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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Open Lines, Tuesday, 6-16-09 (55.56MB; download) -- Guest: Open Lines. Topics: North Korea, Iran & SCUD Missiles, private space contractors, Flagships, return to the Moon, Kool Aid. Tonight was an Open Lines discussion covering several topics with listeners both through email and phone calls. I outlined some topics for possible discussion including what constitutes Kool Aid in the space world (based on an experience I had via email with a friend earlier in the day), the Augustine Panel presentations coming up, Direct 3.0, a possible new focus for NASA which included developing low cost space access for civil use, and more. Our first caller, Charles from Mojave addressed both the possible change in focus for NASA and the Kool Aid issue. I also got him to comment on the future for Ares 1, Ares V and Direct 3.0. I'm sure this discussion will be interesting for all of you. After the first break, Andrew from Tucson called as he had done an analysis of the missile and rocket systems for both North Korea and Iran since this had been a subject of several recent Space Show programs. Andrew provided us with a comprehensive overview of the missile systems of these countries. It appears that their respective baselines were that of the Soviet SCUD missile but then expanded and modified. Andrew told us that N. Korea originally sold this technology to many countries but that Iran seems to have a higher and better manufacturing process so has developed the technology much more than N. Korea. Andrew provided us with some interesting information about this subject so I urge you listen to this segment. One website that Andrew found very useful in his research was www.armscontrolwonk.com which he said was the best open source of technical information and insight into Iranian and DPRK systems he was able to find. Andrew sent me an email with several other links in it on this subject so if any of you would like me to forward that email and set of links, please send me a note and I will do so. We had another caller from Tucson, Jeff, who talked about the progress made by the private sector in that private investment was now starting to go from the government to private space companies. He referenced two examples, the NASA contract with Zero G Corporation for zero gravity flights and the COTS program. This proved to be a very interesting discussion with Jeff that covered traditional members of congress such as Alabama Senator Shelby, NewSpace and political as well as commercial victories, paradigm shifts, and more. Jeff was correct, we have a put a big foot in the door to start the process and hopefully widen it to facilitate more direct private space business rather than the contracting as usual. Listener Marshall from Dallas sent in a note about his idea of Flagships, wondering what would be the next U.S. Flagship since we are about to retire the Space Shuttle which he said was the current Flagship and that the U.S. needed a new flagship. This prompted several e-mail comments including a suggestion that the astronauts on the Moon showing the U.S. flag could be a flagship. I disputed this idea as I did not think that picture represented what Marshall described as a flagship. Listen to what Marshall wrote me and see what you think. If you have any comments or questions about this Open Lines show, I want to hear from you. If you have a question for any of our callers, Charles, Andrew, or Jeff, please send your comments to me and I will forward them to the person of your request. I can be reached at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:31:03 UTC
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Dr. Richard Kirby, Monday, 6-16-09 (41.49MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Richard Kirby. Topics: space education, space comedy, UNICEF, space history, science fiction. Dr. Richard Kirby returned to the Space Show to discuss New Horizons In Space Science Education. In the process of discussing this topic, we covered many subjects and issues ranging from starting at a very early age, even birth, and making sure people know that they are citizens of the cosmos and without limitation on their imagination and abilities to adult education focusing on math, science, history, and more. Dr. Kirby even suggested giving every newborn a telescope or a certificate of citizenship of the cosmos. You will hear several listener questions about this idea so see what you think about it. Richard spoke about science fiction and real science as pointed out by listeners. He also spoke about the role of UNICEF in education and specifically space education regarding children. The role of free education was discussed and some listeners asked questions about limitations and the economics of paying for education. You will certainly want to hear this discussion. We also talked about math literacy and the Hippocratic Oath for Teachers which can be found at www.newgenius.com/education/hot.html. This was a diverse program covering a wide swatch of how to achieve global space education and more. I am sure you will have many questions and comments so please send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to Dr. Kirby. For more information about the Kepler Space University, please visit www.keplerspaceuniversity.com/. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:39 UTC
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Tom Olson, Sunday, 6-14-09 (49.84MB; download) -- Guest: Tom Olson. Topics: ISDC 2009, Space Investment Summit 6 (SIS 6), Space Solar Power, problem solving, NewSpace economics. Tom Olson was the guest today to summarize both the ISDC 2009 Conference and the SIS 6. We started our discussion by focusing on the last day of ISDC with the space solar panel discussions. Despite some poking fun and jabbing at what we called the Church of Space Solar Power, Tom summarized the sessions on both Saturday and Sunday with a focus on the need to close the business case for SSP. Not only did we talk about SSP, but we talked about terrestrial alternative energy, the bad state of affairs for our power grid, and the lack of a business case for SSP. In the context of this discussion, we went over terrestrial alternatives and future uses and how they probably detract even further from the SSP business case. Tom said nobody closed the business case for SSP at ISDC. We then went to the SIS 6 and here Tom was quite impressed with the programming which focused on space simulation, hospitality, and more. Listen to this segment and see what you think. The next SIS is in Boston in September and returns to the traditional business plan and investment format. Tom went over many other ISDC sessions and some of the keynote speakers and you will want to hear his comments. At one point during the show, Tom mentioned an ISDC program about relearning how to engineer our return to the Moon by back engineering parts from the Saturn V and other lunar space vehicles. He said this was also a Wired video. The URL to the program in question is www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/282-space_junkyard.html. This is a great program, I've seen it so make sure you watch it as well. Listen to what Tom said were his favorites at ISDC and what impressed him the most. If you have questions or comments, you can email Tom through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:10:42 UTC
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Rusty Schweickart, Friday, 6-12-09 (58.28MB; download) -- Guest: Rusty Schweickart. Topics: Planetary defense, Near Earth Objects (NEO). Former astronaut Rusty Schweickart returned to The Space Show today to update us on what is happening with efforts to develop and deploy a planetary protection policy for NEOs. Two websites you should visit for more information on this subject and to follow along with Mr. Schweickart are the Association of Space Explorers (http://www.space-explorers.org/ ) and the B612 Foundation (http://www.b612foundation.org/). As we began our discussion, Rusty updated us on what has been happening within the field of planetary defense, the most recent UN COPOUS meetings, and international efforts on behalf of planetary protection. We spoke about the technical and engineering part of deflecting an incoming object but we soon understood that the most difficult part was the geopolitical process involved in creating policy and taking action. As for the costs, Rusty explained that this was a very low cost program and you will want to hear his explanation of this which came up several times during the program. At one point, he referred to the costs as "chump change." We also talked about planetary protection being made a priority of NASA and its new NASA administration as well as the administration in Washington, DC. We all remain optimistic that this will be the case. Questions came up about the 12,600 year period that is often used so note the discussion on this issue. We also talked at length about orbital and space debris as part of the problem. While the two issues are related, Rusty made a very good point in that space/orbital debris is about man made objects orbiting Earth that can endanger man made assets in space. As important and serious as this is, planetary protection is about naturally occurring events that have the potential to seriously impact Earth and our civilization. In response to a listener question, we learned that the Europeans and others are more serious and involved with planetary protection than the United States has been in the past. Later in the program we talked about the Tunguska event and Rusty pointed out the search for objects was the key issue. We then talked about the size of objects and what size meant for planetary protection issues. A listener asked about the NEOSAT Canadian project. You will want to hear what Rusty had to say about this excellent but small program and programs like it. Over and over during the program, Rusty stressed two points: (1) The search and early warning for potentially dangerous objects; (2) Deflection. If you have questions or comments for Rusty Schweickart about this program or any of the issues or topics discussed, please send them to him through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:59:14 UTC
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Dr. Jim Dator, Tuesday, 6-9-09 (42.33MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Jim Dator. Topics: Mars, U.S. Constitution, space governance systems, religion, space entrepreneurs. Dr. Jim Dator was our guest for this Space Show program. We started our discussion with a glance to the future for the human space program. As you will hear, the human spaceflight program has some formidable challenges ahead for it and the future may appear murky at this time in terms of near term potential. Listen to what Dr. Dator had to say about this and see what you think. He suggested that the private sector and emerging entrepreneurs might well be the hope for the human spaceflight program. He also mentioned the interest in human spaceflight from religious groups and he mentioned several different religions. One group that he specifically addressed was in Japan, Tenrikyo, which holds space conferences and demonstrates a space awareness and interest. In response to a question about the potential impact of a U.S. without a human space program should that happen in the future, Dr. Dator stressed that human spaceflight was now a global activity and he said if the United States faltered, nations such as China, India and others would certainly pick up the slack. Another area of discussion was the U.S. Constitution which he suggested was not suited for forward thinking and future governance. He talked about our constitution needing changes or modifications for the modern period and we later talked about a governance structure for Mars possibly leading the way to structural changes not just in the United States but in other nations as well. I'm sure many of you will find this discussion controversial and in fact Andrew from Tucson did write in to challenge the comments about modification of the U.S. Constitution. This discussion provided an opportunity for Dr. Dator to clarify and elaborate more about what he was saying and recommending so make sure you don't miss this very important discussion. From my perspective, its clear that many of our structural systems no longer work and in fact cause the very problems we are asking these systems to correct and that seems foolish to me. As to changing the U.S. Constitution, as I said, were we to hold a Constitutional Convention, I'm not sure any of us would like the results. Another important part of this discussion addressed how we market and talk about space. What Dr. Dator had to say was very important because we need to stop making space special and different. Listen to his example of a kid starting to grow up, explore the neighborhood and extend out further with Mom's permission. He wants to see the corner drug store, what is on the other side of the street, etc. Its a natural extension of our development. Space should be described the same way rather than trying to make it special. Thus we see that the very space enthusiasts and advocates carry with them the potentially damaging perceptions by holding space out to be unique, special, hard, costly, etc. See what you think of this discussion and the suggestions offered by Dr. Dator. We also talked about the role of futurists, policy makers, and planners. The futurist looks at longer range issues but listen to the entire discussion. When listener Ben asked Dr. Dator for an action plan for what the space advocate community could do, Dr. Dator said we needed to support and focus on the space entrepreneurs over NASA. We need to start putting our awareness on the space governance issues discussed earlier. If you have comments or questions for Dr. Dator, you can email him at dator@hawaii.edu. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:57:54 UTC
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Ben Shelef, Monday, 6-8-09 (42.70MB; download) -- Guest: Ben Shelef. Topics: space elevator, power beaming, tether, CNTs. Ben Shelef was our guest today to discuss the upcoming 2009 Space Elevator Challenge with upwards of two million dollars in prize money to be given away by NASA Centennial Challenges. You can follow this discussion and learn more about the games by visiting www.spaceelevatorgames.org/. Information about the Spaceward Foundation can be found at www.spaceward.org/. Ben explained the power beaming contest, how the criteria had changed from last year and what happens in the future if all the money is won this year. He also briefed us on the six teams in the contest. We talked about how the press/media could be at the event but for everyone else they can see it on NASA TV or the website above. Ben also told us about monuments and historical sites at Dryden and Edwards for those that were able to come to the event. In later show segments, we talked about the space elevator presence at NewSpace 2009 at NASA Ames on July 17 and the tether challenge set for Seattle area on August 13 during the Space Elevator Conference in Redmond which runs from August 13-17th. Listeners asked Ben lots of questions about the space elevator, the CNT cable, LEO access, its proposed equatorial location. If you have questions or comments for Ben Shelef or want to know more about the upcoming Power Beaming Challenge July 14-16 at Dryden, please contact Ben at ben.shelef@spaceward.org. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:19:36 UTC
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Professor Ram Jakhu, Sunday, 6-7-09 (44.14MB; download) -- Guest: Professor Ram Jakhu. Topics: National and international space law, space debris, space tourism, civil space, military space, SSP. Professor Ram Jakhu, Associate Professor at the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada was our guest today. We began our discussion by addressing the space debris issue and the recent International Interdisciplinary Congress on Space Debris held at McGill University in Montreal from May 7-9, 2009. Please visit www.mcgill.ca/iasl to download the conference program as well as the papers presented at this important space debris congress. Our orbital debris discussion was most interesting. Professor Jakhu even suggested the quantity of debris in various orbits above Earth as well as the longevity for such debris. You will certainly want to hear these estimates. In fact, toward the end of the show when a listener emailed in SSP answers to a question that came up earlier about SSP and debris, one could easily see how moving no longer useful hardware to a higher orbit may actually contribute to the debris problem and adding upwards of a million or more years to its lifespan as the parking orbit goes higher and higher. See what you think of this discussion at the end of the show. The subject of North Korea, Iran, nukes and rockets came up again as it has on recent Space Show programs. Professor Jakhu talked with us about legal enforcement, treaties, and other legal issues connected with the acquisition of nukes and ballistic rockets by these nations. See what you think of this discussion. I suspect some of you might not find it to your liking. By the way, one piece of news given us by Professor Jakhu was that N. Korea recently became a party to the Outer Space Treaty. When I learned about this, I then said it would be a treaty violation for N. Korea to blow a nuke off in space to create a destructive EMP and he said yes. This was in response to a recent Space Show program where the guest talked about EMP probability and N. Korea. Of course my next question to the professor was for an assessment of the track record with N. Korea keeping treaty obligations and he suggested it was not very good. Oh well, we can always hope, right? Many other issues came up in connection with debris including the recent HST repair mission. Later in the show, a listener asked our law professor about the probability that the Montreal Protocol might be extended or expanded to include direct deposit stratospheric pollutants from rocket launches. While familiar with the Montreal Protocol, Ram was not familiar with this issue but he is now as I have forwarded to him the paper on this subject that was the topic on The Space Show a few weeks ago with guest Dr. Martin Ross. We thank David in Boulder for this question. Later in the show, a question from a listener came in regarding the deployment of a space solar power system and what happens to the hardware when its life ends in terms of being a contributor to space debris. You will want to hear what Ram had to say about this issue. Another listener asked about the possible shortage of commercial communication frequencies in the Sis Lunar environment. Professor Jakhu provided us with a clear understanding of the frequency allocation shortfall in certain bands and for certain purposes. During the debris discussion, when asked what was perhaps the best thing we could all do now was to have a heightened state of awareness of the problem so we can eventually mitigate the problem with policy and technology. We also learned that the US is the leading authority on this issue if for no other reason than size and capacity. We learned that the UN COUPUOS takes second place to national space agencies and programs regarding space debris issues. For his closing comments, Professor Jakhu urged us to understand that space requires a global perspective as it is a global environment. Global solutions are required for space problem sol Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:44:59 UTC
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Robert Talmage, Friday, 6-5-09 (59.17MB; download) -- Guest: Robert Talmage. Topics: flight safety, air and spacecraft escape system, demonstrator flights, ISDC 2009. Robert Talmage was our return guest on this Space Show program to discuss his air and spacecraft escape system with updates based on his talk at ISDC 2009. You can find Robert's ISDC 2009 Power Point presentation on his website, www.taascompany.com. Look for the bottom item on the left hand menu bar, ISDC 2009. Robert began the discussion with an introduction of his air and spacecraft escape system. He then proceeded to discuss this concept in detail along with the estimate $ 4 million cost and a probable one year timeline to testing once the funding has been secured. He fielded many questions including several pertaining to the escape system once used in the F-111 and then cancelled. Robert explained the differences in what he was proposing and what the F-111 used. He also talked about limitations with ejection seats and limitations to his system if the flight crew were not all placed together inside the plug-in module that would be jettisoned in case of a problem. We talked about his testing program, an ocean landing for the tests, reusability, and his plan to eventually put rocket engines on a Lear Jet. He was then asked why he thought he could convert a Lear to a rocketplane when other commercial companies had not been able to do so. You will want to hear his reply so don't miss it. He also explained his aircraft tow system and why he felt that towing the test aircraft was the best way to move forward with his project. During the discussion, Robert was asked several questions about weight and mass penalties for the plug-in escape module as well as certification costs and more. You will want to listen to what he had to say about these important considerations. An advertising agency listener commented on the difficulty in selling an escape system to a NewSpace company given the added costs as well as planting the idea of even needing an escape system in the mind of the customer as this might suggest to the customer that the vehicle was not safe. This listener suggested proving out the concept and getting it accepted first throughout the military. You do not want to miss Robert's response to this comment. Robert also talked about several of the ISDC 2009 talks that he heard and the outstanding networking opportunities at ISDC 2009. If you have questions or comments for Robert Talmage, you can send them to him through is website or at rtalmage@taascompany.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:16:05 UTC
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Ross Tierney, Tuesday, 6-2-09 (56.81MB; download) -- Guest: Ross Tierney. Topics: Direct 3.0, heavy lift, Ares 1, Ares V. Ross Tierney was our guest to update us on progress with the Direct alternative to the costly Ares 1 and Ares V launchers. We referenced several websites during this program and here are the web links to what we mentioned. First, for the DIRECT discussion thread at the nasaspaceflight forum, please use http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17295.msg415258;topicseen#new. To see the Workforce Transition Strategy Document Ross talked about in terms of NASA layoffs and related issues, please see http://www1.nasa.gov/pdf/281712main_Workforce%20_Transition%20_Strategy_Second_Edition.pdf. To visit the Direct website, visit www.directlauncher.com. Note that they will soon have information on Direct 3.0 on this site so be patient. Email to Ross or for inquiries about Direct 3.0, please use info@directlauncher.com. Ross started our discussion with an introduction to the Direct Launcher program. He then described the new version 3.0. Most of the differences from 2.0 to 3.0 are focused on the need to move away from the R68 engine which has proven problematic for the Atlas 5. So listen to the details on this discussion and how Direct 3.0 does something different to avoid R68 engine problems and still come away with performance and other noteworthy efficiencies with configuration alternatives. A listener asked about the per launch or flight cost comparison with the Jupiter 130 versus the Ares 1. Ross said that the per flight cost for Jupiter might be about $40 million higher than for Ares but the development cost for Jupiter was about $5 billion less than Ares so its more than a desirable trade. You will hear the full details of this discussion on this show. Lots of time was spent talking about work force issues as the Ares program requires the loss of around 4,500 jobs. Direct does not. Listen to what was said about the impact of the loss of these 4,500 jobs and why the Direct program does not facilitate job loss. Also, download and read the Workforce Transition Strategy document referenced above. This is important for our future civil space development. Another listener sent in a series of questions about specific dry weight growth margin for Direct 3.0 as well as performance loss reserves in comparison to Ares and based on the GAO study about the growth of dry weight, etc. The concern was that Direct 3.0 will experience growth rates as well and that in the end, their performance and costs will be adversely impacted. Ross responded to each of these questions so listen to the discussion and see what you think. The discussion centered around heritage and new items. Several listeners asked why we simpldy don't use the EELVs instead of developing a new booster. See what you think of the way Ross responded to these issues. For the most part, if the intent is to stay in LEO, EELVs may be adequate. If the intent is to move beyond LEO, EELVs are not the best way to do that and the new booster would be required. Another topic that was discussed in detail was the cost of Ares 1 and V and what these increasing costs are doing to the overall NASA budget and programs, including labor force. Ross showed us that this is where Direct has many advantages as its costs are far less than Ares and do not impact the full NASA budget in the way Ares 1 and Ares V do. Again, listen and see what you think about this issue. We talked about Direct 3.0 getting a chance to make its case before the Augustine Panel. When we know how to provide feedback and suggestions to the panel, I will announce the information on The Space Show. Ross was not at all sure that Direct would get the opportunity to present its case to the Augustine Panel but remains optimistic despite having heard rumors to the contrary. When possible, I urge all listeners to provide feedback. If you visit the forum at nasaspaceflight.com and you want to exchange chat or comments with Ross Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:47:23 UTC
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Bob Werb, Monday, 6-1-09 (46.73MB; download) -- Guest: Bob Werb. Topics: space entrepreneurism, economics 101, space economic development. Bob Werb was our guest on The Space Show today for a frank discussion and at times, a very cool Economics 101 lecture on the economics of space development. Do not miss this show and Bob's last segment 5 minute economics course for space cadets. Some of the issues we talked about from an economic perspective included ITAR reform, space entrepreneurism, military, civil, and NewSpace. We also discussed space security in the context of Bob's Econ 101 lesson. As has been the case with other programs, the N. Korean nuke program was brought up and Bob pointed out the vulnerability to military space and security by exploding a nuke in space to create an EMP that could impact our commercial and some military satellites such as GPS. In fact, at one time Bob said N. Korea could launch a missile straight up and probably get the nuke to a sufficient space altitude to do serious EMP damage. Listen to what he has to say about this in the context of space development economics and security. In an earlier segment, Bob was asked about the possible constraints on the new NASA Administrator. He then discussed with us the federal rules regarding all purchases, congressional issues, and potential policy interference from the White House. See what you think about these issues and how they might impact the new NASA Administrator. Bob discussed the five economic areas and the proper role of government for both our terrestrial economy and for the emerging space economy. The five areas he discussed for both were in this order, transportation, education, healthcare, security, and the rule of law. Don't miss this important discussion. Bob told us about the coming NewSpace Conference in July this year at NASA Ames. You can get more information about the conference from the Space Frontier Foundation website at http://spacefrontier.org/. If you have a question or comment for Bob Werb, please forward it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward it on to Bob. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:24:00 UTC
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