Thursday, July 31, 2025

This city could run dry ‘within weeks’ as it grapples with an acute water crisis

First thing when the Shah is restored, bring in Israeli water experts to start fixing the problem.

Why is America Going Back to the Moon (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again) #CommissionEarned
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Two Tales from the Coming Space Age #CommissionEarned
Mark R. Whittington will appear on The Space Show podcast, hosted by Dr, David Livingston, on July 29 starting at 10 pm Eastern, 9 Central, 8 mountain, and 7 Pacific. He’ll be discussing the latest news and developments about all things space. The number to call will be toll free 1-866-687-7223
Why is it So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again) #CommissionEarned

Sunday, July 27, 2025

SpaceX is getting into the cosmic manufacturing business

Having revolutionized the space launch system and space-based telecommunications, SpaceX has fixed on a new industry to conquer. Elon Musk’s company is developing a business called Starfall which will facilitate space-based manufacturing.

Gabriella's War: A Vampire Gabriella Novel #CommissionEarned
Children of Apollo (3 book series) #CommissionEarned
A Brother on the Moon (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 1) #CommissionEarned
Patton in Palestine (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 2) #CommissionEarned
The latest episode of South Park was a bit uneven to me. The Trump Derangement Syndrome part was eye rolling and cringe. However, Cartman being suicidal and Jesus literally in a public school were a hoot.
Why is America Going Back to the Moon (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again) #CommissionEarned
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Two Tales from the Coming Space Age #CommissionEarned
The Racial Gerrymander Boomerang: Texas Republicans want to use an outdated racial test to pad their House majority. Democrats gave them the opening.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Warrior's Heart #CommissionEarned

Even wizards can get PTSD

NASA's current interim administrator embraces the idea of a lunar base

@NASAArtemis will finish what we started: we're going back to the Moon &, this time, we're STAYING! Then, we're going to MARS!

Strange New Worlds Season 3 Gives Captain Pike A Moment We've Never Seen In Star Trek Before

Captain Pike prays on screen to God to save his lover from certain death. If religion can be brought back to Trek, maybe free market capitalism is not far behind.

NASA’s summer of discontent may be coming to an end

NASA has had a difficult early summer, between a proposed budget that would eviscerate the space agency’s science programs and President Trump’s sudden withdrawal of billionaire private space traveler Jared Isaacman from the nomination to be administrator of NASA.

Even so, there are signs that NASA’s fortunes may be looking up.

Gabriella's War #CommissionEarned
Critical Minerals: Related to Fracking, Nuclear Power, and Solar Energy
From Malta With Lies: Sergio Gor and the Sabotage of the Trump-Musk Alliance

The consequences for NASA were dramatic and negative. Thanks to Gor’s last-minute intervention, NASA was left without a Senate-confirmed administrator for the foreseeable future. Officials warned the agency wouldn’t get a new chief approved for “at least nine months,” hampering leadership of the nation’s space program. A Trump adviser involved in the process vented frustration to Axios: “Isaacman is eminently qualified… exactly the type of person we want. And now look at it.” In short, Gor’s purity tests sacrificed a crucial agency head for a partisan grudge. Even Senate Republicans were angry. According to Axios, GOP senators privately blamed Gor for undermining the NASA pick purely to “settle a score” with Musk.

Looks like the Grima Wormtongue of the Trump administration is not pleased and is threatening to sue. I bet discovery would be fascinating,

Children of Apollo (3 book series) #CommissionEarned
A Brother on the Moon (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 1) #CommissionEarned
Patton in Palestine (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 2) #CommissionEarned

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Why is America Going Back to the Moon (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again) #CommissionEarned
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Two Tales from the Coming Space Age #CommissionEarned
Al Gore Helped the U.S. Surpass Europe Americans didn’t buy into his economy-destroying climate-change nonsense.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

NASA funding is an ugly casualty of the ‘big, beautiful bill’

The “big, beautiful bill” recently signed into law enacted a number of tax, spending and regulatory measures. President Trump and his supporters regard the new law as a triumph. Trump’s enemies not so much.

NASA spending measures are tucked inside the bill that can best be described as ugly, or at the very least ill-advised.

Gabriella's War (The Gabriella Doria Stories) #CommissionEarned
Children of Apollo (3 book series) #CommissionEarned
A Brother on the Moon (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 1) #CommissionEarned
Patton in Palestine (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 2) #CommissionEarned

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

Musk’s third party push puts his companies at risk

“I don’t think it ever does any good for somebody like Elon Musk to annoy his biggest customer, which is the United States government,” space policy expert Mark Whittington said.

However, he underscored the government is also highly dependent on SpaceX, making it hard for Trump to realistically cut off the company.

Musk’s threat last month to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is responsible for ferrying astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station, sent shockwaves through the space community. He ultimately walked back the threat.

“SpaceX is so good at what it does, launching things into space, and is far beyond any of his competitors,” Whittington added. “There’s not much the federal government can do to him without alternatives.”

Why is America Going Back to the Moon (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again) #CommissionEarned
Trump Calls Out the Putin Charade The President says he’ll send arms to Ukraine, overruling the Pentagon’s ‘restrainers.’
The Texas Flood Green Herrings Blame cruel nature, not DOGE, or weathermen, or climate change.

Monday, July 07, 2025

Trump says it would have been “inappropriate” for Isaacman to lead NASA

The statement about his political contributions is incorrect based on public records. Isaacman has donated to Republican candidates, including Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), now the chairman of the House Transportation Committee. However, more recent donations, including those in the 2024 election cycle, were to Democratic candidates and organizations. That donation history almost certainly would have been part of the vetting process for his nomination, which Trump announced in December 2024.

Isaacman has also pushed back on claims, advanced by Democratic senators during the confirmation process, that he is close friends with Musk. “I do not have a close personal relationship with Mr. Musk,” he said in written responses to questions for the record after his April 9 confirmation hearing, calling his relationship with Musk “professional.” He also denied that Musk had contacted him about leading NASA, saying that his interactions were with the Trump transition team.

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Should we stop Asteroid 2024 YR4 from hitting the moon?

Now, the Earth approaching asteroid has a new target. A small chance exists that it will hit the moon in 2032. The prospect presents new dangers, though not as great as the destruction of a city.

This will really confuse the Free Palestine crows. A New Palestinian Offer for Peace With Israel Hebron’s sheikhs propose to leave the Palestinian Authority and join the Abraham Accords.
A Brother on the Moon (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 1) #CommissionEarned
Patton in Palestine (Stories of Alternate History by Mark R. Whittington Book 2) #CommissionEarned
Why is America Going Back to the Moon (How America went to the moon, stopped, and is returning again)