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Field notes
Guides to the public mapFix a 360-degree right-ascension jump with real Horizons data
Reproduce a real JPL Horizons angle wrap, preserve all 21 source rows, and turn a −359.77216° plotting jump into a +0.22784° step.
Read articleDesigning a correction log that readers can actually follow
Design a correction log that identifies the old and new claim, source, affected material and consequences through a fictional two-step example.
Read the guideSeparating a missing value from a measured zero in launch research
Keep measured zeros separate from missing, rejected and unprocessed values with a six-state worksheet and a worked mean that shows the denominator.
Read the guideHow to cite a changing evidence page in a long-lived article
Build a durable citation for a changing evidence page with its identity, viewed version, observation time, retrieval time and supported claim.
Read the guideIndependent confirmation and repeated copies of the same claim
Trace a launch claim through a five-node source map to distinguish independent observations, shared evidence and repeated announcements.
Read the guideWhat confidence labels need to mean before readers can trust them
Use a confidence-label worksheet to name the claim, evidence, alternatives and limits without turning unvalidated labels into invented probabilities.
Read the guideHow to report a launch scrub without recycling the wrong thermal image
Keep scrub reporting and launch imagery matched to the right attempt with a four-field checklist and a historical Artemis I caption exercise.
Read the guideWhat an editor should request with a cropped satellite image
Review a cropped satellite image with a nine-part handoff checklist covering context, source, time, legend, processing, rights and the proposed claim.
Read the guideWhat a thermal image color bar actually represents
Read a thermal image legend by separating quantity, units and palette. Compare two synthetic color scales and use a five-step interpretation checklist.
Read the guideAttributing an image when the platform and instrument are different
Separate satellite operator, platform, instrument, data provider and visualization author using a NOAA ABI example and a practical attribution worksheet.
Read the guideWriting a thermal-image caption that does not overclaim
Write a thermal-image caption that preserves source, time, display choices and uncertainty, with three hypothetical rewrites and a six-part worksheet.
Read the guideWhy spacecraft pictures can take time to reach Earth
Separate light-travel time, data transfer and public image release using New Horizons’ historical downlink and a three-delay worksheet.
Read the guideWhy spacecraft carry different kinds of antennas
Compare high-gain and low-gain spacecraft antennas, read a conceptual beam diagram and practice a careful reading of Psyche’s antenna inventory.
Read the guideWhat a gravity assist changes about a spacecraft’s journey
Understand gravity assists with two reference frames, a speed-up/slow-down/turn checklist and Cassini’s historical use of planetary and Titan flybys.
Read the guideA missing detection is not proof that no launch occurred
Use an observation-to-publication decision tree to explain what a missing launch result does, and does not, establish.
Read the guideWhich research questions fit a public launch evidence archive?
Match a launch-evidence research question to the sources it needs, with a question-fit worksheet and a bounded historical NASA example.
Read the guide3 ways spacecraft get electrical power
Compare solar arrays, batteries and radioisotope power by sunlight, darkness, duration and recharge, while separating generation from storage.
Read the guideWhy astronauts float while gravity still reaches the space station
Astronauts float because they share the station’s free fall. Explore a shared-fall thought experiment and three checks for a careful caption.
Read the guideWhy rockets turn sideways on the way to orbit
Why orbital rockets build sideways motion as well as height, with a two-path diagram, a gravity-turn explanation and a camera-perspective check.
Read the guide5 milestones between liftoff and satellite deployment
Follow five launch milestones from Max Q to payload separation, with a worksheet showing what each callout confirms and what still needs evidence.
Read the guideWhy rocket launch windows can be so short
Read the difference between a launch period, a daily window and an instantaneous opportunity.
Read the guide6 spaceports that show how different a launch site can be
A launch pad is only one part of a spaceport. These six places make that clear.
Read the guide5 surprising things weather satellites can show beyond clouds
The strange colors in a satellite image may be the point. Here is what five products can reveal.
Read the guide5 countdown terms that make a launch broadcast easier to follow
A frozen countdown can be perfectly ordinary. The label tells you what is happening.
Read the guideLooking for a specific launch?
The public map links each launch to its published evidence record.
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