I accidentally started a Twitter conversation with Sandy Mazza as a result of this nice piece on markets being enabled by lower-cost launch, including space burial. I noted to her that it made no sense for the California Department of Public Health to be regulating it, and then mentioned that they shouldn’t have anything to do with cryonics, either. In the course of the discussion, I dug up an old piece I wrote for Cryonics Magazine back in 1990 (ctrl-F “Simberg” to find it). Given that things are finally looking promising for reducing cost of access to space in general, and likely the moon as well, I decided I’d resurrect it here. Note that I’ve been talking about the need for markets to drive down launch costs for three decades. Note also that it’s somewhat dated, in terms of its discussion of the NASP and American Rocket.
Category Archives: Space
Acquisition At The Pentagon
It’s about to get an overhaul. NASA needs one, too, but Congress will never stand for it; insufficient opportunities for graft.
Space Policy Online
Marcia Smith’s excellent web site has gotten a nice makeover.
Splitting Water
A new efficient catalyst, from common elements. This could be useful in space, too, though platinum might be less rare there.
Space Property Rights
More common law than Marxism, and that’s a good thing. I am cited.
Jordin Kare
We’re losing a lot of our generation of space people.
I would note that one who will be missed less than others, who died last month, was Thomas Lee Elifritz.
[July 24th update]
Paul Gilster remembers Jordin.
[Bumped]
The Bulk Interior Of The Moon
Water on the moon seems to be like gas and oil on earth. The more we look, the more we find.
Elon’s Mars Plans
Eric Berger reports that he’s probably getting more realistic.
Evoloterra
Get together with friends and celebrate the 48th anniversary tonight. Bill Simon and I will be on The Space Show at 7 PM Pacific to discuss it.
[Update a while later]
Here’s what I wrote on the 40th anniversary. It still holds up pretty well, I think.
[Update early afternoon]
There’s a new version of the ceremony on line now.
[Late-afternoon update]
Seeing comments out there on the Interwebs that Nixon canceled Apollo. No, it happened in 1967, by Congress. Before he was elected. For those of you unfamiliar with the post-Apollo history under Nixon, John Logsdon’s latest book is a good read. Funded by Bill Anders, it’s probably the definitive history at this point. He’s currently working on the space history of the Reagan administration, which I wrote about at the time of Reagan’s passing.
[Friday-morning update]
The Space Show we did last night has been archived.
Jeff Sessions
I wouldn’t miss him if Trump were to fire him. In addition to Glenn’s reasons, he’ll probably continue to do whatever he can to protect SLS from within the administration.