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Readers!

 

My July fund-raising campaign to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary since I began Behind the Black is now over. I want to thank all those who so generously donated or subscribed, especially those who have become regular supporters. I can't do this without your help. I also find it increasingly hard to express how much your support means to me. God bless you all!

 

The donations during this year's campaign were sadly less than previous years, but for this I blame myself. I am tired of begging for money, and so I put up the campaign announcement at the start of the month but had no desire to update it weekly to encourage more donations, as I have done in past years. This lack of begging likely contributed to the drop in donations.

 

No matter. I am here, and here I intend to stay. If you like what I do and have not yet donated or subscribed, please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four 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 or subscription:

 

4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
 
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You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.


May 7, 2025 Quick space links

Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.

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

5 comments

  • mkent

    Folks here may also want to check out Spaceflight Now’s fairly in-depth article on Vast and their Haven space stations.

    https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/07/vast-to-complete-haven-1-primary-structure-in-july-2025-ahead-of-target-may-2026-launch-date/

    The dates were already known, but the article goes into quite a bit of detail on Vast’s current plans.

  • Jeff Wright

    Some articles of interest

    “Alloy design model offers faster, more accurate predictions by factoring in material defects.”
    by Moneesh Upmanyu at Northeastern University

    “A printable aluminum alloy system that can balance strength and cost in the automotive industry.”

    “Revolution in friction A way to make super-smooth materials” out of the University of Lodz.
    Bismuth slides in straight lines on carbon..

    “Tiny thermal sensor shows how molecules can mute heat like music.”

    All at phys,org

  • Dick Eagleson

    mkent & Jeff Wright,

    Thanks for the links. Jeff’s third one reminds me of a guy I used to know who would host parties he, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, called “Bismuth Booster Banquets.” He was of the opinion that bismuth, as an element, was criminally underutilized in industry.

  • Jeff Wright

    I wish I could have met him.

    Folks with passions like that are treated as curiosities or distractions by governments and businesses both.

    Let me guess–the folks over him indulged him only a tad–with some amusement–but never fully backed him on anything major.

    These are the folks Gates and Buffett need to give their billions to–not overseas.

    It is rare to see folks with a passion have any kind of bank. Elon might be a one off.

    Had I wealth, I would “collect” people like your friend…fund them.

    If something works–fine–if it doesn’t–fine.

Readers: the rules for commenting!

 

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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.

 

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