The View From Here
The Global Space Community Has Never Looked Better
Despite some bumps in the road, 2015 will largely be remembered as a good year for space. Yes, there were moments like the Falcon 9, Proton and Soyuz failures, as well as the loss of Black Brant and Super Strypi small launch vehicles. All told there were 82 launch attempts* (orbital or beyond) in…
The Moon and the Stars are Calling, and We Are Ready to Answer
Bali, Indonesia — Zipping across the glass-like Bali Sea, the pre-dawn air warm and fragrant with flowers and incense, the full moon looms brightly over Mount Agung and Seraya Bay, the distant stars fading. Heading toward a dawn scuba rendezvous with the famous wreck of the USAT Liberty, the moon and stars above seem as…
Society's Stars Shine Bright After 35 Years
I’m not a big joiner. Despite my seemingly outgoing public persona, I’m really an introvert, a consistent INFP by Keirsey metrics. Oh, I maintain membership in the things that are sort of expected in my position – the NDIA, AAS, Royal Aeronautical Society, that sort of thing. And, in pursuing my non-space passions, like the…
WANTED: Space Suit for 25-Foot-Tall Dog
Unfortunately, as this is written, Congress and the administration are still grappling with how to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2016, which begins today. A short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) has been agreed upon, which will extend the current budget into mid-December. Also in that timeframe, there will be a need to vote on…
To Russia, With Love – Another Half Billion U.S. Dollars?
It’s not always easy to understand what members of Congress are thinking. For example, in the months leading up to the current recess, there was a great gnashing of teeth over U.S. acquisition of Russian space hardware – in particular, the RD-180 main rocket engine. However, in the waning hours of the session, both the…
30 Years On, Our Commitment to Education Keeps Getting Stronger
As the Space Foundation’s third Summer of Discovery comes to a close later this month, our team and our partners in STEM education have much to celebrate. In little more than two and a half years of operation, our Space Foundation Discovery Center (SFDC) has grown from less than 2,000 square feet to about 17,000…
Global space endeavor continues to grow, enthuse and excite
You don’t have to be a space geek to know that these are exciting times in the space community. Hardly a day goes by without some cool story popping up in your online news feed, showing up in your email or being shared on social media. Even if you’re a digital troglodyte, sifting through the…
The View from Here is on Hiatus for June
Elliot Pulham’s monthly column “The View From Here” is on break for June, returning to Space Watch for July. Read past columns in the Space Watch archives here. This article is part of Space Watch: June 2015 (Volume: 14, Issue: 6).
It's Time to be Bullish on Space Again
There was no mistaking the excitement in the air all throughout our recent 31st Space Symposium. There were exciting announcements, like ULA’s unveiling of its new Vulcan launch vehicle, and moments of daring-do, like SpaceX’s very nearly successful attempt to land a Falcon 9 first stage on an autonomous ocean platform. There were exciting presentations…
Ready to Launch — the most powerful Space Symposium ever!
From the opening ceremony featuring Japan’s enra dance troupe, to a panel discussion featuring the heads of 12 prominent space agencies from around the world, to feature plenary sessions starring space leaders from Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Latin America — the 31st Space Symposium, April 13-16, looks to be…