It’s the hundred and tenth anniversary of the Wright brothers’ achievement. On the Centennial, a decade ago, I wrote three pieces to commemorate it, here, here and here.
Category Archives: Space
China On The Moon
Will it make a claim?
I sort of hope it does. It would bring things to a head with the problematic Outer Space Treaty.
[Update a few minutes later]
I haven’t looked at the pictures myself, but a reader has emailed me wondering if they’re potentially faked, based on inconsistent shadows, and similarity to past images (while not wanting to sound like the “Apollo moon hoax” people). I don’t have an opinion, but I wouldn’t put it past them.
Hundreds Of Books To Sign
…and I’ve come down with tendonitis in my right (as in “write”) wrist. Got a brace on it, taking ibuprofen and hoping it clears up by next week, when books come.
[Update a few minutes later]
Speaking of the book, does anyone know what’s going on with this? Who would be trying to sell used versions of the book for more than retail cost for new? A couple days ago, they were asking a thousand bucks for them. And the descriptions are false, since it doesn’t have a dust cover.
[Update a while later while decorating tree]
For those curious, I’m highly confident that this is my problem. The symptoms match to a tee. Fortunately, there’s no numbness, just pain when I bend the wrist.
Space Business Accelerators
A Celestial Dance
The Juno probe provided the best view ever of the earth-moon system.
The Ethics Of Mars One
Since the 1960s – and following the Nuremberg trials – it has been standard practice for researchers to follow certain ethical standards in the treatment of human subjects. These rules include the requirement to submit research proposals to an ethics committee for prior approval, clearly explain clearly the risks of any procedures to potential research subjects, before obtaining their informed consent. Since Mars One now admits to planning research on the colonists themselves, the mission becomes bound to these same standards.
Mars One may not meet these conditions. As far as we know, no ethics committee has considered the Mars One plan or the risks it poses to the colonists. These risks will need to be communicated clearly before volunteers are recruited to take part in the mission.
I’ve previously expressed my own concerns, but I don’t agree that having it done by government space agencies instead is the solution, or that a disaster will inhibit human migration into space.
SpaceShipTwo
Will it enter commercial service next year?
Doug Messier is skeptical. So am I, for the same reasons.
Let NASA Do Great Things Again
Commentary from Rick Boozer, on the venal idiocy of Congressional priorities for the space agency.
Launch Indemnification
Jim Muncy: Extend it indefinitely.
Also, the moratorium on regulating space-participant safety.
[Update a while later]
Not sure how the link got broken, but it’s fixed now I think.
The Moon Treaty
No, we don’t have to accept it to mine the moon.
The author ignores the other lunar-related entrepreneurial activities, focusing exclusively on the Google Lunar Prize. The people closest to getting to the moon in any serious way are private actors, not any government, because it’s only going to happen with a dramatic reduction in cost of access. Certainly China’s not doing anything significant.