Eric Berger has the latest.
NASA may be playing its cards too close to the vest here for its credibility.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
Spaceport Las Vegas
No, funding is not his biggest issue. This is his biggest issue:
“And there are several companies building them right now,” he said in his presentation. “They’re basically an aircraft with a variety of engines, whether it’s a scramjet engine or rockets. It takes off and lands like an aircraft and it’s made of titanium. You can launch it and re-enter, and you can do it over and over again. And it’s a lot safer.”
Although some of Lauer’s website visuals and early plans call for a launching pad, Lauer said his development’s focus will be on horizontal takeoffs and landings and not launches.
Which companies? The only company that I’m aware of developing a horizontal takeoff and landing system is Radian, and they need a sled. To quote the former senator from Wisconsin in a different context, I wouldn’t give him one penny for this nutty fantasy.
Judith Curry
An interview with John Stossel.
Climate scientist @CurryJa tells me she "had to develop the hide of an armadillo" after she questioned climate alarmism.
— John Stossel (@JohnStossel) August 3, 2024
Former "friends" turned on her, writing things like, “Judith Curry abandons science.”
Did she? Here's my full interview with her: pic.twitter.com/yQBtWnC5ZJ
Back To Vegas
I’m attending AIAA ASCEND tomorrow through Thursday (ad in left column). I’ll take the laptop, but not sure how much time I’ll have to blog. It’s a very busy schedule, with multiple sessions in parallel.
With Little Fanfare
Falcon 9 has returned to flight after only a couple weeks:
Watch Falcon 9 launch 23 @Starlink satellites to orbit https://t.co/WT1fkM0Byl
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 27, 2024
They’ve made launch routine.
Rights For Rocks
Presumably, these rights would apply to space rocks as well. Let me be the first to represent them: I declare their right to be made useful.
Commercial Space Conundrum
How does NASA get more competition against SpaceX?
Challenger
Jeff Foust reviews what looks to be an interesting new book on NASA’s safety culture.
The Weirdest Generation
Why Zoomers won’t show their feet.
To be fair, the Internet and porn have created a lot of social dysfunction, including terrible sex (at least for women, but probably men as well).
My Current Travails
I missed my 7AM flight to LA from Vegas this morning, because I’m a dumbass, and went to the wrong concourse, and by the time I figured it out, it was too late to get to the right one (Note to self: in the future, look at your boarding pass). They put me on standby for the next flight that was scheduled for 1130 (and all flights are 100% full, because they’re still trying to recover from the CRWD update that had the same effect as a cyberattack). At 10, they rescheduled the flight for 1936. So I’ve now been here for ten hours, with a couple to go before I board. If I board. If not, I’ll go back to the hotel I’ve been staying and try for the 7AM flight tomorrow that I missed today.
So how’s your day going? Besides Biden ending his campaign. Or someone writing a letter ostensibly from him saying that he’s ending his campaign, without really explaining why. I wonder if he knows that he’s ending his campaign? Anyway, as Joe would say, anyway.
Thoughts from Mark Steyn.
[Monday-evening update]
Sorry for the lack of update. Yes, I caught a (slightly) earlier flight and got home last night.
[Bumped]