Bill Nye: We are not going to live on Mars, let alone turn it into Earth, USA Today “Sorry, Elon Musk. Bill Nye says the idea of Mars colonization and terraforming – making a planet more Earth-like by modifying its atmosphere – is “science fiction.” “This whole idea of terraforming Mars, as respectful as I can be, are you guys high?” Nye said in an interview with USA TODAY. “We […]

Let’s talk about Elon Musk launching his Tesla into space, Planetary Society ” What is worth considering is the Tesla as a case study for future commercial space ventures. We’ve reached the point where individuals like Elon Musk and Peter Beck – in this case, two wealthy, white men – can make unilateral statements for humanity in space.” Keith’s note: Given the management and public outreach style of Bill Nye […]

The mission to Mars is one stupid leap for mankind, op ed, Washington Post “Still, a human traveler to Mars should make the most of its airless monotony, because there is no coming back. The long passage through the vacuum of space will expose astronauts to intense and prolonged bombardment by cosmic rays and unimpeded solar radiation — a death sentence for which NASA has no solution (though scientists continue […]

Keith’s note: Here’s the really creepy thing … the Planetary Society’s Twitter page says “Co-founded by Sagan. Led by Nye. Forward with you. We advocate for space, create our own missions and educate the world.” Wait a minute. The Planetary Society was co-founded by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray and Lou Friedman. But now this is all about equating Carl Sagan and Bill Nye and demoting Murray and Friedman. I’m sorry […]

Bill Nye has a few tips for President Trump on how to manage NASA, The Verge “Nye saves his most optimistic hope for last. He argues that the Trump administration should increase NASA’s budget by 5 percent each year for the next five years. That way, the agency will have the money it needs to execute its ambitious human spaceflight program and science programs. It’s an incredibly hopeful thought at […]

Trump’s Advisers Want to Return Humans to the Moon in Three Years, The Atlantic “[Planetary Society’s Casey] Dreier cautions that the latest glimpse of potential Trump space policy may be just that–a peek into the internal debate over NASA’s mission, rather than a clear roadmap for the space agency’s future. … Human spaceflight programs are expensive, and risk overshadowing such projects. “Science always tends to suffer when human spaceflight programs […]

Keith’s note: According to this press release from Deals Secure Group Holding Company GP, Elite Capital & Co. Limited, and Dr. Faisal Khazaal, LLD. Law Group, LP: “Dr. Khazaal was one of those who participated in the funding of the spacecraft LightSail. Being recognized for his participation he was granted ownership of a square centimeter of this spacecraft as a symbolic property for his belief in the importance of space […]

Run Carl Sagan's non-profit. ??Put cool spacecraft into space. ??Host @netflix show. ??https://t.co/suFxu29Lzx pic.twitter.com/zWun5fpw5w — Planetary Society (@exploreplanets) August 31, 2016 Keith’s note: I wondering why a non-profit organization like the Planetary Society overtly promotes the for-profit Netflix activities of its paid CEO Bill Nye.

Saving NASA’s ARM and the Journey to Mars, Op Ed, Louis Friedman, Space News “The House Appropriations Committee may have just induced such a paralysis by proposing to block funding for NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). This mission represents the first step in the Journey to Mars, advances needed technologies for Mars and gives Orion and SLS their first real exploration mission. If their action to stop ARM is allowed […]

Does Presidential Intervention Undermine Consensus for NASA?, Planetary Society “I believe these two statements are actually at odds with each other. Consensus for human spaceflight is very difficult, given the lack of an external authority to unite the community or even being able to clearly define what the human spaceflight community actually is. And given the current nature of partisanship in the United States, achieving consensus for the human spaceflight […]