It is my experience, likely very common, to be asked, “Did you hear about…” some recent news, or on a topic already, someone will say, “I read where…” People will recommend a site or point out a blogger and their valuable takeaways on technology, a company, or happenings in the space sector. The flood of … Continue reading My morning reads
Category: 3. Space technology
Space solar power, the trolley problem, and space technology
It is January 13, 1982, and an Air Florida 737 takes off, fighting to climb but hitting the 14th Street bridge here in Washington, DC. Snow had fallen all day, and ground crews deiced the plane, except then an hour went by, and the wings iced over again. The pilot had never flown in snow. … Continue reading Space solar power, the trolley problem, and space technology
Space technology, what lies beneath
Compelling storytelling wields the power to draw us in from the first line with a curious character in a peculiar time and place. We instantly hear the voice of Harper Lee’s Scout, simple and innocent, telling us about her brother Jem. A Bradbury beginning, “It was a quiet morning,” tells us things will soon not … Continue reading Space technology, what lies beneath
Technology stagnation, NASA, numbers, and vibes
Talking about technology in the same sentence as stagnation goes down two paths, the one filled with numbers to affirm or deny any problem exists, and the other, all vibe, no data, also to agree with or to downplay any concern. Look at the numbers. It’s obvious. Or, don’t get lost in the graphs. They … Continue reading Technology stagnation, NASA, numbers, and vibes
R&D investment and “how” – the final frontier
“That’s not gonna work.” The person seated next to me mumbled this my way. It was many years ago, but not the only time, and the many versions of this story share the same look and feel. The presenter is up-front, enthusiastic. Some audience members lean forward for the Q&A. Fortunately, more often than not, … Continue reading R&D investment and “how” – the final frontier
About Starships and life cycles, but more too
Space system projects experience all the same phases of life as living organisms, from the cradle to the grave. Uncannily alike, too, even before birth, creators may write down a project’s lifeless but necessary instructions. It’s not hardware yet, it’s your creation’s DNA building blocks made of ideas. Sadly, a seedling may not sprout due … Continue reading About Starships and life cycles, but more too
Rising wages, meet technology adoption
Our space sector does not lack news about new tech, business deals, or novel things to come. But, with so much happening, imagine for a moment that the nature of the churn also changed. Would anyone notice? With too much noise, do we miss changes in the signal? The usual tropes marry change and technology … Continue reading Rising wages, meet technology adoption
Reusing, refueling, partnering – and going nuclear
Advocacy for innovation is always challenging, with much written about difficulties like the valley of death. There is one barrier that does not get much attention, though. We forget the future is always outnumbered in the here and now. Artist concept of Demonstration for Rocket to Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) spacecraft, which will demonstrate a nuclear … Continue reading Reusing, refueling, partnering – and going nuclear
AI, art, writing, oh – and spaceplanes
There are the facts, and there is the story. Both can be true, but one without the other is incomplete, as it is the story that carries meaning. As the AI ChatGPT consumes my social media feeds, it’s enough to make a blogger worry. One day soon, will an AI put the words and the … Continue reading AI, art, writing, oh – and spaceplanes
Space technology, meet 2023
A new year forces us to look back and get our bearings before focusing on what’s ahead. Milestones do that, whether beautiful or sad. On these occasions, we draw a mental line precisely marking time to a spot, with everything else on the other side. Similarly, the loss of Challenger, the fall of the Berlin … Continue reading Space technology, meet 2023
Technology, transforming the space sector, and us
After concluding a bat’leth tournament, a lone traveler in deep space passes through a jagged sliver of space-time. This piece of the galaxy is defective, a “quantum fissure” in techno-babble, as if whoever made it was asleep at the wheel. This is the universe of Star Trek, of course, full of all sorts of space-time … Continue reading Technology, transforming the space sector, and us
Flashback Friday – “Apollo 17” NASA pamphlet, 1972
Here is another item you won’t find anywhere online, on the belief that just as we never know where we may end up, it’s best to upload to the cloud while we can. Download the pamphlet as an OCR'ed .pdf This hand-out pamphlet, “Apollo 17,” was likely given to employees, the press, and the public … Continue reading Flashback Friday – “Apollo 17” NASA pamphlet, 1972
Starships mean gas stations in space, and so much more
NASA press releases often come and go where the world is left to ponder a message one step removed from chicken bones strewn on the floor-mat. If it’s not the acronyms, it’s the lingo or the leaning to put out only the facts, not what they mean. But if NASA ever buried the lede, it … Continue reading Starships mean gas stations in space, and so much more
Flashback Friday – “Skylab,” 1971 Martin Marietta fold-out poster “infographic”
(Published a day early, by mistake, enjoy!) Here is another item you won’t find anywhere online, on the belief that just as we never know where we may end up, it’s best to upload to the cloud while we can. This fold-out poster pamphlet “Skylab,” by Martin Marietta, is an infographic from before infographics were … Continue reading Flashback Friday – “Skylab,” 1971 Martin Marietta fold-out poster “infographic”
The nuts and bolts vs. NASA budgets
When criticism of a trend is not criticism of a project. There is the micro and the macro, the one down at the nuts and bolts, hardware I would see up close and lay my hands on, the other a view from 100,000 feet. Zoomed in, nose at the nitty gritty, there’s a drawing, a … Continue reading The nuts and bolts vs. NASA budgets
Zapata Talks NASA 