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Marsha Freeman, Monday, 7-23-12 July 24, 2012

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Marsha Freeman, Monday, 7-23-12

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1820-BWB-2012-07-23.mp3

Guest:  Marsha Freeman.  Topics:  GLEX 2012 Conference, Russian Federal Space Agency Interviews, China, space policy, Euro & U.S. economic issues.  You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright.  We welcomed back Marsha Freeman to discuss the GLEX 2012 Conference, her interviews with the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Vladimir Popovkin, plus other space news, the Chinese program, or domestic & European economic crisis, and more.  We started our first segment with a discussion about the Russian space program, their lunar plans, their thoughts on our commercial space efforts, lunar probes, tourism, and more.  Marsha talked about budget priorities and how best to fit in or prioritize space programs & efforts.  She talked about the impact on Russia regarding the U.S. led European Ballistic Missile Defense System plus the Russian concept for their Strategic Defense of Earth proposal.  Marsha informed us about other talks at GLEX, Mike Griffin, AIAA, and leadership. She also commented on the fact that many at GLEX & in other venues, in talking about the commercial/private space efforts, while supporting these efforts make the distinction that great countries do great things, especially in space.  She stressed great things as being the responsibility of the nation.  Don’t miss her comments on this topic.

For our second segment, we certainly ventured into some controversial policy and opinion areas with our guest going all out & not holding anything back.  We started with questions about the Chinese space program. Here, Marsha had much to say that included comments on the U.S. policy toward China.  She was asked about the plans to use a Soyuz to do lunar tourism.  We talked some more about ISS and our guest was asked about the proposed NASA center closure plan being discussed.  Marsha expressed strong opinions on the base closure idea so don’t miss her comments.  We then started talking policy & asked for her thoughts on various NASA administrators that she had spoken with over the years.  She told us stories about Charlie Bolden, James Webb, Tom Paine and Mike Griffin.  Marsha next spoke about vision & shared her thoughts with us on several outspoken space visionary leaders. I asked her if she had ever met with the President Obama or his science advisor.  She said no and then had much to say about presidential science advisors in general & specifically she had much to say regarding the current science advisor.  She was also asked about the problem space enthusiasts seem to have in connecting with the general public to have better space policy & funding. Marsha disagreed with my question, pointing instead to economic issues that need resolution before space can resume its rightful place of leadership in our national policy.  Many of you may find her comments a bit controversial but remember, on The Space Show we air all sides of the issues.  Don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts on the many issues Marsha talked about by posting them on the blog.  Marsha linked the Eurozone economic crisis to what happens in the U.S., our space program & more.  She repeatedly called for government restructuring, recommending a specific path that she believes will be most beneficial for the nation.  Do you agree?  In conclusion, she did say that out of crisis can come wide & beneficial changes.  She also said we needed to start our space program with an incremental & common sense approach to lunar development.

Please post your comments/questions on our blog. If you want to email our guest, send your note to me & I will forward it.

Dr. Roger Handberg, Monday, 1-16-12 January 17, 2012

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Dr. Roger Handberg, Monday, 1-16-12

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1691-BWB-2012-01-16.mp3

Guest:  Dr. Roger Handberg.  Topics:  Space policy, leadership, Asia space, ISS, & more.  You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com.  Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright.  We welcomed Dr. Roger Handberg to the program for a comprehensive space policy discussion.  During this program, several of his recent Space Review articles were referenced and I urge you to read them.  See Dec. 19, 2011 “ISS Next: chasing humanity’s future in space and the ‘next logical step” (www.thespacereview.com/article/1993/1).  Also Nov. 21, 2011, “American human spaceflight and future options, short-and long-term” (www.thespacereview.com/article/1974/1. Our discussion started with a brief overview of U.S. space policy for the new year 2012.  Dr. Handberg said our policy was in a state of confusion and described the situation around the Kennedy Space Center as practically in shutdown mode. We talked history and what it was like in 1970 before shuttle.  Dr. Handberg then talked about our robust science missions and projects but  they don’t get the attention like HSF & it is the HSF missions that are the problem.  Dr. Handberg referenced the Augustine report and SLS. He also said the Chinese were moving ahead though they were still several decades behind the U.S.  We then talked about the need to think beyond the SLS & beyond the existing ISS which has a limited remaining lifespan.  In fact, thinking big and beyond the ISS is a major theme in his Dec. 19, 2011 Space Review article. We spent considerable time discussing what was next for the U.S. after the ISS.  Our guest said we were at risk of repeating one of the major failures of Apollo, that is, what to do after the program ends.  In this case, what does the U.S. do after the ISS ends?  His analysis of the problem pointed to our having no clear vision and a strong need to reorganize the political system because NASA budgets are done yearly so no budget is ever finalized.  He confirmed what many others have said and that was that president’s don’t care about space. We addressed commercial and private space, both for space stations and launch vehicles.  Anthony in the UK asked him what he thought the single event might be for people to say we’ve now been overtaken. Dr. Handberg suggested that point might come when the ISS ends its life and there is nothing else while the Chinese have their own space station and are still going forward. 

In the second segment, I asked our guest for his thoughts on how college students have changed over his long teaching career.  Don’t miss this discussion.  You might be surprised by what he had to say.  Listeners asked him if and when he thought SLS would be cancelled for budgetary reasons.  His response was most interesting.  Other listeners asked more questions about SLS, the shut down of Constellation, the private HSF effort, and space markets.  Near the end of the program, Maria asked him how to get Congress to consider space as an investment, not an expense.  He said that today, all government spending is considered an expense and while space is an investment, thinking it will be treated that way  by congress is to be in political denial.  As the program was ending, I asked our guest how to make space advocacy more effective. He said we needed to get space conscious (not necessarily advocates) in key positions within government & the administration.  He named a few positions as examples.  Finally, we talked about the Outer Space Treaty, the EU Code of Conduct, & bringing back the National Space Council. 

Post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above.

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