Category Archives: Public Policy

The Real Villain in Pluto’s Demise

Posted on March 29, 2020 by avighitterman

The removal of Pluto as a planet was an emotional blow to anyone with a heart. It was a devastating betrayal leaving many asking questions that no one wanted to hear the answers to. While there were many reasons behind Pluto’s status change, the ultimate culprit is the dwarf planet Eris. Eris was discovered inContinue reading “The Real Villain in Pluto’s Demise” Continue reading →

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Why NASA?

Posted on March 15, 2020 by avighitterman

With a growing distrust in both science and the government (something I discussed in one of my earlier blog posts about the Flat Earth Movement), NASA is one government agency that comes under a lot of fire these days. With many in politics hoping to slash the NASA budget or cut the agency entirely, itContinue reading “Why NASA?” Continue reading →

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Ethics of Space Travel

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Jonathan Roberts

As eager as we are to explore the solar system and beyond, space is not a very hospital place. Muscular atrophy, increased exposure to harmful radiation, and insomnia are just a few of the effects of spaceflight on the human body. Even acknowledging these known risks and the possibility of others, many people are eager … Continue reading Ethics of Space Travel → Continue reading →

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Asteroid Defense Systems

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Jonathan Roberts

As it currently stands, Earth has no recourse if a large asteroid decides to strike. Something on the scale of the Cretaceous-Paleogene event would devastate humanity. So, how do we protect ourselves against such an impact? Enter NASA and the “National Near-Earth Object Preparedness and Strategy Plan.” According to them, five steps need to be … Continue reading Asteroid Defense Systems → Continue reading →

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Economics of Intra-Stellar Spacecraft

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Andrew Talley

After seeing the discussion of spacecraft within our solar system in the textbook, and the impact the mission type has on the cost, I was curious to see how these discussions were reflected in actual data on these missions. So, I copied each mission from the book into Excel, and then researched each. Thanks mostly … Continue reading Economics of Intra-Stellar Spacecraft → Continue reading →

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Retrieving Voyager 1 – A Rescue Mission

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Jonathan Roberts

In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1 to study the far reaches of our solar system. The program was a tremendous success: not only did the probe gather useful information about Jupiter and Saturn, it also captured the first detailed images of their moons (including a flyby of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon). Even now, after Voyager … Continue reading Retrieving Voyager 1 – A Rescue Mission → Continue reading →

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Not-So-Astronomical Budgets

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Nathan Xiao

Featured image Getting things to space is no small feat. It requires a lot of manpower, intelligence, time, and, unfortunately, money. Space exploration, travel, and research are certainly worthy pursuits – I don’t think many people are opposed to what NASA does. But their projects seem to cost a lot of money, and is sometimes … Continue reading Not-So-Astronomical Budgets → Continue reading →

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Nuclear PR

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Chris K.

The ability to harness nuclear fusion could revolution human society. From the time the universe was about twenty minutes to today, nuclear fusion has only been possible in extreme of environments. The blistering cores of stars, the supernovae explosions of red giants, and a handful of other celestial events were the only things that produced … Continue reading Nuclear PR → Continue reading →

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NASA Cuts and Privatizing Space – Trump’s Plan

Posted on February 13, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

The Trump administration’s NASA budget request for 2019 was revealed today, and many of the requests come at the dismay of many prominent people in the space and astronomy field. Most of the requests call for NASA to pursue commercial partnerships. For example, the administration requests NASA stop directly funding the International Space Station (ISS) … Continue reading NASA Cuts and Privatizing Space – Trump’s Plan → Continue reading →

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Privatization in Aerospace

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Taylor Matalon

In the past week, the Trump administration published a document, obtained by the Washington Post, that described its plans to cease funding for the International Space Station and leave the station up for grabs for the private sector. This is being done to free up the NASA budget for other Aerospace Endeavors. NASA currently spends … Continue reading Privatization in Aerospace Continue reading →

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