"Scotty" Returns to Terra Firma
The final chapter in the saga of the successful April 28 launch from Spaceport America was written today when reseachers recovered the payload capsule of the Spaceloft XL rocket in the New Mexico mountains, SPACE.com reports. The capsule contained ashes of actor James Doohan, best known for portraying "Scotty" on Star Trek. Also in the capsule were ashes of NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 others. The rocket completed its mission of shooting the payload into space, which then safely parachuted back to Earth.
posted by Tricia Ware at 2:01 PM 0 comments
Friday, April 06, 2007



Commercial Space: It's About Time

Yesterday, Time.com published "Space Cowboys," an in-depth business story on the New Space Race, covering every player from promiment Virgin Galactic to secretive Benson Space Co. About the Land of Enchatment, Time says: "New Mexico sees itself as a Silicon Valley of space, a place where an industry cluster could develop, absorbing investment and throwing off jobs as it does. When state economic-development secretary Rick Homans, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, saw the list of global companies participating in the X Prize in 2004, he says it suddenly dawned on him that the new space industry might look like the early computer industry--a bunch of crazy guys. 'They start with chaotic, crazy inventors and entrepreneurs--colorful characters. . .'" The story is also featured prominently in the March 5, 2007 print edition, pictured above.