Soyuz Docks With ISS

This is the link which won’t show per normal methods…sigh. Interesting to be sure, but where’s the beef?! Tell me again just what we get from the ISS?  It was supposed to be a one decade, $8 billion effort.  It turned into a $100 billion 25-year effort. The idea of putzing around in LEO is [...]

Drink To Me, Drink To My Health

The things we do to put people on orbit. You’re in trouble!

Space Station Threatened by Chunk of Space Junk

Either within five clicks or a half-click depending on which official is talking.

Clown Arrives at Space Station

Finally a mission for the ISS? The clown ”reportedly paid $35 million to become the world’s seventh space tourist. “

Start-Ups Are Poised For Latest Space Race

Andy Pasztor of the WSJ reports the administration is “leaning towards outsourcing major components of its space program.” This would mean some competition (or even cancellation!) for the planned NASA-sponsored Ares programs which (in six to eight years) will be used to resupply the International Space Station with materials and astronauts. To paraphrase Emil Faber, [...]

Exploration plan doesn’t fit in current budget, panel says

NASA is underfunded. They need an extra $50 billion or so across the next ten years to do what they’re supposed to do. Given the anticipated national-level direction and funding trend for this sort of discretionary endeavor, NASA should expect to be riding on a man-rated version of the Delta IV and cancel their Ares [...]

U.S. Spaceflight Gap Wider Than Thought

The bottom line: the shuttle won’t retire on time and its replacement won’t be ready on time. Those are some preliminary findings of the U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, led by Norm Augustine and briefed by former astronaut Sally Ride. In total, the delays could add another year without a U.S. provided ride to [...]