Over at Open Market, I have the latest on the administration’s decision to start negotiating new protocols for space, and the potential concerns with them.
Category Archives: Space
Go Buy The Latest Reason
So says the editor. It’s about space. Yours Truly is given a plug.
No Manned Flights From Kourou
At least according to this article. I wonder what it would take to modify the Soyuz for a water landing? At least it would be warm water. I think that a trajectory to 52 degrees from there, unlike one from the Cape, would avoid the north Atlantic.
This is also an indicator that it’s not very important to launch crew from there, or they’d take the risk.
NASA Is Still A Go
A Yale senior attempts to educate those who continue to ignorantly think that Obama ended the space program.
Space On Earth
Brian Doherty pays a visit to XCOR.
Some Serious Space Policy Questions For Mitt
I hope that @BretBaier asks something along these lines:
So, Governor, if you want to talk space policy, let’s talk space policy. How about answering some serious questions, instead of pretending that it’s an unserious subject, of no value except to mock your opponent?
In 2008, you said that you supported President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration, a fundamental part of which was a manned lunar base. Now you criticize Newt Gingrich for the same thing, and imply that it is a frivolity. What happened in the interim to make you change your opinion?
How much do you think that a “lunar colony” would cost? How do you think that Speaker Gingrich would propose to bring one about? Do you think that he would agree with your characterization of his plans? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, on what basis are you criticizing him?
If we are not going to settle the moon and other locations in the solar system, what in your mind is the purpose of having a human spaceflight program? Why are we doing it?
In 2009, when President Obama came out with a new space policy that emphasized competitive commercial services for crew delivery to orbit, and the development of new technologies that would make human spaceflight beyond earth orbit much more affordable, Newt Gingrich was one of the few Republicans to come out in support of it (Bob Walker and Dana Rohrabacher were others). Do you agree with Speaker Gingrich that this is a more promising and cost-effective direction for the program, or do you support the Congress in its demand that NASA spend billions on a giant rocket that won’t fly for many years, and for which no payloads are defined or funded? Or do you have some other proposal?
What would a Romney space policy look like? Given that you’ve elevated the topic in the campaign, I think that those of us to whom space is important deserve to know.
And Bret, if you’re looking for a “gotcha,” probably the second one works best.
More On The Dragon Delay
Over at NASA Space Flight, but still no details on just what the issue is. It’s interesting to note that this announcement comes nine years to the day after the launch of the final flight of Columbia. Probably just coincidence
The EU Code Of Space Conduct
Michael Listner has the current state of play of US participation. And yes, election-year politics are probably involved. That we aren’t signing on is good news as far as it goes, but there are doubtless other shoes to drop.
Tatooine Planets
There may be a lot of them. I think that this is a good example of how little we know about planet formation.
The Next Dragon Flight
I would never have put money on their launching on February 7th, the current official target date, and now my instincts are confirmed with a brief release from the company:
In preparation for the upcoming launch, SpaceX continues to conduct extensive testing and analysis.
We believe that there are a few areas that will benefit from additional work and will optimize the safety and success of this mission.
We are now working with NASA to establish a new target launch date, but note that we will continue to test and review data. We will launch when the vehicle is ready.
Hard to know if that means a week delay, or a month, or more. But it’s definitely better not to rush it; it’s a very important mission for the future of affordable spaceflight.