I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
theme:
Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET
[Quote]NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch
System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the
earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private
companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015
— or perhaps even earlier.
"We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell,
president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as
SpaceX).[/Quote]
http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html
Private space launches should see boost this year.
Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012
[quote]WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen
privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit
over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space
industry ramps up its schedule.[/quote]
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_c...
> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight?
1990 may not be too "recent" but in Terry Bisson's Voyage to the Red
Planet, Hollywood finances the trip.
> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
> Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
> imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
> theme:
> Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
> by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
> Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET
> [Quote]NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch
> System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the
> earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private
> companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015
> — or perhaps even earlier.
> "We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell,
> president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as
> SpaceX).[/Quote]http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html
> Private space launches should see boost this year.
> Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
> 6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012
> [quote]WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen
> privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit
> over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space
> industry ramps up its schedule.[/quote]http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_c...
On Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:47:49 AM UTC-7, Robert Clark wrote:
...
> I'm still interested in that topic but also
> what are some recommendations about recent
> stories of commercially, not governmentally,
> financed space flight? Such stories might be
> about space tourism, private endeavors to
> produce solar power satellites, lunar or
> asteroidal mining, etc.
"Polaris" by Jack McDevitt, 2004. As ubiquitous as riding an ship or airplane. Interstellar spacecraft even owned by some small corporations.
<tphi...@cableone.net> wrote:
>On Mar 29, 1:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
>> their own space ships:
>> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
>> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
>> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
>> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...
>> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
>> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
>> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
>> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
>> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
>> Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
>> imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
>> theme:
>> Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
>> by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
>> Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET
>> [Quote]NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch
>> System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the
>> earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private
>> companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015
>> — or perhaps even earlier.
>> "We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell,
>> president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as
>> SpaceX).[/Quote]http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html
>> Private space launches should see boost this year.
>> Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
>> 6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012
>> [quote]WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen
>> privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit
>> over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space
>> industry ramps up its schedule.[/quote]http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_c...
"art...@yahoo.com" <art...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Mar 29, 2:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
>> their own space ships:
>> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
>> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
>> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
>> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...
>> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
>> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
>> governmentally, financed space flight?
>1990 may not be too "recent" but in Terry Bisson's Voyage to the Red
>Planet, Hollywood finances the trip.
Legacy of Heorot had the Alpha Centauri flight financed by the
National Geographic society.
-- I used to own a mind like a steel trap.
Perhaps if I'd specified a brass one, it
wouldn't have rusted like this.
On Mar 29, 8:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
Perhaps not quite what you're looking for, but there are several Jack
Vance stories about space-going tramp freighters in a what is probably
an unlikely distant future. Ports of Call and Lurulu come to mind.
In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb-9944-06a2e7238...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> writes:
>On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
>not unpleasantly so.
I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
Did I make a bad call?
-- Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
"Writing about jazz is like dancing about architecture" - Thelonious Monk
On Tue, 3 Apr 2012 13:18:37 +0000 (UTC), mstem...@walkabout.empros.com
(Michael Stemper) wrote:
>In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb-9944-06a2e7238...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> writes:
>>On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
>>not unpleasantly so.
>I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
>that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
>them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
>Did I make a bad call?
FWIW, I liked the first one a lot, and looked forward to the second. I
thought the second was pretty good, though perhaps not a good as the
first. And the ending was... weird. I didn't like the direction it
was taking. I never went further.
>>In article
><a8c48579-c7a4-49eb-9944-06a2e7238...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
>DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> writes:
>>>On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
>>>not unpleasantly so.
>>I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
>>that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
>>them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
>>Did I make a bad call?
>FWIW, I liked the first one a lot, and looked forward to the second. I
>thought the second was pretty good, though perhaps not a good as the
>first. And the ending was... weird. I didn't like the direction it
>was taking. I never went further.
I liked the later ones less well than the beginning, but it was
still a good read overall.
The ending was odd though as it raised a *lot* of questions that
were never answered. Perhaps he was/is planning another series further
along in that setting.
-- ------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
> On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:18:41 -0700 (PDT), tphile2
> <tphi...@cableone.net> wrote:
>> On Mar 29, 1:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
>>> their own space ships:
>>> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
>>> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
>>> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
>>> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket >>> developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...
>>> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
>>> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
>>> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
>>> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
>>> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
>>> Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
>>> imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
>>> theme:
>>> Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
>>> by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
>>> Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET
>>> [Quote]NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch
>>> System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the
>>> earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private
>>> companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015
>>> — or perhaps even earlier.
>>> "We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell,
>>> president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as
>>> SpaceX).[/Quote]http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html
>>> Private space launches should see boost this year.
>>> Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
>>> 6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012
>>> [quote]WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen
>>> privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit
>>> over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space
>>> industry ramps up its >>> schedule.[/quote]http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_c...
> On Mar 29, 8:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
>> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
>> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
>> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
>> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
> Perhaps not quite what you're looking for, but there are several Jack
> Vance stories about space-going tramp freighters in a what is probably
> an unlikely distant future. Ports of Call and Lurulu come to mind.
Well, if you're throwing the net that far out, there's the Cherryh series that includes Downbelow Station and Infinity's End.
On Apr 2, 10:45 pm, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mar 29, 11:47 am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
> not unpleasantly so.
Thanks for that. I was looking primarily for books set in the near
future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent.
It will be very important then to understand the national security
implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine
spaceflight has been virtually nil.
The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor
Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually
right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles,
which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.
Bob Clark
cf.,
Newsgroups: sci.space.policy, sci.astro, sci.physics,
sci.space.history
From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: A kerosene-fueled X-33 as a single stage to orbit
vehicle.
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.space.history/msg/db4b9bcc5ca2dc05...
> On Apr 2, 10:45 pm, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Mar 29, 11:47 am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
> > not unpleasantly so.
> Thanks for that. I was looking primarily for books set in the near
> future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent.
> It will be very important then to understand the national security
> implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine
> spaceflight has been virtually nil.
> The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor
> Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually
> right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles,
> which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.
> Bob Clark
> cf.,
> Newsgroups: sci.space.policy, sci.astro, sci.physics,
> sci.space.history
> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
> Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: Re: A kerosene-fueled X-33 as a single stage to orbit
> vehicle.http://groups.google.com/group/sci.space.history/msg/db4b9bcc5ca2dc05...
On Apr 3, 6:18 am, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper)
wrote:
> In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb-9944-06a2e7238...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> writes:
> >On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
> >not unpleasantly so.
> I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
> that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
> them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
> Did I make a bad call?
#2 and #3 were a bit slow going IIRC, but #4 tied it all up together
with a bittersweet heroic ending.
Yes, as Ted mentioned, #4 brings the series to a conclusion, but
leaves some questions unanswered. But not in a burning we-need-to-
know-this fashion. If you really liked #1, you ought not to be too
disappointed by the rest.
Flynn is one of my favorite authors (though his recent second book in
the Up Jim River is a tad stale compared to the first).
For the Firestar series he was still learning his craft, IMHO. Wreck
of the River of Stars and Eifelheim are much more sophisticated
books. But as far as the OP's request goes, this is a very good
series.
On Apr 8, 8:25 am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> ...
> Just saw this on HobbySpace.com:
> Moon to be private colony - NASA
> by: By Doug Conway
> From: AAP
> April 04, 2012 2:39PM
> "IF mankind ends up colonising the moon, it is likely to be led by a
> commercial enterprise rather than a government."http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/moon-to-be-private-colony-nasa/s...
> Bob Clark
Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
By Alan Boyle
[quote]Today's media alert says the new company "will overlay two
critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add
trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will
create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources.'"
"That sounds like asteroid mining," Christopher Mims writes on MIT
Technology Review's "Mims' Bits" blog. "Because what else is there in
space that we need here on earth? Certainly not a livable climate or a
replacement for our dwindling supplies of oil."
Parabolic Arc's Doug Messier, meanwhile, writes that the venture
will be an "extraterrestrial mining company."
Diamandis has said on more than one occasion that he's intrigued
by the idea of digging into asteroids, for materials ranging from
water (for fuel as well as for astronauts) to precious metals such as
platinum. The Verge points to a TED talk in 2005 where Diamandis
discusses his dream, while Forbes magazine has brought up the subject
with him more than once in the past few months.[/quote]
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11273238-google-billi...
A research report co-authored by two of the participants of this
venture suggests bringing meters-sized asteroids or parts of large
asteroids to lunar orbit for processing to save on costs:
A science-fiction film from 1969 also expressed the idea that
asteroid mining could only be profitable by bringing the asteroid to
the vicinity of the Earth, so I suppose this is a view that has long
been expressed. The film was "Moon Zero Two":
The film was a rather low budget endeavor, still it was enjoyable for
a genre fan. It can be purchased on Amazon.com. However, you can see
it for free on Youtube if you don't mind the Mystery Science Theater
3000 side comments:
In article <WrqdnVCrE_FbhwnSnZ2dnUVZ_jydn...@earthlink.com>,
"ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>> Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
> "You will either step forward into growth,
> or you will step backward into safety."
> Abraham Maslow
Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
> In article <WrqdnVCrE_FbhwnSnZ2dnUVZ_jydn...@earthlink.com>,
> "ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>>> Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
>> "You will either step forward into growth,
>> or you will step backward into safety."
>> Abraham Maslow
> Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
> growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
> Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
> growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
> notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
next: wildcat play in effect
please report on success
i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
> "William December Starr" <wdst...@panix.com> wrote
>> "ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>>> "You will either step forward into growth,
>>> or you will step backward into safety."
>>> Abraham Maslow
>> Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
>> growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
>> Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
>> growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
>> notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
> next: wildcat play in effect
> please report on success
> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
derived from it, what would that meaning have been?
> In article <_9CdnSdaXbIiYgjSnZ2dnUVZ_rydn...@earthlink.com>,
> "ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>> "William December Starr" <wdst...@panix.com> wrote
>>> "ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>>>> "You will either step forward into growth,
>>>> or you will step backward into safety."
>>>> Abraham Maslow
>>> Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
>>> growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
>>> Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
>>> growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
>>> notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
>> next: wildcat play in effect
>> please report on success
>> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
> If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
> derived from it, what would that meaning have been?
>> "William December Starr" <wdst...@panix.com> wrote
>>> "ala" <alackr...@comcast.net> said:
>>>> "You will either step forward into growth,
>>>> or you will step backward into safety."
>>>> Abraham Maslow
>>> Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
>>> growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
>>> Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
>>> growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
>>> notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
>> next: wildcat play in effect
>> please report on success
>> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
>If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
>derived from it, what would that meaning have been?
"These are some really *good* drugs, man."
-- Bill Snyder [This space unintentionally left blank]
