Category Archives: Business

Business, Space

Today’s Paul Allen Announcement

53 Comments

The press conference starts in less than two hours, but I have some reason to believe that it has something to do with this. Whatever it is.

[Update a few minutes later]

Less than an hour before the press conference, Alan Boyle seems to have the scoop. And the web cast is live now. Here’s the low-res version for the bandwidth challenged.

[Update a few minutes before the presser]

They’re playing Elton John’s “Rocket Man” on the webcast, waiting for the event to begin.

[Update during presser]

The wingspan of that aircraft is over three times the distance of the Wright Brothers first flight.

[Update during questions]

An order of magnitude more money than SpaceShipOne. In other words, less than a billion.

[Update a few minutes later]

They’re going to have to certify that aircraft under Part 127. That will triple its cost at least. On the other hand, it might find other markets.

[Update a couple minutes later]

They just asked my question about schedule (though others probably emailed that as well). First aircraft flight 2015, first space flight in the next year. I asked whether they fuel on the ground or in the air, but the question has been asked of the panel yet. It may not be.

[Update a few minutes later]

About an hour into the conference now, and Clark Lindsey has been taking notes.

Business, Economics, Education, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

The Occupiers Are The One Percent

9 Comments

Don Surber:

Now let us get a few things straight about who these loony goons are. For the most part they are spoiled rotten brats who took out huge loans to pay for four years of self-indulgence at some over-rated liberal arts college. Somehow, they were able to spend a few months in the fall camping out and protesting against the working class while not working themselves.

They are in that upper 1% who do not have to work.

And they are prodigious increasers of entropy.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Space Policy Crops Up In The Republican Debate Again

20 Comments

I didn’t see the debate last night (we were partying down), but apparently Mitt went after Newt on space. Jeff Foust can’t figure out what he’s talking about, and I don’t know, either. All I know is that it’s one more reason to hope Romney isn’t the nominee. He doesn’t seem to understand the issues at all.

[Update a few minutes later]

Question for the Romney campaign. Why is the governor opposed to opening up new resources? Why does he think that we would have to spend more to do so than we are now on a rocket that will never fly?

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Thin Gruel In Osawatomie

4 Comments

Michael Barone isn’t very impressed with Obama’s speech:

What we have here, it seems a president who has no serious interest in public policy. He has spent nearly half his 15 years in public office running for other public office. The only difference now is that, having run out of higher offices to run for, he is just running for reelection instead. Those who pride themselves on belonging to the party of smart people should be embarrassed.

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