Per Aspera Ad Astra: From Peru to Space

I just finished listening to an amazing interview to Dr George Nield. He was Senior Scientist for the Advanced Programs Group at Orbital Sciences Corporation, and now is Associate Director for the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight. It is very interesting to hear someone who used to work in the private sector and now uses his knowledge in the public sector, helping to develop a new industry such as sub-orbital flights.

One of the topics I liked the most was how a stable regulatory framework helps reduce risk in a business. Sometimes regulations generate additional costs through paperwork, but if a legal framework is developed and applied properly, it is the best for industry.

SpaceShipTwo with wings in feathered position. Source: Virgin Galactic.

This was an amazing interview. Dr. Jim Logan from NASA’s Johnson Space Center states, quite clearly, how far we are from going to Mars. It is amazing that after 47 years of human spaceflight we still don’t know how different levels of gravity affect the human body. This is essential if we plan to colonize the Red Planet.

High View of Melas, also known as the Grand Canyon of Mars. The images were taken by NASA’s Mars Odyssey. Source: NASA.