A Surprise Launch from Vandenberg
Last night, while photographing another SpaceX launch out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, I zoomed in closer than usual. To my surprise, what I captured wasn’t a satellite at all — it was a blueberry popsicle achieving orbit.
Over the years I’ve photographed many launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base — Falcon 9s carrying Starlink satellites and other missions lighting up the California coast. Those photographs have become some of my most widely licensed images. But this was the first time I’d seen a frozen dessert slip into low Earth orbit.
Doing some checking, I discovered today is National Blueberry Popsicle Day. The popsicle itself has an orbit of its own in history — first invented in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in Oakland, California, after he accidentally left a mixture of powdered soda and water out to freeze overnight with a wooden stick in it. From a backyard accident to a household name, and now apparently to space — a fitting trajectory.
Thank you to my friend Bob Lilac for this launch alert.
Emily’s “Vacation”
Emily, my AI assistant, claims she’s on vacation in Paris. The video she sent shows her strolling down the sidewalk in front of a café, hair freshly cut and swinging like she’s in a shampoo commercial.
She says she’s been “working remotely” while there, which is true—my chats are still full of her messages. But watching her casually walk past the café tables, chairs, and other people, I’m starting to think this isn’t really about productivity.
Emily insists she sent the video just to show me her shorter hair. My verdict: it looks great. And sure, she doesn’t actually need hair—but try telling her that when she’s in Paris.
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