Rockets vs. Airbreathers

I thought that NSA handled all SIGINT/ELINT work? But then again, the CIA, DIA, various military intelligence groups, and apparently the National Reconnaissance Office do, too.

Good Lord above, the so-called U.S. Intelligence Community has FIFTEEN member organizations. Did I mention redundancy?

Okay, off my soapbox now. Back to the topic at hand (whatever that was)...

It's all messed up. I'd rather do my own taxes than figure out who does what and where.

Here are some interesting links:

A nice Energiya/Buran stack

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dtomko1962/my_photos

Space Bombers--look familiar?
http://www.up-ship.com/Book/bomproj.htm

Misc. News from Yahoo

>From: "BP" <spacecraftengr@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: space-modelers@yahoogroups.com
>To: space-modelers@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [space-modelers] OT: Space X at Vandy (was- Re: Bill Hartensteins STS-114 photos)
>Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 04:29:35 -0000
>
>That'd be true if only it was....
>Official representative of Space X, contacts on the Western
>Range that I interface with as part of my position on the same
>Range, have told me what they are doing or not doing. The fact
>that a launch of the Falcon 1 from SLC-3W would overfly SLC4
>with the final Titan IV awaiting launch- that Titan being a vehicle
>that with a combined vehicle and spacecraft cost far exceeds the
>value of the unflown, untested Falcon 1, a vehicle that among
>other things has no range safety destruct device designed into it,
>and which is also a vehicle that would overfly the SLC-6 Delta IV
>facility (with it's vehicle stacked and awaiting launch), has driven
>the Space X founder to move to Kwaj, and help alleviate his
>apparent inability to understand or accept launch range priorities
>and regulations of the USAF for not wanting to bend the rules
>just for him. The same company reps have been stating they will
>be staying put at the Pacific Island locale, at least for the Falcon
>1 series. The advanced Falcons may actually take off from the
>Titan facilities, but that remainds to be decided. Any further
>discussion of this matter belongs on the Space Modelers EVA
>site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/space-modelers_eva/
>

ACK! What a fancy way for the Air Force to base interceptor drone target launchers in the Pacific--which of course is what they really wanted in the first place. Let Musk do the work--bankrupt him with ULA and safety interests--and take over his production line when he is forced to sell it for cheap. Then build in house with AF folks already on payroll. At least the blue-suiters are in trouble with Congress--which you know if you watched CSPAN-2 last week.

And you thought NASA was your enemy.

ETC.

> > Subject: [space-modelers] Re: Bill Hartensteins STS-114
>pre-launch attempt #1 photos
> >
> >
> > September's a busy month for both coast launch sites. Been a
> > lot of slips out in Vandyland, though we finally got a Minuteman
>III
> > ("SERV I") out of here this week. (And Space X' Falcon I taking a
> > powder, moving their launch site to Kwaj has helped [good
> > riddance too...]). If things go per this week's firming of the
> > schedule for the rest of the Calendar year, Vandy should see a
> > Delta II, the 1st Delta IV and possibly 2nd and the final Titan IV
>all go uphill out of here. Busy.

A bit OT, but check out this site:
CEV
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=493&start=61
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=493&start=71

Also has good links on rockets

The article "British Space Plane Concept Gets Boost" ( www.space.com/businesstechnology/090311 ... plane.html ) is reporting about an engine that can work in air breathing mode as well as in rockt mode.

Might that overcome the need to do achoice or selection?



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)