art Xon Wasp departing Venalis Station

This piece shows the Xon Wasp general-purpose atmosphere-capable jump ship as it travels from Venalis Station to a nearby mining outpost. To conserve fuel, the jump drive isn’t engaged for short moon-to-moon hops like this one. Instead, the trip is performed entirely in normal space, where efficient maneuvers make a real difference.

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art Illustration for Robert Zubrin's article on Moon Direct for the New Atlantis

This image was commissioned by The New Atlantis to accompany an article about Moon Direct by Robert Zubrin, known for his Mars Direct plan.

article The Bearded Dragon

Three months later, for my birthday, my parents' gift was a lizard – a bearded dragon. My parents had even gotten a terrarium with a layer of store-bought gravel, and my dragon looked happy to be sunning on the gray rock under the heat lamp. In a fit of giddy irony, I named her Clyde.

article A Brief Recap of Reusable Rockets

In the decades since the first rockets flew, the only launch vehicle capable of any kind of reuse was the Space Shuttle, which required in-depth inspection and refurbishment after each flight. Meanwhile, SpaceX and Blue Origin, among others, are revolutionizing the space launch industry and building rockets that can – and have – been reused. What's changed, and why is reusability coming back?