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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AIAA Space Policy Program, Thursday, 3-15-12 (28.95MB; download) -- Guests: Steven Howell; John Rose. Topics: AIAA Space Policy Activities. 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 Steve Howell and John Rose to this special hour long American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) program on key issues of space policy for the U.S. Please note that about 17 minutes into the discussion, our conversation was interrupted by music from an unknown source. I had to remove about a three minute section from our discussion due to the unwanted music which is why you will hear a rough edit in the recording. We started the discussion with Steve giving us an overview of AIAA and its role in both aviation and space policy. We talked about public space policy, Congress, and the role of industry. In response to my asking him for the main areas of AIAA policy focus, he listed for us the key issues that have the attention of AIAA. Don't miss what he listed and said about each one. We also talked about the fact that most of the key issues were long term issues. I focused in on human spaceflight and our guests said we needed a sustainable human space transportation system that was safe and cost effective. Also such a system should be a high priority. Our guests were asked if they addressed specific projects such CCDEV or SLS. As you will hear, the AIAA focuses more on the policy, it does not attempt to pick the winners or specific programs relating to a policy. One of the main discussion points from our guests dealt with workforce issues and making sure we do not lose vital skill sets for both the industry and our nation. In response to other questions, our guests said that there was a "perfect storm" in Washington, DC regarding space policy, research programs, & civil space. The lack of a vision was mentioned along with there being no defined mission, goals, or timelines. Our guests then told us about the AIAA Congressional Visits Day which is open for your participation. Find out more about it and their plans to personally lobby members of congress by visiting www.aiaa.org/cvd2012. Listener Mike Snead asked our guests about AIAA policy regarding NASA human spaceflight standards & the NASA level of acceptable risk. Both our guests had much to say in response to Mike regarding this issue, but for the most part they said AIAA provides technical support and analysis for the policy makers to use in making policy. This is an important discussion you do not want to miss. Space workforce issues came up again in our conversation. Both John and Steve pointed out the key issues, including how the market has changed over the years. Also, how we now compete with countries that used to provide us with much of our special workforce labor. We also talked about other fields of engineering being more popular with students than space. Near the end, Dale called in on a bad phone line but he was able to ask about using modern green rocket technology, engines, and fuel rather than old technology and outdated chemical rocket propulsion. I'm sure you will find the response to be interesting. If you have questions/comments, post them on The Space Show blog URL above. If you want to email either of our guests, send your note to me and I will forward it. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:26:59 UTC
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The John Batchelor Show "Hotel Mars," Wednesday, 3-14-12 (4.83MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Andrew Nelson, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: XCOR Aerospace and suborbital spaceflight/research. 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 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 topics in this 11 minute plus segment focused on XCOR Aerospace, their Lynx vehicle, space tourism, and suborbital research missions. Mr. Nelson, the COO of XCOR, spoke about their wanting to fly up to four times a day, vehicles that go to 200,000 feet as well as to 350,00 feet, the views that can be seen from the edge of space and much more. We talked about the great success XCOR has had in gaining international interest and partners with their Lynx and their business model. In response to questions, Andrew talked about microgravity and oncology research. At one point he suggested that research revenues might come in around 60-70% of their total gross revenues. Andrew also talked about ticket sales and prices and said that the $95K price includes the training, testing, and the flight. If you have comments or questions, post them on The Space Show blog URL above. If you want to email either Andrew Nelson or John Batchelor, please send your note to me and I will forward it to the person of your choice. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:35:28 UTC
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Open Lines, Tuesday, 3-13-12 (70.63MB; download) --
Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: An Open Lines program covers a wide variety of topics of interest to the listeners. 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. Welcome to this 2 hour 20 minute Open Lines discussion largely driven by listeners calling the program. In our first hour segment, I listed the usual possible discussion topics which I won't repeat here. As to be expected, listeners had their own ideas as to what they wanted to talk about though we did address some of the issues I previewed including NASA & the treatment of their chimps in the early space program given that PETA wants to establish a chimp empathy museum at KSC, NASA budget cuts & the recent congressional hearings, the Defense Intelligence Agency Chinese space program wake up call, & more. The congressional hearings of last week made it to our discusses as listeners focused on what was said by Senator Nelson, Senator Hutchinson, NASA Administrator Bolden, & Dr. Tyson in his short presentation. Listeners also talked about the comments by Texas Congresswoman Eddie Johnson regarding commercial space/crew on the House side. Also in the first segment, Tim called in to inquire about a possible IPO for Space X.
In our second segment, Dr. Jurist called in to express his disappointment at the elimination of funding for the Operationally Responsive Space office/program. This took us to a discussion about national security space & I asked Dr. Jurist about the Defense Intelligence Agency wake up call regarding the Chinese space program as expressed by their director Ronald L. Burgess. Somehow we then got off on the topic of the planned retirement of the B-52 in 2040, about 88 years after it became operational. While Dr. Jurist was talking with us, Tim sent in several email questions for him on microgravity experiments to determine what level of gravity was needed for humans for space settlement & long duration flights. John Hunt followed with comments about VASIMR, nuclear propulsion, & even fusion powered spacecraft down the road in our future. Tom Hanson of the Living Universe Foundation called in to let people know they are seeking Foundation board members (www.luf.org/contact). I then introduced another topic from a current article in Popular Science, a 20,000 mph train to space (www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-03/all-aboard-20000-mile-hour-low-earth-orbit-express). This article refers to a newer version of StarTram & this brought in several more callers including Trent from Australia. Other listeners chimed in on the train to space idea as well though most did not take the article very seriously. I introduced the news that Turkey had agreed to the Moon Treaty & then Terry called in at the end to talk about the X-37C & that it might become a crewed vehicle. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. If you want to contact any of our callers, send your note to me & I will forward it for you. If you want more info on any of the news stories I mentioned, let me know & I will send it to you.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:05:02 UTC
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Dr. Ryan Kobrick, Monday, 3-12-12 (44.09MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Ryan Kobrick. Topic: Yuri's Night Celebration 2012. 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. Ryan Kobrick to the program to discuss Yuri's Night 2012 with us. According to the Yuri's Night website (www.yurisnight.net), "Yuri’s Night is a global celebration of humanity’s past, present, and future in space. Yuri’s Night parties and events are held around the world every April in commemoration of April 12, 1961, the day of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight, and April 12, 1981, the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle." Please note that today's program review will not be by segments given our discussion was ongoing throughout the show and the subjects and topics discussed did not change that much per segment. Dr. Kobrick started us out with a brief history of Yuri's Night but we soon got into the global parties and events, how to find a party or event near you, and how to host an event. As you will hear, if you contact Yuri's Night through their website, many people are willing to help you organize an event and there are lots of supporting materials for you to use. We also talked about Yuri's Night educational outreach for students of all grades. Previous Yuri's Night celebrations were discussed, we took a look at the different countries where events are held, and our guest fielded several listener questions on these issues. One question Ryan received from Chuck asked why a Yuri's Night and not a similar celebration for Apollo 11. Don't miss what both Ryan and I had to say about this in our response to Chuck. This particular question brought up the subject of NASA support for Yuri's Night and our guest had much to say about this as well. Another program Ryan talked about was Yuri's Night Live (http://live.yurisnight.net). Listeners also wanted to know if Yuri's Night was supported by other national space agencies and why there were no events in China. Later in the program near the end, we asked Dr. Kobrick about his own background in space, how he got his space interest, and what he hoped to be doing in the future. Visit his personal website, www.ryinspace.com. As you will hear, he has been involved in some interesting projects, spacesuit engineering and design projects, lunar dust studies, and he wants to go on to be a university professor when he finishes his Postdoctoral Associate program at MIT. After talking with him on The Space Show and having met and talked with him in person at conferences, I can honestly say that there are going to be some very lucky college students out there who end up in one or more of his classes. Before our program ended, we returned to discussing Yuri's Night and Ryan urged us all to register to attend an event or host one. With one month to go before Yuri's Night 2012 is here, the time is now to either plan and host an event or make arrangements to attend an event and participate. If you have comments/questions, please post them on The Space Show blog URL above. To contact the Yuri's Night 2012 team, use http://yurisnight.net/contact. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:15:37 UTC
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Dr. Erik Seedhouse, Sunday, 3-11-12 (46.04MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Erik Seedhouse. Topics: We discussed his book, "Interplanetary Outpost: The Human and Technological Challenges of Exploring the Outer Planets," the human factors issues & the technical issues for such missions. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We welcomed back Dr. Seedhouse to discuss his new book on interplanetary missions. Remember, if you buy the book using the following Amazon URL, Amazon will make a contribution to The Space Show/OGLF (www.amazon.com/Interplanetary-Outpost-Technological-Challenges-Exploration/dp/1441997474/ref=onegiantlea20). Dr. Seedhouse began our discussion by talking about the interplanetary mission research that has been done over the years and is still continuing though in a greatly reduced mode. In this discussion, he referenced the HOPE Study for mission architecture to travel to Callisto, one of the moon's of Jupiter. He also talked about research going on with ESA regarding human hibernation and on this subject, we spend a considerable amount of time. Artificial gravity and radiation were discussed along with vision problems for astronauts having spent at least four months on orbit. As we started the second segment, Marshall called in and wanted to know about athletic and sports games to pass the time for the crew on long spaceflights. Dr. Seedhouse thought more of the idea to have some sort of sport or athletic game at the destination rather than on the spaceflight. We also talked about what it would take to change attitudes and policy to undertake an interplanetary mission. At one point in the discussion, our guest suggested we might be too soft in modern times to explore and that we were no longer as interested in exploring as we once were. Make sure you hear this entire conversation. We fielded more listener questions and calls, talked about humans being able to adapt to the space environment over a long period of time and genetic screening for crew selection. We covered crew selection in some detail which then took us to the subject of bioethics which do not yet exist in any formal way for an interplanetary mission. Erik did include his version of an Interplanetary Bioethics Manual as Appendix II. We talked about pregnancy, pre-emptive surgery, death of a crew member, death of a family member back on Earth, waivers that would need to be signed by both crew and family members, and much more. Toward the end of the program, our guest was asked about interplanetary propulsion systems and multigenerational crews. Erik talked about the VASIMR and we asked lots of questions about the 2nd and 3rd generation members of the multigenerational crew and how to be sure they become doctors, engineers, and other positions needed for the crew's survival and success. We also talked about modernizing space suits and Erik told us about Blue Suit Days as a requirement for Canadian astronauts for space outreach support. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:43:35 UTC
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Stewart Money, Friday, 3-9-12 (58.12MB; download) -- Guest: Stewart Money. Topics: We discussed EELV issues, the Air Force desire for a bulk buy of EELV services, Space X and more. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We welcomed Stewart Money to the program to discuss his recent Space Review articles. The primary article he wrote which was the subject for today can be found at www.thespacereview.com/article/1990/. Stewart has Part 2 to this article coming up on The Space Review so be sure to look for it and read it when it is available. During our first segment, Stewart talked about ULA and the proposed bulk buy of ULA rockets for the Air Force and the rising prices for EELV launches. This block buy has been raised into question by many including the GAO study with the thought that it should be expanded to allow for additional purchases from competing companies such as Space X or Orbital. Google ULA Air Force bulk buy" for a list of news articles about this story. Stewart received many questions about this because Falcon 9 is not yet operational and Falcon Heavy has not been built. Stewart talked about this in the context of Air Force requirements for availability, reliability, and the launch cost. Our guest felt that since there was a gap of several years in the Air Force program, there should be time for Falcon 9 to prove itself without much of a downside to the Air Force or ULA if they needed to add in more EELV purchases due to any Space X problems that may arise. Part of our discussion centered on risk but as you will hear, Stewart was mostly focused on launch cost and believes that Space X will be a driving force to lower the cost of access to space. Near the end of this segment, the stored Triana Satellite came up (It is now named the Deep Space Climate Observatory or DISCOVR) and how the Air Force might launch it on the Falcon 9. During this segment, Stewart also referred to the Aerospace Corporation 3/7 Reliability Rule which says that if a failure occurs during the first three launches, the problem is probably a design issue. If failure occurs after the third successful launch but before the seventh, a production process issue is probable. Once a launch vehicle configuration launches successfully three times, its design has demonstrated maturity. If successfully launched seven times, the design & production process maturity are likely demonstrated. Check out this document for more detailed information on the 3/7 Reliability Rule: "Space Acquisitions: Uncertainties in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program Pose Management and Oversight Challenges" by the GAO at www.gao.gov/new.items/d081039.pdf. In the second segment, we talked about the recent congressional testimony on the FY 13 budget with Congress and Administrator Bolden plus the testimony of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Stewart boiled the problems down to the cost of space access and remained with the theme of solving that problem for the balance of our discussion. We then talked more about testing, high priority payloads and normal payloads, how many flights would be needed for the Falcon 9 to fly a high priority payload and more. We also talked about the difference in theory with a yet to be proven, operational launch vehicle being considered real as compared to an actual operating and flying vehicle as many confuse the two, counting the first one as real with real pricing when it is not even operational. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. If you would like to email Mr. Money, you can use the address at the end of his Space Review articles. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:04:10 UTC
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Dr. Seth Shostak, Thursday, 3-8-12 (44.82MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Seth Shostak. Topics: The SETI Institute, SETI searches, and astronomy.
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. Seth Shostak back to the program for updates regarding the SETI Institute and SETI searches. Learn more about SETI at www.seti.org. Other websites of interest and that were talked about or mentioned on the program include SETILive at www.setilive.org; the Big Picture Science Radio program at www.seti.org/bigpicturescience, and SETIConII at http://seticon.com. We began our discussion talking about SETILive and Citizen Science. We talked about the SETILive website, the basics on looking at the signals in question, and more. This took us to the topic of the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) which now has 42 antennas operating with a plan for up to 350 antennas, each 20 feet across. We compared this to the VLA in New Mexico. Dr. Shostak reported to us that the speed of SETI searches was increasing at a rate similar to Moore's Law for computers. Our guest then explained SETI search patterns and methodology. Several listener questions came in including asking if SETI was better off with public funding, private funding, or a combination of both. Seth suggested the combination but listen to what he said about each category. Another listener asked about Optical SETI. Here, we learned that the SETI Institute was no longer doing it but that there was an excellent program for Optical SETI at Harvard University. This prompted another listener to ask about SETI programs around the world. You might be surprised to learn just how many programs there are and their locations. In our second segment, Jim from Austin asked if there was any correlation to funding for SETI based on how well NASA does with its annual funding from Congress. Dr. Shostak said there were no correlations but when SETI public funds were terminated in 1993, private funding stepped up to take over. He also said that it appears SETI does better when related topics are in the news or the media, including TV shows such as X-Files. Discoveries from Kepler and other space missions also play a part in driving support for SETI. We then turned our attention to Active SETI, the idea of deliberately transmitting to space. Dr. Shostak explained the controversy surrounding Active SETI but was supportive of it. Terry called in to inquire about the protocol should a signal be discovered. This brought up a review of the WOW signal matter, then we talked about student internships at SETI. Wayne from Santa Fe emailed us about the ET worldwide culture which we discussed from several perspectives. Other topics of interest included pseudo science, science and education, the study of astronomy, and the quality of major California observatories given light and air pollution. Near the end, John called in to ask if an ET starship using fusion or another form of energy/engine propulsion would leave a visible trail as a way of being detected. Finally, we talked about incoming asteroids, the keyhole, and even painting an asteroid to deflect it. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. Dr. Shostak can be reached through the SETI Institute website.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:02:14 UTC
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John Batchelor Show "Hotel Mars" Wednesday, 3-7-12 (5.19MB; download) -- Guests: John Batchelor, Rusty Schweickart, DrSpace. Topics: Planetary Defense, asteroid impact, Asteroid 2011AG5. 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 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 topics in this 11 minute plus segment focused on the asteroid 2011AG5, asteroid impacts, the means to intervene to deflect an incoming asteroid threat as well as understanding the force of impact for an asteroid the size of 2011AG5. During the discussion, we discussed the odds of the asteroid hitting the US. Rusty explained the Keyhole and its significance for an asteroid that may be approaching Earth. Rusty also gave us critical dates to watch as more refined observational information becomes available for 2011AG5. Finally, we talked about technologies that are available now to deal with an incoming asteroid such as a gravity tractor. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. If you want to contact either John or Rusty, send your note to me and I will forward it to you. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:30:34 UTC
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Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Tuesday, 3-6-12 (31.38MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Subject: Dr. Tyson talks space policy along with his new book, "Space Chronicles: Facing The Ultimate Frontier" and his article in the current edition of Foreign Affairs, , "The Case For Space: Why We Should Keep Reaching for the Stars." 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. Neil deGrasse Tyson back to the show for a comprehensive hour long discussion on space policy, the NASA budget, investment in our future, the space race, and many more issues as pointed out in both his Foreign Affairs article and in his new book. Remember, if you order his book using the following Amazon link, Amazon will make a contribution to The Space Show/One Giant Leap Foundation: www.amazon.com/Space-Chronicles-Facing-Ultimate-Frontier/dp/0393082105/ref=onegiantleap20. You can read his Foreign Affairs article at www.scribd.com/doc/82592118/The-Case-for-Space. During our hour with Neil, we discussed the NASA budget and why it should be increased. Dr. Tyson also pointed out why humor was so important and what it really means as I asked him about the joking and kidding around regarding space when he visits programs such as The Daily Show. Neil also made the case for more space activity and talked about spinoffs but additionally he talked about the economic growth that comes from innovation and inspiration, along with unplanned and fortunate discoveries. Here, he cited the Hubble Space Telescope and mammograms as an example. He also suggested that with a space program that is innovative and doing what it should be doing, the STEM education problems are solved in the process. We talked about NASA not being one of the key scientific government agencies anymore and he was upset that this was and is not being corrected. Dr. Tyson had much to say about the role of the private sector in space development in that government typically puts down the infrastructure and opens the industry door with the privates coming after, expanding the industry, operating more efficiently, and developing markets. A listener asked about planetary defense and asteroids, another listener inquired about space enthusiasts running for political office, and Jon suggested that giving NASA a bigger budget would just be a waste as NASA is all about pork. Neil addressed all of these questions and more. I urge listeners to read his book and if possible, read the Foreign Affairs article before you listen to the interview. During our discussion, Dr. Tyson said some very powerful things. For example, note our discussion on the NASA budget as an investment, not an expense. Neil described himself as an educator so listen to what he had to say about how to influence people and create change through education by teaching real science and facts so people can make truly informed choices. Pay attention to what he said about a country that does not invest in its future and why space should be the future getting the investment benefit. Throughout this interview, Neil powerfully reminded us all that even in tough economic times like today, NASA has been instrumental in shaping our national identity, inspiring us, driving our economy, driving careers in the STEM disciplines, and bringing us landmark, groundbreaking new technologies. I personally believe that Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a very good case for space. Please post any comments/questions you might have for Dr. Tyson on The Space Show blog URL above.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:52:38 UTC
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Jay Barbree, Monday, 3-5-12 (39.04MB; download) -- Guest: Jay Barbree. Topics: Overview of the space program today, SLS, presidential politics and NASA. 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 NBC veteran space reporter Jay Barbree back to The Space Show for a conversation that focused on our best options for today's space program. Our discussion was one hour forty minutes without a break. We started out discussing Jay's thoughts when he reported on the last shuttle flight given he had reported on every shuttle flight ever made. He also told us he had updated and reissued his best selling book "Moonshot" which he co-authored with Alan Shepherd and Deke Slayton. Remember, if you buy it from Amazon with this specific URL, Amazon makes a contribution to The Space Show: www.amazon.com/Moon-Shot-Alan-Shepard/dp/1453211977/ref=onegiantlea20. Other topics discussed included a comparison of the original astronauts to astronauts today and the need to return to the Moon. In fact, Jay told us about ideas being discussed to use the ISS to do a figure 8 loop to and from the Moon rather than crashing it into the ocean at the end of its life. To do this, he said nuclear propulsion was needed and this led him to discuss the overall need for the nuclear rocket, especially for going to Mars. A listener asked him if he favored a one way trip to Mars and he said yes. Don't miss his complete answer. Next, we started talking about the Space Launch System which ended up as the main discussion topic for the balance of the program. Jay strongly supports SLS and is concerned that it might be cancelled. We talked about what the Obama administration would likely be doing with space and then he talked about his conversations with the Republican candidates and his impressions of each one and their interest in space. He talked at length about Newt's Florida primary comments and returning to the Moon in general. He also talked about the need for space settlement given the vulnerability of Earth. Later, a listener asked Jay if he was familiar with the accusations being made against NASA for how they dealt with the chimps in the early space program and their idea to get KSC to donate space for a chimp museum documenting abuse during their NASA days and dedicating to stopping lab research. Jay was not familiar with the story but listener Tim found the story on the PETA website: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/02/29/peta-to-launch-memorial-at-space-center.aspx. Jay talked more about the SLS but also about Falcon 9, Dragon, the Boeing CTS 100, and the Atlas 5. He expressed his concerns many times that the politicians might actually mess up NASA and our future, specifically by cancelling SLS, Orion, or both. At the end, he told us about his MSNBC.com series "Getting to Mars" which is already underway. Post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:11:05 UTC
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