Elon Musk's vision for the future is a positive one

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is one of the most popular billionaires in history. His fame is understandable. Rocket ships and electric cars are cool. These and other technological innovations have the potential to change the human condition for the better. Musk is especially beloved in Texas, a state that has had its share of larger-than-life people, to which he recently moved.

I was interviewed by the BBC about Artemis last night.

Sunday, August 28, 2022

With Artemis 1 mission, NASA is leading the world back to the moon

Fifty years after the last humans walked on the moon, humankind has started to go back to Earth’s nearest neighbor. After all the false starts, the political wrangling, the technological difficulties and the bureaucratic ineptitude that has accompanied the effort, NASA’s Artemis 1 mission will launch as soon as Monday, Aug. 29.

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Scientists are considering how the SpaceX Starship can accelerate space exploration

As SpaceX continues ground tests of its Starship Superheavy rocket ship in preparation for its first orbital flight, the scientific community is starting to wake up to the possibilities that the company’s spaceship presents for science-oriented space exploration. The same rocket that will take humans back to the moon and, perhaps, to Mars will also revolutionize sending robotic space explorers to all corners of the solar system, according to a recent piece in Science.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

We're going back to the moon. I can barely believe it's really going to happen.

Sunday, August 14, 2022

NASA might cancel mission to massive ‘gold mine asteroid’ — here’s why it shouldn’t

NASA had planned to send a probe to the asteroid, 16 Psyche, in 2022. It is sometimes called “the golden asteroid” because many people believe it contains an abundance of valuable metals. Unfortunately, NASA recently announced a launch delay because of the need to review software. The probe may launch in 2023 or 2024 to arrive at 16 Psyche in 2029 or 2030, respectively. The mission may be canceled altogether, since the delay would cause further cost.

Sunday, August 07, 2022

South Korea’s Danuri mission shows the return to the moon is international

The most recent mission to the moon was launched by South Korea, a signatory to the Artemis Accords. The mission is called Danuri, or Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. Danuri, which is a combination of the Korean words “dai” meaning moon and “nuri” meaning enjoy, is South Korea’s first deep-space mission. It is another example of the growing international nature of space exploration.

Tuesday, August 2, starting at 10 pm Eastern, 7 pm Pacific, I will be appearing on David Livingston’s The Space Show podcast. We’ll be discussing various space policy subjects that I have covered in my column at The Hill as well as the Washington Examiner. Follow this link to find out how to follow the podcast and how to call in. Sone Reading material below courtesy of Amazon:
Tuesday, August 2, starting at 10 pm Eastern, 7 pm Pacific, I will be appearing on David Livingston’s The Space Show podcast. We’ll be discussing various space policy subjects that I have covered in my column at The Hill as well as the Washington Examiner. Follow this link to find out how to follow the podcast and how to call in.