https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/saudi-arabia-creates-space-agency/ Sun, 30 Dec 2018 02:11:52 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/saudi-arabia-creates-space-agency/#comment-1062717 Sun, 30 Dec 2018 02:11:52 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=55421#comment-1062717 From “Bold They Rise”, a novel about the Space Shuttle, written by David Hitt and Heather Smith: On STS-51G, the crew was discussing public affairs relating to the Sultan’s presence, “We were told not to tell any camel jokes when Sultan showed up, and the first thing he did when he walked through the door was to say, “I left my camel outside.””
I thought that was pretty funny.

]]> https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/saudi-arabia-creates-space-agency/#comment-1062692 Sat, 29 Dec 2018 01:24:19 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=55421#comment-1062692 “Toxic Propellant Hazards”
1966 NASA KSC
https://youtu.be/bDRKeM9kKxs
(22:10)

]]> https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/saudi-arabia-creates-space-agency/#comment-1062690 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 23:00:21 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=55421#comment-1062690 The Saudis are about a century late to be starting on a program of modernization and economic diversification. A social order based on 7th-centuiry religion and tribal barbarian monarchy is going to mix with actual modernity about as well as oil and water. Or, given the essentially inevitable outcome of such an experiment, a better – and space-related – analogy might be to UDMH mixing with NO4.

]]> https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/saudi-arabia-creates-space-agency/#comment-1062688 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 22:46:07 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=55421#comment-1062688 Can’t wait to see what develops once SpaceX is flying people. Boeing too but I doubt they will be seeking out many customers.

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