Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Sunday, September 29, 2024
The U.S. can and should aid India’s rise as a space power by sharing data derived from NASA planetary missions in exchange for data from Indian missions, such as the Venus Orbital Mission and the Chandrayaan-4. NASA can also include more Indian astronauts on tours of the International Space Station and, later, future commercial stations. It could also include at least one Indian astronaut on an Artemis mission to the lunar surface.
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Monday, September 23, 2024
Sunday, September 22, 2024
For the Polaris Dawn mission, the iconic image is that of two of the astronauts: first Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur who paid for the flight, then Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer, emerging half out the hatch with the distant Earth as a backdrop.
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Friday, September 20, 2024
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Monday, September 16, 2024
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Former President Trump’s suggestion that a government efficiency commission be formed to examine the workings of every part of the federal government is a brilliant one. The idea that SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk be in charge of the commission would seem to be a no-brainer.
Such a commission would be the perfect vehicle for looking at NASA, an agency with a storied history beset with a slew of problems.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Friday, September 13, 2024
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Monday, September 09, 2024
Sunday, September 08, 2024
Robert Reich, former Labor secretary under President Bill Clinton and current public policy professor at the University of California at Berkeley, is angry with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Reich has written a column in the UK Guardian explaining why he finds Musk obnoxious and what should be done about it.
Saturday, September 07, 2024
Friday, September 06, 2024
Thursday, September 05, 2024
Wednesday, September 04, 2024
Tuesday, September 03, 2024
Monday, September 02, 2024
Sunday, September 01, 2024
One of the bright spots in American politics has been that space policy has avoided becoming a partisan political issue. The Biden administration has adopted wholesale from the preceding Trump administration both the Space Force and the Artemis mission to return to the moon. The continuity of space policy between the two very different presidencies has been both surprising and gratifying.
However, the nonpartisan nature of space policy may be about to change.