David Todd

Space analyst/wit (well half). My stream of consciousness on politics, spaceflight & fun. My typos = copyright protection. Trust in God BUT tie-up your camel.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Just confessed to priests at Church that I have bet on Scotland to win World Cup at 500-1 (odds no longer available) & been praying for it. Hoping for God’s forgiveness & let the Almighty know that church will get 10% of winnings & that my wife is a Scot. So they’re bound to win!

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

BTW I am fully cognisant over the definition of what an ‘expert’ is. He or she is a former drip under pressure. An ‘Ex-spurt’ if you like.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

I went a bit more on Scotland as World Cup Odds went out to 500-1…BRIEFLY. Then they beat Bolivia 4-nil. OK just a friendly. BUT it does give an indication of their striking power. They have only one weakness: defensive midfield. If they can fix that then the World is theirs!

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Soccer: OK. Here are my FIFA World Cup tips (I nearly got it right with Morocco last time). This time I’ve gone for Scotland at 250-1 each way and Japan a win at 50-1. Japan beat both Scotland & England in friendlies…a skilful team even with prized winger Mitoma out.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

PS I really don’t know much about football (I go to see QPR about once a decade). BUT i am an ‘expert’ on the ‘great space races’ to the Moon (human return) and Mars, setting notional odds every year. BTW Long March 9 size news now makes China a genuine contender for Mars vs USA.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

NASA must convince @elonmusk to get on with expendable super HLV for construction of human Mars mission. Refuelled Starships will be great for initial propulsion into Mars transfer. BUT for the rest of kit, a 200 metric ton HLV is needed. BTW Return needs storable propellants.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Long March 9: what a whopper!

[Chandler G @Echo5550]

New blueprints of Long March 9’s factory reveal that it will have a 16-meter diameter fairing! To show how massive that truly is, I have compared it to past, current, and future launch vehicles that are also huge in size.

I honestly do not see a reason why a rocket would ever need a fairing this large 😭

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Long March 9 size revelations: This definitely makes me think that Mars is now a human exploration target for China.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

@planet4589 @TSHamiltonAstro Space Anal-yst - especially over the 50 mile (80km) definition of limit of space. Or is that me with my support of the Karman line? 😁

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

@afneil In a way this is not actually Labour govt’s fault but rather its backbench MPs refusing to cut welfare (the obviously misused bits such as PIP) to spend on defence & growth inducing tax cuts.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

@MarkUrban01 Very good article/analysis. Makes me want to go ‘gulp’ lest China starts something.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Sad to note that Antony Head has died at 72. The actor is best known for his roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Tel Lasso. BUT for me, I remember his Nescafe coffee commercial romances.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Panic over for now: ISS astronauts back to normal duties. Nevertheless, it is a wake up call for NASA. A crack can suddenly rip open in a pressurised vessel - think Aloha Airlines 737 Flight 243 whose passengers found themselves in a 'convertible' as stewardess was sucked out.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Here is the official announcement of shelter alert for US Crew 12 on International Space Station (ISS). Crack(s) on Zvezda probably slowly growing due to thot/cold thermal cycles as ISS orbits. ISS is approaching end of its already extended life in 2030 but well past design life.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Here is the official announcement of shelter alert for US Crew 12 on International Space Station (ISS). Crack(s) on Zvezda probably slowly growing due to thot/cold thermal cycles as ISS orbits. ISS is approaching end of its already extended life in 2030 but well past design life.

[Bethany Stevens @NASASpox]

The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date. The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts.

Following new leaks, Roscosmos has elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5. Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway.

We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to arrive at a more permanent resolution.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Russia Cosmonauts working on crack in Zvezda module...as US astronauts move to their Crew Dragon just in case.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

STOP PRESS: Air leak on International Space Station's Russian module is apparently getting threatening. Astronauts told to go to their respective 'lifeboat' spacecraft ready for evacuation is if needed.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Just in time for SpaceX's IPO. A mini stock market crash over AI bubble worries.

[Count Binface @CountBinface]

Eat this, Question Time.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Noticeable increase in China's launch activity this week. China remains under fire for not disposing of its upper stages, thus creating a long term debris hazard.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Actually Kenyon's quip was more of a joke agreement to a lewd suggestion by someone else. I won't go into details but it is something that shouldn't be tried on a hot day.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Just watched BBCqt in which Green Party’s Sarah Wakefield unconvincingly said that immigration had no bearing on the housing crisis. No one sensible is buying that. Meanwhile, rest of panel bickered over whether green belt should be built on. See ruin of Angmering & you’ll say no

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

That is not to say that Reform candidate Rob Kenyon had a good day himself. He might have made the Green Party look ridiculous, but he remains embarrassed by his posted sexist quips about left-of-centre TV star Carol Vorderman.

[David Todd @Toddyspace]

Do I think that there is #TwoTierPolicing? Well, there is indoctrination of well-meaning but ill-judged DEI positive discrimination. Whether going for jobs or dealing with the law, White Anglo-Saxons types, especially males, now feel discriminated against =>resentment & hatred.