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The time has come for my annual short Thanksgiving/Christmas fund drive for Behind The Black. I must do this every year in order to make sure I have earned enough money to pay my bills.

 

For this two-week campaign, I am offering a special deal to encourage donations. Donations of $200 will get a free autographed copy of the new paperback edition of Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, while donations of $250 will get a free autographed copy of the new hardback edition. If you desire a copy, make sure you provide me your address with your donation.

 

As I noted in July, the support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.

 

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Nice overview of space tourism options

Link here. The author does an excellent job outlining in detail the pros and cons of each space tourism option, from Virgin Galactic (“joy ride”) to Axiom’s orbital station trips (“Five stars!”)

She misses a few however, such as the recent announcement by the balloon company Worldview that it plans near space tourists flights in competition with Space Perspectives, and for a much smaller ticket price. There are also two Spanish balloon companies gearing up to capture this end of the space tourist business.

Regardless, if you’ve got some spare cash and want to spend it in an adventurous way, here is a guide for doing so.

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

  • Jeff Wright

    What is this spare cash you speak of?
    Economists run the risk of alienating folk with the wording about how there is too much money floating around—where?

  • Edward

    Robert,
    There was a time when Disneyland’s “Star Tours” ride was considered to be space tourism. What advancements we have made in actual tourism of space.

    I’m not sure how Sissi Cao valued these, but I think Blue Origin was shortchanged. Their experience comes with having crossed the Karman line, so that there are no international arguments as to whether the tourist was in space.

  • Edward noted: “Their experience comes with having crossed the Karman line, so that there are no international arguments as to whether the tourist was in space.”

    Also: We Put Capt Kirk In Space First!

  • Andi

    It’s very telling how, after Capt Kirk experienced countless Hollywood versions of looking at planets from space, was totally wowed by the real thing! IIRC, he spent the whole weightless time staring out the window instead of doing somersaults.

  • ” . . . he spent the whole weightless time staring out the window instead of doing somersaults.”

    Totally down with that. I can do gymnastics on Earth.

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