Television: Moonhaven is Coming in July

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Source): Moonhaven’s Garden of Eden on the Moon. (AMC+)

While NASA is working on the first permanent base on the Moon, the AMC+ television series set 100 years in the future already has a Garden of Eden on the lunar surface. Here is the general story from AMC+ on the new series Moonhaven, which premieres on July 7th:

Moonhaven focuses on Bella Sway (Emma McDonald), a lunar cargo pilot and smuggler 100 years in the future who finds herself accused of a crime and marooned on Moonhaven, a utopian community set on a 500 square mile Garden of Eden built on the Moon to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth. A skeptic in Paradise, Bella is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of the artificial intelligence responsible for Moonhaven’s miracles and teams with a local detective to stop the forces that want to destroy Earth’s last hope before they are destroyed themselves.

Yes, the Earth is a toxic waste (again) and it is easier to build a future on the dead Moon than get our act together here on Earth. But even that is too easy, because the Moon colony appears to be a cult. Could it be a SpaceX colony based on the principles of Musk. I hope NASA did not pay for that.

I do not have any high hopes, but that may be it for this summer outside of Star Wars and Star Trek series. I may just go back and rewatch The Expanse this summer.

The Chinese Elon Musk?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Geely Auto

Have you read about the Chinese car company with space ambitions? In a June 2 press release, we learn that a unit of the Chinese automaker Geely (owner of Volvo, Polestar, and Group Lotus) already sent 9 communications satellites into orbit this year, with plans for a total of 240 such satellites in a constellation that will assist car drivers with autonomous driving.

Of course, automaker Elon Musk is also launching satellites into space as part of the Starlink program, but that is about the end of the similarities for now. In addition to planning to launch fewer satellites with a more restricted mission, Geely will depend upon Chinese government rockets to launch these satellites. Mr. Musk has his own SpaceX rockets to assist Starlink.

That does not mean Geely lacks in ambition elsewhere. In the same press release, Geely stated:

With the successful launch and operation of Geespace’s first satellites, the company will become one of the world’s first providers of combined commercial Precise Point Positioning and Real-Time Kinematic services (PPP-RTK)…

Tony Wang, CEO and Chief Scientist of Geespace said: “Many favourable factors such as policy support and market demand is accelerating the growth of the commercial aerospace sector...new opportunities to develop have been opened in various sectors including smart mobility, consumer electronics, unmanned systems, smart cities, and environmental protection.”

And while Geely is not building rockets at this time, it is building satellites:

Early in September 2021, Geely’s Intelligent Satellite Production and Testing Centre began mass production of commercial satellites with an annual production capacity of 500 units. Through intelligent modular manufacturing, Geespace is able to produce high-quality, easily customizable satellites to meet the growing global demand for commercial satellites. The GeeSAT-1 is only the first of many new satellite models from Geespace and its successful launch into orbit is just the first of many to come.

Watch out, Elon!

SpaceX is Worth About $125 Billion

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Starship rocket. (SpaceX)

Even though Tesla is having valuation issues these days as Mr. Musk pursues Twitter, SpaceX seems to be doing well. Nasdaq news reports that the company had no issues raising $1.5 billion in new funding. The valuation for the company is now $125 billion, up from $100 billion last year.

While the company is earning a good fee for its resupply missions to the International Space Station, it has other ventures to fund as well, including the Starship rocket for deep-space missions and the Starlink satellite system being used around the world (including Ukraine). SpaceX is able to build about 45 Starlink satellite per week.

The company has plenty of openings on its website, such as those listed below. Let’s hope SpaceX can stay out of the fray as Mr. Musk continues to kick up dust.

Image (Credit): SpaceX job postings. (SpaceX)

In Case You Missed It: Public Views on the Space Program

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Size of the Earth compared to Mars and the Moon. (hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/)

Back in July 2019, the Pew Research Institute issued the results of earlier surveys about the US space program. Let’s look at the answers to six of the questions:

  1. Most Americans think sending astronauts to Mars or the Moon should be a lower priority for NASA – or say it should not be done at all (see graphic below).
  2. Americans see priorities other than a Moon or Mars landing as more pressing for NASA.
  3. Half of Americans think space travel will become routine during the next 50 years of space exploration.
  4. A majority of Americans say the U.S. must remain a global leader in space exploration, and that NASA’s continued involvement is essential.
  5. Americans have little confidence that private space companies will minimize space debris. 
  6. Americans are not enthusiastic about the idea of creating a military Space Force.

NASA may not be listening given that a trip back to the Moon was the lowest priority of Americans and yet is it the largest program currently in the U.S. space program, with a Moon satellite and trip to Mars as part of future plans. As far as minimizing space debris, the public seemed right on the mark regarding private space companies. If Elon Musk is any indicator, the commercial sector will not be deterred as it adds thousands of new satellites and related debris. And the ship has sailed on the Space Force question with the creation of the US Space Force in December 2019.

This would not be the first time Washington, DC goes down its own path regardless of public sentiment.

Image (Credit): Second question on the Pew survey on the space program. (Pew Research Institute)

Does Musk Still Want Mars?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Twitter icon and Mars. (icon-library.com)

It was Stephen R. Covey who said, “When you have too many top priorities, you effectively have no top priorities.” Is that where we are today with Elon Musk as he buys Twitter and puts his fortune and name on the line?

I thought he was the man with ideas for transforming our auto industry while also building the first Martian colony. Now I am not so sure. Maybe that is what too much money will do to a person – cause them to think that they have a solution for everything rather than simply some good, focused ideas.

Will Mr. Musk have enough attention and energy to oversee SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter? Will he combine them into one big company? Will he sell off something to fund his other adventures?

Clearly his priorities have expanded from building better rockets and cars, though these improved rockets and cars really what this country needs more than one more person playing with Twitter. We don’t need Mr. Musk to save democracy from itself, which is what he seems to think he is doing. No, we need to build new and better things to get us into a better future. Let someone else worry about a company of 280 characters.

Twitter could disappear tomorrow and life will be just fine. And maybe Tesla could disappear tomorrow now that everyone else got the point about electric vehicles. But the space program? We need ever more innovative ideas to get us to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere. That is where Mr. Musk helped us to dream and see a new future. No one dreams about improved edit capabilities at Twitter, except maybe Mr. Musk.

It is time to focus on the prize and not the prattle. Mr. Musk will not be remembered for “saving” Twitter from itself. He will be remembered if he can get us to Mars. It is time to grow up, ignore the noisy crowd, and start building rockets again. Let’s keep the dream alive.