My next book is slightly behind schedule, but it is coming. I was recently sent the first “proof” of the book after the graphic artists laid it out; a bit of tinkering yet, but it is nearing completion. I thought it might be interesting to post a shot of the last page.
Wow.
Moebius Models was showing some new product at the recent IPMS National Convention in Las Vegas. The big news is an all new 2001 Space Clipper. The new model will be approximately 29 inches long and 1:72 scale. It is an all new, accurate version of the spacecraft, based on all the latest information and research. The kit will include a passenger cabin and cockpit. It will not include Pan Am decals. Final price has not been set, but is expect to be between $150 and $200.
Also forthcoming is a 1/350 scale Space Clipper and a 1/48 scale Aries Ib.
So long, bank account…
So SpaceX has made history by both launching and safely recovering an orbital spacecraft containing four private citizens. By any rational measure, this is one of the best news events of the last few years. And yet, silence from a certain individual…
He’s still sleeping
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2021
Hmmm…
Not impossible, of course. But *something* just seems indefinably off about the footage:
Video of North Korea's TLBM (train-launched ballistic misisle) pic.twitter.com/tbcjBgJFco
— Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) September 16, 2021
Of course it didn’t take the internet too long to mock it:
Mad props to the anonymous genius who made this pic.twitter.com/rh0CKa1xMv
— Dave Schmerler (@DaveSchmerler) September 17, 2021
In any event, it’s good to know that in this time of rapidly accelerating stress and crisis, we have such trustworthy and astute leadership.
An animation of one of the Lunar Escape System concepts. The idea was that if the lunar module ran into some sort of trouble and couldn’t launch back into orbit, the ascent stage could be torn apart and jerry-rigged into a minimalist launch system… essentially a couple of lawn chairs stuck to a few propellant tanks and a rocket. Could it have worked? Sure. Would it have worked? Ehhhhhh….
If it’s “do this crazy thing or give up and die,” I can see the Apollo astronauts getting straight to work.
This had a very “Early Atlas Test Flight Anomaly” feel to it.
This launch went wrong right form the get-go… but it did a *magnificent* job of recovering. It just wasn’t magnificent enough; seems it never did have enough thrust due to one of the five engines failing right after liftoff. Went terminally goofy at Max-Q, apparently on a command to terminate the flight due to being outside of its launch corridor.
This is the third flight for the Astra in a year… and the third failure. SpaceX also failed a lot, as did the Ranger lunar missions. if the funds and the will are there, they can fix the problems and make a success of it. *If.*
I feel like I need to apologise to Astra for this…. but it was too good a joke to ignore. pic.twitter.com/Wg8ybvhDDU
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) August 29, 2021
Oh, no! Mankind might finally be on the verge of spreading life to the rest of the universe. Better crap on it lest people – worse, Americans – gain a measure of hope and optimism.
Remember when Boeing was a company of engineers, a company that could get the job done?
Sigh.
We've determined #Starliner will return to our factory for deeper-level troubleshooting of four propulsion system valves. With @NASA, we've decided to stand down for this launch window to make way for other national priority missions.
More: https://t.co/oycWeRz156 pic.twitter.com/UzCZN66451
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) August 13, 2021
As should be well known hereabouts, I have great hopes for SpaceX. That’s both for their ability to get craft such as Starship working, *and* to make spaceflight far cheaper. But in order for them to truly succeed at the latter goal, they will need to be challenged by a realistic competitor. I would rather by far that SpaceX’s greatest competitor be another American company. Boeing, historically *should* have been one of those competitors.
They are not.
I guess it works, but moving the Super Heavy in a vertical position seems like asking for trouble.
It’s also slow. I hope that someday reasonably soon that that transport system will need to be replaced because it’s holding up the rapid recovery and re-launch of the things on their hourly schedule to launch USSF forces to bases on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Substantial grid fins…
Booster B4 has been stacked in the high bay. Look at those grid fins! 🤩🚀@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/9NRwNJIngO
— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) August 1, 2021
Many Raptors are installed on B4. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Join us live at – https://t.co/V9tgT0VtZn
@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/20QBxAB2Vj
— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) August 2, 2021
