Which surprises me not at all. It goes part and parcel with Stalinism.
Category Archives: Business
A Space-Based Internet
…why the time seems right.
The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Report
This year’s version is out.
I haven’t read yet, but I’m sure I will. It will be useful fodder for a new edition of the book. Note that while it criticizes Commercial Crew for a lack of transparency, SLS/Orion come in for more substantive criticism from a safety standpoint.
3-D Transistors
Manufactured by directed self assembly.
Just realized that it’s almost thirty years since Eric’s book
Fox News In Israel
The guy who showed me how to use the television turned it to Fox News without my even asking. “It’s our favorite in Israel, they’re the only ones who report what is really happening. Well, until the past few days…”
Anyway, I’ve been seeing these little segments called “Fox News Extra,” with people like Patti-Ann Brown or Laura Ingall doing little interviews, and wondered if they were a new thing. Then I realized that I wasn’t seeing any commercials.
Reusing Falcon Heavy
A nice animation, but I question the economics of bringing all three cores back to the pad. That has to be big performance hit, particularly on the center one. That one might continue to be barged, or at least there would be trades for each flight, depending on customer needs.
Swiss Space Systems
A lot of info on their plans. You know, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was modified with twin tails for a reason. Hope that vehicle doesn’t clip the vertical stabilizer.
My Lodging Situation In Israel
I am going through an experience that I would find hilarious if it were happening to someone else. Maybe future me will laugh at it and write about it, after it’s stopped happening to current me.
Off To Israel
I’m flying there tomorrow on business, back next Saturday. I’m thinking about renting a car. The rates seem pretty good (though I don’t know what the surcharges will be), and I can get supplemental insurance for $40 for the week. Anyone have any experience?
[Evening update]
OK, gotten a lot of useful feedback. Sounds like it would be manageable for me if it’s really no worse than south Florida with all the Haitians, but my new info is that they have a pretty good train system. If I were on vacation and wanting to explore, and into a terrifyingly entertaining experience, I’d definitely rent the car, but I’m there on business, and not moving around much. It looks to me like the best bet is to take a train from Ben-Gurion to Hertzlia, then a short cab to my hotel, and get around locally with cabs (and colleagues with whom I’m there on business). On Friday, my main day off, I could take train to airport to drop bag, then another to Jerusalem for sightseeing, then back to airport for flight home.
Virgin Galactic
…is taking over flight test from Scaled Composites. Sounds like they already know pretty much what the NTSB report will say. When it comes out, I may do a new edition of the book to incorporate the accident and investigation.