Jeff Foust has the story of Thursday’s scheduled flight.
If that’s the “biggest thing that NASA is doing this year,” it’s a sad testament to how little the agency is doing.
[Afternoon update]
Sorry, link was missing, fixed now.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
The Next “Space” President
Chris Carberry says it’s time to stop waiting for him (or her).
I agree. The notion that a presidential speech can advance us in space is a remnant of the Apollo Cargo Cult.
Orion
Eric Berger has the latest installment of his series on NASA’s drift (which is likely to become a book, I think):
NASA’s rank-and-file believe America wants a space program pushing outward, and upward.
“We don’t think of our jobs here as white-collar welfare,” Kramer said. “We have a real passion for what we do.”
Of course you don’t. You have to motivate yourself to go to work. But that doesn’t make it untrue.
I weep to think what that billion dollars per year could be doing if applied to something useful.
[Update a while later]
I should note that I have worked on many projects that I considered a pointless waste of money, because it was my job assignment. While I’m probably more cynical than most, I did eventually tire of helping Congress waste the taxpayers’ money, which is why I quit the mainstream industry two decades ago.
Firefly Space
A profile of the new company at Ars Technica.
Interstellar
Just got back from a week in Missouri visiting family, and still haven’t seen the movie. But I see that (miracle of miracles) it’s still playing in IMAX at one theater in LA, just a few minutes away, so going to finally check it out at a matinee today.
[Monday update]
A lot to comment on, but many reviewers have already digested it pretty thoroughly. One comment I haven’t seen is the problem of the psychodynamics of such a long mission with several men and one woman (a problem shared by the original Planet of the Apes movie, though she died en route).
“Seven reasons why I made a Thanksgiving resolution to leave it.”
Most of this crap doesn’t bother me, because I don’t really “use” Facebook much. My blog posts get auto-posted there, but I could count the number of times I’ve manually updated my timeline (if indeed I can recall them, which I can’t) on one hand. I guess that for many less tech literate, Facebook became a substitute for a blog, but I’ve never needed one. And I find Twitter much more useful as a link mine.
Reactionless Drives
I haven’t read it yet, but Charles Platt has a story on recent developments. Also go check out SSI’s web site for how to contribute.
Space Access Update
The latest is out, with thoughts on the recent commercial space setbacks, among other things, including the return of the Space Access Conference next spring.
The DoJ And Sharyl Atkisson
Oopsie. Looks like they released that email to Judicial Watch by accident. Now time to back and demand all the other emails that contained her name that they held back.
Hey, Remember Those “Missing” Emails?
They’re baaaaaack.