…and the far one. Thoughts from Rick Tumlinson on where we go next in space policy.
Category Archives: Business
Hopes For Export-Control Reform
…fading? It’s going to be pretty tough to do anything with the new Congress in this regard. It just requires too much education.
First Free Flight
Virgin Galactic has released video. Interesting that they’re using a skid on the nose instead of a wheel. Makes sense from a weight standpoint, and it’s easy to refurbish or replace between flights if necessary.
[Late morning update]
I suspect that Sir Richard is exaggerating. Given all the other hype, one would think that if they were having successful engine tests, they’d invite the press for one or two.
Cure Alzheimers
…and solve the social security problem. Thoughts from Jim Pinkerton.
The Latest Government-Caused Crisis
The Obama administration knew about the foreclosure irregularities?
it appears that the Obama administration chose to tolerate the irregularities that now threaten the housing market and the financial industry because it preferred that banks use their limited resources to focus on giving breaks to folks who couldn’t pay their mortgages, rather than on handling foreclosures properly.
I don’t know whether the irregularities in question justify an extended moratorium on foreclosures. But if they do — or even if they don’t, and we still end up with such a moratorium — then it looks like the Obama administration will bear considerable blame for the consequences.
This is the same economically ignorant mentality that was displayed yesterday on Fox News Sunday by Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, when she said that the highest priority was to “keep people in their homes.”
So the government creates the crisis by encouraging people to buy homes they couldn’t afford, and now it’s perpetuating it by insisting on keeping them in them, instead of allowing the market to finally clear. The country’s in the very best of hands.
Congratulations To Scaled
SpaceShipTwo had it first free flight today. Obviously these tests are on the critical path to first flight, but so is the engine, and we still haven’t heard much news about that lately.
[Update a while later]
Clark Lindsey has the press release.
When Unemployment Was 4.4%
October, 2006. And what was it that happened in November, 2006?
Naw, just a coincidence, I’m sure.
Prescient
Want to understand what’s wrong with the economy? Read Federalist 62.
Bigelow Business Prospects
Clark Lindsey says that he’s going to announce six customers (countries) for his orbital facilities. Right now it appears that SpaceX and Boeing/ULA are the most likely providers for transportation, but it’s unclear whether it’s enough business to close the business case for either of them, let alone both. Commercial Crew will help a lot, of Congress doesn’t screw it up. Unfortunately, screwing it up would be the way to bet.
In Which I Agree With Bob Zubrin
Mostly because it’s not about space policy: End the 1099 tyranny.
There are doubtless a lot of other horrific things in the health-care deform that we couldn’t find out about until (as Queen Nancy said) we passed it, but this is so far the most egregious, if one ignores the mandate itself on a constitutional basis. It’s not unconstitutional, thanks to the odious Sixteenth Amendment, but it’s economically devastating.