Iran is finishing construction on a new space launch facility.
What does this mean? Iran is finishing construction on a new space launch facility.
Florida has decided to continue to purge its election rolls of illegal and ineligible voters, in defiance of the Obama administration’s demand that it stop.
Florida has decided to continue to purge its election rolls of illegal and ineligible voters, in defiance of the Obama administration’s demand that it stop.
The state is enforcing the law, as written on the books. Yet Eric Holder’s Justice Department somehow thinks that this is illegal. Maybe someone should teach Holder and his attorneys how to read.
In related news, Holder’s Justice Department is suing a Las Vegas casino because the casino followed the law in verifying that all its employees were legal residents of the United States.
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 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
SpaceX has tentatively scheduled its first operational cargo flight to ISS for September 24.
We’ve only just begun: SpaceX has tentatively but quickly scheduled its first operational cargo flight to ISS for September 24.
The scientist suing JPL because he thinks he was fired due to his religious beliefs wants $1.36 million, according to court papers filed early last month.
The scientist suing JPL because he thinks he was fired due to his religious beliefs wants $1.36 million, according to court papers filed early last month.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. All editions can also be purchased direct from the ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from the author (hardback $29.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $6.00). Just send an email to zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
The New York Mets get their first no-hitter after fifty years.
The New York Mets finally get their first no-hitter, after fifty years.
Until the 1994 baseball strike I was a big baseball fan and an even bigger Met fan. Kudos to Johan Santana for beating out Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan as the first Met to do it.
Intelsat has reported a delay in deploying one of the solar panels of its new communications satellite launched earlier today.
Intelsat has reported a delay in deploying one of the solar panels of its new communications satellite launched earlier today.
Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel, can be purchased as an ebook everywhere for only $3.99 (before discount) at amazon, Barnes & Noble, all ebook vendors, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big oppressive tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Winner of the 2003 Eugene M. Emme Award of the American Astronautical Society.
"Leaving Earth is one of the best and certainly the most comprehensive summary of our drive into space that I have ever read. It will be invaluable to future scholars because it will tell them how the next chapter of human history opened." -- Arthur C. Clarke
Longplayer
An evening pause: This piece of music has been playing since 1999 and will continue until 2999. Very meditative.
Environmental activists have launched a petition drive to stop SpaceX from building a commercial spaceport in Brownsville, Texas.
The wrong side of history: Environmental activists have launched a petition drive to stop SpaceX from building a commercial spaceport near Brownsville, Texas.
“I love the space program as much, if not more, than anyone,” said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. “But launching big, loud, smelly rockets from the middle of a wildlife refuge will scare the heck out of every creature within miles and sprays noxious chemicals all over the place. It’s a terrible idea and SpaceX needs to find another place for their spaceport.”
This guy obviously doesn’t know that almost all of the Kennedy Space Center is a wildlife refuge, and a successful one at that. But then, what do facts have to do with most environmental causes?
Not good: The Labor Department announced today that the U.S. economy only added 69 thousand jobs in May, the fewest in a year.
Not good: The Labor Department announced today that the U.S. economy only added 69,000 jobs in May, the fewest in a year.
The unemployment rate went up slightly as well, Labor also adjusted downward the number of jobs created in the past two months to terribly comparable numbers.
While no president is ever entirely responsible for the state of the economy, Barack Obama’s policies have certainly done significant harm. High regulation, Obamacare, and a clear hostility to private enterprise in all fields except space exploration has helped produce what appears to be the longest period with a floundering economy in my lifetime.
One entrepreneur and investor asks: Why isn’t Jon Corzine being prosecuted?
One entrepreneur and investor asks: Why isn’t Jon Corzine being prosecuted?
Jon Corzine stole from his customers. Until Corzine is put on trial in a court of law, no one will be able to get to the truth. He is being protected by the party in charge. The political waters are so virulent that they don’t want to see him tried. The event happened last October. Surely there is enough information available to convene a grand jury and begin indicting people. The public is being played. We are schmucks. [emphasis mine]
The party in charge is the Democrat Party. The man in charge of that party is Barack Obama. The voters should take note.
Sea Launch successfully put an Intelsat communications satellite into orbit today from its floating launch platform in the Pacific.
The competition heats up: Sea Launch successfully put an Intelsat communications satellite into orbit today from its floating launch platform in the Pacific.
This is the company’s second successful launch since it was reorganized after bankruptcy.
What is the current state of the six American flags planted on the Moon by Apollo astronauts? One NASA engineer takes a look.
What is the current state of the six American flags planted on the Moon by Apollo astronauts? One NASA engineer takes a look.
James Fincannon has been an important contributor here at Behind the Black, sending me some interesting tips from time to time that have resulted in some good posts, such as this one about caves on the Moon.
Images from Messenger now appear to support past radio telescope observations that suggested there was water-ice in the permanently shadowed craters of Mercury.
Images from Messenger now appear to support past radio telescope observations that suggested there was water-ice in the permanently shadowed craters of Mercury.
The trial of seven earthquake scientists in Italy on charges of manslaughter for not correctly predicting the earthquake in L’Aquila continued yesterday with each of the defendants testifying.
The trial of seven earthquake scientists in Italy on charges of manslaughter for not correctly predicting the earthquake in L’Aquila continued yesterday with each of the defendants testifying.
The trial will not resume again until the fall.
Kate Wolf – Eyes of a Painter
An evening pause: Kate Wolf sadly passed away prematurely in 1986. Here is a live performance from 1985.
How a trucking company employee solved the mystery of the missing NASA telescope.
How a trucking company employee solved the mystery of the missing NASA telescope.
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have determined that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are on a collision course, and will meet head on in 4 billion years.
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have determined that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are on a collision course, and will meet head on in 4 billion years.
You can download the science paper describing these results in detail here [pdf].
The FDA has rejected changing the name of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.
A rose by any other name: The FDA has rejected changing the name of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.
A county government in California, rather than buy private property through eminent domain, is using zoning regulations to force owners out so the county doesn’t have to pay any compensation.
Theft by government: A county government in California, rather than buy private property through eminent domain, is using zoning regulations to force owners out so the county doesn’t have to pay any compensation.