News Archive / Tagged: Op-Ed

• OPINION: In spaceflight testing, what defines a failure?

  Cullen DesforgesFebruary 27th, 2021

  Recently, several companies have made great strides in the realm of advanced spaceflight testing, despite public perception some would label a failure.

• OPINION: Arecibo Observatory should be rebuilt

  Laurel KornfeldSeptember 7th, 2020

  After experiencing a series of misfortunes ranging from earthquakes to hurricanes to budget cuts, the National Science Foundation‘s (NSF) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, both a scientific and cultural icon, was seriously damaged when an auxiliary cable broke on Monday, August 10 at 2:45 am.

• OPINION: A booster return like no other

  Matt HaskellJune 10th, 2020

  For many residents on the space coast, seeing a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster being returned to the Cape on the company’s autonomous drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” is a regular occurrence. But this one was special.

• OPINION: 2019 – Numbers and Names

  Jason RhianJanuary 1st, 2020

  Well that happened. 2019 was a roller-coaster of ups and downs that will have far-reaching consequences for future space exploration efforts.

• OPINION: NASA administrator enters decades-long Pluto debate

  Laurel KornfeldAugust 28th, 2019

  A comment by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine affirming he still considers Pluto to be a planet has drawn criticism from some media outlets that may be motivated more by politics than science. It is also a potential game changer in the decades-long planet debate.

• Notes on the Run: Put on your tinfoil hat because here we go…

  Jason RhianFebruary 3rd, 2019

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – “Have you seen UFOs? Are aliens real?” My response to this line of questioning is almost always the same and, usually, not suitable for print. 

• Opinion: Musk marijuana story much ado about nothing

  Jason RhianSeptember 9th, 2018

  Elon Musk smoked pot and drank whiskey in California. The story was painted as if the event was some bizarre Matthew McConaughey moment where Musk was banging on a bongo drum and smoking weed. After watching the 2.5-hour Joe Rogan interview, one is left with the impression that some in the media must be in desperate need of views.

• Opinion: Mutants, airstrikes and more: Space ‘fake news’ on the rise

  Jason RhianApril 1st, 2018

  Fake news, a relatively new term that has entered the public lexicon. Stories regarding space flight have recently seen an uptick in incorrect information being reported and given the complexity of the subject matter, it might be understandable—but it is also preventable.

• OPINION: Is there inconsistency in how NASA treats its private partners?

  Jason RhianJuly 23rd, 2017

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A recent report noted that NASA will not be releasing a public report on the findings of the SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-7 explosion. The report also denotes that a previous similar accident was handled differently by NASA, but were the two accidents so distinct as to warrant two totally dissimilar approaches?

• OPINION: President-elect Trump’s NASA landing team continues to take shape

  Curt GodwinDecember 26th, 2016

  Though both candidates made clear their position on a multitude of issues prior to the election, their view of NASA's role in our nation's spacefaring efforts wasn't really among them. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump often gave politically expedient answers when asked what their vision for NASA, but neither has ever really presented a coherent roadmap for its future.