Firefly’s Moon Mission Takes Off
A significant highlight in this week’s space news is the success of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and it carries ten scientific payloads.
One of the most notable instruments onboard is a GPS/GNSS receiver, which has been meticulously tracking signals from Earth-orbiting satellites. All scientific payloads onboard have successfully completed their designated missions. This success is timely, especially considering that the lander is not designed to endure the harsh conditions of the lunar night, which is on the horizon. Firefly’s notable achievement makes it the first commercial entity to execute a successful soft-landing on the Moon, marking a historic achievement in the commercial space sector.
Mixed Results from Intuitive Machines
In contrast, another lunar landing attempt by Intuitive Machines, specifically their NOVA-C robotic lander named Athena, did not go as smoothly. Though it made a somewhat controlled landing, it ended up lying on its side—a failure mode that has become surprisingly common in recent lunar landings.
The week was further marred by the loss of the first private asteroid mining mission and a catastrophic failure during SpaceX’s Starship test flight 8. The Starship exploded shortly after booster separation due to a fire originating in the engine bay, which resulted in a rapid loss of thrust across four of its six engines. This incident left the spacecraft tumbling before it tore itself apart. Fortunately, the returning booster did achieve a third successful catch by the capturing system known colloquially as ‘the chopsticks.’
Printer Troubles: Anti-Consumer Practices Resurface
Shifting gears to a more terrestrial topic, the printer industry finds itself under the microscope yet again due to allegations against Brother Industries. Recently, accusations emerged claiming that the company has been deploying firmware updates that disable printer functionalities when third-party cartridges are detected. This claim comes from Louis Rossman, a notable right-to-repair advocate who has historically praised Brother printers for their reliability against similar practices.
The allegations are primarily based on experiences from a small subset of users, and Brother has denied the claims, maintaining that their firmware does not block third-party ink usage. Brother’s response suggests that those affected may be misunderstanding the troubleshooting process, with an emphasis on using “Brother Genuine supplies” as a standard recommendation.
Consumers are left in a quandary, confronted with the dilemma of purchasing new equipment knowing that many manufacturers are seemingly focused on protecting their profit margins at the expense of consumer rights. For now, the best advice may be to consider inexpensive printers while remaining mindful of the potential issues regarding third-party refills.
DVD Rot: The Unseen Degradation of Media
As technology evolves, media quality persists as a point of concern. Recent examinations have surfaced alarming trends regarding DVD rot, particularly among discs produced by Warner Brothers Discovery between the years 2006 and 2008. The degradation presents as cloudy areas forming on the discs, a phenomenon attributed to the delamination of the polycarbonate layer from its Mylar backing.
This deterioration of physical media, particularly for avid collectors, raises the question of how to safeguard cherished collections going forward. Warner Brothers has acknowledged the issue and has proactively offered replacements for defective discs. However, the worry remains, especially for those protective of their beloved collections.
Nostalgia in Engineering: NASA’s Saturn V Shake Test
Lastly, we take a moment to reflect on the tangible human engagement in one of NASA’s most iconic programs. Back in the 1960s, engineers working on the Saturn V rocket partook in a rather hands-on approach during the full-stack shake test, ensuring that the rocket could endure the vigorous vibrations produced by its engines.
This unique test involved engineers bridging their legs across the gap of the gantry, pushing against the service module to instigate shaking. The process was quite an unconventional yet effective method to validate the integrity of the rocket structure against the dynamic forces it would face during liftoff.
Such physical involvement not only underscores the engineering challenges faced during the Apollo era but highlights the teamwork and innovation integral to NASA’s achievements.
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