Eric Berger reports that they go far beyond Mars.
He still seems to be a planetary chauvinist, though.
Category Archives: Space
West Coast Atlas Launch
There was a launch scheduled out of Vandenberg yesterday at 11:30 AM, and I’d planned to go to the beach to watch, until I remembered my 10:30 dental appointment. So I ended up being in the chair at the time, a little frustrated that I couldn’t at least get up for a couple minutes to go out into the parking lot to see it. But unfortunately for ULA, but fortunately for me, it was scrubbed, due to a hydrogen leak. So I, and others currently in southern California, will get another chance on Sunday morning.
[Sunday-morning update]
Wow, this launch seems snakebit. A wildfire on the base has delayed the launch until at least the 26th.
Space Nuclear Reactors
Jeff Bezos says we need them.
You don’t say. I like the way he thinks.
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ SLS
Jeff Bezos has unveiled Blue Origin’s plans for a BFR. And unlike SLS, a reusable (and affordable) one.
Molly MacCauley
Her murder remains unsolved, but there will be a memorial service for her on September 23rd, and a posthumous lifetime achievement award.
Opportunity’s Future
Bob Zimmerman has been tracking its movements on Mars.
[Update a few minutes later]
Speaking of opportunities on Mars, a discussion of the ethics over at The Space Review today.
Tyson is historically ignorant; not true that "over history, governments have led exploration." Mostly private. https://t.co/pjx0JbopHk
— SafeNotAnOption (@SafeNotAnOption) September 6, 2016
A Survey Of The Civil And Military Space Industry
The latest technology quarterly at The Economist is a great overview from Oliver Morton (with appreciation to Yours Truly, among others).
Meanwhile, Alex Witze writes about Obama’s “science” legacy in space. I use scare quotes because human spaceflight doesn’t have much to do with science.
When Rockets Blow Up
Who pays for it? An interesting article on the space insurance business for those unfamiliar with it.
The Reactionless Drive
Here’s a crazy idea: Let’s actually test it in space.
It’s worth noting that the cubesat revolution has made such things affordable.
SpaceX Update
No mention of Brownsville, though. I wonder what the schedule is for that?
Also, as I just noted at Twitter, despite what Wikipedia says, yesterday’s event doesn’t count against their flight record. They’re still 27 of 28.