Sarah Cruddas, Friday, 5-3-13 May 4, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: astronomy clubs, British Interplanetary Society, China space program, commercial space, commercial space travel, ESA, Google Lunar XPrize, Inspiration Mars, Isle of Man, ISS, Kepler Space Telescope, Mars one, Sarah Cruddas, science journalism, Skylon, space leadership, Space Shuttle program, space tourism, spinoff technology, Surrey Satellite Technology, UK & European space media, UK Space Agency, UK space economy, UK space entrepreneurism, UK STEM education, Virgin Galactic, Yuri's Night
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Sarah Cruddas, Friday, 5-3-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/2001-BWB-2013-05-03.mp3
Guest: Sarah Cruddas. Topics: UK space development, interests, commerce, and journalism, space tourism, China, space policy. 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 Sarah Cruddas to the program to discuss space development and policy from the British perspective. Please visit her website, http://sarahcruddas.com for more information. During the first part of our 90 minute discussion, we talked about space policy, science, and commerce from a British perspective. Listeners asked many questions about the UK perspective on space mining via Planetary Resources, commercial satellites & Surrey Satellite Technology, plus NASA projects like the Kepler Space Telescope and the search for exoplanets. We talked with Sarah about commercial space travel/space tourism with Virgin Galactic, especially since Sir Richard Branson is British. Sarah was asked about UK entrepreneurial space ventures and the Isle of Man. Sarah also covered the last space shuttle flight at KSC. She told us it was a very emotional experience. We also talked about the British perspective on both the ISS & the Hubble Space Telescope. Listeners asked our guest about space programs, interests, and policies in Germany, France, and ESA. She told us that the UK participation in ESA was smaller than that of other countries so their space programs are less ESA-centric. Sarah was asked about HSF to Mars including Mars One and the Inspiration Mars flyby mission. Doug called in to ask about Skylon & I talked about the early space history with the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) and space planes. Returning to the topic of space tourism, she said it was too expensive for most people in the UK but there were some who have signed up and are interested in the adventure. We talked about STEM education in the UK & and compared STEM issues there to here in the States.
In our second segment, we talked about space debris or space junk. We then talked economics and UK, European, and global budget issues. Sarah made the case for the importance of continuing to invest in space and science despite these problems. Don’t miss what she had to say about space, our future, and economics. We also talked about space media and journalism in the UK & the need for the West to be in the lead in commercial space development. We spent a good part of this segment talking about the Chinese space program, plus India’s program. Other topics included N. Korean rocket launches, the Google Lunar XPrize, Yuri’s Night in the UK, and even ET’s! I asked about the popularity of astronomy& telescope clubs in her area, and the popularity of the ISS. Toward the end of our discussion, I asked our guest for a ten year perspective on space. Don’t miss Sarah’s future vision which included mining, space tourism, space junk resolution, and the growth of the Chinese space program. She talked about returning humans to the Moon – with China. She also said that people see space leadership and progress being made but that it was more likely to come from the Chinese than with we Americans.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can contact Sarah through her website or me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Jerry L. Ross, Tuesday, 4-30-13 May 1, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, "Spacewalker: My Journey In Space And Faith as NASA's Record-Setting Frequent Flyer, astronaut training, B1 Bomber testing., Columbia, Constellation, Dragon, faith, ISS, Jerry Ross, liquid rocket motors, MIR, Moon, NASA, on orbit construction, Orion, private space vehicles, SLS, space leadership, space policy, Space Shuttle, space vehicle testing, spacewalks, SRBs, suborbital
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Jerry L. Ross, Tuesday, 4-30-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1999-BWB-2013-04-30.mp3
Guest: Jerry L. Ross. Topics: “Spacewalker: My Journey In Space And Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer,” HSF safety, NASA & space policy. 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 retired astronaut Jerry L. Ross to our program to discuss his new book, “Spacewalker: My Journey In Space And Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer,” space policy and leadership, HSF safety, and much more. If you buy his book which I recommend, use this Amazon link as Amazon will make a donation to The Space Show/One Giant Leap Foundation: www.amazon.com/Spacewalker-Journey-Space-Record-Setting-Frequent/dp/1557536317/ref=onegiantlea20. Please visit Jerry’s website for more information, www.jerrylross.com. During the first segment of our 90 minute program, Mr. Ross spoke about the Space Shuttle & retirement, Constellation, returning to the Moon, going BLEO, the ISS, and his test flights on the B1 bomber. This led us to talking about the safety test program used by NASA, the B1, and the private spaceships. I asked if NASA was overkill in this area and if the privates would be able to engage in comprehensive flight safety testing with programs radically different from those NASA has used. You do not want to miss this discussion, especially when I asked about the complexities of the B1 as compared to a spaceship. We talked about SLS, Orion, & Inspiration Mars which Jerry supports. In response to an email from Becky, we talked about the NASA astronauts, the fact that there are more astronauts than flight opportunities, and the current situation for NASA astronauts. Our guest mentioned two year training missions and when I inquired about that time period, we learned that it included learning Russian, training with ESA, Japanese, Canadian, and Russian hardware and more. Jerry was asked if he rode on a Soyuz. He said no but was in a Soyuz and talked about his going on board MIR.
In our second segment, we started out asking him about faith which is part of the subtitle of his book. Here again our guest had much to say so listen carefully to this discussion. As Jerry was part of the team that recovered debris from the Columbia accident, I asked him about it. He told us about his experience in learning about the disaster, crew families and more. This is a first hand accounting of getting the news and working with the families and the people involved in finding the debris. Another topic discussed was on orbit construction, mainly with the private companies. Jerry talked about this at length given his work in establishing how to do it for the ISS and actually doing multiple missions making and assembling parts in space. We also talked about gender differences in these space walks. Toward the end of our discussion, space leadership came up as did missions and goals. The shuttle thermal tiles were discussed and he referenced tile damage on his Atlantis flight which was the third flight after Challenger. This was an amazing story and luck was really shining on the Atlantis crew.
If you have comments/questions, please post them on The Space Show blog.
Dr. Philip Metzger, Monday, 4-8-13 April 9, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, 3D Printing, AI robotics, being second, Dr. Philip Metzger, Elon Musk, exponential potential, Falcon Heavy, global space industry participation, industry in space, lizard scale robotics, Mars, NASA, NASA charter, Neo, off-Earth economies, Phobos, public/private partnerships, rocket blast effects for HSF missions, solar system resources, space exploration, space hardware designs, space leadership, space mining business case, space mining robotics, space resources, spaceports, technology readiness levels, teleoperated robotics, the Moon
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Dr. Philip Metzger, Monday, 4-8-13
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1991-BWB-2013-04-08.mp3
Guest: Dr. Philip Metzger. Topics: Starting industry in space for the coming space resource revolution re space mining robotics & 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 Dr. Philip Metzger to the program to discuss the topic of a coming space resource revolution because of the prospects for a rapid advancement of robotic industry in space. Please visit his website at www.philipmetzger.com. During our first segment of this two hour five minute program, Dr. Metzger explained the need for space resource usage as a result of a growing Earth population, increasing energy demands, industrialization & an overall feeling of being “squeezed” regarding future demand and resource usage. From this point, he took us through the technologies, advancements and some visionary plans for setting up a commercial industry in space for space mining robotics and ISRU technologies which are available today. Dr. Metzger was clear in telling us that the NASA charter was about exploration, not starting up space industry. We then talked about the ways that industry can access the advance technology created by the NASA exploration and science programs. Our guest provided us with several robotic examples, including the possibility of making heat shields from Phobos materials which could go a long way toward making a Mars mission affordable. We talked about technology readiness levels, TRL 1-9. Phil explained what the various levels meant & how the technology development is passed on to the next development group as the level advances. I asked our guest to describe a typical day in his lab. Starting at 6:45AM, Dr. Metzger described his duties and functions and those of the rest of the lab workers. As you will hear, it’s a mixture of administrative, design, computer work, testing, retesting, & equipment manufacturing. 3D Printing was discussed in some detail and was actually a discussion topic throughout the entire program. We talked about our being able to repair robotics as compared to building the robotics to avoid needing repair. Listener Mike sent in an email to inquire about 3D printing, teleoperated & AI robotics for self sustaining lunar/asteroid economies. He also wanted to know how human space exploration fit into the robotic model. Phil had much to say in response to Mike so don’t miss this discussion. Near the end of this segment, we talked about robotics & the communications time delay, even for the Moon, and what this means for HSF & robotic development. Another concept introduced to us was that of self-sustaining robots that do not need to continue being launched to their destination! Near the end of this segment, Phil introduced us to Lizard Scale Robotics & the different categories going up the scale of robotic development to the top level human scale.
In our second segment, Doug called in from S. California to inquire about starting an affordable industry, financing, and the use of lunar propellant ice. This took us to a discussion of setting up profitable ventures for space industry development. Phil talked about a new spaceport concept starting with spaceports here on the ground, then in LEO, on the Moon, & then moving out to Phobos. For a profitable venture, he did say the time line was still too long for capital investment so we discussed public/private partnerships. Also in this segment, we talked hardware designs, the need to start with low technology, even clumsy robots and evolve upward, but avoiding launches & most everything being made in space. We talked about launch capabilities, heavy lift, & getting a specific mass to where it needed to go. Closing the business case came up & our guest talked about the old “impoverished view” as compared to a new, expanded, multi-potential global view. Don’t miss this discussion. Mike sent in another note about what it might mean to be second & the value of the exponential potential. Phil took us through this discussion which made it crystal clear why maintaining our space leadership or being part of it on an international partnership level was so important for our future. In this context, Dr. Metzger talked about widespread participation in space development for multiple co-owners.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can reach Dr. Phil Metzger through his website or me using drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Jeff Krukin, Monday, 2-6-12 February 7, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " space politics, human spaceflight, implementing space policy., Jeff Krukin, Microlaunchers, news media, NewSpace, Newt's space program, SLS, space business consulting, space business plans, space leadership, space transportation infrastructure, U.S. congress, venture philanthropy, VSE
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Jeff Krukin, Monday, 2-6-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1706-BWB-2012-02-06.mp3
Guest: Jeff Krukin. Topics: Space Vision & Space Policy. 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 Jeff Krukin back to the program to discuss how we do & should view space. For more information about Jeff & his space work, please visit www.jeffkrukin.com. Our discussion started with an evaluation of where we are today with space policy & the toxic nature of politics, including space politics. Jeff cited some examples of what he meant by toxic political rhetoric. As we began looking forward, Jeff put forth three perspectives as to the character of space. These three perspectives, if kept in mind, go beyond just thinking of space as a federal program. (1) Space is a mere 62 miles above us, & thus a continuation of our environment; (2) Space can be an extension of the economy , & thus part of our lives; (3) Space is a place of abundant resources, & thus crucial to our survival & prosperity. You can read his Space Daily article on this subject at www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-04t.html. I asked Jeff how to realize his three goals & we talked about the media in this country as well as advocacy, especially with politicians. The suggestion was made to start with local & regional politicians, evolving upwards to politicians on the larger & grander national scale. Several callers were with us during the first segment suggesting we go from think tank up the ladder to the national representatives. One of our callers suggested a new concept, venture philanthropy. This proved to be an interesting discussion given the way the existing billionaire space entrepreneurs were characterized in terms of their investment, activity, & as potential role models for others to invest from a philanthropic perspective, not just a business case perspective. Jeff then talked about the New Space Conference Business Plan Competition for 2012. If you are interested in it & possibly competing, visit http://newspacebpc.com. Before the segment ended, an email came in suggesting a Microlaunchers type policy followed by Charles calling us. Don’t miss the Pooley/Microlaunchers discussion.
In our second segment, Jeff talked about the need for a space transportation infrastructure. I then asked him how one goes about implementing the policies & ideas we had been discussing for the past hour or so. The subject of SLS came up & as to be expected, it drove the passions on all sides. Tim used an ice analogy that Jeff seemed to like. I took the part of a contrarian (I did this often during this interview) regarding the difficult choices for members of Congress in voting against jobs in their district given the economic realties of today. This came up in the first segment too in response to a listener question. I suggested it might be unrealistic to think congress would vote against jobs in the context of today’s economy as compared to when the U.S. economy was or again becomes strong/robust. I challenged the NewSpace thinking on what policy was & might be in the best interest of the country as it might not be the NewSpace ideas. Jeff handled the questions & opinions I threw at him very well & in my opinion, he demonstrated not only civility, but reason, common sense, drive, & open mindedness. Near the end we talked about some of the ideas Dennis Wingo put forth on his most program, then Jeff left us with a thoughtful set of closing comments.
If you have comments/questions for Jeff Krukin, please post them on The Space Show blog URL above. If you want to contact Jeff, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Rick Tumlinson, Friday, 1-20-12 January 21, 2012
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: asteroids, Chinese Space Program, Congress, Deimos., EarthLight Institute, frontier development, Gerard K. O'Neill, HE3, human spaceflight (HSF), LEO transportation, Mars, Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, NASA, New World Conference, NewSpace, Obamaspace, old space, Orion, Phobos, political leadership, Return to the Moon, Rick Tumlinson, Russian space program, Soyuz, Space Frontier Foundation, Space Launch System (SLS)., space leadership, space settlement, space to space transportation, space vision, Space X, SSP, STEM, Texas Space Alliance, traditional aerospace, Why Space?
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Rick Tumlinson, Friday, 1-20-12
http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1694-BWB-2012-01-20.mp3
Guest: Rick Tumlinson. Topics: Why Space, space vision, NewSpace, SLS, opening the space frontier. 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 Rick Tumlinson back to the program for this nearly two hour discussion of space vision, leadership, programming, SLS, advocacy and more. In hour first 70 minute segment, Rick opened by talking about his ongoing op-ed series in the Huffington Post titled “Why Space?” So far he has two issues uploaded to the Huffington Post & I urge you to read them. You can see all of Rick’s articles on the Huffington Post at www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-tumlinson. During our discussion, Rick stressed the need for space settlement and talked about this during the entire program. Additionally, Rick focused on the big picture space vision throughout our entire discussion. In the first segment, SLS came up but it was also talked about later in the show. Rick explained why he thought it was the wrong project for this point in time and had much to say about private industry launch & space transportation systems as compared to government programs. When asked if he thought SLS could be appropriate as a placeholder, he said no but listen to what he had to say about this idea. He talked about not picking winners and advocating a common sense space plan. I asked him for his plan and how to implement it. He then outlined a plan in several steps during the balance of the segment. Don’t miss it. Listeners called & asked questions about the Chinese space program and cooperation and the same with the Russians.
In the second segment, Rick started us off with a discussion about the Frontier approach for space development. He also talked about going to the Moon and why, but also about asteroids & Mars. He said we need to develop the skills and the insitu experience for living & working in space. Several times he mentioned that on the Moon and Mars we would be living underground due to the radiation. Rick then talked about space habitats including O’Neil like space stations/habitats. Several listeners asked about the role of HSF in developing our understanding of the universe, specifically for 2012 and beyond. John from Atlanta called in to talk about the lack of civility coming from the NewSpace community toward old space. This produced a spirited give & take with Rick which in a way focused on “guarantees” for the commercial company success as compared to government rocket programs. John suggested it was a bit risky putting all the “eggs” in unproven commercial company baskets when we know the government launch vehicle will work as long as the program is not cancelled. Don’t miss what John and Rick had to say.. Toward the end, Rick talked about the Texas Space Alliance & his new organization, EarthLight Institute. He provided us with substantial detail about the EarthLight Institute plans, their website which is under construction, plus the book on asteroids that he is working on and will be out around the end of the year. He was asked about his continuing role with the Space Frontier Foundation & the activities of SFF.
Please post comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. Rick’s email address is rick@earthlightinstitute.org.
