Why is America Going Back to the Moon #CommissionEarned

Dmitry Rogozin’s firing will not save the Russian space program

The news that Dmitry Rogozin had been dismissed as director of Roscosmos, the state corporation that runs the Russian space program, was universally acclaimed in Western space policy circles. Rogozin’s history of making bellicose statements concerning Russia’s space partners has been a sore point even before his tenure at Roscosmos. However, his departure will not save the Russian space program from the systemic problems afflicting it.

A Brother on the Moon #CommissionEarned

Why is FAA approval for SpaceX Starship orbital launches taking so long?

An old joke is going around social media that if the Apollo program had to pass modern environmental regulations, America would never have landed astronauts on the moon. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seems bent on proving the premise of that joke: It recently delayed its environmental review of SpaceX Starship orbital launches from that company’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas for a fourth time.

The UK Sun is reporting that Prince Harry would like to dly in space. I seem to recall an old Arthur C. Clarke story about a Prince Harry who stows away on a British rocket ship. Wherever he is, Clarke must be pleased.

By the way, Cowing's labeling him as a royal party boy is a little bit unfair. His Highness has served in Afghanistan in dangerous conditions, after all.