60 Minutes Story on the New Space Race
60 Minutes has a Story Sunday January (tomorrow night) at 7pm EST/6pm CST called THE NEW SPACE RACE. Here is their teaser:
The private sector’s race to space is being led by maverick aeronautical (more...)Sovereignty
As I have been pondering the fate of a lunar colony this Christmas, I came across an idea. What is sovereignty? The diction says:
Freedom from outside interference and the right to self-government
(more...)Update from SpaceX
Here is the latest update from Elon:
All systems have passed their prelaunch checkout and we are go for launch tomorrow at 11 a.m. California time (7 p.m. GMT).
SpaceX Launch Date/Time Set
SpaceX announced tonight that their Falcon I rocket is going to launch on December 19, at 1:00pm CST (2:00pm EST & 11:00am PST). The launch will take place from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands carrying a payload for DARPA.
As a reminder, Out of the Cradle and Michael Belfiore should have live blogging of the [...]
Virgin Galactic Has a new Website
Today Virgin released a little more information on their lease of New Mexico’s coming spaceport. Check out Leonard David’s report at Virgin Galactic Sets Deal With New Mexico Spaceport.
But what I am really jazzed about is virgin Galactic has finally added news to their website, after a year and a half. Clark Lindsey
Reading List
I have decided to place a reading list to Space Pragmatism. The last six books I have read are listed to the left with links to Amazon. Check them out, they are all good (I leave off the ones I don’t like.)
New COTS Watch Blog
Michael has started a new blog specially about:
…news, articles, whitepapers and opinions about NASA’s Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) initiative.
New COTS Watch Blog
Michael has started a new blog specially about:
…news, articles, whitepapers and opinions about NASA’s Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) initiative.
The T/Space Take on COTS
Michael believer has a post on NASA’s new Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS) RFP. He also has some quotes from Gary Hudson, t/Space’s co-founder. T/Space seems happy with it:
…he’s impressed with the RFP and that he’s confident that private industry can rise to the challenge
SpaceX Launch Update
Just got this from Elon:
Launch Date
The new launch date is approximately December 20, depending on when the Missile Defense Agency testing is complete. As soon as we have a firm time, it will be posted on the SpaceX website.
Liquid Oxygen
Regarding liquid oxygen (LOX) supplies, we expect to have enough on
SpaceX Falcon I Set for December 19-21, 2005
SpaceX announced a launch window of December 19-21 (assuming DOD doesn’t take away one or more days). Apparently they order 2 sh**loads of LOX this time (SpaceX terms) so they should have plenty.
Quotes from the press conference are at http://www.outofthecradle.net/archives/2005/12/falcon-1-december-launch-date/#more-126 where “intrepid OotC reporter Mark Trulson” will live blog the launch again.
By the Way, I joined NSS
Both the local HAL5 chapter and NSS today. If you don’t belong, look up your local chapter at http://chapters.nss.org/a/lists/ and give one of the officers a ring/email/fax/whatever. You will be glad you did.
“Return to the Moon”
I have been asked by Rick Tumlinson, the cofounder of the Space Frontier Foundation, to review a new book Return to the Moon. In Rick’s words it is an:
anthology of essays by more than 20 authors covering a broad spectrum of ideas and concepts revolving around a permanent human return to the Moon.
NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Draft Released
NASA has at least released a draft of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS). Nothing shocking in it, but it is good to have it in writing.
Basically it is in two phases:
Phase 1 – A period of development and demonstration by private industry
Apparently, NSS and Me are on the Same Page
Here is the National Space Society’s principles:
NSS Principles — What Does NSS Stand For?
These are the guiding principles of the National Space Society by which we will conduct our Mission in pursuit of our Vision. (In priority order).
Human Rights
NSS shall promote the principle of fundamental rights of every human being.
