An open letter to NASA from Homer Hickam.
Category Archives: Space
Space Force And Space Corps
Since it’s been so much in the news lately, I thought it would be useful to link to Coyote’s case for it from a year ago. I disagree with his recommendations about withdrawing from the OST, but he explains why a separate service is necessary.
A Space Corps First
This is a year old, but a good description from Coyote Smith why we should establish a Space Corps prior to transitioning to a Space Force.
Space Force
Yes, we need one, or at least some entity dedicated to space. I don’t understand why they keep saying a “sixth branch of the armed services,” though. Are they calling the Coast Guard an “armed service”? I don’t think that’s right.
[Update a while later]
Only Nixon could go to China, and only Trump could go to space.
Not sure he’s being entirely serious.
[Update late Sunday evening]
OK, one more: How we can own the libs on space.
By the way, Jim Bennett’s analogy in comments is useful, and I did a Twitter thread on it.
People familiar with the history of the Air Force (i.e., not very many people, including most current enlistees of the Air Force), will understand this analogy of why we ultimately, if no immediately, need a space force. [thread]
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) August 13, 2018
BTW, for those who corrected me legally in comments on whether or not the USCG is an armed service, my concern is that by lumping it in, it fails to make crucial distinctions. It’s certainly a uniformed service with an academy, but it is more intrinsically civilian.
In For A Penny, In For A Pound
It’s about 0230 EDT, and I’m still up, planning home renovations for tomorrow. But I’m in south Florida, about fifteen minutes from the swamp to the west, and the sky is clear for both the Perseids and the Parker Solar Probe Delta IV launch in an hour, 150 miles north-northwest of me. So I might as well stay up a little longer. Hoping I’ll see the Milky Way for the first time in a long time.
[Sunday-morning update]
Well, saw half a dozen meteors, one of them right next to the ascending rocket. No Milky Way, though.
[Update Sunday night]
Given my recent failed attempts to see it, I’m wondering (slightly depressed) if it’s an age-related vision decline. It was very distinct in my youth, but it seems like there are a lot fewer stars than there used to be.
The Parker Solar Probe
Marina Koren has the story, with a quote from Yours Truly. It launches at 3:30 in the morning, not sure if I’ll have the gumption to get up to watch from Palm Beach (or worse, drive up to the Cape). On the other hand, if it’s clear, should be lots of Perseids visible then, since it’s a new moon.
Rocket Report
Eric Berger has a roundup of interesting news.
The ISS Commercialization Studies
Neither our proposal or the Space Studies Institute’s proposal for a gravity lab was awarded by NASA. It’s just the usual suspects, no newcomers allowed. As I noted on Twitter, they could have funded every proposal for less money than they pour down the SLS/Orion rat hole in a week. No one knows how much potential innovation they just avoided.
Elon And Mars
It appears that he’s getting more serious. I wonder if the topic of ability to gestate in partial gravity will be a topic?
The Space Divide In Congress
The latest on the differences between House and Senate bills. I agree with moving OCST out of the FAA, but I’d prefer to see Commerce get the responsibility for regulation of orbital activity.