Doug Messier is less than impressed with Peter’s latest announcement. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time (the 1990s).
Category Archives: Business
The BFR Factory
An interesting story, with bonus fairing halves. I should drive down there some time and check it out myself.
[Update a few minutes later]
Also, a new hangar facility, control tower and rocket garden at KSC.
Masterpiece Cakeshop
Thoughts from Mark Randazza:
Ultimately, in this case, nobody really “won.” The baker “wins” because technically he “won.” But, all he “won” was the right to have the charges brought against him without the administrative panel making snarky comments about his religious beliefs.
The cause of gay rights was not advanced at all. And, the real issue here — the First Amendment issue, is not being addressed at all — except in a pretty damn good concurrence by Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Gorsuch. (Starts on Page 38 of 59) His concurrence is, of course, foreshadowing either the majority or the minority when this case finally comes to a head. Thomas (I believe correctly) says that designing a wedding cake is no mere act of throwing eggs and flour into a bowl – but is full of artistic creativity. Harnessing (or enslaving) an artist to create that which he does not wish to create is a travesty against the First Amendment.
Yes, that is the argument, despite the continuing nonsense about how it was “discriminating against gays” (I got into a Twitter discussion with an idiot about this yesterday). And SCOTUS punted on the underlying issue. It’s not just a travesty against the First Amendment, but tyrannical.
[Thursday-afternoon update]
One of the legal team who defended Phillips explains why it’s not as much of a nothingburger as some are saying.
[Bumped]
A To-Do List For Bridenstine
Some advice from Scott Hubbard. But here is the problem:
…the new administrator must provide NASA and the rest of the world much more clarity on the brief statement issued by Vice President Pence and the newly revived Space Council that the United States will “lead the return of humans to the Moon.” Studies of the future of human space exploration have for decades emphasized that Mars is the target of greatest interest for reasons of science and exploration.1–4 The last initiative that attempted to include both human landings on the Moon and eventually Mars, the so-called Constellation program, collapsed from its own budgetary (over) weight.
Two points: First, the assumption that human spaceflight is about “science and exploration.” I’ve written about this error at length. Second is the notion that Constellation collapsed because it was attempting to do both the Mars and moon. It wasn’t seriously trying to do either. NASA wasn’t seriously trying to do either.
Recycling
It’s always been a pointless scam, and it’s becoming ever more clear. As Glenn has noted, all the sorting and binning is mostly a religious ritual.
Boeing’s Imaginary Space Program
Keith Cowing is a cruel man, but fair.
Blog Problems
Yes, it was down for a while, due to an update on server software, including updating PHP to the latest version, which broke some of the plugins. I think everything should be working now. And I’m swamped on the NASA proposal.
California
Our most “progressive” state is number one in poverty, and racist.
[Update mid-afternoon]
The political ads on television in California have been quite bizarre. Here’s why. I don’t know what the voters were thinking when they came up with this crazy primary system.
Ted Cruz And Space
Politico has an interview with him.
Blog Problems
If anyone has been having problems commenting, I’ve had a database issue that I finally resolved, so things should be going faster now. I’ll also be posting more, instead of waiting for WordPress to time out.