Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 14, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The not-so-secret “secret” of the global “private” space sector is that successful private space companies usually achieve success due to the demand and subsidies provided by governments. President Ronald Reagan promoted the ambition that commercial space operators would someday vastly eclipse government space operations and […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 12-17, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 ■ Orion stands his highest in the south by about 8 p.m. Under Orion’s feet, and to the right of Sirius, hides Lepus the Hare. Like Canis Major, this is a constellation with a connect-the-dots that really looks like what it’s supposed to be. […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, Feb. 7, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher As China and Russia have increased their open conventional military cooperation, and have explored covert nuclear military cooperation, it is likely that both have been pursuing military cooperation in space. On Feb. 1 the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a press release titled, “Press […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 4, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Today is the center of winter; we cross the midpoint between the December solstice and the March equinox at 10:16 a.m. EST (15:16 UT). That minute is the very bottom of the wheel of the year, astronomically speaking. In ancient Gaelic cultures this day […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 31, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher On Jan. 28, two days after the United States beseeched China to help stop Iranian-fueled warfare against Israel and Western shipping in the Middle East, Iran became the first Arab state to launch three satellites into space from one rocket, on its Simorgh (Phoenix) liquid-fueled […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 29, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JANUARY 29 ■ After dark the Great Square of Pegasus sinks low in the west, balancing on one corner. Meanwhile, the Big Dipper climbs up in the north-northeast, tipping up on its handle. ■ Algol shines at its minimum light, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 24, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher In the burgeoning and cutthroat world of China’s “private” space launch sector, the motto of pioneering private company Landspace should be, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” In 2016 this “private,” or not state-owned but still subservient to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) company, […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 22, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JANUARY 22 ■ The gibbous Moon shines in a starry area of the winter sky. Face east in early evening. Upper left of the Moon sparkles bright Capella. A little farther upper right of the Moon is orange Aldebaran. Lower left of the Moon are Castor […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 17, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The United States requires a strategy to establish a clear lead over China in the race to dominate the Moon; The Jan. 9 announcement that the Artemis-3 next U.S. manned Moon mission is delayed to September 2026 puts the democracies in a dead heat with […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 15, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 ■ The Gemini twins lie on their sides these January evenings, left of Orion. Their head stars, Castor and Pollux, are farthest from Orion, one over the other. Castor is the top one. The feet of the Castor stick figure are just left of […]