Recent content by Ken Fabian

@Catastrophe - I think "close enough to be observed for a few months before receding into the solar system." is misleading. These objects are in regular orbits around the sun, like Earth is; at times, for a while, they are close and visible and other times 'recede' further away and are not...

It sounds quite reasonable that in the process of drawing matter in that the extreme compressing of matter will throw out energy and some of that material outwards, at greater than escape velocity. I just don't think the suggestion this would happen is describing anything outside current...

Is this referring to the Space.com article or my assertion that 'asteroid mining as a goal' makes more sense? If the former I agree - the "cash cow" is Earth taxpayers. If the latter - I think asteroid mining is a more reasonable and potentially achievable goal; it is more innately capable of...

I remain unconvinced - deeply pessimistic - and I find it hard to take these pundits seriously. Savant-idiocy, so smart yet not. "Cislunar cash cows" - is that the same breed that jumps over the moon? I think the problems begin with what they think an economy is and how it works and I see...

@michaelreader - NASA is populated with space optimists and politicians are strongly influenced by - and seek to influence with - appearances. And may be space optimists themselves. Why 2037? That is probably an estimate some chosen committee or study group came up with for the soonest a...

What is the goal? Sending crewed missions to Mars in order to prove we can send astronauts to Mars doesn't do it for me but it isn't up to me. For show, to demonstrate technological superiority (our aerospace tech is better than yours) or (unrealistically optimistic) a multi-nation effort...

I remain unconvinced. Sorry, but saving the human race from the sun a few hundred million years from now - 'eternal life for humanity' - is too far off and too feel-good combined with too unrealistic (too woke?) for my taste. Even for 'saving' a few whilst the rest die from big meteors Mars...

The significance will be whether activities like climate change research will relocate and continue or get dismantled and be forced to cease. The Trump administration has stated and demonstrated hostility to climate change research, perhaps on an 'if a tree falls and no-one hears there is no...

NASA's Earth observation - climate and environment - has been one of the jewels in the crown of the space agency's achievements. It isn't clear that the incoming chief will fight for sustaining and expanding Earth observation with the same vigor as fighting for space exploration and supporting...

As most astrophysicists expected, no supernova this March. But we do still have a red supergiant which is kinda cool.

Another record level of change as a result of anthropogenic global warming has been broken, yet people object to reporting on it that suggests it means global warming is very serious - objecting to the (repeated) breaking of such records being used to promote the cause of taking it seriously and...

SpaceX is not yet in a position to step in with a replacement; the key component of their alternative has yet to have a successful launch.

A good point. Except even the heat released by burning fossil fuels - or using nuclear or even geothermal energy - adds heat to the climate system that would not be there otherwise; only Earth based renewable energy options don't do that. In proportion "Anthropogenic Heat" is still small...

Couldn't keep watching long enough to hear what pathway to Mars is proposed - too much waffle, not enough... syrup and cream (or some other analogy). Making fun of the crank conspiracy theorists for example seems like punching below your weight - and is not that interesting to me. It wasn't what...

@arturo.v.dominguez@gmail. Beyond Near Earth space for Earth based customers - apart from communications and Earth observation (without astronauts) - nothing in space pays it's own way. If those applications were required to pay for the development costs of the rocketry they require even that...