My buddy Michelle Hanlon was on NPR yesterday, and the LA Times has an approving editorial.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
Anti-American Forces At NASA?
Bob Zimmerman is concerned.
If it’s not the intent of this to aid Russia, that’s certainly the effect.
And yes, this is concerning:
But the sources familiar with the matter said the companies must address “most” of those concerns before flying astronauts and, eventually, tourists to space. [emphasis mine]
NASA has no business dictating what standards will be met for private spaceflight participants. Someone needs to stomp on this right now.
[Update a few minutes later]
And just by coincidence, as NASA continues to want to purchase more rides from the Russians, another Fregat upper stage failed today.
The Soyuz 2-1b has apparently FAILED according to Russian media: ?https://t.co/l09jEEtPTG
— Chris B – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) February 21, 2019
[Late-morning update]
Looks like while there may have been an anomaly, the mission was ultimately a success.
I now have independent confirmation that #EgyptSat-A was released from Fregat into a planned orbit in today's #Soyuz launch!!! Stay tuned for updates: https://t.co/O5RqZRE7ed
— Anatoly Zak (@RussianSpaceWeb) February 21, 2019
[Friday afternoon update]
Well, that piece by Reuters didn’t age well. Seems kind of dumb to have run it when the flight readiness review was scheduled for the very next day.
[Bumped]
Sharyl Atkisson
She needs financial support to fight the Deep State.
Throwing Shade At Branson From Bezos
I wonder how much the additional twenty kilometers will be worth in the market? Jonathan McDowell makes a pretty good case that the line actually should be eighty kilometers. Von Karman never declared it to be a hundred.
The Opioid Epidemic
Strange, because I don’t personally know anyone who’s been affected (that I know of).
SpaceShipTwo
Their launch window opened this morning at 7 AM. I’d thought about driving up, but it’s going to be pretty cold up there, and I didn’t think the weather would cooperate. It did turn out that they scrubbed. I think Friday’s the most likely day now, because another storm is coming through tonight and tomorrow.
Your Fifteen Minutes Of Hate
From recent experience, Nancy Rommelmann has a guide to surviving it.
NASA’s “Space” Program
It will be a decade and a half, and $50B, with little spaceflight to show for it.
Europe And Its Space Race
Will SpaceX shut it out?
Probably. Not that he could really do anything about it, but I warned Clay Mowry years ago that Ariane 6 would be obsolete before it flew. Which is probably why he went to Blue Origin.
Protecting Human Heritage On The Moon
An interesting piece by Michelle Hanlon. This is a corollary with space property right. If some places are off limits, it implies that most others are not.