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:  Created by: David Livingston |
Created on: 12 May 2005 Language: English |
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Reinventing Space Conference, Tuesday, 5-8-12 (45.75MB; download) -- Guests: Open Mic at the Reinventing Space Conference 2012. Topics: Responsive space, low cost space access, Army satellite program, university projects, students & education, Dream Chaser, Women in Aerospace Southern California Chapter. 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. This Space Show program was an "open mic" discussion for those attending the Reinventing Space Conference 2012. The Space Show made its microphones available to those in attendance to speak on any topic of interest to them. Our discussion topics included responsive space, low cost space access, pushing technology, the U.S. Army satellite program and the launch of the Army's SMDC-One satellite, the first Army satellite launch in 50 years. Others spoke about university projects, STEM education, the lack of interest in space /STEM subjects by among the younger population, challenges in the field of education, and the Women In Aerospace Southern California Chapter. We started out with Dr. Jim Wertz providing us with an overview of the responsive space issues and what we can expect in the coming years. George Vamos, Dr. Wertz & as Dr. Van Allen discussed offsets and technology trades in lowering launch costs. Other participants talked about progress they have seen and experienced over their many years of working in the aerospace field. We heard from Charles Kilmer on this subject. He was followed by John London of the Army SMDC/ARSTRAT. He talked about the first Army satellite launch in 50 years, the SMDC-One. We also learned about future plans for Army satellites in support of the warfighter. He talked about the Army launching satellites the size of a loaf of bread and a bread box at 1/2000th the cost of a more traditional satellite. Rachel and Krystal from Sierra Nevada spoke about Dream Chaser. We learned more about their upcoming vehicle testing schedule as well as new agreements with Florida. I also inquired about Dream Chaser for space tourism which as you will hear will follow their priority which is commercial crew to the ISS. Larry Martin talked about his University of Hawaii project but we also had a participant from the University of N. Dakota and a recent graduate from Georgia Tech. I apologize for not getting their names for this program summary. These students talked about the challenges in getting younger students interested and aware of space. Our final participants represented Women In Aerospace and the Southern California Chapter. Jeanne Innis Olson and Nicole Johnson spoke about the organization & their California chapter. Those interested in learning more about the organization should contact Wendy Williams at wendy.williams@atk.com. Please post your comments/questions regarding this program Space Show blog. I have listed participant bios for those that have a bio on file with The Space Show. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 09 May 2012 15:50:12 UTC
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Dr. Adrian LeBlanc, Dr. Thomas Lang, Dr. John Jurist, Sunday, 5-6-12 (59.26MB; download) -- Guests: CLASSROOM: Dr. Adrian LeBlanc, Dr. Tom Lang, Dr. John Jurist. Topics: Bone loss issues for human spaceflight & the use of bisphosphonates for mitigation. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com and The Space Show Classroom blog, http://spaceshowclassroom.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. Adrian LeBlanc, Dr. Tom Lang and Dr. John Jurist as co-host to discuss the NASA bisphosphonate and bone loss study in progress. Dr. LeBlanc along with his associate in Japan, Dr. Toshio Matsumoto, are leading this study and Dr. Lang is part of the team. We started our discussion with Dr. LeBlanc providing us with a brief historical overview of bone loss issues of concern to NASA since the early days of the space program. We talked about Skylab, Mir, the use of the DEXA scan, the use of quantitative computer tomography (QTC) and CT scans through to the ISS, Space Shuttle, and current research projects. Our discussion was technical at times so if you need to look up or Google a technical term, please do so. In addition, we had some audio issues with the phone line used by Dr. LeBlanc as he faded in and out from time to time. We apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused. The first segment went through the bone loss issues, problems, consequences, & the methodologies involved in analyzing the conditions encountered by the astronauts participating in these studies. Issues we discussed included the use of prescription drugs in space, long term use of bisphosphonates, risk factors for spontaneous hip fractures, exercise programs, bone strength, bone mass, the impact of radiation, skeletal recovery back on Earth after spaceflight to something different than before the spaceflight took place as well as the implications for astronauts as they age. We talked about using artificial gravity to mitigate bone loss. You might be surprised to learn that using partial gravity may not help matters. Bisphosphonates do seem to help and will possibly play a role with exercise as we move to long duration spaceflight but we are in the very early stages of fact finding on these issues. We also discussed informed consent with the astronauts regarding their participation in these and other experiments. In the second segment, a listener asked about the relevance of this type of space research to the taxpayer who funds it and to the general population. Our three guests responded to this question, explaining why the research is relevant and important. Don't miss their answers. We then talked about following the astronauts here on Earth to see the continued impact of having been in space on their bones as they age. We learned that bone changes after being in space for four weeks or more and it is important to follow these changes as part of the aging process. Our guests talked about calcium excretion issues in space and the risk this causes for a renal stones. Bisphosphonates may inhibit calcium excretion which would help mitigate this risk. Near the end of our discussion, we learned about new medications being developed that are more advanced than the bisphosphonates we have today. We also talked about the competition with astronauts for different scientific experiments. As Dr. Jurist pointed out, we really do need lots more human spaceflight! At the end a listener asked about bed rest studies and our guests provided us with the basics. If you are interested, visit https://bedreststudy.jsc.nasa.gov. Our guests made important closing comments and take away points. Please post comments/questions on The Space Show and Classroom blogs.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 07 May 2012 03:48:25 UTC
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Ken Davidian, Friday, 5-4-12 (45.71MB; download) -- Guest: Ken Davidian. Topics: Commercial Space, FAA AST, space industry development, theories, and markets. 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 Ken Davidian back to The Space Show to discuss the FAA Center of Excellence Program, commercial space industrial development, markets, and theories. We started our discussion with Ken's overview regarding the Center of Excellence Program. He talked about the participating schools and the four research areas and goal targets: space traffic management; vehicle safety and operations; human factors and safety; and space transportation industrial development, markets, and theories. We talked about the FAA budget and compared it in some ways to the NASA budget. Ken also talked about the coordination between the FAA AST and NASA, along with the primary responsibilities of the FAA which are focused on the aviation sector much more so than space. In the second segment, we switched focus to commercial space and here I suggest you visit the commercial space WIKI website, http://commercialspace.pbworks.com. Ken talked about material on the WIKI throughout this segment, especially the Commercial Space Market Model Papers and the Calendar of Commercial Space Conferences And Events. Both of these links can be found at the top of the home page. For the most part, Ken focused in on theory as compared to hard data detailing results from behavior, timing, policy, "bending metal," and other elements associated with space industrial development. He mentioned many of the books he has read, the theorists, their work, and papers he has written and presented at conferences on the subjects we discussed. The best way to follow along is visit the Commercial Space Markets page with the authors and papers listed, http://commercialspace.pbworks.com/w/page/30789604/Market%20Models%20-%20Papers%20and%20Reports. Rather than describe the theory of the authors Ken discussed, this summary will focus on some key take away points from our conversation. Hard data seems to rule rather than theory alone. Data is based on real time feedback and solid information, even if assumptions are made from the data. That said, we did learn that what is needed is a balanced approach that maximizes the best usage of both hard data and theory. For a new industry such as space, this is harder to do than for an existing or a mature industry. Also, the more that theory is relied upon over hard data, the more skepticism there will probably be in the discussion or planning subject. As for policy making, actually accomplishing what is talked about goes a long way in the policy world, much more so than the rhetoric and theory not yet backed up by actual facts. We also talked strategic planning and again, it is important to have a balance with hard data and theory, but in a developing industry such as space, the risk is that the data is just simply insufficient. Ken cited several examples of this and talked about the various approaches to resolving and addressing conflicts within these areas. Most of the authors, professors, and researchers mentioned in this segment are listed on the WIKI site so again, it is best to follow along with the discussion and read Ken's presentation papers. As the topic of space industrial development is of interest to me and many listeners, Ken and I talked about future Space Show programs/panels targeting how best to develop the emerging commercial space industry. If you have comments/questions, please post them on the blog. You can email Ken at ken.davidian@faa.gov. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 05 May 2012 17:21:21 UTC
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The John Batchelor Show "Hotel Mars," Wednesday, 5-2-12 (4.82MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Jim Muncy, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Commercial space, Congressional space policy, Falcon 9 static test. 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. 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. Our discussion topics this week for our 11 minute plus segment focused on the Falcon 9 static test and probable launch delays to the ISS. Jim discussed the delay and the need for Space X to do a thorough job in preparing for their important launch and first ever commercial rendezvous with the ISS. Next, we talked about the commercial crew space policy, what congress has done and might do regarding down selecting to one or two companies and changing the contracting format from the Space Act Agreement to the FAR. Jim explained the importance of competition in the commercial sector and discussed the commercial participants including Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, ATK , Space X, and Orbital. We talked about how competition is beneficial for NASA as well as the industry and the country. If you want to email either John Batchelor or Jim Muncy, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Thu, 03 May 2012 16:02:17 UTC
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Rusty Schweickart, Tuesday, 5-1-12 (53.63MB; download) -- Guest: Rusty Schweickart. Topics: Planetary Defense, NEO deflection. 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 Rusty Schweickart to update us on the latest with planetary defense and NEO risk assessment. Rusty started our discussion with an examining of the asteroid 2011 AG5 which if it goes through the keyhole in 2023, would be likely to hit Earth in 2040. During much of this first segment, our guest explained asteroid orbital issues, the keyhole and why it is so important to understand it, Earth's gravity impact on NEOs, and the different deflection techniques. He talked about the need for a dual mission which would include an observer satellite plus the kinetic impact deflector. The observer satellite would be needed to confirm the hit and if the deflection was sufficient to miss the keyhole. He estimated the cost for such a mission from $500 million to a billion or more! We also learned that the keyhole for AG5 is about 300 KM wide and that is a much easier deflection than trying to do it once AG5 goes through the keyhole. Then we would be looking at a deflection roughly equal to the Earth's diameter of 20,000 km which is a much harder deflection to accomplish requiring significantly more energy and costs. Other issues talked about in this segment included the state of our existing technology to accomplish a deflection, the risks associated with AG5, the issue of who pays for the cost of such a mission, the role of a heavy lift launcher in deflection, and asteroid finding space telescopes. In our second segment, we talked about different scenarios for deflection and the cost of deflection compared to the cost of an evacuation of people from the impact zone. Rusty talked about knowing the impact zone and why we can evaluate this much further in advance of impact than when working with space debris. A listener asked about using a nuclear bomb in space for mitigation. Rusty took us through the nuclear analysis and when as a last resort, a nuke might be needed. In this analysis, he again went over the kinetic impact and then talked about the gravity tractor concept which he said was slow but very precise. In his analysis, he used an interesting analogy to baseball, pitching the fastball, & the point at which the batter must act given the speed of the ball. Don't miss it. We talked more on telescopes and he mentioned the University of Hawaii ATLAS project (www.fallingstar.com). Another important point discussed in this segment was the fact that NASA has no official responsibility to protect us from a hit. We talked about the consequences of this policy, changing the policy to officially give NASA this responsibility, and funding it through the budget process. During our discussion, Rust outlined several steps that listeners could take if interested in this issue. Rusty offered specific recommendations all of us could do that would be beneficial to planetary defense. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to send Rusty a note, please do so through me. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 02 May 2012 18:08:48 UTC
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Global Space Exploration Conference, Monday, 5-1-12 (30.80MB; download) -- Guests: Bob Dickman, AIAA and Dr. Christian Feichtinger, IAF. 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. Please note that there were telephone line audio problems during this program. We welcomed both General Dickman and Dr. Feichtinger to the program to discuss this important conference, The Global Space Exploration Conference sponsored by both the AIAA and IAF. For full conference information, visit their website, http://glex2012.org. Here, you can register, make hotel reservations and plan which programs, tracks, and special events interest you. The conference is May 22-24, 2012 in Washington, DC at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. Our two guests started our discussion with an overview of the conference and the roles of both the AIAA and IAF in sponsoring the event. We then focused in on the conference theme which is global space exploration and we discussed the Keynote/Plenary speakers and panels. These are listed on the website but a few received special attention. First, there was the discussion with the Heads of the national space agencies for a global perspective on space exploration. We then talked about human exploration, Mars and other destinations in terms of global exploration, plus the panel entitled "Enabling A Political Consensus." Other conference topics we focused on during this hour long program dealt with commercial space, NewSpace, public/private partnerships, and conference logistics. Our guests made sure to point out the Masters with Masters session followed by the Young Professional Reception, both of which are Monday evening. The Masters session is for young professionals, 35 or younger, and is a superb networking event designed for the young space leaders who will go on to be our space leaders in the near future. You can read about this event at http://glex2012.org/social-events. Our guests pointed out the two general events open to everyone, the Tuesday Welcome Reception and Poster Session plus the Wednesday Off-Site Reception at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. The conference is multi-track so you will need to choose which programs and discussions you want to hear. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you have conference specific questions, you can use the Contact page on their website, http://glex2012.org/contact. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 01 May 2012 23:56:28 UTC
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Robert (Bob) Zimmerman, Monday, 4-30-12 (65.78MB; download) -- 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. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 01 May 2012 03:32:02 UTC
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Dr. John Jurist, Sunday, 4-29-12 (50.88MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. John Jurist. Topics: High altitude sky diving, space vehicle crew escape, free fall from space. 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. John Jurist back to the program to discuss his latest research dealing with high altitude bail out, space vehicle crew escape, free fall from space, and more. Dr. Jurist introduced us to the subject by talking about the history of experiments and research in the 50's and the 60's for high altitude bail out and the possibility of orbital speed crew escape. He discussed many technical issues and jump/escape parameters so do listen carefully to our entire discussion. Issues we addressed included aerodynamic stability, acceleration, deceleration, turbulence, spinning, heat dissipation, and the need to trust one's equipment. For example, he cited the famous Capt. Joe Kittinger jump as well as the latest effort to surpass the Kittinger jump by Red Bull and Felix Baumgartner. Dr. Jurist discussed the differences in suborbital and orbital bailouts and we discussed the generic escape scenarios for upcoming suborbital flights. John talked about the old Air Force Project Moose program and a listener asked about a free fall from orbital flight, perhaps from the ISS. Dr. Jurist explained how this might happen and what would be needed for the person to deorbit, free fall, return to the atmosphere, and to survive the experience. We also talked about the possibility of entering the atmosphere at too steep an angle and skipping off it with the potential of not ever returning. He said this could not happen. Don't miss this fascinating discussion. In our second segment, Carl asked Dr. Jurist to explain the SR-71 accident that he mentioned in the first segment. This is an amazing story. You can read about the SR-71 incident described by Dr. Jurist at www.916-starfighter.de/SR-71_Waever.htm. When asked for lessons learned, John said always trust your equipment and your training. We talked about cabin pressurization in this segment and John got lots of questions comparing aircraft pressurization systems to those of a space vehicle. This brought up the use of pressure suits, space suits, and possible shirt sleeve environments for space vehicles. Later in this segment, John talked about spinoffs, specifically accident improvement with results showing up in the auto industry with safer cars. Later, he was asked if he thought we were on the right track with HSF crew safety and escape issues and he said we were and that it was an evolutionary process. Near the end of the program in response to a question, he said the most likely failures would take place in the boost phase of the flight. Informed consent was mentioned as an issue to be aware of, then he concluded by saying that people are tough and can survive accidents and catastrophic events with the proper equipment and training. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:37:28 UTC
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The John Batchelor Show "Hotel Mars," Friday, 4-27-12 (4.18MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Mary Kissel, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Commercial space, Congress, asteroid mining, space telescopes, entreprenurism. 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. 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. The John Batchelor Show broadcast live from Stanford and the Hoover Institution this week and I drove down to do a special Hotel Mars segment Friday evening live in the studio with John and Mary. Our topics were commercial space and crew, Rep. Frank Wolf and the potentially dangerous changes his subcommittee wants to make with regards to commercial crew contracting, downselecting participants, and funding reductions. During our discussion, I offered a public invitation to Rep. Wolf to be a guest on The Space Show to explain the purpose behind and the need for the changes that have been reported and that we have been reading about. If any of you the listeners know Rep. Wolf or have connections in his office, help us get him or one of his top staffers to be a guest on The Space Show. If you want to email either John Batchelor or Mary Kissel, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:51:57 UTC
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Dr. Lewis Fraas, Friday, 4-27-12 (45.48MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Lewis Fraas. Topic: Mirrors in space for affordable solar electric power. 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. Lewis Fraas to the program to discuss his MiraSolar Satellite Concept for mirrors in space for solar electric power. I have posted two of his presentation papers and slides on The Space Show blog for your review. You can find more about his concept by visiting his website, http://jxcrystals.com/lendrupal. At his website, go to the lower right corner for links to MiraSolar. As our discussion addressed common topics throughout our 90 minute program, I'm writing this summary without regard to program segments. We started our discussion by asking Dr. Fraas to provide us with an overview of his mirrors in space concept. This he did, drawing from time to time upon comparisons with space solar power concepts placing their satellites in GEO while the mirrors would be in LEO around 1,000 km. Dr. Fraas made comparisons with SSP and mirrors in space throughout our 90 minute discussion. We talked about optics and physics as well as the power generating size of the ground stations used in his concept, comparing those to nuclear power plants and other power generating facilities. I believe you will find the power comparisons most interesting. We spent a considerable time going over the launch and project economics as well as due diligence from a mostly economic perspective. As you will hear, there are some blanks yet to be filled in but since this project is a decade or so out in the future, it is challenging to project values and costs that far into the future, let alone what launch vehicles we will have along with their flight, payload, and price characteristics. Another important part of the discussion focused on ground stations. Dr. Fraas zeroed them out of the economics when the ground station was built for or was being used for terrestrial solar as the mirrors in space project can make use of the same station. In cases where the mirrors program needs its own ground station, those costs would be factored into the total project costs. Listeners asked about environmental issues, an EIR and its challenges. Dr. Fraas made a point of being clear that this was an international project, not just focused on the U.S. He also suggested that there was a possibility of limiting or restricting U.S. regulations down the road but that other countries might be more interested in mirrors in space, including China, Japan, and India. We had an interesting discussion about the U.S. and the space progress being made in other countries. Tony asked a series of questions pertaining to using more not fewer mirrors for terrestrial solar farms. He also wanted to know the launch price that made the project viable. Dr. Fraas referred to NASA and other studies and cited two reference launch prices. See what you think when you hear this discussion. Another topic dealt with radiation at the orbit Dr. Fraas discussed. Here, we talked about the inner Van Allen belt and thanks to a listener, we got some info on debris issues at the desired orbit. Don't miss this discussion. As we heard, it might be advantageous to shift the orbit to 1200 KM for debris mitigation purposes. Another discussion topic addressed competition with always improving terrestrial forms of energy under development and in the process of coming on line. You can email Dr. Fraas for more information at lfraas@jxcrystals.com. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog and I will be sure to call them to the attention of our guest. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:11:11 UTC
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