Veteran astronauts propose new space station law

In a letter written to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and posted to SpaceRef last week, a contingent of veteran astronauts, while urging that the space shuttle not be retired, made a very interesting proposition: A new, international rule for large objects in orbit. So, what is this rule? The letter states, “Any object placed in orbit that is too large […]

Finding the incentive to settle space…

To many, the outward expansion of humanity into the cosmos is inevitable. It seems that a portion of our population is (and has always been) innately possessed of a drive toward the frontier, wherever that might be at the time… Whether venturing to the New World, exploring the farthest reaches of the Earth’s poles, probing the abyssal oceanic depths, or rocketing […]

Congress strikes back: The REAL Space Act

U.S. Congressman Bill Posey is at it again, this time indirectly taking aim at President Obama’s new commercial space initiative. With a cohort of cosponsors, Posey has introduced a new bill, (H.R. 1641,) entitled, “REasserting American Leadership in Space Act,” a.k.a., the “REAL Space Act.” It’s aim? To send us back to the moon in a decade – this time to […]

Astrowright Academy and the Classroom of Tomorrow

Well, just a quick note this morning. Today is my first day of class as a graduate student in the University of North Dakota’s School of Aerospace Sciences Department of Space Studies program. So, you could say that my advanced academic push toward becoming an astrowright has begun. -And in true 21st Century form, as I commute […]

(Declaration of) Space Independence

Well, being that we recently celebrated Independence Day here in the United States, I’d like to lob a few ideas into the fray regarding the political future of our own activities in space. Namely, I’d like to talk about the idea of space sovereignty. “Commercial space” is ramping up, and when thinking seriously about the political […]

Alien archeology – now a real science?

Well, I’ve done it. Making good on a promise I made to myself while presenting a poster at the Society of American Archaeology conference in 2008, I recently submitted an article to the journal Space Policy outlining a framework for a science that doesn’t quite exist yet: Xenoarchaeology. “Xeno” is Greek/Latin for “foreign” or “stranger.” […]

Congressman Posey throws Space Smackdown ahead of Obama Speech

Late last month, Representative Bill Posey (R-Florida) wrote an intense letter to President Obama, who is currently preparing to outline the nation’s new Vision for Space Exploration this Thursday. Unnervingly, no one really knows what the President is going to say, except that we know he’s cancelled NASA’s Moon-Mars Constellation Program and the Ares-class of […]

Capital Hill fights back to save Shuttle, Constellation rockets, and jobs?

In the face of President Obama’s recent push to privatize spaceflight at the expense of NASA’s space fleet, parallel bills are being introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to bolster the government’s waning space capabilities. Called the Human Spaceflight Capability Assurance and Protection Act, the bills propose additional funding to extend the operational life of both […]

Informed Consent Act shields private space firms in NM

New Mexico has just signed into law the “Space Flight Informed Consent Act” – laying the foundation for shielding private spaceflight firms from retaliatory lawsuits in the event of an accident. As lawsuits are one of the greatest threats to the private spaceflight industry, this legislative defense establishes a much-needed foundation. Even though it only applies in […]