For Mars One, the hits just keep on coming. Coming on the heels of an MIT study which predicted would-be colonists would doe of hypoxia by the 68th day of a notionally permanent relocation to the Red Planet, and more recent reports that plans for a 2018 surface lander and orbiter have been shelved, Mars […]
On Monday, the Obama Administration announced its proposed budget for FY 2016, a $4 trillion dollar (officially $3.999) spending tally which is certain to be contested by the new Republican Congress. As part of the day’s events, NASA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) David Radzanowski presented the space agency’s own $18.5 billion dollar slice of the […]
Setting Up Shop / Image Credit Moon Express Florida Today reports that Moon Express has signed a deal with Space Florida for partial use of historic Launch Complex 36 in order to test engines and hardware for what will ultimately become its MX-1 Lunar Lander. From the story: “Moon Express is the first entrepreneurial “new […]
In the afterglow of a spectacularly successful initial test flight of the first, partially completed Orion spacecraft, it would have been gratifying to learn that for the first time, Congress has elected to fully fund the both the Space Launch System and NASA’s Commercial Crew program. Once again that is not the case, and America’s […]
Visions of Future Past / Image Credit NASA Following a one day delay due to weather and balky liquid hydrogen fill/drain valves, a ULA Delta Heavy launch vehicle bearing the first space capable Orion capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-37. Launch, which took place right on time 7:05 AM ET, was flawless, although viewers […]
NASA’s Exploration Flight Test-1 of a partially completed Orion spacecraft has proven to be a field day for the agency’s goal of inextricably linking the words “Orion” and “Mars” in the public perception and cementing the notion that the agency is indeed taking the first step towards a manned landing on the Red Planet. Perhaps […]
Waiting on a New Day. Image Credit NASA After a litany of minor issues mostly relating to ground wind speed constraints, today’s launch of NASA’s EFT-1 and a test Orion spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy was delayed repeatedly, and ultimately scrubbed. The final problem, which managers were not able to resolve in […]
Image Credit: “Wanderers” Three videos. One, “Wanderers” a stirring vision of exploration within our own solar system. The second, a promotional video for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. A partially completed version is due to launch aboard a Delta Heavy on December 4th in a test of basic systems as well as the heat shield. The third? […]
After a delay of 24 hours due to bad weather, NASA is preparing to move the Orion spacecraft mounted aboard a Delta Heavy rocket to SLC-37 this evening. The launch, which will test Orion’s heat shield and basic systems, is scheduled for December 4th. Meanwhile, an article in Scientific American adds to the growing criticism […]
Earlier this week, retiring Senator Tom Coburn, (R) Oklahoma released the 2014 edition (pdf) of the “Wastebook” of public spending. As always the publication includes a cherry picked list of the various ways in which government “wastes” taxpayer dollars, much of which is difficult defend no matter what your political point of view. As usual, NASA […]
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