Unfortunately, Windows Media is demanding that I download a new version to view it, which generally involves a reboot, which I’m loathe to do right now, so I don’t know what’s going on. According to the latest reading from Clark, it’s still on.

[Update a little after 7 PM Eastern]

Apparently the scheduled launch was aborted due to a telemetry issue.

Could still go tonight, though.

[Update at 8:34 PM EDT]

OK, apparently not. Maybe tomorrow. Fortunately, my commenters are more on top of the situation than I am. Well, I’ve never attempted to be the site for breaking space news, unless I’m live blogging an event.

Jane Skinner just did an interview with Granger Whitelaw on the Rocket Racing League. Cool video simulations of the rockets played in the background throughout.

The giggle factor continues to dissipate.

Is Galileo the Airbus of space? It never made much sense to me to try to compete with a free service. The only thing that this project ever had going for it was anti-American paranoia and European pride. I don’t think it will be enough to save it.

Jeff Foust has a good summary of the current state of planetary defense.

Jeff Foust has a good summary of the current state of planetary defense.

Jeff Foust has a good summary of the current state of planetary defense.

Current schedule seems to be 4 PM Pacific (that means this evening for us (current) east coasters).

Alan Henderson has some thoughts about sunspots, climate change, and space colonization. I have to say, though, that I don’t think it’s an urgent issue.

Or so says Elon Musk.

Here’s hoping for a badly needed success.

Former Congressional space staffer David Goldston has a piece over at Nature about the grid-locked and paralytic state of space policy. He also describes the ongoing ignorance of much of the Congress, the media, and the public on the subject:

…the story one hears now from most members of Congress, and some in the media, is that the president made a speech about going to Mars in 2004, got nothing but grief for it, and the proposal went nowhere. This is, of course, almost entirely wrong.

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