This is my “drawing board” where I’m going to “Brain Dump”

To Do list:

• Develop a list of long- and short-term Action Items for Project Aurora
  • RECORD EVERYTHING, take pictures at meetings, video whenever feasible
  • Seek out help on ITAR regulations
  • Seek advice on intellectual property “waiver paragraph” for open-source work
  • Fundraise for Aurora Phase 1 ($200K)
  • Decide on criteria for phase 1 judges
  • recruit phase 1 judges
  • plan the aurora phase 1 culmination event.
  • find judges “present”/art
  • find peer reviewed trophy/prize/art
  • brainstorm for phase 2 activities
  • plan the phase 2 kick off activity
• Develop a list of long- and short-term Action Items for Mach 30 (more…)

The current version of our Mission Statement is “Promote the progression of humanity into a Space Faring Civilization by developing an open spaceflight infrastructure that promotes entry by private enterprise.”  I would like to take some time to reflect on what this means, particularly in light of our desire to see space access be “routine, reliable, and safe.”

It is often best to start with your goal in mind, so let us address what it means to be a “Space Faring Society”.  In truth, it means that we routinely visit space, in reliable and safe vehicles just as a Seafaring society routinely sails the seas in reliable and safe ships.  This connection between “routine, reliable, and safe” access to space and what it means to be a Space Faring Society explains our appreciation for describing our goals in terms of “routine, reliable, and safe.”  But, as I think about it, there are some things we have left out of the list.  First, access to space needs to be sustainable.  If we only have routine, reliable and safe access to space for 25 years at a time, punctuated by 5 year gaps, then we are still falling short of what it means to be a Space Faring Society.  In time, there must also come an economic incentive for going to space routinely, or we will not have a reason to continue to go to space as a society (no matter how badly some of us want to go). (more…)

—–Original Message—–
From: Bedke, Curtis M MajGen USAF AFMC AFRL/CC
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 6:08 PM
To:
Subject: AFRL Commander’s WIT #40: The Struggle—Intellectual Capitalism, Interoperability Nightmares and Standardization

Men and Women of the Air Force Research Laboratory-

There is a Philosophical Struggle raging on right now in the Air Force, that stands not only to dramatically influence our future direction but to literally determine whether we will survive as an institution able to perform our mission.  […].  It affects not only our Air Force, but all of the military.  What is it?

“Always Never the Same” – both an album by the rock band Kansas, 1998 and an album by country music singer George Strait, 1999.  No, they’re not ever the same.  Right here is where you think I’m going to give a coy or humorous answer.  But no – I’m dead serious on this one.  The battle is between what I will call “Intellectual Capitalism” and “Standardization.” (more…)