tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:13:47 +0000http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/index.htmnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)Blogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-7008721050942187166Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:15:00 +00002008-07-24T21:13:47.658-04:00Rocket Racing LeagueXCOROshkoshThe media reps at XCOR Aerospace and the Rocket Racing League (RRL) have just filled me on on their plans for demo flights and presentations at the EAA AirVenture Convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. XCOR's engineers have been hard at work perfecting the Rocket Racing League's first X-Racer, a rocket-powered racing airplane, and now they're ready for demonstration flights at Oshkosh. Here's the http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/07/xcor-and-rocket-racing-league-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-5203136030932153346Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:09:00 +00002008-07-24T19:31:40.408-04:00Michael BelfioreSpaceXFox Business NetworkLook for me on the Fox Business Network this Monday morning, July 21, at 7:30 a.m. on a breakfast show hosted by Charles Payne. I'll be on in the studio for a few minutes to talk about the emerging commercial spaceflight industry, including news from Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace and a new edition of my book Rocketeers. Watch this space for a link to the segment after it airs.... ---http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/07/on-fox-business-network.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-2895865495677336938Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:59:00 +00002008-07-19T10:26:38.914-04:00SpaceflightEric AndersonPopular ScienceSoyuzInternational Space StationSpace AdventuresCheck out my PopSci.com report of a Space Adventures press briefing in New York City this morning. CEO Eric Anderson announced new charter flights to the International Space Station.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/06/space-adventures-charters-entire-soyuz.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-4898128178934612757Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:50:00 +00002008-07-19T10:22:48.117-04:00Popular ScienceBio FuelsI'm blogging for PopSci.com from the first annual BioMass conference in Minneapolis. Latest post here.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/04/scientists-weigh-in-on-biofuels-vs-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-4452901744328429573Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:33:00 +00002008-07-19T10:23:47.902-04:00Popular ScienceUniversity of North DakotaBio FuelsYesterday I visited a research facility in North Dakota creating jet fuel out of vegetable oil, and I've posted a report on popsci.com.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/04/biofuel-diversity-at-university-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-3007367525782223185Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:49:00 +00002008-07-19T10:24:38.336-04:00Popular ScienceDARPAI've just posted my reporting on last night's 50th anniversary celebration for the Defense Advanced Research Projects agency on the Popular Science website at PopSci.com.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/04/darpa-turns-50.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-2075826200831422026Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:30:00 +00002008-04-04T11:11:00.817-04:00DARPARevolutionizing ProstheticsOne of the fascinating projects I'm researching for my book about DARPA is the Revolutionizing Prosthetics program. I recently spoke with DARPA's program manager for the project, Army Colonel and intensive care unit doctor Geoffrey Ling, who filled me in on how the program came to be and his goals for it. Ling was on a tour of duty in Afghanistan when he treated a young boy who'd lost an arm andhttp://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/04/darpas-bionic-arm-project.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-2750210004702128509Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:44:00 +00002008-07-19T10:26:00.566-04:00SpaceflightPopular ScienceXCORLynxYep, it's a suborbital spaceship. Check out my story on the unveiling of XCOR's new Lynx spacecraft, along with embedded video, on popsci.com.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/03/my-xcor-story-on-popscicom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-2044302768545662302Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:28:00 +00002008-07-19T10:27:34.680-04:00SpaceflightPopular ScienceXCORLynxThe folks at XCOR Aerospace tell me that the company is planning a press event on March 26 in Los Angeles. These guys are not prone to frivolous or gratuitous PR, so I'm most definitely intrigued. Come to think of it, I don't think XCOR has ever held a press conference in the time I've been following them, since 2004. The engineers, technicians, and managers at XCOR prefer to keep their heads http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/03/big-announcement-coming-from-xcor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-5845494701828522798Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:48:00 +00002008-07-19T10:29:46.613-04:00SpaceflightBigelow AerospaceOrion PropulsionI've just had a note from Tim Pickens, CEO of Orion Propulsion, pointing me to the latest news posed on his company's website announcing a contract from Bigelow Aerospace. Orion will build thrusters for Bigelow's planned first commercial space station. Bigelow's booming along on an excellerated schedule to launch its Sundancer space station by 2010. Orion's focus is on "selling shovels to the http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/03/orion-propulsion-wins-space-habitat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-6464626770454712165Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:00:00 +00002008-07-19T10:51:27.496-04:00University of WaterlooNASAI got a call this morning from a group of high school students led by my colleague Graeme Stemp-Morlock at the University of Waterloo's Waterloo Unlimited program. The students interviewed me and wrote a pair of articles, one of which I've posted here. Check out the other piece on Graeme's blog at http://www.graemestempmorlock.wordpress.com/. The Family Vacation of the Future You’ve been to http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/03/next-generation-space-journalists-weigh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-8387234703705045050Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:19:00 +00002008-07-19T15:47:20.102-04:00Woodstock TVMichael BelfioreI'll be on Woodstock's own TV station tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time as a guest on Bill Pfleging's Tech Attack. Tune in live at www.woodstocktv.org, and call in to join the conversation at 845-679-7777. This is as close to home as it gets for me. The studio is just down the road from my house, right next to the playground where I walked my daughter during yesterday's break in the cold http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/03/on-woodstock-tv.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-3534566179863556704Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:42:00 +00002008-07-19T15:46:43.863-04:00Michael Belfiore This one's for my friend Ben Zackheim, who wanted to see the results of the office overhaul I did at the beginning of the year. Here's a little tour for those of you who are also interested: Mac: After five-plus years, it was time to upgrade my desktop computer. I'd had such a great experience with my iPhone that I upgraded to this iMac. I do believe I have purchased my last PC. Laptop: I'd http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/02/my-desk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-7302394297592215773Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:24:00 +00002008-07-19T11:36:46.935-04:00Popular ScienceReaction EnginesCheck out the February Popular Science for my cover story on a European concept for a hypersonic (that is, faster than five times the speed of sound) airliner. If you're like me and live in a town that doesn't carry PopSci in any of its stores (gripe, grumble), you can also click over to the website and read the full story there. Interestingly, even though the editors specifically wanted me to http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/02/my-popsci-story-on-hypersonic-airliner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-1201472785278795403Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:11:00 +00002008-07-19T15:47:54.969-04:00Michael BelfioreCanada AMOn Wednesday I discussed commercial spaceflight with Seamus O'Regan on Canada AM, CTV's national morning news show. Check out the interview here. It runs four minutes. http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/02/on-canada-am.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-5240553720516472705Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:20:00 +00002008-07-19T15:48:32.520-04:00Michael BelfiorePerimeter InstituteWhodathunkit. The little town of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada hosts a world-class research institute attracting physicists from around the world to probe the mysteries of the universe. I've just returned from the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where I got the royal treatment--my own private office, limo rides to a fro, continuous access to an open food bar, and an audience of hundredshttp://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/02/at-perimeter-institute.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-6193790806306379574Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:41:00 +00002008-07-19T15:51:21.607-04:00WiredSpaceShipTwoMichael BelfioreScaled CompositesVirgin GalacticI was busy last Wednesday. Not only did I live blog the unveiling of SpaceShipTwo on Wired.com, but I also reported on the event on camera. Wired posted the resulting video, produced by Randi Himelfarb, on YouTube.com last night. Click the image to link to the video. http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/01/spaceshiptwo-my-video-coverage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-6892439336953484145Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:32:00 +00002008-07-19T15:50:45.072-04:00SpaceShipTwoScaled CompositesVirgin GalacticI'm attending the press conference at New York's Natural History Museum for the unveiling of SpaceShipTwo, Virgin's commercial spaceship. Check it out at http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/01/spaceshiptwo-un.htmlhttp://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/01/spaceshiptwo-unveiling-my-live-coverage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-9053821164839271136Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:11:00 +00002008-07-19T15:52:58.212-04:00Michael BelfioreWhen I first saw the title of this book, I read it as "The 4-Hour Work Day," and I still thought it was outrageous. But no, this entrepreneur-turned-author really does aim to show you how to work a 4-hour work week. I'm a great believer in the power of books to change your life, and I just couldn't pass this one up. Turns out it's well-written, funny, and full of good ideas. And, yes, it has http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/01/working-it-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-2101215828492770499Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:13:00 +00002008-01-16T14:00:26.827-05:00Since SpaceShipOne spun through 29 rolls flying out of the atmosphere in 2004, the ship's designer, Burt Rutan, has been promising a new and improved design for his follow-on ship--one that won't shake, rattle, and roll paying passengers quite so much. SpaceShipTwo, to be owned and operated Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, has been coming together behind closed doors, with its exact http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/01/spaceshiptwo-coming-out-of-closet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-6997126862983704135Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:34:00 +00002008-01-15T07:57:02.602-05:00Since the release of Rocketeers last summer, I've been retooling for my next project, a book about DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm. And what a long arm it is, sponsoring technology research and development that effects our lives in ways most people can hardly imagine. The computer network you're connected to, for instance, started as a DARPA project. Watch this space for updates on the http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/01/new-year-new-book.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-6705003653513517090Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:59:00 +00002007-10-26T18:03:36.256-04:00I'm on assignment for Wired News covering the DARPA Urban Challenge, which launched today. See my preview article at www.wired.com, and then head over to the Danger Room for my on-the-scene updates leading up to the main event on November 3.http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2007/10/blogging-for-wiredcom-from-darpa-urban.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-5928060215119848088Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:07:00 +00002007-10-20T06:19:58.641-04:00 My commentary on commercial spaceflight and its relevance to this month's Sputnik anniversary just went up on the website of Financial Times. Choice quote, from former space shuttle astronaut and now author Tom Jones: "I think we're stepping into a new era of human spaceflight," says Thomas Jones. "The ranks of astronauts will be augmented by commercial pilots and adventure guides accompanyinghttp://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2007/10/my-commentary-in-financial-times.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-5339913482309685457Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:23:00 +00002007-10-16T20:42:14.059-04:00It's here! My video production partner Mark Greene of Pecos Pictures posted a video promoting my book Rocketeers to YouTube last night. The piece includes video we shot in Huntsville, Alabama along with great clips from many of the major players in the commercial spaceflight industry. Take four minutes to check it out--and turn it up! Many thanks to Mark, who wrote, directed, and produced the http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2007/10/rocketeers-video.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14833426.post-1586509153019200642Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:52:00 +00002007-10-04T07:12:48.219-04:00 Today marks two important anniversaries in the history of space travel. Fifty years ago today, the Soviet Union launched a beeping basketball sized satellite called Sputnik, and with it the space age. Sputnik was the first artificial satellite, and it lit a fire under the US government. As a result of it, President Eisenhower created the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, and the http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2007/10/sputnik-spaceshipone-and-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Michael Belfiore)