Looks like they’re in big trouble. It was a business model set up to compete with the Space Shuttle, not a truly reusable vehicle with modern technology. They may continue to get some business for Ariane 5 for political reasons, but I’d say their only chance is back to the drawing board with Ariane 6.
Category Archives: Space
The Heinlein Award
Congratulations to Geoff Landis.
I don’t always agree with Geoff, but it’s great to see him getting recognition for all that he’s done over the years.
3D Printing Advances
Printing aircraft structural parts.
NASA’s Blurry Vision
I have some thoughts on the tenth anniversary of the Bush VSE speech, over at USA Today.
The Challenger Disaster
Some new pictures, never seen before.
Aspiring To Be Elon
XCOR
An interesting interview about spaceflight regulation with COO Andrew Nelson.
[Update a couple minutes later]
I should note that much of this is ground that I cover and justify in the book.
The Vision For Space Exploration
Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of Bush’s speech, and no one seems to have noticed. Down the memory hole, I guess.
Anyway, I’ll have a piece up sometime today about it at USA Today.
[Mid-morning update]
Heh. Google has picked up this post, and it’s the only one in the top ten that is actually discussing it. I can sort of see why NASA didn’t make a big deal of it, given that most people consider it to have been canceled in 2010. I disagree, though, as you’ll see.
The Peter Principle
Could it explain the Fermi paradox?
Dedication To Going To Mars
This guy’s so determined he’s willing to leave his wife and four kids.