29 July 2012
Added "Space Debris and Its Mitigation" to the archive.
16 July 2012
Space Future has been on something of a hiatus of late. With the concept of Space Tourism steadily increasing in acceptance, and the advances of commercial space, much of our purpose could be said to be achieved. But this industry is still nascent, and there's much to do. So...watch this space.
9 December 2010
Updated "What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace" to the 2009 revision.
7 December 2008
"What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace" is now the top entry on Space Future's Key Documents list.
30 November 2008
Added Lynx to the Vehicle Designs page.
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News / General (None)
20 June 2001 by Patrick Collins
Waddyaknow?
Nasa was recently ranked the 4th worst-managed US government organisation by the Senate Government Affairs Committee. It was particularly criticised for the incompetence it showed in:
News / Tourism (None)
19 September 2000 by Patrick Collins
NASA's Approach to RLVs Shown To Be Totally Misconceived
NASA has recently admitted that the X-34 project, touted with the X-33 as the route to reducing launch costs, is at an impasse. Readers will remember that in 1995, as a result of the great success of the DC-X reusable rocket funded by the Defence Department, NASA announced its own RLV program - with the X-33 and X-34 reusable rockets as its centre-pieces. Both were to start a series of progressive demonstration flights in 1999, leading on to low-cost launch vehicles.
News / Other (None)
5 September 1998 by Patrick Collins
Recommends: "...public space travel should be viewed as the next large, new area of commercial space activity"
The Report of the AIAA/ CEAS/ CASI Workshop on International Cooperation in Space held in Banff Canada in January 1998 has been published, and it includes strong support for the creation of a space tourism industry.
News / Habitat (None)
19 May 1998 by Patrick Collins
SpaceDev Founder Jim Benson Extends Scope
Jim Benson, Chairman and founder of SpaceDev, the San Diego company developing the first commercial satellite mission to an asteroid, has decided to establish the "Space Development Institute" in San Diego.
News / Vehicles (None)
19 May 1998 by Patrick Collins
Former ESA official says investment priorities are backward
Pierre Bartholome, former head of ESA's office in Belgium argued that commercial profits from space activities have been earned from satellite operation, ground equipment manufacturing, satellite manufacturing and rocket manufacturing, in that order.
News / Other (None)
15 April 1998 by Patrick Collins
NASA admits that space tourism is both feasible and desirable
The final report of a study of General Public Space Travel and Tourism performed cooperatively by NASA and the Space Transportation Association (STA) under a Space Act Agreement dated 12th September, 1995 was released at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. on March 25.
News / Other (None)
31 March 1998 by Patrick Collins
F.A.S. spokesman shows little concern for return on taxpayers' space investment
The Final Report of the joint study on General Public Space Travel and Tourism released March 25 by NASA and the Space Transportation Association (STA) concluded that "Our national space policy should be examined with an eye to toward actively encouraging the creation of a large general public space travel and tourism business." However, one of the problems which the Report specifically discusses is that the concept of "space tourism" is not taken seriously by many technical experts who might be expected to support it:
News / Other (None)
16 March 1998 by Patrick Collins
STA/NASA study sees "no obstacles" to establishment of space tourism business
After a reception starting at 8.00 am, a press conference will be held at 9.00 am on Wednesday March 25th on Capitol Hill at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-354 (corner of Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, SW) Washington D.C. to announce the release of the final report of the joint study by STA and NASA on General Public Space Travel and Tourism.
News / Other (None)
7 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
Space flight by 76 year-old Senator will show that anyone can go
NASA has announced that Senator John Glenn (D Idaho), the first US citizen to orbit the Earth (in 1962) will fly on board the space shuttle in late 1998. Scepticism has been expressed about claims that this will be useful for research on ageing, and it is acknowledged that his case is exceptional. (There's a long queue of other ex-astronauts who'd like a flight!)
News / Other (None)
6 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
Publication of Joint NASA/STA Research on Space Tourism Delayed
A joint press conference by NASA and the Space Transportation Association (STA) was planned for January 21st at the Press Club, Washington DC, and publicised in the STA Newsletter. However it was cancelled by NASA at the last minute, and a new date has yet to be announced.
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