So, one of my favorite ideas is the old-school Project Orion, the one started just after WWII and the first attempt at making a nuclear-powered spacecraft.  It's as good a place as any to start thinking on where we've ended up, as opposed to where we could have been. 

George Dyson gave a lecture on the subject:  what it was, where it came from, why it got dropped, and how NASA's kept it on the backburner as an "oh, shit!" contingency if we manage to see that something's headed out way which could, well, kill us all.  Here it is.  Interesting for the Trekkies is that this is basically the idea for Cochran's first warp ship, the one used in Star Trek:  First Contact.  Not that one should hold that against the project, by any means.

Now, I'm a nuke.  Going to school to learn how to run nuclear engines on submarines, that is.  I like this particular idea because it means that I  might be able to angle my way into space, especially if nuclear power's space-based applications pick up in the near future.  There's some hope for this particular idea, brought to us by none other than the Bush Administration in last year's space policy write-up.  Granted, that's far from the only thing said in that particular article, but the fact that they're willing to explore nuclear options is heartening to me, personally, especially since it seems to have been neglected in previous years.  That said, this whole thing seems to be leading to a confrontation with China, according to some.  That's another topic for another time, tho'.  The new space race needs its own entry, at least.

Contrast old-school Orion with the new Project Orion.  Notably, the nuclear aspect is lost, and this time it's referring to the new designs for landing craft (as our current shuttle fleet's getting a bit old and/or out of date) to potentially be used on the moon and Mars.  This one seems to be moving forward.  There seems to be emphasis on these designs being able to interface with other systems, some as-yet to be designed.  That's pretty heartening, right there.

Until next time.

Hello, everyone.  This is where I intend to put news, history, trends, technology, theories, and musings related to the space industry, space law, and extra-terrestrial commerce and colonization.  My focus is two-fold:  first, how we got here, basically still confined to Earth despite being the first nation in the world to put manned craft on the moon, the obstacles we face along the way both then and now; and second, how we can move forward toward the eventual goal of having viable colonies and businesses operating in the extra-terrestrial arena.  To these ends I'll be posting links to media, my own thoughts and theories, and  so on.  If, at any point, you're wondering what I'm up to in my personal life, feel free to look for me elsewhere, specifically under the name 
teleological1.

If you're here, odds are you've got similar interests.  All help is appreciated.
Let's get started, shall we?

See you in the black.