July 2018
Rediscovering UK sovereign launch capability
October 1971 remains the only time that the United Kingdom has successfully launched a satellite into Earth orbit by means of a launch vehicle developed within the country. In doing so, it became the sixth nation to attain this capability. Unlike ...
October 2018
Funding the space frontier – a moment that changed the Universe
There are several moments, snapshots in time, that are iconic and indicative of the changes now underway in the space revolution. Some are frozen moments from our past, such as the most expensive ‘selfies’ ever shot of Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong...
November 2018
Being human in space
“We have so many problems on this planet to solve, why do you want to explore the universe?” An exemplary and often-cited question, just as technology steers us ever closer to the stars. We need to find solutions for keeping planet Earth and ...
January 2019
Is the NewSpace bubble about to burst?
Readers of ROOM will be well versed in the phenomenon known as NewSpace, the ‘new way of doing space’ typified by commercial companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, and many will be convinced that this will one day become the norm. But is NewSpace...
February 2019
Reflections on the future human condition
At the dawn of the Space Age, Walter Pons published a short book entitled Steht uns der Himmel offen? (Is the sky open to us?) The German philosopher was concerned about the psychological, spiritual and philosophical consequences for human beings of...
February 2019
The challenge of procreation for future off-world settlers
Technological challenges faced by the first people living permanently on the Moon, Mars and perhaps other bodies in the solar system are immense and low gravity will present significant problems, particularly when it comes to human health, gestation...
