I’ve got review copies of Tim Fernholz’s
Category Archives: Space
Planetary Protection
…is not required by Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty. I suspect a lot of people at COPUOS would disagree.
[Update a while later]
Sorry, bad link fixed.
A Harbinger For Space Policy?
Trump apparently is impressed with commercial space.
Stratolaunch
…wants to use Birdzilla to launch a reusable spaceplane.
Not sure what this means, though:
The Black Ice space plane — should it be built — would be about as big as the former space shuttle developed by NASA and capable of staying up for at least three days.
What does “as big” mean? Similar dimensions to a Shuttle orbiter? If it has to carry propellant, it won’t have much payload. I wonder what kind of GLOW that aircraft can handle?
[Update a few minutes later]
Here’s another story on the subject from Eric Berger. Haven’t looked at comments yet, but there may be some discussion of performance there.
NASA Needs A Reset
I agree, it’s long overdue. Fundamentally, the space establishment cannot let go of the Apollo paradigm, but it will have to, or be completely left behind.
How To Photograph A Rocket Launch
Beautiful imagery from Trevor, who I met at the launch.
Early Spaceports
Laura Montgomery has a new short story out.
To The Moon
Bob Zubrin says we need a purpose-driven space program.
Not enough opportunities for graft in that.
Mars And SLS
I really find Chris Carberry’s op-ed on SLS incomprehensible. Oh, I don’t mean I don’t understand it, it just seems disconnected with reality, and the interests of anyone seriously interested in seeing humans go to Mars. He speaks about SLS as thought it has kind of reality, and actual utility. To me, a sane Mars organization would be screaming bloody murder at the waste of money to the detriment of hardware needed to actually get to Mars.
[Thursday-afternoon update]
Thoughts on the ever-receding SLS, from Bob Zimmerman.
[Bumped]
Space Colonies
This idiotic sort of thing is what my current project, to make the international legal environment more friendly to space development and settlement, partially about.