http://www.thespaceshow.com/ The Space Show focuses on timely and important issues influencing the development of outer-space commerce, space tourism,space exploration and space development. The Space Show is committed to facilitating our becoming a space-faring nation and society with a growing and self-sustaining space-faring economy. The Space Show also focuses on other related subjects of interest to us all. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:50:34 MST en Talk Radio Science Technology Business Education News Arts and Entertainment http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1302-BWB-2010-02-08.mp3 Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Proposed U.S. Space Policy. Robert (Bob) Zimmerman was our guest for this three segment two hour show devoted almost exclusively to discussing the new proposed space policy as put forth by the Obama Administration on Feb. 1, 2010. While this program was in three full segments, to summarize it by segment would be too limiting. Bob discussed the proposed space policy throughout the show. Listeners called and sent in questions and I promise all the listeners that there is something in this discussion that will anger you, please you, possibly even make you giggle or laugh. That is there is something in what Bob said about the policy and the Obama Administration that will resonate with everyone regardless of their liking or disliking the new proposed policy. It seems the shift to commercial launchers is desirable but when and how remain the question. The impact of the policy on human spaceflight was discussed at length. I did one of my usual rants on the economic problems facing the country and the space program. We discussed what it likely means for space when all there is happens to be fiat money. I'm quite sure many will disagree with what I had to say and with what Bob also said, but without some economic stability entering the picture, it won't just be space programs facing hardship in the out years. Bob talked about the commercial launchers, the need to have competition, the lack of strategy from the top down in the Executive Branch, and he openly guessed at a possible budget outcome at the end of this year. We both talked about the idea of a shuttle extension but recognized such an idea was DOA. Bob commented that the proposed policy does not really mandate or set a plan or goal for flights, it only just talks about such activities as if they are possible. As you will hear, it?s a comprehensive discussion of what is known about the policy plan so far and to many, its controversial and Bob's comments will also be considered controversial. If you have questions or comments for Bob Zimmerman, you can find his email address near the bottom of his website, http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3cxxp/zimbib.htm or you can forward it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/624171 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:50:30 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1303-BWB-2010-02-07.mp3 Guest: Frederick Ordway. Topics: Space leadership, space policy, Wernher von Braun leadership as compared to space leadership today. Frederick Ordway III, author of "The Rocket Team," returned to discuss the release of the new Apogee edition of his book. His book is available on the One Giant Leap Foundation book page and if you buy it through this link, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1894959825?tag=onegialeafou-20, Amazon makes a contribution to OGLF/The Space Show. In our first segment, Mr. Ordway provided us with a first hand background of von Braun and his rocket team. He talked about the genesis of the team going back to the 1920's in Germany. He also talked about the arsenal system for building rockets and the differences in that system with those of the Air Force system. In bringing the discussion forward to the present time, Fred suggested that the big risk was canceling the in-house Ares 1 arsenal type system, giving up that long standing heritage, having no target to aim for, no mission, placing even our astronauts and their future at risk. Make sure you listen to Mr. Ordway's comments on these important issues. In our second segment, Anthony in the U.K. called in and Fred told about his U.K. experiences, the relationship with the UK, and the rocket team dating back through World War 2. This is a history many of us do not know very much about. Listener Marshall wanted to know just how important the Administrator's budget recommendations were and this resulted in Mr. Ordway talking about the budget and its potential impact on the space program. He also commented that in the past we have man rated ballistic missiles including the Redstone, Atlas, and the Titan, all successfully and we could do it again. But he stated that while this could be done, the danger was in dismantling the legacy of how we develop and build human spaceflight rockets. Several times during this discussion, Mr. Ordway suggested we were putting our Saturn heritage rockets at risk. Other listeners asked about the Chinese space program and Fred used the term "ChinAmerica." Don't miss this discussion. The conversation kept coming back to the proposed new space policy and our guest said that using EELV for human spaceflight was a valid and he also talked about the need to continue with the ISS and to fully use it for science and more. Fred received lots of questions about recapturing the Apollo spirit for our nation's space program. One listener suggested we should stop dwelling on Apollo and move forward. Fred talked about the uniqueness of Apollo in that it was a first and that made a huge difference. Later in this segment, he talked about von Braun being awarded the second slot in the Top 100 Stars of Aerospace poll in 2003. Toward the end of this segment and the program, Fred was asked for some lessons learned from the period of the Rocket Team to be applied to today. He suggested it was very important to maintain the team, keep and maintain a steady budget, and Congress needs to balance out important issues. If you have questions or comments for Frederick Ordway, please email him at ordmars@aol.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/624150 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:58:18 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1301-BWB-2010-02-02.mp3 Guests: Classroom Co-hosts Dr. David Livingston, Dr. John Jurist, Dr. Jim Logan. Topics: Introduction to The Space Show Classroom program series. This program was the introductory program to The Space Show Classroom series hosted by The Space Show. Co-hosts Dr. Jurist and Dr. Logan were with us for this initial program. We explained why the three of us developed The Space Show Classroom, what the goals and objectives are for the program, we explained the rules of the Classroom blog, and we discussed the Classroom Syllabus. The Classroom series consists of 22 unique programs. The Syllabus will be posted on The Space Show Classroom Blog which is located at http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. For the Classroom series of programs to work, please honor the rules for the Classroom discussion which are posted on the blog. The use of the blog and staying on topic with the specific Classroom subjects is essential . This introductory program is slightly more than one hour in length without a break. Toward the end of our first show, Dr. Logan said this should be a learning experience and people will get out of it what they put into it. Both Dr. Jurist and I agree with this. Near the end of the program, I explained the term paper option for those listeners interested in writing a term paper. Your questions on the paper and the Classroom are certainly welcome. If you have comments for us directly related to The Space Show Classroom, you can email me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Both Dr. Logan and Dr. Jurist can be reached at their addresses at http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com/contact-us. Again, note that for questions, comments, and feedback during a live program, you must use the toll free line, the email addresses available for all Space Show programs, or the chat ScreenName, "spaceshowchat." http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/624002 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:42:18 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1300-BWB-2010-02-01.mp3 Guest: Don Beattie. Topics: U.S. civil space policy in the 2011 budget, Space Shuttle retirement. Donald Beattie returned as our guest to discuss his book, "ISScapades: The Crippling Of America's Space Program" which can easily be applied to our situation today given the Administration's 2011 budget and civil space policy announcement. The book can be purchased from the One Giant Leap Foundation book page by using this URL: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1894959590/ref=onegialeafou-20. When buying books through the OGLF Amazon Partners book website, Amazon makes a contribution to OGLF/The Space Show. In our first segment, Mr. Beattie told us why in his opinion we should not retire the Space Shuttle. We discussed the probable shuttle retirement as outlined in the Obama 2011 budget but Don also talked about the impact retirement would have on space and how it could be kept flying for at least two missions a year through 2016. He also told us about his discussions on the subject with Florida Members of Congress and their reactions. This is a discussion you do not want to miss. As you will hear, there is a way to keep shuttle from retiring and Don believes that cancelled lines could be restarted without much significant added cost. He also believes that by keeping shuttle flying there would be no GAP and this would be a good transition to the use of commercial launchers for human spaceflight. In our second segment, we discussed the cancellation of our returning to the Moon and instead substituting NEOs and Mars. However, he pointed out that all of these missions were lower in priority than specific science missions including getting a centrifuge on the ISS. The subject of the Space Shuttle Main Engines came up as did Bigelow's space station. We also talked about converting EELV to human spaceflight. In our final segment, Don said he was impressed that the Administration actually listened to the Augustine Commission Report. We talked about how the VSE was never properly funded, administered, or explained to the general public, a theme regular Space Show listeners have heard me say since the VSE was announced in 2004! We also talked about the need to have a transition, hopefully a near seamless transition, from government launchers to commercial launchers so that the transition was not so harsh and the risk not so great as in putting all the eggs in one basket. Listeners called and asked lots of questions during the show but we were reminded of the flight tests that were used for the Saturn 1B, then how quickly the Saturn V flew with astronauts on board. Don had much to say about NASA and its management back then versus that of today. If you have questions or commend for Donald Beattie, please send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to him. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623980 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:39:48 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1299-BWB-2010-01-31.mp3 Guest: Les Johnson. Topics: Environmentalists and space advocates, using space to improve condition on Earth now. Les Johnson returned to The Space Show to discuss his new book, "Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth." This book is available at the One Giant Leap Foundation book website, http://www.amazon.com/dp/0387799850?tag=onegialeafou-20. Remember, if you buy it through OGLF, Amazon makes a contribution to The Space Show. In our first segment Les provided us with an introduction to his book and the need to use space to better the living conditions for the peoples of the world today and the future. We discussed the cost to the taxpayer for our space program and Mr. Johnson referred to the potato chip comparison. He talked about the need for the development of a long term strategy for utilizing space resources and for the Moon, plus other benefits that come from space development. Toward the end of the segment, we discussed the fact that there was no ecosystem on the Moon despite some groups saying if we went to the Moon we would damage or even destroy the lunar environment. We also talked about lobbying for space based solutions to Earth's problems, NASA as entertainment according to one listener and the potential for fusion and the use of HE3 on the Moon. In our second segment which lasted to the end of the program, we talked about the obvious conflict within the environmental community and with space advocacy. Our guest explained why both groups have much in common and are a natural to work together. We discussed extremist positions in both camps and how to improve on the exchange so that our areas of mutual interest can be developed. Mr. Johnson's book does an excellent job of speaking to both communities on these important areas of common ground so I strongly recommend you read and understand it. We also talked about the moral and ethical issues regarding the extreme environmental position versus going outward to space. This is a discussion you must hear. Later in this segment, Andrew called in and talked about myths in both communities and the lack of spirituality in the space community while being strong in the environmental community. This too emerged as an important discussion topic so listen carefully to what all of us had to say on this issue. SSP came up and our guest talked about its importance to everyone on Earth and how it could inspire us. Listen to what he had to say about inspiration. Later in this segment, I asked him for three solutions from his book to the problems we had been discussing. Listen to what he says those three solutions are and see if you agree. All are detailed in his book. As we moved toward the end of the show, we talked about the need for civility in the space advocacy community, leadership in the space community and what that might mean for spreading space advocacy views to a wider audience, and about the space community engaging more of the spiritual. Visit the Less Johnson website at http://lesjohnsonauthor.com. If you have a question or comment for Les Johnson, please email him from the website or at les.mail@lesjohnsonauthor.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623909 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:10:51 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1298-BWB-2010-01-29.mp3 Guest: Dr. Haym Benaroya. Topics: New space policy, return to the Moon, Mars, the need for a grand space vision. Dr. Haym Benaroya, author and Rutgers University engineering professor, returned to discuss his two new books and the preliminary reports pertaining to the new space policy to be announced Feb. 1, 2010. In our first segment, Dr. Benaroya introduced us to his two new books which will soon be available on the One Giant Leap Foundation book page. You will be notified when they are available for your purchase. The two books are "Lunar Settlements" and "Turning Dust To Gold." It did not take us long to get Professor Benaroya's thoughts on the preliminary news about the forthcoming changes in our space policy, including the cancellation of the return to the Moon program. Dr. Benaroya spent most of the show talking about this and related issues and he believes it means to the U.S., education, leadership, etc. to cancel the Moon program. In fact, you will hear similar thoughts from our UK listener in the fourth segment of the program. In the first segment, we also talked about the probability of another nation getting to the Moon instead of us and what that might mean for the U.S. In the second segment, we talked about student interest in certain academic programs knowing the government had terminated the Moon program. Dr. Benaroya had interesting thoughts on that given he has ten undergraduate students in his lunar engineering course. He then focused on international partnerships for lunar development as outlined in his book, "Turning Dust To Gold." Toward the end of this segment, he received a call from a Huntsville listener asking if having a PhD helped or hurt one's chances for getting a job in the space industry. You might be surprised by Haym's response to this listener. In our third segment, we talked about the loss of jobs along the Florida space coast due to the closing down and retirement of the Space Shuttle and in general, the loss of jobs within the space workforce. Another listener asked our guest to make the business case for the Moon. Listen carefully to what Dr. Benaroya said and how he responded to this question. I actually think its one of the best responses to this often asked question I have heard. We talked about the Japanese interest in going to the Moon and the opportunity cost issue for investing in the Moon versus something else. At the end of this segment, a San Diego listener asked our guest how best to get our elected representatives to listen to us given the current political climate in which its now established they don't listen that well to what we have to say. Haym offered some suggestions and I suggested personal visits to staffers in local offices. In our final segment, Charles called in form Mojave and said that if the early press reports were correct about the space policy, the cancellation of Ares would be equal to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake for NASA. He said he hoped this would afford us the opportunity to take a good, hard look at NASA and start revamping the organization. Neither the guest or I thought this would happen. Dr. Benaroya talked about the continuity of space policy from one administration to another and the dangerous signals sent to the community when one administrations cancels the programs of the earlier one. This is an interesting discussion so you don't want to miss it. Toward the end of this segment, Dr. Benaroya spoke at length about the importance and value of a space vision for a great country. If you have a question or comment for Dr. Haym Benaroya, please email him at benaroya@rci.rutgers.edu. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623879 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:17:23 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1297-BWB-2010-01-26.mp3 Guest: John Powell. Topics: Airships to orbit, balloons, team management and leadership. John Powell returned for this two hour program to update us on the progress made by JP Aerospace. In our first segment, John told us that JP Aerospace celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2009. He told us how he got started, what made the year 2009 special with the Discovery and National Geographic TV programs, and the Toshiba commercial with the chair going up on the balloon to promote big screen TVs. Check out their website for more details and to see the Toshiba commercial pictures, www.jpaerospace.com. He also talked about the progress being made with the airship to orbit program, the type of computers used on board which are Basic Stamp from Parallax. John told us he was working on a second Toshiba commercial to be filmed in April 2010 and that they have a goal for JP Aerospace of reaching 160,000 feet in the near future. John received several listener phone calls throughout the shows. The initial call was about lifters and hybrid quad engines and plasma and chemical engines. At the end of this segment, he talked about the V shaped airship. In the second segment, our next caller asked about the organizational structure of the company and why people volunteer for it. This turned into a lengthy discussion and we kept coming back to it throughout the show. Understanding John's management style is important and there is much in it that can benefit us all regardless of what we are doing. Later in the segment, Charles called in and sparked an interesting conversation about the laws of physics and that the orbital airship cannot be done. Pay attention to this discussion. What do you think? Toward the end of the segment, we returned to leadership issues and John said the Team is everything. He talked about the company buying a Skypup airplane and updated us on the PongSat program. We started the third and final long segment with a call from New Hampshire inquiring about doing business in California and the regulatory requirements JP Aerospace faces both in California and where he flies in Nevada. Later he talked about the Tandem Airship project which is to fly early this summer to 100,000'. John received additional calls about a helium transfer pump and high speed GPS. John also described how to be a volunteer for JP Aerospace and then the discussion went back to gravity losses and electrostatic propulsion as a way of solving problems. John explained their use of an ion engine and much more. Toward the end of this last segment, he told us he reached a milestone in September 2009 during the Toshiba commercial. Listen to him describe this milestone! He said it was a "Passing The Torch" moment! If you have comments or questions for John Powell, you can email him at jpowell@jpaerospace.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623811 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:53:15 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1296-BWB-2010-01-25.mp3 Guest: Chris Carberry. Topics: Space Exploration Alliance Legislative Blitz, space policy. Chris Carberry, former Executive Director of the Mars Society, joined us to let us know about the upcoming Legislative Blitz in Washington, DC from Feb. 21-23.. For more information on the Blitz, please visit www.spaceexplorationalliance.org. In our first segment, Chris updated us about his change and departure from the Mars Society and indicated he will soon have announcements to make about some new Mars related activities he is undertaking. He then told us about the Space Exploration Alliance Legislative Blitz. A good portion of this segment explains the Blitz, how to reserve, attend, what to expect in terms of your team and meeting with Members of Congress, and the focus of the Blitz for this year. Chris provided the basics of this year's talking points. Toward the end of this segment, he described the training process and then we talked about the need for heavy lift launchers for our human spaceflight program. In our second segment, we talked about space as an agenda item in the recent Massachusetts senatorial election and discovered space and Augustine was never mentioned or part of the process. Chris talked about the flexible path from the Augustine Commission and then we discussed the Blitz teams and what to expect when meeting a Member of Congress or a staffer. As this segment ended, we talked about the upcoming space policy announcements by the administration and what it might indicate if there was no special space "speech" announcing the new civil space policy. Our last segment was very short and Chris returned to talking about the Blitz. He told us that registration for the Blitz was $25.00, that it takes place regardless of Washington, DC weather. In response to a listener question, the Blitz is strictly for Congress, not the Executive Branch of government. If you have questions or comments for Chris Carberry, please email him at cacarberry@yahoo.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623780 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:38:57 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1295-BWB-2010-01-24.mp3 Guest: Dr. Charles Bourland. Topics: Astronaut food, space issues regarding food, nutrition, body waste, and more. Dr. Charles Bourland was our guest today regarding the book, "The Astronaut's Cookbook: Tales, Recipes, and More." Dr. Bourland co-authored the book with Gregory Vogt. This book is available through the One Giant Leap Foundation book page as an Amazon partner. You can order the book using www.amazon.com/dp/1441906231/ref=onegialeafou-20. In the first part of the program, Dr. Bourland introduced us to the subject of space food and nutrition, told us how he just happened to get into this field when he finished his PhD, and what the food program with NASA was like when he first joined the organization. Its a fascinating history focusing on subjects we don't often have the opportunity to talk about on The Space Show. Our discussion was wide ranging including the use of food additives, the space toilet, body waste, radiation, food digestion, calcium, food transit times, and iron in microgravity. We also talked about why there is no cooking of food in space, toxics even from baking a loaf of bread, and much more. Questions were asked about taste, appetite, and odor in space. We talked about possible gender differences in nutrition and diet. You might be surprised with what you hear Dr. Bourland say on these subjects. In our second segment, we compared food and food preparation onboard a submarine to what goes on in space with astronauts. Dr. Bourland brought us current with calorie counting in space, astronaut food and menu choices and more. He was asked about alcohol in space and you might find it interesting the difference with the US versus the Russian ISS crews. Dr. Bourland told us about the Coke and Pepsi wars, beverage use in space, why no soft drinks are now used given the carbon dioxide and what this does in microgravity. In our third and final segment, we started off talking about iodized food. They use no iodized salt as the water contains sufficient quantities of it. This is an interesting story so don't miss it. We looked to the future of space food and learned that it will likely be vegetarian. Listen to the explanation for this. Charles told us about various experiments that have been done regarding live food, even with goldfish (not the crackers!). We even talked about the space food pill that seems to enter discussions from time to time. As you will hear, we need the consistency and the chewing to absorb the nutrition. Don't miss this discussion. Toward the end of the show talked about possible differences in a space tourist diet and nutritional requirements from that of a trained astronaut. Charles had some interesting points about this as there is no doubt that at some point down the road there will be a need for long duration spaceflight food and nutrition for tourists. Later he said the ideal space food was fresh and following fresh was frozen. He goes through the entire list of food formats and ranks them as to their quality. If you have a question or comment for Dr. Charles Bourland, you can email him at cbourlan@dishmail.net. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623729 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:48:14 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1294-BWB-2010-01-22.mp3 Guest: OPEN LINES. Topics: Space policy, Rasmussen space polls, science and technology for the future, space advocacy. Today's program was OPEN LINES and extended beyond the two hour time due to a last minute 11th hour listener phone call. In segment one, I read a series of questions from listener Kelly that came in by email and we made those discussion topics, focusing on the viability of commercial space and comparing them to civil space programs. I also put forth some possible discussion topics for the show including the two recent Rasmussen space polls on NASA funding and the Space Shuttle, a FastFuture report from the UK titled "The Shape Of Jobs To Come: Possible new Careers Emerging from Advances In Science and Technology (2010-2030)," orbital propellant depots, and more. Segment two covered space policy and propellant depot comments which resulted in listener calls, questions, and comments. See what you think of what was said in this segment. Toward the end of this period, the issue of the regulatory environment came up and we talked about the probability of increasing regulation on orbital launchers regarding space debris mitigation. Our third segment focused on the FastFuture report and I read the ten conclusions of the report on the air. We also started talking about space advocacy. In the fourth and final segment, we discussed space advocacy, Ares 1, congressional funding, and "playing" the game. Listener questions focused on how to get congressional attention, government funding, and what might be a desirable plan or action for space enthusiasts to take to move us faster along in becoming space-fairing. I brought up the upcoming Space Show Classroom series and talked about some of the programs and an idea for a new Classroom session dealing with what we should do and how to implement such a plan. The introduction for The Space Show Classroom is Tuesday, Feb. 2 and trust me, you don't want to miss this show. If you have questions for me or anyone who called or commented on this program, please send y our email to drspace@thespaceshow.com. I will forward it as necessary. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623666 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:49:30 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1293-BWB-2010-01-19.mp3 Guest: Donald Davis. Topics: Space art, space colonization, space history, and space vision. Our guest, Donald Davis, noted space artist and animator, talked about his art, space history, future projects, and space vision ideas. You can learn more about Don, his art, work, and projects by visiting www.donaldedavis.com. In our first segment, Don told us how he got started in the field of space art. The Life book, "The World We Live In' and his early work with the U.S. Geological Survey were significant influences as was Apollo and the early space program. He shared some of his Cosmos and Carl Sagan experiences with us and in response to questions, commented that space art in the publishing world has been on a steady decline for years, having peaked in the 1950s. He also talked about the impact on his generation of magazines and publications such as the Illustrated London News, sci-fi magazines, and Colliers. At the end of this segment, we talked about the new digital age and the International Association of Astronomical Artists. Our second segment started out with a detailed discussion of Don's work regarding the true colors on Mars and the May 1985 Sky and Telescope Colors of the Universe issue by Andrew T. Young of the Viking Imaging Team. Don't miss this discussion of the Mars and universe color chips, the actual Martian colors, and how to know if you are looking at preliminary jpeg photos that do not show the actual Martian colors. Don had much to say on this issue and suggested the Jim Bell websites as an excellent source for accurate Martian pictures, http://marswatch.astro.cornell.edu. In this segment, Don also shared his ideas on UFO's and aliens, we talked about the movie Avatar, and we began a discussion on space settlement and colonization regarding the work of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill. Don talked about the importance to all humanity for space colonization, the required funding, should it be public, private or a mix and the contribution SSP might make to these development plans. Caller John asked Don about his impact painting series regarding Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. Don't miss what Don had to say about impacts as well as how Apollo peaked his interest. When I asked if the ISS inspired him, he said he did not find it exciting. He then introduced us to the idea of full dome video productions and full dome planetariums. He mentioned several of his full dome projects and told us more about his space art. As we started our third and final segment, Don said this was a time of opportunity, he referenced the Rasmussen polls, and as a result of a listener question, said that he does have a full dome space colonization short film almost ready to go. You will want to hear about this project. I asked him how much it would cost to make this film and the estimate was $300-$500,000. I asked him to explain more fully full dome units and he talked about tilted domes and identified a few planetariums built as tilted full dome units. When asked what he thought might be the best destination for our civil space policy, he said that for now it was the Moon. He also talked about unmanned exploration, virtual exploration, and a virtual participatory idea for lunar exploration that could involve those of us unable to visit the Moon. You will love his idea so listen carefully. Near the end of the show, when asked for his suggestions on what we can all do to help expedite the type of space development and vision talked about on this program, Don suggested spreading the word to our friends and associates, a word of mouth campaign. If you have questions or comments for Don Davis, he can be reached through his website above or the address listed on that site, DonDavis at TheGrid (dot) net. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623544 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:24:15 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1292-BWB-2010-01-18.mp3 Guest: Jeff Greason. Topics. Augustine Commission, commercial space, advanced technology, orbital fuel depots and propellant storage, and XCOR Aerospace. Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace and a member of the Augustine Commission Panel was our guest for this incredible two hour ten minute program. Rather than describe this program segment by segment, let me say that Jeff started out talking about the Augustine Commission work, spent some time talking about XCOR and Lynx near the end of the show, but then returned to the space policy and the Augustine Commission discussion as the show drew to an end. In listening to this program, you will hear in a logical progression of a complete and thorough analysis of the Augustine Commission suggestions and work. Jeff does a comprehensive explanation of the flexible path and you must hear it. He does the same for discussions about heavy lift and astronaut safety and this or that rocket or piece of hardware. He took us through a risk evaluation discussion that was equally important. We addressed solids versus liquid rockets, the importance of a rocket track record, and buying commercial instead of procurement. He talked about the reality of bending metal and making something versus view graphs or Power Points only. He fielded great supportive as well as critical questions, both with callers and through email and chat. His explanations for commercial space as used in the Augustine Commission were excellent and his discussion on NASA culture is memorable. We also talked about advanced propulsion and the extreme importance of bringing new technology on line, but the difficulty NASA has in doing so. Jeff emphasized the need for orbital fuel depots and propellant storage. In the last segment we spent time talking about XCOR, South Korea, and the Lynx vehicle, but listeners took us right back to space policy and the Augustine Commission. I urge each of you to listen to the full show. Jeff Greason did an outstanding job of presenting the work, the issues, and analytical processes that were used by the Augustine Commission while facing very hard and challenging issues addressed in their report. If you have questions or comments for Jeff Greason, please send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will be more than happy to forward them to Mr. Greason. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623522 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:19:29 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1291-BWB-2010-01-17.mp3 Guest: Jim McDade. Topics: space polls, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, Constellation, Direct. Jim McDade was our guest for this Space Show program, discussing a wide variety of topics from recent Rasmussen space polls, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), and much more. In segment one, we jumped right into the Rasmussen poll showing 50% of Americans favor a cut in NASA spending. You can find the poll at www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/january_2010/50_favor_cutting_back_on_space_exploration. In addition, check out this Rasmussen poll showing only about 40% of Americans believe the Space Shuttle has been worth the cost, www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/january_2010/only_40_believe_space_shuttle_has_been_worth_the_cost. As you will hear with listener Jack, questions were asked about the bias in the poll questions, but I also said there was bias in what Jack was suggesting. The real problem that Jim and I agreed upon is the significant disconnect in the value of space as seen and understood by space enthusiasts as opposed to the general public, even those designing and implementing the Rasmussen polls. Listen to the discussion and let us know what you think. Later in this segment, we discussed the recently released 2009 Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Annual Report. You can find out more about this report at www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oer/asap/index.html. We also discussed some the panel's critical safety findings. As we started our second segment, Jim responded to a listener question about the future of Ares 1 and heavy lift. This led Jim to a detailed discussion which lasted throughout the two hour program regarding President Obama's potential space policy and his history on space announcements. We talked about Direct 3.0 as compared to Ares 1 and 5 and the economic impact in changing to Direct both in Alabama and Florida. As you will hear, Jim believes the impact is much greater in Florida and there is going to be significant congressional resistance to changing any part of Constellation in the upcoming space policy announcement. Jim discussed the loss of about 7,000 shuttle workers in Florida and said that if the commercial option is taken, it would only add back about 1,700 jobs on the space coast. Mr. McDade took us into some of the shuttle issues about keeping it flying, including the fact that SMEs cannot be restarted. He talked about sunk costs on Ares 1 and Ares 5 development so far and the safety issues of putting the crew on SRBs adjacent to liquids. Listen to this discussion and see what you think. I then provided my usual rant about NASA getting out of the rocket design and build industry, instead using the commercial sector to build our rockets as true commercial ventures. In segment 3, we continued a discussion on cost plus contractors, quality control, and private contractors, not just for space hardware but in general. Jack in Virginia asked for Jim's assessment of where our space program would be in 2012 and how it would track over the coming years. Toward the end of this segment, I brought up the new movie Avatar and we talked about what sells, the movie theme, and James Cameron and his space awareness. If you have comments or questions for Jim McDade, please contact him at moonshot@uab.edu. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623484 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:27:03 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1290-BWB-2010-01-15.mp3 Guest: Dr. John Hunter. Topics: Hydrogen gas gun, low cost space access, space physics and engineering. Dr. John Hunter, President of Quicklaunch, Inc, was our guest today to discuss the hydrogen gas gun for launching payloads to space. Please visit their website at www.quicklaunchinc.com. I urge you to listen to Dr. Hunter's Google talk which you can access by clicking on the arrow on the Quicklaunch home page. In our first segment, Dr. Hunter provided us with an overview of the Quicklaunch gas gun, the rocket assisted second stage, and the physics/engineering supporting the use of the hydrogen gas gun. Several skeptical listeners called or sent in questions and at times our discussion was technical, dealing with the drag on the vehicle, the shape of the vehicle to withstand very high G loads and stresses. Dr. Hunter went through the physics and engineering, plus the history of similar hydrogen gas guns and other projects in the past, including SHARP with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. See what you think of these discussions and the data. In our second segment, Dr. Hunter was asked some comparison questions regarding the Space Shuttle, Space X, building an RLV, and the cost to space with a chemical rocket. Later in segment, he outlined his four phase plan for Quicklaunch, including the time frame for each phase. Listen carefully to these plans with Phase 1 starting at White Sands as a demo or stunt phase. He also talked about payload sizes for each phase all the way up to 1,000 lb. payloads unless the gun is made larger. Note what he had to say about demos and stunts as his comments may surprise you. As you will hear, eventually in the later phases, the Quicklaunch gun would be mostly underwater. Before the segment ended, we talked about the materials used for the gas gun including high strength aluminum 70-75 and Toray 740. In our third segment, Dr. Hunter received some questions about guidance control and the 25 degree inclination used for the gun. Our guest said there would be no rifling in the gun's barrel as it had to be smooth bore. He fielded additional questions about velocity loss due to drag. Don't miss this comprehensive discussion of the specs. He also described the dimensions of the gun and using a version of it from the Moon or even Mars. Our guest provided us with a thorough economic analysis of lunar vs. Martian access and this is a must listen to discussion. The program Dr. Hunter talked about requires orbital propellant depots and other space infrastructure. Listen to what he said in this part of the discussion about the traditional aerospace and Military Industrial Complex in building this infrastructure as opposed to Quicklaunch providing the space infrastructure. Toward the end of this segment, we talked about why we go to space, the importance of human space exploration, and connecting space with the interests of the general public. Our fourth and final segment started off with a space elevator discussion and then Dr. Hunter provided us with his three top choices for launch systems. We veered off topic to discuss his experiences with helping to build armored gun vehicles for use in Iraq. Near the end of the program, Dr. Hunter commented on the U.S. Civil Space Program and its impact on Quicklaunch. Listen to what he had to say about that. His last question dealt with SSP which he said was non-trivial. Don't miss all his comments on space solar power. If you have questions or comments for Dr. John Hunter, please send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to Dr. Hunter. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623448 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:32:34 MST http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1289-BWB-2010-01-12.mp3 Guest: John Vornle. Topics: Space business finance, SSP, private equity solutions to develop space commerce. John Vornle of Long Term Capital was our guest for this program to discuss private space business capital acquisition models using space based solar energy. In our first segment, Mr. Vornle outlined three methods of financing space projects including the traditional government solution, public/private partnerships, and private equity financing which was the main topic for tonight's program. In discussing private equity solutions, he talked about the banking and lending component, insurance, and the different categories and phases for investors. He also introduced us to the exit strategies most likely to be used for each phase or category of investment. Mr. Vornle explained the risks, how bankers and equity investors view the situation and he put forth the case as to why now is the time for developing space based energy. Toward the end of this segment, our guest pointed out that as of now, we have no political will to move such a space energy company forward but then he mentioned some developing signs of hope in this area. Listen carefully and see what you think. In the second segment, Mr. Vornle outlined the private equity solution advantages for pursuing this investment model and for pursuing an SSP energy company. We talked at length about the market cost for electricity and said that it needed to be set by third parties, there needed to be corporate profits and the payment of corporate taxes. This took us into an extensive discussion on why utility companies were not the best source of SSP energy company development. You need to listen to this comprehensive discussion as its about the need to develop and implement new, cost effective technology and why the utility company model does not work. As we started the third and final segment, we talked about financial returns on investment associated risks. John stressed the need for simplicity. Invest in a C-Corp, own stock, know exactly what percentage of the company you own, and seek a capital gains investment. He outlined for us suggested ROIs for the various phases of equity investment. Market timing was discussed as were space investments not suitable for equity investment but more for visionaries or grant financing. Later in the segment, he said the most important thing to do is to change the political will of the U.S. system to support the business development that has been discussed on this show. Toward the end of the segment, he described the contingency power purchase agreement which is at the root of the plan discussed. If you have questions or comments for John Vornle, please send them to longtermcapital@cs.com or to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. http://www.gigadial.net/public/submit/623357 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:51:01 MST