This looks promising.
Category Archives: Space
SN8
…has been stacked for flight.
Gordon Woodcock
I just learned that he passed a few days ago. He was both a good and great man, devoted to getting us into space. He was the manager of the Boeing SPS study in the late 70s. I knew him both from L-5 and NSS, and from working with him in the 80s when Boeing and Rockwell teamed on a project.
[Update a while later]
Sorry, link is fixed now.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Well, that was fast. This post is already on the first few links at DuckDuckGo.
My Hillsdale Panel Discussion
I just got an email from a friend who saw it on line, so I went and looked it up. Here it is.
I was originally supposed to lead off, but the moderator rearranged things so I ended up batting clean up, and it ended up well. Sercel told me that he was going to talk about some of the things that I did, but dropped them in the interest of time, so all our talks ended up being complementary. A lot of the audience told me later that the panel discussion (the first time space had ever been a topic at this event) “blew their minds.” It was the first time I’d ever met General Kwast, but he has been talking up my book to many people.
The Space Force
…now has a bipartisan Congressional caucus. I’m glad to see this, but I’m still hoping that Horn loses her seat (because I hope that all Democrats lose their seats). And she’s been part of the SLS/Orion swamp.
Continued Light Blogging
I’m sort of on vacation this week. I gave a talk in Omaha on Friday as part of a space panel with General Kwast and Joel Sercel, on the economics of space, to a Free Market Forum sponsored by Hillsdale College. It seemed to go well, and seemed to be an eye opener for many in the audience, so it was great to preach to someone other than the choir.
We’re in Michigan now, visiting family and checking out the fall colors for the first time in a long time. Unfortunately, I’m also boning up for my deposition next week in DC by Mann’s lawyer. So I’ll keep an eye on things, and post if something noteworthy happens, but consider this an open thread for now.
On The Road Again
I took a ride in an airplane today, for the first time since early March. We’re in Kansas City, driving up to Omaha tomorrow for an event where I’m speaking on Friday. Posting may be light.
Boeing’s Tar Baby
I wonder at what point the company will just pull the plug on Starliner? They’ve been spectacularly unimpressive, Andy Pasztor’s worship aside.
I mean, if Starship goes to orbit before they have their crewed test flight, even NASA has to say, OK, maybe we don’t need a backup from them for Dragon.
Launch-Cost Bleg
I’m giving a talk on the economics of spaceflight on Friday in Omaha. Does anyone have a chart showing the cost per flight as a function of flight rate for both expendables and reusables? Doesn’t need to have citable numbers in it, just looking for something conceptual.
Space Force Members
…will only go to the moon if they’re selected by NASA.
They may have no current plans to send the spacers into space, but that could change with the advent of Starship.
[Sunday-morning update]
Sorry about the missing link. I’m surprised that no one mentioned it sooner.