They just had to lay off twenty percent of their staff as a result of the shutdown. This is tremendously damaging.
I just saw Rob in San Diego last week.
Vitamin D
Do we actually need to get out in the sun even if we supplement?
Great. I supposed I should be taking nitric oxide, too, though.
Space Property Rights
Steve Wolfe just sent me a call for papers that’s right up my (and perhaps some of my readers’) alley:
I am chairing an interesting program at the ISDC this year titled the Space Settlement Policy Forum. It will be held June 5th in Washington, DC. Forum details and agenda are attached.
Though most consider discussion of space settlement related policies to be academic, for Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other leaders the reality of space settlement is an imminent and highly desirable probability. In this forum we will take a sober look at the laws and policies that would or should be implemented in order to facilitate and encourage space settlement development. The Forum will address this broad challenge without presuming a single ‘silver bullet’ solution.
Topic Categories Include:
- How Current Space Law Encourages and Inhibits Space Settlement Development
- Potential Government Incentives for Private Funding of Space Settlements
- Changes to International Law to Enable Space Settlement Development
- Licensing Regime for Space Settlement Development and Construction—What would it look like?
- Proper Role of Government in Space Settlement Development: Leading the Way or Being a Cheer Leader?
- What Are the Space Settlement Enabling Technologies That Government Agencies Should Be Investing In Now?
Presentation Submission Guidelines:
- Prepare a 15-minute to present with slides
- Prepare a paper of not less than 3-pages that will be publish in the proceedings of the conference.
- The presentation must recommend, and argue for, a particular legal or regulatory change directly related to space settlement
- The paper must provide a summary that includes specific recommendations for policy change
- Interest must be expressed to Steve Wolfe immediately
- Abstract submission due by January 25, 2019
Kind of short notice, but I’ll probably be submitting multiple abstracts.
SpaceX
Is literally decimating its workforce.
My theory: their plans have changed sufficiently (e.g., going from composite to stainless in the Starship), and Falcon 9 is more reusable than they thought, so they don’t need to build more, that they need a new skills mix. Plus they couldn’t maintain that burn rate without an infusion of funding, and money has gotten more expensive to borrow.
The Wall
If the Democrats want to lose the fight, all they have to do is keep talking. The utter irrationality of their “arguments” has been breathtaking.
[Update a while later]
Shutdown stalemate as Republicans go factual, and Democrats go illogical.
[Update a few minutes later]
The week in pictures, government-shutdown edition.
[Update a few more minutes later]
The stupidest argument of the week.
It’s stiff competition.
Iridium Last
SpaceX had a successful flight of a used booster this morning from Vandenberg, delivering the final birds of the new Iridium constellation. It was socked in in LA, so I couldn’t see it, but it looks like it was beautiful up on the central coast. Michael Baylor got a gorgeous shot, his first from a remote camera.
My first remote camera photo! #Falcon9 launches from SLC-4E at Vandenberg AFB with Iridium-8. #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/lh5lxiJYcQ
— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) January 11, 2019
[Update a while later]
Here’s another one.
And now for remote camera #2! I cannot believe that both of my cameras worked. This was my first launch with remotes! #SpaceX #Iridium8
Support my work on Patreon to get exclusive updates. MaxQ Patrons will get a blog post shortly about my experience: https://t.co/zeYL3Q2aFL pic.twitter.com/JqgBXwvgYe
— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) January 11, 2019
How it screwed over James Damore.
Looks to me like a good basis for a lawsuit, from a company with very deep pockets.
Captain Marvel
Which one is better?
Not having read a comic since I was an adolescent, I’m insufficiently nerdy to have an opinion, but Treacher takes on the crucial issue.
Taking The Smarts Out Of “Smart TV”
…would make them more expensive.
I’ve never given our 65″ Vizio (which we bought a year ago) our wifi password. It has no information other than what comes in through the HDMI cable. It’s purely a monitor. I don’t talk to Google, and I won’t get an Alexa. I’ve never installed Facebook on my phone, and I turn off my location unless I need it. I don’t want the tech giants spying on me and selling my data. Because at some point, the government is going to demand it, and they’ll comply.
Charlie Bolden
I just got a Facebook friend request from him. Huh.
I was down at the AIAA SciTech conference in San Diego. It goes all week, but I drove back last night. The first two days were space stuff, but the rest of the week is mostly aviation. I stayed yesterday because it was interesting aviation, with supersonics and urban air transport. Anyway, back in the office now.