iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 21/04/2026

Drove a couple of hours to see a space telescope—this is the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope launching no earlier than September

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 21/04/2026

This was Artemis I’s heat shield. The capsule enters at an angle which creates these marks

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 21/04/2026

This rather creepy photo is Artemis II’s heat shield underwater, as taken by the U.S. Navy. This is the first photo we have of the heat shield, and upon initial examination it doesn’t seem to have the char loss that Artemis I’s had.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 20/04/2026

This wasn't a revolutionary report. Most of this we already knew, it just lays things out more clearly. The one thing I did find super interesting was this -- basically NASA didn't set a uniform spacesuit standard for Artemis contracts and that's a problem. Report: oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/u...

NASA is already encountering compatibility challenges with spacesuit and vehicle designs for future
Artemis missions. Blue Origin requires specific suit information to finalize its Blue Moon Human Landing
System design. To this end, Blue Origin utilized the Agency’s government reference spacesuit interface
design document to develop a don/doff area—where suits are put on and removed. Axiom, the presumed
spacesuit provider, subsequently decided to use a different don/doff connection. For the Axiom
spacesuit to be compatible with the Blue Moon lander, Blue Origin must either make significant changes
to the crew module airlock layout or develop its own don/doff hardware to support Axiom’s design,
potentially increasing the cost to NASA. A uniform spacesuit standard could have mitigated this issue

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 19/04/2026

My friends wanted to celebrate my work on the Artemis II mission so they showed up at my house with a cake with my face on it

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 10/04/2026

Oh and here’s what’s on the back

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 10/04/2026

My 7 year old has been working on something secret for a few days. This afternoon he came into my office with this.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 09/04/2026

If you're confused about skip entry (Artemis I) vs loft entry (Artemis II) for the heat shield (www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...) this imagery from NASA might help:

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 08/04/2026

The Artemis II crew took this photo of the Milky Way. Just look at the breathtaking universe we live in.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 08/04/2026

Look at these kids at a slumber party

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026

I have an article to edit, another article to write, a script to look over edits for and film a video for NG, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WORK TODAY

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026

Look at these dorks I love them so much

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026

And here’s the eclipse photo from Artemis II. I am in tears.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026

Earthset from Artemis II. I am overcome.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026

My favorite person and I are watching the moon together wearing our matching moon pajamas

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 04/04/2026

Also, if you’re wondering what is going on with the daylight in this photo, this is the original:

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 04/04/2026

My breakdown of that AMAZING photo Reid Wiseman took of the Earth, over on Instagram: www.instagram.com/reel/DWrs3IA...

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 03/04/2026

Will I ever get over this image? I don’t think so

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 02/04/2026

Just realized the Deep Space Network is once again communicating with astronauts 😭

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 02/04/2026

Sorry for no updates since launch! Am currently doing CNN. Currently watching Mark and Scott Kelly

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

Oh look it's-a me on the BBC website

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

People think covering a NASA launch is super glamorous but it’s usually more “eating an adult lunchable out of a cooler in the trunk of your car” than it is rocket launches. Can’t beat that view though.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

And now I don’t know what’s going on beside I am in an endless line to buy a souvenir for my kiddo

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

It’s a mockup—this is the simulator from when I was in Houston

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

Here’s the actual simulator from when I was in Houston

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/04/2026

I’m currently at the NASA press site where I’ll be for the next 12-14 hours

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 31/03/2026

Always nice to come back to this view at the nasa press site!

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 19/02/2026

Core stage appears to be fully fueled with LH2.

Core stage: Liquid oxygen 86%
Liquid hydrogen: 100%

ICPS:
Liquid oxygen 0%
Liquid hydrogen 39%

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 26/09/2025

I was going through my pictures from the Artemis II press event with my 6 year old (we do this for every space-related business trip I go on) and we got to this picture, and he asked what it was. I explained it’s the leading edge of a Space Shuttle wing (and what that means.)

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 12/09/2025

Also I finished this sweater yesterday!

Chunky turtleneck knit sweater in a pale yellow with cables on the front

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 25/08/2025

I finished my son’s Star Wars sweater over the weekend!!!

Blue and white Star Wars sweater showing R2-D2 sleeve details

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 23/08/2025

I’ve been working on a sweater for my Star Wars obsessed 6 year old for awhile now and I’m so close to being done. Currently seaming on the sleeves, then it’s just the collar.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 15/08/2025

FAA has closed the mishap investigation into SpaceX's Starship Flight 9, which clears the way for Flight 10. (screenshot is from an email from the FAA)

FAA Statement
The FAA-required investigation of the SpaceX Starship Flight 9 mishap is closed. There are no reports of public injury or damage to public property. The FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation. The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle as a failure of a fuel component. SpaceX identified corrective actions to prevent a reoccurrence of the event.
SpaceX can now proceed with Starship Flight 10 launch operations under its current license.

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 08/08/2025

Look who we're talking to right now, all at the same time.

Deep space network screenshot showing that we're talking to Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and JWST at the the same time

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 01/06/2025

Aurora alert! It’s possible the aurora boralis may be visible tonight as far south as Alabama. Start looking tonight after dark around 10 pm (I’ve attached both the NOAA and University of Alaska maps, the former is always very conservative with view lines) www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/...

Fairbanks map showing view line into FL)

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 20/04/2025

(Also hi we spent a week at the beach and it was LOVELY)

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 11/04/2025

Gotta say I am really enjoying this period of texting @runwithskizzers.bsky.social every wild thing my kid says about Star Wars

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 09/04/2025

The theme of this newsletter:

But. Again. Where is the money going to come from?

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 25/03/2025

Genuinely: A perfect example of what I’m talking about. Everyone assumes that when I talk about harassment over SpaceX, I get it from the right. That’s not actually my experience as much these days. (Please do not track this person down, I blacked out the identifying info for a reason.)

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 25/03/2025

But in other news, my kiddo is SUPER into Star Wars and I just started him on Clone Wars (he loved the movie), MY TIME HAS COME (He’s home sick today)

Kiddo watching the first ep of Clone Wars on his iPad

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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 10/03/2025

However it was more than worth it to be there for my grandmother’s 94th birthday celebration!!

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