Category Archives: Space

Business, Space, Technology and Society

A Rare Event

34 Comments

I noted several years ago that SpaceX had made landing boosters routine, so much so that it was news not when they landed, but when they failed. On this morning’s flight, there was news.

It was a long-lived booster, with twenty-three flights under its belt. It will be very interesting to see what caused it, and if it was fatigue. When I was at the Cape three weeks ago, I was told that the original goal for reuse was ten flights, but with multiple boosters exceeding twenty, the new goal was forty. We’ll see if there is some life-limiting issue that can’t be maintained around.

[Late-morning update]

This is ridiculous.

I could understand their saying “No RTLS until you figure out what happened.” But to stand down launches over a landing failure? How can they justify that?

[Afternoon update]

Bob Zimmerman is less than impressed as well.

Business, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, Space, Space Science, Technology and Society

Where No Woman Has Gone Before

14 Comments

It looks like Polaris Dawn is finally about to launch.

Everyone has noted that this will be the highest-altitude flight since Apollo, but all of the Apollo astronauts were men. Menon and Gillis will hold the altitude record for women after this, until a woman goes to the moon (which may or not be on Artemis, given the ongoing boondoggle).

[Update a while later]

Bob Zimmerman has thoughts on the latest SLS fiasco.

[Wednesday-afternoon update]

Business, Political Commentary, Space

Phil McAlister

11 Comments

…has been reassigned. A lot of speculation as to the reason and timing in this thread.

It’s unclear to me whether he is being blamed for Starliner, or if this is Boeing’s revenge for the NASA decision to rescue with Crew Dragon. But if the latter, it would have been pressure coming from Boeing’s friends on the Hill.

[Sunday-morning update]

Will Boeing ever deliver on its contract?

With all the talk a decade ago about how SpaceX wouldn’t deliver and how prudent it was to give the lion’s share of the funds to Boeing, there should be plenty of crow to go around.

[Update a few minutes later]

[Update late morning]