Image Source: Screenshot from SpaceX livefeed of April 20 Starship Launch NASA liked to brag when its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launched last fall that its 8.8 million pounds of thrust made it the most powerful rocket to ever take off. That record was broken on April 20 when at T-minus six seconds SpaceX’s … Continue reading T-minus 6 Seconds: Starship (and Humanity’s) Next Major Step Into Space
Author: Aidan Poling
Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
Source: Image Designed by Aidan Poling (author) using Stable Diffusion AI On September 20, 2022, the United States Space Force released its fight song “SemperSupra” (Always Above). It flopped. The song was widely mocked across social media and late-night television. Much of the criticism understandably focused on the melody and lyrics. However, these critiques miss … Continue reading Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
Fractured Authorities Equal Shattered Satellites: Reforming Space Traffic Management
Photo: European Space Agency Satellite Break-Up We don’t need the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The U.S. military has the radar to track aircraft and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the spectrum to communicate with and direct them. Nothing else is required for air traffic management. Sound ridiculous? It is! Unfortunately, such a scenario is … Continue reading Fractured Authorities Equal Shattered Satellites: Reforming Space Traffic Management
Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Starship 20, Booster 4, and Starship launch tower at Boca Chica, Texas. Photo Credit: Elon Musk / SpaceX The United States’ democratic capitalist model has many advantages. Its freedoms serve as an engine for rapid innovation and economic growth. The advancement of the US space sector and commercial rocketry is largely due to this dynamism. … Continue reading Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Space Property Rights and the Future of American Space Travel
January 27th, 1967 has a bitter-sweet legacy in the history of space travel. In Cape Canaveral Florida, Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chafee were killed during a rehearsal for the inaugural flight of the Apollo program. The same day the United States, Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom endeavored to forge a peaceful future … Continue reading Space Property Rights and the Future of American Space Travel