Last week I met Christine Anderson, the recently appointed Executive Director of Spaceport America. She is wonderful to talk with, excited about the challenge ahead of her, and importantly, had moved to New Mexico by choice. She chose New Mexico because of its beauty, the art community, and the western lifestyle. We were getting along […]
April 1 Launch
This article is about Middle School and science. Think back. Do you remember anything really frustrating about Middle School? I do. There was no science in my school. By seventh grade it was clear to me, science was interesting. I could not get enough. Astronomy, chemistry, earth science, and geography were, and still are, my […]
Good news for the emerging commercial space industry in the 2012 NASA budget
On Valentine’s Day, NASA released their 2012 budget. I was given the privilege of listening, at 6am via telecom, as Administrator Charlie Bolden explained the budget. I have been asked to join business meetings in Administrator Bolden’s conference room at NASA headquarters in the past. I always wonder why they want me there. Now I ask. […]
Rolling Black-outs and Space-Base Power
Now that we have gotten through the recent power outages, I am going to take this “teaching moment” to discuss space-based solar power. After last week, it is clear to me, I have to get on the ball and install some solar power capability at my house. My Dad is ninety one and we live […]
Connecting the dots
This week I had the great privilege to have Mr. Robert Bigelow, escort a colleague and me on a tour of Bigelow Aerospace facilities north of Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Bigelow founded Bigelow Aerospace in 1999. He is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and made his fortune from his construction and real estate development […]
Looking back at 2010 and forward to 2011
Now that 2011 is drawing to a close I have been reflecting on 2010. I think about what I have accomplished, writing this series of articles has been an accomplishment. I am grateful to you readers and to those of you who have told me you read my column. Your words give me confidence and […]
SpaceX and Hayabusa
I am in El Paso at the Texas Medical Branch hospital. I have a hand injury from gardening and was referred to a doctor in El Paso. I went to Google Maps, got the directions and called the doctor’s office to make sure of the route. I got lost. Both sets of directions had the […]
Food for thought
During the Thanksgiving break, I took time to rest, relax and enjoy the Fall weather. That lasted until Friday when my mind began to hunger for more than I’d been feeding it. The physical demands I placed on myself were, how shall I put this, well compensated for by Thanksgiving dinner at the home of […]
6 Degrees Head Down
Bed Rest in the name of science? Do you really want to sign up? On a recent trip to the University of Texas in Galveston, I visited a laboratory focused on studying the effects of spaceflight on humans. This laboratory, which looks like a typical hospital floor with beds and nurses stations is at the […]
Well we did it!
Space Week in New Mexico was recently completed, it was held October 19-22, 2010 in Las Cruces and at Spaceport America. It took a year to plan. Space Week in New Mexico is a series of events held over 4 days. It hopefully created more questions than we answered. When will people start flying from […]
