Category Archives: Space

CCiCAP

Does Alan Boyle have a scoop?

SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada selected to receive money from NASA for future spaceships, NBC reports.

There were rumors that the announcement was delayed because the White House was unhappy with the selection. If true, many inferred from this that ATK was one of the winners. So if NBC has it right, that would imply that either the rumors weren’t true, or that NASA changed its mind as a result of White House unhappiness. In either event, ATK will be unhappy. As will its supporters in Congress.

[Update a couple minutes later]

It’s Alan Boyle. I think he’s probably got pretty solid stuff, which means that someone leaked.

[Update a while later, about 6 PM PDT]

Here’s Alan’s story.

Back Home

We got in last night (did some hiking in Yosemite on Monday). Yes, I’m aware of the site issues. The problem seems to be intermittent, which makes it harder to troubleshoot (and I’m not that much of a PHP maven to do such troubleshooting). I suspect it has something to do with the template update I did a few weeks ago. Any suggestions are appreciated. But I’m also pretty busy getting a talk prepared for the Mars Society conference on Friday, and getting caught up from being gone for a week.

On The Road Again

I’m driving up to San Jose this afternoon to attend NewSpace 2012, so blogging will be nonexistent until tonight, and perhaps light for the next few days.

[Thursday morning update]

Got in about 7:30 last night (I came up 101 rather than 5), and had dinner with a few folks. I’ll be heading over to the conference hotel in a few minutes (I’m staying down in San Jose). Not sure what the Internet situation will be there, but I’ll probably at least be able to tether to my phone. There’s supposed to be a big Armadillo announcement today (I’m guessing that it has to do with their planned flight into space in the next month or so).

Another Space Kickstarter

Over here. I have to say, I’m not encouraged by either the people he’s interviewed, or the intended thrust. Or his level of knowledge. I really don’t care what Dr. Tyson thinks.

The Chinese are not about to surpass us, and space isn’t about science. Looks like it will be just more of the same. Space is really important, NASA needs more money, it will save STEM, blah blah blah.

I’ve been thinking about putting together a Kickstarter for a space documentary, or a series of web videos, with Bill Whittle. Tentative title: Everything You Know About Space Is Wrong. I wonder how much support I could get?