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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 print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. 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


SpaceX has about 100 Starlink terminals working in Iran

Though the Iranian government opposes their use, according to a tweet by Elon Musk SpaceX now has almost 100 Starlink terminals working in Iran.

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX has almost 100 Starlink terminals active in Iran. SpaceX activated Starlink services in Iran in September, supporting the United States’ stance on providing internet freedom and free flow of information to Iranians.

Unlike Ukraine, SpaceX does not have the cooperation of the Iranian government to expand Starlink services in the country. In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zlenskyy and the Minister of digital transformation Mykhailo Feorov have actively supports Starlink connection during the war with Russia.

In contrast, the Iranian government is actively trying to limit its citizens’ internet access. The United States government has taken a stance against the Iranian government’s decision regarding internet access for its people.

SpaceX has routinely cooperated with foreign governments before selling terminals, likely because to do otherwise would get it in trouble with the U.S. State Department. In this case however the State Department appears to have approved this action, and SpaceX then made it happen.

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9 comments

  • Skunk Bucket

    Just one more reason to appreciate Elon Musk.

  • pzatchok

    Even if he didn’t do it intentionally the rich in Iran would travel out of country and find a way to get their own Links back inside the country to use. Its is happening every place.
    All they have to do is keep paying the bills by credit card.
    All Musk has to do is keep the satellites active over those countries. Personally if I was him I would just never turn them off.

  • Ray Van Dune

    The Russians supposedly have the technical means to locate a StarLink ground station at some distance, for use in Ukraine warfighting. Since they share points of view and drones with the Iranian tyrants, we can expect that ability to be quickly shared with Iran, making the possession of a StarLink ground station a dangerous proposition, and the capture of a ground station by the mullahs a threat to be realized at any time.

  • Col Beausabre

    Does the ground station emit a signal?

  • Ray Van Dune

    Col. Beausabre, to enable two-way communication, the ground station would have to emit a signal of some sort., whether it encoded its location or merely served as a beacon. The obvious conclusion is that if the mullahs snatched a disk, now they’re broadcasting THEIR location! And if the Russians can locate it, you can bet some others can do so even better!

  • Edward_2

    I hope the Iranian people are successful in overthrowing the cruel Ayatola regime who control that once great country which has been worse than the Shah had ever been.

  • Christopher Lopes

    Is there any proof (as in destroyed ground stations) that the Russians actually have this ability?

  • pzatchok

    Its a directional signal. Up. and not sending all the time. Plus the units are mobile.

    I bet at least a few of the units are in the hands of the Iranian security forces and a few in the direct hands of the mullahs themselves.
    Identify the rich who routinely travel in and out of the country and you will have found the most likely to be the first to acquire them. And those are the very people who have the ability to hide them.

    As for the Russians finding them. There is no proof they have captured or destroyed any by radio wave triangulation in the Ukraine let alone in Russia.

  • Jeff Wright

    What could Iran do to LEO? The Russians at least have some space presence they might like to keep. Iran doesn’t care.

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