Author Archives: johnhare

Some years ago I did a post on using Lunar fuel to raise a sub-orbital vehicle to Earth orbit. One of the comments by sjv linked to a similar concept that had been done several years earlier but much more … Continue reading →

Seeing the picture of the SpaceX shroud floating in the water, it struck me how much it resembled the bottom half of certain lifting bodies. Then it struck me that this thought had been around before, whether it had been … Continue reading →

Over on Transterrestrial, there was a discussion about self driving cars eliminating traffic jams. The site doesn’t allow comments from my computer calling it through a proxy, so I’ll just throw out a few thoughts here. The discussion focused mostly … Continue reading →

Most if not all people disagreed with my thoughts on bringing in various technologies in the last few posts about the architecture Doug Plata is laying out at spacedevelopment.org. On many blogs, and especially with many of the commenters  on … Continue reading →

Doug Plata has done some detailed comments on the suggestions, ideas, and differences from his ideas that my posts laid out in minimal form. His comments deserve better than I can do in a little comment window. Probably better than … Continue reading →

I suggested in the middle of a couple of recent posts that the hoverslam techniques pioneered by SpaceX with the Falcon9 be used for Lunar landings. It was a kind of throwaway thought along with several other suggestions. As I … Continue reading →

In the post on the architecture that Doug Plata proposes for the Lunar development, I likely appear as a naysayer as I picked on the sections that I disagreed with or thought that there was a better way forward. Not surprisingly, … Continue reading →

Doug Plata has a new website at spacedevelopment.org with a concept for sustainable Lunar development. He sent me the link and suggested I look it over. I read it through the first time as a plan and promptly (in my … Continue reading →

I had a new experience tonight. A woman I went out with a few times a year or so back got in touch and we went out for dinner. Somewhere in the middle of the dinner she mentioned that she … Continue reading →

At some point it seems that SpaceX plans to retire the Falcon series in favor of the BFR (series?). For a fully developed and productive launch system to be retired due to improvements within the company line there must be … Continue reading →