Congratulations to SpaceX on a spectacular launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule for the COTS-2/3 cargo delivery demonstration mission. Dragon is safely in orbit, its solar array wings are deployed, and, right this minute there is a Dragon flying around the world, headed toward a rendezvous … Continue reading
Category Archives: Orbital
Rocket Plumbing
SpaceX have inspected the engine that gave the anomalous chamber pressure reading, and have found a faulty valve. They plan to have it replaced in time for the next launch attempt on Tuesday at 3:44 am.
Not This Time
Well, the Falcon 9 countdown went down to zero, the engine ignition sequence started, but was aborted by the computer controlling the launch because of a sensor reading that the chamber pressure on number five engine was abnormally high. The Falcon launch sequence is designed to hold the rocket on … Continue reading
T Minus 10 Minutes to the SpaceX COTS 2/3 Dragon Launch
Rob here – been a loooong time since I have posted at Out of the Cradle – but today I couldn’t stay away. In the very early days of OotC I live-blogged several of the first launch attempts of Space Exploration Technologies’ Falcon One rocket. SpaceX have come a long … Continue reading
Be Afraid
Be very afraid. The first part of my Moon and Back interview at the ISDC conference is now up. I haven’t watched it yet, as I’m a little worried that I said something phenomenally stupid. Enjoy! Interview With Ken Murphy, part 1 – Outreach For Space Awareness Originally posted on … Continue reading
The State of NewSpace
While I’m generally loath to bandy about the phrase “NewSpace”, it seems particularly fitting in the context of a just-released video that does a darn fine job of summarizing where we are at this particular moment in time in developing a more commercially-oriented space industry in the U.S. Were I … Continue reading
She’s Away!
Out of the Cradle extends sincere congratulations to SpaceX on the launch of their Falcon 9 rocket and the delivery of payload to orbit. These are the kinds of successes that the private space industry needs to continue to accrue to help show the promise of this growing American industry. … Continue reading
2010 Metroplex Moon Day Machinations
Howdy everyone! I’m just taking a break here from my current project, the cobbling together of some kind of coherent program for this year’s Moon Day celebration on July 18th from 1-5 pm at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas. That’s right, folks from elsewhere can … Continue reading
Space Economy Leadership Summit Debrief
Howdy everyone! I took a couple of vacation days this week, so that of course means Space Conference! This time around it was the Space Economy Leadership Summit just down the road in Austin at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel on Congress Avenue. Put together by Phillips & Co., it … Continue reading
Carnival of the Egg Moon
Howdy everyone! Thing’s are certainly perking up for Spring, even with regards to our Moon, so I decided to throw together another Carnival of the Moon. Recently, The Moon Society sent out a request to its members eliciting support for a book donation project to create a Lunar Resource Library … Continue reading
EVA Interviews Hoyt Davidson, Managing Partner of Near Earth LLC
Welcome back to EVA Interviews: The Business of the new Space Ageâ„¢ as we leave the Lunar Editions and return to Earth orbit. Our next guest is Hoyt Davidson, Founder and Managing Partner of Near Earth LLC. Near Earth specializes in providing Investment Banking and Advisory Services to companies and investors in the … Continue reading
The Dawn of a New American Enterprise
The space program announcement on Monday was, in my view, status quo shattering. It engages a lot of risk, but if you look carefully at what it says (as opposed to what the mass media says it says), you will see that it unlocks an enormous realm of opportunity. In … Continue reading
Scholarships for Space Studies
Ah, your Lunar Librarian can well recall his student years, hitting the books and starving more often than not in the pursuit of knowledge. Ramen noodles, rice & beans, ravioli. I seemed to have a very R-rich diet. So that you won’t have to suffer as I did in my … Continue reading
Space Business is heating up!
There are an increasing number of entrepreneurial space-related events and conferences happening, and here are a few that I’ve gotten notice of recently: On short notice is the half-day symposium on THE SPACE ECONOMY, occurring next Friday morning, March 13th in D.C. The agenda can be found here. There are … Continue reading
ISU’s Executive MBA
Back in the good ol’ days when I went to ISU, it was just the year-long Master of Space Studies and 10-week Summer Session Program. Now they’ve got an Executive MBA (pdf), and it’s the kind of program that only ISU can put together. It’s divided into six modules over … Continue reading
Congratulations to SpaceX!
The Out of the Cradle team wishes Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) the warmest congratulations on their successful attainment of orbit with the Falcon I. May all their launches be this smooth.
Carnival of Space #57 – This One’s for the Ladies!
Howdy everyone! Welcome to this week’s spectacular Carnival of Space! I’m your host Ken, the Lunar Librarian here at Out of the Cradle. We don’t have to go far this week to find space. This last weekend in Washington, D.C., the National Space Society held their 27th annual International Space … Continue reading
Space Access 2008
Space Access Society Space Access 2008 Phoenix, AZ 03/27 – 03/29/2008 Librarian’s Note: Not a fancy website, these are guys who are working on making sure we have frequent and regular access to low-Earth orbit outside of NASA. They’re focused on rockets, not pretty graphics. Blog Coverage Henry Cate’s Agenda … Continue reading
Best of the Moon 2007
Howdy everyone, and welcome to the Best of the Moon 2007! Each year we stop and take a look at the best additions to the Lunar Library over the course of the year. 2007 has been an unusual one for the Lunar Library, not least because your friendly Librarian was … Continue reading
Carnival of Space #31
Howdy Everyone! Welcome back to The Carnival of Space, which stops again here at Out of the Cradle with an all new show, its 31st ever! [Update: Thanks to Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log for the heads-up on the broken links. They should all work now] I’m Ken Murphy, the … Continue reading
Carnival of Space #30 is Up…
Over at Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy blog. Out of the Cradle will be hosting an upcoming Carnival, so stay tuned! Update: That would be this Thursday, November 29. Be sure to submit your entries early and often to: info@universetoday.com
Carnival of Space #18
Image by R.A. Smith from “The Exploration of the Moon” Hear ye! Hear ye! Step right up ladies and gentlemen and prepare to be shocked and amazed at the wonders of the universe that await you here at the Carnival of Space. I’m Ken Murphy, custodian of the Lunar Library … Continue reading
Contact established with Genesis II space module, “doing fine”
More from Bigelow. So far, so good: Bigelow Aerospace Confirms Space Module has Successfully Expanded and Functioning Well Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched earlier Thursday from Yasny, Russia, Mission Control in North Las Vegas, Nev., made first … Continue reading
Second private space station prototype launched into orbit
This just arrived from Bigelow Aerospace. Congratulations, guys! Genesis II Successfully Launched Bigelow Aerospace Still Awaits Confirmation of Spacecraft Health and Expansion Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Genesis II, the second experimental pathfinder spacecraft by Bigelow Aerospace, has been successfully launched and inserted into orbit. The privately-funded space station module … Continue reading
Armadillo Aerospace is finally getting noticed
Apparently by some big players: Somewhat to his surprise, three major aerospace companies are talking to Armadillo Aerospace about flying sensor systems on Armadillo vehicles, using them as high-altitude platforms, Neil Milburn, program manager for Armadillo Aerospace, said in a June 15 interview: Those flights are expected to begin in … Continue reading