10.07.2005
Friday Flybys (vol. 20)
No, that's not Alan Boyle giving the thumbs up with the crew aboard ISS. It's U.S. multimillionaire businessman Greg Olsen, of course, making orbital history as the world's third tourist in space. He's enjoying the digs after his launch from Kazakhstan Oct. 1, ride to the space station aboard Soyuz, and docking with the space station on Oct. 3. He says it's "like camping out." But no bears or mosquitoes. And oh, that $20 million dollar view.Meanwhile, Alan Boyle is in Las Cruces also making space history and thinking about next steps.
With all the hoopla about the X Prize Cup, don't forget Gov. Bill Richardson's announcement that the first launch from New Mexico’s Southwest Regional Spaceport will take place in March, 2006 and that UP Aerospace, Inc. will have the honor. Three launches are planned for 2006, twelve for 2007 and up to thirty in 2008.
Meanwhile, Jon Goff is skipping the X Prize Cup and attending instead an interesting forum at NASA Ames organized by the Alliance for Commercial Enterprises in Space. (We'll also be watching for the latest on the hot Google/NASA deal.)
Mission details remain sketchy but China is reportedly making final preparations for Shenzhou 6 possible launch October 13. And yes, commercialism matters in China space, too.
Daniel Schmelzer has an update on GAO's dismissal of SpaceX EELV bid protests.
Keith Cowing, making an interesting observation, asks, how much to paint a U.S. flag on a Russian rocket?
Taylor Dinerman reviews Everett C. Dolman's Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age.
Canada commemorates five years involvement in the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters.
Curiously, Jonathan Glater's article on lawyer bloggers and their blawgs in the New York Times today did not mention Space Law Probe. An oversight, I'm sure.
And if you're on safari or anywhere in Africa without cable modem access, Tim Remley and Jessica Martell suggest you get your own satellite connection -- simply buy the dish and rent your own satellite. We can hear you now.
Have an up weekend. If you're heading out for a night on the town don't forget your iPod subway maps. If you're slow cooking a stew, e-mail Professor Reynolds for his special recipe (with Guinness). (The professor is busy on his new book which we understand is not an updated space law treatise. This time. However, there's always another book where that came from.)
And to everyone enjoying the festivities in New Mexico, whatever you do, don't forget what Lord Kelvin said in 1895: "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
