#lunar outpost

[lonestarflight]

Early Program Development

"This 1970 artist's concept shows the Nuclear Shuttle and Space Tug operating in conjunction with other spacecraft to support lunar exploration. Marshall Space Flight Center plans during the late 1960s for lunar orbital and surface bases required extensive logistics operations in lunar orbit."

Date: 1970

NASA ID: 9902061

[realspaceships]

Nereus Terminal by GTGRAPHICS.DE

[trekzone]

Russia and China's Lunar Nuclear Reactor

They're not the only ones thinking of the nuclear option...

Director General of Russia’s Space Agency Yury Borisov told Russian state media that the project would be undertaken without the presence of humans and that the necessary technology to make it happen is almost ready. Nuclear powered rockets are also set to be used to transfer cargo to the lunar outpost, but the necessary construction methods for those are yet to be finalised. NASA is…

[discordiansamba]

also I was thinking about the displaced rebel AU and specifically about Keith from the peaceful reality and just the fact that he probably takes a lot of missions that end up with him doing longer stints in space. There's just something about being out in space that makes him feel more alive. He's not sure what it is, but he always feels it keenly whenever he returns to Earth. Like space is calling to some part of him in a way he can't explain.

[spacenutspod]

Prepare to navigate the celestial frontiers on today's episode of Astronomy Daily - The Podcast, where host Anna takes us on a cosmic expedition beyond Earth's atmosphere.  Revel in the anticipation of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft as it gears up for a momentous crewed launch, marking a new chapter in space travel history.  Witness the sky's canvas painted with the rare and vibrant hues of an extraordinary aurora, a spectacle born from the sun's potent flares. We'll also delve into SpaceX's relentless launch cadence, from expanding the Starlink constellation to secretive national security missions.  The episode doesn't stop there; we explore the United States Space Force's innovative Foo Fighter program, designed to track advanced missile threats from orbit. Finally, we'll update you on the construction of the Gateway space station, humanity's future lunar outpost and a symbol of international collaboration in space habitation. 1. **Starliner's Spacebound Ambition**: Boeing's CST-100 Starliner readies for a historic crewed journey. 2. **Auroral Extravaganza**: The global spectacle of a rare and powerful aurora. 3. **SpaceX's Launch Leaps**: A look at SpaceX's rapid-fire missions and their impact on satellite deployment and national security. 4. **Space Force's Sentinel**: The Foo Fighter program's advanced missile tracking satellites. 5. **Gateway to the Moon**: Progress on the Gateway space station, a stepping stone for lunar exploration. Join us as we soar through these stories, marveling at the achievements and aspirations that propel us toward the stars. For an immersive experience of the cosmos, visit our website at astronomydaily.io, and join the conversation on X (@AstroDailyPod) for daily updates and celestial camaraderie.  Until our next stellar encounter, this is Anna reminding you to keep your eyes on the skies and your spirit of discovery alive. Clear skies and cosmic wonder to all our fellow space enthusiasts! This episode is brought to you with the support of our galactic sponsors including NordPass...the password manager we use and you will fall in love with. Check out our special deal by visiting www.bitesz.com/nordpass.  Check out our website for more exclusive deals on the tools we use and recommend that reach for the stars.

[lewbornmann]

Moving Outward

Moving Outward

It seems to me…. “… And when he (man) has conquered all the deeps of space and all the mysteries of time, still he will be beginning.  And if we’re no more than animals we must snatch each little scrap of happiness and live and suffer and pass, mattering no more than all the other animals do or have done.  It is this or that: all the universe or nothing… Which shall it be?”  ~ H.G. Wells[1] from…

[spaceexp]

The three habitable modules currently being developed for the Artemis program's lunar surface outpost

(by AresVIX/reddit)

[clockys-soul]

A collection of some of the Wyverns in my story!

Some lore:

Whiteout is a Icereaper bonded to Gwendolyn Duratus, he’s playful with Gwen most times but tends to get more cranky if there are other people or dragons around. He is the brother of Blizzard.

Redmaw is a female Flamereaper bonded to Hades Ardor, she’s battle-hardened and was rather aggressive in her youth. However now that she has aged she has become less aggressive. She is mother to Doombringer and Grandmother to Soultaker.

Glacier is a female, Elder Hail/Frostreaper, she the second oldest of the Duratus Wyverns and bonded to Ullr Duratus, the family elder. She is still a rather quick fighter even in her almost 150 years of life. She seems to have laid only one clutch in her lifetime.

Nightfang is a male Blood/Nightreaper, he is bonded to Ex-mercenary Jean, he is curious and temperamental. He has sired Frostbite and Snowfall with Snowstorm.

Inferno is a male Ember/Flamereaper (Flameborn), he is bonded to Pyrrha Ardor (Also Flameborn), he is aggressive and temperamental towards all but Pyrrha. He was sired by a wild Flamereaper and Warhaze.

Borealis is a male Snowreaper, bonded to Aurora Duratus, he is usually very calm but whenever Aurora feels uneasy he becomes more aggressive.

Vindr is a female Boltreaper, she is bonded to Aesir Fulgur, a traitor to Archaios. She is just as mean and aggressive as her rider.

Paleskull is a male Ember/Ghostreaper bonded to a merc called Vendetta, he is almost completely blind but rarely misses his target.

Skullcrusher is a female elder Magmareaper bonded to a man simply known as "The Brute", just like her rider she is stoic and deadly, large enough to dwarf almost all the Ardor/Duratus/Fulgur Wyverns, and with scales thick enough to withstand all kinds of damage.

Green Fang is a female elder Grovereaper bonded to the Forest elf chieftain Ashwangandha, she always sticks close to him but is not really aggressive until she needs to be.

Warhaze is a female Emberreaper, bonded to Pyrrha's father, Ares Ardor. She is very quick to display anger but still calmer than Inferno by a lot.

Overcast is a female Stormreaper, she’s bonded to Heimdall Fulgur and very loyal, sticking very close to him as much as she can but she’s a fierce fighter and has taken out other Wyverns before.

Sea Ghost is a very old female Seareaper with oddly pale scales, she very docile and preys on fish mostly, she usually longed not far from Auras capital city by the shore there, some Sea elves go to feed her every now and then.

Equinox is a male Nightreaper bonded to Nyx Lunar of the Temple of Fengari and his night. He is calm and collected most times but does insist on pets as compensation for being so calm all the time.

Geyser is a male Ember/Seareaper bonded to a woman named Llyr, she too is a mercenary hired by Aionios, she and her beloved mount are currently taking out Sea elf outposts on small islands moving towards the continent of Archaios.

[mysticstronomy]

WILL HUMANS EVER GO TO MARS??

Blog#417

Wednesday, July 10th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Mars has called to us since ancient times. To humans across the eons, the red-tinted speck glinting in the night sky has garnered special attention, with myths and legends wound around its possible ties to Earth. As we observed Mars with telescopes, this fondness graduated into a scientific fascination.

Within only about the last half century, as science has continued to advance, we gained the ability to land scientific instruments on the Red Planet. Beginning with the Viking probes in 1976 and continuing through the Perseverance rover and its flying companion, the Ingenuity helicopter drone, this robotic exploration has allowed humans to discover complex secrets of Mars.

But this is far from the end of our ambitions. Indeed, humans have planned crewed missions to Mars since at least as far back as the 1950s. Scientists and CEOs alike have crafted intricate ideas to establish a presence on the Red Planet, ranging from small-scale research outposts to major settlements. Elon Musk’s plans to put a million people on Mars stand as a particularly bold example.

Yet even with all the money and influence being poured into the goal of putting boot prints in the Martian regolith, there remain considerable doubts that we will ever actually get there. Between economic and ecological problems mounting here on Earth and the major challenges facing even the most basic mission to send humans to Mars, the impetus to spend the money necessary to fund such an initiative has ebbed with the political tides perhaps more so than any other space mission.

But the fascination remains, and the call of Mars is still as loud as it was to the futurists of the past. There seems to be something of a destiny in this call that makes it all but inevitable that humans will one day step down onto the surface of Mars, much as we once first stepped onto the surface of the Moon.

This history itself is instructive. In the earliest days of the Space Race, many people thought it inevitable that humans would one day set foot on the lunar surface, even if it took decades as opposed to the scant few years promised by visionaries like John F. Kennedy. But the illusion of inevitability is not proof of its existence in fact, as many failed predictions through history have shown.

Even the Moon landings were subject to faulty predictions. The New York Times’ 1920 declaration that rockets could not fly through space due to the lack of air comes readily to mind. Yet on July 21, 1969, two men from Earth stepped onto the surface of the Moon, proving all but the most determined doubters wrong. Will their spiritual successors at NASA and other space agencies one day follow suit on Mars? The first person to step on Mars likely walks among us now, and their moment in history may be coming soon.

Originally published on https://www.astronomy.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, July 13th, 2024)

"WHAT IS THE COLDEST PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM??"

[660percent]

Lunar Outpost

requested by @unnamedpebble

plus a bonus one ::)

[just--space]

Shadows at the Moons South Pole : Was this image of the Moon's surface taken with a microscope? No -- it's a multi-temporal illumination map made with a wide-angle camera. To create it, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft collected 1,700 images over a period of 6 lunar days (6 Earth months), repeatedly covering an area centered on the Moon's south pole from different angles. The resulting images were stacked to produce the featured map -- representing the percentage of time each spot on the surface was illuminated by the Sun. Remaining convincingly in shadow, the floor of the 19-kilometer diameter Shackleton crater is seen near the map's center. The lunar south pole itself is at about 9 o'clock on the crater's rim. Crater floors near the lunar south and north poles can remain in permanent shadow, while mountain tops can remain in nearly continuous sunlight. Useful for future outposts, the shadowed crater floors could offer reservoirs of water-ice, while the sunlit mountain tops offer good locations to collect solar power. via NASA

[pmpmyread]

Ergo Sum // A Destiny 2 fanfic

My contribution to #Destinytober24 for the Ergo Sum prompt!

Summary: In which Eris Morn thinks, therefore she is. Pairing: The Drifter x Eris Morn Content Tags: SFW, Slow Romance, Hurt/Comfort. Eris reflects on Hive godhood, Drifter cooks, Ikora Rey is mentioned. Takes place shortly after the events of Season of the Witch. WC: 3.5k [Also on AO3]

As she strode along the path that paralleled the abandoned human outpost now known as the Anchor of Light, Eris Morn tightened the collar of her cloak, shielding herself from the brisk gusts of crisp lunar night air. For the second time within the hour, she contemplated retracing her steps back to her quarters; for the second time, she submitted to the small voice within her that urged her to keep going.

Today marked two weeks since she’d self-secluded herself to her old stomping grounds, three since her final transformation back from the Hive form she’d borrowed.

“Tea and silence,” she had told the Guardian, expressing her simplest yet most sincere desires following her daunting undertaking.

Ikora Rey had prescribed some much-needed time off the field for her dear friend, and for the first time since she could remember, Eris had actually heeded her advice, taking what must have been her first true break from any Vanguard, or Hive-related activities since she emerged from the Hellmouth all those years ago.

And so, much to the Warlock Vanguard’s relief, Eris found herself facing the opportunity to indulge in copious amounts of tea, accompanied by a few days of serene silence, the likes of which she had not experienced in decades.

This made Ikora’s guilt even more apparent when she had to call Eris into the Tower for help on yet another crisis, a mere few days later.

“I would not dare interrupt your much-deserved rest,” Ikora had said, her dismay audibly apparent to Eris. “However, I’m afraid this recent development requires your expertise, and it unfortunately cannot wait.”

The whirlwind of events that followed involved the discovery of an Ahamkara egg by the Guardian, the subsequent unveiling of a fifteenth and final wish, and a multiple hours-long planning session with Ikora and Mara Sov.

As much as she’d wished it to be unlikely, the realization of Savathûn having at least one card left in her sleeve did not surprise Eris. Over her last years of comprehensive research supplemented by her short yet consequential stint as a Hive god, she had grown intimate with their logics, their rules, and their decrees. She was cognizant of the weight her strikes against both Savathûn and Xivu Arath carried, of the grievous offence that her gambit constituted. But where Xivu’s moves could be more predictable, it was Savathûn’s next ploy that truly kept Eris agitated, particularly considering this new twist, which veered off anything she could have anticipated.

Throughout the day, she had served as the voice of reason, and attempted to counterbalance her more reckless colleagues; the Warlock Vanguard and the Awoken Queen had both become so engrossed with crossing the portal into the Pale Heart that Eris felt like they were no longer hearing her. She feared they were moving perhaps too quickly, without carefully evaluating all angles of the situation before them.

Ikora had briefly acknowledged her reservations while also citing the contingency they had in Immaru’s captivity. While Eris agreed with this, a smaller, shrill voice sounded an alarm, as she could not help but wonder, deep down: what if they were playing right into a larger subterfuge by the Hive god of cunning?

Following a long day of deliberation, the three of them settled on a sensible, albeit not ideal course of action, one that relegated Eris to off-site support, assigned Osiris as the Vanguard liaison, and involved Mara striking a bargain with Riven.

As calm and measured as she had managed to remain throughout the day’s events, extinguishing some of the fires Mara and Ikora risked starting with their more radically imperative approach, Eris had left the meeting in shrouded disquiet.

It was in this frame of mind that she’d made her way towards the Derelict parked by the Tower’s annex, a scheduled stop to attend what had unofficially become a weekly dinner with the Drifter, an inadvertent routine that had settled between them.

The rogue Lightbearer would have all the ingredients out in his kitchen area; Eris would meticulously prep the ingredients, and the Drifter would dexterously transform them into delectable dishes over which the pair would lend a supportive ear to one another. Their growing relationship was ever the odd contradiction, and yet, over time, they had grown familiar and even comfortable within this complementary dance.

That evening, it was over a warm bowl of pineapple fried rice that he had granted her the space she needed, as she unloaded weeks of pent-up worries and doubts. She verbalized her warring thoughts, describing the mental crash she’d felt after reaching the inimitable high of achieving an apotheosis-fuelled level of vengeance, only to be thrown out of the ashes of one conflict, straight into another. She confided her unease with the constant increase in stakes of the escalation in risks as they barrelled towards an inevitability, one she needed not to spell out to the Drifter, who had listened intently before chiming in.

As she relived the tenderness by which he’d crossed the implicit physical barrier between them for the first time, pulling her into a comforting hug, her breath hitched ever so slightly.

“I remember what you said. I think about it more than I should these days.”

“What did I say?”

“That we’ll live in the night if we have to. We do it for what comes after.”

As she replayed this part of his exchange with the Drifter in her mind, which had opened with his considerate and appropriate usage of her own past advice into the current context to assuage her, her brisk walk along Archer’s Line slowed to a trudge.    

“So this is where you wish to be,” she said cautiously. “At the end of all things?”

“Nowhere else.”    

“No more schemes to leave Sol?”

Weeks removed from the moment, Eris could still vividly remember her futile attempts to mask the nervousness beneath her composed facade as she clung to him, the tremors in her voice and her fingers as she heard herself ask a sincere question that she tried - and failed- to disguise as a playful quip, the bated breath she was holding as if everything inside her balanced on the edge of some invisible cliff waiting for his answer.

“Nah,” he said, and looked into her eyes. “I’d miss the moonlight.”

She would have replied if she could have trusted herself to speak. Instead, she’d stood in stunned silence, heat creeping up to her face in response to his quiet confession, just as it was now, quickly counteracting any cooling effect from the cool lunar night air.

When had the Drifter managed to disarm her so efficiently?

She’d found herself, in the two weeks that followed, pondering on this question as she clutched what was more often than not a warm cup of Sencha green tea. Once upon a time, when they both still only circled each other warily, Eris would have dismissed his usual flighty comments with ease.

The familiarity that had since settled between them, symptomatic of their budding bond which had only strengthened since their Stasis training on Europa and during which they’d both served as each other’s support system, had strengthened far beyond simply dispelling the formalities that kept them at a distance.

As much as Eris hated to admit it, and despite her best attempts at resistance, the Drifter had carefully chiseled his way through the guarded exterior she’d carefully built over the years in an overabundance of caution. She’d indulged herself in allowing herself to grow closer to him, under the self-imposed condition that she’d only allow him to see what she wanted him to see.

If the uncharacteristic boldness with which she’d reciprocated the Drifter’s overtures on that evening revealed anything, it was that she was more than willing to let him see a very vulnerable side of her.

On this, she surprised even herself.  

Eris could not pinpoint whether it was her final transformation back to herself, marking the closing of the proverbial chapter or the rare, extended time off alone with the disjointed thoughts tearing through her brain. But the first time since she emerged from the Hellmouth all those years ago, she now envisioned a real possibility of a tangible future for herself, which came with an equally genuine fear of losing it.

And this juxtaposition terrified her, more than any confrontation she may have with the forces of both Xivu Arath and Savathûn, combined.

As such, in the two weeks that followed, she found herself avoiding the Tower altogether, opting instead to stick to her lunar quarters in solitude, only venturing within the vicinity of her abode as needed. Doubt overwhelmed her mind, as thoughts crowded in, a long succession of them jostling each other, only pausing punctually to make way for the pangs of guilt she felt about breaking the streak for what would have marked a full month of weekly dinners with the Drifter; she’d resorted to withdrawing, citing sudden busyness, which constituted, even if technically through omission, a clouded lie.

A dry, humorless chuckle escaped her lips as the realization crossed her mind. Here she was; a woman who was once akin to a god, yet seemingly unable to face the matters of her own heart.

Part of her missed her stint as a Hive god. It was not the heady feeling of pure, unadulterated power, nor the mental patrolling of the fault line between control and madness nor even the inimitable satisfaction and sated vengeance derived from besting not one but two Hive gods in a single movement that she longed for. It was the momentary feeling of mental clarity and fearlessness that overtook her and which contrasted with the state of doubt she currently felt.

What she’d initially planned to be a short, brisk walk to and back from the landing zone that neighboured her quarters to clear her mind had turned into an impromptu self-imposed patrol on the Moon. The familiar outline of the craterous structure that formed out on the horizon brought her out of her reverie as she realized that her mindless walking had led her to the Hellmouth.

By force of habit, Eris took the exact path she’d taken on her very first patrol in the area, one she had committed to memory and had taken on countless occasions since. This instance, however, differed vastly from that initial mission.

Where Hive once hovered around the underground fortress in large groups, their numbers had since dwindled to a fraction of what they once were.

Where there would habitually be Hive acolytes hovering over Eris, adding to the cacophony of the Nightmares that stalked her relentlessly, there was instead a notable retreat within the combatant forces.

Instead of shrinking back into herself, Eris now stood taller, exuding a newfound sense of confidence evident in her posture and confident strides.

Her recent victory against the Osmium dynasty marked a stoppage of a long continuous, it delineated an era shrouded by an ordeal that preceded her emergence from the Hellmouth all those years ago from am. She truly was changed. Perhaps it was time to accept this.

She spotted the familiar rock shelter up ahead, quickening her pace as she entered the secluded area undetected. As she did, she brushed her fingers alongside the right-hand wall, taking the time to feel the ridges she had committed to memory long ago.

To the unknowing eye, it appeared to be a cavern, formed by what must have been aeolian erosion centuries ago. To Eris, it represented much more, having served as her first refuge on the Moon’s surface upon her emergence from the Hellmouth all those years ago.

She settled herself down, sitting on a slightly elevated rocky structure that had once served as a makeshift cot during her initial patrols on the Moon. She subconsciously fished out her Ahamkara bone from the pouch she’d stored it in, losing herself in the mesmerizing glow that emanated from it.

Cold.

Injured.

Lost.

Armed with nothing but the Ahamkara bone in her left hand and Brya’s now Lightless shell in her right, Eris leans her back against the closest wall in an attempt to situate herself. She can physically feel her body running out of the pure adrenaline that has kept her going so far, replacing any hope that had long since evaporated.

There is no way out.

She slinks down to the ground as she begins to accept this. She knows she is close to the end because, for the first time, her mind ventures not to rehash the past but to imagine a far future, of a faraway dream, an inkling of an idea, an unattainable alternate reality. In what she is sure to be her final moments, she dares to wish something greater for herself of a world where she would not only survive this ordeal, but get a chance at a life worth living. This thought spurs her to instinctively give the bone a light squeeze, eliciting an immediate reaction from it.

“Well, well. Eris Morn,” the bone whispers back to her, calling her by name, beckoning her. Eris stares back at it, drawn by its illuminating glow. When she does not respond, it calls out again.

“Eris…?” This time, more hesitantly, as though it is posing a question.

“Eris!” This time, the distorted voice betrays an undertone of urgency and worry.

A gentle squeeze of her shoulder sent a jolt through her body. Her eyes flew open and her chest rose and fell as she attempted to reorient herself. Eris blinked bewilderedly for a few seconds, scanning the area as her brain registered that she was back in the alcove and realizing that she’d dozed off, that the juxtaposition of her rock and the location must have had transported her mind back to those difficult moments in the corridors underneath the Hellmouth.

It was not until the hand released the grip on her shoulder that Eris turned her attention to her unexpected guest, who she now realized was sitting a bit too close for comfort, in typical Drifter fashion. With a slight tilt of his head, an air of amusement quickly replaced the slightest hint of worry that had settled on the rogue Lightbearer’s expression, but not before Eris noticed it.

How long had she been out? How long had he been here? How did he even find her? The questions crowded her clouded mind, jostling each other to reach the head of the line before she settled on one.

“What are you doing here?” Eris asked.

“Well hello to you too, Moondust!” He replied.

“It appears I was lost in… thought,” she said, more to herself than for him to hear, still visibly shaken by the vividness of her memory.

“You sure look out of it, you know, even more than usual!”

“Hmm. And what is that supposed to mean? ”

“Oh, nothing at all!” He stood up in what seemed to be an effort to change the topic, sauntering about the small alcove, brushing his fingers across the wall as he closed the small distance between himself and leaning his back against the opposite wall.

“It’s a nice little nook you’ve got yourself here! A shame I didn’t get to bring a housewarming gift.”

Eris narrowed her eyes at him, trying but failing to come up with a clever retort, a common occurrence as of late.

Both Guardians stared out at the Hellmouth’s entrance in the distance as a stillness settled between them, with nothing but the lunar night breeze serving as background sound. The Drifter shifted his feet, pulling Eris’ attention back to him. His eyes were unfocused, seemingly lost in his own thoughts in a rare and uncharacteristic moment of silence.

Eris retraced the events of the day that led her in this predicament, which had resulted in her sharing, in a moment of mutual contemplation, what had grown to become her little secluded and sacred area with the man she’d been too scared to face for the better part of two weeks.

And yet, oddly enough, in this moment of peace, none of it felt out of place.

She’d taken some distance from it, and god knows she needed it. But in relishing in the comfort that settled within her, a testament to their unspoken connection, Eris also realized how much she’d missed this.

“Tell me, Germaine, how did you find me?” She asked, mustering up the courage to break the comfortable silence.

When he turned to her, it was with an unreadable expression. She wanted to avert her gaze, but found herself incapable of looking away.  

“Three times I went back to that desolate world. Even trekked up within sight of that damn structure, where everything went haywire.”

He didn’t need to elaborate for Eris to understand that he was referring to the incidents surrounding the demise of the crew of humans-turned-guardians he’d traveled with hundreds of years ago, in his early days as a Guardian, a narrative she’d managed to place together through the bits and pieces he’d slowly but surely shared with her as they became more open with each other.

He continued, “Point being, in times of crisis, it’s common to gravitate to something more familiar, however disturbing it may be. You’ve been through a lot lately. I thought to myself, what better place than the Hellmouth for the for the former hive god of vengeance to reflect on her reign?”

His monologue left her speechless. Had she been that easy to read? That train of thought was interrupted when the Drifter came into view, leaning towards her.

“Actually, I tried about seven other locations before getting here. I was just on the point of giving up!” He added.

Eris searched his eyes for a hint of a vestige of the candor he’d just displayed, but the moment appeared to have just escaped her. She nonetheless held onto Drifter’s train of thought, and, as she often did these days when talking with him, felt compelled to elaborate on it.

“I’ve spent so much of my years focusing on survival. I’m just now having to re-learn how to live. Sitting back from this mission with Riven, it’s… forced me to rest and exist in this vacuum of space between wars. I’ve been putting much thought into everything, in this time of low distraction. I’ve contended with darkness for so long that it feels almost familiar, and comfortable. Only now am I getting the chance to wonder what sits on the other side of victory?”  

“Look Moondust, I don’t know what sits on the other side, but I’m sure hopeful. We’ve had such a solid run lately. I’m thinking there’s a universe where we run off most of our threats and that hope turns into reality.”

"And what happens when the threats to this hope are no longer external, when this threat now lives within you?"

“In that case, you neutralize that threat, too. And if you can help it,” he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder, “You don’t go at it alone.” And this, so far, was his only allusion to Eris’ recent avoidance of him. Not a reproach, but an invitation.

Even through his thick gloves, the warmth that emanates from his hand sends a comforting warmth through Eris’ body, a sensation that she could only describe as feeling as home.

She was just basking in the moment when he suddenly stood to his feet and picked up two bags she hadn’t noticed were at his feet.

“So, uh, we’re behind one dinner night. Figured we could have it at yours instead of mine.” He said in a cheerful tone that contrasted the serious one he held a few seconds ago, in yet another instance that had Eris wondering if she’d ever get used to his unmatched ability to transition between moods.

“Are you asking or are you inviting yourself?” She asked.

“I’ve seen your attempts at cooking. You and I both know you haven’t had a decent grub in days secluded out here in your quarters. And that you could use both the meal and the leftovers.”

“You are insufferable.” Was the only thing Eris could find to say, as she quickly rose and ducked out of the cave, in an attempt to mask how truly touched she was by Drifter’s gesture.

“I think the words you’re looking for are: Thanks, Drifter!” He called out to Eris, as he took long strides to catch up to her.

“Do not let this get to your head.” She replied, pulling her cloak up to hide the faint smile that was tugging at the corner of her lips.

As soon as they reached Eris’ quarters, the Drifter got to work. He expertly maneuvered around her small space, making an effective cooking station out of her otherwise cramped kitchenette.

As Eris observed the Guardian whose reputation starkly clashed with the man beneath the mask, her thoughts flitted once again, this time to this fire-forged partnership put to the test of a near domestic normalcy.

To what was once such a distant dream echoed while she had her back against the wall, ideas desperately held on to as she resolutely clutched her Ahamkara bone. This time, it was all configured under a different light.

Warm.

Healing.

Seen.

A/N: Massive thanks to @d2artevents for picking up the mantle and hosting #Destinytober24 this year!

[realspaceships]

Gateway to the Moon by Tobias Roestch

GTGRAPHICS

[marzipanandminutiae]

For the AU game: Carmilla (book or webseries version, your choice) + space opera

Oh, I'm not sure I know how to do a space opera. My main knowledge of the genre is from Jupiter Ascending.

Perhaps Carmilla is some kind of intergalactic vampire running a scam with her vampire mother where they pretend their ship has crashed near some unlikely victim at an isolated outpost on a backwater planet? Laura's father is some sort of officer in the Earth army, but they were sent to a mountainous moon named after Styria, Austria due to its terrain and now they live in an over-the-top manor on the side of a dusty lunar slope.

Of course, instead of the vampire hunters winning, Laura steals her father's ship and helps Carmilla escape. And then it turns out there's some type of prophecy involved. A masquerade ball has to happen, possibly with very drapey diaphanous gowns in a low-gravity room.

[spacetimesally]

A lunar outpost pings a lonely tone in a feeble cry for help, but a deserted ground control yields little in the way of answers, except for a foreboding message scratched into the wall reading "LEAV" and signs of a chaotic struggle having taken place, in, 'Spookered'

[head-post]

China to launch mission to moon’s “hidden” side

China would launch a robotic spacecraft on a round trip to the back side of the moon in the coming days, Reuters reported.

The journey will be the first of three technically challenging missions paving the way for the first landing of a Chinese crew and the establishment of a base at the lunar south pole.

Since the first Chang’e mission in 2007, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China has made great strides in lunar exploration, narrowing the technological gap with the United States and Russia.

In 2020, China brought back samples from the near side of the moon for the first time in over forty years. The mission verified that the country could safely return an unmanned spacecraft to Earth from the lunar surface.

China is expected to launch Chang’e-6 this week using the 2020 mission’s backup spacecraft and collect soil and rocks from the moon’s back side, which is permanently facing away from Earth.

With no direct line of sight to Earth, Chang’e-6 will rely on the recently launched relay satellite orbiting the moon. The same satellite will support the unmanned Chang’e-7 and 8 missions in 2026 and 2028 respectively, when China will begin exploring the south pole in search of water and building a rudimentary outpost with Russia.

China aims to send its astronauts to the moon by 2030.

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