Space Forum / Space Policy / November 2008

Why NASA should focus on the Moon, not Mars
Henry Spencer, computer programmer, spacecraft engineer and amateur space
historian (Illustration: NASA)
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2008/11/why-nasa-should-focu
s-on-the-m.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/business/22volt.html?ref=science
GM only plans to sell 10.000 of the new Chevy Volt 'Green' car in 2010 (it will be introduced in 'late 2010'). When I heard about this I knew that GM is simply faking all of this, it knew it was going bankrupt and ...

It was claimed that in a targeted survey the 'phoenix' set of radio
dishes, including arecibo, would be able to pick up the carrier signal
of a gigawatt beacon at a distance of 200 lys.
By extrapolation, to pick up a megawatt signal, a common power level

The Technological Stagnation of Human Culture
The below article is the synthesis of two articles on which I have
been writing simultaneously. I put them together in order to hint at
the recent historical context of the forthcoming retirement of the

Why is it that when you purchase products or services on line that your
credit card gets charged within the hour but if you want a refund or
credit it takes (they say) 5 go 7 business days and actually takes 30
days? Do electronic transfers only work in one direction?

ever hear of the 1st amendment? or will you censor me like everyone
you disagree with...
the vote of the deluded, deceived, and brainwashed masses is not
valid.... it is a SHAM DEMOCRACY!

Small-sized nuclear reactors in the news again:
http://www.dailytech.com/Miniature+Nuclear+Reactors+to+be+on+Sale+Within+5+Years
/article13389.htm
John Savard

Are very dusty indeed:
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/images/20081110.jpg
Pat

A press piece over in .news about how the J-2X passed some milestone
or another got me curious so I went to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-2_(rocket_engine)
Looking at the Specifications section I was a bit confused about a few

If you were given a diagnosis of having only 6 months to live, would
you consider taking a one way trip to the moon to explore something
significant like a lava tube?  Consider that the last of your air
tanks would have CO mixed in so you would simply go to sleep.  You

Does anyone around here know enough of the Phoenix construction
to estimate if it works come the Martian spring?  Freezing to
CO2 temperature is not necessarily destructive to machines,
depending upon details; but I don't know the details.  My guess

The Enterprise from the new ST movie, which oddly is more streamlined
than the TV version, despite being before it chronologically:
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=1292
Pat

With Hubble and future space telescopes are ground based 200 inch and
others obsolete now?

It might make sense to consider using hybrid engines for a reusable
lunar lander where you also have a smaller pure liquid hydrazine/
nitrogen tetra oxide engine.  The hybrid fuel cores could be easily
replaced to refuel the engine and the small liquid engine would never

http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9886&type=1
An Analysis of NASA's Plans for Continuing Human Spaceflight After
Retiring the Space Shuttle
November 3, 2008