Doggone

HAPPY ENDING: Yesterday I posted about a runaway dog we scooped up off a busy street. We fostered him over night and Christian took him to the local county shelter yesterday afternoon. We saw his photo posted on their website this morning. 

Unfortunately, the shelter posted his found location incorrectly. And the runaway was not neutered. I asked Christian to call the shelter, as I thought them having wrong info on the post might prevent the owner from claiming him. So, Christian called and the shelter told him his owner was looking for him and had called them right after the photo was posted. So little Tuk (as we named him - he doesn't look like a Jerry to me) is back with his person. We hope it's a happy home. He's a sweet little doggo and deserves a happy home.

MARS-BOUND: While most of the West Coat slept, there was a big ol' to do on the East Coast of the United States yesterday. Specifically, at Cape Canaveral, where NASA's latest Mars mission rocketed off a launch pad. The latest Mars rover, Perseverance, is on board. The rover will focus on studying Mars' habitability, seeking signs of past microbial life, collecting and caching Samples, and prepping for future missions.  

This neat video from United Launch Alliance is a quick recap of the rocket action.


I love this photo of technicians Technicians working on the Mars 2020 rover at JPL install the rover motor controller assembly, the electrical heart of the rover's mobility and motion systems.

SPLASHDOWN SET!: We were definitely glued to the television when two astronauts hitched a ride in a brand new SpaceX capsule back on May 30, 2020. The duo on board, Doug Hurley and  Robert Behnken are heading back to Earth this weekend, if everything goes as planned. They'll be dropping back to the Big Blue Marble under parachutes, into the Atlantic Ocean.

A child of the Apollo era, I do love me a splashdown. The shuttle missions of the 80s-00s were important and exciting, of course, but, to me, landing the shuttle like a plane never felt as dramatic as a capsule bobbing in the ocean.

Following is a timeline of the return:
Saturday, August 1, 6:10 a.m. PDT: DM-2 Farewell Ceremony (On Orbit)  
Saturday, August 1, 2:15 p.m. PDT  Preparations and Undocking
Sunday, August 2 11:42 a.m. PDT : Splashdown!
                Watch Here: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive  

All of the events can be viewed here: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

While on board the International Space Station, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley performed tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew. Behnken conducted four spacewalks—and has now conducted ten spacewalks in his career--tying him for the most spacewalks by a U.S. astronaut.