All posts by Rand Simberg
Ukraine And Space
Thoughts on the implications of the invasion, from Bob Zimmerman.
[Friday-morning update]
The repercussions of this for the space industry could be broad and unforeseeable.
It was always a mistake to make ourselves so reliable on Russian/Ukrainian hardware.
[Afternoon update]
Ukrainian invasions have affected our own space policies in the past.
As Jeff notes, if the Russians pull out of ISS, their human spaceflight program wouldn’t have much to do.
[Mid-afternoon update]
Yet.
[Saturday-morning update]
Eric Berger runs through the potential implications for space.
The Ukraine Debacle
…showcases Joe Biden’s failures.
[Thursday-afternoon update]
The Ukraine invasion was the result of a quarter century of appeasement.
[Update a couple minutes later]
From June through last month, I had been working with a bunch of young Ukrainians in Kiev (men and women). I suspect that some of them have enlisted. And the Russians are protesting the war in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Good News
Regulatory agencies are barred from considering climate change in their rulemaking.
P.J. O’Rourke
RIP. He will be missed.
Little-known fact: He was a big fan of space. He was on the board of The Space Foundation. He never used email, but I sent some stuff to him once via his wife, and he wrote a nice letter thanking me.
[Update late afternoon]
John Podhoretz remembers him.
[Update Wednesday morning]
This kind of thing is why he was a national treasure.
[Monday update]
Matt Labash remembers him, as does Jonathan Last.
[Bumped]
Getting Their Own Ride
By the time Europe could develop its own crew launcher, it would be past obsolete (just as Ariane 6 is). They should be focusing on getting around in space with their own vehicles, not getting there.
[Monday-morning update]
Problem solved! Russia is offering to provide them with rocket independence.
[Bumped]
The Anniversary
Thoughts On Academic Freedom
It’s always for me, and not for thee.
That NYT Ad About J.K. Rowling
Climate Risk
How we’ve mischaracterized it.
I’ve noticed that in public-policy areas in which we do a crap job of risk assessment/tradeoffs, it is areas in which there are policy agendas independent of the actual issues.