Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: Altius Space Machines, benefit sharing, Columbus expedition, Compactly-Stowable Long-Reach Spacecraft Robotic Manipulators (arms), DARPA, Direct to Station Deliveries, Gecko Gripper Touch-to-Grasp tool, ISS, Jon Goff, JPL, Kickstarter., Lunar Patent, Microsat free flyer, Moon Treaty, Plug and Play, robotic mission, satellite servicing, Selenian Boondocks Blog, space property rights, Spain, Sticky Boom, U.N. space treaties. MINION Project.
Jon Goff, Friday, 3-15-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1974-BWB-2013-03-15.mp3
Guest: Jon Goff. Topics: The Lunar Patent concept and Altius Space Machines company updates. 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 Jon Goff, President and CEO of Altius Space Machines, back to The Space Show for this 60 minute discussion focusing both on the idea of a lunar patent and Altius company projects and updates. I suggest you read and follow along with these websites and blogs: http://selenianboondocks.com; http://altius-space.com, and Jon’s blog article about the lunar patent concept http://selenianboondocks.com/2013/01/random-thoughts-columbus-article-link-and-lunar-patents. For the first part of our hour long discussion with Jon, we focused on the lunar patent idea. Jon got the idea to write about it on his blog from Mike Mealling’s own blog post on his RocketForge blog, “Lessons in exploration from Columbus and the Spanish Crown” at http://rocketforge.org/2013/01/10/lessons-in-exploration-from-columbus-and-the-spanish-crown.html. Jon spent time with us going over the history of how and why the Spanish crown put forth the Columbus expedition which he said was all about getting patents along the trade routes. Jon applied this concept to lunar development explaining how it might work. He also suggested this might be an end run around the absence of property rights and the terms of the U.N. space treaties. Listeners asked questions about how a patent might work, would it need to be issued by an international entity to be enforceable, and how could it be enforced. This brought up the question of benefit sharing and terms & concepts such as those found in the Moon Treaty. Jon said he was interested in feedback, especially from the space legal community so please share your thoughts on The Space Show blog. During the balance of our time with Jon, he told us about his company plans, new ideas, SBIRs, and SAA agreements to develop a new breed of robotic arms. We talked about tools for satellite service and possible ISS free flyers. Jon told us about their project with Nanoracks, DARPA, and JPL. He also described MINION which is a project with NASA LArc for an extendable/retractable arm that could operate inside the ISS. You can read about this project on Jon’s Selenian Boondocks blog. A listener asked him about using Kickstarter for funding new projects and another listener was interested in hearing more about Jon’s plans for Altius in the future.
If you have comments/questions for Jon Goff, please post them on The Space Show blog. You can reach Jon through the Altius website, his blog, or through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: "John Klein" rock, : John Batchelor, CheMin instrument, Curiosity drilling operations, Dr. David Livingston, Dr. Dorothy Oehler, Gail Crater, John Batchelor Hotel Mars, JPL, Mars Curiosity., Martian wet environments, Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument., unpredictable Martian rocks
John Batchelor “Hotel Mars,” Wednesday, 2-13-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1950-BWB-2013-02-13.mp3
Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Dorothy Oehler, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Near Earth Objects and Asteroid 2012 DA14. 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. Written 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 do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. During our 11 minute plus discussion with Dr. Oehler, we talked about Curiosity’s successful drilling on Mars re the “John Klein” rock. We talked about the process, the significance, possible findings, and pending analysis, plus the uniqueness of this incredible first time ever drilling operation. We also talked about the Curiosity decision making process at JPL.
Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: CCI Games, citizen science, Dr. William Bainbridge, EVE Online, frontier development, Galaxy Zoo, gaming, JPL, NASA, NASA story telling, nuclear propulsion, pioneering, science fiction, Sean Smith (Vile Rat), space economic issues, Space Futures Space Survey, space industry knowledge and perceptions, space policy, The Committee for the Future, the next fifty years in space, The Syncon Process, U.S. space leadership, Vile Rat., virtual reality
Dr. William Bainbridge, Friday, 2-8-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1946-BWB-2013-02-08.mp3
Guest: Dr. William Bainbridge. Topics: The Space Futures Space Questionnaire about space exploration and the next fifty years. 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. William Bainbridge to the program to discuss the Space Futures project which is to help define the future of space our space program for the next fifty years. Perceptions of informed, interested, and space conscious individuals are sought for the Space Futures space questionnaire. The questionnaire is based on years of prior research conducted by Dr. Bainbridge as well as other more recent surveys. You can read about the Space Future Questionnaires (different platforms are available for it) at http://convergentsystems.pbworks.com/w/page/16444389/FrontPage. If you use the Droid platform, click on the links that allow you download a free Droid APP which enables you to instantly transmit your survey responses to the survey data base. For everyone else, you can download the survey as a Word document which you can complete online and email to Dr. Bainbridge. The Word document questionnaire with 300 questions is at http://convergentsystems.pbworks.com/w/file/62227159/Space%20email%20survey.doc. Make sure you click on the DOWNLOAD tab in the upper left corner. There is a shorter 200 question Word document questionnaire on The Space Show blog. During our discussion, Dr. Bainbridge provided us with the history of this project, how the information has been and is now collected, processed, and used. We also talked about the importance of space aware people taking the time to complete the questionnaire. Lots of listeners asked Dr. Bainbridge questions about who should participate from Middle School students to those in the general population to people outside the U.S. All groups are welcome but as you will hear, it is very important to get the perceptions and opinions of those that have knowledge and expertise about space exploration and development. We talked about question groupings such as around topics including the Moon or Mars. We discussed changing trends overtime and current influences on our opinions such as today’s economic problems. I brought up the decades old Syncon Process and how some attitudes and perceptions are even stronger today than they were decades ago with Syncon. For example, attitudes including space benefitting all of humanity and more. This topic took us toward the virtual world, gaming to help increase space awareness and expertise. I mentioned the recent discussion re the lunar space elevator program this past Monday regarding CCI Games in Iceland. This was our cliff hanger as we went to our break waiting for Dr. Bainbridge’s comments about his being involved with CCI Games.
In our second segment of this 1 hr. 45 minute program, Dr. Bainbridge talked about his research with the CCI gaming product, EVE Online as he plays the game. He had much to say about the space awareness of this game and the team in Iceland that created it. He also said that Sean Smith, one of those slain in the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya was a player of EVE Online. His game name was “Vile Rat” and there is a huge outpouring of support and comments about him on the internet. Google Vile Rat to see these comments & news stories. We talked about other scientific games and new technologies for developing a space consciousness and expertise about space exploration. We talked about space and innovation along with frontier development, pioneering & what it means to both continue it or stop it for the future of a nation. John called to talk with Dr. Bainbridge about his surprise in taking the survey in finding out he was potentially more pessimistic about the future than he had thought he was because like so many others, he had expectations for more advancement in space exploration, development, even settlement than what exists with our present day reality. Dr. Bainbridge helped put these thoughts and realizations into context with our actual space exploration and development over the past decades. It’s a fascinating discussion and analysis, don’t miss it. Near the end of the program, a listener asked how to realize space as an investment rather than just another government expense item. We talked about better story telling by everyone concerned. Dr. Bainbridge also linked the survey questionnaires to this question because the results will help pinpoint our space insights along with the value stream. While there is a March 1 questionnaire due date, this is not a hard date and Dr. Bainbridge encouraged people to participate, even if later than March 1. Also, if someone wants hard copies of the questionnaire to distribute at a space conference or other event, perhaps even a Meetup, you can contact him for copies or you can download the questionnaire from the links provided above. Another idea is to make a simple flyer with the basic information and the URLs for space or related event distribution. I did the 300 questionnaire Word document and can’t wait to see the analysis. I certainly plan on bringing Dr. Bainbridge back to the program to discuss the project findings.
Please post your comments/questions on the blog. If you do the questionnaire, share your thoughts with us on the blog. If you want to contact Dr. Bainbridge, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
The shorter 200 question survey is available for download here:
Space Futures questionnaire
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: : John Batchelor, Asteroid 2012 DA14, asteroid deflection, Dr. Don Yeomans, Earth threatening asteroids, John Batchelor Hotel Mars, JPL, Keyhole, NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office, optical telescopes
The John Batchelor Show Hotel Mars, Wednesday, 2-6-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1945-BWB-2013-02-06.mp3
Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Don Yeomans, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Near Earth Objects and Asteroid 2012 DA14. 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. Written 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 do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.
During our 11 minute plus discussion with Dr. Don Yeomans of the NASA Near Earth Object Program Office at JPL, we talked about the 17,500 mile approach to Earth of Asteroid 2012 DA14. This asteroid will be this close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. We discussed the asteroid’s orbit, possible collision with our satellites, and how we might deflect or mitigate the damage of an object this size that might be headed for Earth impact. This particular asteroid is probably made of rock and has a 45 meter diameter. Dr. Yeomans also talked about the search for potential NEOs that could impact the Earth, breaking the search down by the size of the space object. Our guest suggested the best viewing spots for trying to see Asteroid 2012 DA14 but unfortunately the sites are not in the U.S. To really see it, one would need binoculars or a telescope.
Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: " Phobos Grunt Mission, Bigelow Aerospace habitats, COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy, Curiosity, Dr. Catharine Conley, Europa, flyby missions, Gale Crater, HSF to Mars, human settlement on Mars, ISS, JPL, Mars, Mars meteorites, Mars Oasis, Mars sample return mission, Moon, MSL, NASA Planetary Protection Office, NEOs, New Horizons Mission, Outer Space Treaty, Planetary Defense, Planetary Protection Mission Categories, planetary quarantine, terreforming, UV Light, Venus, Viking, Voyager missions
Dr. Catharine Conley, Monday, 10-8-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1868-BWB-2012-10-08.mp3
Guest: Dr. Catharine Conley. Topics: NASA & international planetary protection policy, methodology, & applications. You are invited to comment, ask questions, & discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, & any discussion must be relevant & 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. Catharine Conley, NASA’s Planetary Protection Officer to the show for a comprehensive discussion on the subject of planetary protection. Planetary Protection is concerned with preventing the transfer of life between planetary bodies. For more information, visit the NASA Planetary Protection website at http://planetaryprotection.nasa.gov. Dr. Conley started our discussion with the definition of planetary protection, followed by a brief history dating back to the Apollo missions & planetary quarantine. Dr. Conley talked extensively about microbes & their survival. One of the points she made in response to a question was just how friendly the very cold temperatures of space could be for microbes. On the other hand, radiation & the UV light are the enemies of microbial survival. We talked about a Mars sample return mission, what safety precautions would be taken, & then our guest was asked about using the ISS or the Moon as a quarantine lab to protect Earth. You will hear why this is not a good idea & later when asked about using a Bigelow habitat as a planetary protection lab since it would not be a government lab, our guest applied the same reasoning. Dr. Conley talked about the Viking missions as the most stringent ever for planetary protection. In terms of the methodology, we talked about how a mission is prepared for planetary protection, the probability of contamination, & I asked about cost-benefit analysis & the value of added costs & more time for planetary protection if the probability of contamination was so low. As you will hear, building in planetary protection starting with the concept stage is not a significant contributor to costs as its usually less than 1% of mission costs. We also talked about protocols for a NEO mission, the New Horizons mission on the way to Pluto, & missions to other planets & flyby missions. Next, our guest addressed issues with Mars Science Lab & Curiosity. Near the end of the first segment, we talked about international protocols, Article 9 of the OST, & the international COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy. Dr. Conley talked about international space agency adherence to the policy, country by country. Viruses & extra-terrestrial life possibilities brought us to the close of this segment.
In our second segment, Dr. Conley talked about the need for public awareness & educational outreach regarding planetary protection. Listeners asked about human flights to Mars, even one way flights. Don’t miss this discussion. Did you know that it is very likely that humans will be restricted as to where they can go on Mars based on planetary protection policy? Or, by the time we send humans to Mars, we will have learned enough about Mars so that the human part regarding planetary protection will not prove to be much of a threat or risk. We talked about terreforming, what to do with a crew member death on Mars & being able to bury the body, then we talked about planetary protection policy among the NASA centers. Near the end, our guest was asked about the Phobos-Grunt mission & the Russian adherence to planetary protection policies. We inquired about Mars meteorites here on Earth & future missions being worked on with the planetary protection office including two Mars missions & the concept of a Europa mission.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to contact Dr. Conley, send your note to me & I will forward it to her.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: " EDL, " Mars Czar, " SpaceX, "Exploring Mars, "Faster, airbags, Better, Cheaper, Congress, cosmic ray radiation, Curiosity, Deimos., Dr. Scott Hubbard, Elon Musk, human spaceflight, JPL, Mars advocacy, Mars ascent stage, Mars Polar Lander (MPL), Mars Program Director, Mars robotic missions, Mars sample return mission, Mars science missions, Mars water, MarsClimate Orbiter (MCO), microgravity, NASA, NASA planetary science budget, OMB, Phobos, private sector Mars missions
Dr. Scott Hubbard, Sunday, 9-2-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1846-BWB-2012-09-02.mp3
Guest: Dr. Scott Hubbard. Topics: Our Mars mission projects from the perspective of our first NASA Mars Czar. 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. Welcomed Dr. Scott Hubbard to the program to discuss his new book, “Exploring Mars: Chronicles From A Decade Of Discovery.” If your buy the book using the following Amazon URL, Amazon will make a donation to The Space Show/OGLF:
www.amazon.com/Exploring-Mars-Chronicles-Decade-Discovery/dp/0816528969/ref=onegiantlea20. In our first segment, Dr. Hubbard talked about being selected as the first Mars Program Director after we lost both the MarsClimate Orbiter (MCO) and the Mars Polar Lander (MPL). He also told us the story of how he got dubbed the first Mars Czar. His story is fascinating, from how he was asked to do this by then NASA Administrator Dan Goldin to what the Blue Ribbon Panels said about why we lost both MCO and MPL. We talked at length about the lessons learned from these losses, the review panels, and from the Faster, Better, Cheaper program strategy. Given Dr. Hubbard’s experience as the program director, I asked lots of questions about getting program approval and keeping that approval over time with Congress. Dr. Hubbard was most insightful about this process. Other related topics discussed in this segment included risk, planetary science budgets, private sector companies such as SpaceX, and mission oversight and its cost. We talked about private missions to Mars and what is referred to as the Holy Grail for Mars missions, a sample return mission. We went into some detail regarding the sample return mission and Dr. Hubbard let us know why it was so important as well as to outlining a three part strategy for doing a Mars sample return mission. As our segment ended, we talked about internationalization of our Mars mission programs.
In our second segment, Dr. Jurist asked our guest for some comparisons with the robots versus humans to Mars missions. You do not want to miss what Dr. Hubbard said in reply to this set of questions. Doug called in to inquire about cost comparisons for more robots over one human mission. Doug also raised some interesting points about the sample return mission planning. I then asked our guest about advocate lobbying for Mars and space policy and if it was effective given his experience with Congress, staffers, and the legislative process. The value proposition issue came up in this segment regarding both robotic and human missions. A listener then asked about the focus on space settlement by several advocate organizations and many in the NewSpace community. Don’t miss what Dr. Hubbard had to say about settlement as a goal, especially when compared to exploration as a NASA goal. Toward the end, I asked about the follow the water theme throughout his book and why that was so important for the Mars missions to date. As we learned, the next phase of Mars missions will likely focus on the fingerprints of life, following the signs that may lead to discovering organics or even more. As our discussion was ending, we did talk about finding life on Mars & educational outreach.
Please post your comments/questions on the blog. If you want to email Dr. Hubbard, send your note to me for forwarding.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: " SpaceX, "How To Be A Rocket Scientist, "NASA And We Know It.", Art Dula, Curiosity, Dr. Robert (Bob) Zubrin, Elon Musk, Falcon Heavy, heavy lift, JPL, Mars program, Mars Society, Megantic Observatory, NANOSAT Challenge, nuclear rocket propulsion, Open Lines, Outer Space Treaty, presidential space policy, Propellant Depots, sequestration, SLS, space policy leadership, STEM outreach
Open Lines, Tuesday, 8-21-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1838-BWB-2012-08-21.mp3
Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Space policy, STEM, Curiosity, Mars Society Conference, SLS, heavy lift, sequestration, & 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. As I started the first segment of this 2 hour plus Open Lines program, I identified some news items suggesting that some listeners might be interested in discussing them. Not so. Our first caller, Patrick from Quebec, debriefed us on the Mars Society Conference in Pasadena, the Curiosity landing & JPL as well as some of the main conference keynote speakers. You can see the videos of all the keynote speakers from this conference at
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL57B8D5FFF5B55A62. In telling us about the conference, Patrick focused in on the talk given by Elon Musk. Later, Patrick mentioned his visit to the largest ground based optical telescope on the East Coast, the Megantic Observatory. Charles Pooley called in next to continue to raise issues about the NASA Nanosat Challenge. If anyone knows anything about it, do let us know.
We started the second segment with a call from Brett in Philadelphia to talk about his efforts in STEM and student space outreach. Check out the website he talked about regarding “How to be a Rocket Scientist or Aerospace Engineer” at
www.squidoo.com/how-to-be-a-rocket-scientist-or-aerospace-engineer. Your suggestions on additions to his lists are welcome. Our next caller, Doug from S. California, offered us some comments from the recent program featuring Chris Carberry and humans to Mars. He talked about going back to the Moon but as part of a mission to Mars. He also talked about the Carberry comments regarding the upcoming 50th anniversary of when we left the Moon for the last time, suggesting we turn it into a positive statement for the future. In addition, we talked about the viral JPL video, “We Are Nasa And We Know It” at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFvNhsWMU0c. Our next caller was John from Atlanta. He responded to my request that listeners tell us if they thought space would make it into the presidential campaign as an issue. John did not think it would but check out his comments on this subject. John also took issue with an earlier caller pertaining to Elon’s comments regarding rocket reusability, Falcon Heavy, a reusable Falcon 9, and SLS. Our next topic was sequestration and I talked about the report by Dr. Fuller at George Mason University which details job losses in all states in DOD and space related work if sequestration is allowed to take place. You can download this excellent study/report at
www.aia-aerospace.org/assets/Fuller_II_Final_Report.pdf. As we were drawing to a close, both John and Doug called back to clarify statements and positions spoken about earlier in the program.
Please post your comments on our blog. If you want to email anyone who participated in our discussion, send your note to me and I will forward it to them.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: " Sky Crane, "Seven Minutes of Terror, Curiosity, JPL, large payload landings on Mars, Mars program, Mars Science Lab, Mars Society Conference 2012, Mars Society UK, MDRS, NASA, Pasadena Convention Center, Planetfest 2012, space law, Susan Holden Martin, The Mars Society, The Planetary Society
Susan Holden Martin, Monday, 7-30-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1824-BWB-2012-07-30.mp3
Guest: Susan Holden Martin. Topics: Mars Society 2012 Conference, MSL & Curiosity landing, JPL. 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 Susan Holden Martin, the new Executive Director of The Mars Society, to the program to discuss this year’s conference, the MSL mission & landing, and more. You can follow along with us regarding the conference program at www.marssociety.org/convention2012. The conference is being held in Pasadena, CA from August 3-5 at the Pasadena Convention Center. As our program was an ongoing conference and JPL-Mars Science Lab discussion, I am summarizing our discussion without regard to segments. Note the discussion on conference registration and hotels in the area given the conference begins in just a few days and online registration is now closed. We summarized most of the agenda, highlighted the special programs, panels, and guests, and talked conference logistics. Listeners asked about the Curiosity landing, putting heavy payloads on the surface of Mars, and the Sky Crane which will be used in the landing process. Later in the program, Susan discussed the arrangements with The Planetary Society & their program at the Pasadena Convention Center, Planetfest 2012 which is going on at the same time. We also talked about the Conference banquet, the award to Elon Musk, Falcon 9 models on Amazon (use the OGLF code if you buy one so that Amazon will donate to The Space Show, www.amazon.com/SpaceX-Falcon-Dragon-Flying-Rocket/dp/B006GX14R8/ref=onegiantlea20). Another key part of the conference is direct feed from JPL to see the Curiosity landing Sunday evening, August 5, 10:30 PM PDT. During the last few minutes of the
program, Susan updated us on other Mars Society programs including MDRS, the University Rover Competition, the Musk Observatory, the Mars Society in the UK, and more.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you have conference questions or want to be in touch with Ms. Martin, you can email her at susanm@marssociety.org.
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.
Tags: Commercial Crew, Continuing Resolution, cubesats, Delta IV Heavy, ExoMars, FAA Reauthorization Bill, Falcon Heavy, fuel depots, heavy lift, HSF program, human spaceflight regulation, ISS, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Jim Muncy, JPL, Long March 5, Mars program, multiple launch vehicles, NanoSats, NASA FY 13 budget, NASA NanoSat Prize., NASA planetary science, Orion, Responsive Space, sequestration, Space Launch System (SLS)., Space Test Program, space vision, Space X
James (Jim) Muncy, Sunday, 2-19-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1716-BWB-2012-02-19.mp3
Guest: James (Jim) Muncy. Topics: FAA Reauthorization Act, HSF regulation, the NASA FY 13 budget, SLC, Commercial Crew, & 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 Jim Muncy back to the program for a comprehensive two plus hour discussion on a variety of important topics including the FAA Reauthorization Act, the FY 13 proposed budget, SLS, commercial crew, ISS utilization, and much more. We started out discussing the three year renewal of the 2004 Act that minimized HSF regulation to afford the industry the opportunity to get started, obtain real time safety information, and to do better and more accurate downstream safety regulation as it evolves. During this discussion, Jim had much to say about flight safety for the crew, participants, and third parties. Next, we jumped into Jim’s perspective on the FY 13 budget proposal for NASA. He said it did a fairly good job of balancing competing interests and pressures, including the continued support of congressional favorites such as SLS, Orion, and the JWST. Much of this first hour long segment was about the budget process, why NASA gets the amount of money it receives, why congress does not do more for NASA per the wishes of many in our community, and that the NASA budget likely does a good job of representing the public’s interest in these programs based on the feedback received from constituents by our elected representatives. Later in the segment, Jim focused in on the ORS, the STP program, and potential sequestration cuts due early next year, and fuel depots as an alternative to heavy lift.
In the second longer segment, Jerry called in and the conversation changed to selecting only one commercial crew provider when we really should have multiple vehicles. Boeing was talked about as a commercial company and the potential selected company. Jack sent us an email asking Jim for his opinion on the three 2012 tipping points for NewSpace. He also asked about cubesats and the NASA $2-million NanoSat dedicated launcher prize. Kim emailed us about the Mars program cuts and Jim had much to say about this and how the FY 13 budget was being allocated. Listeners asked about the Falcon Heavy, space vision, Newt’s space program, and even the UN space treaties. As the program was drawing to a close, Jim again talked about SLS and its killing the budget along with the JWST. When asked if other national space agencies were trying to open the frontier and develop commercial space, he said none were even trying. At the end, he said the success of the upcoming Space X flight to the ISS will be a game changer and this will show that commercial space development is the best path to be on for the future of the space industry.
Post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog per above. You can email Jim at james.muncy@polispace.com.
