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Start-up Firm Building New Space Capsule System

No links to this YET - but the October issue of Popular Science reports on a firm called T/Space which is developing, with NASA backing, and some project collaboration with Rutan's Scaled Composites, a capsule system called the CXV or Crew Transfer Vehicle capable of carrying three or four astronauts to low Earth orbit, and returning for a wet landing, like the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo had.

The launcher is an aircraft launched propane & liquid oxygen rocket. The whole emphasis has been on economy and simplicity of design - and seems to be making some real progress - possibly having things ready to go b\y '08 or '09 - an unheard of timeline for NASA projects.

Best of all, this will be privately owned/operated, flying as contractors to NASA, or whoever else wants/needs to get to orbit. Meanwhile, NASA is proceeding with its plans for vehicles to replace the shuttles also apparently based on a larger, more advanced capsule design for personnel, and a heavy lift cargo launcher, for well, cargo. NASA doesn;t plan to be ready to fly before 2012 at best, so the T/Space CVX could fill a gap to help keep the International Space Station in business until then.

The folks at T/Space emphasize that they are NOT building a shuttle replacement - but perhaps a modern replacement for the truly antiquated Soyuz technology.

This is truly good news - the US must maintain an effective capability for space, if for no other reason, to prevent a default ceding of the ultimate high ground to China, Russia, or whoever else goes after it.

John Roberts made an analogy between Judges and Umpires that I have frequently used in my constitutional law class to explain the difference between judicial activism and judicial restraint. Jim Lindgren at the Volokh Conspiracy has this shrewd comment:Roberts' comparison...

Rocky Mountain News excerpt:Seven charges of possible research misconduct leveled against University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill are being forwarded for full investigation, a CU official announced Friday. The allegations, including charges of plagiarism, misuse of others' work, misrepresenting his...

An Ohio State linebacker said that the Buckeye goal was to make sure that Texas QB Vince Young didn't leave as a Heisman candidate. Whoops. Heisman candidacy status: Intact. At any rate, it certainly wasn't Young's best night. 2 INT's,...

Hugh Hewitt (HT to Power Line):The Fox News Channel's Major Garrett made another appearance on the program this evening, following up on his blockbuster story yesterday. Among other things, Garrett got confirmation from the head of the Red cross --on...

Here's an interesting tidbit from Bob Williams in the Wall Street Journal:Conservative blogosphere hurricane relief $1,115,369 http://www.truthlaidbear.com/blogleaderboard.php Liberal blogosphere hurricane relief $161,047 http://www.dropcash.com/campaign/hurricanerelief/liberal_blogs_for_hurricane_relief In comparison, the Liberal blogs had raised over $451,888 for Paul Hackett's race in Ohio: http://www.actblue.com/list/hackett...

The federal response to Katrina was not as portrayed

Now HERE's a big shocker! The MSM not reporting the reality of events, but rather tailoring their report to match their agenda! Say it ain't so...but is is, unfortunately.

It is settled wisdom among journalists that the federal response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina was unconscionably slow....But the conventional wisdom is the opposite of the truth.

Once again, "ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS, WE PRINT".

From a man who has some REAL experience with such matters:

Jason van Steenwyk is a Florida Army National Guardsman who has been mobilized six times for hurricane relief. He notes that: "The federal government pretty much met its standard time lines, but the volume of support provided during the 72-96 hour was unprecedented. The federal response here was faster than Hugo, faster than Andrew, faster than Iniki, faster than Francine and Jeanne."

The same style of journalism that reports on events in Baghdad from the hotel bar, is active in the hurricane areas, as well:

Journalists who are long on opinions and short on knowledge have no idea what is involved in moving hundreds of tons of relief supplies into an area the size of England in which power lines are down, telecommunications are out, no gasoline is available, bridges are damaged, roads and airports are covered with debris, and apparently have little interest in finding out. So they libel as a "national disgrace" the most monumental and successful disaster relief operation in world history.

Indeed!

Chad Schuldt, the Clear Cut Kidder, thinks conservatives are failing because we have yet to shrink the size of government. Rush Limbaugh has an answer for that:But, you know, the idea that conservatives have taken over the government and the...

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