Andrew Moseman (my editor at Popular Mechanics) interviews Jonathan Card of the Space Frontier Foundation.
Category Archives: Space
Confused On Space Policy
Mark Whittington continues to foolishly confuse an off-hand off-teleprompter remark with policy. There is now, and never has been any “policy” for us to not return to the moon. Yesterday wasn’t the first time Lori has said we are going back, and it won’t be the last, and the White House doesn’t give a rat’s, either way. Nor will a Romney administration.
In Case You Were Wondering
I was at Space 2012 most of the day in Pasadena, sans laptop. In theory, I can blog from my phone, but it’s very clumsy (linking is a real pain). I did see Colin Ake there (among many others) and expressed my condolences on the Masten mishap. He told me their next vehicle (which is designed to go to a hundred kilofeet) is standing up on the floor in the shop, and might be able to fly in the next two or three months. I guess they’ll have more time to work on it now that they won’t be doing as much flight test for a while…
An Alternate History Of The Space Program
From Mike Griffin.
I wonder what color the sky is on that planet? I’d fisk it, but I’m trying to finish up my space safety paper, and I’m getting ready to go to the AIAA conference in Pasadena tomorrow (and possibly Wednesday and Thursday, depending on how useful it seems).
Water On Mars
NASA has to hope that Curiosity doesn’t find any. This is part of a broader issue. People who want to settle Mars had better hope we don’t find life there, or the biologists and greens will be decrying the “genocide” we might cause by contaminating the planet.
Uwingo
There are only five days left to fund their initial project at Indiegogo.
[Mid-morning update]
For those curious, here’s some background.
Star-Crossed Space Exploration
There’s a good article over at the Washington Times by Guy Taylor on the prospects for NASA after the election. I’m quoted extensively, as is Bob Walker.
Burial At Sea?
That’s the rumor about the disposition of Lt. JG Armstrong’s earthly remains.
I think it would be more appropriate to inter him on the moon, but that’s still a little pricey right now.
A Not-So-Green Space Program
When I first heard that Los Angeles had won the competition to house an orbiter at the science museum on Exposition Boulevard, I scratched my head, trying to imagine how they were going to get it there. At the Space Technology Expo, the museum had a booth, and I asked the young lady working there. “Oh, we’re still working it out.”
[shocked voice] “You didn’t have to submit a plan with the proposal?”
“No, not a detailed one.”
At the SpaceUp LA a couple weeks ago, we saw a description of the plan, using a very precision crawler, in which it was noted that a “few” trees might have to be removed.
Well, “a few” has turned into four hundred mature trees, and the locals, justifiably, aren’t happy about it. I wonder how much support the project would have gotten if they’d known this up front?
Anyway, one of the amusing things about the LA Times piece is the technical ignorance on display:
Several alternatives for the Oct. 12 move were considered but ultimately discarded.
Taking the massive shuttle apart would have damaged the delicate tiles that acted as heat sensors.
Ummmm…no.
The tiles are not “heat sensors.” They are heat protectors, insulating the vehicle from the hot plasma of entry. The heat must be shielded against, not just “sensed.”
Star-Gazer-In-Chief
A tribute to one space hero from another.
I have to say, I am inspired to see the back of Barack Obama. But the view is more inspiring the more distance there is. Remember that nine weeks from yesterday.