Liveblogging 5/1/11

The Space Show   This is an open line show, the first of this type that I've live blogged.  May cut this one short if nobody calls in.  No emails today.  Appeal for support.

Topics today: Unusual guest list this past few weeks.  Different from past.  Likes, dislikes?  Also about Shuttle Endeavor, and the scrubbing of the launch.  Voyager probes about to go into interstellar space.  With a serious discussion with Icarus team.  Heavy lift deal talked about in Congress.  Critical thinking flowchart.  Google search how to have a rational discussion, Brandon Scott Borrell on Thought catalog.  Critical thinkers.com?

European space missions go it alone.   Also space workforce issues.  Damage done by layoff highly skilled workers and dismantled industry.  Upcoming shows.  Something on artificial gravity.  Marshall Savage's concept in his book: Undersea colony development in order to move forward on space colonies.

Caller: Dean Davis a guest on show.  He has been laid off as type of person mentioned above.  New jobs, but not high level.  Concern about mentorships.  Highlights of his career. 34 years every manned, civil, scientific unmanned space asset.  Launch vehicles.  Big picture guy.  Knowledge of space platforms work together.  They believe they can resolve issues by podcasts and so forth.  Loses personal touch that you need to make things happen.  Trimming back because of cuts, ship without rudder.  Thousands of engineers that can't find jobs.  Spacex can cherry pick who they want, but choose lower rated people.  People are being left out who may not be as well qualified.  Linchpin that has kept things together.  We are losing something.

US is falling behind in a major way.  We are "eating our seed corn".  We are allowing our one advantage to get pissed away.

Will have military implications.  Engineer half life is short.  Has multiple degrees.  Is cutting edge, not "buggy whip".  These are arguments in favor of maintaining the space industry.

Comment: False economy is something that I have observed in person in my own job.  You can get something cheaper, but it ends up destroying the basis of a business eventually.  What we have here is false economy.  But on the other hand, there is a false investment, where money gets spent which is totally worthless on the premise that it is an investment.  Putting it another way, it is just another way of being stupid.  This country is stuck on stupid.  I can go off on a long rant here, but I'll let it go.

email quarkstar13@aol.com

 2nd caller, Charles Pooley? from Las Vegas

Meet ups.  Hundreds of them.  (never heard of them) Zero sum game.  One eats another.  Irreversible decline, because the Cold War is over.  Do it the traditional American way.  No more socialized space.  Spacex is sucking off the NASA teat.  Big mistake.  The old way is over.  Go a new way.  It is a struggle, but in the end it will better.  Face the fact we are in a new era.

Markets will develop if you put it up there first.  Kinda like Field of Dreams.  Does not need to have a product now.  Have to invent it.  He said NASA is irrelevant.
Barnes and Noble every Saturday, near UNLV campus.  meetup.com/microlaunches.com

John from Atlanta

Objects to characterizing the space program is Soviet style?  Too expensive, he says.  No leadership, he says.  No need to do space, says some.

Dr Space mentions what was said by others: Misallocation of resources by going into space.  Myth of space workforce.

John doesn't think private people can get us there.

Back and forth between John and Dr. Space.  Some discussion of economic conditions.  Real world being described.  Congress is detached from real world, Dr. Space says.  Can't see more for NASA budgets. What is solution for confusion?

John: try to preserve essential capability.

Now a discussion of the heavy lift rocket that only goes up on 4 missions, then a new one after that.  ( Never heard of it)

Dr. Space talks about government regulations.  Too burdensome these days.

Commercial space ideas.  If competition, a market may develop.  Doesn't think we are going back to government based space program.  In a holding pattern and it is confusing.  Policy is dysfunctional.

John argues for government support.  Dr. Space agrees, but wants a vigorous private space program.

Dr. Space:  Idea of how to use it as a political issue.  May elevate discussion, but he doesn't think it a big issue.

I'm quitting here even though he may have more callers.