Recent content by Ken Fabian

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...

Sorry, I am not impressed by Wright brothers comparisons; air travel developed because there was strong existing demand and willingness to pay for faster transport and the costs of doing it were not prohibitive. Engines and materials and theoretical knowledge were improving rapidly, for other...

It hasn't killed human curiosity about space so far. Apart from the one exception - Apollo moon missions - it has all been done remotely with machines and the results are widely anticipated and watched. The satisfaction from exploration has always been primarily from the people who didn't go...

I don't think finding life somewhere besides Earth is considered preposterous - not by me. Liquid water does seem to be a minimum requirement for life as we know it and several places in the solar system have it but more than water alone is needed; those locations within the solar system are...

Yes, but that could be more about what we mean by 'exploration'. I don't think humans actually do exploration in space by going there, we do it by sending fly-by's, orbiters, probes, rovers and we use high resolution photography and other instruments that go beyond the limitations of human...

@promytius - I think much the same. Except I don't think the winds will be a problem - air too thin. Bacteria seem very unlikely and only seem possible where liquid water exists - and viruses rely on other living cells to reproduce. Most life requires other life, an ecosystem. Finding evidence...

Not off to a good start - two out of two mission so far have failed.

I would put projects like these near the top for wastefulness.

It is no easy thing to do surveys that are inclusive and representative of community wide opinions, without getting biased sampling. I am not interested in doing random (and not very well conceived) surveys by anonymous posters. I do have thoughts and opinions about what we do in space...

Is this a private project? Who are you and what is it for? You do know you will get a skewed result by asking Space.com forum readers? There are a lot more optimistic space dreamers and enthusiasts here (and at most science forums) than is normal. I am in the minority here for my pessimistic...

Not convinced those are good reasons (but as not-American, is not up to me), although demonstrations of technological superiority for the sake of national pride can drive popular opinion (and budgets) - just not in any informed way. It does echo the long running US military "all theater...

I expect that landers, rovers and other uncrewed missions will remain the principle way that "exploration" in space is done. I do have an issue with portraying these kinds of missions as evidence of emerging commercial viability for private enterprises in space. These kinds of 'private' missions...