I didn’t mention this at the time he announced it was happening to his staff, but George Nield has retired from the FAA. Not clear what the future holds for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, or who the next head of it will be, but it’s unlikely to remain within the FAA, given the mood on the Hill. It never should have been there. The entire federal regulatory apparatus needs to be restructured for the coming era in commercial spaceflight, both launch and for on-orbit activities.
Category Archives: Space
Lockheed Martin’s Fusion Reactor
I sure hope this pans out, and works in space as well.
Space Regulation
With the Legal Subcommittee meeting of COPUOUS in Vienna a little over a week away (I’ll be attending this year), Laura Montgomery has a new paper out, and Christopher Johnson has some thoughts, too.
JWST And The Media
Thoughts from Bob Zimmerman on the latest overrun and schedule slip, and the shoddy reporting of it.
The JWST
It’s delayed again, and over budget. Again.
I would have canceled it years ago. It was a mistaken concept from the get go. For what we’ve spent on this program, we could have had orbital servicing capability, obviating the need for the origami, and even allowing servicing in situ.
The New National Space Strategy
Thoughts on it from Laura Montgomery, with its implications for Outer Space Treaty interpretation.
The Deep Space Network
Shannon Stirone has a nice essay on the history and state of affairs, and Congress’s skewed space-budget priorities.
I think the future of deep-space comm will be lasers, and it may be provided commercially.
SpaceX Had To Deliver
An article adapted from Christian Davenport’s new book, which I’m reading in Florida.
Space Law In The UK
Behold, the new British Space Act. I and others had not-insignificant influence in forming this. They were headed down a bad European road a few years ago. They were originally going to allow the European aviation safety agency regulate it, which would have been disastrous. Instead, as we recommended, it is modeled closely on the U.S. launch-licensing system.
The Warning From Elon At SXSW
The first Mars visitors will probably die. Of course, we’re all going to die somewhere.
As I note in the book, it’s very unlikely that the Shackleton ad was real. If it had been published in a London broadsheet, it would have been spelled “honour.”
[Update a couple minutes later]
And per usual, a lot of ignorance and stupidity in comments over there.