How big will the Stratolaunch first stage aircraft be? Big. Very big.
How big will the Stratolaunch first stage aircraft be? Big. Very big.
Tag: commercial
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos has recovered two Saturn 5 F-1 engines from the ocean bottom.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos has recovered two Apollo-era Saturn 5 F-1 engines from the ocean bottom.
ILS, the company that launches the Russian Proton rocket, has lowered its prices.
The competition heats up: ILS, the company that launches the Russian Proton rocket, has lowered its prices.
The reason they have given is that the insurance rates to use their rocket have risen due to the three Proton rocket failures in the past two years and that they want to offset that cost for their customers. I suspect a second reason is the price pressure that the Falcon 9 is placing on them.
Orbital Sciences has now set April 16-18 as the launch window for its first test launch of its new Antares rocket
The competition heats up: Orbital Sciences has now set April 16-18 as the launch window for its first test launch of its new Antares rocket.
Sarah Brightman’s visit to ISS in doubt.
Sarah Brightman’s visit to ISS in doubt.
Soyuz taxi flights normally visit the International Space Station for a period of about eight days. NASA and Roscosmos are considering extending a 2015 visit to one month, however. If that happens, Brightman would have to give up her seat to a scientific researcher, who would perform some short-term experiments aboard the space station.
Roscosmos manned space flight director Alexei Krasnov had previously indicated that Russia might consider carrying two paying customers on the 2015 taxi flight. So, it would be theoretically possible for Russia to fly Brightman and the researcher. It’s unknown whether Brightman would want to spend that long aboard the space station, however, and pricing policy to longer-duration stays have not been worked out.
Physicians fight back against Obamacare.
Physicians fight back against Obamacare.
Dr. Ryan Neuhofel, 31, offers a rare glimpse at what it would be like to go to the doctor without massive government interference in health care. Dr. Neuhofel, based in the college town of Lawrence, Kansas, charges for his services according to an online price list that’s as straightforward as a restaurant menu. A drained abscess runs $30, a pap smear, $40, a 30-minute house call, $100. Strep cultures, glucose tolerance tests, and pregnancy tests are on the house. Neuhofel doesn’t accept insurance. He even barters on occasion with cash-strapped locals. One patient pays with fresh eggs and another with homemade cheese and goat’s milk. “Direct primary care,” which is the industry term for Neuhofel’s business model, does away with the bureaucratic hassle of insurance, which translates into much lower prices. “What people don’t realize is that most doctors employ an army of people for coding, billing, and gathering payment,” says Neuhofel. “That means you have to charge $200 to remove an ingrown toenail.” Neuhofel charges $50.
Neuhofel is not alone in this. The article describes other doctors who have done the same. As the bureaucratic mess from Obamacare expands and becomes increasingly impossible for anyone to handle, we are going to see this happen more and more.
Boeing is considering building a civilian version of the X-37B mini-shuttle.
The competition heats up: Boeing is considering building a civilian version of the X-37B mini-shuttle.
Hoyer told employees at the Goddard Space Flight Center yesterday that sequester might force some layoffs there.
My heart bleeds: Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) told employees at the Goddard Space Flight Center yesterday that sequester might force some layoffs there.
So, who does Hoyer work for, the employees at Goddard or the taxpayer? He apparently thinks he is the union rep for government employees.
The budget battle at NASA
Two stories today highlight not only the budget problems at NASA, but also illustrate the apparent unwillingness of both Congress and Americans to face the terrible budget difficulties of the federal government. In both cases, the focus is instead on trying to fund NASA at levels comparable to 2012, before the Obama administration or sequestration had imposed any budget cuts on the agency.
It is as if we live in a fantasy world, where a $16 trillion dollar debt does not exist, and where money grows on trees and we can spend as much as we want on anything we want.
» Read more
Grasshopper flies again, but even higher.
The competition heats up: Grasshopper flies again, but even higher.
SpaceX’s Grasshopper doubled its highest leap to date to rise 24 stories or 80.1 meters (262.8 feet) today, hovering for approximately 34 seconds and landing safely using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control. Grasshopper touched down with its most accurate precision thus far on the centermost part of the launch pad. At touchdown, the thrust to weight ratio of the vehicle was greater than one, proving a key landing algorithm for Falcon 9.
Scaled Composites has done its first test firing of SpaceShipTwo’s engine.
The competition heats up: Scaled Composites has done its first test firing of SpaceShipTwo’s engine.
No word yet on the test result, unfortunately.
The censoring of Google maps, by Google and governments.
The censoring of Google maps, by Google and governments.
This is a complex issue, described in great detail by the article. Very much worth reading.