WSW Day Six: They Aim to Misbehave

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 9, 2012
Posted in: World Space Week. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

by Jeff Cunningham

If you’ve been tuned in with us up to this point throughout World Space Week, you may wish that there were some way for you to be a part of it — after all, the true spirit of the Browncoats is standing up and taking action for causes that no one else will.

Aside from writing Elon Musk and asking him to name the first manned private spaceship Serenity, of course, there are indeed ways to get involved. There’s actually a number of “space advocacy” groups that have been around for a while. These people don’t just hold meetings and bug Congressmen, they actually get out and do stuff, stuff that tends to have a twelve-foot flame shooting out its rear end. We thought we’d introduce you to a few of them today. Continue Reading

WSW Day Five: Ad Astra Per Aspera

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 8, 2012
Posted in: Ad Astra Per Aspera, World Space Week. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

by Chris Tobias

It is indeed a rough road that leads to the stars, and the exploration of strange new worlds is intrinsically a risky endeavor.  In the history of NASA’s space program, there are many astronauts who have made the ultimate sacrifice to further our understanding of the universe.  Fourteen lost their lives during a mission.  Three perished in a launch pad accident.  Numerous others have died as the result of aircraft accidents during training, and one was even lost in a commercial airline crash while traveling on NASA business.

We’ve talked a lot this week about changes in the way that we go into space happening right now that, we hope, will make the heavens available to all. The day will come that spaceflight becomes so routine that memorializing those lost to it will seem unnecessary and excessive. We’re not at that point, yet, though, and feel that we still owe it to them to remember their names. Continue Reading

WSW Day Four: Out to the Black

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 7, 2012
Posted in: World Space Week. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

by Jeff Cunningham

Those of you who have heard the occasional news bite about SpaceX’s efforts may have heard Elon Musk openly state that the Dragon’s true purpose for which it was designed all along has been to eventually travel to the planet Mars. You may be looking at the capsule spacecraft and find that the word that comes to your mind is “dinky.” Just how can a ship no larger than the Apollo capsule that took three men in very cramped quarters take that same crew all the way to the red planet without them coming down with the worst case of cabin fever in history? Continue Reading

WSW Day Three: Perfectly Legitimate Business Enterprises

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 6, 2012
Posted in: World Space Week. Leave a comment

by Jeff Cunningham

The theme of today’s entry is a bit more “unscripted.” We thought we’d briefly showcase some of the coolest, most exciting projects and ventures going on in private spaceflight that don’t see much attention and you may not have heard of:

  • You may not realize that the first piece of a private space station is already flying overhead right now. Continue Reading

WSW Day Two: Doing the Impossible with the X Prize

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 5, 2012
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by Jeff Cunningham

We’ve been speaking a lot about how the way we live and work in space is being changed by the rise of the private space industry. Some of you may be scratching your heads and wondering just where this new sector suddenly came from when you weren’t looking. Today, we’re going to tell you one story of just how the way was paved for anyone with a dream to build their own ride into the black. Continue Reading

World Space Week Day One: State of the ‘Verse

Posted by Chris Tobias on October 4, 2012
Posted in: World Space Week. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

by Jeff Cunningham

Today is the first day of World Space Week, an international celebration of spaceflight’s contribution to enriching and improving the quality of life for the human race. Officially recognized by the United Nations, it begins every October 4th (the day that Sputnik launched) and runs through (the day that the Outer Space Treaty was signed). Here at Take Back the Sky, we’ll be celebrating with a special post each day, with a few surprises at the end!

As we talk to people all over this little world, we continue to find that many people simply aren’t aware of what’s going on in the world of spaceflight — many aren’t even aware that the space shuttle is no longer flying, nor will ever again fly. On the one hand, if a majority of people cared enough about space to “educate themselves” about it the way that they do about other issues, like the economy or the environment, then things would be vastly different today and we might not even be having this conversation. To be fair, the topic of humans in space hasn’t seen the front page of any major media outlet in many years.

Whatever the case, we thought it may be appropriate to dedicate this, the first day of World Space Week 2012, to a “State of the ‘Verse” summary. As Captain Reynolds of Firefly would say, “here’s the way it is:” Continue Reading

Why I, Jeff, am Still a Browncoat (and Why You Should be, Too)

Posted by Chris Tobias on September 21, 2012
Posted in: Articles. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

by Jeff Cunningham

In 1991, the space shuttle Endeavour, last of the line, was completed and taxied out from the OPF (Orbital Processing Facility, the garage where they kept the shuttles and changed the oil) to the VAB (Vehicular Assembly Building, where they lift it on end and connect it to the big orange fuel tank and two white booster rockets). After that, it would head out to pad 39 for its maiden voyage. In the meantime, NASA decided to celebrate by turning this brief, normally routine drive from one building to another into a parade.

All the technicians, wrench-turners and other facility staff got to be in it. Utility vehicles, such as mobile cranes, cherry pickers and hazard trucks were decorated with streamers to be the floats. Employees were encouraged to invite their families and children to this special occasion, and a grand time was had by all.

Well, almost all. My uncle was an engineer for the company that made the main engines and brought my family in, and all I remember as a little kid was how hot it was that day and how bored I was. I didn’t see what the big deal was. Then, as many a hard-boiled detective has begun their story, “she came waltzing into my life.” Continue Reading

Interview on Sending a Wave podcast

Posted by Chris Tobias on September 15, 2012
Posted in: Press Coverage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

by Jeff Cunningham

Not long ago, we had the true pleasure of speaking with the hosts of Sending a Wave, the longest running Firefly and Serenity fan podcast, from across the pond in the United Kingdom.

We had a great conversation about the future of the space program, the new generation of private space explorers, and what the pioneers of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo all have in common with Browncoats and fans alike.

You can listen to their excellent podcast, as well as their coverage of #DragonCon 2012 at their website.

Phase One Certification Begun for Dragon

Posted by Chris Tobias on September 13, 2012
Posted in: Updates. Leave a comment

by Jeff Cunningham

Phase One Certification Begun for Dragon

The NASA Commercial Crew office has just issued a Request for Proposal — or “RFP” in NASA acronym lingo — to the major firms competing for contracts to ferry astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. It’s the first of two phases on the way to space. Now, SpaceX and others just have to show that they’ve done their homework…