Scroll down to read this post.

 

My February birthday fund-raising campaign for this website, Behind the Black, is now over. Despite a relatively weak initial three weeks, the last week was spectacular, making this campaign the second best ever.

 

Thanks to every person who donated or subscribed. It continues to astonish me that people who can read my work for free like it enough to donate money voluntarily. Words cannot express my appreciation for that support, especially in these uncertain times.

 

If you have been a regular reader and a fan of my work and have not yet donated or subscribed, please consider doing so. I take no ads, I keep the website clean from pop-ups and annoying demands (most of the time). Thus, I depend entirely on my readers to support me. Though this means I am sacrificing some income, it also means that I remain entirely independent from outside pressure. By depending solely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, no one can threaten me with censorship. You don't like what I write, you can simply go elsewhere.

 

You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five 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.
 

3. A Paypal Donation:

4. A Paypal subscription:


5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
 
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652


Homemade model StarHopper & Starship launch & landings

An evening pause: The youtube website only states that this was “constructed out of paint cans and an American football,” but I see some drone computer technology hidden in these models as well. Regardless, quite cool and quite breath-taking.

Hat tip Martin Kaselis.

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

11 comments

  • Andi

    Very impressive! Leaving the handle on the paint can was a nice touch.

  • Wodun

    Looks fake, with fake camera wobbles and everything. But do notice the landing plate for the second attempt, as if the guy got yelled at by his parents for ruining the forty thousand dollar deck at the lake cabin.

  • Wodun

    Yeah, the channel has two other simulations. It’s amazing what computers can do these days. It’s a good sign that Hollywood will soon lose its grasp on storytelling.

  • Got me thinking how one could actually build that. A throttleable liquid fuel engine doesn’t really exist in model rocketry, but maybe pressurized cold gas for thrust and attitude control. It wouldn’t ‘hop’ very high, but does at least seem feasible.

  • Questioner

    This man produces great, realistic-looking computer animations, even if not all the details are fully technically correct. I love this special animation (see link) that shows a flight of a nuclear bomb-propelled Orion spacecraft to Mars. BTW, a real project idea from 1955 or so. Freeman Dyson was involved.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtYisD7RqWk

  • wayne

    Wodun —
    “ruining the forty thousand dollar deck at the lake cabin.”
    That, is absolutely hilarious.

    They should have hired this guy to do the launch abort test video from last week.

  • Joe

    Impressive CGI on that video. It looks and feels pretty real. The giveaway that it is fake is that there is no way to get that gear into that size of a craft. Not with those flight durations. I’ve been doing high powered rocketry for nearly 15 years and we would move heaven and earth to have that kind of tech.

  • Questioner

    Some Starship news from South Texas:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AOk1p4bYJw&feature=emb_logo

    “In this Episode, we will take another look at SpaceX’s launch facility for the Starship Mark 1 Prototype in Boca Chica Texas. We will take a look at the increased footprint as well as the latest progress on the Starship prototype itself. Last but not least, by popular demand, we will take a look at what’s known right now about SpaceX’s schedule for the Crew Dragon Demo Mission 2.”

  • Questioner

    Starship Mk1 is dead! Methane tank has exploded durig cryo-tests. R.I.P. Mk1!

    Setback for Musk?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d8l_0w2VKM

  • Edward

    Video of the Starship Mk1 incident:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMtCO6XWtfY (1 minute)

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *