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John Strickland, Monday, 3-19-13 March 20, 2013

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John Strickland, Monday, 3-19-13

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1977-BWB-2013-03-19.mp3

Guest:  John Strickland.  Topics:  NSS, ISDC, space settlement, SSP, launcher reusability & 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 back John Strickland for this two hour discussion on a wide range of topics of interest to the NewSpace, commercial space, and space settlement audiences.  John started out by talking about the upcoming NSS ISDC Conference in San Diego from May 23-27.  For more information visit the NSS website, www.nss.org and click on the ISDC link.  Some tracks are still open for submitting abstracts so if this interests you, click on the appropriate link at the ISDC site.  During this part of our discussion, John talked about the NSS Roadmap and the planned coverage of it at ISDC 2013.  John was then asked about the deep space commercial and Mars ventures announced in 2012 and so far this year.  He said they were helpful to the overall space settlement agenda and explained how in his discussion comments.  He added that the Mars missions and Golden Spike were “laudable” but suggested we may not be ready by the time the projects give for doing the venture. He later said he would have spent the money differently.  Don’t his miss all his comments on these new commercial and HSF missions to Mars.  Our conversation then focused on the problems of sequestration and then John talked about heavy lift and SLS.  Our next discussion topic was Space Solar Power (SSP).  Here, John took us through a detailed analysis of why terrestrial solar and wind is not the best way to go, then he went through some of the characteristics of SSP and why it is the preferred way to acquire much of our energy. This is a detailed and at times marginally complex discussion but one you will want to hear.  In the end, he suggested we delay until we have the bigger launchers such as Falcon Heavy or bigger to make the launch component more economical.  His analysis included total energy needs for a city, Texas, the U.S., globally, etc.  It is a very instructive discussion.  Near the end, he said we should not put all our eggs in one energy source basket.  Listen to his solid explanation for this suggestion.

In our second segment, John talked about launcher reusability and more regarding SSP.  He introduced us to space logistics, commercial docking with cargo to the ISS, & the need for reusable deliveries, thus the RLV.  From here, he talked about fuel depots, mostly at Earth-Moon L1 and L2.  He explained the boil off problem, the cryogenic transfer problem, and the need for good insulation plus a cryo cooler.  Other issues in this segment addressed a lunar base, plausible time lines for accomplishing much of what our guest talked about, the Chinese space program and the complicated US-China relationship.  Near the end, a listener asked about a possible Texas spaceport per suggestions of SpaceX.  Tim called just before the end of the show to talk fuel depots, types of propellant for the depots and then he mentioned the VAPAK process (see http://ralph.open-aerospace.org/PDF/2009.04.14%20-%20HCG%20White%20Paper%20-%20VaPak%20Overview.pdf.)

If you have questions/comments, please post them on The Space Show blog.  To contact John Strickland, send your email through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.

Dr. George Robinson, Tuesday, 2-26-13 February 27, 2013

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Dr. George Robinson, Tuesday, 2-26-13

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1959-BWB-2013-02-26.mp3

Guest: Dr. George Robinson.  Topics:  Human species survival via space habitation BLEO.  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 back Dr. George Robinson to the show to discuss the imperative of human space development and the need to migrate to space and BLEO for human species survival.  During the first segment of our 1 hour 55 minute program, Dr. Robinson put forth the basics supporting human species survival through space migration and permanent space habitation.  During this initial segment, he introduced us to many concepts and components that support space migration.  For example, we talked about the need for the creation of a unique private sector, specifically a cyber sovereign company or venture.  Our guest also talked about these issues from the point of view of his being an evolutionary biologist with a background in biology and chemistry and serving as an evolutionary biologist throughout his legal, teaching, consulting and business career.  Listeners asked our guest about space settlement as opposed to space migration and George explained the difference.  Our guest also talked about species extinction and said humans were no exception to the threat of species extinction which is why species survival has become an important issue, one even considered by NASA, DARPA, and other national and international government agencies.  Dr. Robinson introduced us to the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST) and their October 2012 White Paper, “The Justification for Human Space Development and Habitation Beyond Low Earth Orbit: An Invitation for an Open National and Global Dialogue.”  You can download this paper at http://www.eaglehill.us/subscriberSPAEVO/pdfs-policy-series/SPAEVO-policy-1.pdf.  George supports the paper but does not think NASA is in a position to do this and in fact supports replacing NASA with a more nationally directed international space agency working toward species survival and space migration.  The role of those not migrating to space was also discussed as they too have an important part to play in species survival.  As this segment ended, George got a question about the newly proposed human Mars 501 day orbital loop flight.  George suggested better options to support species survival & migration.

In our second segment, Dr. Robinson went into more detail about a cyber sovereign entity and the role of the private sector, plus the need for a unique global private sector. He further developed the role of the population in species survival, specifically for those not migrating to space.  He received questions about current leadership and leadership challenges both here and around the world.  We talked about public perception, species survival and space migration as hard sell issues to the public and our leaders.  The need to have risk capital was discussed.  In the context of risk capital, we talked about U.S. & global economic problems & the risk of excessive government regulation.  As our program was ending, Dr. Robinson and I talked about the white paper recommendation for a national and global dialogue regarding these issues.

If you have comments/questions, post them on The Space Show blog.  If you want to contact Dr. Robinson or the SPST or the Journal of Space & Evolution, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.

Tom Olson, Monday, 12-31-12 January 1, 2013

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Tom Olson, Monday, 12-31-12

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1921-BWB-2012-12-31.mp3

2012 Year End Review & Analysis for Space Development

Guest:  Tom Olson.   Topics: The year 2012 is reviewed from the space perspective and we look forward to space development in 2013.  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 back Tom Olson for his annual Space Show year in review analysis with a look forward to 2013 for space development.  We started our discussion by remembering those in our space community that are no longer with us. We specifically mentioned three dear friends though we know that others have also left us.  Our program was dedicated to Neil Armstrong, Jesco von Puttkamer, and Reda Anderson.  We certainly miss our friends but space development marches on like everything else in life.  A few of the early issues Tom brought up in the 2012 annual overview of space included the Falcon 9 launches and Dragon missions.  He also talked about ISDC and birthing of Dragon during the keynote by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden.  While on the subject of SpaceX and its mission to the ISS, Paul sent in a question asking if SpaceX dropping out of the Stratolauncher project indicated that perhaps they had “bitten off more than they could chew.”  Tom and I have no inside information about SpaceX and Stratolaunch but we both thought that Paul’s comment was reasonable as SpaceX is certainly busy enough with game changing projects & technology.  Cubesats were discussed given their rise in popularity and importance in 2012. It seems as if their potential is more than on the rise!  Cubesat growth also cuts across many diverse space industry segments and niche markets.  Bev asked about the future of 3-D printing and its potential impact on future human spaceflight (HSF). 3-D printing is certainly experiencing space industry growth & there will soon be a small 3-D printer on the ISS.  Heavy lift came up and much was said about the Falcon Heavy and SLS, both looking back over 2012 & forward to 2013.

In our second segment, I asked if fuel depots would evolve from the Power Point & rhetoric stage to something more tangible in 2013.  We talked about depots as many of the projects announced in 2012 use depot technology to enable their plan.  Tom talked about warp drive becoming more possible due to the 2012 work of Dr. Sonny White.  Dr. White will be a guest on The Space Show Friday, January 4, 2013.  Tom next brought up NASA budget issues & possible cuts.  He talked about science mission cuts, the JWST, and on the HSF side, SLS eating up much of the budget with commercial crew still needing funding.  I asked Tom how he thought space advocacy made out during 2012.  Mixed was a one word summary of this discussion.  Next, we talked about space settlement being made part of the U.S. space policy in 2013.  Tom went over the pros & cons surrounding this effort. Doug called in about space settlement & I referred him to earlier programs with Steve Wolfe who authored the Space Settlement Act of 1988 which is part of public law.  Tom said space settlement was SLS dependent & that makes the potential policy controversial to many space enthusiasts since many oppose SLS.  Tom said 2012 was a good year for new commercial space grandiose missions such as Golden Spike, Planetary Resources, Mars One, a lunar base, Shackleton Energy, even EML2 missions.  He kept asking the questions regarding objectives, who pays, the reasons for the missions, and more. He said most of these missions rely on some form of large launcher, either the Falcon Heavy SLS.  Tom talked about ITAR reform that has been signed by both houses of Congress & is applicable to the U.S. satellite industry.  Human rating of the Atlas came up for a 2012 progress report, then Dave in San Antonio inquired about cyber warfare & the space industry in 2012 & the future.  2012 marked the year the space shuttles went on display in museums & Tom talked about the Russian space program investments for modernization over the coming decade. He also talked about other national space programs.  Near the end of our program, we brought up the Spaceport America liability issue & the risks facing the New Mexico spaceport.  Tom updated us for 2013 on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition & his work with the Exodus Group for space business consulting.

Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog.  You can email Tom through drspace@thespaceshow.com.

Mark Whittington, Sunday, 2-26-12 February 26, 2012

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Mark Whittington, Sunday, 2-26-12

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1721-BWB-2012-02-26.mp3

Guest: Mark Whittington.  Topics: Space Budgets, policy, & politics.  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 Mark Whittington back to the show for this 2.5 hour wide ranging discussion on space budgets, the economy, space policy and space politics, plus economic issues facing the nation and others around the world.  We also talked about space perspectives of all those running for president including President Obama and the Republican party challengers.  Mark talked about two article he wrote that were pertinent to our discussion.  These articles are (1) “Moon Base Supporters Struggle to Justify the Project:”

www.examiner.com/space-news-in-houston/moon-base-supporters-struggle-to-justify-the-project; and (2) “A Lunar Exploration Reading List for Mitt Romney:”

www.examiner.com/space-news-in-houston/a-lunar-exploration-reading-list-for-mitt-romney.  In our first segment of 45 minutes, we talked about Texas space politics & redistricting, the Johnson Space Center, & the proposed FY 13 budget.  Mark suggested Congress would rewrite most of the budget but that the Senate would likely not pass a budget so we would end up on CR.  I asked Mark how that would lead to programs being cancelled such as ExoMars if we are still on CR as those programs are embedded in the CR from year to year.  Mark described the process through administrative acts by NASA, Congress, or the President re cancellation, and what the Appropriations Committee would have to do to avoid them. For the most part, more money would need to be found for NASA but that was not likely. Mark talked about what constitutes commercial saying that for something to be really commercial, it has to be able to fail. We compared today’s commercial space programs to gov. programs in terms of Mark’s criteria.  Listeners asked about SLS & Orion, wondering if it & when SLS would be cancelled. The idea of a lunar base was discussed in light of the comments made a few weeks ago in the Florida debate by Newt.  Mark also talked about what he thought might be the space policy of the other candidates though not that much is known other than for Newt, Mitt, and President Obama.  Mark talked about cutting out other budgetary items to make room for a quality space program & he highlighted the high speed rail program.

In our long second segment, Marshall called with a question about the original Mercury astronauts still alive.  We  talked some about human factors, microgravity, and life support issues.  Listeners asked about the Chinese space program & their military buildup.  Here, I referenced the recent congressional testimony of Ronald Burgess, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.  The article I referenced is at http://bigthink.com/ideas/42630.  Mark spoke at length about exploration, citing his favorite history story involving Prince Henry The Navigator of Portugal. Jim asked Mark that if he believed commercial space was the best path forward & that SLS was a bad idea, how would he go about getting more support for commercial space even at the expense of SLS.  Mark offered some concrete ideas in response to Jim’s question. John from Billings sent in a few notes & then later called to talk about why there is such an argument about SRBs as compared to liquid rocket motors.  Challenger was mentioned along with Constellation but mainly Mark said that people’s behavior tends to find ways to support their beliefs. Terry, another Texan like Mark, called to ask why Sen. Hutchinson so strongly opposes commercial space.  Mark offered a pretty good answer.  Risk taking, more on SLS, Dream Chaser & the CST 100 were discussed along with the new project, Stratolaunch. As our program drew to a close, I asked Mark to summarize space policy for 2012 which he did do but then more questions came in.  Becky wanted Mark to connect the dots vis a vis our economy & how this might impact NASA & all space development.  This led to quite a little economic discussion with Mark, myself, and Dr. Jurist who called in about that time.  As usual, I went off on my rant about space as an investment, not an expense.  Jack got in the last word asking for three key events impacting space for 2012 other than the election.  Mark said the upcoming Space X flight, what Congress does with the budget, and the planned Chinese mission later this year.  In his concluding remarks, Mark talked about the economic options facing the country & he left us with a few points to consider.  He urged us to participate in Town Hall meetings and ask the candidates space questions.

If you have comments/questions please post them The Space Show blog.  Marks blog, Curmudgeons Corner, is at http://curmudgeons.blogspot.com.

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