Various and Sundry

Get your ass to Mars! (But first, lawyer up)

I could say I was always interested in space law, but honestly, I didn’t think about it too much until my Dad decided to do his law school thesis on the laws relating to geosynchronous satellites. It made me appreciate how complex space law can be. However, much like Burkina Faso‘s strident claims to the geostationary space above it, many of the issues seemed the epitome of academic. When would there be the possibility of any case? So it was…

Continue reading

Various and Sundry

Alpha Centauri or Bust

In a world obsessed with “maximizing shareholder value,” it’s nice to know that money can mix with imagination and do great things. Enter Yuri Milner, tech billionaire who wants us to get a probe to Alpha Centauri, stat. Okay, it’s more of a generational thing, but let’s face it: we have to figure out how to become more than a one-planet civilization sooner rather than later. Interstellar scouting missions don’t accomplish that, but they do keep…

Continue reading