Once again, cows and astronauts shared the high desert landscape of Babbitt Ranches as NASA, assisted by geologists from USGS, tested equipment, conducted moonwalking drills and practiced geology in preparation for Artemis 3, a crewed mission to the dark lunar south pole region, anticipated for 2026. The cattle seemed untroubled by the slow-moving visitors in spacesuits, a recurring event throughout the last half century. “I smile when I think about my grandad, John Babbitt, a quiet, … [Read more...] about Promoting Space Travel with a Land-Use Ethic
NASA
Babbitt Ranches Supporting Artemis Missions, Promoting Land-Use Ethic on Other Worlds
On land commonly occupied by Hereford cattle, pronghorn antelope and mule deer, a moon rover prototype cruises at a top speed of eight miles per hour near Black Point Lava Flow. It is here on Babbitt Ranches that NASA, Japan’s space program, JAXA, U.S. Geological Survey scientists, along with engineers and technicians, set up a space camp of sorts. They have been preparing for a series of Artemis Missions to enable human exploration of the moon and Mars. The first, the uncrewed Artemis 1, … [Read more...] about Babbitt Ranches Supporting Artemis Missions, Promoting Land-Use Ethic on Other Worlds
Honoring our Values, Living a Life of Thanksgiving
After spending a day in the open spaces of Babbitt Ranches with mission-driven engineers, technicians, geologists, journalists and visionaries from organizations such as NASA, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the U.S. Geological Survey and Babbitt Ranches, I found myself energized, joyful, inspired and grateful to be in this bubble of positive intelligence focused on propelling the human race forward in cooperation and doing so with a land use ethic. In this pop-up aerospace village … [Read more...] about Honoring our Values, Living a Life of Thanksgiving
Moon Rover Continues to Gain Traction
While Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s footsteps have been imprinted on the moon and in world history, the Moon Buggy they explored in left tracks on the lunar surface and also in the imaginations of the news media and fans. At 88, the Northern Arizona man who played a role in designing the buggy prototype continues to be tracked down by the news media and fans. GROVER, or Geology Rover, spends its days in retirement in the U.S. Geological Survey building in Flagstaff. Bill Tinnin, the … [Read more...] about Moon Rover Continues to Gain Traction
From Earth to Space and into NightVisions
Prescott sculptor Joseph McShane’s style might be considered other worldly. He has engaged outer space and the sun to co-create with him and is the first artist to have his work leave this planet and travel with astronauts on board the space shuttle to be created in the vacuum and weightlessness of the space environment. A photograph of his sculpture titled S.P.A.C.E. will be part of NightVisions: Cultural Interpretations of the Night Sky, an exhibition running May 21 through Aug. 27, at the … [Read more...] about From Earth to Space and into NightVisions
Dream Big, Sweet Girls
The searing flash of flames, the ground-shaking vibration, the deafening roar of engines – witnessing a space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is not something easily forgotten, but for Lauren Edgar, it is the stuff dreams are made of. The then-second grader, who came to visit her grandmother in Florida, left her vacation with more than warmth in her heart. Little Lauren’s imagination was on fire. “That moment was pretty significant for me – the realization that there were people … [Read more...] about Dream Big, Sweet Girls
