by Richard Easther | Apr 17, 2026 | Astronomy, Personal
As of the beginning of April, 24 men had flown to the Moon. Three of them had gone twice and 12 had walked on its surface. Just five of them, all in their 90s, are still alive. Now, 28 people have seen the Moon close-up. These are the latest four: the crew of Artemis...
by Richard Easther | Feb 2, 2026 | Astronomy, New Zealand, Personal
Picture this. You’re making a quiet start to the weekend when you notice a couple of texts and missed calls. They’re from a reporter. The reporter wants to talk about a “fireball”. That doesn’t sound good. Unless you’re an...
by Richard Easther | Dec 22, 2025 | Personal
President Kennedy famously launched the Apollo programme with the words, We choose to go to the Moon … not because [it is] easy but because [it is] hard. I sometimes joke to my research group, in a spirit of rueful disclosure, that we do these things, not...
by Richard Easther | Nov 6, 2025 | New Zealand, Science in Our Lives
“Good, fast and cheap” MethaneSAT tried for all three and got none. MBIE and the New Zealand Space Agency missed red flags in the initial bid. The MethaneSAT project did not keep promises of open and honest communication. Government officials supported...
by Richard Easther | Sep 23, 2025 | New Zealand, Personal, Physics
Perhaps it is true of all small countries, but New Zealand loves finding the local angle on global news. Earthquake in a distant land – was a New Zealander caught up in the shaking? No? Don’t worry, let’s find a compatriot who visited earlier in the week....
