Steven Shanks

Engineer at heart. Love space, new technology and gazing at the stars. Views and tweets are just mine!

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

Got up at 5am for a visible ISS pass of the UK. It's low on the horizon for me, but I managed to capture the @SpaceX Crew Dragon flying just below and behind, catching up with the ISS. Bright line is ISS, very faint line below and slightly behind is Dragon! #NASA #SpaceX

[Reid Wiseman @astro_reid]

Only one chance in this lifetime…

Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those exceptional Earthset photos through the 400mm lens. @AstroVicGlover was in window 3 watching with @Astro_Jeremy next to him.

I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view…this is uncropped, uncut with 8x zoom which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye. Enjoy.

[Reid Wiseman @astro_reid]

On the helicopter leaving the ship right now. This planet is impossibly beautiful from every altitude I’ve seen it…surface to 250,000 miles

[The White House @WhiteHouse]

EARTHSET.
April 6, 2026.

Humanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon. Photo: NASA

[Nick Stewart @NStewWX]

The reactions of the #Artemis II astronauts to their photos of the Earth and the moon in the same frame are wholesome. Cannot wait to see these in full resolution, but the sneak peeks look amazing!

[Canadian Space Agency @csa_asc]

King Charles III sent a letter to @Astro_Jeremy to acknowledge Canada’s role in the Artemis II mission.

“I was deeply touched to receive this message, which honours the collective vision and dedication behind this historic moment.��� — Jeremy Hansen

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@JoukoHolopaine2 @positivityofx It’s actually not so bad, I worked on them for 5 years or so, accommodation is like a low cost hotel, food is good and the views are stunning. In a storm you stay inside, it’s quite comforting, you are protected and surrounded by the massive machine structure, 100 miles from land

[AukeHoekstra @AukeHoekstra]

First solar would be too expensive.
Until it became 2000x cheaper in the past 50 years.

Then it took take too much space.
Until people realized it needed 0.3% for all energy, which is about roof space.

Then it couldn't work at night.
Until batteries became ~>100x cheaper.

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@BestForBritain Yeah I’m not sure i can follow on this. What’s the objection? I get the dislike for Musks politics but Tesla energy stuff has always been innovating in the right direction. Tesla superchargers are the best priced and most reliable option out there. This seems misplaced.

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@econobaker @serioussam909 @mikbp23 Wonder if the lack of popularity on these here might be partly related to our window size, which is generally small to keep heat in through the winter. The thought of putting an AC unit in some prime window real estate is probably unappealing to many. ~£600 for a wall fixed one

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@starsailing11 @Robotbeat It isn’t though. What are you talking about? I could put in AC tomorrow, there is literally no issue with it. Where is this coming from? Almost all modern offices have full HVAC even in colder parts.

[Dr Kevin Fong @Kevin_Fong]

Farewell & thanks for everything Captain James Lovell. Apollo 8 Command Module Pilot - arguably NASA’s boldest mission - Commander & survivor of the ill fated Apollo 13. I’ve met few people more inspiring or more generous with their legacy. God Speed, safe flight. #AdAstra #NASA

[Spinal Tap @SpinalTap]

There are no amps loud enough to honor this rock legend.

[Orkney Library @OrkneyLibrary]

It's May 4th! Happy #StarWarsDay everybody! Here's #StarWars as photographs from the vast #Orkney Archive photographic collection. ⭐️

#MayThe4thBeWithYou

[Daractenus @Daractenus]

For the sake of making myself as unlikable as possible with the MAGA community, to whatever extent MAGA is still a thing or a community right now, I've decided to do a short thread tackling the most common misconceptions they seem to have about Europe.🧵

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@ShuttleAlmanac @sciencemuseum It was still there in December! I took great delight in telling my daughter all about it. 😃

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@ShuttleAlmanac @sciencemuseum I was worried for a minute there! Looks like it's just for a refurb and expansion with new gallerys. Hopefully the Black arrow, J2 and Apollo 10 capsule stick around! https://t.co/M9IZKBKYJv

[Jonathan O’Callaghan @Astro_Jonny]

The chance of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting out planet in 2032 is now 1.5%, or 1 in 67.

The OVERWHELMING likelihood is that the asteroid will miss Earth.

But for the first time ever, we might have to seriously consider a deflection mission soon.

Let me explain. 🧵 (1/x)

[Calum MacColl @weatherblether]

#StormÉowyn displaying the classic curved cloud head of a severe mid-latitude storm, where off the tip of the cloud head, huge amounts of downward momentum associated with a sting jet bring wind velocities to the surface - in this case, hurricane force winds heading for Ireland!

[Steven Shanks @stevenzop]

@TheTomDune Followed!