During recent travels over the heart of our nation’s fossil fuel development and storage centers, a realization descended upon me in a new and sudden way. As I peered out of my porthole window at the landscape below, it struck me that a simple glimpse at the current state of our world is the only […]
Read More The Environmental Case for Extraterrestrial ResourcesJust a quick note today on a fun, recent interview I gave with Paul Carr on the Wow! Signal Podcast, where I had the opportunity to discuss the very conceptual genesis of my personal scientific journey as a geologist and space scientist: the lure, importance, and incredible promise of asteroid mining and capitalizing on extraterrestrial […]
Read More Pushing Asteroid Mining on the Wow! Signal PodcastThe internet is alight with rumors concerning the James Cameron/Charles Simonyi/Peter Diamandis/Eric Anderson-backed superproject, not yet more than a speculation-frothing logo, to be announced April 24th: These rumors go on to speculate that the venture will be a full-fledged asteroid-mining venture, sparked in no small part by the media alert sent by the company yesterday, […]
Read More Rhinegold, Space Cowboys, and “Planetary Resources”Definition of mixed emotions: Reading an ambitious plan recently released by the Shimizu Corporation of Japan that effectively wields fear of radiation to incentivize lunar colonization for solar power generation. Wow. While I abhor anything that preys upon the irrational fear of nuclear energy, I’m all for the use of solar power. (I’d like to make the ironic […]
Read More Japanese lunar light farmingThe Obama Administration’s recent space initiative scraps former President Bush’s Orion moon program and planned moon base in favor of three basic components: Private industry, an asteroid rendezvous by 2025, and a manned Mars orbit by 2035. Not wasting any time on nostalgia, aerospace industry giant Lockheed Martin, who had been helming the all-but-cancelled Orion […]
Read More Lockheed Martin’s asteroid gambitHistory never fails to surprise and amaze me. While there is serious talk today regarding the logistics of setting up a lunar base and whispers of Bigelow Aerospace pushing their inflatable habitats as the right modules to compose one, I was awed and humbled when I recently learned that we’ve done this research before. Half […]
Read More Reincarnation Exists! -Bigelow Aerospace and Von Braun’s Project HorizonPresident Obama has recently scrapped our push to get to the Moon by 2020. For the most part, I agree with the decision. However, there is something making a lot of play in the press that I feel the need to address – Namely, the many vocal assertions that there is no good reason to […]
Read More Why go back to the Moon?
Chronicles of an Atomic Astrowright 