Category Archives: Technology and Society

Business, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

Boeing And SLS

7 Comments

The fiasco continues.

But hey, let’s keep giving them billions of taxpayer dollars for a launch system that is behind schedule and that no one needs except Boeing and its pet Congresspeople.

[Update a few minutes later]

More from Eric Berger.

[Update a while later]

This seems relevant: Our crisis of institutional incompetence. Fortunately, SpaceX doesn’t suffer from this. Yet.

[Update mid morning]

Thoughts on Boeing and the defense implications from Jared Isaacman.

And yes, it is probably the most consequential safety decision NASA has made since Columbia.

[Late-morning update]

Has NASA’s safety culture changed since Columbia?

[Afternoon update]

The fall of Boeing is complete.

Oh, I don’t know. I think that they still have some room below.

Business, Economics, History, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society, War Commentary

The Second Space Race

1 Comment

A review of Greg Autry’s and Peter Navarro’s new book on China. Greg gave me a copy last Saturday at an event in downtown LA, but I haven’t read it yet.

[Update a while later]

“The book serves as both a wake-up call and a reminder of the importance of space exploration.”

I hate that phrase. It’s the importance of space development. Exploration is just a means to that end.

Business, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

Safe Is Not An Option

55 Comments

Thoughts on flight rationale from Wayne Hale.

[Update a few minutes later]

OK, now I see why Wayne wrote that:

As NASA is working to balance all of these risks—the risk to crew on board Starliner, the risk of an uncrewed departure to the ISS, the risk to astronauts on board the space station, and more — Boeing has been lobbying to bring Starliner home with crew. Although NASA and Boeing engineers have yet to identify a root cause for the failure of the thrusters, Boeing has been urging NASA to accept “flight rationale” as a substitute. That is, Boeing believes it has provided enough data to NASA to be confident the thrusters will not fail in a catastrophic manner.

Boeing seems willing to risk the lives of the astronauts to save the vehicle. I don’t personally think it’s worth saving. I wonder what Boeing’s new CEO thinks?

Business, Economics, Space, Technology and Society

Spaceport Las Vegas

5 Comments

No, funding is not his biggest issue. This is his biggest issue:

>Lauer favors spaceplanes because they’re safer than launching rockets.

“And there are several companies building them right now,” he said in his presentation. “They’re basically an aircraft with a variety of engines, whether it’s a scramjet engine or rockets. It takes off and lands like an aircraft and it’s made of titanium. You can launch it and re-enter, and you can do it over and over again. And it’s a lot safer.”

Although some of Lauer’s website visuals and early plans call for a launching pad, Lauer said his development’s focus will be on horizontal takeoffs and landings and not launches.

Which companies? The only company that I’m aware of developing a horizontal takeoff and landing system is Radian, and they need a sled. To quote the former senator from Wisconsin in a different context, I wouldn’t give him one penny for this nutty fantasy.

Business, Economics, Education, General Science, History, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

Judith Curry

9 Comments

An interview with John Stossel.