Monthly Archives: October 2009

300K and Lightblogging

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Jonathan Goff

I noticed about a week ago (or maybe it was a year ago–I’m not really sure) that we had nearly hit 300k visitors here at Selenian Boondocks. We finally crossed that threshold yesterday. I’d like to thank all the loyal … Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | Leave a comment

AV-017, Bubbling UFOs, and Centrifugal Settling

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Jonathan Goff

I’ve been so busy lately that I’m only now getting a few spare minutes to show off some rather cool pictures I was sent a week ago.  A week ago Monday, I got an email from Claire Flanagan of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Fun, Propellant Depots | 2 Comments

Why

Posted on October 26, 2009 by johnhare

guest blogger john hare Many of us think about the how to get there, though we may disagree where there should be. Far less often do we discuss why, and then it frequently becomes a series of circular arguments on both … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Why Derived?

Posted on October 23, 2009 by johnhare

guest blogger john hare In the ongoing discussions about NASA’s proper direction for the future, you constantly see the phrase ‘Shuttle derived’. It is an acknowledged requirement to keep as much of the current workforce employed as possible, while forging … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Forehead Smacking Moments: NEO Delta-V Misunderstanding

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Jonathan Goff

This is kind of embarrasing to admit, but I had a long-time misconception about the delta-V requirements for reaching NEOs.  A long time ago, I read some figure for delta-V requirements for earth-crossing asteroids.  The figure was ridiculously low, something … Continue reading →

Posted in Lunar Commerce, Lunar Exploration and Development, NEOs | 26 Comments

Poor Taste Humor Tuesdays: CxP Edition

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Jonathan Goff

This is poor taste, but too funny not to pass along (I apologize in advance to CxP workers reading this). Upon hearing about another CxP element that’s been supposedly defunded, a NASASpaceFlight.com member (Lawntonlookirs) expressed his frustration by creating the … Continue reading →

Posted in ESAS, Fun, NASA | 2 Comments

Cheap Contest II

Posted on October 15, 2009 by johnhare

guest blogger john hare I did a resin cast nozzle with embedded string today to observe the effects as an air tank blew down. My intent was to start with a nozzle almost at separation and then add a boot to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Smog Solar Engine

Posted on October 11, 2009 by johnhare

guest blogger john hare  I fail to understand the attraction of the complex nuclear and electric engines for deep space maneuvering when solar thermal promises to be so much simpler and higher performance. A few simple modifications to the normal … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 21 Comments

Ares-I Ascent Reliability: Still Missing The Point

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Jonathan Goff

I listened in a bit on yesterday’s Augustine Committee discussion.  The debate at the end between Bo and the others reminded me of a point I’ve made a bunch of times on this blog–that when you’re talking about exploration missions, … Continue reading →

Posted in ESAS, NASA | 23 Comments

Cheap Contest Series?

Posted on October 6, 2009 by johnhare

guest blogger john hare The friends I know in the rocket industry are too busy running businesses and fulfilling contracts to work cheap or free on the unproven concepts that I find interesting. It has come to my attention that there … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments