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#1 Re: Not So Free Chat » Space Age magazine » 2015-07-10 12:36:50
I'm delighted to see that New Mars Forums is really picking up again.
The Space Age magazine project, while progressing at an absolutely glacial pace, is still moving forwards. Just about. Our latest addition is (finally) a homepage. It doesn't have much on it yet but at least it links together the different online bits of our project, such as our forum, Facebook page, and Twitter. And it has the magazine's masthead design on it:
We hope to add some more material, including online articles, over the next couple of months.
#2 Re: Not So Free Chat » Space Age magazine » 2012-05-27 15:52:33
Many thanks, SpaceNut, for spreading the word - I appreciate it. I'll join that other forum and answer there too.
Although I'm not familiar with the Hubs metaphor, or sure what corridors would be like in this context, I do think the question is a good one. How would the magazine be organized and what would be its main areas of subject matter?
The short answer is that we're still working on this, but I think the structure would be:
a) A bunch of general articles about various topics; then
b) A smaller bunch of articles on a particular theme, which would vary from issue to issue, eg terraforming Mars, or space tourism, or extraterrestrial life.
c) A news feature or two: maybe an interview with an astronaut or a ... (I was about to say rocket scientist. Can I say rocket scientist? 
)
d) Letters
e) Book reviews
f) Short story
So a fairly traditional structure in other words - but we're open to alternative suggestions.
Some of the main focuses (OK, Hubs) would be:
Living in space today
Space business and economy today
Space culture today
The technical aspects of spaceflight today
Future developments: Mars
Future developments: The Moon
Future developments: Interstellar travel
#3 Re: Space Policy » The Outer Space Treaty » 2012-05-16 10:04:12
An asteroid is a celestial object.
Sorry to have been unclear. I wasn't doubting that an asteroid is a celestial body. I was doubting that mining is the same as construction.
Construction on a celestial body is explicitly permitted under the treaty. But mining isn't making stuff on a celestial body - it is taking away bits of the celestial body.
However, maybe louis is right - things which aren't specifically forbidden are therefore allowed, and as he says, there is nothing in the treaty outlawing asteroid mining... so therefore it is permitted?
#4 Re: Not So Free Chat » Space Age magazine » 2012-05-15 05:12:40
Sounds interesting will spread the word to other space forums....
Thanks - I really appreciate that. I've now put up a "notes for contributors" page, though we might still need to revise that.
http://forum.spaceagemag.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4935
Rxke, you are right - and not only that, but that forum style with the Earth and stars has a whole variety of minor technical problems. We discussed this a few times and played around with alternative styles, but so far we've stuck with the style that you can see there (which is called CA Orbital) purely for aesthetic reasons.
#5 Re: Space Policy » The Outer Space Treaty » 2012-05-15 05:04:24
I suppose this is the most relevant paragraph from the treaty (copied from the link provided by the OP):
Article VIII
A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an object launched into outer space is carried shall retain jurisdiction and control over such object, and over any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body. Ownership of objects launched into outer space, including objects landed or constructed on a celestial body, and of their component parts, is not affected by their presence in outer space or on a celestial body or by their return to the Earth. Such objects or component parts found beyond the limits of the State Party to the Treaty on whose registry they are carried shall be returned to that State Party, which shall, upon request, furnish identifying data prior to their return.
It seems clear that a US registered corporation (for instance) could go to the Moon, make stuff there and ship it back to Earth, without this being a problem under the Outer Space Treaty. The stuff manufactured on the Moon would still belong to the company, and subject to US laws, and the US Government would be responsible throughout for ensuring that the corporation's activities were in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty.
I'm not entirely sure it takes into account asteroid mining, though. If some precious metal is mined from an asteroid and brought back to Earth, then it isn't exactly something "constructed on a celestial body", is it? It's ownership is unclear under this treaty, except for the treaty sections about the exploration of space being equally for the benefit of all nations.
#6 Re: Space Policy » The Outer Space Treaty » 2012-05-12 14:33:15
A bunch of space entrepreneurs recently announced that they were going to collaborate on a long-term private project of mining asteroids. If they should by any chance succeed, are they going to need permits from some authority under the Outer Space Treaty? If they don't get such a permit, are they going to get sued? Or is it okay because they aren't a government?
If they end up actually making some money, where will their profits be taxed?
#7 Not So Free Chat » Space Age magazine » 2012-05-12 14:13:13
- RickLewis
- Replies: 7
Hello, and apologies in advance if I've started this thread in the wrong place. Feel free to move it or delete it.
My friend Bora Dogan and I are a couple of space enthusiasts who are both involved in publishing a magazine called Philosophy Now, which has been running for 20 years and is aimed at amateur philosophers. I'm the editor, he is the webmaster.
We've had an additional project bubbling quietly on the backburner for years, which is to start a magazine called Space Age. The magazine would be less technically focused than (say) Spaceflight, and in addition to articles on the technical aspects of space exploration would include articles on the political, cultural, social and economic issues involved as well. There would be articles on space tourism, space related businesses, the ethics of terraforming, human interest stories about life on the ISS and so on.
Life has been busy and the only visible fruits of our efforts so far are a very quiet web forum (http://forum.spaceagemag.com) and a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/SpaceAgeMagazine)
However, we are now ready to move forward again and we're trying to gather articles for a pilot issue of Space Age magazine. We have a handful of good articles already but we need a lot more. Therefore we are keen to make contact with potential contributors.
Therefore if you feel you might be interested in writing an article on any aspect of space exploration or life in space, do please email me. And if you have any comments on the desirability or ideal direction or contents of such a magazine as we are planning, then do please reply in this thread. And (moderators) if I shouldn't be posting this here at all then please tell me and I'll desist!
#8 Re: Meta New Mars » Increasing use » 2012-05-12 13:21:47
I posted a handful of times pre-crash. I'm delighted to (belatedly) discover that the New Mars Forums are up and running again. Well done!
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