Private company hires former NASA engineers and astronauts
The transition to private space: Sierra Nevada hires former NASA engineers and astronauts.
Tag: capitalism
New NOAA commercial fishing regulations favor large businesses, destroy small family-owned operations
New NOAA commercial fishing regulations established last year are destroying small family-owned businesses.
Woman thrown off US Airways plane for taking photo of rude employee
A reason to avoid US Airways: A woman was thrown off of a US Airways plane for taking a photo of a rude employee.
It is also a reason to fly Southwest, as that airline stepped forward and got the woman and her husband home.
Mining the moon for water and nuclear fuel
Mining the moon for water and fuel.
Texas-based Shackleton Energy Company has already begun operations aimed at mining the Moon within the next few years. The company’s plans for mining and refining operations would involve melting the ice and purifying the water, converting the water into gaseous hydrogen and oxygen, and then condensing the gases into liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, all potential rocket fuels.
Shackleton CEO Dale Tietz says the water extracted would be used almost exclusively as rocket fuel to power operations both within Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – such as space tourism and the removal of space-debris – on the Moon, and further out into space. ‘We are a for-profit business enterprise moving forward, and so we are only going there really for one reason and that is to mine, prospect mine and harvest water for rocket propellant production,’ says Tietz.
Getting rare-earth elements from ocean floor mud
Getting rare-earth elements, needed for electronics, from ocean floor mud?
The families of the Challenger astronauts come out in favor of commercial private manned spaceflight
The families of the Challenger astronauts come out in favor of commercial private manned spaceflight.
In a poll Jamaicans overwhelming long for the return of British colonial rule
Hooray for imperialism! In a poll Jamaicans overwhelming long for the return of British colonial rule.
LightSquared report shows widespread GPS interference
A report on the first tests of the LightSquared wireless service says that it will produce widespread interference to GPS systems, especially for aviation. LightSquared meanwhile has told the FCC the problem is the fault of the GPS industry.
NJ legislature passes ban on fracking, while NY considers lifting its ban
Who wins? NJ legislature has passed a ban on fracking for natural gas, while NY has moved to lift its ban.
Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding
Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding.
China buys three Earth observations satellites from UK firm
Capitalism in space: China has purchased a three Earth observation satellite constellation from a United Kingdom firm.
Another private space plane moves forward
Another private space plane moves forward.