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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


SpaceX seeking more investment capital

Capitalism in space: SpaceX has begun its third round of private fund-raising this year, this time seeking more than $300 million.

The latest round, filed on Monday, seeks to raise $314.2 million at a price of $214 a share, according to a document seen by CNBC. The new equity would bring SpaceX’s total 2019 fundraising to $1.33 billion once completed.

The block of this new round appears to already be funded from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

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. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.

 

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. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.

 

In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.

 

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4 comments

  • Phill O

    Ontario Canada or Ontario California?

  • geoffc

    Ontario, Canada I think. They have a ton of money to invest. They bought into Lucent big time a decade or so ago.

    I think they bought an airline, some BIG shopping malls, and what not. List is here:

    https://www.otpp.com/investments/performance/major-investments

    Blame Canada! (As a Canadian I am lightly offended by South Park, but only in the poor quality of the jokes. I wanted BETTER funnier jokes, but so be it).

  • Edward

    From the article: “Musk sees Starlink as the way for SpaceX to fund the development of Starship. He estimated recently that SpaceX revenue from launches likely peaks at about $3 billion a year but said he believes internet service revenue is potentially ‘more like $30 billion a year.’

    Musk is probably right. Using space will most likely generate more revenue than providing transportation to space. I’m not sure whether his $3 billion estimate is for orbital services or if it includes SpaceX’s proposed Earth to Earth (city to city) transportation services, then I can see that amount of revenue happening fairly quickly. An additional advantage is that each city that is served can also act as a spaceport to orbit.

    I don’t know what would be the price tag for such a city to city flight, but if it can be almost as low as a first-class airline ticket, then the airlines will have to watch out that SpaceX will take away their first-class profit centers, as a half-hour flight is so much more advantageous than a half-day flight. In addition, space tourists could better afford such a flight than the current asking price for a five-minute hop by Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic, so those two companies had better get their services started soon, as they may be obsolete in a decade or so.

    SpaceX’s website shows several potential cities and routes, at the bottom of the following page:
    https://www.spacex.com/mars

    I counted ten cities — potential spaceports (plus Brownsville, Texas) — and eight proposed routes. If each route flies daily in each direction, that is 16 flights a day, or 5,800 flights per year (4,000 per year if they only fly weekdays). Hmm. That sounds like far more than $3 billion in revenue, or maybe daily flights are too much to hope for.

    geoffc wrote: “Blame Canada! (As a Canadian I am lightly offended by South Park, but only in the poor quality of the jokes. I wanted BETTER funnier jokes, but so be it).

    After hearing that song, years ago, I tried hard to blame Canada, but it seems that the fad in the United States is to blame the current or previous Republican president. On the other hand, maybe Canada can blame South Park … or the latest Republican U.S. president.

  • wodun

    Probably a good investment in the long term.

    And to geoffc, all I can say is, sorey there aren’t better Canadian jokes about double doubles and maple shots.

    Hopefully there is some consolation in knowing that some of the biggest YouTubers are Canadian, like Linus Tech Tips, Unbox Therapy, and Pete McKinnon.

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