I’m glad to see that Blue Origin is making some breakthroughs in some areas. This implies (among other things) that solar power satellites could be partially constructed from lunar materials. The question is whether it makes economic sense compared to low-cost launch from Earth.
[Afternoon update]
[Tuesday-morning update]
Here’s the story from Eric Berger.
As he notes, it’s very unlikely that both spacecraft suffered from MMOD. It looks like QC issue.
Does NASA still have safety problems?
Yes, but as I wrote in my book, many of them are in fact a result of risk aversion.
Can it really launch three times a day?
We’re going to have to completely rethink “ranges.”
…if they will let you.
A good op-ed from Donald Robertson. He’s saying things that have been obvious for years, but that too many people pretend aren’t the case.
…might be on its last legs.
Twenty years after Columbia, is it fixed?