Bob Jacobs

After a remarkable 25-year journey with NASA, I retired. I help others find their voice. Author. Explorers Club Fellow. Former journalist. May I help you?

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

A joint broadcast. It was an idea born out of what I considered to be necessity. We needed each other and continuing to do separate programs was a waste of resources. It started with me jokingly yelling, "Screw you and your pretty people" at my SpaceX counterpart during one mission. That grew into a real conversation. The effort led to a joint broadcast format that earned an Emmy or two.

[Leah Cheshier @LeahCheshier]

Some things never change. I always enjoy working with @whoisheartbreak! 6 years of missions under our belts — late nights, early mornings, a lot of laughter. Pretty cool to grow up in the world of human spaceflight together.

[NASA's Johnson Space Center @NASAJohnson]

This morning, the next crew destined for the International @Space_Station departed Houston -- until next year.

Members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 -- NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov -- boarded NASA's T-38 aircraft for their flights to @NASAKennedy Space Center, where they're set to launch on October 1.
Learn more about Crew-13: https://t.co/PLg7iJb94C

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

What stunning imagery. But more important, what a stunning achievement. Way to go @SpaceX and @NASA. We're so ready to leave Earth's gravity well.

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Splashdown confirmed. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the first orbital flight of Starship!

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@MikeOkuda Life is so much better when you have someone with whom to share its journey. You're a fortunate man to have such a partner. Cherish each other. 🌹🖖

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@Oldtimers365 Elvis.

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

And a pop culture reference for all times was born.

[Henry Winkler @hwinkler4real]

OMG I was there .. Man could that guy water ski

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

He's at least the third Administrator to ask for this. And as pointed out, the SRBs are recovered. It's the core you lose, along with those beautiful engines. The core stage just wasn't designed for that kind of retro fit. Now, add the extra fuel needed and the hardware and additional control engines, etc. Probably something that's not in the budget. It would look spectacular, though.

[David Willis @ThePrimalDino]

@NASAAdmin An idea I would love to see taken under consideration is the reintroduction of booster recovery for the Artemis IV SLS launch.

Artemis IV is to be the historic mission that will see American Astronauts return to the surface of the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, and it would be incredible to recover flight hardware from the astronaut’s launch to put on display.

The Space Shuttle SRBs flying on SLS were already designed with recovery in mind, so it would not be too big of a stretch to re-implement this feature for a one time historic mission recovery. Plus it would allow for a future SLS display to include flown hardware instead of just mockups.

This is not something that would normally be undertaken, but your administration seems uniquely open to interesting new ideas such as this, and I think it is definitely worth the time to consider doing something like this!

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@Oldtimers365 Those tiny vent windows that used to be in the front seats.

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

And in one post you get the battle communications has had with its own leadership over the years. NASA continually failed to grasp the value of public buy-in and often carried out the original plan to the end... despite there being loud, vocal proof that something more exciting was right there for the taking. We made a lot of progress over my two decades, but the same battles had to be fought over and over again. Administrator Bolden had the best reaction when faced with a flawed process. He simply asked, "Where is the common sense button?" Every project and program should have that "common sense" button. It allows you to shift direction quickly when an opportunity presents itself.

[NASA History Office @NASAhistory]

These are the voyages of the Space Shuttle Enterprise!

50 years ago today, NASA's first space shuttle voyaged out of the Rockwell facility in Palmdale for its public unveiling! Hundreds of invited guests, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and several members of the Star Trek original series cast joined in the first orbiter's rollout celebrations.

NASA had originally planned for the orbiter to be named Constitution and scheduled for the rollout for Constitution Day. But President Gerald Ford, after receiving letters from thousands of Trekkies, directed NASA to name the shuttle Enterprise after the fictional starship.

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@_josephine0_ Easiest question in the world. Fry bacon. 🥓

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@Sofia50020Sofia Being from Nashville... Royal Crown. And I'd be looking for a Moon Pie or a Goo Goo Cluster.

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

Sadly, unrelated. Not sure what the networks were thinking. Today, there are tie-ins and both the agency and show producers look for connections to boost interest. I'm not sure that kind of thinking existed then, and by that time it may have been too late (given budget cuts, etc.)

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@PopcornPost_ I wouldn't use the word "worst." Perhaps miscast...

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

At work they refer to these as "first light." It's when they turn things on for the first time to see of it works. Looks like Roman is doing well. Now comes the tuning.

[Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope @NASARoman]

Sometimes your eyes need a minute to focus when you wake up. Roman's Wide Field Instrument just woke up for the first time EVER, and scientists have started adjusting its "eyes" so they can focus on the bigger picture.

Check out its first test image below https://t.co/lkv3LFMyMR

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@ojessie__ Fatuous.

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@IvystormVt_ "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work. But I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped."

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

@_josephine0_ Grabbing a second piece of bread before I get started 😋

[NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin]

Today’s @NFL flyover in Pittsburgh is just the beginning.

This is how @NASA does game day. 🇺🇸

[Bob Jacobs @bnjacobs]

It's all about the math. This is incredible news.

[Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope @NASARoman]

Achievement unlocked!

Reward: More years of fuel!

We have completed Roman's first course correction so accurately that it conserved years of fuel for the mission!

Learn more: https://t.co/t1mOufYvg2