The list can now be viewed here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 09:25 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The list can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The list can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(2004 staggers to an end...)

Mark Whittington: Children of Apollo (Xlibris Corporation, 2001)

The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here's a relatively mundane orbital shot of a "drowned mountain" and some rugged looking coasts. Mundane except for the fact that the water isn't water (it's most likely a combination of methane and ethane) and the planet isn't Earth, it is Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 09:31 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The list can now be seen here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:53 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(From the text, I'll bet you can figure out when this is from!)

Here's a talk that Terry Bisson gave in 1993. Good stuff here about and for those of us who grew up with Willey Ley, Apollo, the promise of the shuttle and more.

Oh yes, and a bit about the state of science fiction in 1993 that certainly still applies to the state of science fiction in 2003.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 09:43 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One of the most invaluable sites on the web. By the time you work through the Atomic Rockets section, you'll be ready to fly your own spaceship!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(This posting is 100% previously pounded keypads!)

One good source of scenarios for SF stories are the back issues of the newsletter for the L5 Society. They can be found online here. NASA's space settlement studies can be found here and can be found here. A special issue of CoEvolution Quarterly is also online.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:41 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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(This entry is 100% previously posted ramblings!)

John Barber (writing at The Space Review) re-explores the concepts of macrolife. more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(This posting is made from 100% previously posted electrons and bits!)

In his book of the same title, G. Harry Stine has this to say: "The title of this book, Halfway to Anywhere, was suggested by Tim Kyger, currently a staff member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in Washington. It sums up where we are today with respect to real space transportation for everyone and comes from the statement--correct from the viewpoint of the energy and thus the rocket propellant required--I first heard in private, personal conversation with the late author, space advocate, and contemporary philosopher Robert A. Heinlein in 1950:

"Get to low-earth orbit and you're halfway to anywhere in the solar system.""

Now, here's my question: Did Heinlein ever use this in a story or novel? I swear I remember reading it in one of the Future History stories, or maybe one of the YA novels, but I haven't found it so far in my search. Anybody remember this as well?

(Halfway to Anywhere: Achieving America's Destiny in Space was written by G. Harry Stine in 1996. It was published by M. Evans & Company, N.Y. There's also a companion book by Stine, Living in Space, published by the same company.)

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:03 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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(From Edge, via Positive Liberty).

Posted by: JohnL at 09:59 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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In the Department of Poorly Written Headlines Department, Methane May Allow Rockets to Go Beyond the Fringes of Space (!). Let's hope they don't run into...REEEEAAAVVVVEERRRRSSSS!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Speaking of Dyna-Soar, via Gravity Lens I recently discovered Deepcold, an interesting site featuring the Soviet and American cold-war-era space projects. Check out the Dyna-Soar renderings here.

Posted by: JohnL at 12:42 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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No, not the nifty source of power seen on Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. A company has developed a method of moving the ISS without using reaction thrusters. Nice to know that somebody out there still reads Robert A. Heinlein's books and stories!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One of my favorite space artists has a spiffy website.

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The list can now be viewed here.

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I don't know how long they'll be on the main page (there's no video archive page yet) but Blue Origin has posted videos of their VTOL rocket's (the Goddard's) first test flight. The vehicle is clearly inspired by the Delta Clipper design on which I have previously blogged here, here, and here. Please also see Jerry Pournelle's excellent overview of the Gary Hudson Phoenix design, which influenced the development of the Delta Clipper/DC-X and also played a major role in his, Niven's and Flynn's Fallen Angels.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:32 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I wonder if private space travel will follow in the steps of the Internet, where sex was one of the earliest successful commercial ventures.

While joining the 250-mile-high-club would certainly be uniquely stimulating, it won't necessarily be easy, was the message of a panel of experts at the recently-concluded Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace 2006 conference in Las Vegas.

NASA (not speaking for the agency, of course) doctor Jim Logan had the money quote:

"It's a pretty messy environment, when you think about it....And for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. However ... I can well imagine how compelling, inspiring, and quite frankly stimulating choreographed sex in zero-G might be in the hands of a skilled and talented cinematographer with appropriate lighting and music....I'm not kidding: Sex in zero-G is going to have to be more or less choreographed. Otherwise it's just going to be a wild flail."

Alan Boyle and Rand Simberg have much more on this, er, titillating topic.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If space tourism takes off (pun intended), I can foresee a market for extreme skydiving from the literal edge of space. Can you imagine that first step out of the cabin door?

How about knowing that you will break the speed of sound? I would expect a video camera to be built into the helmet to record the jump for future viewing and showing off to friends.

Check out this video (found via BoingBoing) to get a taste.

Posted by: JohnL at 08:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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