Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Tuesday, 6-11-13 June 12, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, Arianespace, Behind The Black, Chinese space mission, climate science, Commercial Space Launch Act of 2004, commercial space regulation, Falcon 9. , global warming, incremental development, ITAR, James Webb Space Telescope, Kepler Space Telescope, launch rates, NASA Astrophysics budget, NewSpace regulations, Orbital Sciences, Orion, Planetary Resources, Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, sequestration, SLS, space fairing., spaceflight safety, ULA, unmanned systems, Virgin Galactic
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Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Tuesday, 6-11-13
Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Commercial space, regulations, climate science, becoming spacefaring. 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 Robert (Bob) Zimmerman to the program (www.behindtheblack.com). During our 2 hour 3 minute discussion with Bob, we covered a wide area of space, policy, budget and climate science issues. For those of you interested in the opportunity to submit feedback on the NRC congressionally mandated Human Spaceflight Study, please go to www.nationalacademies.org/humanspaceflight. Bob started out talking about the Commercial Space Launch Act of 2004 and his warnings back then about a heavily regulated commercial and NewSpace industry coming out of this particular legislation. He has now reported on the evolution of regulation for this segment of the industry. See this article on his blog,
http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/the-red-tape-of-the-space-bureaucracy
. He strongly suggested that the focus was misplaced on excessive safety. Instead, it should be on risk taking, innovation, and experimental flight. We also mentioned possible ITAR changes in which human spaceflight vehicles are being considered for addition to the munitions list. Were this to happen, it might prove extremely detrimental to NewSpace companies and the American space industry. Pooley both emailed and called the show to stress starting small and with non-human spaceflight missions. Bob and Charles had an interesting exchange on this subject you will want to hear. Later in the segment, Bob talked about SpaceX and launch rates, comparing the Falcon with the Russian Proton. We talked about the need for reliable commercial schedules for a launcher to be considered commercial. We also talked about the successful Orbital Sciences Antares demo flight, ULA and their schedules, plus Arianespace. Bob then commented on the first powered demo flight for Virgin, then Tim from Huntsville called in to talk abut SpaceX, a possible IPO, Bob’s comments on NASA assimilation, and the Planetary Resources Kickstarter campaign.
In our second segment, we started with another Pooley email stressing the need to start small & without human spaceflight. I then asked Bob what he thought of the prospect of continuing to fund & develop SLS. He said it was on the knife’s edge and to the degree that SpaceX, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, and Orbital can be successful, it will likely hasten the demise of SLS. Bob then spoke to the bulkhead cracks with the Orion, their repairs and the recent successful Orion test. Sequestration was next up with Bob having much to say on the subject. Our next big topic had to do with climate science which I introduced with my perspective of it here in the U.S. and what I know about what is going on in the field in the UK and throughout Europe. Bob talked about climate models and referenced the work by Roy Spencer who depicts in graph format all 72 climate models referenced by the industry (see www.drroyspencer.com/2013/06/still-epic-fail-73-climate-models-vs-measurements-running-5-year-means). Bob dealt with many climate science issues so if this topic interests you, don’t miss this discussion. Later, we talked about the Chinese spacecraft now in orbit for about a two week HSF mission. Also discussed was the JWST and its impact on NASA astrophysics budget issues, the Kepler Space Telescope, and our on orbit repair capabilities. Both Bob & I used JWST and Kepler as examples of why we need to develop a true spacefaring capability though being able to repair hardware so far out in space is not going to happen for a very long time, if ever.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email Bob through his blog or by using zimmerman at nasw dot org.
Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, Sunday, 6-9-13 June 10, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: aerospace future., ascent trajectory, beam propulsion safety, beamed propulsion and weather, chemical rockets, crewed vehicle, DARPA, distance downrange from launch site, Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, electric grid, Escape Dynamics, ground stations, heat exchanger, ITAR, launch efficiency, LEO, mass fraction ratio, microwave beam, microwave propulsion technology, nuclear electric propulsion, ocean launch, payloads, Propellant Depots, robotic vehicle, space infrastructure, space weapons, spaceports, SSTO, wireless power transfer
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Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, Sunday, 6-9-13
Guest: Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich. Topics: Escape Dynamics microwave beam propulsion for launches. 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 Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, CEO & CTO of Escape Dynamics (
http://escapedynamics.com
) to discuss their work on making microwave beamed propulsion possible for space launch. During our 1 hour 39 minute discussion, Dr. Tseliakhovich talked about his background and passion for space, including helping to open up commercial space. His work and experience led him to creating Escape Dynamics in 2010 to find a better and more efficient way to space than by using chemical rockets. Dmitriy then took us through many of the benefits of external launch, including a higher specific impulse, better payload ratios, and even the ability to use an SSTO frame for the vehicle. During this segment, we also talked about safety issues and using the possibility of using the technology as a space weapon. During this discussion, Dmitriy was very focused and precise in saying that their systems had to prove out as being safe on all of the issues we were discussing. Next, we learned that the initial beamed propulsion vehicles would be robotic but at some point in the future, eventually crewed launch vehicles would be possible. We talked about their step by step incremental development and testing plan, including starting with suborbital launches. I asked our guest about the probable cost of electricity and support from the existing electrical grid. Our guest had much to say about the cost of electricity, the use of the grid for their power needs & the capability of existing systems to support their needs. He also did not rule out partnerships with utility companies. Listeners sent him emails asking about competition and markets as well as the use of hydrogen for fuel. Our guest was also asked about their heat exchanger, a key component on the vehicle.
In our second segment, Dmitriy was asked about weather issues for launch & we learned that there were concerns and requirements suggesting launching in dry areas would be best. Another listener asked about ocean launch possibilities & Charles called in expressing skepticism, to support chemical rockets, and to raise questions about the high g force, boost stations, and the size of the ground array needed for the beam propulsion launch system. Roger emailed us to ask about orbital fuel depots & beamed propulsion. We then talked about the company timeline & learned about 2015 as a suborbital launch target date. In response to an email about the main challenges, our guest said the challenges to the system were mostly non-technical. John was our last caller asking about DARPA, project financing, fuels, and more. In closing we talked about available internships and the hiring opportunities at Escape Dynamics.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can contact our guest through his website or by using drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Michael Listner, Monday, 5-6-13 May 6, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Apollo artifacts, cubesat issues, GEO debris, ITAR, LEO debris, liability, liability limitations, Michael Listner, national security issues, Outer Space Treaty, PPWT, Project Azorian., space debris, space debris mitigation, space debris policy issues, space salvage, space weapons, technical issues, Transparency Confidence Measures (TCM)
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Michael Listner, Monday, 5-6-13
Guest: Michael Listner. Topics: Space debris issues and ideas for solutions. 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 Michael Listner back to the program to discuss space debris and Apollo artifact issues along with his ideas for possible solutions to the debris problem. On The Space Show blog, you will find three of Michael’s Space Review articles on the subject plus his Power Point slide presentation at the end of the blog summary statement. In addition, Michael had an article in the current Space Review on the preservation of Apollo historic sites. For this article, see www.thespacereview.com/article/2290/1. In the first segment of our 1 hour 44 minute show, Michael offered us his definition of space debris and pointed us to his slides which I urge you to have available when listening to this show. Again, his slide presentation is uploaded to the blog for this program and is the last item of the uploads. He summarized the space debris issue as both legal and thorny! After defining debris and the issues using the first few of his slides, he talked about other issues including ITAR, property rights, technical, and even national security issues. Listeners asked him several questions, mostly focused on LEO as that is the most crowded region at this time and the priority for debris mitigation. CubeSat issues came up given the potential debris problem should the cubesats manifest in the quantity talked about and planned. We talked policy issues and different strategies as suggested by China and Russia. We also talked about weapons issues and dual use for the military as well as for civilian use. Michael went over Transparency Confidence Measures (TCMs) instead of new treaties and mentioned the proposed Russian/Chinese treaty, PPWT, which does not have wide support in the UN. Late in the segment, Michael talked about the OST and the definition of a space object. We also talked about space salvage compared to ocean salvage. He told us to check out Project Azorian www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb305) (but did not tell us what this was.
In our second segment, Michael wanted to focus on solutions & he offered us some of his ideas on the subject. Still referring to his PPT slides. One suggestion was to offer limited liability to third parties or those working to mitigate a debris issue, similar to what many of the commercial spaceports are doing with the suborbital spaceship companies and manufacturers. He talked quite a bit about the proposed Swiss concept for debris mitigation which he liked very much. Michael wrote another Space Review article on this concept last year which you can read at
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2032/1
. Toward the end of the program, we talked about the need to preserve the Apollo landing sites as historical sites and some of the issues and challenged faced in doing so.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. Michael can also be contacted at michael.listner at spacesafetymagazine dot com.
Legal issues surrounding space debris remediation
Addressing the challenges of space debris, part 1: defining space debris
Addressing the challenges of space debris, part 2: liability
Charles (Chuck) Killian, Friday, 4-26-13 April 27, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: CapCom Coordinator, Charles (Chuck) Killian, Green Hab, ITAR, Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), Mars Simulation., Mars Society, MDRS Science Experiments
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Charles (Chuck) Killian, Friday, 4-26-13
Guest: Charles (Chuck) Killian. Topics: The Mars Society Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). 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 Chuck Killian, the CapCom Coordinator and Engineering IT specialist for the MDRS to the program. Chuck was with us for the first hour of today’s program. During a brief second part of today’s Friday program, I spoke about my absence over the past few weeks while I was in Los Angeles and my plans to relocate, probably during the summer, and what that might mean for The Space Show during the brief moving period. With regards to our main topic, MDRS, Chuck talked about the crews, their rotation period, scientific experiments, and what life was like simulating Mars in the hab which is located near Hanksville, UT. We talked about their simulated air lock, the use of Mars suits for EVAs, including wearing a bubble helmet, the need for approval or a type of peer review for team/crew science missions, and living conditions during each crew rotation. This included food, the Green Hab for growing some fresh greens, and more. Also of interest was the limited bandwidth available to the crews and the “official” communication period each evening. MDRS is international and we talked about many of their crews from outside the U.S., including the current Russian crew. Listeners wanted to know if there were ITAR issues with foreign crews and they inquired about the cost for the two week rotation and who typically pays for the rotation. Chuck told us this was the 10th year for MDRS which was and still is quite an accomplishment. Later in our segment, I even inquired about a Space Show crew applying for a rotation. This is a possibility so as I said on air, if enough listeners let me know that they would be interested in doing a two week crew rotation, on behalf of The Space Show and OGLF, I would consider putting together such a project through our non-profit, One Giant Leap Foundation. If this is of interest to you, do let me know. Other topics discussed were media interviews with the crews during rotations, more about the facilities and infrastructure, and just how good a simulation for Mars is the MDRS. To learn more about the MDRS, do visit their website at
http://mdrs.marssociety.org
.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to contact our guest Mr. Killian, you can do so using his Mars Society email address, chuck.killian@marssociety.org.
Yonatan Winetraub, SpaceIL, Thursday, 3-7-13 March 7, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: AIPAC, Google Lunar X-Prize, Israeli ITAR, ITAR, launch contract, lunar hopper, lunar lander, Odyssey Moon., propulsion issues for secondary payload, secondary payload, space education outreach, SpaceIL, STEM in Israel, Technion University, Yonatan Winetraub
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Yonatan Winetraub, SpaceIL, Thursday, 3-7-13
Guest: Yonatan Winetraub. Topics: SpaceIL Google Lunar X-Prize, secondary payload launches. 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 Yonatan Winetraub as our guest to discuss SpaceIL, Israel’s Google Lunar X-Prize entry. Mr. Winetraub founded SpaceIL through an interesting set of experiences and conversations at a local Israeli establishment. He tells us this interesting story as we begin our one hour discussion. At age 26, Yonatan proves that much can be done with passion, commitment, education, volunteers, and local industry support. During our discussion, Yonatan told us about the SpaceIL plans, the lunar hopper that they will land on the Moon, and their process in procuring a secondary launch contract for the launch capable of putting their lander on a trajectory to the Moon and landing in time to win the Google Lunar X-Prize contest. One issue we discussed in detail was the fact that their secondary payload would have propulsion on board making it challenging to be approved as a secondary payload by the primary payload on the launcher. In fact, Charles both emailed and called at the end of the program to raise the propellant issue for secondary payloads. SpaceIL as a nonprofit, is also engaged in STEM and education outreach in Israel and this too was a significant part of our discussion. Yonatan got questions about commercial space and space attitudes in Israel and the treatment of their venture by the Israeli general public and press, both in Israel and internationally. The Google Lunar X-Prize competition was discussed as well as their funding and plans for after the contest ends. Given that SpaceIL is consulting with American companies, we talked about our ITAR laws as well as the Israeli ITAR laws and regulations. The SpaceIL website is www.spaceil.com and I urge you to follow along on the site while listening to this discussion.
If you have comments/questions for Yonatan Winetraub, please post them on the blog and I will call them to his attention. You can also email him through drspace@thespaceshow.com. We will certainly be talking with Yonatan again as they progress in the competition.
Zac Manchester, Tuesday, 2-5-13 February 6, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Cal Poly, cell phone electronics, consumer electronics, Cornell University, crow-source funding, cubesat ground station, CubeSat Mission Design, cubesat peapod, cubesats, ham radio bands, ITAR, KickSat, Kickstarter., launch vehicles, Lorentz Adjusted Orbit, NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (/ELaNa), Open Source, payload integration, secondary payloads, solar sail., space debris, Sprite ChipSats, Zac Manchester
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Zac Manchester, Tuesday, 2-5-13
Guest: Zac Manchester. Topics: Zac’s KickSat project, cubesats, crowd-funding, & more. 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 Zac Manchester to the program to discuss his KickSat CubeSat open source mission using 200 Sprite ChipSats. You can learn more by visiting www.kicksat.net, www.spacecraftresearch.com and
. From these websites you can visit the KickSat wiki as well as the KickSat blog. We started our discussion with Zac Manchester with his providing us with an overview of his KickSat project and Kickstarter as a tool to fund some types of space ventures. Zac talked about launches being provided by the NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (/ELaNa) program plus the lack of traditional financing which caused Zac to give Kickstarter a try. The KickSat team started out wanting to raise $30,000 but instead raised nearly $75,000. He had much to say throughout both segments regarding crowd-funding and the use of Kickstarter. Zac also described the cubesats and the Sprite ChipSats. He talked about the importance of reducing the size of the unit and what this meant for mission design, propulsion, technology advancement, lower launch costs, and more. Several listeners emailed him questions including space debris questions since the 200 Sprite ChipSats would have a short life expectancy and then return to Earth. He said all would burn up in the atmosphere but he also talked about future missions where the units would float back to Earth as would a piece of paper. Technology advancement for this to happen must take place but he said it was certainly plausible. Other issues discussed in our first segment included secondary payments and payload integration. Regarding payload integration, he said their project goes to Cal Poly for peapod integration and then to the Cape from Cal Poly for vehicle integration. Cal Poly does the peapod integration for academic cubesat projects. A listener saw the project plans on one of the websites and inquired about making the hardware or buying a kit from Zac’s group. As you will hear, the project is open source and people are encouraged to buy the off the shelf parts and make their own unit. Zac mentioned several online stores where the parts could be bought. We talked about the difficulty in getting a launch for a stand alone cubesat someone might build.
In the second segment, we took a call from Charles Pooley who talked about building a small launchers to get away from secondary payloads and potential launch delays we he said were the barriers to this industry. Check out www.microlaunchers.com for more on the Pooley idea. Zac then told us about the March 16 workshop at the Hacker Dojo in Silicon Valley on how to set up KickSat ground stations. Zac described the ground station using Ham bands and suggested the cost would be around $200.00. Another listener asked Zac for his background & how he got interested in space & a cubesat project. Zac had much to say about the academic research that inspired him as both a Cornell undergrad and masters student.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog above. You can contact Zac through his project websites and blog.
Jim Muncy, Sunday, 1-20-13 January 21, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: 2013 Congress, Atlas 5, Bigelow Aerospace, BLEO, Boeing CST 100, budget cuts, Cis Lunar Gateway, Commercial Crew, commercial launch indemnification, commercial space, Falcon Heavy, FY 13 NASA budget, human spaceflight, ISS, ITAR, James Webb Space Telescope, Jim Muncy, NASA, New Mexico spaceport liability issues, Orion, PoliSpace, sequestration, SLS, space advocacy, space race, Spaceport America, tort reform, U.S. space policy, Virgin Galactic, weather satellites
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Jim Muncy, Sunday, 1-20-13
Guest: Jim Muncy. Topics: Comprehensive space policy & commercial space discussion. 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 Jim Muncy back to the show for this comprehensive space policy and commercial space two hour plus discussion. While many topics overlapped both segments and we went back and forth on several topics, this summary will be a two part summary. Jim started the discussion with a look at new space legislation kicking off the year. After a short summary of several items and their impact on commercial space, we talked about the makeup of the new Congress and how it might view civil and commercial space. Jim then started addressing specific projects including Orion and its expansion to include ESA, SLS, the Boeing CST100, Atlas 5, and more. A listener asked about the Space Settlement Act and the Space Foundation Pioneering White Paper. We then turned our attention to Cis-lunar space as a commercial gateway and Jim mentioned new commercial opportunities such as Golden Spike. We also talked about the recent study on NASA by the National Academies. Other topics included the need to do exploration, to take risks and NASA acting more like the old NACA with aviation. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was brought up by a caller and we started talking about large program expenses as compared to smaller, less costly, & more frequent programs that fly much more often. In response to another listener, Jim said SLS was not in competition for funds with commercial crew as one was near term & the other long term. Falcon Heavy was brought up, especially as an alternative to SLS.
In our second segment, Jim was asked about how best to influence congress. Later on, Jim was asked to comment on the liability indemnification issue surrounding Spaceport America & Virgin Galactic. Our domestic economic situation came up many times in both segments but in this segment, it was applied to problems with our weather satellite system & infrastructure needs as opposed to flying missions. This included mention of the Hurricane Sandy relief package just passed by Congress. Other issues talked about included the aerospace skilled workforce, parochial congressional interests, the NASA bureaucracy, & the role of space advocacy.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog above. You can email Mr. Muncy through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Open Lines, Tuesday, 1-15-13 January 16, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Neil Armstrong, A123 battery sale to China, Apollo 11, congressional appropriations, Falcon Heavy, Falcon Heavy Pad changes at the Cape, Icarus Interstellar, ITAR, Microlaunchers, NASA budget issues, Open Lines, Pegasus launches, PETA, quantum vacuum, Robert H. Johnson Planetarium, Rocky Flats., sequestration, SLS, Tea Party In Space, Vandenberg AFB launches, vegetarian food for Mars, Warp Drive
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Open Lines, Tuesday, 1-15-13
Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: This was a wide ranging discussion on many space topics & related issues. 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 talked about many topics and issues on this 2 hour 40 minute program. In the first segment, ITAR reform was discussed and Andrew of the Tea Party In Space in his discussion also advocated for the resumption of manufacturing Plutonium 238. We got caught off but he called back in the second segment. Charles called to advocate for small markets & an incremental approach. He continues working on Microlaunchers. John from Atlanta called to talk about strange lights over Detroit. We had a good time talking about the mysterious Detroit sightings which you can easily see pictures of & find out more if interested with a very simple Google search. John also wanted to talk about our recent advanced propulsion program about warp drive and interstellar physics. If you have not heard that program from Jan. 4, 2013, I strongly recommend you do listen to it. Space budget, economic and sequestration issues came up in this segment as well. We also talked about the bankruptcy sale of special battery company A123 to China and the fact that this includes sensitive military technology. Listeners expressed a variety of opinions about this matter. Perri provided us with this Forbes story on the matter: www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/12/12/china-wins-u-s-loses-in-a123-bankruptcy. I also read a PR statement from a group opposing the sale to China.
In our longer second segment, Andrew called back and we talked about economic issues in congress, SLS, Golden Spike, and building relationships with staffers in congress to better advocate for space. Tim called from Huntsville to tell us about the absurd PETA, Elon Musk and vegetarian issue arising about the food people will eat on Mars. You can read about it at these locations:
http://rt.com/usa/news/space-mars-musk-people-595
and
http://betabeat.com/2013/01/elon-musk-would-like-you-to-know-i-am-not-the-kale-eating-overlord-of-mars
. Based on this story, we got several listener comments on PETA, Martian food, and space nutrition. In fact Doug called to say that he thought early Mars missions would likely be vegetarian just for mass and technical reasons. Our last caller was Perri who wanted to talk about the need to refurbish and bring back to life the excellent Colorado teaching planetarium, the Robert H. Johnson Planetarium in Jefferson County. Perri provided us with lots of good information on this planetarium and its refurbishment needs. She also talked about food consolidation problems in the U.S. and globally, plus a host of other matters, including the plutonium issue which was mentioned in the first segment. Here, she told us about the Rocky Flats Cold War Museum based on The Rocky Flats Nuclear Plant. The museum is also in Jefferson County, CO. For more information, visit www.rockyflatscoldwarmuseum.org. If you want to connect with Perri about the planetarium or any of the other issues she mentioned, you can email her through me.
You can also email all our callers through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog.
