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The Space Show

The Space Show
The Space Show focuses on timely and important issues influencing the development of outer-space commerce, space tourism,space exploration and space development. The Space Show is committed to facilitating our becoming a space-faring nation and society with a growing and self-sustaining space-faring economy.  The Space Show also focuses on other related subjects of interest to us all.

Station feed: Click here to see an XML representation of the latest episodes on this station
Created by: David Livingston
 Created on: 12 May 2005
Language: English


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Add this to another station Dr. James Hansen, Monday, 8-26-13 (46.82MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. James Hansen. Topics: Neil Armstrong on the first anniversary of his passing. 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. We welcomed Dr. James Hansen to the program to discuss his book, the only officially approved biography of Neil Armstrong, "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong," on the one year anniversary of Neil's death. Dr. Hansen also wrote an op-ed for Space.com which you will find interesting (www.space.com/22510-neil-armstrong-astronaut-icon-remembered.html). During this one hour 25 minute program, Dr. Hansen had much to say about Neil Armstrong starting with his days as a 21 year old Naval aviator in the Korean War. In fact, he told us a Korean War story about Neil flying his jet and coming upon North Korean troops exercising. We also learned that Neil favored aviation over space flight and Dr. Hansen spoke with us as to why this was so. Our guest received lots of questions about the Apollo 11 crew, personalities of all the crew members and how the crew interacted with one another on mission work and in their personal lives. He also described Armstrong as being modest and a bit "Garbo-like." Listen to his explanation of why he thought that was so. Dr. Hansen got questions about Neil as a university professor and what his students thought of him, plus did the students pester him about the Moon landing given how modest Armstrong was about the Apollo 11 landing and his accomplishments in general. We also talked about his role in the Augustine Commission and his perspective about the need to go back to the Moon and to avoid a gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability. In our second segment, I asked Dr. Hansen to elaborate on the Clint Eastwood effort to do a Neil Armstrong movie. Dr. Hansen related a good Clint Eastwood and Neil Armstrong golf story to us which you will enjoy. Our guest was asked about Neil's role in both the Challenger and the Columbia accidents. As we learned, Neil turned down an opportunity to be part of the Columbia accident board but he did serve on the Challenger board and Dr. Hansen had much to say about that. We then spoke about preserving the Apollo landing sites as historical sites, then our guest was asked if the Apollo 11 crew traits discussed earlier in the show were the traits needed for the first HSF to Mars. Agin, Dr. Hansen had much to say on this issue so don't miss his comments. Toward the end, Dr. Hansen spoke about the fact that there were no photos taken of Neil on the Moon as all the photos are of Buzz. The official line at the time was that such photos were not in the mission plan. He also told us a never before heard story regarding Jim Lovell & crew selection for the Moon landing. Dr. Hansen had much to say about these incidents so don't miss his comments. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to contact Dr. Hansen, you can do through me.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:45:47 UTC
Add this to another station Open Lines, Sunday, 8-25-13 (74.59MB; download) -- Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Mars missions, space advocacy, SLS & NASA lunar missions. 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Today's Open Line show was in two segments over 2 hours and 23 minutes. During the first segment, I put forth a few topics for discussion, including the NASA plan for returning to the Moon with two SLS launches over a year with the lander in orbit for about six months waiting for the second SLS flight. This topic seemed to be the prevailing topic for the entire show covering both segments as listeners wanted to talk about SLS, Falcon Heavy, heavy lift and depots in general, and the announced NASA plan. We also talked about the NASA asteroid missions as several listeners wanted to comment that they were less than enthusiastic about these missions. Of course the majority of the listeners were critical of SLS and the return to the Moon mission. Many wondered why such architecture, why so many years to build out the full heavy lift SLS, especially when looking back to what was accomplished with Apollo over half the time. In the second segment, Tim called in to talk about Mars One and SLS. Then Dr. Jurist called in questioning the SLS lunar mission, Congress, NASA, and the asteroid missions. John had to much to say on these topics so don't miss all of his comments. We also talked about Mars One and pregnancy/child birth in space, on Mars, on the mission, and the moral and ethical issues surrounding this issue. Before John got off the line, he wanted to know why so many space advocates dismissed hard science in their chosen space plans and projects. I attempted an answer but not sure it does justice to what I believe is a complex question with lots of subjectivity surrounding it. See what you think and post your comments on our blog. Near the end, Patrick called back about the space advocacy topic and talked about advocacy in an echo chamber but also what visionaries accomplish. This was also an interesting discussion. We ended talking about successful, forward thinking, crowd funding space missions today and we had much to say in support of the entrepreneurs behind these projects. Please post your comments and questions on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of the callers by email through me.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 26 Aug 2013 16:45:43 UTC
Add this to another station Dr. Sandra Magnus, AIAA, Friday, 8-23-13 (31.38MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Sandra Magnus. Topics: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), AIAA conferences, human spaceflight. 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. We welcomed Dr. Sandra Magnus, the new AIAA Executive Director, to the show to discuss AIAA with us, their conferences, and much more. Please visit the AIAA website for more information, www.aiaa.org. During this one hour program, Dr. Magnus talked about AIAA reorganization using forums for grouping the space conferences and work carried out by the organization. As we learned, AIAA is revitalizing the development and presentation of AIAA conferences and exhibitions in support of the AIAA mission. You can read about this new focus at www.aiaa.org/Forums/?terms=forums. Listeners asked about the peer review process for papers being submitted to AIAA conferences, we talked about AIAA educational outreach efforts, especially for STEM matters. Listeners wanted to know if AIAA backed projects, if the organization lobbied for space policy, and if it was an advocacy organization. Dr. Magnus took us through the AIAA policy on these issues which did clarify AIAA positions and policy. We also talked about a blurring of the lines with defense and space policy issues and their efforts in helping to accomplish ITAR reform as an educational 501C3 organization. Dr. Magnus was asked about the planned commercial Mars missions, SLS, commercial space, and more. Don't miss what she had to say abut all of these projects. We talked about the upcoming Space 2013 Conference in San Diego (www.aiaa.org/SPACE2013). Dr. Magnus highlighted keynote speakers, the Pickering Lecture on Curiosity, the NASA asteroid mission, and their Exhibit Hall. I will be at the conference so if you are there, please look for me as I value meeting Space Show listeners in person. Another topic of interest included the local AIAA sections and their monthly meetings. You can find out about the local sections closest to you at www.aiaa.org/RegionSectionMap.aspx?id=14958. Near the end of our discussion, I asked our guest about her experiences as an astronaut, being on board the ISS for 4.5 months, microgravity bone and muscle loss issues, exercising while on the ISS, and concern about riding the shuttle and the SRBs. Dr. Magnus also did some real cooking in space and she shared some of her space cooking know how and experiences with us but unfortunately, no recipes. If you have comments/questions, please post them on The Space Show blog. If you have AIAA conference or other questions, send them to me and I will forward them to someone who can provide you with an answer. See you in San Diego!
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 24 Aug 2013 18:40:01 UTC
Add this to another station Tom Olson, NewSpace Biz Plan Competition, Thursday, 8-22-13 (31.92MB; download) -- Guest: Tom Olson. Topics: NewSpace Business Plan Competition 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. We welcomed Tom Olson back to the show for a one hour discussion with important updates for the NewSpace Business Plan Competition 2013. Tom told us that the date for submitting applications had been extended to August 29. To see the instructions, rules, etc. for submitting an application, please visit www.newspacebpc.com. The prize money remains the same with a $100K grand prize from NASA, a $25K second prize from ATK, plus an additional $5K NASA prize and an additional $5K ATK price for a total of $135,000 purse. Tom clarified some of the rules, the 50% owned by an American citizen requirement and he answered lots of listener questions about submitting the 3-5 page Executive Summary and writing the actual business plan. The date for the competition is still fluid but they are looking for Oct. 24 at Stanford University. Tom received several email questions about business plan metrics, contestant track records, success stories, and more. Several examples of businesses were mentioned, especially those falling into the space scalable category. We also talked about the competition being open to everyone as there were no government imposed diversity requirements and those submitting do not have to be engineers or space tech pros. Just have a good idea, a good team, and be able to present your idea clearly and with common sense. As we were approaching the last quarter of the show, Business Plan Team Member Meagan Crawford called in to add to what Tom was saying and to give us a marketing perspective. Meagan said she was interested in developing metrics for tracking business plan successes and outcomes. Tom and Meagan went over the schedule, we talked about Boot Camp which is not open to the public and they told us about the plans so far for the main event on Oct. 24th. Meagan and Tom talked about sponsorships for the competition still being available. They were also asked if there was a plan to move the competition to different cities in a way similar to the old Space Investment Summit meetings. Toward the end of our discussion, we talked about missed opportunities by not entering the competition with your idea. Even if your idea does not win, there are superb networking opportunities at the completion, plus the potential for meeting those that can help out financially with your plan/idea. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can contact Tom or Meagan through me.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:13:12 UTC
Add this to another station John Batchelor Hotel Mars, Anatoly Zak, Wednesday, 8-21-13 (5.15MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Anatoly Zak, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: The Russian Space Program and the ISS. 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. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm). During our 11 minute plus discussion, John, Anatoly Zak and I talked about the Russian space program, their space history, the ISS and the Russian module, Proton rocket issues, Russian space science, cosmonauts, and much more. Also, check out Anatoly's website at www.russianspaceweb.com. Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:45:24 UTC
Add this to another station SWF NEO Webinar, Sunday, 8-18-13 (39.04MB; download) -- Guests: Dr. Ray Williamson, Dr. Tim Spahr, Dr. Mark Boslough. Topics: NEO impacts and what's being done to deal with the threat. 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. YOU CAN WATCH THE WEBINAR VIDEO VERSION AT http://vimeo.com/72803251. You can listen to the audio as you would any Space Show program. We welcomed our three panel members, Dr. Ray Williamson, Dr. Tim Spahr, and Dr. Mark Boslough to this 1 hour 31 minute Secure World Foundation sponsored webinar addressing NEO impacts and what's being done to deal with the threat. During our fist segment, we introduced our panel members and each provided us with opening comments about planetary defense and the risk and issues concerned with Near Earth Object (NEO) impacts here on Earth. Among the many issues discussed were funding priorities, diversion of funds, the recent Chelyabinsk NEO impact in Russia, and they type of damage that can be done by a NEO impact, even a small one. We also talked about our present day capabilities, what we can detect and the NASA NEO survey. One of the listener questions led to a discussion on the risk rewards for prioritizing not only budgetary expenses for NEO searches and mitigation, but also the theory behind the strategy of identifying larger NEOs first and why that is the preferred methodology. Our guests mentioned about 400,000 items had been surveyed and cataloged so far. Marshall emailed in a question about the best location for placing telescopes for NEO searches. I also asked about NEO airburst and if they were as predictable as understanding nuclear weapon airburst. The answer was no because we know so very little about NEO airbursts in contrast to what we know about nuclear weapons. The segment ended with a short summary of what was happening policy wise in the field with SWF & other international space & policy agencies. In the second segment, we started off talking about mitigation strategies and potential tools/methods that might be used. We talked about the time line needed to mitigate a potential NEO impact and learned that if it was within a few years of possible impact, the strategies would likely focus on damage control, evacuation, and such here on Earth. We discussed more about NEO budgets and priorities, then I asked each of our guests to rate their level of satisfaction with the progress being made in the field. Each one provided his own satisfaction rating with his reasons for the rating. I'm sure you will find their comments most interesting. Near the end of our webinar, our panel members were asked for their thoughts on human spaceflight and the possible competition for scarce funds with the planetary science part of NASA and space as well as the planetary defense budget. While they all liked human spaceflight, you might be surprised by the answers each of our panel members provided us. Guest closing comments were excellent so don't miss them. Please post questions/comments on The Space Show blog URL above. You can email each guest through me.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 21 Aug 2013 23:53:52 UTC
Add this to another station Small Sat Conference 2013 Interviews, Friday, 8-16-13 (36.77MB; download) -- Guests: Robert (Bob Meurer; George Torres. Topics: Two separate interviews from Small Sat 2013 on ATK commercial space & ATK Aerospace Group. 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Our first interview is with Robert (Bob) Meurer, Director of the ATK Business Development Division in Beltsville, MD. During this 33 minute segment, we talked about how the small satellite market has changed and evolved since we talked with Bob at last year's conference, plus we got updates on the DARPA Phoenix project, ViviSat, commercial opportunities and issues, the hot new market for on-orbit satellite servicing and the leadership role of ATK in this rapidly developing industry. For this interview, Dr. John Jurist was co-host. We focused on commercial development and related issues such as space tugs, even Moore's Law as a metric, distributive satellite networks, the need for competitive ROIs, and more. Bob spent more time with us regarding ViviSat and geo telecommunication two ton satellites. We also addressed the emerging competition, the impact of sequestration and lots more. ITAR came up as did the relevance on the ATK business of the Small Sat Conference. Our next segment featured George Torres, Vice President of Communications for the ATK Aerospace Group in Salt Lake City, UT. George talked about the announcement for ATK being awarded the ALV first and second stage contracts for the boosters for the Stratolaunch project. George described the boosters, their proposed capability, and more. We also talked about the high energy solid rocket propellant used by ATK for this project, then I asked George about the five segment booster from the Aries 1 which was cancelled a few years ago. The five segment booster is interchangeable with the sections of the four segment booster used by the shuttle and now these boosters are being used for the SLS. We talked about the upcoming static firing tests for the new SRBs for Stratolaunch and SLS. George then talked about the ATK work in the field of composites and how they are a leader in the industry, doing the composite work for many other companies. He described the ATK Aerospace Group which includes two launch groups, two satellite groups, and the composite group. Before our segment with George ended, we returned to the subject of the five segment booster and SLS, focusing on the previous development motor static tests and the upcoming static firing tests actually being qualification motor tests. Near the end of the segment, George updated us on the Liberty Launch Vehicle. ATK is now positioning Liberty for the cargo market but this will depend on the market for the capacity Liberty offers. Please post your comments on The Space Show blog per above. You can email either of our two guests through me.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 16 Aug 2013 17:07:06 UTC
Add this to another station John Batchelor Hotel Mars, Dr. David Brain, Wednesday, 8-14-13 (11.43MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. David Brain, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN). 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. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm). During our 11 minute plus discussion, John, Dr. David Brain, and I talked about the MAVEN mission scheduled to launch on November 18, 2013. During this discussion, we talked about the MAVEN mission, the instrument packages and what the instruments are designed to do, plus we talked about the potential for gaining information that might someday assist in terraforming Mars. Other topics included how the instruments are made and stored on board the spacecraft to survive launch stresses plus many months of travel through deep space. Dr. Brain talked about how the instruments would measure the Martian atmosphere, gasses, changes, etc. Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:13:42 UTC
Add this to another station Dr. Haym Benaroya, Tuesday, 8-13-13 (54.81MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Haym Benaroya. Topics: Lunar data analysis, Return to the Moon, space policy & 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. We welcomed Dr. Haym Benaroya, mechanical and aerospace engineer at Rutgers University, back to the show to discuss lunar thermal and seismic analysis, space policy, human spaceflight, Mars, and more. Our intention was to do a one hour program but due to incoming listener phone calls, this program lasted for 1 hour 39 minutes without a break! In addition, the discussion at times with callers was quite heated, very passionate and ripe with disagreement, especially between callers and myself. THIS SUMMARY IS LONGER THAN PERMITTED BY GIGADIAL SO TO READ THE REST OF IT, PLEASE VISIT WWW.THESPACESHOW.COM OR THE BLOG, HTTP://THESPACESHOW.WORDPRESS.COM. THANK YOU. DR. DAVID LIVINGSTON, HOST OF THE SPACE SHOW
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:28:21 UTC
Add this to another station Rick Boozer, Monday, 8-12-13 (62.99MB; download) -- Guest: Rick Boozer. Topics: We discussed Rick's book, "The Plundering of NASA: An Expose How Pork Barrel Politics Harm American Spaceflight Leadership," SLS, space policy & 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. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. We welcomed Rick Boozer to the program to discuss his new book, "The Plundering of NASA: An Expose How Pork Barrel Politics Harm American Spaceflight Leadership." The paperback version of the book is only available through Lulu Press at this time but the Kindle ebook is available through Amazon. Remember, if you use the Amazon OGLF/Space Show instructions on our website & blog, Amazon will make a contribution to The Space Show. Also, we apologize for audio issues due to cell phone usage with our guest and callers. During the first segment of our 1 hour 49 minute program, Rick introduced us to his book and I asked him to tell us why he structured the book as an exploration of certain common myths about many aspects of space, our space policy, engineering, economics, and physics. Our guest suggested a lack of economic application and understanding among certain levels of those making policy and working with rocket and mission design and he referenced an Air Force-NASA study on launch costs plus other facts in support of his research & discussion points. His book is well documented so make sure you note his references, a few of which we talked about during our program. Rick was asked about suborbital space but as we heard, his focus was on orbital. He then mentioned SLS and various contracting options for commercial companies and NASA. We received several email questions, including one that addressed FOIA limitations regarding NASA, launch cost data, and more. The Ares rocket came up and Rick talked about going from Ares to SLS. In the second segment, Rick continued the SLS architecture history and discussion & as it turned out, SLS, Falcon Heavy, heavy lift, and depots turned out to constitute most of the discussion for the remainder of our program. Most of this discussion was not supportive of SLS for a variety of reasons. The discussion strongly supported the Falcon Heavy as being able to do any mission that might come up requiring heavy lift. SpaceX reusability and first stage hovering was discussed, but listeners and our guest definitely focused on SLS costs or the absence of real SLS cost information. John Strickland called in to provide his analysis of why SLS is flawed. Doug called to ask about Earth-Moon commercial systems and keeping space infrastructure, etc. as a reason for SLS. At my request, Rick clarified his position on these issues after Doug's call. Rick also cited the Kraft-Moser report on potential damage to space policy by SLS, plus we quickly went over other sections & topics in his book before the interview ended. Near the end, we talked about advanced SpaceX manufacturing and cost reduction techniques. As part of Rick's closing comments, we talked about his PhD work, Magellanic Clouds, and more. Please post comments/questions on The Space Show blog. Rick's website is http://astromaven.blogspot.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 13 Aug 2013 17:12:42 UTC
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