Category Archives: Business

Sorry about that. I’d activated a plugin that apparently didn’t play nice, then had to run out for meetings. Things should be back to normal now.

[Late-Evening update]

I understand that some people are having trouble posting comments. I can’t deal with that until tomorrow morning (Pacific time).

Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Space, Technology and Society

How to get Back To The Moon By 2024

May 14, 2019 Rand Simberg 1 Comment

Make it a one-way trip.

So I'm having an interesting discussion with @ericgregersen about how to get someone on the moon by 2024. Easiest way to do it would be to not bring them back (at least not immediately). You want a sustainable presence, start out sustaining it.
— SafeNotAnOption (@SafeNotAnOption) May 14, 2019

Remove the need to return them immediately and everything gets much easier. Apollo was hard because Kennedy required "return him safely to the earth. Remove that requirement, and things can get interesting.
— SafeNotAnOption (@SafeNotAnOption) May 14, 2019

Basically, you'd just need to periodically resupply with food, water, LiOH, etc., just like ISS. No need to even have suits or EVA. It would be a partial-gravity research lab. Put off the rest for later. Recycling urine would be easier than ISS with some gravity.
— SafeNotAnOption (@SafeNotAnOption) May 14, 2019

So, how much does that change requirements? It means no need for ascent on the lander, or entry from TEI. It’s probably a Falcon Heavy mission. We eliminate the initial need for a suit, too. Hardest part would be how to resupply without EVA capability.

Could NASA do it? Probably not, politically, but a private expedition could.

Business, Economics, Education, Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

AOC’s Apocalypse

May 13, 2019 Rand Simberg 10 Comments

Hey, stupid conservatives, I was just kidding. Why can’t you take a joke?

[Update a few minutes later]

Thoughts from Treacher.

Business, Economics, Space, Technology and Society

Blue Moon

May 9, 2019 Rand Simberg 39 Comments

Bezos is supposed to make a major announcement today in DC (half an hour from now), but apparently it won’t be live streamed, and only a few select reporters have been invited. Reportedly, Mark Sirangelo, the new guy at NASA in charge of moon return, is present. Meanwhile, Emilee Speck follows the breadcrumbs.

[Update a few minutes later, but before the event]

Here’s a story from Ken Chang, at the NYT (though I would note that the OST does not explicitly forbid lunar property ownership).

[Update after the news conference]

OK, while many hadn’t heard it before, he started with his standard O’Neillian recitation of why he’s doing all this. The news (as expected) was the unveiling of a mock up of the Blue Moon lander, which he says can put 6.5 tons on the moon by 2024. He also announced a new LOX/LH engine for it, designated BE-7, capable of deep throttling. Tim Fernholz has the story.

Business, Culinary, Education, General Science, Health, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

Cholesterol

May 9, 2019 Rand Simberg 7 Comments

Everything we’ve been told about it and fat is wrong.

I quit listening to them years ago, but this is criminal.

Business, Economics, Technology and Society

Desalination

May 8, 2019 Rand Simberg 12 Comments

This looks like it could be a breakthrough new process.

As usual, though there’s probably a catch, in terms of scalability. Also, it doesn’t discuss it, but it seems like it should be even easier with seawater.

Business, Mathematics, Science And Society, Technology and Society