Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Monday, 5-13-13 May 14, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: "Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, Apollo, asteroid retrieval, asteroids, China, Dr. Buzz Aldrin, genetic modification, Hawaii, India, Inspiration Mars, International Luna Development Corporation (ILDC), ISS, leadership, LEO, Leonard David, Mars, Mars Cycler, Moon race, NASA, national security issues, NEOs, One way Mars trips, Phobos, PISCES., pre-positioning supplies on Mars, private-public teaming, Return to the Moon, SLS, space policy, space tourism, technology development, Unified Space Vision, United Strategic Space Enterprise (USSE)
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Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Monday, 5-13-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/2007-BWB-2013-05-13.mp3
Guest: Dr. Buzz Aldrin. Topics: Buzz talks about his Unified Space Vision, Mars settlement and his new book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration.” 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 Buzz Aldrin to discuss his Unified Space Vision (USV) including Martian settlement, plus his new book, “Mission To Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration.” Leonard David was the co-author of the book. Visit www.buzzaldrin.com for more about the book and new, upcoming projects related to the book and the Aldrin vision. The book is available as hardback and as an e-book. If you use either of these links with Amazon to buy the book, Amazon will make a donation to The Space Show/OGLF: (hardback) www.amazon.com/Mission-Mars-Vision-Space-Exploration/dp/1426210175/ref=onegiantlea20 and (Kindle) www.amazon.com/Mission-Mars-Vision-Exploration-ebook/dp/B008EDPMB2/ref=onegiantlea20. During our 94 minute program in one long segment, Buzz started out by describing his Unified Space Vision (USV) and its five main components, exploration, science, development, commercial, & security. Buzz also introduced us to the United Strategic Space Enterprise (USSE) which forms a integral part of his Mars vision. We discussed the role of China, India, Russia, the ISS, and why we should not engage in a Moon race with China. In fact, part of the USV includes an international lunar post but not publicly funded by American taxpayers. John in Hawaii asked about PISCES validating INSITU technologies, then Buzz was asked to explain his Mars cycler concept and orbits. Following this discussion, Dr. Rowe called in to raise specific human factors health concerns regarding dust issues, Moonwalker astronauts EKG results, and down the road genetic modification for long duration spaceflight and settlement. I then asked Buzz about the role of space tourism in his vision as well as the need for SLS. Dr. Paul Deer called in from Cambridge in the UK to ask Buzz about risk taking. Listeners emailed Buzz about the proposed NASA asteroid retrieval mission which Buzz said was a distraction. Don’t miss his comments on this issue. Another listener wanted to know why Phobos rather than Mars. We talked about the ILDC and the concept of the international lunar base as a stepping stone for going on to Mars. We also talked about more uses for the ISS, including inflatables, to support the USV. Near the end of the show, John called Buzz to inquire about the space exploration contribution to student7 youth inspiration, STEM, and science development. Buzz confirmed all of these as beneficiaries of space exploration and development. I urge you to read this book and check back at the Buzz Aldrin website for updates and book/USV related projects.
If you have comments/questions from this show, please post them on The Space Show blog above.
Hu Davis and William (Bill) Ketchum, Sunday, 5-5-13 May 5, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: cryogenic propellant transfer, Falcon Heavy, GEO, Hu Davis, ISS, KIBO Japanese ISS Module, LEO, NASA, nuclear propulsion, orbital refueling, public opinion, Return to the Moon, reusable launch vehicles, SLS, space education, space infrastructure, space policy, space policy advisors, Space Shuttle, space solar power, SRBs, SSP economics, SSP engineering, U.S. congress, U.S. space leadership, William (Bill) Ketchum
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Hu Davis and William (Bill) Ketchum, Sunday, 5-5-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/2002-BWB-2013-05-05.mp3
Guests: Hu Davis & William (Bill) Ketchum. Topics: Space infrastructure, SSP, SLS, Falcon Heavy, reusability, space policy and U.S. space leadership. 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 Hu Davis and Bill Ketchum to the program to discuss the need for space infrastructure development, SSP, and a space leadership policy by the United States. In the first segment of our 91 minute program, we talked about the need for space infrastructure development, reusable rockets, and space solar power. Our guest Hu Davis has a Power Point presentation on SSP that will be uploaded to The Space Show blog summary so don’t forget to check it out on the blog. I will also upload to the blog Bill Ketchum’s pdf paper, “What Will America Do In Space Now?” We discussed the history of various space infrastructure studies and efforts and the same for SSP studies, pointing out how new technologies, engineering methodologies, and sophisticated manufacturing have made many projects cost effective today when that was not the case years ago. Our guests fielded several questions from listeners about the SSP business case, reusability and the SLS compared to the Falcon Heavy. Doug asked about the use of in space resources & our guests suggested that for SSP for example, using in space resources could account for 90% SSP components. Questions were asked about the land cost and the use of rectennas.
In our second segment, we talked about nuclear propulsion and tax/economic subsidies to our current terrestrial energy industry which make it harder to develop SSP. We talked about the problem and the lack of viability for SLS. Questions came in regarding on orbit propellant transfer and cryogenic transfer development. As our program was ending, our guests talked about space education outreach, persuading congressional leaders and the public to support space infrastructure development, SSP , and more.
Please post your comments/questions for our guests on The Space Show blog and I will make sure they know about them. You can email either of our guests through me at Drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Dr. Bruce Cordell, Friday, 3-29-13 March 29, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: 21st Century Waves, : Dr. Bruce Cordell, Apollo, Cuban Missile Crisis, Curiosity Rover, Dennis Tito, ebullience, economic booms, financial panics, Geopolitical events, Inspiration Mars, Iran, LEO, Mars, Maslow Window, N. Korea, NASA, Panama Canal, Pioneering Spirit, President Kennedy, Private Commercial Space, Return to the Moon, Sputnik, technology led boom, U.S. energy resources, U.S. launch license
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Dr. Bruce Cordell, Friday, 3-29-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1983-BWB-2013-03-29.mp3
Guest: Dr. Bruce Cordell. Topics: Space Trends for 2013 & the coming period of Ebullience for grand space projects. 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. Bruce Cordell to discuss the ten major space trends for 2013 and the Maslow Window forecast for a coming period of ebullience, economic boom, and large space projects. For more information, visit his website, www.21stcenturywaves.com. His article titled “10 Space Trends for 2013 – Featuring the Approach of the New International Space Age can be found at http://21stcenturywaves.com/2013/02/13/state-of-the-wave-10-space-trends-for-2013-featuring-the-approach-of-the-new-international-space-age. During the first half of our two hour discussion, Dr. Cordell took us through the history of his development of fractal Maslow Window forecasts, plus the historical data used to predict a Maslow Window. After his introduction, we then talked about Mars and the excitement surrounding Mars with the Curiosity rover and the newly announced Inspiration Mars HSF mission Mars flyby per Dennis Tito. Dr. Cordell spent considerable time connecting the dots for us to the importance of the Inspiration Mars mission & the coming predicted boom and period of ebullience. Michael Listener called in to suggest the possibility of the government not providing a launch license for the Inspiration Mars launch. This sparked an intense discussion regarding the likelihood of the government blocking such a mission.
In our second segment, Dr. Cordell talked about the space relationship to the war threats made North Korea and Iran. Here, he connected the dots to the U.S. B2 Korean flyover and the Iranian and N. Korea threats to precursors that show up before the boom and period of ebullience. He cited the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example prior to Apollo. Again citing the precursors, he suggested that the “bumpy road” most always led to the boom period. Several email listener questions came in regarding the U.S. & global economic condition & how it impacted his forecast. Here, he referenced panics before each boom. Bruce suggested we would be entering the period of ebullience around 2014 or 2015 but he also cited some reasons why the period could possibly be delayed, thus appearing much later. But he definitely cited periods of financial panic as precursors to the boom periods. He also talked about geopolitical events & their influence, including the role of conflicts. Near the end of our program, he talked about the importance of the 2014 elections & our then had more to say about the Tito Mars flyby mission.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email Dr. Cordell through his website or drspace@thespacesow.com.
Dr. Henry Hertzfeld, Tuesday, 3-5-13 March 6, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, asteroid mining, astronaut rescue, benefit sharing, business predictability, Chinese Space Program, commercial space, Dr. Henry Hertzfeld, EELV, FAR, human spaceflight, Inspiration Mars, launch rates, lower launch costs, Mars, Mars one, moving a NEO, Return to the Moon, robotic spaceflight, rocket reusability, Space Act Agreement, space business environment, space market issues., space migration, space property rights, space solar power, space wars, species survival through space
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Dr. Henry Hertzfeld, Tuesday, 3-5-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1964-BWB-2013-03-05.mp3
Guest: Dr. Henry Hertzfeld. Topics: Commercial space, Mars, human spaceflight, regulations & economics. 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. Henry Hertzfeld back to the show for a fascinating 90 minute discussion regarding commercial space, human spaceflight (HSF), recently announced HSF Mars missions, increasing the launch rate, and more. During our initial segment, Dr. Hertzfeld addressed my question about lowering launch prices to increase the launch rate. Dr. Hertzfeld did a classic economic study on this subject several years ago and I asked him if today’s current market and commercial space progress had altered his earlier conclusions. He said no. Later, I asked if space solar power (SSP) could drive launch rates down. The short answer was no but don’t miss what he had to say about SSP economics, launches, and debris issues. Jerry emailed in a question about SpaceX being a commercial company given its receipt of government money. Henry had much to say about what makes a company commercial or not and if it is even an important issue. Another listener wanted to know about the deep space commercial ventures announced in 2012 and in 2013. The listener wanted to know if these were really commercial ventures, if regulations could stop them, and what would happen re the ventures needing property rights or the equivalent. One of the things our guest reiterated several times during our discussion was the need for stability and predictability for the commercial industry. Questions came in about benefit sharing and he mentioned the likelihood that some sort of international system would develop on these issues. I asked what constituted an acceptable ROI and the example of controlled ROIs as in the utility industry came up. Doug wanted to know about rocket reusability and its impact on launch costs. We also talked about both Mars One and the new Inspiration Mars mission. As part of this discussion, astronaut rescue and the rescue treaty were discussed. In the second segment, Doug called to discuss property rights for a NEO as opposed to the Moon, wondering if the Moon might be more valuable. Doug & Henry talked about our having returned lunar rockets as a model for commercially returning lunar products but Henry suggested there might be a difference in returning something for science as compared to commercial exploitation. Later, we addressed human spaceflight and its challenges. The Chinese space program was brought up as was the risk of a space war. Dr. Hertzfeld was asked about putting 10,000 people on Mars, space migration, species survival, space settlement, and the need to explore as possible drivers for HSF. My final question pertained to our evolving to a business friendly environment in space. Simply put, we are not there yet.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog above. You can email Dr. Hertzfeld through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
John Strickland, Tuesday, 1-22-13 January 22, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, asteroid mining, Cis-Lunar Declaration., Cis-lunar economic development, Cislunar transportation, Delta-V, Falcon Heavy, heavy lift vehicle, HSF to Mars, John Strickland, LMO Waystation, NSS, Return to the Moon, SLS, space launch issues, space solar power, space tug
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John Strickland, Tuesday, 1-22-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1934-BWB-2013-01-22.mp3
Guest: John Strickland. Topics: Cislunar transportation and economics, SSP, 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 John Strickland to the show to discuss cislunar space development, economics, transportation, SSP, and much more. You can read his latest The Space Review article, “Cislunar transportation: the space trucking system” at http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2221/1. We have also placed on The Space Show blog several images John referred to during our 96 minute discussion. We started the first segment by discussing what is needed in terms of supporting space infrastructure to establish a Cis-lunar space economy. In addition, we talked about heavy lift launch vehicles in general, expendable rockets, the need for RLVs and more. John said there were three basic vehicle needs, a crew vehicle, cargo vehicles, and tankers. At one point he said he would like to see a Dragon model as a tanker. This discussion then went to orbital fuel depots and our guest had much to say on the depot topic. Here, he brought up the idea of a lunar ferry and robotic missions using the RLV. A listener asked him for the biggest challenge to the ideas he was sharing with us and he said money!
In the second segment, Doug called in and talked about John’s Space Review article per the above URL. Doug had several questions and challenges for John. Another listener emailed in questions relating to John’s trucking system comparisons. Later, Tim called to ask about electric propulsion and this took us to the Falcon Heavy topic, the need for RLVs, etc. Also, John referred quite a bit to Image #2 on The Space Show Blog, the LMO Waystation. We then addressed Space Solar Power (SSP).Guest: John Strickland. Topics: Cislunar transportation and economics, SSP, 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 John Strickland to the show to discuss cislunar space development, economics, transportation, SSP, and much more. You can read his latest The Space Review article, “Cislunar transportation: the space trucking system” at http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2221/1. We have also placed on The Space Show blog several images John referred to during our 96 minute discussion. We started the first segment by discussing what is needed in terms of supporting space infrastructure to establish a Cis-lunar space economy. In addition, we talked about heavy lift launch vehicles in general, expendable rockets, the need for RLVs and more. John said there were three basic vehicle needs, a crew vehicle, cargo vehicles, and tankers. At one point he said he would like to see a Dragon model as a tanker. This discussion then went to orbital fuel depots and our guest had much to say on the depot topic. Here, he brought up the idea of a lunar ferry and robotic missions using the RLV. A listener asked him for the biggest challenge to the ideas he was sharing with us and he said money! In the second segment, Doug called in and talked about John’s Space Review article per the above URL. Doug had several questions and challenges for John. Another listener emailed in questions relating to John’s trucking system comparisons. Later, Tim called to ask about electric propulsion and this took us to the Falcon Heavy topic, the need for RLVs, etc. Also, John referred quite a bit to Image #2 on The Space Show Blog, the LMO Waystation. We then addressed Space Solar Power (SSP). He said it would take from $50 billion to $200 billion for a 1GW base load, Ground based Solar or wind system. He then discussed what would have to change about how we do space to see SSP become a reality. Tim also wanted to know about bypassing the Moon and going directly to a NEO. John had much to say about using the incremental approach which included the Cis-lunar economic development we have talked about on this program and on other programs. John’s closing comments with the Teddy Roosevelt statement were important one so don’t miss it. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog per above. You can email John Strickland for his materials and with your questions at jkstrickl@sbcglobal.net He then discussed what would have to change about how we do space to see SSP become a reality. Tim also wanted to know about bypassing the Moon and going directly to a NEO. John had much to say about using the incremental approach which included the Cis-lunar economic development we have talked about on this program and on other programs. John’s closing comments with the Teddy Roosevelt statement were important one so don’t miss it.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog per above. You can email John Strickland for his materials and with your questions at jkstrickl@sbcglobal.net.
Below are the images pertaining to the discussion with John. Note that the “1 page with 2 ferry images” link below opens a document with two color diagrams which will also be part of tonight’s discussion.
Mars Ferry Lander With Writing Corrected
LMO Waystation
LMO Waystation Assembled Horizontal
James Schier, Sunday, 8-5-12 August 5, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Aries V, Augustine, Columbia accident, Commercial Crew, congressional funding, Constellation, Cots, crew stress cardiac factors, deep space missions, developing space technology, Falcon 9 Heavy, Flexible Path, future space transportation, heat shields, HSF to Mars, HSF to NEO, human factors, ISS, James Schier, lunar development, lunar ice, lunar water, Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MCPV), NASA, NASA Commercial Space Team, NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT), new space hardware tests, nuclear space propulsion, Orion, Private Sector Space, Return to the Moon, space communications, Space Index Association, Space Launch System (SLS)., space medical challenges, standardized docking., U.S. space policy
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James Schier, Sunday, 8-5-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1829-BWB-2012-08-05.mp3
Open Lines, Sunday, 7-29-12 July 29, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: commercial space, cubesats, Lunar COTS Petition., MSL Curiosity, NANOSAT Challenge, NASA Mars Program, NewSpace 2012, NewSpace Business Plan Competition, Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston, OpenLuna.org, Return to the Moon, SpaceFlorida, Title 9 7 STEM
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Open Lines, Sunday, 7-29-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1823-BWB-2012-07-29.mp3
Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: NewSpace 2012 & Business Plan Competition, Title 9 & STEM, & lots 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. During our first 70 minute segment of this two hour discussion, we started out with a call to Paul Graham who is the Project Manager for OpenLuna.org ( www.openluna.org). Paul explained their program for putting a person on the Moon. If this interests you, Paul can be contacted through their website. I then undertook a review of the recently concluded NewSpace 2012 Conference and Business Plan Competition. It was an excellent conference and competition and I urge you to see the streaming video archives of the conference sessions & the business plan competition/presentations. You can also find reviews of the sessions on most of the popular space blogs as many of the well known bloggers were at the conference. Again, make sure you see the business plan presentations as I will be bringing several of these presenters on the show in the coming weeks. Also, see the early Saturday morning presentations with Rick Tumlinson and Bob Werb, along with many of the panels with superstars as panel members. Visit www.spacevidcast.com/category/video/conferences-video/newspace-conferences-video to see all of the conference sessions & programs. Tim was next up with a call from Huntsville to talk about the government applying Title 9 to STEM education. We talked about what gender quotas might mean for various STEM programs at schools and universities. For more information, do a Google search for Title 9 & STEM education. Our friend Charles Pooley called in regarding the NASA Nanosat Challenge program. He continued to wonder why there seemed to be so little activity and support for the program.
In our second segment, Jerry from Florida was our first caller. He did watch many of the live streaming sessions and thought this year’s NewSpace Conference 2012 turned a corner for quality. Elliott in Michigan called in to talk about our Mars program, its future, and the ideas put forth by recent guest Brent Sherwood from last week who suggested that the Mars HSF program was a damaging distraction for our space program. If you have not yet listened to this discussion or read his paper which is on The Space Show blog, please do so. As the program was ending, we talked about the upcoming MSL Curiosity landing for Sunday, August 5 at 10:30 PM PDT. I noted our guest for my segment this coming Wednesday evening, August 1 on the John Batchelor Show as she is part of the JPL EDL team for MSL Curiosity. Our discussion airs live at 6:30 PM PDT, 9:30 PM EDT. You can hear it streamed live at www.wabcradio.com/article.asp?id=531472.
If you have comments/questions, please post them on The Space Show blog. If you want to send a note to any of the callers, do so through me and I will forward it on your behalf.
Dr. Paul Spudis, Sunday, 6-24-12 June 24, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " space politics, American space leadership, Chinese Space Program, Cislunar space, Commercial Crew, commercial space, critical mass, developing space capabilities, DOD space, Dr. Paul Spudis, Earth-Moon L2, international cooperation, lunar ice, lunar lava tubes, lunar water, NASA, NASA budget, NewSpace, orbital fuel depots, Orion, PR-Stunt space missions, Return to the Moon, risk averseness., rocket equation, Shackleton crater, SLS, space media, space policy, space property rights, space race, Space Shuttle, space tourism
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Dr. Paul Spudis, Sunday, 6-24-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1803-BWB-2012-06-24.mp3
Guest: Dr. Paul Spudis. Topics: Return to the Moon, lunar ice & water, space policy, NASA 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 Dr. Paul Spudis back to the program. Visit his website and blog for additional information, www.spudislunarresources.com & http://globs.airspacemag.com/moon. We started out by discussing a new report claiming that there is a low amount of water ice at Shackleton crater on the Moon. Dr. Spudis explained this study/report and introduced other data points indicating the low amount of water theory is not a valid conclusion. This discussion led to questions about science & media reporting and how best for the public to follow up on a story to not be mislead. I asked Paul about the influence of such articles on policy makers and congressional staffers as well as those outside the U.S., citing the Chinese space program as an example. I also asked our guest if we were in a space race with China. Dr. Spudis had much to say about this issue. We talked about why American space leadership on the space frontier is important. See if you agree with what our guest had to say on this important subject. Dr. Spudis then talked about the difference with a PR stunt type of mission as compared to a mission which developed & enabled capabilities to move us forward in space development, exploration, and economics. This brought up a June 20, 2012 Space News op-ed (http://spacenews.com/commentaries/120618-administration-legacy-nasa.html) by Frank Van Rensselaer, What Will Be This Administration’s Legacy for NASA? This then led to a discussion about our not having a space vision direction or strategy for our civil space policy. Much was said about this with callers and email questions during the balance of the first segment and throughout the second segment. Our guest made a point of saying we need to ask what the purpose of the mission is, what are the goals, and what is the value of the mission? These are important questions to always ask about what we are doing with our civil space missions. This is an important discussion so do listen closely to what Dr. Spudis had to say. NASA budget issues were part of this discussion with Dr. Spudis making the case that money was and is not really the issue. Instead, its the politics of how we choose to spend tax payer money.
In the second segment, Marshall called to ask about lunar lava tubes and water, along with the need for lunar rovers. Don’t miss what Paul had to say about these topics. Paul was asked about his cislunar economic plans and he talked about NewSpace given the question he received from Wayne in Las Vegas asking him if he was in conflict with NewSpace. Later, Crystal from Tulsa emailed Paul with a question about space property rights. Paul said this was extremely important so do listen to the complete discussion on this topic. More was said about NASA budget issues & making sure taxpayers get something back for what they spend on space. Andrew sent in an email addressing the technology development problems going back decades with military airplanes & large engineering projects. Near the end of our two hour program, Dr. Spudis mentioned the tyranny of the rocket equation and what this means for space access and costs. We also talked about on orbit fuel depots. Reaching a critical mass for making a difference in space policy was our last discussion topic.
If you have a comment/question for Dr. Spudis, please post it on The Space Show blog.
