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As I noted in July, 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. 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. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.

 

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Volcano Eruption in Papua New Guinea

An evening pause: I don’t know why, but somehow I think this is appropriate for election day.

Hat tip Jim Mallamace.

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

7 comments

  • Diane Wilson

    I’d go with Kilauea. It just keeps spewing and spewing and spewing.

  • wayne

    Heavy turnout in Michigan this year– roughly 53% of registered voters showed up.

  • Kirk

    Is that video of the Europa Clipper blowing up?

    Has there been serious discussion on EC’s chances without Representative Culberson, who lost 47.7% / 52.3% to Lizzie Fletcher?

  • mkent

    Has there been serious discussion on EC’s chances without Representative Culberson, who lost 47.7% / 52.3% to Lizzie Fletcher?

    In my opinion, Europa Clipper is pretty safe. It’s the next-highest priority on the Planetary Decadal Survey after the Mars 2020 rover. It’s received a formal new-start from NASA and the Administration. Europa Lander, however, is hanging by a thread. It was really only there because of Culberson. The next-highest priority on the Decadal Survery after Clipper was a Uranus orbiter, not Europa Lander. I don’t think Lander even made the list.

    We’ll see how this all plays out in the next few months. The 2020 budget request in early February will be telling.

  • That was great! Really cool how you can see the shock wave. You know it’s going to be loud, but wow! Judging by the time lag they look to be about 2.5 miles away, which seems safe enough, but I wondered about the freighters anchored basically next to a volcano.

  • Kirk

    Thanks mkent! I was mistakenly conflating Rep. Culberson’s championing of the Europa Lander with the Europa Clipper program in whole.

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