Aerojet-Rocketdyne has tested one for its new engine.
I wonder how much this (I assume, cost-plus contract) is costing compared to what Blue is spending on the BE-4? I predict that this LOX/kerosene engine will never fly.
Category Archives: Space
XCOR Space Expeditions
They have a new web site.
Graphene
Higher thrust from light than photon sails?
Not sure how they’d solve the charge build up problem, though.
The Rashomon Of Apollo And Shuttle
Stephen Smith has a lengthy review of John Logsdon’s latest book.
As he notes, the dual myths of Kennedy as space visionary and Nixon as space villain don’t stand up to any sort of realistic historical scrutiny. In fact, with Apollo, Kennedy set us up for decades of failure, in terms of making spaceflight economically realistic.
A New Alloy
A low-fatigue shape-memory alloy that can handle ten million cycles.
I can think of lots of applications for that. I wonder if it can be printed?
Space Settlement
Rick Tumlinson says the concept is taking hold within the space community.
Meanwhile, the Center For American Progress is having a symposium on the past and future of human spaceflight. Interestingly, as Jeff Foust notes on Twitter, NASA isn’t involved. Interesting also that it’s sponsored by a lefty institution. I suspect that this topic may set off a civil war on that side of the spectrum.
Another Private Mars Venture
These people want to set up at the pole. “Looking for alien life” doesn’t seem compatible with settlement, though, unless you don’t care if you contaminate or wipe it out.
Russia’s Space Problems
They think they understand the cause of the Proton failure, but not that of the Progress.
Migrating To Mars
Shouldn’t we solve poverty first?
No.
Corruption In The Russian Space Industry
Bob Zimmerman says that it seems to be returning to the Soviet era. The Russians never learned how markets and competition actually work. As he notes, it’s not clear that this will help with their endemic quality issues.
[Update a few minutes later]
“Mind boggling financial irregularities at Roscosmos.”