Roger Launius has a brief history of the Shuttle, but this number is outdated:
The best expendable launch vehicles (ELV) still cost about $10,000 per pound from Earth to orbit.
As I commented over there (it’s awaiting moderation), Falcon 9 delivers ~30,000 lbs to LEO for ~$60M. That’s $2000/lb. Price, not cost. Falcon Heavy will roughly halve that. If they can reuse cores, they’ll drop the price further.
SpaceX was basically told that they’d lost this patent battle, but would win the war.
[Friday-morning update]
[Bumped]
Matthew Continetti does not love Spock.
Last week, I tweeted that I was going to write a post about how Obama is not Spock like, but to the degrees that he is, I agree that it’s Spock’s most annoying traits.
[Afternoon update]
The gauntlet has been thrown:
Continetti just glosses over the sacrifice at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, I assume because he knows it demolishes his case. What about the personal loss at the betrayal of Valeris? What about the hurtful but necessary decision — directly enforced by Spock — to let Edith Keeler die? How I hated him for that! But look, who among us wouldn’t let Hitler dominate the world in exchange for a lifetime of sweet sweet loving from young Joan Collins? Anyone? No one? Just me?
Heh.
The topology of Interstellar. An interesting history of space colony design concepts.
Marcia Smith has the story on yesterday’s NASA appropriation hearing, in which Chairman Culberson and General Bolden beclowned each other. More thoughts anon.
[Update a while later]
Here’s Culberson’s statement. I haven’t read it yet in detail.
After a one-year hiatus, the conference is happening again (though a few weeks later than usual, early May instead of early April). I think it’s the best value for the money to find out what’s going on in space transportation and reducing the cost of getting to orbit.
Is it near the end of the line for the rocket? Looks like SpaceX has killed it.
Almost certainly died of old age, when its battery overheated. Makes one wonder how many others are at risk. Maybe worth deorbiting them before that can happen to more.
Jeff Foust has the story from last week. As I noted at the time, I’m not sure that a prize is the best way to go. I’d rather see an airmail approach.
on the prospects for settling the outer solar system.