Yesterday Popular Science shipped the October issue, the cover story for which will be my piece on t/Space (see post below for latest news on that company). I spent the day going back and forth with the my editor, fact checker and sources to fine-tune details and correct errors. Along the way I got to see the layout with photography and artwork. Wish I could show you some of it–it’s a beaut. But I’m sworn to secrecy until it hits the PopSci website, probably in just over a month.

I can say my story will be the first in-depth coverage of a brand new commercial spaceship company, one with real potential. Hell, there’s hardly been any coverage on these guys at all. But if they’re successful, you’ll hear a lot more about them in the coming year. In a nutshell, they have a plan that could just rescue NASA’s manned space program from its morass and help open the final frontier to private citizens in the process. Both NASA and at least one investor with deep pockets are taking t/Space very seriously. Exciting stuff.

Even more exciting to be right here in the middle of the action with the place all to myself. When I’m on these assignments, I keep wondering: where’s everyone else? Where’s the New York Times? Where’s Dan Rather? Where’s CNN? How did I get to be the lucky dog with the scoop? I tell you, I’m still trying to figure that one out. I’ll let you know when I succeed.