This Week in The Space Review -
Tobacco and beaver pelts: the sustainable path
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Debates about human space exploration often focus on destinations and technologies. Charles A. Gardner argues that a more important requirement is finding an economically sustainable path for human exploration into and settlement of the solar system.
Following SpaceX down the rabbit hole
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Earlier this month SpaceX announced plans to develop a more powerful version of its Falcon 9 rocket, called the Falcon Heavy. Stewart Money examines what the implications are of a vehicle with the performance and cost goals of the Falcon Heavy.
Shuttle scavengers
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NASA used the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle launch last week to announce where the orbiters will go once the fleet is retired. Jeff Foust reports this set off a new debate about one aspect of the agency's past when attention should be focused on its future.
NASA's continuing problems
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More than six months after the fiscal year started, NASA finally got its final 2011 budget last week. Taylor Dinerman notes, though, that the agency still faces a host of problems in its human spaceflight, science, and other programs.
Review: Starman
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While one of the most famous individuals of the Space Age, surprisingly little is known about Yuri Gagarin. Jeff Foust reviews a controversial reprinted book about the life of the first person to fly in space.
If you missed it, here's what we published in our previous issue:
Special issue: 50 years of human spaceflight and 30 years of the space shuttle
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Whither human spaceflight?
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Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, and it comes at a time of uncertainty about NASA's future human spaceflight plans. Jeff Foust discusses some of the root causes of that uncertainty and what it means for the long-term future of human spaceflight and space exploration.
Vostok: an aerospace classic
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The legacy of Vostok goes far beyond Yuri Gagarin's flight 50 years ago. Drew LePage examines how the Vostok design evolved over the decades into applications far beyond human spaceflight.
Review: Fallen Idol: The Yuri Gagarin Conspiracy
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For decades there have been conspiracy theories claiming that Yuri Gagarin was not the first Soviet cosmonaut. James Oberg critically reviews a documentary claiming to have new evidence about those allegations, but finds it lacking.
Gagarin's flight and the Cold War
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Yuri Gagarin's flight 50 years ago was one of the major milestones in not just space exploration, but the Cold War. Taylor Dinerman explores the lasting impact that event had on Russia and its competition with America.
At the altar of smoke and fire
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This year will mark the end of many aspects of the shuttle era, including the various cultures associated with it. Dwayne Day describes one of those little-appreciated mini-cultures: those who photograph the shuttle launches.
Space shuttles and the wisdom of the crowd
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On Tuesday, the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle launch, NASA will announce where the orbiters will go after the final launch later this year. Ben Brockert discusses the results of an online experiment to predict where the shuttles may go.
An open letter to Senator Mikulski
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On Monday NASA administrator Charles Bolden will appear before a Senate appropriations subcommittee to discuss the agency's FY12 budget proposal. Lou Friedman offers an open letter to the chairperson of that subcommittee, asking her to make a critical examination of the agency's future.
Until next week,
Provided by The Space Review
