Economic opportunities in Earth orbit

Economic opportunities in Earth orbit

CNN has published an interesting opinion piece on the opportunities in space. Here’s a quick summary: “Remember what the Internet did for investment? Maybe space will do the same.” The full article is here:...
Unlocking Economic Value in Earth Orbit

Unlocking Economic Value in Earth Orbit

The following op-ed was published online in Aviation Week and Space Technology today and is reprinted here with permission. Opinion: Unlocking Economic Value In Earth Orbit Gordon Roesler and Mark Mykityshyn  The transition from government-led to private-sector-led...
Back to the Moon in Five

Back to the Moon in Five

After yesterday’s direction by Vice President Pence to NASA to get Americans back onto the surface of the Moon by 2024, one can find the following reactions: “There’s not enough budget” “I’ve heard this kind of pronouncement too often in the past” “There’s no way they...
How to mine the Moon for fun and profit

How to mine the Moon for fun and profit

There is water on the Moon. After years of encouraging scientific data, this summer the finding was conclusive. Analysis of data from the Indian satellite Chandrayaan-1 proved it. What good is water on the Moon? As someone once said, “In the desert, gold is...
Software: the “invisible hand” of space robotics

Software: the “invisible hand” of space robotics

Whenever robotics are discussed, we see fascinating pictures of the hardware—hands, joints, humanoids, and so on. My recent articlein Room, the European Space Journal, is no exception. But here’s an important thing to think about: how is that hardware CONTROLLED?...
How to do space servicing safely

How to do space servicing safely

An illustration of Space System Loral’s concept for a satellite servicing system it is developing with DARPA. Credit: SSL Inspecting, repairing, and upgrading satellites in space will make them cheaper, last longer, and able to perform more missions. But the...