Quick note: we are in the process of selling our house and moving. Because of that, there will be a few times during the next month where I just can’t get a post out the door. Yesterday was one of those times. On to the post... In “Strength in FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt)” and… Continue reading Thinking About “New Space” Startups
Month: April 2020
Strength in FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt)
Two space industry documents were published in the past few weeks that ultimately provided a “state of health” of the space industry. Earlier in April, the SmallSat Alliance rang the warning bell about the precarious health of some of the “new space companies” in the U.S. This warning was submitted as a paper to congressional… Continue reading Strength in FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt)
Examining the U.S. Space Force’s Missions
Reading this post after writing it, I believe some people will be peeved. That’s not the intent. What this analysis does is point where the U.S. Space Force (SF) is TODAY regarding its resources and missions. The SF has inherited the parts of the Air Force that the USAF needed but didn’t really want (or… Continue reading Examining the U.S. Space Force’s Missions
SpaceX’s Cyclical Problem
Two years ago, the German magazine “Der Spiegel” interviewed Ariane Group’s Alain Charmeau (translation of that interview, here). The interview initially focused on the development of and launch plans for Arianespace’s newest rocket, the Ariane 6 (which might be launched in 2020). However, during the interview, “Der Spiegel” mentioned the fact that SpaceX’s Falcon 9… Continue reading SpaceX’s Cyclical Problem
Flying Humans to Space, for Fun, Science, and Profit
As more interest builds up surrounding the NASA/SpaceX launch of people to the International Space Station (ISS) in May, the inevitable (and purely avoidable) references to other yet-to-be-implemented services provided by Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin always seem to surface. Even research groups have offered reports pairing these two very different types of businesses together.… Continue reading Flying Humans to Space, for Fun, Science, and Profit
OneWeb’s Loan-ly Quest
Last week, OneWeb approached the British government for a “rescue loan.” The bankrupt company reportedly highlighted a few desirable outcomes for the United Kingdom (UK) if a loan were to be approved: It would move all “key” operations to the UK, which would... ...allow the UK government to fulfill its promise for faster connectivity to… Continue reading OneWeb’s Loan-ly Quest
Human Spaceflight, Its Future under NASA, and the Moon
I’m sure most readers have already heard/read something similar to the following: for the first time in nearly a decade, American astronauts will launch from U.S. soil. Two astronauts will be launched from Launch Complex 39A in Florida at 1632 EDT on May 27. They will ride on inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on… Continue reading Human Spaceflight, Its Future under NASA, and the Moon
Rocket Factories, Video Tours, and Reusability Questions
United Launch Alliance (ULA) proferred an opinion about rocket reusability in Aviation Week this week--one that sounds familiar if you’ve ever paid attention to Arianespace’s statements. In it, ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno, reiterates (regarding reusability): “We have not really changed our assessment over the last couple of years because we have yet to see the… Continue reading Rocket Factories, Video Tours, and Reusability Questions
Maps, Streaming Video, and Earth Observation
(The air corridors above East Germany looked a little like that) A long time ago, I managed to acquire what I thought was an interesting map. It was rather large--about the size of a 4X8 wall panel--and when laid out, it had a map of East and West Germany on it. Of particular interest to… Continue reading Maps, Streaming Video, and Earth Observation
Sharing: Money, Missions, Influence
The last post, “Spacecraft Deployments, SpaceX Activities, What Pandemic?” contained quite a few numbers--mainly to do with satellite costs, manufacturing rates, and deployment shares. A part of the article’s focus was to provide a possible reason for why SpaceX might be launching another 60 Starlink satellites during a pandemic. The proposed broadband service provided by… Continue reading Sharing: Money, Missions, Influence
Space Industry Analysis | Ill-Defined Space 