Dave Michelson wrote:

It must be the writer's strike :-|

Oh, well. We could do worse than "The Best of Sci.Space", I suppose :-)

Here's more amusing space articles from Modern Mechanix:
The white man's burden; teaching Martians to do math:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...-the-martians/
Who needs the Hubble Space Telescope?
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...d-of-universe/
Our 100 pound Moon rocket, with the 50 pound payload:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/station-moon/
"Our flag's on it, so it's _ours_! Screw you and the troika you rode in
on!": http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...-the-moon-now/
Our Sun, which is apparently around 10,000 miles from us, and makes coal
possible:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...ic-ray-origin/
Ten years later, the German's realized you could get to London even
faster than that by rocket, but the trip to New York was still their
ultimate goal:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...than-one-hour/
"New research indicates God made the universe using a giant hand drill":
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...se-was-formed/
Robert Goddard banishes darkness with 1,000 mph propeller-rocket:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...e-outer-space/

(Note two things in that article's illustrations: the Earth floats
around in clouds just like in Hollywood movies, and those Germans are
completely fixated on shooting a rocket into New York City)
People were getting on Pluto's case way back then also:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...-minor-planet/
Aliens will look a lot like cartoons:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...ple-look-like/
Did this ever actually end up on Apollo?:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...in-a-nutshell/
"It will have a 600 billion degree atomic reactor on it, and hoards of
proton torpedoes for blowing up the communist rebels, my master.":
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...-on-a-skyhook/
Expanding universe? Nope, tired light:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...and-turns-red/
Perkin-Elmer hires guys with defective eyesight to grind giant space
telescope mirror; "Looks fine to us!" they say:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...ace-telescope/
Right till you get to the edge of that collapsed lava tube you can't see
because it's directly in front of you, this will work fine:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...squirrel-cage/
"Look, over there!" (all the crew runs to the starboard window, vehicle
topples on to its side):
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...lore-the-moon/
Russia claims it invented "Clarke Orbit" and also invented the concept
of "lying":
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...ses-global-tv/
The Germans again:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...-stratosphere/
Son of the Really Strange Space Suit; fits great if your arms are broken
at the elbows. I guess "Lunar suit for earth explorer" wouldn't make
much sense, would it?:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2005/...pace-explorer/
SDI, 1947 style: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/...osmic-ray-gun/
And, inevitably, the Germans once again:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/...d-to-bomb-usa/
And you wondered where the the idea for the Roton came from?:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/.../lrg_cover.jpg


Pat