Jan 27, 2013

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Fire in (Gemini) Cockpit?

Fire in (Gemini) Cockpit?

Today is the anniversary of the tragic Apollo 1 fire, which killed astronauts in a ground test. The conventional wisdom says that NASA was unprepared because nobody expected a fire in the cockpit, especially on the ground during a simulated flight. And yet… I was looking at some old Life Magazines a few days ago, and came upon an article in a September 1964 issue written by a...

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Nov 8, 2012

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The Space(port) Race.

The Space(port) Race.

Things are heating up in the new American spaceport race. Recently, Bill Richardson—the former New Mexico governor who helped establish Spaceport American in New Mexico north of Las Cruces—accepted a contract to help a competing California spaceport overcome some legal challenges. Private space companies seeking to test and launch rockets are concerned about liability. The New...

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Aug 25, 2012

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Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong.

I hadn’t been writing on The Space Buff lately, but I must interrupt my...

Jul 14, 2012

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On Hiatus.

In case you haven’t notice, I haven’t posted much lately. This...

Apr 12, 2012

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Manned spaceflight's ultimate ann...

Manned spaceflight&#39s ultimate anniversary

Thirty one years ago today, John Young piloted the world’s first...

Feb 13, 2012

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Taikonauts, private spacecraft &...

Taikonauts, private spacecraft & lunar travel again, oh my!

Many people don’t believe that we ever landed on the moon even once,...

Jan 12, 2012

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What’s With Orion?

What’s With Orion?

There’s nothing I’d rather see than a NASA built Orion spacecraft take...

Dec 9, 2011

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Private cargo ship to visit ISS in F...

Private cargo ship to visit ISS in February

SpaceX,the private space company that produces a line of launchers (called...