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Created on: 12 May 2005 Language: English |
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Classroom Lesson 9 Launch Systems, Tuesday, 6-1-10 (65.05MB; download) -- Guests: CLASSROOM. Dr. Henry Hertzfeld, Dr. John Jurist, Dr. Jim Logan. Topics: Lesson 9 Launch Systems Analysis and Economics. We focused on launch system economics, markets, demand, and the definition of commercial versus government launchers. In segment one, Dr. Hertzfeld defined commercial which as you will hear was no easy task to do. While we considered definitions based on the type of contract and the customer, we looked to the party assuming the risk to determine commercial status. I asked Henry for the track record of government as an enabler of industry and mentioned the usual examples of airmail the railroads, and interstate highways. As you will hear, government has the potential to be an enabler of private industry but in the examples cited, Dr. Hertzfeld pointed out that there was already demand and a market so what government did was to improve development of an existing market. This is not the case for the launch industry because here the market for commercial other than for satellites has not yet been developed so government as an enabler must actually attempt to develop a market, not just make it more efficient. Examining cost plus contracting as opposed to fixed price contracts was next. We talked about COTS, a Space Act Agreement, and a Requirements contract, something that was used frequently by the coal and railroad industries and has some similarities to the launch industry. Listeners asked about lowering launch prices to stimulate market development and demand. As you will hear, Henry said the launch demand is inelastic so lowering prices does not mean much. Our discussion turned to examining risks. Before this segment ended, we talked about the possibility of seeing a truly commercial launch industry evolve in several years where one does not partner with the government which is the case today. Our panel suggested that because of extremely regulated nature of the launch industry, partnering with the government is going to be the nature of the business. Segment two started re the upcoming Falcon 9 launch and the possibility of undue pressure on the company given the launch timing and the space policy debate going on in government. We talked about the GAP and the problems caused by continuing to cancel government programs. This led to an entire discussion on the subject, the consequences of one program cancellation after another on those thinking of careers in the field, education, and more. This discussion took us back to talking about the uncertainty risk and the consequeseunces for having a system with this type of risk in the project. The Field of Dreams approach came up and our panel did not think highly of this approach to space development/the launch industry. Nuclear rockets came up again and while all of us want to see nuclear rocket propulsion developed, we were not sure it would change the demand curve of the elasticity of launcher demand. We agreed that the culture in the U.S. is still going to be a challenge to overcome to do anything nuclear in space plus the various NPT's do not permit nuclear propulsion in space. I asked our panel why we don't fund space development and treat it with the importance all of us believe space represents for our future. I'm not sure we came up with a plausible answer to this often asked question but it does seem to require an answer, especially as we look at new space policy designed on limitations and what can be afforded or not afforded. If space is so vital, affording it should not be a question. Henry even said that government could choose to pay for space development even in these hard times. Its a political choice and a leadership issue. I then related a personal experience that I recently had at a local film festival and asked the panel how they would have responded. Post all questions and comments on the blog, http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. Emails to me will be posted on the blog. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:11:15 UTC
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Diane Murphy, Monday, 5-31-2010 (41.48MB; download) -- Guest: Diane Murphy. Topics: Rocket Racing League (RRL). We welcomed Diane Murphy of the Rocket Racing League (www.rocketracingleague.com) to the show. In our first segment, Ms. Murphy talked about the Rocket Racing League, what it is, what it has done so far and it what it will be doing in the future. She explained the air frame and the rocket engine and told us about the manufacturers of each. She also said that the air frame structure determines the performance of the vehicle, not the rocket motor. Diane also talked about the recent Tulsa Air Show and the vehicle flights and more. Later in this segment, we talked about the pilots and their qualifications, as well as the fact that RRL was for the time being making the racers. Since all racers were alike, the contests focus on the skills of the pilots. Diane did explain the typical flight profile for a racer in this section. It was also mentioned that some point it might be possible to have a passenger fly along with a pilot for ride purposes. We also talked about noise abatement and learned that it was not applicable to the racers. Diane said the racers fly about 300 mph but need to stay as close to the ground for thrills. Spectator safety was talked about and stressed. In the second segment we talked about future point to point racing, media rights and income for the RRL, and regulations through the experimental aircraft rules, not the AST rocket launching rules. Diane said that the RRL was started about four years ago and that its role modeling not only NASCAR but the Red Bull races. We talked about the ethanol fuel and also the gaming applications for the iPhone, iPad Touch, and more. In the third and final segment, Diane mentioned the RRL X-Racers Club and becoming a member. We also talked about the racers and vertical flight, and the RRL usage of social media for promotion. I asked Diane for a look at the RRL five years out so be sure to hear where the RRL is headed. The last set of listener questions dealt with the rocket motor's reusability and green capabilities. If you have questions or comments for Diane Murphy, you can email her at press@xracing.com. Please reference The Space Show in your subject line. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:40:58 UTC
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Chris Carberry, Sunday, , 5-30-10 (53.21MB; download) -- Guest: Chris Carberry. Topics: Explore Mars, Inc, Mars goals and time tables. Chris Carberry is the Executive Director and co-founder of the new organization, Explore Mars, Inc. (www.exploremars.org) which was created to promote science and technology innovation and education with a use for Mars Exploration. In our first segment, Chris went into detail as to why his group thought it necessary to form a new Mars organization and he explained their early focus on prizes. In general, he said prices would range from around $10,000 to $100,000 and would be designed to jump start technologies and education. He described two early prizes, a technology price offering $50,000 and an education prize for a Mars curriculum. Chris explains both of these prizes in detail so don't miss this discussion. Later in this segment, Chris fielded some listener questions and one asked about possible prizes and a focus on Martian robotic teams for robotic cave exploration on Mars. As you will hear, our guest asked for ideas and suggestions for additional prizes. Another listener questioned the effectiveness of prizes if we can't get to Mars for decades. Chris explained how such prizes stimulate interest in science and more. In our second segment, listener Anthony from the UK had questions about a Mars timeline of 2030 for Explore Mars, the Obama plan for 2035 and Chris offered his analysis. Don't miss what Mr. Carberry had to say about this. This discussion then evolved to a focus on heavy lift and here Chris had much to say. In fact, when pressed as to what type of compromise might come about with Congress and the administration re space policy, Chris suggested heavy lift would be an area for such compromise. Chris said his new organization was starting to push the Mars message in Congress. He also said going to the Moon first was fine as long as we did not get bogged down and stuck on the Moon. Toward the end of this segment, the issue of going to Phobos first came up. This is another discussion you do not want to miss. In the third and final segment, Chris told us about the Explore Mars agriculture workshop that they are planning, their online magazine, and we talked about Mars jobs and internships, educational outreach, and more. We asked Mr. Carberry more questions about what he thought a compromise would like regarding space policy and he again focused on heavy lift. He repeated their need for volunteers, ideas, and suggestions for meeting the goals of Explore Mars, Inc. Visit their website at www.exploremars.org for more information about joining in with this organization on its Mars projects. If you have a question or comment for Chris Carberry, please send it to him at carberry@exploremars.org. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 31 May 2010 15:41:54 UTC
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Michael Potter, Friday, 5-28-10 (40.29MB; download) -- Guest: Michael Potter. Topics: "Orphans of Apollo," commercial space. Michael Potter was the guest to discuss his documentary film, "Orphans of Apollo" and the first Los Angeles screening which was to take place in San Pedro (Los Angeles) the evening of Friday, May 28, 2010. To find out more about the film, please visit www.orphansofapollo.com. In addition, the film is available through Amazon on the One Giant Leap Foundation (OGLF) book page (after the Memorial Day weekend) so if you buy it from www.onegiantleapfoundation.org, Amazon makes a contribution to The Space Show/OGLF. During our first segment, Mr. Potter described the LA screening of the film in San Pedro and the sponsors for the screening including the 62 Mile Club, AIAA, and the Space Frontier Foundation. Michael then proceeded to tell the story behind his documentary film. This is the story about the effort of a handful of visionaries who came very close to buying the Mir Space Station to using it for true commercial space development. In the second segment, we talked about the challenge of the time between the Mir Corp buying and commercially operating the Mir Space Station as compared to the ISS, plus potential commercial usage on the ISS. Our guest brought up the Bigelow Aerospace space stations and the fact that they will be commercial and of course their were many listener questions about possible government interference in the Mir Corp venture as well as the possibility of such interference taking place today as efforts to commercialize space continue. I asked Michael about the long lasting impact of the Mir venture on space policy makers today. Don't miss his comments in reply to this question. As we started the third and final segment of the program, a listener asked Michael potter how the film was made. In answering this question, Michael explained the availability and use of the still pictures take with a very early digital camera as well as the video that was taken by Rick and others during the meetings and negotiations. Many listeners asked Mr. Potter questions about Walt Anderson and his part in the Mir venture, even if is legal problems were a result of his involvement with Mir Corp and this venture. For full information on the legal issues surrounding the Walt Anderson case, you are directed to the website, www.justiceforwalt.com. Much of this last segment focused on the role Walt played in the Mir venture and given the numerous interviews I have conducted with Walt, I shared some of the information Walt told Space Show listeners during his interviews. If this interests you, I urge you to visit the website mentioned above and to listen to the Walt Anderson interviews on The Space Show. Michael Potter left us with some final words encouraging us to live the dream and never give up. If you have questions or comments for Michael Potter, you can email him using the Contact link on the website, www.orphansofapollo.com. Make sure you reference Michael Potter and The Space Show in the subject line of your message. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 29 May 2010 15:59:47 UTC
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David Hook, Monday, 5-24-10 (41.60MB; download) -- Guest: David Hook. Topics: SUSTAIN, space commerce, space policy, space economics. David Hook returned for this Space Show program to discuss several topics pertaining to commercial space development and policy. In our first segment, we reviewed the SUSTAIN conference from last year and talked about the Technology Roadmap that was developed from the conference but not activated. This led to a listener question about a news article about one Franz Gayl who was one of the leaders of the SUSTAIN conference and roadmap development but is now under fire for being a whistle blower about Marine and GI troop safety in combat. The listener said the the story came from an AOL News article at www.aolnews.com. Not only did Mr. Hook discuss this but several callers provided us with comments about Mr. Gayl including Dr. Jurist who worked with him at the SUSTAIN conference. Don't miss the praise bestowed upon Franz Gayl. In our second segment, listeners finished the Gayl story and then we turned to the recent Space Economy Leadership Summit that Mr. Hook attended on May 5 in Austin, Texas. You can find out more about this special meeting at www.spaceeconomyleadership.org. Human spaceflight was a major pat of the agenda and Dave shared with us some of the economic analysis for commercial spaceflight referenced at the Summit. He also talked about risk assessment and the idea that we are too risk averse. Several listener questions dealt with the risk subject but it was not until later in the final segment that a listener asked about protecting the people from the risk of a runaway regulatory happy government. During the third and final segment, Mr. Hook talked about the comments made by several of the speakers including Patti Grace Smith, Greg Pelton of Cisco, George Sowers of ULA, and Buzz Aldrin who spoke at the end of the meeting. Listen to what these people had to say as reported by our guest. These are comments you do not want to miss. As we neared the end of the show, we talked more about the regulatory risk and Mr. Hook commented that small businesses growth was to some degree dependent on the larger spaceflight industry so to the degree that it may suffer in these economic times, so might small space business development. If you have comments or questions for David Hook, please email him at david.hook@planehook.com. His website is www.planehook.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 25 May 2010 05:08:07 UTC
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OPEN LINES, Sunday, 5-2310 (69.63MB; download) -- Guest: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Nuclear rockets and propulsion, bone loss, radiation, VASIMR. This Open Lines program was a two hour plus discussion without a break regarding many issues ranging from space policy to nuclear propulsion. The VASIMR was again a focal point for discussion and this took us into a lengthy discussion of nuclear propulsion. Nuclear Thermal Rockets were the main topic but other nuclear propulsion concepts were discussed. This seemed to be the overwhelming topic as caller after caller talked about nuclear propulsion as well as radiation. Following up on earlier programs about bone loss issues for long duration space flight, several callers had ideas for minimizing bone loss. Fortunately, one of the Classroom specialists on the subject, Dr. Jurist, was listening and he called in as well as sent in messages explaining why this or that theory would not help retard bone loss for these longer space missions. A listener also called in about using hydrofluoric acid for Insitu development of the lunar regolith. Toward the end of the program, we received calls about the current space policy debate. At one point during this show, Dr. Jurist asked for my thoughts on STEM education and this led to one of my typical rants but also my referring back to the outstanding program on this issue with Dr. Neville Marzwell on May 2, 2010. If you have not yet heard this program with Dr. Marzwell, please do. The specific URL for it is http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1354-BWB-2010-05-02.mp3. I also offered to do a few very informal polls on The Space Show. Let us know by email if you are interested in more programming on nuclear propulsion or if you think we have had enough on the subject for awhile. Also, regarding Open Lines programs, would you like to see a second Open Lines show each month or should I keep the Open Lines to one program a month. If you have any comments or questions for any of the callers on this program, send your comments to me and tell me who I should send them to and I will forward your note to the appropriate person. Please use drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 24 May 2010 15:29:36 UTC
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Megan Prelinger, Friday, 5-21-10 (43.38MB; download) --
Guest: Megan Prelinger. Topics, space advertising, aerospace engineering recruiting, early human spaceflight 1957-1962. Megan Prelinger, author of "Another Science Fiction: Advertising The Space Race 1957-1962," was the guest for this Space Show program. Her book is available on the One Giant Leap Foundation website and if you purchase it from this link, Amazon contributes to One Giant Leap and The Space Show. Please use www.amazon.com/dp/0922233357?tag=onegialeafou-20. Please note that there is phone line noise in the audio of this program. We apologize for this inconvenience but sometimes phone lines do cause problems beyond our control. In our fist segment, Megan explained how she got interested in the subject and how this book evolved to completion. We talked about much of the material being in the public domain and why that was the case. I think you will find this discussion very interesting. As you will hear, most of the ads during this period were aerospace engineering recruitment ads. During this time period, a half a million engineering jobs were added to industry to launch our space program and the book documents how this was done, the advertising message, the great images used, and much more. We highlighted several of the ads and images including p. 173 and the Westinghouse ad that resembled a lunar base on pp. 178-179. We also discussed the focus on the military in space, a far cry from what we talk about today. Megan received several questions wondering if the images from back then would be useful today to drive more interest in space and related fields. You might be surprised by her answer. In our second segment, we talked about the time period and technology. As you will hear, up to about 1962, not so much was known about space so science fiction, fantasy, and space could all combine to work together. After 1962 as we started learning more about space and especially deep space, reality started to separate itself form the science fiction and fantasy and the ads and the messages started changing. This is why Megan targeted her book to cover 1957-1962. Listeners asked about the early space suit ads and the square helmet as well as if social problems were shown in the period being researched to have been resolved by going into space. When asked if Cold War advertising was explicit, the answer was no but you might be surprised by some of the comments on this topic. In our third and final segment, I asked Megan about the cover photo used for the book. As you will hear, it was a 1957 life insurance ad using a man floating in space with a concerned look approaching the planet Saturn. We switched focus to learning about the Prelinger Library located in San Francisco. You can find out more about the library by visiting www.prelingerlibrary.org. Also visit the website for her book, www.anothersciencefiction.com. If you have comments or questions for Megan Prelinger, please use author@anothersciencefiction.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 22 May 2010 15:50:16 UTC
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The Space Show Classroom Lesson 8 Human Factors Part 2, 5-18-10 (64.75MB; download) -- Guests: CLASSROOM: Dr. Jim Logan, Dr. John Jurist. Topics: Lesson 8, Human Factors Part Two. Drs. Logan and Jurist returned for this Classroom program which focused on long duration human spaceflight. As we started our first segment, I asked our guests what constituted long duration spaceflight. The working definition centered around spaceflight more than six months to a year in duration and any human spaceflight going beyond LEO. Both our guests said there were no show stoppers regarding Life Science in short term space flight but that it was very different in the long duration flight with the two major issues being radiation and microgravity effects, specifically bone issues. During this first segment, we focused on the bone loss issues. Our discussion with Dr. Logan and Dr. Jurist was comprehensive and detailed, explaining the problems, the facts about exercise (you will probably be surprised at what you hear on this topic), and counter measures such as artificial gravity, centrifuges, bisphosphonate usage, and more. Because of the bone loss issues, Dr. Logan said that some destinations in space would probably be classified as a civilization destination while others would be typed as a sortie destination. We talked about the lack of knowledge for the gravity prescription and what that really means for human spaceflight. In discussing artificial gravity which was typed as pseudo gravity by our guests, we learned that it was not the same as natural gravity on Earth and the lack of knowledge about it was a problem. You will certainly want to hear this comprehensive discussion on this and the other topics in this segment. Our second segment focused on space radiation issues. The two major types of radiation were identified as cosmic rays and the solar wind. Dr. Logan gave us some interesting facts for comparison in shielding on Earth versus shielding in a spacecraft, a space habitat, and a spacesuit. You will want to pay particular attention to the percentages Dr. Logan provided as this information was used throughout this segment. Our guests brought up the solar cycle, solar modulation from all directions, the LRO mission and its data findings, and the geometric issue for radiation shielding. We also talked about magnetic shielding and noted that when the spacecraft size decreases, the radiation field needed to deflect particles increases. Don't miss this discussion and explanation. Dr. Rowe asked about radiation and the early Apollo missions. Joe asked as question about the atmospheric particles and could they be used for shielding. Don't miss the answer to these questions. Much of our discussion centered on possible mitigation techniques. We went over many of those suggested but Dr. Logan suggested that the ultimate answer would not be in the form of a silver bullet but more likely a multiple faceted solution, a type of sandwich of solutions mixed together. Near the end of the program, our guests responded to a medical treatment question for a long duration spaceflight crew member with a heart attack. Pharmaceutical usage in space was talked about and our guests brought up the fact that humans were the weak link in the spaceflight chain. Fly By Wire was used as an example. Please remember to visit The Space Show Classroom Blog at http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. Post all your comments and questions there. Any comments or questions sent to me will be posted to the blog under the name of the sender. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 19 May 2010 14:21:04 UTC
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Janice Dunn, Monday, 5-17-10 (40.05MB; download) -- Guest: Janice Dunn. Topics: California Space Center and the California Space Authority (CSA). Janice Dunn of CSA returned for this program with new information on the California Space Center as well as other information pertaining to the California space workforce and upcoming programming for CSA. For more information, please visit the CSA website at www.californiaspaceauthority.org. In our first segment, Janice described the California Space Center project. It will be located on 71 acres in Santa Barbara county on property to be leased from the Air Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Vandenberg AFB comprises about 99,000 acres of land in total. It will be modeled to some degree after the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center. To be developed over ten years in phases, it will include museums, a Native American Cultural Center, Launch Viewing Facilities, a conference center and dining room, classrooms, labs, a rocket garden and much more. For more information about the California Space Center (CSC), please visit www.californiaspaceauthority.org/spacecenter/index.html. We talked about the plans for student linkups and the focus on fifth graders from all over the state. Listen to why Janice said their target was the fifth grade as I believe you will find it to be an interesting fact. In addition to discussing the cost of the CSC and fund raising opportunities for large donors, corporations, and individuals, we talked about tourist possibilities given the location on the Central Coast. In response to out of state listener questions, the classrooms and educational facilities will be available to students outside of California and in fact from other countries. In the second segment, we talked about the Native American cultural history with the local Chumash Tribe which has shown continued ownership of the land in this area going back 10,000 years! Janice described their canoe voyages to the Channel Islands using celestial navigation and their relationship to space. Ms. Dunn mentioned the unique advantage California has for the CSC with Hollywood and its participation as well as JPL and the Rovers, the Mars Science Lab, and even the space telescopes with the James Webb Space Telescope. During the third and final segment, listener Barbara David asked Janice about fantasy projects for the CSC once the needed and essential funding for the project was secured. Janice mentioned three such projects including having access to a Zero G plane right at Vandenberg for students and other to experience zero g immediately after learning about it. Another project was dubbed the Space Train. This would be a train that brought students from all over California to the nearby Surf Train Station for their visit to the CSA. Learning would start on board the train. The last fantasy project Janice mentioned was a space camp on the site. Listeners asked about academic credit for the student programs and we discussed curriculum requirements. Toward the end of the program, Janice was asked about the CSA support of SSP and she said they did support it. In response to another question, she said the agency was collaborative with other state space agencies, not always competitive. When asked if CSA was involved in working with developing the Mexican Space Agency, she said no but they were open to it. You can contact Janice Dunn with your comments or questions by emailing her at janice.dunn@californiaspaceauthority.org. The phone number for CSA is 805-349-2633. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 18 May 2010 00:58:08 UTC
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The Space Show Classroom Lesson 7 Human Factors Part 1, 5-16-10 (57.04MB; download) -- Guests: CLASSROOM: Dr. Jim Logan, Dr. John Jurist. Topics: Lesson 7, Human Factors Part 1. This program was Lesson 7 and the first part of a two part series on human factors for space travel. In the first segment of the program, our guests summarized the major human factors and medical issues for suborbital and very short term spaceflight. He said there were no real surprises or show stoppers for this category of spaceflight. We addressed bone loss issues and talked about G-loading positions for spaceflight participants to minimize acceleration stresses. We compared these positions to those flying in a high performance fighter jet. Centrifuge training was discussed in detail and why its so important to fly the suborbital or spaceflight profiles that one intends to take. We talked about cardiac dysrhythmia, medical qualifications, beta blockers, and corrective steps if medical conditions were found to exist in someone that wants to fly in space. Our guests talked about the disqualification process and explained it to us. Listen carefully as it was not what I thought would be and some of you may also be surprised by what our guests said about potentially adverse medical conditions. This is an important discussion so don't miss it. Floating around in the space vehicle was also brought up and discussed as a potential risk factor. We had a question from Mel for Dr. Logan asking him about the tricks to avoid getting air sick if one has the opportunity to fly in a high performance military jet with a downright "evil" pilot. You will enjoy this discussion! During this segment, we spent more time talking about cardiac issues and the usage of pharmaceuticals in space. One drug combination Dr. Logan talked about was ScopeDex for space sickness. Our guests also suggested that spaceflight participants fly different zero g parabolas to experience weightlessness and see how they react to it and what "space sickness" is like. Another issue that came up that would be critical for suborbital or any spaceflight was the ability for the person to do a rapid egress from the vehicle in case of an emergency. During the second segment, our guests repeated the three "commandments" for human spaceflight: Do no danger to yourself, do no danger to the mission, and do no danger to others. Dr. Jurist also talked about the risks of space diving explaining the major issues and risks associated with it. I asked Dr. Logan about what to eat before a spaceflight. Later in this segment, we talked about high altitude military jet ejections in the context of the earlier discussion on space diving. Toward the end of the program, we talked about space radiation issues which were not said to be that significant for a very short suborbital flight. While we discussed radiation in some detail, it will be a major focus of the second part of the human factors discussing in Lesson 8. As we neared the end of the program, we talked more about the g-loading as well as a question from Bill on radiation issues for the ISS and a potential solar incident during a suborbital flight. At the end, I asked each guest to prioritize the research as well as research dollars for suborbital and short duration human spaceflight. If you have questions or comments about this program or for Drs. Logan and Jurist, post them on The Space Show Classroom blog where this program is archived. Visit http://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com. Any emails sent me will be posted back on the blog under the sender's name as we want the discussion to be part of the Classroom series. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 17 May 2010 16:36:31 UTC
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