I won’t bother to link to individual pieces, but Jon Goff seems to have been blogging up a storm over the past few days.
Category Archives: Space
Kickstarter Video
Try, try again. I’ve punched up the audio in this version, though it still sounds like I’m in an empty lecture hall.
[Update a while later]
I think I’m ready to launch the project (and Kickstarter says I can do it at any time), but here’s the draft page, if anyone wants to provide feedback before I do so.
The Bleed Hole In Aircraft Windows
Explained. Ideally, you’d have a similar setup for a spacecraft, but it would add weight. Lynx is single pane, AFAIK. I don’t know about SpaceShipTwo.
My New Kickstarter
I’m having trouble uploading the video to the Kickstarter page (they’re figuring out what the problem is, hopefully), but meanwhile, here’s a higher-quality version of it on Youtube. I’m not thrilled with audio quality (it sounds sort of like I’m in an echoey lecture hall), but I don’t have a sound studio, just a Sennheiser headset.
[Update a few minutes later]
Oops. Just noticed, it looks like I lost the end credits. Have to look into what happened there.
[Update a while later]
For some reason, I hadn’t included the final credits in the build. Here’s the new version.
[Update a while later]
Sorry transitions are so choppy. I’m sure it has something to do with Youtube’s post-processing.
[Monday-morning update]
@moneyman10k SLS won't achieve Spruce Goose status until it flies at least once. @rocketrepreneur
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) May 31, 2015
Neil Stephenson
Discusses his new novel, and the role of science fiction.
He is one of the few authors whose books I always look forward to reading, though I was a little disappointed with Anathem. But this looks like a fun read.
I should also note that one of the points I make in my book (and in op-eds) since, is that our unwillingness to use the hardware we have on hand to get into space is an indicator of how utterly unimportant human spaceflight is (a point that is accentuated by the relatively poor sales of a well-reviewed book). Stephenson describes a scenario in which it suddenly becomes very important to become as spacefaring as possible, as soon as possible, and how society reacts.
A LOX Pre-Burner
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.
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?