Category Archives: Space

Political Commentary, Space

Home, Home On Lagrange

32 Comments

Hey, put me down as all in favor of a Lagrange-point base — I’ve advocated it for years. But I’d like to see the trade study that says EML-2 versus EML-1. My preference is for the latter, but NASA seems focused on the former. I haven’t seen any explanation as to why. To my mind it’s a time versus delta-vee tradeoff. I’d prefer quicker trips, and better views of earth.

I also agree with Charles Lurio (quoted in the piece) that this isn’t the mission that SLS is looking for. It would be ludicrously expensive compared to using existing vehicles. There is no mission for which the Senate Launch System is cost effective.

But Trent Waddington says that Charles and I should hush our mouves.

Space

Endeavour

10 Comments

I just watched it overfly LAX from the balcony, with binoculars. I’ll also see it again later, when it makes its final approach to land.

[Update a while later]

Wow. It made a runway flyover at LAX, then a left turn over the ocean, and just flew right over the house before heading east to Downey. I’ll try to get some pics up later.

Philosophy, Space

That’s Why We’re Here

15 Comments

A casual profundity from Lileks:

The sidewalk due to be replaced had a semicircle cut in one side, because once upon a time there was a stout tree on the boulevard. For decades the semicircle was the only sign the tree had been there at all. Now it’ll be replaced. There’s about a hundred years of history reflected in that process, and as far as the universe is concerned it’s the flutter of a hummingbird’s ventricle. That’s why we’re here: the passing of time has no meaning unless experienced by conscious beings. Better if they have imaginations, too: look at the depth of the cut in the sidewalk. Stout trunk, tall tree. An elm, probably. Whoever lived in that house in ’41 parked under the tree in the afternoon in July so the steering wheel didn’t feel like gripping a steam iron. Dad rued the leaves. The kids loved the smell when he burned them in fall.

“That’s why we’re here.” That’s also why we should go into space, whose vastness similarly has no meaning unless someone is out there to experience it.