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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.

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!

Now this looks like an accident to me, but I have to admit its alittle wierd. This is the proposed memorial to UAL Flight 93, that crashed after its passengers challenged the hijackers on 9/11. Many bloggers have observed that...

Here is an interesting tale of things that cause Federal deficits:The government's $5 billion effort to help small businesses recover from the Sept. 11 terror attacks was so loosely managed that it gave low-interest loans to companies that didn't need...

I have had only slight opportunity to watch these hearings. While the statements and questions of the Judiciary Committee members are largely predictable, and in that sense less than interesting, there are some nuggets that reveal certain mindsets. Certainly the...

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...

I say problem, and so does Doug Powers:Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast, federal government programs gained an unlikely critic: Democrat politicians. Some Republicans are also joining in, but Democrats criticizing the federal machine is the shocking political equivalent...

I'm home in Nebraska from South Dakota, and am feeling quite cruddy. When you combine not feeling well with a "catch up" day at work (and add in some household chores you've been letting slide), this is not the way...

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