National Space Society

April 2020

Welcome to the NSS blog. Feel free to comment on any post (comments are moderated so won’t show up immediately). Contributors to the NSS Blog are unpaid volunteers. Unless specifically labeled an NSS position or press release, all blog posts represent the views of the author and not of NSS, even if written by an NSS officer.

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The National Space Society (NSS) applauds NASA’s April 30 announcement by NASA Administrator James Bridenstine that SpaceX, Dynetics, and Blue Origin’s National Team have been...

Matthew Goriachkovsky, a recent graduate of University of California, Irvine, has written and produced a new podcast, Apollo 7: The Forgotten Mission. Well-researched, very listenable,...

By Dale Skran On Wednesday April 22 a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched another 60 Starlink satellites into orbit (see image above), bringing the total in...

It was in mid-1959 that John Houbolt recognized that the future of spaceflight would depend on the ability to have two spacecraft rendezvous and dock,...
This Space Available, by Emily Carney. When I started researching and writing this series last year, it was months before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived Stateside,...

International Space Station astronaut Jessica Meir completed the first U.S. Naval Research Laboratory power-beaming demonstration in orbit February 12, 2020, using relatively simple components suitable...

This Space Available, by Emily Carney. In the last article in this series, Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill’s final years were discussed. After receiving a diagnosis...

By George Mancuso Boeing announced on April 6th it would fly a second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) of its CST-100 Starliner. The flight goal...

By Dale Skran With most of us under some form of pandemic lockdown, and focused on the terrible events unfolding around us, it is easy...

If the goal is to inspire and inform a younger generation to be involved in space, including lunar settlement in particular, Dyson’s book accomplishes this...

WASHINGTON, DC — April 6, 2020: The National Space Society commends NASA for its updated Artemis mission plan for returning humans to the Moon. The...

The National Space Society commends President Donald Trump for signing today’s executive order that sets a dynamic U.S. policy for the exploitation of off-Earth resources....

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Book Reviews

Lunacy

Lunacy: A Book Review Essay

This long essay defends the NSS Vision against those who, like the author of the book being reviewed, think “we shouldn’t colonize Mars or the Moon, or even vacation there.” Ben Bramble, an Australian philosopher who teaches at Australian National University, has penned a YAASS (Yet Another Anti-Space-Settlement) book. These books are multiplying like flies, so space settlement advocates must be gaining ground to generate such an abundant response.

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HOTOLSkylon

Book Review: HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes

In HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes, Rob Coppinger covers the story of both in great detail, with the reminiscences of many who played integral roles in these ambitious programs. The book shines when it captures the enthusiasm and excitement of those involved, and there are extensive quotes from many who devoted years of work on these projects.

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Out of This World

Book Review: Out of This World

Anyone seeking a short but comprehensive introduction to human spaceflight would do well to start with this book. It reviews its history, highlights the accomplishments and tragedies, and describes the equipment used. It also looks at living in space, what space travelers experience, and how they work.

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This long essay defends the NSS Vision against those who, like the author of the book being reviewed, think "we shouldn’t colonize Mars or the...
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