Sunday, August 30, 2020

Trump offers promises for the Space Force and NASA for the second term

Instead of a party platform, the Republicans have deferred to President Donald Trump, who has offered what is in effect a “Contract with America,” similar to the one Newt Gingrich drew up in advance of the 1994 midterm elections. Among the promises Trump has made is the following:

“Launch Space Force, Establish permanent manned presence on the moon and send the first manned mission to Mars.”

Saturday, August 29, 2020

My most recent appearance on The Space Show has been archived and is available for your listening pleasure.
The Asteroid Mining Corporation is a new company in the UK seeking to access the riches of those flying mountains in the solar system

Monday, August 24, 2020

Peace between Israel and the UAE could spark joint Israeli-Arab space exploration

Israel and the UAE are also emerging space powers. The UAE recently launched a probe called Hope to Mars. After a private Israeli group made an unsuccessful attempt to land a robotic probe called the Beresheet on the lunar surface, German company OHB joined forces with Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) to attempt a moon landing in 2022 using Beresheet technology.

TRUMP’S 2ND TERM AGENDA

Of particular note: "Launch Space Force, Establish Permanent Manned Presence on The Moon and Send the First Manned Mission to Mars'

Human presence on the moon and human mission to Mars, Mr. President. Just saying.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Tom Hanks Defends Old-School NASA Approach: Convention Update

Contrary to what Tom Hanks said, a lot of people made money during Apollo. In fact, according to Chase Econometrics, Apollo was a net plus to the American economy, remarkable for a government program.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

The Right Stuff | Official Trailer | Disney+





The dialogue in this clip is awesome.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

The Space Force moves to define itself and its mission

The United States Space Force has just published a document entitled “Spacepower” that undertakes to define its doctrine and its role in keeping the peace on the high frontier of space. The document acknowledges the truth that space has moved from being a relatively benign domain, where people and nations peacefully undertake exploration and commerce and avoid conflict, to a potentially war-fighting domain, where nations may attack one another’s space assets and defend their own.

Also: Let the Space Force define its own ranks and The Space Force plots a new course

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

To Ensure America’s Space Future, Reelect Donald Trump

President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has undertaken a series of measures that have made him the greatest space president since John F. Kennedy.

Sunday, August 09, 2020

SpaceX is building the road to the moon and Mars in Texas

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has had an incredible week. It started with the triumphant return of Dragon astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from the International Space Station. The conclusion of their space mission was a curious combination of the modern and the retro. The Crew Dragon is a state-of-the-art spacecraft, yet it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico dangling from parachutes just as they did during the Apollo program.

NASA Watch has a rundown of the political reactions to the return of the Dragon astronauts. One should note the offputting way that both Joe Biden and Barack Obama pat themselves on the back. I rather prefer the statesmanlike response of Charles Bolden, Obama's NASA Administrator.

"Let’s try to resist the temptation to politicize this achievement and the realization of the dreams of thousands over many decades now. There’s enough credit to go around and success is always possible when no one cares who gets the credit! - Semper Fi! Charlie B."

Words of wisdom.

Sunday, August 02, 2020

2020 Democratic Party platform endorses Trump's NASA moon program

Call it a triumph of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s relentless bipartisan approach to space policy. In any case, those who support the space agency’s Artemis back-to-the-moon program have found encouragement in the space plank of the Democratic Party’s draft platform for 2020.