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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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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Astrobotic Technology Inc.

Astrobotic Red Rover at LaFarge Slag Heap

The Team to Beat...

As of February 17th, 2011, 29 private teams are now competing for the Google Lunar X Prize. Each team is trying to be the first one to send a rover to the moon, land it, and have it move around the surface and take HD video. This competition started in 2007, and each team has slowly made progress on their rover/lander designs and planning their mission. So what is happening now with the competition that gets me very excited? One team in particular has really stepped up to move the competition forward, maybe faster than other teams were expecting (or hoping...). Astrobotic Technology Inc., founded by Red Whittaker, is really bringing attention to the competition and their company when they partnered with SpaceX to launch their rover on a Falcon 9 vehicle. Not only do they have the potential to win the competition, but they have the chance to make research trips to the moon commonplace.

In this post, we will look at Astrobotic Technology Inc., the founder, their history in robotics, and why they have a great chance of winning the Google Lunar X Prize with their vehicle, the Red Rover. 

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What Will Happen With Private Space In 2011

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- XCOR 5K18 "Lynx" Engine, Photo by Mike Massee - 

 

The Adventure Continues...

There are those going to work today, thinking about the future of space travel. How cool is that? Of course I am not saying that they just started thinking about it, they have been thinking about this since the first man ever stepped foot in space almost 50 years ago now. They are building the next generation of rockets, space planes, and space stations. Fortunately, the environment in which they have built these new space businesses has been one that allows them to operate on much smaller budgets, due to advances in propulsion, computers, robotics, and commercial off the shelf parts that make things much easier to build. NASA has also realized the value of these new commercial businesses, and have dedicated a good amount of extra funds to help them. Let us hope that our government also realizes how important they are, and keeps the funding going (fingers crossed). There is no shortage of amazing things that will happen this year, and I would like to highlight some of the companies and what they plan to do this year.

 

You ready for this? Let's get to it.

 

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My Top 10 for 2010

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What a year it has been!
Private space has grown by leaps and bounds this year. This year was marked by commercial companies achieving major milestones, new partnerships, and surprisingly, a good amount of NASA funding to help the industry along. Here is my little take on the year, hope you enjoy...

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