Richard V. Rupp

November 18, 2020

Hi again from Burbank, California. Where Mother Nature can't figure out if it is summer or winter.

 

I'm writing this using my new Logi keyboard and mouse. My scrolling speed has quadrupled.

 

For those of you who have been following my posts, you know I have gotten away from promoting my FBI Special Agent Hartmann Series in the last two posts. My mind is stuck on our earth's overpopulation and the need to move some of our populace into space.

 

I don't know about you, but when you get into a trip like this, events or words pop out at you that you would have otherwise just skipped over. Stupid things like reading an article in an insurance publication (yes, I still follow to a degree what happened in my old industry), Houston International Insurance Group has just changed its name. It's now called Skyward Specialty Insurance. Are they going to insure space habitats? No. But why change to that name now?

 

Then there is the article in the Christine Science Monitor titled "Spawned by the pandemic, digital nomads are redefining 'home.'" It points out that the pandemic has forced many people to work from home and self-school their children. Has a catastrophic event on earth begun preparing use for living in space habitats?

 

My whole premise for colonizing space was our earth's overpopulation and the expansion of tribalism and conflict in our society. I really was not following what was happening as respects space travel – but God up there put me straight with this article. 

 

As next, I start reading the L.A. Times, and this pops up on my screen - "This SpaceX launch will open the door to more business in space: 'It's a massive market.' It goes on to say, The "flight is intended to be the first of many; this week, NASA certified the Crew Dragon capsule for regular flights to and from the space station, a first for a commercial craft.". . . "That milestone is expected to usher in new and additional commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. There are movies to be shot, beauty products to be promoted and tourists to be welcomed to the space station.  . . . How much could all of these opportunities – in fields including medical research – be worth?". . . Costs could decrease as commercial spacecraft gain more flight experience and make frequent trips to the space station. In addition to SpaceX, Boeing Co. is also developing a crew capsule to ferry NASA astronauts to the station. The aerospace giant has also said it plans to use its capsule to take tourists to space." Another firm, "Axiom, plans to build a commercial space station and have it operational in 2028."

 

I'm not sure why the mention of 'beauty products' in the above article. And, I still advocate taking a greater interest in the moon, which has some gravitation. At least one more article on this subject will address the problems and maybe some solutions for space habitation. They will be from my minimal scientific knowledge.

 

Coming back down to earth, I'm glad my boys are grown up. Here's a depressing announcement from TMZ - The jolliest star of the holiday season will face the same COVID-19 safety protocols as, say, a disgruntled retail worker. While mall Santas will likely be stationed across the country this year, children will have to tell them what they want from six feet away and from behind a pane of plexiglass, where they may or may not be able to have their photo taken.

 

"Great. Bah humbug," reports TMX. "Kids may be required to get a temperature check before approaching Kris Kingle's chair . . .and there won't be any sitting on his lap in 2020.

 

On that happy note, I'm making a gin and tonic.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

 

P.S. Please, let your friends know about my site – www.richardvrupp.com