Announcing tools to utilize ISS. Ardulab, is an Arduino modified with features to work on the station. Developed with NASA and Nanoracks. Enabled an 8th-grade class to do a plant-growth experiment for different light conditions in space, ready to fly. Takes up only ten percent of allowed volume, leaving remainder for experiments. Completely open source, hardware and software. Will be opening web site right after talk today.
Jurvetson
Need competition in space industry, and known prices, to allow non-insiders to enter and put together business plans. #NewSpaceCon
Citing Arthur Clarke’s suggestion that vehicles need to be reusable fo make space affordable, from 45 years ago as Apollo 11 went to the moon.
Skeptics in the industry have scoffed at SpaceX goal of retroburning, entering, flying back to site and reflying. Both attempts would have been fine if they’d been on land, instead of in the ocean. Most amazing things was that it worked the first time, demonstrating the power of modern simulations.
When you start with a founding vision so far beyond the industry you have to invent a lot of new things (e.g., vertical landing on a planet, manufacturing propellant on another planet). Challenge is to see what is necessary to achieve vision, but come up with intermediate solutions that generate revenue. If you’re an incumbent not being disrupted, you’ll just incrementally improve, not go after revolutionary solution.
[Update a few minutes later]
For other info on the talk, follow @jeff_foust.
The Clash Of Civilizations
…is a misnomer. It’s more akin to the sacking of Rome by barbarians. There is nothing civilized about Islamists.
[Update a few minutes later]
Wrong link before, but fixed now, sorry.
The Moon Treaty
No, it is not international customary law.
[Update a few minutes later]
I should note that Matt and I had an extensive discussion at the reception this evening. He wrote that blog post after he went back to his room. I also came up with a good way to stake a claim to an entire asteroid under the OST that we thrashed out somewhat.
The Heinlein Technology Prize
Art Dula just made some news at the New Space 2014 Conference. The Heinlein Prize committee hasn’t been able to come up with a winner this year, but they just announced a new prize, called the Heinlein Technology Prize. It’s a $10,000 award for a technology that has been tested in space, and shows significant promise to help commercial space activities. Winner will be announced in September.
Fighting Blight
…one block at a time, through crowdsourcing.
The New Extraterrestrial Geography
My thoughts on what we haven’t done and where we haven’t been in forty-five years.
SLS Budget Problems
I’m sure you’re as shocked about this as I am.
Human Childbirth
A dozen things you probably didn’t know about it. Note the comment about weightless gestation and birth.
Probably safe for work, but you might want to avoid if you’re pregnant.
Off To San Jose
I’m driving up to the New Space conference this afternoon, so not much posting until tonight.