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 Belfiore, Monday, 11-23-09 (48.76MB; download) -- Guest: Michael Belfiore. Topics: DARPA, space and technology research and development. Michael Belfiore returned to The Space Show to discuss his new book, "The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs." This book is available on the One Giant Leap Foundation (OGLF) website as an Amazon partner, www.amazon.com/dp/0061577936?tag=onegialeafou-20. Remember, if you buy the book from the OGLF site, Amazon makes a contribution to The Space Show/OGLF. During our first segment, Mr. Belfiore provided us with a basic understanding of DARPA and its origins. He talked about developing the ARPANET in 1969 which was the beginning of the internet. During this segment, we also discussed the mission for DARPA and NASA in the early days and how each mission developed into the two modern organizations. Alternative energy and biofuels were discussed near the end of this segment as examples of current DARPA projects, along with the DARPA activity in the medical field. In segment two, we continued talking about medicine with a DARPA focus to keeping people safe. Science fiction came up and you will find Michael's comparisons and comments regarding Iron Man to be most interesting. We talked about career opportunities for women and others, that DARPA researchers work for a fixed time and then move on. Also, one has to be an American citizen to work at DARPA. Michael was asked about the success rate of DARPA projects and we learned its not tracked. We also learned that DARPA researchers have permission to fail. Listen to this discussion, its most interesting. Scramjet research was introduced in this segment as was the funding for DARPA. Toward the end of the segment, autonomous auto races and vehicles came up with related technology and this discussion spilled over to the last segment. In our third and final segment, we talked about commercial spinoffs from DARPA projects, especially with cars and other vehicles. We talked about the computer environment at DARPA and the constant for the organization being change. We also talked about the differences between DARPA and NASA. Among the many listener questions, Michael was asked if DARPA did SSP research. He said he doubted it as DARPA focuses on near term projects, 2-6 years out and projects must have a commercial affordability component to them. I strongly recommend you read this book as DARPA is a very important organization impacting all our lives for the better. You can learn more about Michael Belfiore and his work at his website, www.michaelbelfiore.com. To send him an email comment or question, please use his Contact webpage and reference The Space Show, www.michaelbelfiore.com/contact.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:58:05 UTC
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Jim Crisafulli, Sunday, 11-22-09 (44.14MB; download) -- Guest: Jim Crisafulli. Topics: Hawaii commercial spaceport, aerospace development and commerce. We welcomed Jim Crisafulli, Director of the Hawaiian Office of Aerospace Development to the show. In our first segment, we focused on Hawaii's plan to develop a commercial spaceport to service spaceplanes for space tourism. We learned that Hawaii is in the process of preparing for an environmental assessment regarding expanding the usage of several of their commercial airports to include the horizontal takeoff and landing of a spaceplane. As you will hear, this will enable Hawaii to have several spaceports without having to incur the cost for significant new infrastructure. We talked about the possibility of local opposition to any new development or expansion plans and the hope that the environmental assessment will suffice so that they do not have to go through a full EIR. Timing is estimated to take up to three years once Hawaii starts the environmental assessment which they have not yet commenced. Jim also talked about the long term prospects for space tourism. As we neared the end of the initial segment, we talked about the larger Hawaiian aerospace industry, the aerospace innovations on the various islands, and Hawaii serving as a bridge to important and prolific Asian-Pacific Markets. Jim addressed the space awareness level of Hawaiians. In our second segment, Jim received some questions that were skeptical about the market and future for space tourism, especially suborbital tourism. He said there were lots of questions but that it was a matter of when, not if. He received several questions asking him to clarify the commercial spaceport plans and again he said they were going to expand the use of some of their main airports and that the cost should be about $350-500K for the environmental assessment report. He elaborated from the first segment and said there would need to be new fuel, hangers, and other facilities for the spaceplanes, but there plan did not require any actual infrastructure for the takeoff and landing of the spaceplanes. He also pointed out that from Hawaii there could be orbital flights, not just up and down flights as going east would not be a problem from a commercial spaceport on any of the islands. He was asked about liability limiting legislation as what is in place in other states and he said they were aware of such legislation but that the actual discussion on adopting such measures was premature. Jim then talked about the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), and Hawaii's relationship with the other Asian-Pacific nations. He talked about SSP and recent beaming experiments held in Hawaii. In our third and final segment, listeners wanted to know if Hawaii was using an existing spaceport as their business model, specifically Burns Flat in Oklahoma or Mojave. He said no to using any spaceport as a model but that Mojave was closest to what they want to do given that Mojave was an operating commercial airport. In response to another listener's question, he said that aerospace development enjoyed bi-partisan support within the Hawaii legislature. He also mentioned the need for long term and strategic planning for the state. He said aerospace development has to be open minded and collaborative. A student asked him about job prospects for grad students in the Hawaiian aerospace industry and Jim suggested that interested parties send him a short letter and their resume and he would see what help could be offered. At the end of the show, in response to my question about future atmospheric and light pollution in the state that would impact their observatories, he said that they had passed a state law for dark skies, the Starlight Reserve State Lighting Bill. If you have a question or comment for Jim Crisafulli, you can email him at JCrisafu@dbedt.hawaii.gov. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:09:16 UTC
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Dr. Jim Vedda, Friday, 11-20-09 (58.46MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Jim Vedda. Topics: Space policy and goals. We were most fortunate to have as our guest for this program, Dr. Jim Vedda. Our two hour discussion was wide ranging over many aspects of both U.S. and global space policy. In our first segment, Dr. Vedda talked about the "why" of space policy in the final chapter of the Augustine Commission Report but suggested this information relating to the goals of our space program should have been at the front of the report given its importance. This opened up our discussion on space goals being about our capability, not a destination. He suggested we go where resources are and where we can solve problems. Thus, the goal is about being capable to do something that is meaningful and important, not about the location or destination. He provided us with several examples form Apollo, JFK himself, the early days of communication satellites, and robotic space exploration. I also brought up Mars by 2019 for his commentary so you will certainly want to listen carefully to what Dr. Vedda had to say about the importance of space goals. As we started our second segment, we talked about the need for good public and private partnerships for space exploration and development. Dr. Vedda referred to the old NACA model, saying NASA should enable us to go to the stars, not necessarily lead us to the stars. We talked about the NASA workforce and jobs, infrastructure assets and more, all in the context of the NACA model. Opportunity costs were brought into the discussion and fusion power served as an illustration of this concept. Dr. Vedda introduced us to long term thinking and strategy in this segment. In the third segment, Dr. Vedda was asked to identify good policy/programs. The ISS was referenced and he said we need to be fully using it and that since it exists and is largely paid for, policy and programs using it would probably make more sense than a new program going to the Moon taking away resources targeted for the ISS. Dr. Vedda talked about the need to harvest space resources and learn to use them as another good program-policy idea. Another listener asked him about the goals and plans of space agencies from other countries. This proved a very interesting discussion, especially about Europe. Don't miss it. Our fourth segment talked about space solar power and making the most from NASA spinoffs. Space tourism was a topic as was the issue of space futurists. Don't miss this latter discussion. It's a good one and its important. Toward the end of the program, Dr. Vedda quoted from a book by Dandridge Cole, "Beyond Tomorrow;: The next 50 years in space." This quote served as the pearl of wisdom and I urge you to remember it. If you have questions or comments for Dr. Jim Vedda, please email them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to him. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:01 UTC
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Edward McCullough, Tuesday, 11-17-09 (46.22MB; download) -- Guest: Edward McCullough. Topics: Advanced technology, launch vehicles, space and lunar solar power. As we started our first segment of tonight's program, we focused on launch vehicles and Ed said up front that the launch vehicle companies must be profitable. With insufficient flights and fewer and fewer flights, it's hard for them to be profitable but were we to build and deploy a space solar power system, that would change things. He also spoke about the need for a single stage to orbit vehicle and indicated that a thermal protection system (TPS) was the major obstacle to developing the SSTO. As for the SSP system, he said he preferred a private system, not government. The start up costs would be between $200 and $400 billion. He was asked several questions about the Falcon 9 and SpaceX and said that ULA has had more than 140 successful launches in a row and that is a hard record to beat for a new rocket. Toward the end of this segment, listener Jack asked about coal fly ash as a lunar regolith simulate and this led to a comprehensive discussion of not only the lunar regolith, but how coal is processed and why fly ash is the best for simulate. Don't miss this discussion. We started our second segment with a discussion about Ed's Navy nuclear training. He talked about the quality of the Navy schools, the intensity of the programs, and then serving on a nuclear submarine. He was asked about the sub being an analog for a possible long duration spaceflight. You will find his answer most interesting. Also in this segment, we talked about the nuclear rocket and as you will hear, he is in support of it. We talked about its safety even launching from Earth so don't miss what Ed had to say about this. A listener asked him about nuclear power plant safety and he mentioned the Molten Salt Reactor and urged listeners to check out the videos and information on it on the internet. He also talked about the Thorium and Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor (www.google.com/search?q=optical+phone+conjugation&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en). Toward the end of this segment, we started talking about various advanced technologies available today including wave length routing, Metro Networking, and Optical Phase Conjugation. Ed told us how advanced technology remains on the shelf and why it's so often difficult to get into commercial use. As you will hear, it's not always an honest system. In the third and final segment, we started off by talking about the AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee and what the goals were to facilitate space colonization programs by 2015, none of which happened. Like me, I am sure you will find this story fascinating. As we neared the end of the program, we returned to space solar power and funding for it, plus the potential profitability for an SSP venture. He suggested we would see the breakeven point in about 12 years. Ed again stressed that infrastructure costs would be paid off about a year so after commercial operations started and that the IRR would be in the low to mid 40% range. In his concluding remarks, he said innovation is being suppressed. Needed and available technology sits on lab shelves and it could change the world. If you have a question or comment for Ed McCullough, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. Ed website is www.explainingthebigpicture.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:33:32 UTC
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Dr. Ted Bateman, Dr. Jeff Willey, Monday, 11-16-09 (45.97MB; download) -- Guests: Dr. Ted Bateman, Dr. Jeff Willey. Topics: Microgravity environment of space and bone loss in astronauts due to radiation. Our guests are involved in bone loss studies at the radiation levels astronauts will probably encounter on long duration spaceflights and to Mars. Their research flows from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). Visit www.nsbri.org for more information about this and other projects. In our first segment, our guests provided us with an introduction to bone loss from radiation as compared to bone loss from microgravity. We also discussed the different kinds of radiation and their relative biological effect on the body. Our guests connected this research to radiation bone loss as a result of receiving cancer radiation treatment and what this bone loss means to cancer radiation patients. We talked about hip and pelvic fractures and the problem of osteoporosis, especially for older people. We learned about radiation experiments using mice and the development of countermeasures to mitigate the radiation damage. As we started the second segment, our guests talked about osteoporosis drugs that are available and the role they play in mitigating some of the problems. Specifically, we talked about bisphosphonates but also the potential role of anti-oxidants. They mentioned research that has showed early positive findings for one anti-oxidant in particular. Lifetime radiation doses were discussed as was possible radiation damage to the storage of vital chemicals and essentials in the bone, including magnesium. Several listeners inquired about going to space for a few hours on a suborbital flight if they already had osteoporosis, inquiring if that time in space would be a complicating factor. Radiation from solar flares was brought up as was the physical condition of the person in space. As you will hear, the more physically fit the person, the more likely the person will be going to space with greater bone mass which is preferable to lower bone mass. In the third and final segment, we talked about the sources of funding for this type of research and the interest in this research in other countries. Japan seemed to be most interested and involved given they use heavy ion carbon radiation therapy for cancer treatment. We then discussed pros and cons of carbon ion versus proton radiation cancer treatment and how this applies to space radiation. Also in this segment, our two guests stressed the seriousness of hip fractures for people beyond 50. Gene therapy came up in a question but our guests were not familiar with any gene therapy research for radiation bone loss. Toward the end of the program, we talked about the mice models and some specifics regarding animal research. Our guests told us how they got interested in this field of research which was mostly by accident. Listeners wanted to know if other animals were used or why mice. Cost was and is a big factor but as the research moves forward to include more blood vessel studies with radiation, larger animals such as rabbits will be used. Our guests described some of the animal research protocols that are followed and told us about the IACUC standards and regulations. The humans to Mars 2019 timeline was discussed and both guests said making that timeline would be at great risk to the astronauts. We also talked about the five year goal of their research so you want to hear what they had to say. For example, we learned that five years might be a bit optimistic in achieving their stated research goals. If you have questions or comments for either of our guests, please email them directly: Dr. Ted Bateman, bateman@clemson.edu. For Dr. Jeff Willey, jwilley@clemson.edu. Their website at Clemson is www.batemanlab.com.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:16:40 UTC
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Mel Marsh, Sunday, 11-15-09 (46.05MB; download) -- Guest: Mel Marsh: Topics: Informed consent, space tourism, minor children, technology evaluation, anthropology, and astrosociology. Mel Marsh returned to The Space Show for this program. In the first segment, we focused on Mel's paper, "Ethical Issues Regarding Informed Consent for Minors for Space Tourism." You can find this paper and more of Mel’s work at his website: www.melsmarsh.com . During this segment, we highlighted some of the medical issues facing suborbital spaceflight, but talked about the challenge in applying these factors to minor children given the absence of credible data and research. Listeners offered comments and asked questions, attempting to draw parallels to spaceflight with sailing, school sports, and other risk oriented activities that minor children do all the time with the consent of their parents. Mel mentioned the Mature Minors Clause and also provided an explanation for the question offered by Shirley from Arizona regarding her teenage daughter's abortion which was performed without parental consent or knowledge. As we started the second segment, we honed in on market analysis and rules of thumb for basic due diligence. Mel suggested focusing on one or two strong markets and really know them well rather than simply listing every possible potential market potential and recommended estimating markets out to at least five years and using conservative analysis and numbers, not best case or inflated numbers to make the case for the venture. He told us about several instances of finding outrageous numbers used by a company and we inquired about the motivation of a company to do that. I know you will find this discussion most interesting and applicable across a wide ranging set of business and economic disciplines. Later in this segment, Mel took on a question from Dr. Rygalov about astronaut training and ethics. Don't miss this question and Mel's response to it. As this segment ended, Mel talked about the lack of space interest and awareness in the anthropology field as well as with psychologists. As we started the third and final segment of the program, listener Marshall asked about life on the ISS and how long it might take to develop the systems and environmental support to do a three year round trip mission to Mars. See if you agree with what we said. Later in this segment, Marshall called in to give his take on the timetable which both Mel and I thought was optimistic. Also in this segment, we talked about the developing field of astrosociology and Mel brought up the apparent gap in interest regarding the field with younger people versus older, more established people. As you will hear, the younger groups seem to have more interest and energy in the subject of astrosociology, however even within the field the areas of interest are quite different. If you have a question or comment for Mel Marsh, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. He said you could find his email address on his website, but you have a better chance of Mel seeing it and responding with a quick response by having me forward your question or comment. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:17:18 UTC
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Dr. Robert Braun, Robert Manning, Friday 11-13-09 (60.29MB; download) -- Guests: Dr. Robert (Bobby) Braun, Robert (Rob) Manning. Topics: Entry and descent for landing large Martian payloads. Our guests for this program, Dr. Bobby Braun and Rob Manning, are conducting research on how to land large payloads on Mars. Their paper, "Mars Exploration Entry, Descent and Landing Challenges" was prepared for the IEEAC, #0076 in December 2005. I strongly recommend that you obtain a copy of this paper and read it. Dr. Braun's website for the Space Systems Design Lab at Georgia Tech University is www.ssdl.gatech.edu/. This site contains various papers, journal articles and documents that you will find interesting. In our first segment, our guests provided us with the background and history leading to the challenges of landing large payloads on Mars, including a human mission. This segment also includes an introduction to the density of the Martian atmosphere, the need for heat shielding, and the reliance upon Viking technology for all Martian landers so far. Parachutes and some of the technical issues in using them for a Mars landing were introduced in this segment. Our guests also said that for a manned Mars mission, we would have to use new and different technology. At the end of this segment, we talked about going to Mars as one of the options in the Augustine Commission. In the second segment, our guests clarified that Augustine said Mars was hard and we were not yet ready for it despite it being a goal. A question about a Mars space elevator came in from a listener and you might be surprised by what our guests said about this idea. Advanced technology being used for Mars Science Lab (MSL) was mentioned but it was still based on Viking. The European EXOMARS program, the technology surrounding the use of airbags for landing, and further information on parachute technology was discussed. During our third segment, Dr. Braun and Mr. Manning fielded many listener questions. One such question asked for a comparison in the difficulty and challenges for doing things in space as compared to the development of aviation. Don't miss this fascinating discussion. Another question inquired about differences the use of software and computers have made versus doing things with slide rules and earlier methods. As you will hear, computers have opened the door for simulations, models, testing, and have made a huge difference. Another listener asked if undergrads or graduate students were able to work on real Mars landing challenge problems. Dr. Braun answered by explaining some of the programs and options available at Georgia Tech and the focus of other schools as well. Both our guests talked about how these challenges inspired students to enter the field, take the classes, and work on the problems. The fact that these challenges exist are a real plus for driving students to these programs. Student internships were also mentioned as being available for students to work on the real Mars problems. In our fourth and final segment, we talked about possible solutions to the challenges of landing large payloads on Mars. You definitely will want to hear where the research and solutions are headed as these challenges are worked on and hopefully resolved. I asked both our guests if all other things were equal, could a 2019 date for humans to Mars be met. You might be surprised by what our guests had to say about this deadline. In summarizing our discussion, both our guests said that landing large payloads and humans on Mars presented significant challenges, but they both felt that in time we would figure it out. At the very end of the show, listener Jordan sent in a note about the iPhone being used by NASA for chemical testing and our guests pointed out that there was an iPhone app for Mars entry, descent, and landing which was actually very good. If you have a follow up question for Dr. Braun or Rob Manning, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward it to our guests.
Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:39:33 UTC
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Douglas Mallette (45.42MB; download) -- Guest: Douglas Mallette. Topics: space exploration for humanity, space vision, talking to the non-space community. Douglas Mallette was our guest for this show to talk about his new book, "Turning Point: How Space Exploration and Development Will Determine the Rise or Fall of Humanity." This book is available on the One Giant Leap Foundation Amazon partners book page, http://www.amazon.com/dp/0557091233?tag=onegialeafou-20. Remember, if you buy this book through the OGLF link, Amazon donates to The Space Show/OGLF. This program unfolded in two segments, rather than three. During our initial segment, Douglas talked about his recent experience appearing on Fox News for a special program on their internet broadcast. Listen to his telling of his experiences, the internet audience he addressed and more. He also introduced us to his book, "Turning Point." He wrote the book to be able to talk space and space benefits to the non-space community. Since Douglas mentioned SSP in this discussion, he got a tough question from a New Mexico listener which caused a heated and passionate discussion with Douglas, myself, and the question from the listener. You will not want to miss our comments. In the second segment which went through to the end of the show, Douglass discussed the difficulties caused by ITAR, Ares, Constellation, and SRBs. I asked him about public/private partnerships for space development, specifically human spaceflight and the best course of action to take to implement and reach his goals as expressed in his book. We also talked about his doing public speaking to non-space audiences on these topics and I urged him to talk to his Member of Congress as well as Rotary Clubs on these issues, then report back to The Space Show during an Open Lines program as to how such talks went. When asked what his favorite part of the book was, he said it was Chapter 3, "Economics, Employment & Education." Were you to browse the book in your book store, he suggested browsing through Chapter 3 as it was the most important in his opinion. If you have questions or comments for Douglas Mallette, please email him at mallette.doug@gmail.com. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:29:05 UTC
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William Suitor, Monday, 11-9-09 (45.14MB; download) -- Guest: William Suitor. Topics: Rocket belts, how to fly them, rocket fuel. Our guest today, William Suitor, :"The Greatest Rocket Belt Pilot In The World," was our guest for this program. His new Apogee book, "Rocketbelt Pilot's Manual" is available through Amazon partners on the One Giant Leap Foundation (OGLF) website. Remember, if you buy this book through OGLF, Amazon makes a donation to The Space Show. Please visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/1926592050?tag=onegialeafou-20 for ordering information. During our first segment, William provided us with the basics for a rocket belt, its fuel which, hydrogen peroxide 90% pure, nitrogen tanks, and he explained how the system worked. He also told us how Bell Labs got the initial military contract to build a rocket belt, why the military wanted it, its original purpose, and more. You will hear about the ISP, steam temperature, and how to fly and control it. In the second segment, Mr. Suitor said no FAA license was needed, to fly it but that it was extremely loud and would not likely be allowed to operate in a neighborhood. He talked about training tethered flights, the number of flights it took to solo as a pilot, sit down landings and the empty weight of the rocket belt backpack which the pilot must learn to handle to land correctly. William also shared with us his movie set experiences, specifically the James Bond movie, Thunderball. In the third and final segment, we talked about his other movie experiences including "Lost In Space" and The Fall Guy, both TV series. When asked about his best experience as a rocket belt pilot, he talked about seeing his shadow over the ground and buildings as he made a U.S. Army tactical film. He described a great experience, don't miss it. Toward the end of the segment, William was asked about the future for rocket belt flying and demonstrations. He also told us about his experience at the 1984 Olympics and what he had to do to fly it safely and his cumbersome flight in front of a global audience including TV of more than 2 billion people. If you have a question for William Suitor, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com. I hope you get his book, its most informative and fun to read. William has another more detailed 400 page rocket belt history and technical book coming out next year and he will return to the program as a guest when his new book is available. You will hear him describe his new book on this program. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:27:55 UTC
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Dr. Jeff Bell, Sunday, 11-8-09 (68.03MB; download) -- Guest: Dr. Jeff Bell. Topics: Augustine Commission, NASA budget, human spaceflight. Dr. Jeff Bell returned for this two hour program in three segments. During our first segment, Dr. Bell started a discussion about how the internet and blogs have impacted the space cadet community, both for the good and the bad. Don't miss this interesting discussion. Dr. Bell then began addressing the Augustine Commission findings and talked about budget issues given he pointed out NASA budget problems as early as 2007 in a Spacedaily.com article. He said he was very disappointed with the options as there was no deep analysis of the manned space program, asking the hard questions about why we have it, what it has accomplished, and so on. Listener questions asked about other nations and their moon programs. Listen to Jeff systematically address the major space programs of most nations and their capabilities. You might be surprised by what he says. NewSpace was introduced in this segment and he talked about the fact that Augustine probably underestimated budget requirements for the NASA programs. You will want to hear what he says and check his reference back to the full Augustine report. In our second segment which goes for about an hour, Jeff address space advocacy groups and talked about some of the comparisons with NewSpace and the early days of aviation and barnstorming. Later on, questions came in about NASA management capabilities and the ability of the U.S. to actually manage large technical programs. Dr. Bell had much to say concerning both of these questions. Listeners asked him about commercial space so you definitely want to hear him talk about this. Jeff then discussed fixed price and cost plus contracts for the aerospace industry. Jeff posed the question about many NewSpace companies using volunteer labor and asking what constitutes a hobby rocket company from a commercial rocket company. In response to another listener, he said that unmanned rocket programs made more sense than human spaceflights and that its hard to justify human spaceflight. Toward the end of this segment, Jeff talked about LCROSS and heaped lots of criticism on the project. The LCROSS discussion went into the start of the next segment too. In the third and final segment, our LCROSS discussion continued with Dr. Bell saying it was a bad mission. He then proceeded to outline the characteristics of what constituted a bad space mission. He also said it was a NASA PR disaster. He said the same but for different reasons for the Deep Impact mission. Toward the end of the program, I asked Dr. Bell about Hawaii's interest in a commercial space tourism spaceport with Rocketplane. Don't miss what he had to say about this. When asked to summarize his comments today, he said that the Augustine Commission report was disappointing. All vehicles are too costly and that NASA should reconstitute itself as the old NACA and develop spaceflight vehicles that were low cost in space access, operations, and even an RLV. Then this technology should be made available to the private sector. He would kill the existing programs in favor of this approach. He said that space development and the human spaceflight program were not a romantic novel from a previous century! He said the NACA like suggestion in Augustine was the only real and acceptable things in the entire report but that it was barely noticed. If you have a question or comment for Dr. Bell, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward it to him. Please note that Jeff is very slow about replying to emails, if at all. He will soon have new articles appearing in SpaceDaily.com. Be on the watch for them. Selected by: David Livingston [ stations ], Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:11:49 UTC
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