Copenhagen Suborbitals: Video describes new test pad and rocket plans

Copenhagen Suborbitals posts a new video that

describes the building of the new test stand VTC 3 and what it will be used for testing.  Peter Madsen describes the idea behind and the progression of the Copenhagen Suborbitals testing facilities. He also describes the next generation of rockets and what is in the pipeline from the rocket engine department.

Video: “Elysium” – new movie to feature an orbital space colony

Huge rotating habitats,  promoted in the 1970s and 80s by Gerard O’Neill and others as the best places to put space settlements, always seemed to me to provide ideal locales for exciting science fiction. However, except for Babylon 5, I don’t know of any high profile sci-fi work that has used them. Till now.

This summer the movie Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, appears from the trailer (see below) to make in-space colonies key factors in the plot. The scenario is a future where the rich live utopian high-tech life styles in the Elysium space colony while everything is going to hell on earth. Damon plays a character on earth who is determined to reach the colony Elysium to obtain a life-saving cure. (See IMDB.com synopsis.)

This follows from a common but spurious criticism that space settlement is about abandoning earth and pursuing a feckless dream of a space utopia. This is a silly misrepresentation of what space settlement is all about. Developing space does not mean rejecting earth any more than if someone moves to Alaska it means abandoning the continental US. Alaska is extremely useful in many ways for the rest of the country, particularly with respect to resources.  Thankfully there is a small but significant number of people who think Alaska is a great place to live. Space will one day support earth and provide homes for a small but significant number of people who find space a wonderful place to live. And like Alaska, it will also be a great place to visit.

The Space Show this week

The guests on The Space Show this week include:

1. Monday, May 27, 2013, 2-3:30 PM PST (5-6:30 PM EST, 4-5:30 PM CST): No show today for the Memorial Day holiday.

2. Tuesday, May 28, 2013 2013, 7-8:30 PM PST (10-11:30 PM EST, 9-10:30 PM CST): MICHELLE EVANS returns to discuss her new book, “The X-15 Rocket Plane. For more information, see www.amazon.com/The-X-15-Rocket-Plane-Outward/dp/0803228406/ref=onegiantlea20.

3. Friday, May 31: , 2013, 9:30-11 AM PST (11:30- 1 PM CST, 12:30PM-2:00 PM EST): We welcome back DON BEATIE to discuss his book, “No Stone Unturned, A Life Without Bound.” I have two copies to give away to the first two listeners asking questions for this program. See www.amazon.com/No-Stone-Unturned-Without-Bounds/dp/1926837185/ref=onegiantlea20.

4. Sunday, June 2, 2013, 12-1:30 PM PST (3-4:30 PM EST, 2-3:30 PM CST). DR. BILL ROWE returns with the latest on his medical research and human spaceflight. Visit his website for more information, www.femsinspace.com.

See also:
/– The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
/– The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
/– The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

Spacevidcast Live 6.14 – Does SciFi help SciFact?

The latest episode of Spacevidcast‘s live show is now available: For the space geek in all of usDoes SciFi help SciFact? –  Spacevidcast

Caption:

In Space News we take a peek at the recent Vega and Delta IV launches, the SpaceX fairing test in slow-mo and an upcoming announcement from Planetary Resources.

Main topic of the show looks at the role of Science Fiction on Science Fact. Does the loft ideas and sometimes bad science in SciFi help or hurt when it comes to discovering the real thing?

Want to continue the conversation? Check out Spacevidcast Epic which includes hours and hours of exclusive member only content. Starting at $10/mo or $100/yr your subscription helps keep Spacevidcast going! http://spacevidcast.com/epic

Spacevidcast is a live weekly show all about space and the comsos. Covering major events from NASA, ESA, JAXA, Roscosmos, SpaceX and more, Spacevidcast is your weekly news and views show for every space geek! Tune in live each Saturday at 21:00 UTC / 2:00 pm PDT / 5:00pm EDT and be a part of the community that helps make our live shows amazing. Or simply subscribe to the Spacevidcast channel on YouTube and get your Space Geek on each week!

Space policy roundup – May 26, 2013

Some items dealing with space policy in the US and UK