Over at Open Market, I write about the recent news that Virgin Galactic has gotten some limited ITAR relief, so now it won’t have to get an export license for every furriner it flies from California or New Mexico.
A First-Hand Report From Karl Hallowell
He checks in in comments:
Howdy everyone. Here’s my current status.
I have since been discharged from the hospital (John “JP” Powell, the founder of JP Aerospace was a great help there and setting travel) and am staying with my brother and his family for a few days in Denver before traveling to Yellowstone to start my usual summer-time job of counting beans. I’ll keep the bandages and immobilizing harness thingie on for somewhere around 3 weeks, then about a month later my arm should be back up to strength. My wonderful summer employer at Yellowstone, Xanterra Parks and Resorts has been very understanding.
The JP Aerospace crew managed to recover the final two payloads (which were also the targets of that ill-fated attempt on Tuesday) last Saturday. So we’re looking good on that side.
Thanks to everyone for their care (and Rand for the blog article). I’m doing well.
Good to hear.
Lessons Of The Titanic
We’re still learning them. A lot of this applies to NASA and its “safety culture” as well.
Keystone
An Economic Cliff
An amazing chart.
The North Korean Satellite
A first-hand report from Jim Oberg, who just got back.
[Late-morning update]
Here’s more at Gizmodo. The satellite can be sun synchronous, or launch on the claimed trajectory, but not both.
Housing
Is it done for a generation?
Sure looks like it to me. And it’s not good news personally, seeing as we’re currently burdened with three of them.
Life In The Twenty-First Century
Actual headline: “Robot Helicopters To Hunt Pirates With Lasers.”
Apparently, no sharks involved, though.
Debbie’s New Job?
Be afraid. Be very afraid:
There’s been talk that the cabinet position Wasserman Schultz would be in line for would be the Secretary of Health and Human Services,which is currently under the direction of Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. C’mon, wouldn’t you all want Debbie in charge of administering government-run health care for over 300 million people?
Like we needed more reasons to not want Obama to be reelected.
[Update a few minuts later]
Link is fixed now.
Free Markets, Mr. Romney
I agree that Romney suffers, as do many Republicans, from confusion between being pro-business and pro-free enterprise.