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Sarah Cruddas, Friday, 5-3-13 May 4, 2013

Sarah Cruddas, Friday, 5-3-13

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/2001-BWB-2013-05-03.mp3

Guest:  Sarah Cruddas.  Topics:  UK space development, interests, commerce, and journalism, space tourism, China, space policy.  Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com.  Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information.

We welcomed Sarah Cruddas to the program to discuss space development and policy from the British perspective.  Please visit her website, http://sarahcruddas.com for more information.  During the first part of our 90 minute discussion, we talked about space policy, science, and commerce from a British perspective.  Listeners asked many questions about the UK perspective on space mining via Planetary Resources, commercial satellites & Surrey Satellite Technology, plus NASA projects like the Kepler Space Telescope and the search for exoplanets.  We talked with Sarah about commercial space travel/space tourism with Virgin Galactic, especially since Sir Richard Branson is British.  Sarah was asked about UK entrepreneurial space ventures and the Isle of Man.  Sarah also covered the last space shuttle flight at KSC. She told us it was a very emotional experience.  We also talked about the British perspective on both the ISS & the Hubble Space Telescope.  Listeners asked our guest about space programs, interests, and policies in Germany, France, and ESA.  She told us that the UK participation in ESA was smaller than that of other countries so their space programs are less ESA-centric.  Sarah was asked about HSF to Mars including Mars One and the Inspiration Mars flyby mission.  Doug called in to ask about Skylon & I talked about the early space history with the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) and space planes.  Returning to the topic of space tourism, she said it was too expensive for most people in the UK but there were some who have signed up and are interested in the adventure.  We talked about STEM education in the UK & and compared STEM issues there to here in the States.

In our second segment, we talked about space debris or space junk.  We then talked economics and UK, European, and global budget issues.  Sarah made the case for the importance of continuing to invest in space and science despite these problems.  Don’t miss what she had to say about space, our future, and economics.  We also talked about space media and journalism in the UK & the need for the West to be in the lead in commercial space development.  We spent a good part of this segment talking about the Chinese space program, plus India’s program.  Other topics included N. Korean rocket launches, the Google Lunar XPrize, Yuri’s Night in the UK, and even ET’s!  I asked about the popularity of astronomy& telescope clubs in her area, and the popularity of the ISS.  Toward the end of our discussion, I asked our guest for a ten year perspective on space.  Don’t miss Sarah’s future vision which included mining, space tourism, space junk resolution, and the growth of the Chinese space program.  She talked about returning humans to the Moon – with China.  She also said that people see space leadership and progress being made but that it was more likely to come from the Chinese than with we Americans.

Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog.  You can contact Sarah through her website or me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.