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Sierra Nevada and Germany sign agreement

The competition heats up: Sierra Nevada has signed a new development agreement with Germany in connection with its Dream Chaser reusable mini-shuttle.

The agreement does not appear to involve any money and thus is largely symbolic. Nonetheless, it shows again that Germany is interested in having Dream Chaser built, and is throwing its support behind the manned spacecraft.

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

  • Kelly Starks

    Note its a continuation of a previous agreement — that also lacked funds.

    ;/

  • It has been somewhat of a mystery to me why the historical aviation powers of Europe, notably France, Germany, and Great Britain, have been conspicuously from space exploration. Sure, there’s ESA, but any one of the aforementioned countries should have been able to field their own spacecraft. The controlling variable would seem to be government. If you’re going to siphon off resources to appease the mediocrity, then you’re not going to be able to achieve excellence.

  • pzatchok

    Social programs or defense spending.

    I know what they chose. Let America spend its money.

    Unlike some I am ok with America taking the lead in many things, even though it does financially hurt sometimes.
    I can not imagine a better nation being the ‘policemen’ of the world. Or a better nation for advancing technology.

  • Kelly Starks

    Good point. Europe in general is not a area anymore thats big on innovation or exploration, so the gov has had no interest in space exploration.

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