Category Archives: Space

Aerospace Strikes Back?

October 31, 2011 Rand Simberg

There’s an overview of the current state of the aerospace industry over at R&D Magazine. I think it’s a little too credulous about Liberty, and it would have been nice to see more recognition of what’s happening in the suborbital world than just a mention of Virgin.

Business, Space

PDR or CDR?

October 28, 2011 Rand Simberg 21 Comments

I’m glad that NASA has approved SpaceX’s Preliminary Design Review for the launch abort system, but this doesn’t seem right:

NASA has approved the preliminary design review of SpaceX’s launch abort system, which will help crews aboard the Dragon capsule get out of harm’s way should any problems crop up during liftoff, company officials announced last week. With this hurdle cleared, SpaceX can now start building hardware for the system.

Emphasis mine. That’s not my understanding of a PDR. I thought that PDR meant that you could start doing detailed design, advancing to a Critical Design Review. After passing CDR, you start bending metal. Is there not going to be a CDR?

Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Space

Propellant Depots

October 28, 2011 Rand Simberg 3 Comments

Dana Rohrabacher makes the case. He doesn’t seem to be consistent in his terminology, though. He starts out calling them “fuel” depots, and later switches to “propellant.”

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Pants On Fire

October 28, 2011 Rand Simberg 6 Comments

No, Barack Obama is not the first president to terminate America’s ability to put people into space. I would also note that while Nixon generally gets the blame, the decision to end Apollo was actually made in the Johnson administration.

Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Space