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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.
 

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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.


SpaceShipTwo flew another glide test today.

SpaceShipTwo flew another glide test today.

Not a powered flight however. See Doug Messier’s comments here about the slow pace of these powered tests, and how it raises questions about the company’s claim that it will be flying commercially next year.

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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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

  • wodun

    Shows what can happen when ideology takes precedence over business considerations. Businesses can fail for any number of reasons and having an ideology incompatible with reality is a big one. The only reason this company is still around is deep pockets.

  • What ideology are you talking about?

    XCOR is still around, and they don’t have any deep pockets to draw from.

  • Kelly Starks

    Man, Virgin and Scalled are paying big time for Rutans over estimation of the safety/reliability/scalability of Hybrids.
    ….and the idea they could develop their own engine themselves and didn’t need to work with a engine maker.

  • Pzatchok

    Maybe next he will try to go green and use soybean oil and green tea extract to make orbit.

    400 million dollars should be enough to see if that idea works.

    That is about how much he has spent trying to force this hybrid to work. All so he could be different than everyone else.

    He’s going to end up using a small liquid fuel engine and some disposable J-Tow solid fuel packs.

    More than likely bought off the shelf from someone else.

  • Kelly Starks

    I think this was a big reason why Branson informed Scaled they wouldn’t be asked to bid for SS3 (orbital) and why Rutan decided it was time to retire.

    As to rocket engines, Yeah you can buy a lot of off the shelf liquid motors for what they spent on the hybrides, and get a smaller lighter package IN A LOT LESS THEN 10 YEARS!!!

Readers: the rules for commenting!

 

No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.

 

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.

 

Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.

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