Avatar photoLEU-TRR: Dialogue of the Deaf

Secretary of State Clinton’s remarks from Morocco yesterday seemed to represent a harder line on the LEU–TRR deal than the United States had taken previously: “Acceptance fully of this proposal which we have put forth and which we are unified behind would be a good indication that Iran does not wish to be isolated and …

Avatar photoMianyang, From Space

Lots of good stuff coming in the next couple of days, so stay tuned. I noticed that that GoogleEarth now has a June 2008 image of Mianyang, home to China’s weapons design and fabrication facilities, and which I visited in 2007. (The city, not the design and fabrication facilities.) 31°27’42.76“N, 104°44’27.25“E Using GoogleEarth, I think …

Avatar photoJapan Weighs in on the Sejil

click on the image for a larger version There has probably never been a discussion on ACW that has aroused as much animated technical discussion as the thrust vector control (TVC) for Sejil. This is almost entirely due to the troubling ambiguity of two cables/tubes that run down the lower half of the first stage. …

Avatar photoQian Xuesen (1911-2009)

Update | 12:42 November 3, 2009 As if on cue, Michael Wines in the New York Times ledes Qian’s obituary with the grossly inaccurate statement that Qian “single-handedly led China’s space and military rocketry efforts.” No, he didn’t. Not single-handedly, at least. Qian Xuesen — often called the “father of China’s space and missile programs” …