A Collection of Rockets

Engine Test Fire - SpaceX

Rockets...Need I say more?

After my latest article History and Innovation, I could not decide what I wanted to research and write next. As more time goes by I'm sure something will come to mind.

Until then, this post is dedicated to pure unadulterated rocket porn! Well, thats one way of putting it. What I mean by that is great pics and videos posted by commercial rocket companies over the past couple of years of their rockets being fired. You might just learn something from it too, so enjoy the post!

Commencing awesomeness in 3...2...1...

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History and Innovation

In air banking. Conceptual image of VMS Eve SpaceShip Two in flight - Virgin Galactic

Are ventures like Virgin Galactic nothing more than an expensive joy ride for the rich?

Virgin Galactic has booked over 450 passengers on a trip to space, which costs $200,000 per ticket. The price includes 2 days of flight preparation, and a trip to space and a feeling of weightlessness that lasts about 4 minutes...

What? 4 minutes? That's it? For $200,000 I get 4 minutes in space?

Although it is much cheaper than what it costs to send a NASA Astronaut to space (which hovers somewhere around $50 million), $200,000 is still expensive to say you were in space for 4 minutes. Although it is very subtle, the fact that the price has been dropped so low, and you don't have to be deemed a government approved astronaut to go is a big deal. We must look at companies like Virgin Galactic, XCOR, Space Adventures, and other space tourism companies in the context of history and innovation.

In this post, we will look into the development and history of great things that have changed the way we lived, and why we can be optimistic that space travel will fall along the same progression.

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The Virgin Galactic Story

In the next 18 months, we will see the first regular paying customers take trips to space aboard Virgin Galactics SpaceShip 2. The story of this company's creation, and the momentum it has created for a new commercial space industry never gets old in its telling. Their story is a great victory in making space travel available to everyone. 

This post serves to introduce (or re-introduce) you to how Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company was created. Enjoy!...

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Better Paths to a New Frontier

Photo by Johan J.Ingles-Le Nobel

Whats Next?

Space is limitless in the number of destinations we can pursue. From moons, and planets, to solar systems, and galaxies, we are only at the beginning of what space can offer us. Although we can agree that certain destinations are much more favorable than others, we cannot always agree on the path we will take to get to these destinations, and in what order we wish to pursue them. As we enter this post-shuttle era, many intelligent engineers/scientists/space-enthusiasts have offered plans for how we should pursue our future in space, many of which which are both practical and affordable. Unfortunately, our Congress (in their finite wisdom) has decided to ignore them and pursue their own plan for NASA, which involves a rocket known as the Space Launch System (SLS), and spacecraft known as the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. Sadly, when you take a look at this plan and it's details, it becomes apparent that this plan is not about pushing NASA forward. The current NASA plan has much more to do with party politics, preserving a lavish NASA workforce, and maintaining old contracts with out of touch aerospace firms. At the same time, certain members of Congress have also used this plan as an excuse to try and gut NASA funding for commercial rocket companies which, if given the chance, could provide much greater capabilities in space at a fraction of the SLS and MPCV cost. 

In this post, I will introduce (or re-introduce in some cases) you to some of the better plans we should pursue on our path towards greater space exploration. I will also address the current plan being developed regarding the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System in some detail.

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Why I'm Glad the Shuttle is Retiring

STS-133 - Shuttle Before Launch (NASA)

Good Riddance...

It has been 30 years since the first space shuttle was launched, and this year the shuttle program will be at an end. Although I worry about the future of NASA, I do not mourn the loss of this program. To be honest, I do not pay much attention to Space Shuttle launches, what the Astronauts are doing, or how many more launches we have left. I am a fan of the future of space travel, and that is why it is hard to enjoy the Space Shuttle, and the current manned work at NASA. The courage and spirit NASA had years ago to really push boundaries was stifled, regulated, and destroyed by ignorant politicians who believe space exploration yields nothing of great importance. The Space Shuttle represents a poorly made decision 30 years ago to destroy the chance of a successful post-apollo era. This was done by extremely limiting NASA's budget, and forcing NASA to pour their efforts into a semi-reusable vehicle that never was intended to be NASA's center of attention.

In this post, we will discuss the rocky history of the Space Shuttle, why NASA was forced to build it, and the promises this "Shuttle" could never keep.

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