Dr. John S. Lewis, Wednesday, 2-20-13 February 24, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: and Planets, Asteroid 2012 DA14, asteroid values, Chelyabinsk meteorite, Chinese launch rate, Chinese Space Program, Comets, Deep Space Industries, DOD data sharing, Dr. John S. Lewis, fireballs, global warming and NEOs, human spaceflight, Martian atmosphere & meteorites, mining terrestrial & space comparisons, moving asteroids, NEO nuclear diversion, NEOs, Planetary Resources, planetary science, science news reporting., University of Arizona
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Dr. John S. Lewis, Wednesday, 2-20-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1955-BWB-2013-02-20.mp3
Guest: Dr. John S. Lewis. Topics: The Chelyabinsk meteorite, Asteroid 2012 DA14, the Chinese program and 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 Dr. John Lewis to discuss recent meteorite impacts, NEO flybys, asteroid minding, the Chinese space program and more. In the first segment of our 90 minute program, Dr. Lewis talked briefly about accepting the position of Chief Scientist for the new company, Deep Space Industries. He also spoke in general terms about this emerging industry. Our initial caller asked Dr. Lewis about his writing science fiction so you will hear about that as well. We then turned our attention to the Chelyabinsk meteorite and the flyby of Asteroid 2012 DA14. Visit www.johnslewis.com for detailed information on these events plus much more. The Russian meteorite was estimated to be about 10,000 tons or the mass of a U.S. Navy cruiser. Dr. Lewis explained why it was not detected before hitting the atmosphere. We then speculated on what would have happened had it come in over a large city such as London. Dr. Lurio called in to talk about his joining Deep Space Industries as the Chief Scientist. Charles also wanted to know about the previous announcements that he would be an advisor for Planetary Resources. Dr. Lewis explained this and corrected misunderstandings regarding the issues addressed by the question. Jack sent in an email seeking mining comparisons here on Earth to those in space given his being in mining country in Virginia. Another listener asked about the potential dollar value of the Chelyabinsk meteorite. In his response, John suggested the best value for using asteroids in space re ISRU. Another question came up about hollowing out an asteroid and using it for HSF travel. Dr. Lewis talked about this idea dating back to 1918 and Robert Goddard. Kelly asked about moving an asteroid to a low lunar orbit and if a human mission to a NEO was a good stepping stone for a human flight to Mars. John had much to say to us on both of Kelly’s questions.
In the second segment, we opened with my asking John about the Chinese space program and their high launch rate. Don’t miss John’s comprehensive answer about both the Chinese military space program and their quasi-civil space program. It was most informative. Next, John told us about an incident when he was 13 years old living in a Boston suburb with what was probably a meteorite coming in overhead that disturbed his entire neighborhood. It’s a fascinating story that illustrates events like we just saw in Russia are fairly common throughout history. Don’t miss this story! Another topic in this segment was the low quality science and news reporting in this country. Dr. Lewis expressed concern about this with some explanations to help us understand the reality of today’s news reporting services. Listener Bruce sent in an email asking about nuclear explosions to deflect a larger asteroid and doing such tests in space. Again, Dr. Lewis had much to say and offer us on this issue. This led to a discussion on detecting Earth-bound NEOs, what sizes we can and cannot detect today, the amount of warning time we might have and more. Near the end of our discussion, Emma in NYC sent in a note asking John what the Chelyabinsk meteorite would have looked like had it come in over a Martian settlement. John’s response was fascinating and very descriptive. Pooley sent in an email with the classic NASA NEO website, http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can reach Dr. Lewis through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com or his own blog per above.
Tom Olson, Monday, 12-31-12 January 1, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Neil Armstrong, " SpaceX, 3 D Printing, Arianne 5, Atlas 5, Boeing CST 100, Chinese Space Program, CubeSat, Curiosity, cyber warfare, Dragon, economics, EML2 missions, entrepreneurial space, ESA, Falcon 9. , Falcon Heavy, Golden Spike, human spaceflight, IAC in Beijing, ISDC, ISS, ITAR modification, Japanese space program, Jesco von Puttkamer, liability laws, lunar base, Mars one, Messenger, MSL, NASA budget, NewSpace Business Plan Competition, North Korean space program, NSS, on orbit fuel depots, Planetary Resources, Reda Anderson, Russian launchers, sequestration, SLS, space capsules, Space Review for 2012, space robotics, Space Settlement Act of 1988, space settlement policy, space shuttles, Spaceport America, Stratolaunch, suborbital flights, Tom Olson, ULA, Virgin, Warp Drive, winged spacecraft, XCOR
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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.
The John Batchelor Show “Hotel Mars,” Wednesday, 11-7-12 November 8, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: : John Batchelor, Commercial Crew, Dawn Mission, Dr. David Livingston, human spaceflight, ISS, NASA programs, NEOs, Obama Space, Orion, Planetary Resources, SLS, Space.com, Tariq Malik, The John Batchelor Show "Hotel Mars, Vesta
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The John Batchelor Show “Hotel Mars,” Wednesday, 11-7-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1889-BWB-2012-11-07.mp3
Guests: John Batchelor, Tariq Malik, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Probable space policy in President Obama’s second term. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. 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 discussion, Tariq Malik of Space.com talked about the probable space policy in the Obama second term. We talked about astronauts going to NEOs, lunar development as a stepping stone, ISS issues, budget risks, and more. John asked about the Dawn Mission and Vesta for a like human spaceflight mission. We asked Tariq how he thought commercial crew programs and COTS would do over the near term, also about SLS and Orion. We also highlighted many of the items that Space.com writer Dr. Mike Wall wrote about in his Space.com article on the subject at www.space.com/18373-presidential-election-obama-nasa-future.html.
If you have questions or comments about this segment, please post them on The Space Show blog above. You can contact Mr. Batchelor or Tariq Malik through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Dr. Jeff Bell, Tuesday, 7-10-12 July 11, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Cold War Space Programs, " SpaceX, "Halfway To Anywhere, aerospace engineering, air breathing motors for space vehicles, asteroid mining, B612 Foundation, Constellation, DCX, domestic economy, Dr. Jeff Bell, Dragon, Falcon 9. , fuel/weight ratios, human spaceflight destinations, human spaceflight rational, Mariner 4, Mars, nuclear propulsion, Pan Starrs Panoramic Survey Telescope, PhD programs & oversupply, Planetary Resources, Project Speed, ramjets, rocket engines, science fiction, scramjets, SLS, Space Shuttle, space shuttle conspiracy & the USSR, space telescopes, space vision, Sputnik Panic, V2, Venus, X30 National Aerospace Plane, X33
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Dr. Jeff Bell, Tuesday, 7-10-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1811-BWB-2012-07-10.mp3
Guest: Dr. Jeff Bell. Topics: Vintage Jeff Bell. We discussed a wide range of space history and current space projects from Dr. Bell’s perspective. 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 the return of Dr. Jeff Bell to The Space Show. This 2.5 hour marathon discussion with Dr. Bell was classic Jeff Bell with space history, his analysis of current projects, new space ideas, NASA, Congress and well, you name it. Dr. Bell had lots to say about many topics and for those of you familiar with Dr. Bell & his analysis, I promise you, you will not be disappointed with this discussion. Those of you new to Dr. Bell, hold onto your seat! Jeff started off with the cold war space history, X-33, and DCX. In doing so, he offered up his critique of the classic space book by G. Harry Stine, “Halfway To Anywhere: Achieving America’s Destiny In Space.” As to be expected, Dr. Bell provided a very hard hitting, factual, and critical analysis of these topics & the book. We also talked about the new company in Florida, Project Speed, and air breathing engines for space vehicles. Dr. Bell spent some time on this analysis including scramjets, ramjets and the National Aerospace Plane. When asked to confirm that little progress was being made from his perspective re space vehicles & even aviation, he cited the current military games going on in Hawaii, referencing the planes being used by the Air Force, Navy, & other military services, all to illustrate by example the points he was making. He put out the fire on nuclear propulsion based on economics & costs, & then in discussing human spaceflight (HSF), like so many others, he said the rational for it was difficult justify to Congress & the taxpayers. A listener asked Jeff he was biased in his analysis. Jeff said he was unbiased in his examination of the facts. This issue surfaced again later during our program. We then talked about a Washington Post article saying that our science field was over populated by excessive PhDs that cannot find work in their discipline (www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-pushes-for-more-scientists-but-the-jobs-arent-there/2012/07/07/gJQAZJpQUW_story.html?hpid=z1). This prompted listeners to reply and John made some excellent points about science PhDs that Jeff missed.
In our second segment, we started off with space visions, including the one from this program, followed by a discussion of the “Sputnik Panic” following theUSSR launch of Sputnik. We both had much to say about this event & its aftermath. Returning to the HSF rational, Jeff said there were two main problems with it. First, the very high cost. Second, the is no place to go that does not require massive technology & support to sustain life. He spent some time elaborating on this & responding to listener comments. Next up, Planetary Resources, asteroid mining, space telescopes, & Earth imaging. Dr. Bell took no prisoners in sharing his analysis with us. He did talk about several serious projects including the B612 project & Pan Starrs. As the program was ending, Dr. Bell had many positive things to say about the recently completed SpaceX Dragon & Falcon 9 flight, & the pork as he called it, SLS. Dr. Bell was very strong & clear in his support for SpaceX and their accomplishments.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above.
Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Tuesday, 7-3-12 July 4, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, Apollo 8, AT&T, B612 asteroid project, bats, Boeing CTS 100, budget sequestration, Cern, Chinese space docking, citizen science projects, climate change, culture on the space frontier, Delta IV Heavy, Dragon Capsule, Dream Chaser, East Coast 2012 heat wave, East Coast power grid outages, electromagnetic pulse (EMP)., Falcon 9 reusability, Falcon 9. , FAR, global warming, government vs. private space, Higgs boson, Lox paraffin hybrid rocket motor/fuel, Mars one, Orbital Sciences Cygnus/Antares, Orion capsule, particle physics, Planetary Resources, public/private partnerships, Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Russian space program, SAA, Skylon, space shuttles, suborbital flights, Telstar 1, white nose fungus
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Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Tuesday, 7-3-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1807-BWB-2012-07-03.mp3
Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Recent space news and announced projects. 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 Bob Zimmerman back to the show. Check out his blog at www.behindtheblack.com. We started off our first long segment (90 minutes) by mentioning the 50th anniversary of Telstar 1, the death of our friend, Al Zaehringer, AT&T and our early space program, plus the word coming from CERN that they may have found the Higgs-Boson particle. I then asked Bob to comment on the global warming statements being made about the current East Coast heat wave, followed by comments by Newt about the power grid outages and a taste of what an EMP would be like. We then turned to space and Bob talked about the recent success with Dragon and Falcon 9. He then talked about government space programs as compared to private programs. Throughout our 135 minute discussion, he reiterated his opposition to space programs, making it clear that he does not want a “program” and why. Let us know on the blog if you agree with him. Bob suggested we were in a period of space revolution and that it would be very exciting over the next five years. He talked about SpaceX compared to the Russians and the Chinese. He did say we were in competition with them for control of space and this led us to a discussion about culture and the space frontier. We talked about recently announced projects, Planetary Resources, Mars One, and one by the B612 Foundation. He thought B612 was the only real one of the three. Terry called from Texas to discuss using an Orion for a LEO mission, the Falcon Heavy for a Moon mission, Delta IV heavy and SLS. Jerry called in from Florida and among our topics were frontier development, the Oregon Trail, the CERN reactor in Switzerland rather than in Texas, and more. No space programs per Bob’s preferences again came up. Let us know your thoughts about these issues on the blog. As the segment ended, Bob was asked about Skylon which was the subject of yesterday’s program.
Tim’s call started our second segment & he asked about a lox paraffin hybrid rocket motor. We also talked about the space shuttle & its capabilities. While Bob praised aspects of shuttle, he said the program was a failure. I did not agree with him but listen and let us know what you think regarding this issue. Note that as the program ended, Martin sent us info on the hybrid motor mentioned earlier by Tim so check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9erCLJ5KVg as Brian Cantwell delivered a presentation at Stanford on the state of the art of hybrid rockets. Bob then updated us on the bat situation with the white nose fungus. As our program ended, Bob talked about upcoming events starting with Orbital’s Cygnus/Antares debut, Dream Chaser and other competitors. He had some brief comments about the suborbital industry and citizen science projects and concluded by saying we were no longer in a holding pattern re commercial space.
If you have comments/questions, please post them on our blog.
Dr. John Lewis, Monday, 5-28-12 May 29, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: asteroid mining, Chinese lunar program, Chinese Space Program, commercial space, Common Heritage of Mankind, Dr. John Lewis, Indian space program, ion propulsion, Konstantin Eduardovitch Tsiolkovsky, Law of the Sea Treaty, lunar mining, Planetary Resources, property rights, Return to the Moon, revenue sharing, space government regulation, space venture capital, The Asteroid Retrieval Feasibility Study, Tsiolkovsky Plan of Space Exploration., West Indies Company
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Dr. John Lewis, Monday, 5-28-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1783-BWB-2012-05-28.mp3
Guest: Dr. John Lewis. Topics: Asteroid mining, Chinese space program. 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 Dr. John Lewis to discuss asteroid mining and the Chinese space program. You can order Mining The Sky: Untold Riches From The Asteroids, Comets, And Planets by Dr. Lewis as we talked about his book throughout our program. If you use this Amazon URL, Amazon will make a donation To The Space Show/OGLF: www.amazon.com/Mining-The-Sky-Asteroids-Planets/dp/0201328194/ref=onegiantlea20. Our first segment focused in on asteroid mining, where are today, its future, legal issues to be settled, risks, and more. Near the end of this segment, we also talked about the Law of the Sea Treaty, the common heritage of mankind and revenue sharing ideas, all of which would be detrimental to asteroid mining and expanding space commerce. Earlier Dr. Lewis referenced the Keck study, The Asteroid Retrieval Feasibility Study which says we can capture a certain size NEO and put it in orbit around the Moon. Dr. Lewis carefully went through the pros and cons of doing this.
In the second segment, Tim called in and continued the revenue sharing and common heritage discussion. Dr. Lewis then cited his family history dating back to 1625 coming from theNetherlands with the West Indies Company, then staying here and moving west rather than returning to theNetherlands. He drew parallels with this and potential space settlement and risk taking. Next, we talked about the Chinese space program, their space station, the upcoming taikonaut launch in June and the fact that they are actually “bending metal” in making hardware for going to the Moon, unlike the Indian program which is still largely talk. Near the end of the segment, we talked about lunar mining, the needed future vision and leadership, the need to be a multi-planet species and why. Our discussion with Dr. Lewis is full of important information so I urge you to carefully listen to this program and use the internet to follow up on many of the topics and issues he brings to our attention. For example, you might find it interesting to see the 1926 Plan of Space Exploration as developed by Tsiolkovsky (www.informatics.org/museum/tsiol.html).
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog.
Todd Halvorson, Friday, 5-18-12 May 18, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Antares, Ares 1, Ares 1X test flight, ATK, Cape Canaveral, Cecil Field, Constellation, Cots, deep space taxi, down selecting, Dr. Mike Griffin, Elon Musk, Falcon 9. , Florida, Florida Today, instantaneous launch window, ISS, Mars Science Lab, NASA budget, NewSpace, old space, Orbital Sciences, Planetary Resources, Return to the Moon, Space Act Agreement, space coast economy, space exploration, Space Launch System (SLS)., space telescope, Space X, spaceports, SRBs, Stratolaunch, Todd Halverson, traditional aerospace, U.S. congress, ULA
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Todd Halvorson, Friday, 5-18-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1777-BWB-2012-05-18.mp3
Guest: Todd Halvorson. Topics: Upcoming Falcon 9 & Dragon launch, Floridaspace policy, NASA & 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 Todd Halvorson, senior aerospace reporter for FLORIDA TODAY & USA TODAY to the show. During our first segment, we mostly discussed the upcoming Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Saturday early morning, May 19 2012. Note that Florida Today is having special coverage and programming starting at 3:30 AM EDT. To tune in, visit www.floridatoday.com. Todd detailed the coverage at the start of our next segment. Also in the initial segment, we talked about Congress, commercial crew, down selecting, the Space Act Agreement, and theU.S. human spaceflight program, such that it is a program. Also mentioned was the SLS program along with Orion, then I asked about the space coast economy per the recent 60 Minutes segment last month. Todd had much to say about the 60 Minutes Segment, especially the visuals they used. Don’t miss it. Listener Jane asked about the differences in policy ideas between NewSpace and the old space crowd, especially the very well known astronauts who are most vocal in support of a more traditional NASA program. Todd had much to say about this and we talked about the future NASA as either a space tax service or an organization that explores BLEO. Another topic of interest dealt with the Chinese space program and going to the Moon. Our listener asked if Chinese space plans might start a space competition with theU.S. We then talked about the FY 13 budget for NASA and the possibility of doubling NASA’s budget as proposed by Dr. Tyson. As the segment ended, we discussed Planetary Resources and sought Todd’s perspective on what has been made public so far.
In the second segment, Todd went into detail about the Florida Today broadcast for the Falcon 9 launch. Terry called in to ask about the ISS GPS issue and then we asked Todd to describe what happens when Dragon gets to the vicinity of the ISS. The process goes on through Wednesday morning. Another listener asked for Todd’s analysis of the space program over his 25 year history of reporting space news. Our next topic honed in so the suborbital companies in Mojave, space tourism, and suborbital research. This discussion included spaceports inFlorida,California,Virginia,New Mexico and elsewhere. As our program was nearing its end, we talked about Constellation, Ares 1, SRBs, Dr. Mike Griffin, SLS, and civility. In his closing comments, Todd again said we should have a space program that explores and is not a space taxi service.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email Todd through the Florida Today website.
Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Monday, 4-30-12 April 30, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: asteroid mining, Commercial Crew, commercial markets, customary international law, down select, Dragon, Earth imaging, Falcon 9. , Federal Acquisition Rules (FAR), Moon Treaty, Outer Space Treaty, Planetary Resources, property rights, Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, SLS, Space Act Agreement, space telescopes, Space X, static test, U.S. congress
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Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Monday, 4-30-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1764-BWB-2012-04-30.mp3
Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Space X static test, Congress & commercial crew, Planetary Resources & space property rights. 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 Bob Zimmerman back to the program to discuss today’s Falcon 9 static test, Congress & commercial crew, and the Planetary Resources announcements of last week. Visit Bob’s website for more information, http://behindtheblack.com. During the first segment, Bob talked about congress and its proposed treatment of commercial crew including down selecting the companies, reducing funding, and moving to the FAR instead of remaining with the Space Act Agreement. Bob got lots of questions about markets in space and why commercial companies need government money in the first place. In this segment, we also talked about the Falcon 9 static test today and its relevance for congress. Bob targeted SLS for discussion. As you will hear, there was not much support for SLS among those of us listening to today’s program.
In the second segment, we talked about the Planetary Resources venture announced last week. Part of our focus was on the 9″ space telescope, its likely uses and resolution. We talked about it for asteroid finding and Earth imaging – with serious reservations. Bob suggested that the real business for the company was in selling the space telescopes to customers wanting that product or service as the mining was still a decade or so out into the future. In talking about the telescope, we discussed pointing, stability, resolution, being placed on the Moon, and less than ideal light coming from the asteroids. In talking about space telescopes, we discussed Hubble and the JWST. In other space news updates, Bob talked about Orbital moving Antares to the pad for its testing and there is an article on his blog about it being seriously over budget: www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/orbital-sciences-development-costs-increase-371291. Another topic we discussed was the Chinese political system and its turmoil, also its economy and how this might impact their space program. Bob had much to say about this as well as India and its space program which he said might prove to be the dark horse in space development. Toward the end of this 2 hour 8 minute program, Michael Listner called in to talk about legal issues for Planetary Resources in their resource extraction stage of development, plus property rights, the Outer Space Treaty and even the impact of the Moon Treaty. Bob and Michael had a spirited debate about these issues, including the potential influence of the Moon Treaty and international customary law which Bob completely dismissed. Michael has an excellent article on the subject at www.spacesafetymagazine.com/2012/04/26/commercial-space-leap-earth-orbit-legal-implications/.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can reach Bob Zimmerman through his website.
Open Lines, Tuesday, 4-24-12 April 25, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Kraft, commercial crew funding cuts, Dragon Capsule, Falcon 9. , HSF, human Mars mission, Inc. asteroid mining, ISS, JSC, launch systems, Mars exploration vs. ocean exploration, Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston, Planetary Resources, SLS, space mission time lines., Space X, specific missions
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Open Lines, Tuesday, 4-24-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1759-BWB-2012-04-24.mp3
Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: asteroid mining, Planetary Resources, Inc. SLS. 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 an Open Lines discussion inviting calls and emails on all space related topics. As it turned out, two topics were primary during the program and as a result of that, I will not summarize this program by segment as I usually do. First, the asteroid mining venture as put forth in the press conference for Planetary Resources, Inc. was primary throughout the program. The second commanding topic was the SLS and Op-Ed in the Houston Chronicle on April 20, 2012 by the JSC former director, Chris Kraft & Tom Moser. You can read the article at www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Space-Launch-System-is-a-threat-to-JSC-Texas-jobs-3498836.php. You can read more about this Op-Ed on Space News at www.spacenews.com/commentaries/120423-fromwires-sls-threat-jsc-jobs.html. Many of the callers throughout the discussion commented on the Op Ed, the SLS, and its future. We also talked about the need for heavy lift, having a specific mission or missions for a rocket, destinations, and a time line for milestone accomplishment. Our first caller was Charles in Las Vegas who commented that he thought Planetary Resources was more “sizzle than steak.” Charles was not supportive of a business model relying on secondary payloads. Instead, he said the company had to control its own launch needs. During our three segments, many listeners said they did not agree with Charles, including me. Many of us thought it was possible to use secondary payloads and during our 105 minute program, we covered this subject with the benefits and risks of relying on others, on sole source providers, etc. As for the Op Ed, we talked about it at length, wondered about the NASA lunar study mentioned by Mr. Kraft as well as the existing rockets that could do HSF to the Moon or beyond LEO. The consensus for those calling tonight’s show was that SLS in its present format using the current management program will probably be cancelled in 2013 or 2014 despite the support Congress appears to be giving it at this time. Mixed in with the SLS calls, we did talk about the new launch date for the Falcon 9, there was lots of interest in asteroid mining and new technology development to make it happen, plus a few other topics that brought to the listeners attention. When we came back from the final break which was at the 90 minute point, I used the remaining time to highlight some of the special upcoming Space Show programs for the rest of this month into early summer.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to email any of the callers or those sending in email questions for this program, send your note to me and I will forward it to you.
