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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Michael Heartsong, Tuesday, 3-16-10 (53.07MB; download) -- Guest: Michael Heartsong. Topics: Mining asteroids for commercial purposes. Michael Heartsong of Promethean Enterprises, Inc. was our guest to talk about the Promethean Project, "Mining The Sky." Promethean has an extensive White Paper on this subject which you can download at http://www.miningthesky.com/brochure.html. In our first segment, Mr. Heartsong outlined their mining concept to address both NEO's as well as comets. You will want to pay careful attention to his plan and how "targets of opportunity" will be selected. For the time being, they are not talking about mining the Moon. He also addressed the long term payout problem for raising capital as the project would be incrementally staged over perhaps 40 years or longer. Listen to his plan on how to establish early financial returns on additional income streams with three years and five years. As you will hear, some of the mining venture projects will start showing a payoff within 10-15 years. Michael outlines his customers which he says includes the ISS, anybody with a GEO satellite wanting to refuel it and also structural needs for the ISS. Bill form Virginia asked a series of questions about launcher, markets, time lines, and more. Michael responded to Bill's questions during the balance of this segment. Before this segment ended, Marshall asked about the spin of an asteroid and how that impacted the mining operation. College student Daniel ask about communication delays in controlling a robot and that became a continuing story line through the balance of today's interview. As we started the second segment, Tim from Huntsville called in and talked about propellant depots, aero braking, and more. 3D Rapid Prototyping was also mentioned to Michael as a possibility for consideration with his mining project. Michael then discussed options to deal with an incoming asteroid on a collision course with Earth so listen to how he summarized the options known so far. He said his project might be able to do some mining on a risky NEO such as Apotheosis and at the same time, play a role in deflecting it. Don't miss this discussion. Later in this segment, Michael was asked how changes in our national space policy as proposed by the administration on Feb. 1, 2010 might impact his project. He said he was generally supportive of the changes as it helps commercial space and his project is definitely a commercial project to be funded by the private sector, not the government. He had much to say on this topic so don't miss it. ITAR came up in the context of Michael being able to talk to potential foreign investors. Later in the segment, Trent asked about the types of asteroids that would make the best targets and wanted to know if a "wet" one was better. Michael talks about the three types of asteroids and makes it clear as to what type would be best for his project. We had a question about how his chances for financing would be impacted by the domestic and global economy problems, plus the probable down rating of US and UK treasury bonds. This led to a discussion on this subject first by Michael, then I joined in. Michael was asked for his initial plan and implementation schedule which he provided, including letting us know that he first needs to raise about $12-$15 million of angel capital to fund the research phase of his project. While this discussion took place earlier in this segment, it was a continuous theme throughout the balance of the interview. If you have a comment or question for Michael Heartsong or you want to get involved or just get more information, please contact him directly at msheartsong8@gmail.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:49:33 UTC
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Henry Vanderbil, Monday, 3-15-10 (44.44MB; download) -- Guest: Henry Vanderbilt. Topic: Space Access Society upcoming conference and agenda. Henry Vanderbilt, founder of the Space Access Society and the Space Access Conference was our guest for this show to discuss the upcoming SA Conference in Phoenix, Arizona from April 8-10, 2010. For more information, please visit www.space-access.org. In our first segment, Henry took us through the origins of the Space Access Society, how he came to found the organization and then do the annual conferences to bring people together to discuss how to accomplish radically different space transportation costs. This is an important history so don't miss it as it paves the way for the modern Space Access Society and its success as well as popularity. Also in this segment, we talked about space budgets and Henry said that if commercial space access costs were X, then the DOD would be perhaps 3X. NASA would then be about 10X! Listen to his full comments on this subject. Toward the end of this segment, Henry was talking about Space X, COTS and Orbital Sciences. As we started the second segment, Henry continued talking about Space X and the Falcon 9, then Orbital Sciences and the development of the Taurus 2 rocket as well as the NASA CCDEV program Commercial Crew Development. Constellation and Ares 1 were discussed and then Henry started talking about some of the speakers and conference content. You can see the full list of speakers and subjects by visiting the Space Access Society website at the address above. Scroll down to the section "Confirmed SA'10 speakers and presentations so far." Later in this segment, we talked at some length about laser power transmission via the upcoming talk by Dr. Jordin Kare and Lasermotive. Dallas then called the show to mention some hurdles for the space elevator including the need for two-way traffic and more. Dallas also talked about the panel discussion planned for orbital propellant depots. In the third and final segment, we continued our discussion with Dallas and Henry regarding both the elevator and the propellant depots. Later in this segment, Henry was asked about heavy lift and returning to the Moon. As you will hear, Henry talked in some detail about the Nasa exploration policy. This is a must hear discussion. Toward the end of the segment, the subject of world space programs came up and as you will hear, SA 10 is a US-centric conference but there is a panel discussion on various world space programs. Heavy lift was the topic as we neared the end of the show. If you have comments or questions for Henry Vanderbilt or want to know more about the Space Access conference, please email him through the website using space.access@space-access.org. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:09:29 UTC
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Dr. Bruno Stanek, Sunday, 3-14-10 (54.58MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Bruno Stanek. Topics: How the Swiss and Europeans view new US space policy proposals. Dr. Bruno Stanek returned as our guest to share his perspectives and what is reported in the Swiss and some of the European media regarding America's proposed space policy and Program of Record in this nearly two hour program. In our first segment, Dr. Stanek talked about the Swiss media and reports that America was killing the human spaceflight program. He said too many people see us as doing nothing. This change in perspective has shocked many people. He also mentioned that having the goal of going to Mars with chemical propulsion was not something that would likely happen and that we need nuclear propulsion. He commented that VASIMR seems very promising. He then explained that if cost was the problem as the Administration and Augustine reported, why plan for a mission that is ten times the cost of going to the Moon which he suggested we needed to do to learn to live in space and perfect needed technologies. He then talked about the space policy proposals and said it was a bad decision to always have policy that stops and goes all the time. A listener asked Dr. Stanek about commercialization/privatization. Our guest said if it was easy, why has it not been done before? He suggested that the private industry was both inexperienced and facing serious technical issues and that basic research was needed but do it in parallel to doing NASA spaceflight. It does not have to be one way or the other. He advocated pursuing both tracks at the same time. Later in this segment we discussed the SRB versus the Liquid Rocket Engine issue, escape hardware, and the POGO Effect for all rockets. Dr. Stanek is supportive of the SRB so you will want to note his comments. In the second segment, we talked about the space awareness level of the general population in Switzerland. While comparing the Swiss population to the US population is not an apples and apples comparison, it appears that those in Switzerland have more awareness than the average American. Their education focuses more on space and related topics than our systems seem to do. Later in the segment, John called in from Atlanta to talk about the need for a true space transportation system to LEO. Make sure you hear this discussion. Our topics then switched to what it takes to inspire and motivate people. Bruno said that when you have a goal, its much easier and better to inspire and motivate. We then talked about the Augustine Commission and he said it was formed around the cost issue so it framed the problems and the solutions as a function of cost. He provided some alternative perspectives to how we view space development outside of the cost arena and mentioned the leadership of the great Kraft Ehricke . In our third and final segment, Bruno talked about making budget changes within NASA and Constellation. We talked about the need for real science and the problem throughout societies that are scientifically illiterate. This led to a question about the bogus and even corrupt science we are now hearing about regarding global warming. I asked about space tourism and space advocacy in Switzerland. Ted asked him what our space program would look like should the administration's program be put into law. Bruno suggested changes showing up in about ten year. He also cited Swiss and European experience in many things the US is now considering, not just for space, but for healthcare, drug experience, and more. He commented that these were disasters and he urged America not to follow in these directions and to pay attention to the models that show what happens with certain policies. Toward the end of the program, Charles from Mojave called in to talk about the Microlauncher analog with the personal computer. Don't miss what Dr. Stanek had to say about this concept. If you want to send Dr. Bruno Stanek a question or a comment, please do so at bruno@stanek.ch. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:21:33 UTC
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Responsive Space 8 Interviews, Friday, 3-12-10 (41.90MB; download) -- Guest: Joe Cardin; Dr. Steve Harrington. Topics: space policy, workforce issues, marketing, customers. During our initial segment, our guest, Joe Cardin of VACCO Industries provides us with a unique perspective regarding the impact associated with the new space policy budget proposals announced Feb. 1 of this year. Mr. Cardin brings to our discussion a new and different set of perspectives and possible outcomes. Our discussion covered many topics from the cost of manufacturing space certified hardware to the market saying it wants something else, especially something cheaper. We talk about NASA policy, contract requirements, and much more. Workforce issues, motivation, productivity, all of these issues were part of this conversation. Don't miss this discussion as its unique and brings into play many important issues not normally talked about or even thought about. In our second segment, we talked with Dr. Steve Harrington who has the company, Flometrics (www.flometrics.com). We received an update on his efforts to market the piston less pump to both traditional aerospace and NewSpace. Steve offers us valuable insights in this world. We also talked about the new space policy proposals, the challenges in getting commercial space customers and much much more. You will find Steve's comments and the information he shares with us to be most valuable and important. If you have questions for either of our guests on these two segments, send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to the respective guest. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:35:30 UTC
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Responsive Space 8th Conf. Live Audience, Tuesday, 3-9-10 (55.50MB; download) -- Guests: Responsive Space Live Audience. Topics: Responsive Space issues, affordable space, Israel and small states, Apollo 13, PR, California space issues. This was our annual live audience Responsive Space program from the 8th Responsive Space Conference in Los Angeles. There were no breaks in the show. We started the program with a discussion led by Dr. Jim Wertz who opened the conference with the admission that this might be the last Responsive Space Conference. Thus, we discussed the significance and the progress so far of the responsive space programs and concerns. This was a far reaching discussion addressing affordable space access, available launch services, the Israeli space program and the importance of responsive space to smaller states and much more. Many in the audience participated with Dr. Wertz including Col (ret) Yoram Ilan-Lipovsky, Gary Moir, Dr. Richard Van Allen, Robert Jacobson, and others. Dr. Wertz et al stressed over and over again that space was too costly, missions take too long, decision making takes too long and in comparison to our earlier space accomplishments, there was no justification for this today. Listen to the examples given from the past and then see where we are today. Our participants offered suggestions for why we are stuck where we are today so see if you agree. You will also note that many of the issues being addressed with the responsive space and military/government space communities are the same as we address in the commercial and private space environment, along with NASA and our civil space program. Listen to what our Israeli participant had to say about small nations and responsive space as well as the Israeli space program. As you will hear, affordable space assets are crucial to small countries. Also, note their missions involving F-15 rocket launches. Listeners asked about the problems being more of a procurement issues rather than something else. See if you concur with what our audience participants said about this. In addition to the responsive space topic, Gary Moir and Jim Busby talked about the upcoming plans for the Apollo 13 reunion celebration. Much is planned for this event and you can find out more by visiting www.aerospacelegacyfoundation.org. Later in our discussion, several of the audience participants talked about responsive space issues eventually being supportive of commercial and human spaceflight issues. Much was said about strategic versus tactical policy and decision making as well as programs. In addition, backups were talked about for responsive space and as you will hear, we are operating with zero backups! CubeSats were part of our discussion, the need for launches was discussed and the QuakeSat program was discussed. Toward the end of the program, we talked about the California space workforce, California political candidates and our space economy, and the need for the space industry to be more effective in promoting the potential of the economic potential of the industry rather than waiting on politicians to do it for us. Robert Jacobson spoke about the possibility for PR to be used to help promote responsive space issues. Don’t miss this discussion. If you have questions or comments regarding this show or those that spoke, send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will direct your comment to the most applicable person. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:06:11 UTC
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Dr. Erik Seedhouse, Monday, 3-8-2010 (43.66MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Erick Seedhouse. Topics: China and U.S. space programs and is there a space race? Dr. Erik Seedhouse returned to The Space Show to discuss his new book, "The New Space Race: China vs. the United States." You can purchase this book on the OGLF book page and Amazon will contribute to OGLF/The Space Show. Use this URL: www.amazon.com/dp/144190879X?tag=onegialeafou-20. In our first segment, Dr. Seedhouse summarized China's space policy and discussed space in terms of world leadership, particularly the human spaceflight program which is almost all of the Chinese program. He talked about the importance to China of the One China Policy and how this plays out in space and possibly even with the GAP that may result form the US not being able to fly astronauts to space for years. He mentioned the U.S. Space Doctrine and the concept of controlling battle space. ASAT technology came up, orbital access for the Chinese was discussed and he mentioned an incident where a Chinese satellite came with in 12 miles of the ISS. In our second segment, Jack from Virginia asked five questions regarding cooperation with China, our proposed new policy and the FY 2011 budget, Sino-American space cooperation, the space weapons treaty, and the Chinese use of Russian space technology, Dr. Seedhouse responded to each of these questions so don't miss this discussion. We also talked about the retirement of the Space Shuttle and money being proposed to terminate Constellation which he said could be used to help keep shuttle flying. Issues about the Soyuz also came up and were addressed. In the third segment, Erik had more to say about the One China Policy and its possible impact on Taiwan as well as the GAP. ITAR was brought up as were back channel discussions and negotiations that he was aware of between the U.S. and China. He introduced us to the Schriever war games and applied them to our space policy discussion. Make sure you listen to this discussion. In questions about treaties, he said they were very hard to enforce or police. He also responded to another question by listener Jack about Russian technology for China and said that China no longer had to rely on it, they were passed that point in their space research and development work. Toward the end of this segment, Dr. Seedhouse had more to say about the proposed policy, flexible path and how best to stabilize US space policy. He then talked about the need for policy to be destination driven. Toward the end of the program, he talked about the commercial launchers, Atlas, Delta, and the Falcon 9 under development. While he supports commercial space development, he also believes that we should be pursuing the government program so listen to his policy suggestions. I strongly recommend his book as it is hard hitting and factual regarding China and U.S. space policy. If you have a question or comment for Dr. Erik Seedhouse, you can email him at Erik.Seedhouse ATdrdc-rddc dot gc dot ca.. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:56:20 UTC
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The Space Show Classroom Lesson 4 Due Diligence 3-7-10 (47.70MB; download) -- Guests: Bruce Pittman, Dr. John Jurist, Dr. Jim Logan, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Classroom Lesson 4: Business and Engineering Due Diligence. Visit The Space Show Classroom Blog for the presentation material from our panelists, http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. Bruce has a Power Point presentation for your review, Dr. Jurist has his investment laws and a Power Point presentation, and I've uploaded the business plan outline I use when writing a business plan. We started our first of two segments for Lesson 4 with guest panelist Bruce Pittman introducing us to the basics of business, marketing, and financial due diligence. The initial part of our conversation focused on markets and what is real or not real. We talked about multiple income streams and used suborbital flights as a model. We addressed the subject of financial and marketing assumptions and how to determine if they are reasonable. Listeners asked about alternative ways of determining the credibility of a business plan and the people involved with it so don't miss this important discussion. Risk factors, competition, and the need for a risk management strategy were discussed in this segment. Bruce and John talked about the need for a compelling story and the use of third party experts with credentials to help look at a venture, especially on the engineering due diligence side of the analysis. Bruce also said that the same rules apply for space as for terrestrial businesses but there are additional factors which he outlined during this Classroom program. John in Atlanta called about reusable rockets and getting the first stage back. This was a comprehensive discussion on the economics of reusability so don't miss it. Toward the end of the first segment, we talked about proprietary issues in a business plan and the use of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and how that is understood by investors. Again, don't miss this discussion. We started the second segment with Bruce telling us about the Space Investment Summit upcoming in Chicago this May. Check it out at their website, http://spaceinvestmentsummit.com. Its possible you can submit a business plan to the Summit so if this interests you, by all means check it out. In talking about the standards for the business plans, we talked about the presentation and the need for a superb Executive Summary. Later in this segment, we talked about wish list thinking and separating our emotions from the practical job at hand to evaluate the plan or opportunity. In this segment, we talked about timing, having an experienced management team and recognizing when its time to bring in professionals to fill the gaps in management not being filled by the original team members. We described the difference between angel investors and venture capital and Bruce introduced us to the idea of corporate venture capital. Knowing the customer was a recurring theme for this show but as we neared the end of the program, we were asked about a company with only one customer, the government. Listen to what our panel members had to say about this. As we went to the concluding remarks, you will hear Dr. Jurist urge caution and scrupulous honesty. Bruce said it was an exciting time but that it was hard writing good business plans and factor in that it will always take two to three times as much energy to do what you plan on doing and two to three times as much money as you think it will take to get the job done. You can send comments or questions to Bruce Pittman at bpittman@earthlink.net and for the co-hosts, our addresses are on the blog. However, remember, all comments and questions regarding this program should be posted on The Space Show Classroom Blog under Lesson 4 Archives. Any emails I receive will automatically be posted on the blog. The Space Show Classroom blog address is http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:21:56 UTC
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Howard Bloom,Tuesday, 3-2-10 (59.26MB; download) -- Guest: Howard Bloom. Topics: NASA space policy, visionary leadership. Our guest for this two hou program was Howard Bloom who returned to discuss space vision and the Administration space policy proposals. In our first segment, we learned that his new book, "The Genius Of The Beast: A Radical Revision of Capitalism" is already in its second printing after just nine weeks! This book is available at the OFLF Amazon book partners page and if you buy it through this link, Amazon will contribute to OGLF/The Space Show. Use www.amazon.com/dp/1591027543?tag=onegialeafou-20. Howard then pointed us to his editorial, "The Biology of Obama's Vision Crisis: The Case for Looking Up" on Reality Sandwich at www.realitysandwich.com/obamas_vision_crisis. Howard discussed vision, its importance to space and to our nation, and he commented on the lack of vision we all face today. In this segment we talked about the GAP and dependence upon Russia for human spaceflight for several years. Howard brought up the need for space infrastructure, he referenced India in this discussion, SSP, and China Howard brought up DEMO 2008 and the presentations made about new business opportunities. He said all assumed a technology in place which is not in place and pointed this out as opportunity for new commercial space ventures. Don't miss what he said about DEMO and commercial opportunities. Next in the discussion was Howard's assessment that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden blew it with the Feb. 1 announcement in that he did not talk with his PR team and do it correctly. Howard had much to say about thi throughout the program. The issue of the US maintaining its leadership and standard of living came up and a listener challenged the idea that the US would always be on top. Howard suggested that it might be possible for the US to turn south on these issues but that others such as India and China would continue the climb up so humanity as a whole would likely keep experiencing the upward momentum, possibly under new leadership. See what you think of this discussion. Howard was asked what he would do were he the head of the space program. He said he would have us go to a comet as the ultimate fuel depot in space and to develop resources to demonstrate the huge wealth potential for space development. He also said he would do massive PR to show NASA creates wealth. Drawing upon an example from his current book, "The Genius Of The Beast," he used Venice as an example of a great center going down due to policy and the lack of vision and said we cannot let this happen to the U.S. As we started our second segment, Joe in Houston asked about space biological research on the ISS re mice and centrifuges for bone loss studies. He also inquired about the use of Russian technology. Listen to what Howard said in response to these questions as the issue of artificial gravity was part of the response. Later in this segment, I asked Howard a series of questions to determine if a private company could do the PR he was talking about and over what time period it would take to accomplish the goals of turning around our perceptions on space. Don't miss this discussion. Near the end of this segment, we discussed the Iranian space program and its recent launches of animals. Howard said this was really a way of saying Iran had a payload capability and will soon have an ICBM for coverage of all the Middle east and beyond. We concluded the program with Howard talking about joining his group, the Space Development Steering Committee. Howard can be reached through his Facebook account by searching for him or use HowBloom. You can find him on Twitter by using HowardXBloom. Questions and comments can go through his social networking account or through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:46:42 UTC
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Cynda Collins Arsenault, Monday, 3-1-10 (43.16MB; download) -- Guest: Cynda Collins Arsenault; Topics: Secure World Foundation (SWF), space community organization, space security. Cynda Collins Arsenault was the guest for this program to discuss the formation of Secure World Foundation, space security, and other relevant and related topics. In our first segment, Ms. Arsenault told us about her reaction to hearing JFK talking about putting men on the Moon and that she wanted to go to space on airline flights to the Moon. Years later in 2003, Cynda and her husband Marcel Arsenault, started Secure World Foundation (www.secureworldfoundation.org). As you will hear, SWF was not formed to specifically engage in space policy but to determine where it could make the most impact. Space issues were then seen as the path to pursue. Listen carefully to this story, its not only interesting but very important. As you will hear, much of the success for SWF and for other organizations lies in the ability to develop an excellent staff. In addition, SWF has a bottoms up approach rather than a top down approach. There is much in what Cynda says that can benefit us all as we develop our own organizations and programs. The issue of space debris was discussed in the context of the work being done regarding the establishment of a global space policy on debris issues. Toward the end of this segment, a listener asked Cynda about her own continued involvement in SWF. Listen to how she describes her involvement with the organization and what she says for the future for both SWF and herself. In our second segment, we started off by understanding the SWF approach to issues such space security, NEO and planetary protection, and Earth observation. Cynda again emphasized the bottoms up practical approach. She said that in looking at an issue, they look at what needs to be done and then put it in place to make it happen. They want to influence decision and policy makers. Space as a global commons was discussed. A listener asked about SWF relationships with world governments, space agencies and even the military. As you will hear, SWF has good relationships with all of these entities and even has Observer status as an NGO with COUPOS. SWF is also part of Action Team 14 for NEO response. We learned that SWF has been helpful in working with Latin American groups to develop their own space policy. ITAR issues were mentioned and we talked about limitations imposed by ITAR. Toward the end of this segment, we learned that SWF was growing by leaps and bounds and in fact they are looking to fill specific positions. If you are interested, check out the information on their website. We talked about space tourism and space solar power though both are not SWF issues. Toward the end of this segment, Ms. Arsenault said that they bring people together who are solution minded. In our third and final segment, Cynda talked about needing priorities not just for SWF but in our private lives as we talked about challenging situations that we face yet we still find time to do other important work. She talked about the importance of building a community and said things are often not easy and they are messy. We next talked about her experiences in talking to members of congress. Listen carefully to what she says and her strategy when talking to them about space or other issues. Remote sensing and Earth warning systems were mentioned, especially in light of recent earthquakes and Tsunami warnings. Toward the end of the program, we talked about the SWF role with ISU. If you have a comment or questions for Cynda Collins Arsenault, you can email her at cyndaca@swfound.org. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:19:00 UTC
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Open Lines, Sunday, 2-28-10 (63.75MB; download) -- Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: U.S. Space Policy, Indian space program, DOD and NASA, Spanish balloon space tourism project. This was a two hour Open Lines program divided in two segments with many listeners using the toll free line! Thank you listeners! In our fist segment, our first caller John from Atlanta led off with his views on the administrations space policy proposals. We talked about the need to have targets, goals, and a defined program. We talked about the space workforce, NASA and our civil space program as a jobs program as compared to needing our space workforce for the good of the nation. The commercial companies were also included in this discussion. See what you think about what John and I said and let us know your perspective on the administration's proposals. Kelly was our next caller who also talked about the administration space policy proposals. As you will hear, while no fan of Ares, Kelly sees many problems with what is being proposed. We also talked about the revised totals for job losses due to the shuttle retirement which are now estimated at 25,000. We took another caller, Dr. Jurist who asked about some possible combination of human spaceflight being taken over by DOD or shared with DOD and what Kelly and I thought about that. Listen to this three-way discussion. As we started the second segment, Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales called from Barcelona, Spain to share with us his views on the administration's space policy as well as what he was sensing to be a strong perspective throughout Europe on the new policy proposals. He also talked about the engineering work force age and aerospace engineering education in China, Europe, and the US. We then switched to the topic of his space tourism balloon project and Dr. Jurist phoned in on the other line to talk about some of the technical challenges faced by such a project. Listen to what Jose says about the project, the view when the balloon reaches about 35km, the projected cost, the issue of helium, winds, speeds, pressurization, and time aloft for the mission plus probable launch sites. He is taking ticket orders now so visit his website at www.inbloon.com to learn more about the project, the venture, and the cost. You can email Jose through the website contact page or by contacting him using spacetourism@gmail.com. Our discussion with Jose, Dr. Jurist, and myself, plus Reda asking chat questions was quite comprehensive about this new space tourism project. See what you think when you hear it and visit his website. His first tourist flights are projected to occur between 2013 and 2015. Toward the end of the program Charles Pooley from Mojave and Microlaunchers called the program. He was not positive on the balloon space tourism project nor is Charles positive on space tourism anyway. Those of you that are frequent listeners will not be surprised to learn that Charles again advocated changing NASA to more of a NACA type organization. He then suggested that for a commercial company to make money, they had to be in the space launch vehicle business, thus negating the business plan for example for a company such as Celestas that buys rides on existing rockets for its payloads. This was an intense discussion with Charles and Reda who was using chat, and other listeners so don't miss it. If you want to contact any of the listeners who participated in today's Open Lines program, please send your note to me and I will forward it to the person of interest. As always, your feedback and suggestions are most welcome at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:38:19 UTC
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