NPP Spacecraft Safely in Orbit The new generation of polar orbiting weather satellite went into orbit this morning. My husband works on the next generation GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series R) scheduled for 2015 launch.
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
Rajini Rao, I wonder if your husband has a stance on the topic of orbital vehicle launch mechanisms. To wit, look at the bright glow beneath that launch of a Delta II rocket. 700 year old technology, light the fuse and run like hell. Of course I realize a modern rocket is more than a glorified bottle rocket but the technology, at its core, is no more advanced than the Chinese rockets of the 13th century. Solid fuel, liquid fuel, boosters they’re all Promethean gifts, designed to produce thrust to combat the gravity well that is the Earth.
I would humbly request the comments of your husband or others knowledgeable of the topic regarding the use of other technologies to enable orbital insertion of space vehicles. One that I’m deeply curious about is maglev, railgun, Startram style vehicle acceleration.
Feel free to nix this comment as being non-environmental research bent, but it is one of my yearning desires that humanity find a sustainable way to transcend this earthly dependency. And kerosene and gunpowder seem to be primitive solutions in this day and age.
Anony Mole , good point..love your Prometheus reference. I suspect it is economics that drives what is practiced, rather than limitations in technology. I’ll try to get an answer to your question, thanks!
Put it all into a big basket and blast it into the sky, yeah that works so well. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45263287/ns/technology_and_science-space/
Here in 14 days the US will be launching Curiosity. The sequence of critical stages that make up the successful launch, travel, deployment, descent and delivery of this vehicle is astounding. Yeah, let’s put all of our eggs in this one very big rasket (rocket basket) and light the fuse. Step back everyone, we’re not sure just where this puppy is is going to land.