…by Europe and Russia?
Five years until the first probe hardly seems like a breakneck pace, but I take this more seriously than I do China. I suspect that the next president, whoever it is, will have to make some serious choices about US plans.
[Update a few minutes later]
Orbcomm is going to go first:
SpaceX on Oct. 16 said it had changed its return-to-flight plans and would first launch 11 small Orbcomm messaging satellites into low Earth orbit, and then test reignition of the redesigned second-stage engine during the same flight before launching SES’s heavier telecommunications satellite into higher orbit, a mission that will need the reignition capability.
Luxembourg-based SES said the company was comfortable with ceding its slot to Rochelle Park, New Jersey-based Orbcomm, especially since SpaceX has said it can launch the SES-9 telecommunications satellite into geostationary orbit in late December.
So December may be an interesting month, with two landing attempts.
This whole debate assumes that the only purpose of space exploration is science. But if we want to settle space, we have to accept the fact that we are going to “contaminate” it with earthly life.
They appear to have gotten a significant investor.
Eleven tough questions you’ll have to answer.
…takes a detour to the moon.
Yup.
[Afternoon update]
Here’s another story. With an endorsement by Bill Gerstenmaier. Funny he never tells that to Congress.
This “safety is the highest priority” mantra is apparently older than I thought. I ran across this doing some research for an op-ed, from almost two decades ago.
There’s a new, free downloadable anthology out. Looks potentially interesting.
No, it was not a “minor nuance” on the fatal flight.
A nice profile, over at Popular Mechanics.