Sam Dinkin looks at the business case.
There’s not currently a ferry terminal in the South Bay, so they’d have to build one somewhere, maybe by the Marina or King Harbor to make it more convenient to LAX.
Iran
Yes. Best outcome will be a revolution replaced by a more western democracy, but unsure what the likelihood of that is.
Block 5
Loren Grush on the significance of today’s launch.
At this point, SpaceX rules the world on expertise in developing and operating space transports. BFR is largely simply scaling up current systems. And rockets scale up quite nicely, within facilities limits.
[Update a few minutes later]
More from Doug Messier.
[Update a while later]
And more, from Chris Gebhart.
This will be an historic day if the flight is successful. Or even if it’s unsuccessful. Only way it won’t be historic is if they scrub.
[Update Friday morning]
OK, they scrubbed yesterday, and have another opportunity today. I haven’t heard yet if they found the problem, but here’s a transcript of a very interesting telecon with Elon yesterday.
[Bumped]
[Afternoon update]
I did a little tweetstorm.
Point many don't understand yet: SpaceX has shown not just the way to reusability, and low-cost launch, but low-cost DDT&E. It's revolutionary in the launcher business to be able to affordably do so many flight tests of a vehicle.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) May 11, 2018
As I note over there, in terms of opening space to humanity, historians will record that today was a more significant day than July 20th, and the most significant event in spaceflight since Sputnik and Gagarin. We’re finally making spaceflight routine and affordable to others than governments, over half a century after we first started.
[Monday-afternoon update]
More from Jeff Foust over at The Space Review today.
[Bumped]
Today’s X-Rated Links
A visit to a s3x-robot factory, and the furniture of Catherine the Great. Latter definitely NSFW.
Mueller Screws Up
This is great. The gang that couldn’t shoot straight.
Stick Shifts
What’s the best new car you can get with one?
I wish I had the budget for some of these. One of my favorite features is that they’re much less likely to be stolen, since so many people don’t know how to drive them these days.
Give ‘Em Hell Harry
Was Truman the proto-Trump?
Trump is only shocking to people unfamiliar with presidential history.
Akins’ Laws Of Spacecraft Design
I’ve known Dave for decades, but this is the first time I’ve seen these.
I particularly like 39(s):
39. Any exploration program which “just happens” to include a new launch vehicle is, de facto, a launch vehicle program.
39. (alternate formulation) The three keys to keeping a new human space program affordable and on schedule:
1) No new launch vehicles.
2) No new launch vehicles.
3) Whatever you do, don’t develop any new launch vehicles.
Shame that NASA and Congress can’t learn this.
The Jaguar
…is made for the age of humans. A nice nature piece from Nadia Drake.
And though this is a leopard, not a jaguar, it’s interesting.
It's always seemed pretty clear to me that my cats knew what a mirror was, and didn't treat it like another cat. But maybe the leopard is figuring it out. https://t.co/8z4UnokOs6
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) May 10, 2018
Obama’s Legacy
Yes, and sow the ground with salt.