Scroll down to read this post.

 

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.

 

If you have been a regular reader and a fan of my work and have not yet donated or subscribed, please consider doing so. I take no ads, I keep the website clean from pop-ups and annoying demands (most of the time). Thus, I depend entirely on my readers to support me. Though this means I am sacrificing some income, it also means that I remain entirely independent from outside pressure. By depending solely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, no one can threaten me with censorship. You don't like what I write, you can simply go elsewhere.

 

You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:

 

1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.

 

2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
 

3. A Paypal Donation:

4. A Paypal subscription:


5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
 
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652


SpaceX’s second first stage barge landing

Below is video of the Falcon 9 first stage landing last night. There isn’t really much to see, because this happened at night. However, I must repeat that this happened at night. In other words, SpaceX was able to bring its first stage down accurately in the middle of the ocean onto a tiny barge in the dark.

Who says the impossible is not possible?

During the live telecast, the audience broke out into a chant of “USA! USA!”, as they did after the previous first stage landings. Can you guess why?

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

4 comments

  • Cotour

    What was viewed as impossible yesterday is now everyday.

    Dreams drive force of vision, force of vision married to the fruit of capitalist endeavor and the willingness to risk it can under the right circumstances result in the impossible becoming the everyday. JGL

    (Government’s roll? Creating the proper atmosphere for it all to occur)

  • Steve Earle

    Wow. Just Wow.

    What a great video. Every mission they do gets better in every aspect, and the hosts enthusiasm is infectious! :-)

    I will be showing this to my young son, we both love space and I am certain that these SpaceX videos will encourage him towards a career in science or engineering. (Right now he just wants to be the first Astronaut on Mars… )

    I even love how they signed off at the end “So say we all” Sounds like someone there is a BSG fan :-)

  • Mitch S.

    I recall you posting the other day that Space X didn’t expect this to succeed due to the mission profile (I assume not as much fuel left for the recovery).
    But they nailed it anyway!

    I heard the podcast of you on Livingston’s show.
    Your bubbly enthusiasm for Space X (and private space in general) is quite understandable.
    Musk and Bezos make me think of characters from a Heinlein story.
    We’re living in the Sci-Fi age!
    (BTW I also understand Livingston’s discomfort considering the ad spot he kept delaying was for Orbital/ATK!)

  • Edward

    Mitch S. wrote: “We’re living in the Sci-Fi age!”

    Science fiction becomes science fact. We just have to pay attention to see notice that it happened:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqo4p3HYwLQ (1 minute)

    It looks like they have figured out how to do it at the limits of their capabilities. With the impossible becoming routine, on to the next challenge.

Readers: the rules for commenting!

 

No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.

 

However, name-calling and obscenities will not be tolerated. First time offenders who are new to the site will be warned. Second time offenders or first time offenders who have been here awhile will be suspended for a week. After that, I will ban you. Period.

 

Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *