No significant changes to our physical distancing rules. My wife and I are still doing pretty much what we did when all this started, which was just to give some distance to folks in the grocery or big box stores we visit. However, we still shop in those places and stores like Lowes since it is a good time for home…

I can definitely see that. I do think that applied to docking maneuvers as well until recently, yet Dragon 2 will now be doing that autonomously as well. Do you think the same attitude change to docking could realistically happen to landing as well?

“due to the lack of extensible landing legs”

Technically (although the requirements for NASA might differ given the history of the organization) there is no operator, as landing, docking etc. is fully automated. This is something well within the capabilities of current control systems.

“look at that image up there; they’re using a window-washer style external elevator system to take them the 50 feet or so to the ground. That introduces a lot of potential for accidents and makes going in and out of the lander much more time-consuming.”

Yup, I kind of ruined Subnautica for myself by starting to play it while it was still in alpha. Since this game isn't due for full release till 2021 it will be a long wait, but looks to be worth the wait.

In case anyone is still following this thread, here’s another way to help the USPS, as posted over on Jalopnik:

 However, several botched liftoffs, failed tests, and trashed prototypes later, SpaceX’s future prospects with NASA seem hopeful.

While not as topical these days as hospital ships, IMO the second oldest Navy ship in commission, the USS Pueblo which currently resides in North Korea, is a way more interesting story to read.

Yes, the library systems, I should have mentioned that as well. In our county we have a lot of shut-ins and for many of them, the local libraries provide a service of using the USPS media mail to send these folks books. Another vital service that is near and dear to me, as my father was a big reader right up till his…

Rachel, thank you very much for posting such a great article about the USPS, a service which is so dear to my heart. Americans ought to be up in arms that their elected officials are even considering tinkering with it. I’d rather have my tax dollars used to help support the USPS (and the National Parks) than a lot of…

Mail still has its uses, including mailing packages. 

When someone in a rural area uses their shiny new internet to order something online, it’s the post office who delivers it, not UPS or FedEx—they pass those deliveries off to USPS because they’re not profitable.

Yup, it looked better in its natural orange.

All those launches and I never went outside to watch, since our operations were critical all the way down to T-0. Doesn’t bother me though, I’ve seen my fair share of launches outside and up close.

Yup, a lot of things happened during those years. Sometimes it just blurs together. And it was six presidents, I started working there in 1977.

I was part of the engineering team responsible for the External Tank cryogenic propellant operations. I was on console from just before T-6 hours and counting up through launch or scrub.

Thank you for remembering the first Shuttle flight. Usually every April 12th there are mentions of Gargarin’s flight (as there should be) but nothing about Shuttle. It was just bad luck that we didn’t launch on the 10th, as planned, but a minor glitch pushed us out till the 12th.

I had one of these, but a four door model. No, wait, two of these, one white and one grey. Really liked them. 

Unfortunately it is asshats HOAs like the one in the article that have given HOAs such a bad rap. My wife was the president of our community HOA, but our HOA wasn’t about enforcing whether you could park your work vehicle in a driveway or have your boat trailer past the front edge of your garage.