Blue Origin vs. Washington Post
The Washington Post (owned by Jeff Bezos) published a January 31 editorial, "NASA keeps falling victim to presidential whims," which prompted Blue Origin (also owned by Jeff Bezos) to respond with a February 18 ad in the Post with a different point of view. NASA...
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Groundswell Critical of House NASA Authorization Bill H.R. 5666
By Alfred Anzaldua NSS Executive Vice President The National Space Society (NSS) notes the groundswell of space advocacy groups and entities decrying the lack of commercial provisions in House NASA Authorization bill (H.R. 5666). Provisions for flexibly leveraging...
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NSS Position Paper: A Public/Private COTS-Type Program to Develop Space Solar Power
Abstract The National Space Society (NSS) proposes a public/private partnership approach to develop and demonstrate space solar power at a sufficiently high level of technical maturity that commercial energy providers can subsequently build initial operational systems...
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You Have To Believe We Are Magic: Gerard K. O’Neill Enters the 1980s
This Space Available by Emily Carney. In the last installment of this series, we saw Dr. Brian O’Leary trade his “cup of tea” – a career in astronomy, and aiding in Gerard K. O’Neill’s space settlement initiatives – for an unlikely new path that would become the subject of much derision among his former colleagues. While O’Leary rather pointedly abandoned the ideas of his friend and colleague, O’Neill himself would adapt to the new decade surprisingly well after his first flush of fame abated, and when his treatises about space settlements and futurism lost some of their luster with the public.
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National Space Society Recommends More Commercial Emphasis in House NASA Authorization Act of 2020
The National Space Society (NSS) recognizes and supports all activities that help to enable commercial space development and settlement. Unfortunately, H.R. 5666 represents a dramatic step back from such activities. NSS agrees with the Commercial Spaceflight...
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NSS International Committee Chair Michelle Hanlon Interviewed about the Moon Treaty
Dale Skran, Chair of the NSS Executive Committee, writes: I strongly suggest reading the recent article "What is the Moon Treaty and is it still useful?" in Filling Space based on an interview with NSS's Michelle Hanlon (pictured). Michelle is the Chair of the NSS...
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Dragon 2 In-Flight Abort Demonstration
By George Mancuso NASA and SpaceX successfully completed an in-flight abort demonstration of the Dragon 2 spacecraft from a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday January 19, 2020. The launch abort test began at 10:30 a.m. EST with liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy...
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U.S. News and World Report Article on Dragon 2 Features NSS’ Dale Skran
Dale Skran, Chair of the NSS Executive Committee (equivalent of our CEO), was interviewed by U.S. News and World Report for their article "SpaceX Faces Last Major Test Before Human Spaceflight."
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Rocket Lab 2019 Recap and 2020 Preview
By Dale Skran Rocket Lab had a great 2019, concluding with its 10th launch overall, with six in 2019 alone. All six launched from Rocket Lab’s LC-1 in Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. All launches used the two-stage lox-kerosene Electron rocket, which typically delivers...
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Boeing Space Development Milestones 2019 Recap and 2020 Preview
By Dale Skran Chair of the Executive Committee, National Space Society This article will only focus on Boeing activities that relate to space development, not to everything Boeing is involved in, which would be a long list. Boeing made significant advances toward...
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March Storm 2020 Congressional Visits
Join NSS and the Alliance for Space Development (ASD) in our 2020 March Storm congressional advocacy blitz, March 15th – 19th in Washington D.C.! Are you passionate about the continuation and growth of human space activity? Do you want to see the continued progress of...
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2020 SpaceX Preview
Having just written a recap of SpaceX activities in 2019, it seemed natural to follow with a preview of 2020. In no particular order, we can expect: January 11, 2020: The in-flight abort test that supports the Commercial Crew program. This test was delayed out of 2019...
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