Lost in Space: Part 3 – Gemini

The United States has had six manned space programs. First program was Project Mercury. The sixth program, the International Space Station (ISS), is active today. Between the two, we saw Projects Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and the Space Shuttle. This is Part 3 of this series and focuses on Project Gemini. Project Gemini Builds on the Foundation In orbit 160 […]

Lost in Space: Part 2 – Project Mercury

Project Mercury 1958 – 1963     Lost in Space: Part 1 – America’s Manned Space Programs – Project Mercury  The United States has had six manned space programs. First up was Project Mercury, which began in 1961. The current program is the International Space Station program. Between the two, we saw Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and the Space […]

Lost in Space: Part 1 – America Climbs into Space

Prelude It was 1945, and World War II was, at last, ending.  Weary American GIs were returning home from combat in Europe and the Pacific.  Across four years, over 16 million Americans had served worldwide, more than 400,000 had died.  (By comparison, the U.S. suffered 58,000 deaths in Vietnam.) Conservative estimates put the total casualty […]

Starman is NOT Happy

Elon thought it was brilliant marketing. The media ate it up. You think it’s cool. Newsflash folks – I’m pissed. I was living large. Minding my own business, sporting SpaceX’s new spacesuit. It was all about me. All about comfort. All about hyper-cool. No paparazzi, flying under the radar and living the dream baby. With […]

A Repentant (R)

They say confession is good for the soul, so I admit it. Please forgive me. I am a moderate Republican, and I voted for Donald Trump. I remember clearly standing in front of the plastic voting machine, its myopic 21-inch Gorgon electronic eye staring me down. I could hear the shouting inside my head, “Don’t…don’t […]