Baby, please come back.
This virus has been like a wildfire, sweeping through education, academia, and blue cities. It took technological and social trends that were already happening, and rapidly accelerated them, and now they’re smoldering ashes. I don’t think any of them will ever be the same again. And that’s not a bad thing.
Here’s an overview of the state of the art of needed technologies to beam power to earth, from almost three decades ago, when I was working at Rockwell. I ran across it in trying to reduce the entropy of my office. It’s funny how little has changed.
Sorry about the rotation; that’s how it scanned into the PDF. Just rotate it with your browser.
It’s getting ready for the flight attempt. Watch it live.
[Update a while later]
Looks like another scrub; they’re detanking. Probably not today.
Yes, Trump should issue an executive order on this, except unfortunately, it would taint the concept.
Quantum physicists say “don’t sweat it.”
That’s good news, I guess, if we ever get time travel.
A reader emailed me, asking why I hadn’t mentioned this weekend’s return of Endeavour from ISS (it will be splashing down in about three hours). I replied that there wasn’t much to talk about; the entire mission has been utterly nominal. At this point, like Elon, I’m much more interested in Starship. It would be great if it can take its first flight on the same day that Dragon returns with crew, though.
[Noon PDT update]
They’re in the water, and SpaceX’s job is done. It appears to have been a perfect flight.
[Update at 1230 PDT]
Where the hell was the Coast Guard? How did those private boats get so close to the capsule? I can’t believe they didn’t set up a perimeter. Meanwhile…
We may soon be able to predict them. That would be nice.
Starship could take its maiden flight as soon as Sunday.
Time for Congress to look into its threat to individual rights.