Dr. Ben Boatwright

I like space rocks 🌕🔴🛰️ • Visiting Assistant Professor @mtholyoke • Associate Research Scientist @planetarysci • @NEOsentrybot • he/him • All opinions my own

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

The fruit of my postdoctoral labor! Hoping this technique will provide “one small step” toward future discoveries with @LRO_NASA. 🌋🛰️ @AAS_PSJ open access link below and in the article!

https://t.co/x7xfBpPFNf

[Brown DEEPS @Brown_DEEPS]

Published in the Planetary Science Journal, the research by DEEPS Postdoctoral Researcher @planetaryben and Professor James Head describes enhancements to a mapping technique called shape-from-shading.
https://t.co/KLnCdedrq0

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Starship landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

Congratulations @TheSpaceGal for being the 100th woman in space!

[Emily Calandrelli @TheSpaceGal]

Seeing our planet for the first time, a dream decades in the making.

You’re seeing so many emotions intertwined. Excitement, awe, and pride - but to be honest a little fear and confusion too. You just launched on a rocket and you’re seeing something you’ve never seen before (all while weightless and upside down)

It’s scary, exhilarating, confusing, and completely and utterly joyful. So incredibly joyful.

I’m immensely grateful to be the 100th woman in history to see this view.

And now, the real work begins. Because now I get to share this with others. 🌎💗

To everyone who works at @blueorigin - thank you for giving me the world.

[Kevin Cannon @kmcannon]

This morning @NASA announced changes to the Artemis III Moon Landing Regions. Here's a map I made to show them: Red = eliminated; Blue = retained; Gold = added.

[ESA's Juice mission @ESA_JUICE]

🛰️🌕🌍During its recent lunar-Earth flyby, #ESAJuice tested out its 16-metre RIME radio antenna to ping the Moon and listen to Earth.
Short story: it works! 🎊
Full story: https://t.co/Bpe8GFps2K
📷ESA/Juice/RIME & NASA/LRO/LOLA DEM

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

See ya later, Clippenator! 🧊🛰️

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Deployment of @NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft confirmed

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Launching and returning the world's most powerful rocket

[ARCHIVED: NASA LSP @NASA_LSP]

🚀LAUNCH UPDATE!
NASA’s #EuropaClipper is now targeting NET Monday, Oct. 14 for launch!

@NASAKennedy is “all clear” after the storm and teams are moving forward with preparations for the mission to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.

📲https://t.co/R0811CeVyR

[ARCHIVED: NASA LSP @NASA_LSP]

Post-Hurricane Milton assessments have begun at @NASAKennedy!

#EuropaClipper will not have an official launch date until teams are able to complete these assessments. Together with SpaceX, we are working to protect launch opportunities NET Oct 13.

ℹ️ https://t.co/2WeTO78uEN

[D Wise @dwisecinema]

A quick look at an abnormal part of today's Vulcan Cert-2 mission. Awaiting more information from ULA.
📸 - @NASASpaceflight
📺 - https://t.co/uzKGo20deK

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

I’ve tried looking for various “bright” comets over the years to no avail. Maybe #tsuchinshanatlas will be different! ☄️ https://t.co/jNPIVRu1Fy

[NWS Boston @NWSBoston]

#OTD in Weather History: September 21, 1938.

The Hurricane of 1938 was one of the most destructive storms that struck southern New England.

More info:
https://t.co/3e2lr2OybN

[Polaris @PolarisProgram]

Happy, healthy, home: Polaris Dawn safely splashed down after completing the first spacewalk from Dragon, reaching new heights in Earth’s orbit, testing Starlink in space, and conducting ~40 science experiments. A new era of commercial spaceflight dawns, with much more to come.

[John Kraus @johnkrausphotos]

The Polaris Program team is incredibly honored to share this global music moment with the world!

@Gillis_SarahE played a space-qualified violin on board the Dragon spacecraft and sent us the footage and audio back via Starlink. We mixed this footage alongside a set of beautiful orchestra performances, both from a dedicated assembly of professional performers in the United States — as well as youth players from around the world.

Joining us in this moment is John Williams, the legendary composer who is responsible for some of the most iconic scores in the history of film and music. I had the honor of photographing him alongside the crew in Los Angeles. His soft and gentle presence is unlike that of anyone I've ever met, and it was a unique privilege to watch him share this moment with Sarah and the entire crew.

In addition to being an engineer at SpaceX, Sarah is a remarkably talented classically-trained violinist who has been playing since a young age. As access to space continues to expand through commercial missions like Polaris Dawn, it is high time that we send more and more artists, poets, and creative individuals to space. This is one big step toward that future.

Enjoy the music from space and around the world!

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

As if this mission could get even better – mission specialist @Gillis_SarahE performs Rey’s Theme from The Force Awakens in space with ensembles from around the world and John Williams himself watching live! Is this the first time a #violin has been played in space? 🎻

[Polaris @PolarisProgram]

HARMONY OF RESILIENCE: Recorded in space and sent to Earth via @SpaceX’s @Starlink constellation, Polaris Dawn crewmember and violinist @Gillis_SarahE invites you to enjoy this music moment in support of @StJude & @ElSistemaUSA → https://t.co/My8cUwAWzg

[Polaris @PolarisProgram]

SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew have completed the first commercial spacewalk!

“SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” — Mission Commander @rookisaacman during Dragon egress and seeing our planet from ~738 km

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

Wow wow wow. Something about so many accomplishments and firsts being packed into a single mission is spectacular. Having this happen during my first week of teaching @mtholyoke and being able to share Sarah and Anna’s accomplishments with my students is really special.

[Polaris @PolarisProgram]

Polaris Dawn Flight Day 2 Update

The Polaris Dawn crew began Flight Day 2 with an incredible milestone – Dragon reached an apogee of more than 1,400 kilometers, marking the farthest humans have traveled in space since the completion of the Apollo program over 50 years ago. Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon also became the first two women to have travelled this far in space! Mission Commander Jared Isaacman also passed the torch to the NASA Artemis crew, saying he’s looking forward to their upcoming flight.

After completing six orbits of Earth at this altitude, Dragon performed a series of descent burns to reach an orbit of ~190 x 700 km for Thursday’s spacewalk while simultaneously continuing to safely lower its interior’s pressure, bringing the cabin environment closer to conditions required for the EVA. The crew also spent a few hours demonstrating the suit’s pressurized mobility, verifying positions and accessibility in microgravity along with preparing the cabin for the EVA.

In addition to EVA prep, the crew conducted a series of activities on-orbit, including time dedicated to science and research. The crew focused on monitoring initial changes to eye sight and ocular health, studying how fluid shifts and exposure to microgravity affect blood flow, and assessed how medications are processed by the body while on-orbit. 

The entire crew met with representatives from Folds of Honor — an organization providing educational scholarships to spouses and children of America's fallen and disabled military service-members and first responders — honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States.

Anna then read her book, Kisses from Space, to a group of St. Jude patients and her family, followed by a Q&A session. Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East joined the crew via video transmission to host the book reading.

Jared, Kidd, Sarah, and Anna ended their day with individual family calls conducted over Starlink connections and preparing a special message for fans later in the mission before settling in for a good night’s sleep ahead of tomorrow’s world-first commercial spacewalk.

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Dragon will initiate a two-day pre-breathe process to prepare the crew for their upcoming spacewalk on Thursday, September 12

[Dr. Ben Boatwright @planetaryben]

Godspeed Polaris! 🫡✨

[Polaris @PolarisProgram]

From the crew of Polaris Dawn

[BepiColombo @BepiColombo]

Its closest pass yet and its first-ever views of Mercury's south pole – last night was quite a night for #BepiColombo!
Enjoy this taste of our fourth Mercury flyby.
Details & images 👇https://t.co/iKzONy9CGZ

[ARCHIVED: NASA Commercial Crew @Commercial_Crew]

The #Starliner spacecraft is back on Earth.

At 12:01am ET Sept. 7, @BoeingSpace’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico.