A Space Divided can not Call
Amen. That is all I can say to Sam Dinkin's article in Space Review on The high road. Listen to this:
As Monte Davis recently said on The Space Show, we have to set aside our petty differences. Shut up about Moon vs. Mars, hybrid vs. liquid, SSTO vs. TSTO, alt vs. biz, tourism vs. military, private vs. public, orbital vs. suborbital, robots vs. people, and asteroids vs. space invaders. Start subordinating our unimportant grousing about other's companies and products to common goals. Start smoothing over our differences, agree to disagree, and push forward a positive message about our own and all competing products. Start teaching each other how to promote in a positive way and teachJAXA Gets their Piece of the Sky
Well an asteroid, really. This just in from UPI on the JAXA probe Hayabusa:
Scientists believe it collected the debris, but will only be sure when the craft returns to Earth, the BBC reported. Hayabusa was launched in May 2003 and has until early December before it (more...)Falcon I Now Scrubbed ’till Mid-December
According to Mark Trulson, who is live blogging the SpaceX Falcon I launch scheduled for today, the launch has been delayed due to both weather and LOX issues. The launch window has been extended until 7:00pm (PST) or
SpaceX Falcon I Launch Delayed 24 hours
This from Elon:
Falcon 1 Launch Delayed by Army Range
In order to facilitate preparations for a missile defense launch, the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has bumped the SpaceX Falcon 1 maiden flight from its officially scheduled launch date of 1 p.m. California time (9 p.m. GMT) on November 25. The new launch time [...]
Where to find Live Blogging of the SpaceX Launch
Mark Trulson over at Out of the Cradle is going to live blog the SpaceX Falcon I launch on Friday for us mortals who can’t get out to El Segundo, CA for the web cast. Click on and enjoy.
Griffin can Talk the Talk…
I love his speeches, he always says what I would say if I were him. I think he is a true believer.
In a recent speech to the AAS, Griffin said:
If we are to make the expansion and development of the space frontier an integral part of what it is that
Spacex Falcon I Udpate Out
Here is the update, just emailed from Elon:
FALCON 1 MAIDEN FLIGHT
This Friday at 1 p.m. PST (9 p.m. GMT), the Falcon 1 countdown to launch is expected to reach T-Zero. At that point, the hold-down clamps will release and it will begin its journey to orbit, accelerating to 17,000 mph or twenty-five times the speed [...]
Does Anyone have a Clue About China’s Moon Program?
I would guess not. Voice of America is saying 2020:
Like the United States, China is planning a manned lunar mission by 2020 to
collect mineral samples and the isotope Helium 3, a potential energy source for
future missions to the moon.
Previous articles have said 2017, and 2035. Are we just guessing know? Even I can guess, so [...]
Falcon I Payload Blog
Jim White is blogging his experience in Omelek with the FalconSat-2. This is spaceX’s first payload that will be launch November 2005 about 1:00pm PST. Pretty interesting stuff.
One of the last things SpaceX will do is bolt the first stage engine nozzle and chamber to the business end of the rocket. They are going to [...]
SpaceX First launch Date Today
Elon Musk, at a 2:00pm PST (4:00PM CST, 5:00PM EST) press conference, will give the launch date for the first launch of the Falcon I out of Kwajalein Atoll. I believe this to be not only important for SpaceX’s credibility in the industry, but could very well be a historical moment in the space movement.
The [...]
Falcon Launch Date - Netscape Moment
Nov 25 (next Friday after Thanksgiving) at 1:00pm PST (4:ooPM EST). They have a 4 hour launch window. Good luck and Godspeed.
-Update 9:03pm CST from Michael Belfiore’s transcript of the press conference.
China Spends How Much?
I know everyone got in a hissy last week about whether China’s space program is a threat or not, but I saw this and did a double take. According to space.com,
…China does spend about one-half of 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on its space program, and since the nation’s
NASA Needs a Public Relations Overhaul
While going through my after lunch review of all the space news on the web, I ran across this statement Mark Whittington made as a comment to Rand Simberg’s post of Iraq and Space.
Not enough is being articulated about the economic benefits of doing so. Of
course, NASA public relations has been dysfunctional since the birth [...]
NASA is Cutting Science, the Bastards
According to Keith over at Nasawatch, Yet Another Mission Sacrificed for VSE? Oh wait, is that all there is to this story?
“They basically said that we should slow down or almost stop the development
while they decide to take a look at it and make an investigation,” Russell said.
I have a confession to make
As much as it pains me to tell you all this, I feel I must. The truth is I feel there are more of you out there like me. You may be afraid to show your feelings, or afraid of being laughed at by your other space geek friends. But today I say to you, [...]
