The Speculist

Yesterday I closed on something of a down note. But I do think there's plenty of stuff out there with a future. This, for example, could be one of the first baby steps towards this (although note that the current probe is orbital already.)

Alan Boyle observes:

In one sense, the Bigelow venture is the creation of real-estate billionaire Robert Bigelow - part of his grand plan to offer orbital facilities for use as hotels or laboratories within a decade. But in another sense, Genesis 1 and the Bigelow spacecraft have come to represent the realization of a dream that had its genesis at Johnson Space Center. In return, NASA could conceivably adapt the technology for future moonbase modules. Clark Lindsey's RLV and Space Transport News provides a snippet about the "mini-Skunk Works" angle from this week's issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Arguing to end the shuttle program is not the same thing as arguing to end NASA (just in case anyone is unclear on that point.) There may be arguments to end NASA, but I see the agency eventually turning into a kind of cosmic FAA. The FAA plays a crucial role, but managing every takeoff and landing is not part of it. Nor do they own the airlines.