ScientistPankaj: 'Beppo go home?' An astronaut monkey steals hearts in tear-jerking SNL skit

'Beppo go home?' SNL skit astronaut monkey steals hearts | SpaceX Starship launches: Flight 6 mission updates | Milky Way swirls over Easter Island in stunning photo

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November 8, 2024

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The Launchpad

'Beppo go home?' SNL skit astronaut monkey steals hearts

(Saturday Night Live)

Saturday Night Live is, first and foremost, supposed to be a funny TV show -- but it was difficult to laugh at most of its recent sketch, "Beppo," about an astronaut monkey who learns he might not be able to return to the planet. As his giant, yearning eyes begin to tear up, Beppo presses buttons on his communications soundboard to ask mission control's John Mulaney: "Beppo … go … home?" Pained, Mulaney wonders how to explain death to Beppo. Sweet Beppo forces us to remember the naïve animals who have indeed been sent to space -- especially the beings who went there believing they'd come home safely, but did not. When asked for his last words, Beppo presses a button that delivers a simple message: "help." Would Laika the space dog have had any last words? What about Gordo the squirrel monkey? Laska the mouse? Would they have been the same as Beppo's?

Full Story: Space (11/7)

SpaceX Starship launches: Flight 6 mission updates

(SpaceX)

As with SpaceX's successful Flight 5 on Oct. 13, Flight 6 will attempt to capture the Starship Super Heavy booster at its landing site using giant metal "chopsticks." The Ship vehicle, meanwhile, will attempt a "soft landing" in the Indian Ocean before splashing down and sinking.

Full Story: Space (11/7)

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Skywatching

Milky Way swirls over Easter Island in stunning photo

(Josh Dury)

Sometimes a photo can captivate so powerfully that you are transported to another place and time. When photographer Josh Dury traveled to Easter Island for last month's annular solar eclipse, he wasn't going to let a single moment go to waste. Although primarily there with a group of expert Astro Trails eclipse chasers for the day-time event, Dury also managed to capture some images overnight, with some of the island's famous statues, known as Moai.

Full Story: Space (11/8)

Spaceflight

Suni Williams 'in good health,' NASA says, refuting tabloids

(NASA)

NASA astronaut Suni Williams is in good health in Earth orbit, despite some speculation in the media to the contrary, according to the agency. Tabloids such as The Daily Mail and The New York Post have published stories recently speculating that Williams may be going downhill aboard the International Space Station (ISS), citing an outside doctor's thoughts about a Sept. 24 photo in which she supposedly appears "gaunt."

Full Story: Space (11/7)

Science & Astronomy

How can Tardigrades survive space and lethal radiation?

(STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images)

Chinese scientists have now identified a new species of tardigrades hosting thousands of genes that become more active when exposed to radiation. The findings point to a complex defense system that shields tardigrade DNA from radiation-induced damage and can pave the way for devising better protection for astronauts from the stresses of long-duration missions, researchers say.

Full Story: Space (11/7)

SpaceX

SpaceX launches 23 more Starlink satellites from Florida

(SpaceX)

SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites this afternoon (Nov. 7) from Florida's Space Coast. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:19 p.m. EST (1919 GMT). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical touchdown about eight minutes after liftoff as planned. It landed on the SpaceX droneship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Full Story: Space (11/7)

Search for Life

How comet Hale-Bopp can reveal the origins of life on Earth

(NASA)

Comets - those small, icy objects orbiting the sun - act like floating time capsules, offering a window into the early days of our solar system's formation and holding clues about the origins of life on Earth. In a recent study, scientists developed a groundbreaking model to trace how the chemistry of one comet, known as "Hale-Bopp," has evolved over time. Ultimately, this endeavor managed to reveal insights that could enhance our understanding of planetary formation as a whole -- and it may even have shed light on the potential for life beyond our planet.

Full Story: Space (11/7)

Star Trek

'Lower Decks' S5e4: Why is Migleemo obsessed with food?

(Paramount+)

In addition to some Klingon antics up to by Mariner and Boimler, this episode puts a rare spotlight on bird-like ship's counsellor Dr Gabers Migleemo, whose encounter with the most revered of his homeworld's scholars turns into a culinary nightmare. Here's everything you need to know about Migleemo, the Klowahkan civilization that laid him, and why he can't stop talking about food.

Full Story: Space (11/7)