daily nutpunch (or ovary tap) out of the way early.

    Sometimes you have to wonder if medical schools are next to the top law schools — because hey… if you’re going to have your brain removed to become a judge-bound Top Lawyer… might as well donate it to science!

  7. SDF-7

    APOKÁLYPSIS NOW:

    Sounds like when Darkseid decides to go to Madrid instead of Metropolis for a change of pace…

  8. ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

    Sorry (not sorry) but with that FBI article being published in The Verge, this needs to be todays musical choice:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3v-z8iEN-Q

  9. SDF-7

    “autonomous weapons systems”

    I can help but think anti-satellite systems and targeted electronic warfare would make using those in a peer level war problematic. Of course, a peer level war with nuclear powers is problematic to begin with — but you get where I’m going with this. “Oh well” says Anduril — “We still got paid!” more likely than not.

    • juris imprudent

      Peer level war? How about a “war” where the soldiers refused orders to fire? As they might if they are aiming at civilians, fellow citizens, etc.

      • SDF-7

        A domestic use would presumably have the operators surrounded by large swathes of “the enemy”. Similar to “what would happen if the Army tried to use armored divisions against the US citizenry” my money would be on the snipers that would start to spring up against the troops themselves or their families. (Not that this should be at all read as “wanting it to happen” just saying that using a tech-heavy military against an armed citizenry in a civil war scenario has serious issues to deal with.)

        And no — I don’t think “AI” as they try to call it these days is actually fully autonomous capable, so there are still going to be operators somewhere.

      • juris imprudent

        Doesn’t have to be AI. I worked on the comms between sensor and shooter, and TPTB required a man in that loop. You can guess where the weak link was.

  10. KK, Plump & Unfiltered

    “spritzy”FTW

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      spritzy is the new sploosh?

  11. Shpip

    You can put a green costume on Florida Man, but he’ll still be Florida Man.

    TAVARES, Fla. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says a former deputy resigned after he crashed his patrol car while watching pornography on his phone.

    According to the sheriff’s office, Tristan Macomber first told investigators that his brakes had locked up, which caused the crash. Later, they said, the truth came out.

    To be fair, this could happen to anyone.

    • SDF-7

      So the problem is that he was just dicking around while driving….

    • Nephilium

      Way back in the day (late 90’s), a friend of mine who was down in Columbus worked at a car stereo shop. They had a customer come in who wanted a full surround sound system put in, a television display (visible from the driver’s seat), and DVD player.

      He was back with a new vehicle a short time later, explaining that he totaled his last car getting into an accident while watching porn.

      • DEG

        He was back with a new vehicle a short time later, explaining that he totaled his last car getting into an accident while watching porn.

        At least he was honest.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      Not many people know how to drive a stick these days.

      • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

        It’s been a few years, but I think I still know my way around a stick!

      • SDF-7

        Years? I thought you’d had the comfort of a gentleman caller over this past year, KK.

      • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

        He won’t put out

      • creech

        So every cruise isn’t the Love Boat? (asking for a friend)

      • juris imprudent

        He won’t put out

        A plumber who only works on the RV plumbing?

  12. SDF-7

    As you read this I will be glued to the screen watching SpaceX perform another test launch of its Starship rocket

    Wait… I’m apparently reading this an hour in the future?

    Let’s do the Time Warp again……

  13. KK, Plump & Unfiltered

    Starship prop load!!

    • Tonio

      Booyah!

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      Set phrasers to stun!

  14. SDF-7

    USA, USA…

    Hopefully you’re not predicting Coca-Cola and sometimes war there, Tonio…

    • Tonio

      Wonderbra rhymed wunderbar is one of the most clever parts of the song.

  15. pistoffnick (370HSSV)

    TWO MOON PROBES

    SPACE STEVE ONLY NEED ONE PROBE.

  16. Not Adahn

    At least Lynch lived long enough to see that gum he likes come back in style.

    • Tonio

      I want to wedgie every one of these guys. They are awesome.

      • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

        Have you ever seen them on camera? Every last one needs a good hair stylist, stat

      • Rat on a train

        space train!

      • Tonio

        No, but not surprised.

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      She looked a little cattywampus just off the tower

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      GO for catch!

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      Fuckin-a, man. Fuckin. A.

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      Issue with the main rocket

      • Suthenboy

        Sometimes I cant tell if we are doing euphemisms or not.

    • Rat on a train

      Don’t decide before the swimsuit competition.

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      Her forefivehead is nearly as big as mine!

  17. Fourscore

    My Dad suffered the consequences of heavy smoking. Died at 75, emphysema for a few years and couldn’t do much. Heart attack. Glad I quit 45-50 years ago.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    There was another source of anxiety: Some of the “fact-checking partners,” Wired reports, “say they are now scrambling to figure out if they can survive the hole this leaves in their funding.” One anonymous editor from an unspecified organization, “who was not authorized to speak on the record,” told the magazine that the cutoff of Meta money “is going to eventually drain us out.”

    Boo fucking hoo.

    • juris imprudent

      I’d love to know what other taps need to be turned off.

    • Sensei

      You made me find the Wired article. It’s awesome.

      According to Duke, it is disappointing to hear Mark Zuckerberg accuse the organizations in Meta’s US third-party fact-checking program of being “too politically biased.” “Let me fact-check that. Lead Stories follows the highest standards of journalism and ethics required by the International Fact-Checking Network code of principles. We fact-check without regard to where on the political spectrum a false claim originates.”

      https://www.wired.com/story/metas-fact-checking-partners-blindsided/

      • PutridMeat

        “It’s unfortunate that this decision comes in the wake of extreme political pressure from a new administration and its supporters,” Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network, said in an emailed statement. “Fact-checkers have not been biased in their work—that attack line comes from those who feel they should be able to exaggerate and lie without rebuttal or contradiction.”

        Do they believe themselves or are they just lying? Disclaimer – I will always entertain the possibility that I’m wrong and they truly are pure as the driven snow. But I only entertain that notion for a brief moment.

      • Suthenboy

        Censors by definition do not have noble intentions. Their job is to shut down opposing arguments because their own argument cannot be defended.

  19. whiz

    The launch tower catching the Starship booster is freaking incredible.

    Although having them land

    • whiz

      upright on a ship platform was pretty cool, too.

      • The Other Kevin

        Something went wrong last time, and they’ve apparently fixed it.

    • The Other Kevin

      That was incredible. Glad I got to see that live.

    • R C Dean

      I’d love to watch one of those launches and catches in person.

    • The Other Kevin

      Sounds like they lost contact with Stage 2.

      Ground control to Major Tom, your circuit’s dead, there something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom?

      • R C Dean

        Dammit, Shpip!

  20. The Late P Brooks

    We fact-check without regard to where on the political spectrum a false claim originates.

    We gots both kinds of music. Country AND Western.

    • Sensei

      +1 International Fact-Checking Network code of principles

    • Sensei

      “Arsen thought it was very, very important to be able to walk up to the door and ask, ‘Where’s the Ben & Jerry’s?’” recalls a former product leader who, like many current and former employees, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “It was like, ‘Dude, I’m spending 20 hours a day just trying to get the software to work.’” (A Cooler Screens spokesperson says that priorities were set by the heads of product and technology, not Avakian, and that the process is supposed to be “creative, high pressure, but very rewarding.

    • UnCivilServant

      What is wrong with the transparent panes we already have? Instant feedback, no code, no feature creep, inexpensive to maintain (comparatively)

      Tech doors sound like a downgrade.

      • Sensei

        But how do you monetize that in perpetuity?

      • R.J.

        Sounds like a…
        Broken Windows fallacy.

      • UnCivilServant

        That’s the neat part – you don’t.

  21. UnCivilServant

    I’m underwhelmed by the Switch 2 teaser, and want to know if that Nintendo Direct date was in US or Euro formatting. Was it Feb 4 or April 2?

    • R.J.

      Is it this year or next? Either way I am in no rush.

      • UnCivilServant

        2025.

        It’s not so much that I want the console, I want what is speculated to be released for it.

        Of course, being speculations, it may never exist.

      • R.J.

        Agreed. Honestly the software is what will drive me to buy a new one. I am quite happy with the software on Switch 1 right now. It would need to be fairly compelling.

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      Rookie. You don’t mix Xanax with booze,

      not without diapers.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Thanks for the tip, Klonipin it is then.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Ativan.