News and Commentary on Space
This article in MIT’s Technology Review questions the ulterior motives of the Bush plan in a more thought-provoking manner than the “hoax” rants. The question here seems to be: is the policy really about simply terminating the unproductive (even counterproductive) manned space program for the time being in favor of expanded robotic exploration?
NASA apparently plans to have a second shuttle at the ready in case anything goes wrong during the next mission.
Astronauts could use the space station as a “save haven” [sic] if there is trouble with the orbiter while it is in space, said Michael Kostelnik, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for the space station and shuttle programs.“The second vehicle would be able to launch and go to the space station and pick up the first crew if we had a problem with the vehicle and could not bring it down,” Kostelnik said in a briefing from Galveston, Texas.
What if it does? Can they actually dock two Orbiters to ISS? Could two Orbiters with docking adapters mate with each other for crew transfer? (Is the androgynous docking adapter that, uh, “open minded”?)
More info here on Shuttle safety upgrades.
Europe’s united response to US space plans is apparently a whole lot of self-congratulatory wind about how international and multilateral and cooperative and forward-thinking their space policy is.
O? est le boeuf?
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A young girl sets out to prove herself by resolving a long-forgotten mystery. But when she gets close to the truth, what she thought was a harmless adventure becomes a threat to the future of the independent commercial settlements on Mars.