Comments on: Standing up a Space Corps today is like setting up a USAF in 1911

By: Stephen Gustav

Stephen Gustav — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:58:05 +0000

I meant that it counts in a few senses – reusable, like an aircraft; more multipurpose; and just generally feels more like a dedicated military platform on the lines of military aircraft.

You’re right, of course about the significance of reconnaissance, and the almost certainty that the X-37 is being used in that role. I think that actually supports my argument, in that early-stage Army Air Corps was being used primarily for recon and only later for direct combat – much where we are now with space.

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Atomic Rockets is most definitely an enormous black hole for time. I’ve lost days if not weeks there.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 04:11:31 +0000

The merits of this decision aside, I think his analogy isn’t terribly illuminating. For one thing, reconnaissance is just as vital a military mission as strike; indeed the first military use of aircraft was reconnaissance, in initially in the form of balloons (Crimea and the US Civil War) and then heavier than air machines (opening of WWI). What we think of as “fighters” grew out of those reconnaissance pilots shooting at each other with their sidearms. In light of that, I don’t see why the X-37 “counts” but other platforms don’t. Indeed, the X-37 is almost certainly mainly a reconnaissance platform itself. If I had to guess, synthetic-aperture radar mapping among other things.

By: Thales

Thales — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:54:27 +0000

Hardly “too soon” in a world where the US is addicted to Russian rocketry and China is a nascent space power. Space Supremacy is going to be the new Air Supremacy which was the new Naval Supremacy.

By: Adar

Adar — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 00:54:32 +0000

Most everything from this point forward will be drones, space and otherwise.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 19:52:25 +0000

That site is about 2/3 responsible for my Physics degree, Bill.

Beware, Isegoria readers; for those of the right predisposition it’s an even more inescapable timesink than TVtropes.

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 15:43:34 +0000

Read all about the astromilitary at Atomic Rockets, there’s a lot of science fact, historical context and science fictional speculation here:

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/astromilitary.php

By: William Tarbush

William Tarbush — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 02:34:10 +0000

Your Space Marines reminds me of Space: Above and Beyond. They even got Gunny from Full Metal Jacket involved in the first episode.