International Space Station may be first space crisis for new administration

International Space Station may be first space crisis for new administration

FPI / November 1, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher An increasing leak rate for atmosphere, precautions that keep the non-Russian astronauts in the American portion, and doubts about Russia’s ability or willingness to support its portion all contribute to the possibility that the International Space Station (ISS) could become an early “space crisis” prompting the […]

After achieving major milestone, SpaceX quickly faces many more

After achieving major milestone, SpaceX quickly faces many more

FPI / October 18, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher In the early morning of Oct. 13, Elon Musk’s SpaceX Corporation achieved an amazing milestone in its quest to become the leading agent in man’s projection to the Moon and Mars. However there are many more milestones ahead in order to secure that position. Roughly 6 […]

Spain follows the Elon Musk template with PLD Space

Spain follows the Elon Musk template with PLD Space

FPI / October 11, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher Consider this proven formula for private sector business success in space: 1) Find a motivated, charismatic leader; 2) Develop a family of modular and reusable space launch vehicles (SLVs) to reduce production/launch costs and generate public and private sector business; and 3) Set your sights on […]

China’s lunar ambitions: Spacesuits and slingshot payload deliveries to Earth

China’s lunar ambitions: Spacesuits and slingshot payload deliveries to Earth

FPI / October 4, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The seriousness of China’s buildup to its first manned Moon mission, perhaps before 2030, was emphasized by three recent revelations: A new Lunar manned spacesuit; a new facility to simulate low gravity lunar landings; and a proposal for “cyclotron” low-cost launch of payloads from the Moon […]

Japan’s space robotics transplant GITAI could be key to Space Force mission

Japan’s space robotics transplant GITAI could be key to Space Force mission

FPI / September 20, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher U.S. Space Force Commander Gen. B. Chance Saltzman used his Sept. 17 keynote address to the 2024 Air, Space, Cyber Symposium of the United States Air Force Association to highlight U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s imperative that the Space Force prepare for “Great Power Competition” […]

China reveals Moon base, lunar orbit buildup plans

China reveals Moon base, lunar orbit buildup plans

FPI / September 12, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China revealed how it plans to occupy the Moon, conduct asteroid defense of the Earth, and propagandized about its space program at the Sept. 4-6 second annual conference of China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), or Tiandu Forum. China’s Moon plans were briefed by Wu Yanhua, […]

Would Trump forge a faster path to the Moon?

Would Trump forge a faster path to the Moon?

FPI / September 6, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher In order to meet the National Air Space Administration’s (NASA) new goal of putting Americans back on the Moon in September 2026 for the Artemis III mission, does the United States need new but simpler space architecture, or should it seek to rationalize elements of the […]

Chinese aerospace journal: How is CCP’s commercial space sector doing?

Chinese aerospace journal: How is CCP’s commercial space sector doing?

FPI / August 29, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher An article in the June 2024 issue of the Chinese journal Aerospace China offers a review of China’s growing commercial space sector focusing on space launcher and mega satellite constellation makers, but it offers fewer insights into potential commercial manned space efforts. Ultimately, the Chinese Communist […]

China-Iran satellite data, space proliferation seen as threat to Israel, West

China-Iran satellite data, space proliferation seen as threat to Israel, West

FPI / August 21, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher A recent report reveals that one or more Western governments are concerned that China is in the process of proliferating satellite data services and satellite technology to Iran, that could eventually enable Iran to achieve precision targeting against Israel and then against global targets, for its […]

Complexities of China’s potential Moon base architecture explored in journal article

Complexities of China’s potential Moon base architecture explored in journal article

FPI / August 16, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher After 2035 or so, China intends to build a large Moon Base capable of supporting multiple astronauts, along with attendant unmanned exploration, power and communication support and construction systems. In 2021 this intention was mentioned in some of the initial documents released describing the then new […]