Planetary Scientist. Flown Commercial Research Astronaut. Pilot. Author. Speaker. Dad. Daddio. Explorer. Optimist. Proly not in that order.

Niwot, CO
Alan Stern retweeted
Yes, they are planets. The scientist who coined the term dwarf planet back in 1991, @AlanStern did so to create a new subclass of small planets--much like dwarf stars are still stars & dwarf galaxies are still galaxies.
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"Dwarf planets are not planets" Then dwarf stars aren't stars and dwarf galaxies aren't galaxies. What kind of logic is that?
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Alan Stern retweeted
Replying to @AlanStern
New Horizons is amazing.
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Alan Stern retweeted
NASA, Boeing to Provide Update on Starliner Development During a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 28, NASA and Boeing leadership will discuss Starliner’s development and plans for regular crew flights to and from the International Space Station. Learn where to watch online: nasa.gov/live The briefing participants include: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman Dana Weigel, manager, NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program Woody Hoburg, NASA astronaut John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Media already credentialed for Crew-13 may participate in person at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To ask questions, media must request the dial-in number from the Kennedy newsroom by emailing: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than one hour prior to the start of the call. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. For NASA’s blog and more information about the agency's missions, visit: nasa.gov
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Hard to believe I made this list, so many are so much more deserving. maxpolyakov.com/10-modern-as…
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Alan Stern retweeted
🌕 September’s Full Harvest Moon is lighting up the night sky tonight! Unlike many traditional Full Moon names, the Harvest Moon isn’t tied to a specific month. It’s the name given to the Full Moon that falls closest to the September equinox. This year, that’s September’s Moon. Around the timing of the Harvest Moon, the Moon rises at roughly the same time for several evenings in a row across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Historically, this meant more moonlight shortly after sunset, giving farmers additional light to gather crops during the busy harvest season. 🌾 If skies are clear where you are, take a moment to look up and enjoy September’s Harvest Moon tonight. ✨ #FullMoon #HarvestMoon #ispace #Moon
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Lego® toy bricks and heliophysics are a perfect match! Download the plans to build your own wide field imager. The SwRI-developed instrument is currently part of NASA’s Polarimeter to UNify the Heliosphere and Corona (PUNCH) mission. punch.space.swri.edu/punch_o…
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Voyager to oversee back-to-back pharmaceutical research campaigns aboard the @Space_Station in 2027, using @exobiosphere's single automated screening platform. Between campaigns, the samples and compounds are swapped and the payload reconfigured for the next study.​ Read more about Voyager and Exobiosphere's work aboard the ISS at businesswire.com/news/home/2…​ $VOYG #AcceleratingtheAdvantage #MissionRead
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Alan Stern retweeted
A look inside ispace-U.S.’s facility in Denver, Colorado. 🌕🇺🇸 From development, to testing and spacecraft preparation, our U.S. team continues to build the capabilities supporting ispace’s future lunar missions.
Take a look inside our facility located just outside of Denver, Colorado, where our team is developing and preparing technologies to support America’s ambitions on the Moon and the next chapter of lunar exploration. From our large cleanroom bay to the Avionics Development Lab, Environmental Testing Lab, and more, check out a behind-the-scenes look at the facilities and capabilities that enable our team to develop, test, and prepare spacecraft in-house. We’ll take you closer to our team, testing, and the technology behind our work in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned.
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Alan Stern retweeted
Chief Engineer Gabe Williams takes you inside our Spaceship Factory in Mesa, AZ, for the first mate of our new spaceship and Eve. Attachment points lined up within thousandths of an inch. Precision design. Precision build. Precision verification.
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Alan Stern retweeted
Two vehicles, one mission, side by side in Mesa for the first time. This is what progress looks like. Stay tuned for a closer look at the precision engineering behind aligning and mating our vehicles together.
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Alan Stern retweeted
NASA has selected the 1st of a new class of astrophysics Explorer satellites, Probe Explorers, to continue into Phase B. PRIMA is a far-infrared mission with a $1.2 billion cost cap (not incl launch), with launch in 2033 if confirmed to proceed to Phase C. nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-s…
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Alan Stern retweeted
Your research could help shape the future of commercial space. Starlab Space and the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein are inviting researchers to submit proposals for microgravity investigations aboard the ISS. Step 1 proposals are due October 9. Explore the opportunity and submit your proposal: starlab-space.com/call-for-p…
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NREP's decade-long run has ended. The first external commercial research platform on the @Space_Station was decommissioned, but its successor, NEL, is already oversubscribed. ow.ly/UcEn50ZPuti ​ $VOYG #AcceleratingtheAdvantage #MissionReady
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Alan Stern retweeted
Twenty years ago at this time I was orbiting the earth from 250 miles up above the earth. The world has changed. anousheha.substack.com/p/on-…
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Alan Stern retweeted
Busy week for Eve. Wednesday: carried Unity to 53,000 ft for a glide flight. Today: Flew to Mesa, AZ for integration checks with our new spaceship.
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Alan Stern retweeted
Intuitive Machines eyes orbital data center opportunities spacenews.com/intuitive-mach…
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Alan Stern retweeted
Dragon really is going away, so NASA is making some contingency plans for human spaceflight. Is everyone ready for Starliner supremacy? arstechnica.com/space/2026/0…
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Alan Stern retweeted
"What I'm about to say is probably the most important thing you're going to hear all day today. Pluto is a planet!" - Jim Bridenstine @Steamboat_Inst @AlanStern linkedin.com/posts/jim-bride… #FreedomConference #Pluto #SolarSystem
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