Donald Robertson has an op-ed at Space News that reflects many of the themes of my monograph (which, by the way, I have updated with feedback from the past couple days).
Category Archives: Space
Asteroid Day
Thoughts from Instapundit.
I should note that all of the technologies needed to get to Mars would also help a lot in improving our ability to herd asteroids.
[Update a few minutes later]
Thoughts from Oliver Morton from a year ago: Taking the hit.
ULA
I’d been aware of their plans for large-scale activity in cislunar space (and even talk about it in the monograph), but this is the first I’d heard that they are offering to purchase water in space, with a price for various locations.
[Thursday-morning update]
Sort of related: Seeing on Twitter that they’re laying people off today. Not sure what that means.
[Afternoon update]
Here’s the story at the Denver Post. Looks like about 10% company wide. A literal decimation.
The Future Of Rockets
Thoughts from Eric Berger, which I missed last week due to the funeral and the conference.
From my monograph:
NASA gave up on reusability a decade ago, when Mike Griffin selected Constellation, with its expendable launch systems, capsule, insertion stages and landers. It could in fact be argued that Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) gave up on it after it was given responsibility for it in the 1990s, which it turned into the failed X-33 program, which failure the center then used as an excuse to illogically claim that reusability didn’t work.
One tech I didn't recommend that NASA develop for Mars: Low-cost access to space. Private sector is already taking care of that.
— Apostle To Morons (@Rand_Simberg) June 29, 2016
Gaia’s Riches
Rediscovering them.
We’re not running out of anything on earth any time soon. That’s no reason not to open up off-planet resources, though.
Helium
This is good news. A new supply has been discovered, with potential for much more.
Ending Apolloism
I’ve posted an update on my SLS Roadblock project, for those interested. The document itself can be found here. I’ll be interested in feedback.
[Tuesday-morning update]
Related: Growing a spacecraft for artificial gravity.
Half a million dollars. 0.03% of what we’re spending annually on SLS/Orion.
[Tuesday-morning update]
I’ve fixed a few problems with the document, including some missing figures, so you might want to refresh or download again.
Colonizing The Solar System
The five most livable places (aside from earth). They’ll all take a lot of tech, though. Of course, if you build your own, you can put them wherever you want.
The Journey To Nowhere
Reading my Twitter feed this morning, with all the excited tweets from the NASA Social in Utah over “the most powerful rocket EVAR” has been quite depressing. It’s sad that people don’t understand what a load of bull they’re being fed.
And if it ever flies, it will be burning millions of taxpayer dollars per second. https://t.co/FyC80d3vEq
— Apostle To Morons (@Rand_Simberg) June 27, 2016
In other news, Chrysler will be testing the world's largest buggy whip at their proving grounds in Chelsea. https://t.co/2FMoRSr1sl
— Apostle To Morons (@Rand_Simberg) June 27, 2016
[Update a while later]
Here’s an example of stenographing of NASA propaganda:
#ProTip: No, they don't. They're irrelevant to getting to Mars. https://t.co/KHWP4FOqp6
— Apostle To Morons (@Rand_Simberg) June 27, 2016
#ProTip: "Lifting power" (whatever the hell that is) isn't measured in metric tons. https://t.co/KHWP4FOqp6
— Apostle To Morons (@Rand_Simberg) June 27, 2016
Space And The Right To Self Defense
The Executive Summary of a recent report by the Hudson Institute. The full report can be found here.