Spaceflight Magazine

[Blackstar]

The new issue of Spaceflight magazine has an interesting article by Asif Siddiqi titled "Lifting the Veil":

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/183/id/1836/l/en-us

The article is about how many Soviet space and rocketry leaders were known in the West during the 1950s and 1960s.  As Siddiqi notes, although many publications referred to Korolev as "the Chief Designer" and said that his name was unknown, there were a number of western publications during the 1960s that accurately reported his name and involvement in leading the Soviet space effort.  Some other key officials like Glushko and Yangle are also discussed.

[Blackstar]

I write a lot for Spaceflight, the British Interplanetary Society's monthly magazine.  I didn't know that they had a dedicated website for the latest issue:

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

That is much more slick than the standard BIS site.  Here is the main link:

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/

I don't have anything in the February issue, however.

Spaceflight is the best English-language magazine devoted to space issues.

[jacqmans]

I do some work for Spaceflight Magazine also (not as much as I used to do..) But my photos do get published

ps

Not only humans read Spaceflight, robots do to...

[jacqmans]

The latest issue of Spaceflight magazine is on sale from 10 February 2011 and contains a wealth of exciting features and news reports....


http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[rdale]

Has anyone seen this in American bookstores? Seems a tad bit expensive to subscribe on this side of the pond.

[Jim]

Has anyone seen this in American bookstores? Seems a tad bit expensive to subscribe on this side of the pond.

Barnes and Noble

[Blackstar]

You can find it in a big Barnes and Noble, surprisingly.  I've even seen it in the B&N on Maui...

I've got a short article in this issue.  It's about the ALHAT landing system test.

[rdale]

Thanks - just got my Groupon deal of a $20 BN giftcard for $10, I'll drop by my BN once that clears through and see. And this revived my interest enough to pop on a Quest subscription while I was in the mood!

[Blackstar]

Eh... Quest has been hit or miss.  The print quality is consistently, well, crappy.  No color photos, and frequently lousy photo reproduction.  They have run some pretty good articles in the recent past, however, after a long slump.

You'll hear a lot of opinions about Spaceflight.  I give them credit for good photo selection and quality.  Layout is boring compared to mass market magazines.  As for the articles, it depends what you like.  I've heard a number of complaints about them running travelogues of ISS missions.  But they've had some interesting stuff in the recent past.  For instance, last year they had an article where somebody tracked down all the remaining Saturn F-1 engines.

[max isp]

Glad you liked my articles on the whereabouts of the F-1 engines!

Coming up next an article about where all the Saturn rockets disappeared to in the 1970s before they went on show....

[edkyle99]

Glad you liked my articles on the whereabouts of the F-1 engines!

Coming up next an article about where all the Saturn rockets disappeared to in the 1970s before they went on show....

Did you track this one? 
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/sa214.html
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/sa214.jpg

 - Ed Kyle

[max isp]

Yes I have some nice colour photos of it in my Saturn I/IB book.

[JosephB]

Our B&N didn’t have it. The gal at the desk went on about demographic this and that.
Apparently we don’t rate.
Plenty of WWE rags to pick from though. It’d be a shame not to get the latest on CM Punk.

Thank God for our local library.

[Bubbinski]

Is this magazine going to be published in an iPad or Kindle format?  If so I'd certainly go for it.

[rdale]

I can't believe it comes even close to the market needed to do in iPad format.

[Blackstar]

Our B&N didn’t have it. The gal at the desk went on about demographic this and that.
Apparently we don’t rate.
Plenty of WWE rags to pick from though. It’d be a shame not to get the latest on CM Punk.

Thank God for our local library.

I hate to say this, but she's wrong and right.  My B&N usually gets 2-3 copies per month, and at the end of the month they remain unsold.  I think it's amazing that they continue to carry them at all since they're clearly not selling them.  But apparently that is the case for a lot of niche magazines.  So your store probably has the wrong demographic, but so does my store--which is in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, with a high-tech population and a decent-sized NASA center.  Interest in spaceflight is a tiny niche.

A few months back I read an interesting blog post by a guy who used to work in a bookstore.  He mentioned how he once convinced the manager to stock specialty magazines near the books on that subject (he specifically referred to a magazine about fire fighting equipment called Fire Apparatus Journal).  Surprisingly, they sold out when previously the magazines never sold.  He thought it was proof that people who were looking for a specific subject usually went to that section of the bookstore and discovered the magazine, but never would have looked in the magazine section.  But soon the manager switched back, because corporate headquarters told him to.  "Magazines belong in the magazine section, books belong in the book racks," he was told.  "Individuality will not be tolerated, even if it increases sales."  He went back to throwing out the unsold magazines at the end of the month.

Alas, this prompted similar stories from other people who had worked in bookstores telling about dumb orders that came down from corporate headquarters, such as an order that all book shelves had to be the same distance apart, despite the fact that a particular store had columns that prevented this--so they moved the shelves to comply with corporate policy, AND they lost shelf space!

Not too surprising, though.  In any dying industry--and bookstores are certainly a dying industry (sniffle)--you will always find examples where the company pursued dumb policies that hurt their business rather than innovating in order to increase sales.

[Paul Adams]

Try here in Las Vegas, we have plenty of books with hand drawn pictures (you know the ones I mean) but pretty light on anything else!

Our B&N didn’t have it. The gal at the desk went on about demographic this and that.
Apparently we don’t rate.
Plenty of WWE rags to pick from though. It’d be a shame not to get the latest on CM Punk.

Thank God for our local library.

[JosephB]

Now doesn’t that just make too much sense, group & sell reading material by topic whether it’s a book or magazine. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they would sell more mags. Just speaking for myself, when browsing at B&N I almost always pass on the mag rack as the bulk of it is glossy butt wipe.

There used to be a local chain book store in another city that sold Spaceflight years ago. They sold newspapers, magazines, traded old comics & baseball cards & rounded the store off with a “squeaky door saloon” way in the back. Not sure if they still carry Spaceflight but it’s a long drive just for that (100 mi). Maybe I’ll hit our library up with a “request to buy” form. Next time I’m there I should see if they carry Novosti (for cool pics only) or Space News just for grins.

[rdale]

No mag at B&N's here...

[Blackstar]

1-Now doesn’t that just make too much sense, group & sell reading material by topic whether it’s a book or magazine. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they would sell more mags.

2Not sure if they still carry Spaceflight but it’s a long drive just for that (100 mi). Maybe I’ll hit our library up with a “request to buy” form. Next time I’m there I should see if they carry Novosti (for cool pics only) or Space News just for grins.

1-Yeah, once you think about it, it makes a lot of sense, right?  Sure, you put the more general interest magazines in the magazine section, but the specialty stuff would be better placed with the books. And if you wanted to be super-logical, you'd base it upon inventory: figure out which specialty magazines are not selling on the magazine racks and then move those to the specialty book sections and see if they sell there.

A few months back I read an article about small businesses in India and how backward they are.  It noted that they often did not implement even the most basic good business practices (for instance, a fabric factory that did not inventory their supplies but threw the yarn into a big room in the back, making it tedious to find what was needed).   So much of that seemed like simple common sense.  But American companies, while in general more sophisticated, can still do really dumb things.  You'd think that their approach would be to figure out what is not selling and find a way to sell it.  But... nope.

2-I'd love to find a newsstand that stocked NK.  Although I don't read Russian, it's still an impressive magazine to look at.  Space News was briefly sold on newsstands in the late 1990s, I think.  The more popular (former sister newspaper) Defense News was also sold on newsstands.  I still say that Space News is the best source of information on that subject if you are in the business.  Yes, you can find a lot of it on the internet for free, but only after significant searching.  SN brings it all together and provides consistent quality.  If you work in the space business in just about any capacity, particularly if your work involves government space programs, then Space News is the best way to spend your money.  If you're more of an enthusiast, you're probably better off with the net and 1-2 other publications.

Speaking of that... (since I'm in a rambling mood right now), I just got the newest edition of Ad Astra.  Although I'm not nuts about AA, they do have a tendency to run great photos in high-gloss.  There's still something nice about being able to open a magazine and look at a high resolution photo compared to seeing it on a screen.

[JJ..]

I used to order my copies through the local news paper shop,did so for many years till I joined the BIS,
However after reading the magazine for several years (still got all the copies) sadly had to end the membership and therefore the magazine as money had become too tight,

I do miss the Satellite data for each month (Phillip Clarke) and loved the Soyuz rocket variant history that lasted for several months,

(At the time I was getting 3 other Astronomy magazines as well)

JJ..

[Blackstar]

I do miss the Satellite data for each month (Phillip Clarke) and loved the Soyuz rocket variant history that lasted for several months,

I think that Clark's stuff is now in Space News.

I know the Soyuz history articles that you refer to.  That was a great series.  There were something like a dozen of them on all the different payloads proposed for those rockets. 

[jacqmans]

April 2011 issue (on sale from 5 March 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[Suzy]

I still see it in newsagents in Melbourne, but quit buying it years ago - it's nearly AU$20 now! I wish NK were available in English, but I suppose it's not feasible for them.

[jacqmans]

May 2011 issue (on sale from 9 April 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[aurora899]

I took Spaceflight for about 20 years but gave up about 18 months or so ago following a massive hike in the cover price. I understand the reasons behind the BIS' decision: it was actually much cheaper to buy 12 copies of Spaceflight on the news-stand each year than receive it via a BIS subscription (assuming that you didn't take advantage of any of the other benefits membership brought); and, if I recall, the BIS was hit by a huge and unforeseen tax bill after they hosted some astronautical conference.
I must admit that I haven't even seen Spaceflight in WHSmith (one of the UK's leading newsagents) for many months. Mind you, the staff never seemed to know where to put it. One month it would be in the transport section alongside the aviation magazines, and the next month it'd be on the other side of the shop with the astronomy journals!
It's a decent magazine though. My only criticism is that on occasion some of the articles are too long. I remember one that ran to 10-12 pages and took up about 25% of the magazine! The Editor would probably have been better splitting that piece across two issues.
But over the years it has contained some great articles from people like Blackstar and Michael Cassutt. I've still got August 1988's issue that included a detailed piece by the latter on the history of the DoD's Manned Spaceflight Engineers program, which came complete with many photos of individual MSEs.

Edit: Just seen that there's a BIS-specific thread:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24459.0

[jacqmans]

June 2011 issue (on sale from 8 May 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[layton]

If I could buy a reasonably-priced PDF subscription version of this, I would.

[Blackstar]

I missed this a little earlier, so I'll comment on it now.

1-I must admit that I haven't even seen Spaceflight in WHSmith (one of the UK's leading newsagents) for many months. Mind you, the staff never seemed to know where to put it. One month it would be in the transport section alongside the aviation magazines, and the next month it'd be on the other side of the shop with the astronomy journals!

2-My only criticism is that on occasion some of the articles are too long. I remember one that ran to 10-12 pages and took up about 25% of the magazine! The Editor would probably have been better splitting that piece across two issues.

1-This is a problem that a lot of book stores and newsstands have.  If they have multiple titles that are similar that makes it easy.  But what to do about the unique stuff?  I read an interesting article a couple of years ago written by a guy who used to work in a book store and noticed that a certain magazine (a fire apparatus journal--i.e. fire trucks) was not selling.  He got permission to put it in with the books about dangerous jobs and it started selling.  He theorized that people were unaware of its existence and therefore didn't look for it in the magazines section, but they grabbed it up when it appeared in the books that they were looking at.  Spaceflight should be sold with the space books.

2-I agree with your specific complaint (don't know which issue or article you are referring to).  But I'd also point out that this is one area where magazines are still superior to the internet.  You can still get long-form articles in newspapers and magazines.  The kind of articles that go into a subject in great depth.  The internet just doesn't do that stuff.  I like Spaceflight because every so often they do a big article with lots of photos and you're not going to find that kind of thing on the internet, or at least not at the same quality.

I haven't seen the latest issue.  I'm not sure if Barnes & Noble is still carrying Spaceflight.  I have a bunch of articles submitted to them for future issues, including something on the Discovery program, an article on Edwards AFB's test stands (see the other thread in the NSF history section), something on Luna-Glob, and something else that I have forgotten.

[pargoo]

     I canceled my subscription 10 or more years ago when a sudden drop in picture quality/variety made it not worth the money.  Since then I have seen nothing really interesting or new in the few issues I've browsed through at my local newsagent.  I want to see historic Russian stuff particularly, but despite the collapse of the USSR nothing's changed on that front, sadly.

[Blackstar]

     I canceled my subscription 10 or more years ago when a sudden drop in picture quality/variety made it not worth the money.  Since then I have seen nothing really interesting or new in the few issues I've browsed through at my local newsagent.  I want to see historic Russian stuff particularly, but despite the collapse of the USSR nothing's changed on that front, sadly.

The image quality did drop around that time.  Around 2005 or so it got better and I think it's been pretty good since then.

There was also a lot of Russian stuff in the latter 1990s, and has not been since.  The reason is that the people who produced that have gone on to other things.

[aurora899]

I missed this a little earlier, so I'll comment on it now.

2-My only criticism is that on occasion some of the articles are too long. I remember one that ran to 10-12 pages and took up about 25% of the magazine! The Editor would probably have been better splitting that piece across two issues.

2-I agree with your specific complaint (don't know which issue or article you are referring to).  But I'd also point out that this is one area where magazines are still superior to the internet.  You can still get long-form articles in newspapers and magazines.  The kind of articles that go into a subject in great depth.  The internet just doesn't do that stuff.  I like Spaceflight because every so often they do a big article with lots of photos and you're not going to find that kind of thing on the internet, or at least not at the same quality.

I have a feeling that the 10-12 page article might have been about the Indian Space Program. But, it was a good 2-3 years ago, and I could well be wrong.
The point you make about Spaceflight providing in depth features on topics not found elsewhere is, though, a good one. I buy a number of magazines and it’s interesting (actually ‘depressing’ would be a better word) to see how many of them have “dumbed-down” in recent years. There seem to be far more photographs (which is not necessarily a bad thing) while articles and features tend to be much shorter (some no more than a page). So despite the various criticisms levelled at Spaceflight magazine, at least dumbing-down is not one of them.

As I said in my earlier posting, I haven’t seen Spaceflight for a while but I’d be interested to know whether there has been any reduction in the number of pages. The UK economy is emerging from its deepest recession for years, and I’ve noticed that rather than hiking cover prices, many publishers are subtly slimming their magazines down!

[Blackstar]

I have not noticed a reduction in the number of pages in Spaceflight.

As I mentioned earlier, photo (reproduction) quality was very poor for awhile, and has improved considerably.

You are right about how magazines in general have gone to shorter articles.  They are doing various things to try and maintain a readership that is used to the internet.  There is also good reason to believe that peoples' brains are being rewritten.  We are getting trained to be scatterbrained, rather than focus on single topics for long periods of time.

[brueyh1976]

They used to get it on subscription where I used to work. I was the only one who read it. I did consider subscribing but couldn't afford it at the time. I did find it very interesting and will give the subscription it's due consideration

[Nittany Lion]

We are getting trained to be scatterbrained, rather than focus on single topics for long periods of time.

I am in the process of creating several college courses for Internet delivery. A requirement is that all videos, narrated PowerPoints, example exercises, and sample solutions must be no longer than five minutes, as that is the maximum attention span of college-age people.

So, in twenty years, when you visit your doctor, your lawyer, your financial adviser, or your clergy-person, you’ll need to be able to conduct your business in five minutes or less.

[jacqmans]

July 2011 issue (on sale from 8 June 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[jacqmans]

August 2011 issue (on sale from 10 July 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[Blackstar]

It's a nicely-done magazine, filled with lots of interesting info. If you don't subscribe, you should.

[astronut7]

I am still waiting for my June 2011 and August 2011 issues to arrive in the mail. 
I, too, do agree that Spaceflight by the BIS is a very good magazine.  I enjoy reading the articles.
Thank you.

[jacqmans]

Sept 2011 issue (on sale from 10 August 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[Blackstar]

Thanks for the post. I don't have anything in the September issue, but will probably have at least one article in the October issue. It's on the Edwards AFB rocket test stands and was discussed in another thread here a few months ago.

This article, in the new issue, caught my eye:

New space movies
Spaceflight’s Tony Quine and Chinese film maker Xu Weilong go behind the scenes for an inside look at two new space movie dramas filmed in China and Russia released this summer. Both films attempt to bring a new degree of realism to the subject by combining attention to detail with the latest movie technology

[Blackstar]

And she is easy on the eyes too.

[LindemHerz]

The name is Li Niu, if you wanna look her up. The movie is called "Feitian" (Flying), though its official English name is "Shenzhou 11."
Trailer here:
v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjgxMjQ0MTk2.html
and a video for the theme song with more scenes from the movie here: v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjc5NzY3NzQ4.html

Now, does anybody know if there is anywhere I can buy some of the back issues of Spaceflight without having to import them from the UK to California? Not that I would mind, but I was hoping to get them somewhat faster. Amazon.com apparently doesn't even know they exist.

P.S.: Does anybody know how can I post the links without actually embedding the video players to the post? No formatting but erasing the http:// from the addresses prevented the movies from appearing

[Chris Bergin]

Thanks for the post. I don't have anything in the September issue, but will probably have at least one article in the October issue. It's on the Edwards AFB rocket test stands and was discussed in another thread here a few months ago.

This article, in the new issue, caught my eye:

New space movies
Spaceflight’s Tony Quine and Chinese film maker Xu Weilong go behind the scenes for an inside look at two new space movie dramas filmed in China and Russia released this summer. Both films attempt to bring a new degree of realism to the subject by combining attention to detail with the latest movie technology

Looking forward to reading Tony's interview.

Here's one of the actresses he interviewed - Marie de Villepin - who stars in the movie 'Baikonur' - wowzers:

[Blackstar]

Now, does anybody know if there is anywhere I can buy some of the back issues of Spaceflight without having to import them from the UK to California? Not that I would mind, but I was hoping to get them somewhat faster. Amazon.com apparently doesn't even know they exist.

Alas, I know of no US distributor.  Back issues also very rarely show up on eBay. I suspect that this is for two reasons: the magazine has a small print run, and a lot of people I know tend to treat Spaceflight as a keeper--they keep their back issues for reference, etc.

[tonyq]

The name is Li Niu, if you wanna look her up. The movie is called "Feitian" (Flying), though its official English name is "Shenzhou 11."

Actually, her name is Zhang Xiaofei. Her character is Major Zhou Xiaosu.

The other female taikonaut, Major Xue Yimeng who doesn't appear in the magazine article, is played by Wang Jing.

[jacqmans]

Oct 2011 issue (on sale from 10 Sept 2011)

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

[Blackstar]

"Silenced thunder
Dwayne Day revisits Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert which in the 1950s and 60s was a key test site for rocket engines as well as pilots’ nirvana for the testing of advanced aircraft."

If you dig around on this site you'll see the genesis of this article. I posted a bunch of things about Edwards rocket propulsion lab and then wrote a short article about the facility.

[jacqmans]

Editor of Spaceflight

Clive Simpson, who has acted as Editor for Spaceflight for the past decade, has announced his intention of stepping down from the post at the end of 2011. The Society is therefore looking for a new editor. Anyone interested should in the first interest contact the Executive Secretary for details, and should submit an application with a description of how they see Spaceflight developing by noon on Monday 19 September 2011.

 
Regards

Suszann Parry
Executive Secretary
The British Interplanetary Society
27/29 South Lambeth Road
London SW8 1SZ
Tel: 0207 735 3160
Fax: 0207 587 5118

[Blackstar]

Just received the November issue (not listed on the website yet). It has a futuristic starship on the cover and an article about that inside.

http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

I have two articles in the November issue: one on the GAMBIT/HEXAGON declassification, and one on Russia's Luna-Glob proposal. Both are relatively short articles.

[robertross]

"Silenced thunder
Dwayne Day revisits Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert which in the 1950s and 60s was a key test site for rocket engines as well as pilots’ nirvana for the testing of advanced aircraft."

If you dig around on this site you'll see the genesis of this article. I posted a bunch of things about Edwards rocket propulsion lab and then wrote a short article about the facility.

Picked up my 'commemorative' issue the other day.

Great job Dwayne.
Nice to see Art's images in there too.

[Blackstar]

Picked up my 'commemorative' issue the other day.

Great job Dwayne.
Nice to see Art's images in there too.

Thank you. That is most kind.

As I mentioned, I've got some articles in the November issue, although they're short and not as well-illustrated. I also will possibly have a short article in December as well. I'm working on several other things too. Of course, I'm always working on something.

[Bob Shaw]

For what it's worth, I have *almost* a complete run of Spaceflight and it's my intention to scan every copy at some point and to offer the results to the BIS. It's nuts that they aren't offering .PDFs of current issues as the norm, never mind the whole matter of Kindle and iPad versions.

If anyone is interested in specific articles please let me know and I'll do my best to organise copies.

Bob Shaw

[robertross]

Picked up my 'commemorative' issue the other day.

Great job Dwayne.
Nice to see Art's images in there too.

Thank you. That is most kind.

As I mentioned, I've got some articles in the November issue, although they're short and not as well-illustrated. I also will possibly have a short article in December as well. I'm working on several other things too. Of course, I'm always working on something.

Issues are a little slow to arrive here 
But I look forward to it!

[dbaker]

It's nuts that they aren't offering .PDFs of current issues as the norm, never mind the whole matter of Kindle and iPad versions.
Bob Shaw

Bob, as a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and the incoming editor of Spaceflight, let me echo your sentiments. But also please bear in mind that the BIS is run almost entirely by volunteers who have professional and very busy lives. While applauding your desire to have all issues on pdf, this does take a lot of time and there are presently few free hands at the tiller. Be assured that we are planning a significant and substantial expansion of both BIS e-based info banks and associated materials such as those you mention.

However, if you have the inclination to help us out in the manner you suggest, contact me through the BIS in London - details on the web. I will make sure we respond to you and start a dialogue. I am sure you could be of great help and I welcome your comments as an opportunity to make known the changes we will be introducing throughout 2012.

David (David Baker)

[Blackstar]

For what it's worth, I have *almost* a complete run of Spaceflight and it's my intention to scan every copy at some point and to offer the results to the BIS. It's nuts that they aren't offering .PDFs of current issues as the norm, never mind the whole matter of Kindle and iPad versions.

If you're going to do this (and it would be great), start with the early issues. Electronic forms exist for later stuff.

[rdale]

Just a quick note (of surprise!) We took advantage of the "Buy one year, get 3 extra issues" and subscribed on October 24th. I was hoping that maybe overseas would take maybe a month or less to get to the US - it took less than two weeks!

[rdale]

Just got a second copy of the Dec 11 issue - if anyone US based would like it for $5 (shipped) let me know...

[tonyq]

The name is Li Niu, if you wanna look her up. The movie is called "Feitian" (Flying), though its official English name is "Shenzhou 11."
Trailer here:
v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjgxMjQ0MTk2.html
and a video for the theme song with more scenes from the movie here: v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjc5NzY3NzQ4.html

Now, does anybody know if there is anywhere I can buy some of the back issues of Spaceflight without having to import them from the UK to California? Not that I would mind, but I was hoping to get them somewhat faster. Amazon.com apparently doesn't even know they exist.

P.S.: Does anybody know how can I post the links without actually embedding the video players to the post? No formatting but erasing the http:// from the addresses prevented the movies from appearing

This whole movie can now be viewed and/or downloaded online here.

tudou.com/programs/view/JaaPjPMe_to/

It has English sub-titles.

The plot pretty much mirrors the real Chinese manned programme, past, present and near future, until the final 20 minutes or so when the need to up the pace means that there are a number of improbable or impossible events!!

Can I add the caveat, that I do not know if viewing may be blocked in some territories, but it works fine in the UK.

[Blackstar]

The plot pretty much mirrors the real Chinese manned programme, past, present and near future, until the final 20 minutes or so when the need to up the pace means that there are a number of improbable or impossible events!!

Space aliens!

[LindemHerz]

This whole movie can now be viewed and/or downloaded online here.

tudou.com/programs/view/JaaPjPMe_to/

It has English sub-titles.

Thanks a lot!

[Blackstar]

Is the January issue published yet?

There's no indication on the web, and the last web update was in September.

[Blackstar]

Is the February issue out? I think I have an article in that one.

http://www.bis-space.com/what-we-do/publications

The last time anything was updated on this site was September, and a visitor to the BIS site would get the impression that Spaceflight stopped publishing in September 2011.

[rdale]

Yes - I got it last week. That's the issue where the X-37B was "exposed" as stalking the Chinese space station

Looks like you found a dead link - http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/

[gwiz]

Thanks for the info. I haven't gotten a copy yet, even though I donated an article to the issue.

Your commercial space article is in there.

[Blackstar]

Finally got my copies over the weekend.

Both January and February had articles on the Chinese human space program by Philippe Coué. Although I have not read them yet, they are nicely illustrated and this is a topic that I'm glad that Spaceflight is covering.

Gotta read them...

[Blackstar]

Here's the March issue:

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-54-no-03-march-2012/

My article on the Intelsat III comsats will appear in the April issue. It will be followed by articles on the Intelsat IV and the Intelsat IVA. The Intelsat III pioneered the use of hydrazine, which was soon used on three different signals intelligence satellites. The Intelsat IV appears to have been a cousin--or brother?--to the JUMPSEAT signals intelligence satellite and the Satellite Data System relay satellite. All of them were apparently direct descendents of the USAF's Tacsat comsat.

[Blackstar]

Here's the May issue:

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-54-no-05-may-2012/

This contains the second of my comsat articles. Part 1 was on Intelsat III, and Part 2 is on Intelsat IV. Part 3 will be on--wait for it--Intelsat IVA! (Bet you're glad you waited for it, huh?)

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-54-no-07-july-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 07 - July 2012

Contents
Designing Against Disaster
Ex-Apollo engineer and former ESA-ESTEC safety manager Keith M Wright FBIS, MIAA, looks at challenges facing engineers designing the next generation of spacecraft.

SLS progress Report No 1: Milestone Review
Progress is being made with NASA’s super-booster, the Space Launch System as a combined requirements and definition review gives the green light.

The Mighty Atlas Part 5: New Stages for Space
When the Atlas rocket began a military career as the first US ICBM, Air Force aspirations for command of a military space programme gave NASA the tools it needs for a launch system.

Ship Firings off Cape Canaveral Part 2: Poseidon tests
Joel W Powell completes his history of the Observation Island with a description of the brief role it played in testing America’s second-generation SLBM, Poseidon.

Tereshkova’s Secret Sisters Part 2: The Final Quest
Space sleuth Tony Quine brings us up to date with the latest information on the unsuccessful contenders for the job of being the first woman in space.

Enterprise arrives in New York
Ken Kremer was there, with camera at the ready, when the first flight-worthy Shuttle, OV-101 Enterprise, arrived over New York, where it will spend the rest of its life as a museum exhibit.

Regular Features

Britain in Space – Skylon on show – UK collaborates with Japan – Solar satellite for UK.

World News Analysis – Research Council warns of Earth science shortfall.

International News – Advanced US Air Force comsat launched – CarbonSat go-ahead.

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – political space news hot from Washington DC

Satellite Digest – 474 April 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 15 March to 15 April 2012

Book Reviews – Deep Space Propulsion; Grappling with Gravity; At Home in Space

Letters

Society News – SEDS Conference in Kent - Starship launches on the back of a BIS initiative

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-54-no-08-august-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 08 - August 2012

Contents

Dragon Opens New Space Era
Ken Kremer witnessed the exciting launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 with its Dragon logistics capsule and reviews the mission and its importance as a milestone in space operations.

Last Look from a Live Shuttle
Invited on to the flight deck of the Shuttle Endeavour, Ken Kremer took a last look at the powered displays and recorded the event for Spaceflight.

Curiosity closes on Mars
NASA’s flagship Mars mission to the floor of Gale crater is only weeks away from arriving at Mars. We look at what it takes to put it down safely.

Asteroid BEES
Alison Graham takes time out from research for her PhD to tell us about her groundbreaking work on a method of deflecting Earth-threatening asteroids

The Mighty Atlas Part Six: A Cold Start
While Atlas was lifting payloads to space courtesy of Air Force upper stages, NASA was developing a cryogenic stage to give it interplanetary potential – but not everyone wanted it built.

The Origins of the BIS in Manchester and Liverpool
Gurbir Singh tells the fascinating story of how the BIS was founded in Liverpool, while celebrating the origins of the Manchester Interplanetary Society.

Regular Features

Britain in Space – A new boost for space entrepreneurs – UKube-1 clears milestone – Moon rocks for all!

World News Analysis – The next logical step – Wings for space now a routine – SpaceX to transform the market?

International News – Life after the Space Station

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – political space news hot from Washington DC

Satellite Digest – 475 May 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 15 May to 15 June 2012

Letters

Society News – The Northern Meeting

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-54-no-09-september-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 09 - September 2012

Contents

Enterprise lands on Intrepid
Ken Kremer took his camera to New York to savour the arrival of Shuttle Enterprise and its placement on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid where it will be viewed by the general public.

Space Tourism Takes Off - Almost
Nick Spall begins a series on the new opportunities for thrill-seekers with a review of companies and individuals pushing on the boundaries of space tourism and ultimate high-ride adventure flights.

Rare Birds Take Flight
Dwayne Day took time out to visit the Udvar-Hazy Museum near Dulles Airport on a special day when some unique visitors flew in to display some unusual and rare sights including the Shuttle Discovery and NASA’s Super Guppy.

H-1 No 2015
Dr Jens Heide reports from the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin on a very special exhibit and reflects on the fate it might have had if original plans to fly it toward space had been fulfilled.

The Mighty Atlas Part 7: Centaur the Workhorse
The development of NASA’s cryogenic upper stage for the Atlas launch vehicle was anything but easy and technical problems were only a small part of a struggle to get the Centaur into service.

Regular Features

Britain in Space – Boom time for UK industry – Microgravity Medicine – Parliamentary Space Committee reception

World News Analysis – Skylon takes another step forward – Farnborough 2012

International News – NASA unveils space-bound Orion

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – political space news hot from Washington DC

Satellite Digest – 476 June 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 16 June to 14 July 2012

Letters

Book reviews – Interplanetary Outpost; 2052, A global forecast for the next forty years; Rockets and People Vol IV - The moon Race

Society News – Excavating the future – Who got us to the Moon? – Patrick’s Picnic

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-2012/spaceflight-vol-54-no-10-october-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 10 - October 2012

Contents

Curiosity reaches Gale Crater
After months of anticipation and sleepless nights for the team running Mars Science Laboratory, the Curiosity rover finally made it down to the surface of Mars within a short distance of the desired landing spot. The Editor reports on a landing anticipated for 10 years and brought to fruition by outstanding engineering and a superb team of flight controllers, scientists and support staff.

Neil Armstrong 1930-2012
In a special tribute to the first man to walk on the Moon, the Editor looks back on Neil Armstrong’s life and a career covering his activities as a combat pilot, test pilot and astronaut. Famous for being the commander of Apollo 11 and for ever remembered for his first steps on the surface of another world in space, Armstrong also made a major contribution to high speed and high altitude flight research piloting the hypersonic X-15 and many other types of aircraft. In this special commemoration of a great life in the service of country and of ideals, we pay tribute to the outstanding achievement that places him in the pantheon of the greats among elite bands of pilots and explorers.

2001: The Lost Science!
Adam Johnson provides a fascinating insight to the science behind the film 2001 and describes how he has played a significant role in archiving and preserving the collection of Frederick I Ordway, the man responsible for guiding the creative genius of Stanley Kubrick.

Britain in Space –UK scientists support Curiosity – Capturing the 2012 London Olympics from space

World News Analysis – Commercial crew vehicles shortlisted

International News – Rising demand for plutonium – Fabric heat shield tested

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – political space news hot from Washington DC

Satellite Digest – 477 July 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 15 July to 14 August 2012

Book reviews – American Missiles The Complete Smithsonian Field Guide; Modern Statistical Methods for Astronomy; Measuring the Universe

Letters

Society News – Prestige Lecture with Julie Payette – Apollo Symposium

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-2012/spaceflight-vol-54-no-11-november-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 11 - November 2012
(PDF download is for members only who have subscribed to a Digital subscription)

Contents

Curiosity Gets Rolling
Six weeks on in the mission of Mars Science Laboratory, the Curiosity rover is moving across the surface of Gale Crater at the start of an epic geological tour at the foothills of Mount Sharp.

A Russian Adventure – Star City
Tony Quine took a tour of Star City outside Moscow and stopped to look at the space exhibits in Russia’s capital, returning with advice and recommendations for the intrepid traveller.

On Becoming a Scientist Astronaut -1 Familiarization
In the first of a two-part series, Nick Spall relates first-hand experience at beginning his space flight training course at the NASTAR Center in Philadelphia.

Diamonds in the Sky
With space tourism promising to take people on the ultimate adventure trip to the edge of space and entrepreneurial endeavours to carry fee-paying passengers on the journey of a lifetime, we look at one organization literally promising the Moon!

Is NASA on the Edge of Going Bust?
Science writer Steven Cutts looks at the changing face of space exploration and suggests that a culture of caution and a societal preoccupation with conspicuous indulgence has stunted the national self-denial that once fuelled great space adventures.

Britain in Space – Carbon footprint index – Sir Martin Sweeting honoured – Designer trip to Houston – GAIA gets cold test

World News Analysis – International Eye on the Sky – MAVEN passes hurdle – Mirrors for Webb telescope shipped

International News – The last farewell

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – Challenges to reliance on ‘commercial’ programmes

Satellite Digest – 478 August 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 15 August to 14 September 2012

Society News – BIS inducts new President – An address by the retiring President – New BIS President addresses AGM – From Imagination to Reality: a special BIS day

[Blackstar]

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-2012/spaceflight-vol-54-no-12-december-2012/

Spaceflight Vol 54 No 12 - December 2012Contents

Apollo 16 Anniversary Dinner
Mark Yates relates a memorable experience with the US Astronaut Scholarship Foundation on the celebratory events associated with the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972, the penultimate lunar landing in the Apollo programme.

Endeavour’s farewell to the skies
Ken Kremer was atop the massive Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center when the Shuttle Endeavour made her final flight to Los Angeles.

On Becoming a Scientist Astronaut - 2 Flying the Simulator
In the second of a two-part series, Nick Spall describes his experience with the centrifuge at the NASTAR Center in Philadelphia and explains the physiological effects.

Corona and the flattery of theft
Dwayne Day tells a tale of intrigue, subterfuge and the race to get contracts for successive generations of equipment for spy satellites.

Let the science begin
Spaceflight looks at the complexities of NASA’s Curiosity rover as it begins a journey of exploration across the floor of Gale Crater.

The Mighty Atlas Part 8: A change of ownership
When NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was criticized for poor management of the cryogenic Centaur stage the project was moved to the Lewis Research Center amid a flurry of recriminations and blame-calling.

COMPETITION!
Win a deluxe box set of Universe worth £99

Apollo Symposium
Spaceflight hosted a day reflecting on the role played by British and Canadian scientists and engineers during the historical Apollo missions of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Britain in Space – The future is bright – Bridget gets a Royal visit – Mission X launch

World News Analysis – Earth-sized planet in Alpha Centauri B

International News – Earth observation market strong – Reusable booster abandoned

In brief – news shorts from around the world

A View from the Hill – Big cuts looming – Romney-speak – Boxed in?

Satellite Digest – 479 September 2012

ISS Operations Summary – 15 September to 15 October 2012

Letters

Society News – A raconteur unleashed – BIS in Naples

[Blackstar]

Note that I have an article in the December issue. It is about the effort by Fairchild Camera and Instrument Company in April 1960 to steal away the Corona spy satellite camera contract from Itek, the company that designed it. I have mentioned that elsewhere on this board.

[jacqmans]

The cover image of the December issue was taken by me :-), inside are more photos taken by me of the Endeavour departure....

[Blackstar]

That's a nice cover. One of my complaints about Spaceflight is that they don't often have good covers, or graphics, compared to other space magazines and despite the fact that there are a lot of great images available. So that's a pretty cool cover. Congratulations!

[rdale]

I have a set of 2012 magazines (missing July) along with Oct & Dec 2011 for sale... $15 including shipping in the U.S.

Drop me a message if interested.

[jacqmans]

Spaceflight Vol 55 No 01 - January 2013

Smaller is better
 Joel Powell takes a look at a growing family of small experiment containers for flight aboard human space vehicles, including the ISS, and at a range of small satellites that could be just the thing to fly low-cost experiments.
 
Apollo 17
 In what many regard as one of the finest missions of lunar exploration in the history of
 the Apollo programme, Apollo 17 brought back to Earth a rich harvest of geological treasures. On the 40th anniversary of that flight we reflect upon the returns from Apollo.
 
Sampling the Moon
 Philip Corneille reviews the history of lunar sample collecting and describes how they were used by scientists around the world, reflecting on the fate of the Russian samples too.
 
Spacefest 2012
 Ken MacTaggart reports on a gathering of Apollo Moon explorers in the US and Rick Mulheirn brings news of a memorable visit by Apollo 16’s Charlie Duke to Pontefract, Yorks.
 
Apollo 11: Eyewitness to History
 David Chudwin was a 19-year old sophomore when he got the chance of a lifetime to report on the flight of Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center and shares that experience through 43 years of hindsight.

The dawn of Planetary Science
 The Editor reflects on the first successful interplanetary mission, the flight of NASA’s Mariner 2 spacecraft that passed Venus on 14 December and changed our view of that world forever.

Space Generation Congress
 As a member of the delegation, Ryan Laird reports from the Space Generation Congress in Naples during late September, replete with space specialists from around the world.

Britain in Space – UK space industry given funding boost – RapidEye ground segment upgrades – Bids in now please, for Mars!
 
World News Analysis – iGeolise win national competition

International News – An Ill Wind for Enterprise
 
In brief – news shorts from around the world
 
A View from the Hill – A change at the top – NASA gets rolling - Bolden makes waves
 
Satellite Digest – 480 October 2012
 
ISS Operations Summary – 16 October to 15 November 2012
 
Off the Shelf – The Universe Collection – Lichtmond 2: Universe of Light – Observing the solar system – the Story of Astronomy – IMAX films at the Science Museum and a COMPETITION!
 
Society News – the President’s Annual Report - the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards 2012 – A little fundraiser

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/spaceflight-vol-55-no-01-january-2013/

[Blackstar]

I wish they would make the cover images larger on their site (or have links to larger images of the cover). I've also found the site difficult to navigate--you can find these indexes of issues one way, but not via other parts of the website. Overall, the BIS site is much better than it previously used to be, but it can still lead down dead ends.

[jacqmans]

Spaceflight Vol 55 No 02 - February 2013


Opening the final frontier
 Stephen Ashworth opens our look at space tourism and commercial space opportunities for existing organizations, new-start companies and entrepreneurs with a preview of existing and emerging activities.
 
Dream Chaser
 Gerard van de Haar and Rudolf van Beest take a look at the space-plane being developed by Sierra Nevada Corp from old NASA and Soviet designs the company hopes will return wings to the International Space Station.
 
Flying the Lynx
 Following his report on what it’s like to fly aboard a ballistic suborbital space-plane, Nick Spall talks to XCOR CEO Andrew Nelson about the company’s plans to get the Lynx up and running.
 
Astrometry in orbit: Gaia
 Philip Corneille tells the story of the Gaia telescope, a major European project for astrometry, the precise measurement of stars, and provides a review of precursor missions that make Gaia possible.

Patrick Moore – an obituary
 Spaceflight Editor David Baker observes the life of Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and mapmaker and remarks on his contributions to the NASA Apollo Moon programme and the value of, so-called, ‘amateur astronomy’.

Asteroid miners hunt for platinum...
 In a somewhat cynical observation on lavish claims for mining valuable minerals in the asteroid belt, Tim Worstall reflects on the hype and finds it lacking in common sense and a basic understanding of macro-economics.
 
Britain in Space – £1.2 billion to invest in lucrative ESA projects
 
World News Analysis – Musk aims for Mars: eventually – Laying the ‘Golden Spike’

International News – Orion advancing toward 2014 liftoff
 
In brief – news shorts from around the world
 
A View from the Hill – Obama’s Christmas present to NASA
 
Satellite Digest – 481 November 2012
 
ISS Operations Summary – 16 November to 14 December 2012
 
Off the Shelf - The Red Rocket’s Glare - Into the Cosmos - A little gift with a big symbolism - A4/V2 Rocket DVD-R; Operation Backfire The V-2 Rocket; V-2 Rocket White Sands/Post-War

[ukrocketman]

I wish they would make the cover images larger on their site (or have links to larger images of the cover). I've also found the site difficult to navigate--you can find these indexes of issues one way, but not via other parts of the website. Overall, the BIS site is much better than it previously used to be, but it can still lead down dead ends.

Thanks for the feedback, having written the new BIS site when it first went live, it's much appreciated, and I'll feed it back to the people who have now taken on the task over the last year!

There are still areas the navigation can be improved as you say, and any suggestions you have will be taken onboard!

The news is definitely a lot, lot better and more up to date than on the old website of a few years ago, and now with the talks being videoed for members who can't get to the BIS, there are some really useful improvements.

Once again, thank you very much for such useful feedback :-)

[Blackstar]

Spaceflight Vol 55 No 02 - February 2013

I'll have something in the March (or maybe April) issue. It's about robotic lunar exploration.

[jacqmans]

Spaceflight Vol 55 No 03 - March 2013


Is there an Earth analogue?
 Philip Corneille reviews the search for other worlds in space and asks if there is an Earth-like world out there amid the billions of planets likely to populate the stellar systems in our galaxy and in others beyond. He also looks at the quest for super-Earths and at the record for known planets to date.

Working with Sir Patrick Moore 1954-2012
 At the invitation of Spaceflight, the world’s most famous living space artist, David Hardy, paints a picture for us of his work with the world’s most famous amateur astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore. Across what others would consider a lifetime, both men had an empathy that needed few words to create living visions of space as imagined for those who could only wonder at the heavens and at the vehicles that may one day take mankind to the stars.

The Once and Future Moon
 Dwayne Day turns his analytical eye toward the upcoming generation of small lunar probes from both NASA’s Discovery and New Frontiers programmes. Building on a series of manned and unmanned precursors, scientists have much to learn from a generation of equipment far more advanced and providing much more information than earlier probes were able to glean.
 
Britain in Space – New UK Interstellar Association leads the way
 
World News Analysis – NASA and ESA to fly astronauts to deep-space
 
International News – New firsts – Time capsule
 
In brief – news shorts from around the world
 
A View from the Hill – NASA signs Bigelow for the ISS – Gloves on or off? – Kay Bailey-Hutchison retires
 
Satellite Digest – 482 December 2012
 
ISS Operations Summary – 15 December 2012 to 15 January 2013
 
Inbox – An unfair subsidy? – An inspiration for interstellar – Human flight in decline? – A young Yuri – New media

http://www.bis-space.com/products-page/magazines-and-journals/spaceflight-magazine/

[Blackstar]

Cool. I'll have something in April on Mars sample return that is pretty good, if I may say so myself.

And I've got a bunch of other articles in the works too. One of them I think is pretty neat and has some interesting illustrations.

[Stan Black]

Those receiving the June 2013 issue may find the following link of interest about Skylab
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12332.msg1014334#msg1014334