Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 19, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China has presented evidence that its manned Moon program is real, not just an endless collection of journal articles, power point briefings and curious models. On June 14 the principal Chinese state owned space conglomerate, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), conducted a […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 17, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JUNE 17 ■ Have you ever knowingly seen even a bit of the constellation Centaurus? Famous Alpha Centauri never gets above the horizon unless you’re as far south as San Antonio or Orlando (latitude 29° N). But fairly easy from much farther north is Theta Centauri, […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 9, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JUNE 9 ■ The Big Dipper has now swung around to hang down by its handle high in the northwest after dark. The middle star of its handle is Mizar, with tiny little Alcor right next to it. On which side of Mizar should you […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 5, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The Chinese and American “new race” to the Moon was advanced by two major developments in the first week of June 2024. On June 4, China’s second sample-return Moon landing probe, Chang’e-6, successfully launched its 2-kilogram (4.4 lbs) Moon sample carrying ascending stage into Lunar […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 29, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China’s play was a classic exercise in coercion straight out of a 1930s gangland movie: Pay me and I will make sure my crazy cousin does not thump you! But in this case, on March 26 China had gathered in Seoul, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 15, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher Despite its many self-inflicted crises and its increasing political-economic subordination to China, Russia is still striving for a superpower level space program with ambitions to compete with the United States and China on the Moon. But in addition, Russia’s space program is growing less transparent […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 12, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, MAY 12 ■ The thickening crescent Moon shines just left of Pollux this evening. About twice as far to their right, Castor lies nearly on the same line. MONDAY, MAY 13 ■ After dark, use binoculars or a good finderscope to look 3° lower left of […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 8, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher On April 17 before the U.S. House of Representative Committee on Appropriations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) director Bill Nelson expressed his concerns about China beating the United States back to the Moon: “It is incumbent on us to get there first and to […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 1, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher Elon Musk’s “surprise” April 28 visit to China to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, blowing off a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a continuation of the strategy he has employed to rise above, even to survive near-violent U.S.-China strategic contest: Increase […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 17, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher American allies Japan and Turkey have chosen divergent paths to the Moon: Japan via its longstanding alliance with the United States and Turkey via a new potentially problematic alliance with China. Japan long ago decided that its alliance with the United States formed the basis […]
