Over at Open Market, I write about the recent news that Virgin Galactic has gotten some limited ITAR relief, so now it won’t have to get an export license for every furriner it flies from California or New Mexico.
Category Archives: Space
A First-Hand Report From Karl Hallowell
He checks in in comments:
Howdy everyone. Here’s my current status.
I have since been discharged from the hospital (John “JP” Powell, the founder of JP Aerospace was a great help there and setting travel) and am staying with my brother and his family for a few days in Denver before traveling to Yellowstone to start my usual summer-time job of counting beans. I’ll keep the bandages and immobilizing harness thingie on for somewhere around 3 weeks, then about a month later my arm should be back up to strength. My wonderful summer employer at Yellowstone, Xanterra Parks and Resorts has been very understanding.
The JP Aerospace crew managed to recover the final two payloads (which were also the targets of that ill-fated attempt on Tuesday) last Saturday. So we’re looking good on that side.
Thanks to everyone for their care (and Rand for the blog article). I’m doing well.
Good to hear.
Lessons Of The Titanic
We’re still learning them. A lot of this applies to NASA and its “safety culture” as well.
The North Korean Satellite
A first-hand report from Jim Oberg, who just got back.
[Late-morning update]
Here’s more at Gizmodo. The satellite can be sun synchronous, or launch on the claimed trajectory, but not both.
Dyson Shells
Iranian Billionaires And Lunar Dictators
I just did a radio interview with Thom Hartmann, in which he postulated that if the proposed homesteading legislation passed, it would result in an Iranian billionaire setting up a military base on the moon from which to bombard us. Or alternately, that I would become a dictator of my own lunar colony. He also didn’t seem to understand the difference between libertarianism and anarchism.
Hokay…
The Science Is Unsettled
A lot of NASA personnel are unhappy with the agency’s perceived politicized stance on AGW (Hansen isn’t mentioned by name, but one can read between the lines). I’m glad to see former Rockwell colleague Anita Gale on the list.
[Early afternoon update]
More from Anthony Watts, with a bonus shot of a headless Hansen being handcuffed.
Vital Research On The ISS
The space station finally earns its keep:
Compounds of unmatured malt were sent to the station in an unmanned cargo spacecraft in October last year, along with particles of charred oak.
Scientists want to understand how they interact at close to zero gravity.
NanoRacks LLC, the US company behind the research, has said understanding the influence of gravity could help a number of industries, including the whisky industry, to develop new products in the future.
And those silly people say that space research is a waste of money.
Karl Hallowell
…was injured recently in a aerospace testing accident (though not the sort of aerospace testing accident one would expect). Sounds like he’ll fully recover, though.
Lunar Land Grants
More thoughts over at IPInSpace.