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My February birthday fund-raising campaign for this website, Behind the Black, is now over. Despite a relatively weak initial three weeks, the last week was spectacular, making this campaign the second best ever.

 

Thanks to every person who donated or subscribed. It continues to astonish me that people who can read my work for free like it enough to donate money voluntarily. Words cannot express my appreciation for that support, especially in these uncertain times.

 

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New Mexico legislature advances spaceport sale bill

A state bill to sell Spaceport America, New Mexico’s spaceport built to service Virgin Galactic’s oft-delayed space tourism business, has advanced out of its first committee.

The bill still needs to clear two more committees before it gets a floor vote, but considering the lack of progress at Virgin Galactic, I would not be surprised if it passes. The high hopes that created this spaceport a decade ago have now faded into a boondoggle that New Mexico probably can no longer afford.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

3 comments

  • Edward

    On the other hand, a non-government operator of the spaceport may provide better service with faster response times for current and future tenants than a bureaucratic government-run operation could. Although this could be a disappointment and immediate loss of money for the state of New Mexico, I think that the businesses that a spaceport will attract will eventually generate enough tax revenue to recover the state’s initial investment, even though the state wouldn’t profit directly from owning the spaceport.

  • Sad, it has come this, but the state failed to understand and anticipate the risks of the spaceport. I agree Edward that the spaceport will eventually produce fruit. I suspect a commercially viable spaceport will arise in California because of geography and the presence f technology firms there.

  • Pzatchok

    Wouldn’t launches from California pose the risk of any falling debris landing in populated areas?

    I thought that was why we tried to launch from Texas and Florida. To take advantage of the Earths rotation and the fact that all the rockets launch over water.

    The only thing truly viable to launch from NM is the sub orbital flights Virgin first tried. Straight up and straight down.

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