Tag Archives: transportation

The Federal Government and the Development of Aerospace Technology

Posted on October 17, 2016 by launiusr

Since 1903, the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars developing aerospace technology, on the management of the infrastructure necessary to support its operations, and on the military and other practical applications that it affords. Accordingly, through a … Continue reading →

Posted in aeronautics, aviation, History, Politics, Space, World War II | Tagged 1960s, ames research center, aviation, Boeing, cold war, Department of Defense, federal aviation administration, History, international relations, NASA, nasa ames research, nasa ames research center, politics, public policy, R&D, science, technology transfer, transportation, U.S. Civil Space, World War II | Leave a comment

The Current Crop of Commercial Starts-Ups in Space Were not the First

Posted on August 19, 2016 by launiusr

Many journalists and others have been much enamored with the activities of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson, and other entrepreneurs who have bet their fortunes, at least some of their fortunes, on the development of new space access … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Space | Tagged Astroliner, Boeing, Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984, David Thompson, Dragon Capsule, Elon Musk, Falcon 9, History, International Space Station (ISS), Jeff Bezos, Kelly Space and Technology Inc., Kistler Aerospace Corporation, L-1011, NASA, orbital sciences corporation, Orbital/ATK, Pathfinder, Pegasus, Pegasus XL, Pioneer Inc., Ronald Reagan, Rotary Rocket Company, Roton, RSC-Energia, Sea Launch Company LLC, Sir Richard Branson, SpaceX, transportation, U.S. Civil Space, Zenit | 2 Comments

Space Navigation: Looking to the Stars

Posted on April 4, 2016 by launiusr

For centuries mariners have looked to the stars to cross the oceans. Mariners at sea carried instruments such as cross staffs and sextants to determine the position of celestial objects in the sky. When combined with an accurate time reference, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Space | Tagged 1960s, Deep Space Network, Goldstone, History, Mariner 10, NASA, politics, public policy, science, space navigation, transportation, U.S. Civil Space | 4 Comments

Boarding the Spaceplane?

Posted on July 31, 2015 by launiusr

I posted this originally to the blog, “Above and Beyond,” on June 15, 2015. I thought I would reprint here. During the administration of President Ronald Reagan, senior government officials began to discuss the possibility of developing an “Orient Express,” … Continue reading →

Posted in aeronautics, aviation, History, Science, Space | Tagged barak obama, Blue Origin, NASA, NASP, National Aerospace Plane, Orbital Sciences, presidential power, public perceptions, Ronald Reagan, science, Sierra Nevada, space shuttle, SpaceX, transportation, U.S. Civil Space, Virgin Galactic | Leave a comment

The Railroad and the Space Program Revisited: Historical Analogues and the Stimulation of Commercial Space Operations

Posted on September 5, 2014 by launiusr

I am planning to give the paper, “The Railroad and the Space Program Revisited: Historical Analogues and the Stimulation of Commercial Space Operations,” at an upcoming conference entitled “Spinoffs of Mobility: Technology, Risk & Innovation.” This is the theme for … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Space | Tagged Apollo, History, NASA, presidential power, public policy, railroad, space program, space shuttle, technology transfer, transportation, U.S. Civil Space | 3 Comments

Historical Analogies and the Commercial Development of Space

Posted on March 7, 2014 by launiusr

I recently completed a study on historical analogies and the commercial development of space. This study explored several historical episodes in U.S. history where the federal government undertook public/private efforts to complete critical activities valued for their public good. This largely … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics, Space | Tagged Antarctia, Antarctic Treaty, current-events, History, Moon, NASA, National Park Service, politics, presidential power, public perceptions, public policy, Rural Electrifidation, Transcontinental railroad, transportation, TVA, U.S. Civil Space | 6 Comments

Proposed Syllabus for “Spaceflight and Society” Course, Fall 2013

Posted on August 19, 2013 by launiusr

I am the instructor for a course at Johns Hopkins University in the Fall 2013 semester with the title, “Spaceflight and Society.” I taught this class in the fall of 2011 as well and had a great time doing it, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personal, Politics, Space | Tagged 1960s, American exceptionalism, Apollo, climate change, cold war, Department of Defense, Earth science, History, international relations, International Space Station, JFK, Mars, Moon, Moon race, NASA, politics, presidential power, public perceptions, public policy, science, Soviet Union, space science, space shuttle, syllabus, technology transfer, transportation, U.S. Civil Space, Wernher von Braun, World War II | 16 Comments

Is Space Tourism Soon to Become a Reality?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by launiusr

With the successful test flight of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) at the end of April, 2013, we are one step closer to commercial space tourism. This is not orbital tourism, of course, but the ability to fly above 100 km … Continue reading →

Posted in aeronautics, aviation, Science, Space | Tagged aviation, History, hybrid rocket engine, Sir Richard Branson, space tourism, space voyages, spaceshiptwo, SpaceShpTwo, test flights, transportation, U.S. Civil Space, Virgin Galactic, WhiteKnightTwo | 1 Comment

Interpreting the Decision to Build the Space Shuttle

Posted on April 26, 2013 by launiusr

Wernher von Braun once supposedly told his colleagues: “We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.” Whether true or not the statement reflects what has been viewed for the last forty years as one of the traditional difficulties … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personal, Politics, Science, Space, Space Shuttle | Tagged historiography, History, NASA, next logical step, presidential power, public perceptions, public policy, space shuttle, transportation, U.S. Civil Space | 7 Comments

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight”

Posted on April 10, 2013 by launiusr

Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight. By Chris Dubbs and Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2011. Hardcover with dustjacket. 344 pp. Illustrations, notes, index. ISBN 978-0-8032-1610-5. US $34.95. Should spaceflight in the United States be dominated by … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Space | Tagged American Rocket Society, Chris Dubbs, commercial space activities, Dennis Tito, Elon Musk, Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, Evel Knievel, Gerard O'Neill, human colonies, ISS, Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight, Robert Bigelow, Robert Goddard, Robert Truax, science, space tourism, SpaceShipOne, SpaceX, transportation, University of Nebraska Press | Leave a comment