Ares I: A Pass-Fail Test for Barack Obama

by Space Frontier Foundation January 23, 2010 Advocacy

The case against Ares I is overwhelming. It is overpriced, unnecessary, competes directly with private spaceflight providers and will take so long to develop that it has already created a several years long “gap” in US crewed access to space. The commercial alternatives are based on well-tested, mature systems currently used to launch U.S. military, scientific, and commercial satellites. Adapting these rockets to carry people is cheaper, faster and better.

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A President Worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize: Eisenhower & the Freedom of Space

by Berin Szoka January 12, 2010 Earth Observation & Remote Sensing

Ike’s warnings about the “military-industrial complex” did more to check the growth of the national security state than all past or future peace marches combined. But only recently has Eisenhower’s greatest achievement become clear: ensuring the right to peaceful uses of outer space.

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Gas Stations in Space?

by Bob Werb January 11, 2010 Advocacy

Fuel depots fundamentally change the economics of going beyond low Earth orbit. A lighter and drastically cheaper spaceship can be sent to low Earth orbit with empty tanks and fueled up before continuing on its way. Even better is the potential to refuel returned spaceships so they can be reused for multiple trips to deep space destinations, saving even more.

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