Thoughts from Instapundit on the FAA’s lunar move.
You know what else wasn’t reported much? The problems with SLS/Orion in the ASAP report. All the focus was on “lack of transparency” in commercial crew.
[Update a while later]
More thoughts from Tom Meyer.
[Early-afternoon update]
Analysis from Matt Schaefer, of the space law department at Nebraska.
XKCD has the other contingency letters.
I just noticed he has one. Just added to the blogroll.
They got the go-ahead a while ago to start fueling. Things are on schedule, as far as I know.
[Update a little over an hour before launch]
Everything still progressing nominally.
Here’s some good technical background on SpaceX’s quest for reusability. Assuming it’s accurate (and I didn’t see any obvious problems), that is a great, detailed description of the Falcon 9 (and its history).
[Update after scrub]
They scrubbed, primarily (it seems) due to a range radar problem.
This is why SpaceX wants to go to Brownsville. Tired of depending on antique improperly-maintained hardware at CCAFS.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) February 8, 2015
The Cape was down for weeks last spring for exactly the same radar issue: http://t.co/JLi4nC2sVQ This is unacceptable in 21st century.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) February 8, 2015
A little background on the antiquity of range radar at both Eastern and Western Test Ranges: https://t.co/z8ThcgECuB Goes back to 50s.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) February 8, 2015
In the 21st century, range tracking should be via GPS, not radar. For example, Kodiak Launch Complex doesn't require radar tracking.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) February 8, 2015
No, I don’t have strong opinions about this at all…
OK, actually, on the telephone. I’ll be having a Ricochet discussion with John Walker in half an hour to talk space stuff (probably including today’s Falcon fly-back attempt, and the ASAP report).
To participate, call +1 712 432 0375, then enter the access code 139584# and confirm by pressing 1. To enter the access code, you may have to put your phone into tone dialing mode, which may not be the default if you’re on ISDN.
Here’s the link for Ricochet members (it’s behind the paywall).
[Update a couple hours later]
Here’s the audio, for those interested.
I disagree with this. He seems to be operating under the delusion that NASA is ever going to get anyone to Mars, and seemingly ignores the people with money who are working to do so.
Our immortality, or our extinction?
I think that’s a matter of how you define “us.”
The FAA is taking the first step toward granting them (in a sense). It doesn’t say how big an exclusion zone would be provided. But this is unprecedented. I assume this topic will come up at the conference tomorrow or Thursday.
Can it survive without a radical restructuring?
Nope. SpaceX is disrupting space programs all over the world.
I missed linking this article at The Space Review by John Strickland.
The real problem with space policy is not that we can’t decide where to go, but that we can’t decide why.