Guest: Dr. Bruce Damer. Topics: Human NEO mission study & design project, asteroids, planetary protection & more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. Please remember that your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (http://www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm). We welcomed Dr. Bruce Damer back to the show to discuss his 3D real time simulations, the human NEO mission study & design project, planetary protection, astronaut safety and much more. Here are the websites Bruce mentioned on air: www.damer.com, www.levityzone.com, and www.digitalspace.com. In addition, later in our discussion Bruce also talked about a Dave Brody YouTube video that was relevant to our discussion. You can find this video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAm9escDxu0. In the first segment of our 1 hour 31 minute discussion, Dr. Damer talked about the renewed interest in asteroid projects within NASA and by others, especially after the Russian event a few months ago. Dr. Damer had lots to say about a recent meeting he attended at AMES, budgets, and the renewed interest in the subject. Listeners started asking him questions early on, including questions about docking with an asteroid with little or no gravity, the use of aerogel to collect micrometeorite particles, plus the recently announced commercial asteroid missions being planned. Robots versus humans came up many times, Curt asked about the use of the ISS, prioritizing budgets, lunar basis, etc. Doug called in regarding the incremental approach Dr. Damer had mentioned or as referred to in our discussion, stepping stones. In the second segment, we talked about the designs on www.digitalspace.com and the Brody YouTube video per the above URL. Also discussed was planetary protection with the use of the gravity tractor. We talked about needed lead times to interfere with a potentially dangerous NEO that might be headed for Earth, then more questions came in about a lunar base and what Bruce thought to be more important, the lunar base, Mars, or the NEO mission. Doug called in to discuss and challenge some of the mission planning ideas Bruce put forth, especially around trial and error, R&D, incremental development and long time lines. Near the end, we talked about human spaceflight safety & the ideas put forth by Rand Simberg & others that we needed to take more risks, not make safety the extreme priority. Bruce had many relevant & important comments on this subject. Final comments focused on 50-100 years in th future with asteroid & other capabilities but only if we keep moving forward today. Post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog above. Email Bruce through his websites or me.
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