Ed White, Roger Chafee and Gus Grissom died on the launch pad, an event that resulted in the formation of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, and a complete overhaul of the design and management of Apollo. It was the first of the late-January tragedies that make this time of year a sad one for NASA. Tomorrow will be the twenty-sixeventh anniversary of the loss of Challenger, and Friday will be the tenth anniversary of the loss of Columbia.
Category Archives: History
Jared Diamond’s New Book
Kori Schake isn’t impressed.
The Constitution
A readable version, for the 21st century. I haven’t looked at it in detail, but it seems like an interest project, at least in theory. Maybe people like Ezra Klein should give it a whirl.
Say What?
What does this mean?
The original Panama Canal was a revolution in geopolitics and economics; before it was built, the sea voyage was shorter from London to San Francisco than from New York to California…
Ummm, last time I checked, San Francisco was in California, and that was true even before the canal was dug. How could it have been a shorter distance from London to there, than from New York to there (or to southern California)? Both trips would involve going around the Horn (or taking the long way round the other way). Does anyone know what Professor Mead is saying here?
It Can’t Happen Here
It has happened here. People don’t understand that the purpose of the Constitution is not to empower government, but to confine and restrict its powers. And the Second Amendment is the ultimate enforcement mechanism.
History Studies
Time For Some Common-Sense Publishing Controls
My thoughts on the morons in the media and politicians who don’t understand the Second Amendment, over at PJMedia.
109 Years Ago
The Wrights had their first controlled flight of a heavier-than-aircraft on this date in 1903. I had three separate pieces on the event back on the hundredth anniversary, which was also the day that SpaceShipOne first flew supersonic.
[Late evening update, after all the kvetching in comments]
Jeez, Looeeze, people.
OK, first controlled flight of a powered heavier-than-aircraft. Happy now?
Four Decades Since We Abandoned The Moon
Some anniversary thoughts (and a mention of my property-rights piece) from Adam Keiper.
Wars Of The Twentieth Century
Some thoughts on the paradoxes, from Victor Davis Hanson. It is frightening to contemplate how close we came to losing the second World War, and were only saved by bad decisions on the part of Hitler and Tojo.