I’m tweeting about it, which is a better way of rapid updating than blogging, and it gets a lot more views. So…
[Update a while later]
Meanwhile, SpaceX will be testing elements of BFR next year.
Also, the failed center corefirst stage that they failed to expend from the previous Falcon 9 launch couldn’t be safely recovered, so the Air Force scuttled it with an air strike.
Yes, as per comments, I screwed up in the middle of listening to a talk on launch regulations at the same time.
Elon is still having manufacturing problems.
I frankly don’t care. I wish he’d just focus on space.
SpaceX’s plans, from Falcon 1 to Falcon 5, to Dragonlab, and perhaps now this, tend to outpace their accomplishments. And that’s a good thing.
[Update a few minutes later]
A preview of the flight.
Only pad 39A is outfitted for crew flights, which are expected to start later this year (an ambitious timeline, according to the Government Accountability Office). Should the Falcon Heavy damage 39A, how will that affect NASA’s commercial crew program, which has been waiting to launch astronauts from American soil since 2011? It’s a fair question, and you can bet NASA officials will be watching this demo flight with clenched teeth.
Maybe, but with the successful static fire, I don’t think it should be as big a concern.
No, sorry, blue states, you can’t fix it.
This may be one of the most consequential things of Trump’s presidency. So far, anyway.
Chris Bergin has the story. As he notes, the company is clearing out its inventory of previous-block boosters.
[Update a while later]
Hearing that they’re targeting 13:30 on February 6th for the launch attempt. That’s cutting it close to when I have to fly up to DC.
Here is a stupid piece on space.
I don’t even know where to begin.
Example: Try to logically parse this sentence:
"A NASA spokesperson confirmed to Salon that those contracts have a fixed maximum value, yet the companies get their payments when they achieve milestones."
What does "yet" mean in this context?
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) January 21, 2018
On the other hand, this is a good antidote to the idiocy.
I haven’t gotten around to reading it, but Bob Zimmerman has, and he’s not impressed.
Bill DeBlasio is suing oil companies for creating bad weather. Ross McKitrick points out what are no doubt only a few of the lies and BS in the filing.
They’re not “misguided” — in fact, they’re doing exactly what the progressives designed them to do. Higher housing prices means more money in the pockets of Angelenos and San Franciscans when they go to sell, high energy prices have a disproportionate impact on the poor, generous welfare “benefits” mean an endless supply of new Democrats and permanent employment for the public-employee unions who actually run the state.
It’s a perfect racket, and one that will continue unless and until the California Republicans get their act together and begin vigorously contesting what has become a one-party state designed to enrich those at the top, beggar the middle class, and keep those on the bottom in permanent penury.
Not clear to me there’s anything that California Republicans (such as they are) can do about it. It will continue until they run out of other peoples’ money. Though perhaps the new inability to deduct all of the state taxes will give them a campaign issue.
France and Germany are studying reusability in rockets. I found this amusing:
The idea for Callisto did come in part as a response to SpaceX, which has now landed 20 boosters and flown five customers on used rockets, but both Astorg and Dittus describe the project as very different.
“It’s not a copy of what SpaceX is doing,” Dittus said. “In some aspects we are also skeptical [about reusability as] the right path, but we will see what is best and then we can come up with ideas of how we proceed.”
Riiiiiiiight.
Meanwhile, Orbital ATK is taking USAF money to try to resurrect Liberty.
When all you have is a hammer…