On Tuesday, Sept. 16, NASA administrator, Gen. Charlie Bolden, announced the selection of Boeing and SpaceX to be the first American companies to launch our astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Simply stated, when NASA shut down the shuttle program, it was no longer the best way for our country to invest taxpayer dollars […]
New Mexico Universities must invest in faculty with commercial space capability now
New Mexico Universities must invest in faculty with commercial space capability now. Commercialization of space is becoming more important to our national leaders every year as commercial companies demonstrate low-cost increased access to space from commercial spaceports is possible. “The United States Defense Department needs to be thinking seriously about commercial alternatives in order to […]
International Space Station: Good for another 10 years and great for Las Cruces
2014 started off with an especially positive announcement for our community. NASA announced the extension of the orbiting outpost through 2024. Why does this matter to our community? NASA White Sands Test Facility (NASA WSTF) is a support facility for the International Space Station (ISS). NASA WSTF does failure analysis on micro-meteoroid orbital debris impacts […]
Dog Days, Sirius the Dog Star, and Sirius XM Radio
The temperature was 106 today. I had my on summer gardening “Get-Up” as my neighbor calls it. Long sleeves, socks, hat, shorts and gloves. Not gorgeous, but necessary in our weather. Gardening attire is the only time I get a little Cyndi Lauper. I noticed it today especially; we are in the Dog Days of […]
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. […]
