Iron Sky in Post-production

The Iron Sky guys are in post-production.  Are you ready for what appears to be Indiana Jones meets Inglourious Basterds meets Captain Sky and the World of Tomorrow? We’ve gotten used to romcom.  Based on what I’ve seen, I think I’ll categorize Iron Sky as “pucca” (Pulp, Comedy, Camp, Adventure). Basic storyline: with World War [...]

The Shuttle Legacy

As the shuttle era winds down and politicos are left to argue about which museum the survivors should be displayed in, there should be a fair amount of reflection as to the effect, and not just the glory, subscribed to the shuttle and even the whole manned space program. There is no better example than [...]

Ariane 5 Abort

Hair-raising is one way to describe the Ariane 5 abort which occurred after the main engine had fired for several seconds. Like the space shuttle, the Ariane 5 rocket’s core cryogenic main engine ignites seconds before twin solid-fueled boosters, giving computers a chance to gauge the vehicle’s health before firing the strap-on motors, which can’t [...]

Conversation Starter: Defense Acquisition

From DoD Buzz, reporting on Ash Carter’s appearance before the Commission on Wartime Contracting: Calling the Pentagon’s annual budgeting process a relic of the Cold War designed to “prepare for war not to wage wars,” Carter reiterated the calls for a streamlined acquisition process that can rapidly deliver the goods and services needed. Ah yes, [...]

The Little Discussed Impact of the German Security Council Abstention

What if they held a UN Security Council Resolution and no one came? That’s not what happened with the resolution regarding Libya, but it wasn’t too far off either with Brazil, Russia, India, and China abstaining.  Gee, that spells BRIC, doesn’t it? But there was one other abstention that didn’t fit into a historical pattern: [...]

Libya: where does end, when does it end, what does it cost?

What’s the Libyan endgame?  Not really sure. What’s the Libyan timetable?  Haven’t worked that out. What’s the Libyan price tag?  It depends. Loren Thompson argues it’s about $2 billion per day because of sunk costs. The military-accounting complex says about $550 million to date based on incremental costs, with over half coming in the form [...]

Showdown at Big Sky

The 1987 Robbie Robertson tune Showdown at Big Sky is a certified plutonium Song of Space and Nuclear War. Although the song is now old enough to drink, Robertson sings insightfully of the would-soon-end Cold War’s threats. As he opines on the need for strength, wisdom, and morality, the overall tone is one of concern without being overwhelmed [...]

You Saw The Whole of the Moon: a Song of Space and Nuclear War

“You Saw The Whole of the Moon” by the Waterboys, recorded and released in 1985.  Chances are very good you’ve never heard of this song; that’s ok, ‘cause now you will.  Let’s see: you have to dig the celestial references like I saw the crescent; You saw the whole of the moon; You stretched for [...]

The Things We Do For Space

If you don’t think the manned space flight programs of the 1960s held to a stunt mentality, check out NPR’s story on the price cosmonaut, Vladimir Komarov paid to support the 50th anniversary of the Communist revolution.

The Iron Logic of Government Space Traffic Control

Why space traffic control should be a free public utility