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6 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Revi... · 0 replies · +5 points

"It's a drama about people" is praise only if it actually _is_ a drama about people. Sadly, in this movie there was little drama apart from the nonsensical action sequences with moon pirates or mad monkeys, and the people were decidedly uninteresting.

6 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Apol... · 0 replies · +2 points

A couple of others which I found very interesting and informative.

"Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13" by Jeffery Kluger and Jim Lovell. A gripping and detailed account of the Apollo13 mission.

"Chariots For Apollo" by Charles Pelligrino. The story of the making of the Lunar Module.

"Two Sides of the Moon" by Dave Scott and Alexi Leonov. The story of David Scott's Apollo 9 and 15 missions, interspersed with Alexi Leonov's account of what was happening on the Soviet side. Fascinating reading.

6 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: &ldq... · 0 replies · +1 points

I am intrigued by the line in the trailer "we're going to Mars, Saturn, the stars, the galaxy". I recall that there was a mission concept for a manner mission to Saturn as part of project Orion, which could have launched in the early 70s. Could that be what they have in mind?

6 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: &ldq... · 0 replies · +2 points

I am intrigued by the line in the trailer "we're going to Mars, Saturn, the stars, the galaxy". I recall that there was a mission concept for a manner mission to Saturn as part of project Orion, which could have launched in the early 70s. Could that be what they have in mind?

Definitely going to watch this one!

6 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Woul... · 1 reply · +1 points

Not guaranteed, but it happens more often that not.
Which is a scary thought at present.

7 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: NASA... · 0 replies · +1 points

Here in Australia the big toy store in my local shopping mall has prominently featured the LEGO Saturn V set. Expensive, so I haven’t bought it for myself or thought to donate it to a toy drive, but I like your way of thinking.

Which is to say, space toys are out there, though not as many as I would like to see. One thing that disappoints me is that things like space vehicles (apart from the Shuttle) are not readily available even when other things like action figures are. I don’t a Mike Watney action figure, I want the rocket he flew in. New vehicles too - I’d love to have a model BFR, or Dragon, or Dream Chaser, to sit on my desk alongside my Shuttles and Apollo vehicles.

7 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Why ... · 0 replies · +5 points

Agreed. This looks like a very sensible proposal to get the best result in the shortest time, by using existing or in development systems (Falcon Heavy, Xeus) to go directly to the goal (lunar landing and exploration) without the unnecessary sideshow of the Deep Space Gateway.

One thing that puzzles me. The article says that Xeus will be able to deliver 10 tons to the lunar surface based on a single Falcon Heavy launch. From what I’ve read, the LM Truck proposed in the Apollo Applications program would have been able to deliver two trucks each with 5 tons cargo to the lunar surface using a dedicated Saturn V. How does the 60 tons to LEO Falcon Heavy manage to deliver the same cargo to the moon as the 130 tons to LEO Saturn V? Is the Xeus that much more efficient?

9 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Revi... · 3 replies · +1 points

I have never understood why Spaceship One didn't keep flying. Here was an operational vehicle which could take a pilot and two passengers on suborbital space flights. Surely there is a market for that, even if the cabin isn't as big as Spaceship two or New Shepherd.

Or was it deemed too risky?

9 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Two ... · 0 replies · +2 points

Some years ago I read former JPL director Bruce Murray's book "Journey Into Space", in which he recounted the history of unmanned probes to explore Mars and Venus and the other planets. One of the things I recall is that large missions to the planets to be launched atop the Saturn V. Like the proposed Europa missions discussed here these would have allowed for large spacecraft to be launched on fast trajectories. He described these as being largely politically motivated in order to manufacture a use for a vehicle which the scientists did not require - nice to have, perhaps, but the exploration program was getting on just fine without it.

9 years ago @ The Space Review: essa... - The Space Review: Huma... · 7 replies · +5 points

I'd be very surprised if $30 million is anywhere close to the total cost for a Red Dragon landing, given that the cost of a Falcon 9 launch is currently $62M and a Falcon Heavy is quoted at $90M. Add to that the cost of the Dragon, plus any upper stages that might be needed to send it to Mars. $30M is a lot less than half the total.

What they might get for that price, though, is the right to put a bunch of instruments on the lander. It will, after all, be the heaviest thing ever landed on Mars, and will have plenty of capacity for science payloads.

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