Bill Nye, the so-called former “science guy,” is warning future space settlers that they had best guard their speech against politically incorrect language.
Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
A lot of things have to go right for anyone, SpaceX or NASA, to land on the moon in 2024. However, the world has the happy prospect of a new kind of space race in the early 2020s, not between two super powers, but a public versus private variety.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019
One of the great tragedies of last year occurred when Lizzie Fletcher, an anti-science mean girl, toppled science nerd Culberson from his House seat. Things would be different if he were running the appropriations subcommittee funding NASA and not Jose Serrano.
Friday, October 25, 2019
As a personal note, I am told that I am blind in my left eye because a doctor was a tad too enthusiastic with the forceps.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
At a recent panel discussion presented by the International Academy of Astronautics, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin gave some sage advice about how NASA’s Artemis program to return to the moon might be improved. Among other things, he suggested that China be invited as a partner to the undertaking, as part of what he called the “Space Exploration Alliance.”
The very next day, in a speech before this year’s International Astronautical Conference, Vice President Mike Pence seemed to disagree. According to Space.com, Pence presented a vision of an international space exploration effort that was wide of the one Aldrin proposed.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Monday, October 14, 2019
Alexei Leonov was the first human being to walk in space on March 18, 1965. He was outside for just over 12 minutes before reentering to the Soviet Voskhod 2 capsule.
Leonov also came very close to achieving the distinction of being the first human being to die in space. While he was outside the Voskhod, his suit inflated so much that he could not get back inside his spacecraft. He released enough oxygen from his suit to barely make it back inside alive.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Friday, October 11, 2019
When a satellite is launched and placed into Earth orbit, whether it is for communications, GPS or a reconnaissance, it continues to operate as long as it has fuel or until something breaks down. Then the satellite, often worth hundreds of millions of dollars, becomes space junk, colliding with other dead satellites and becoming a hazard to space navigation.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Wednesday, October 09, 2019
Tuesday, October 08, 2019
Is outer space a “heart of darkness” in terms of both the physical environment and the human spirit when it is challenged and changed by exploration? A new movie, “Ad Astra,” examines that question.
Monday, October 07, 2019
Sunday, October 06, 2019
Early end of the Vietnam War. No Yom Kipper War. No energy crisis. Early smartphones. Early Internet. I have to say that continuing the space race would have been a good thing.
Speaking of which.