Guest: Dr. Jeff Bell. Topics: Dr. Bell discussed a broad range of space ventures including human spaceflight. 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. For those listening to archives using live365.com and rating the programs, please email me as to why you assign a specific rating to the show. This will help me bring better programming to the audience. We welcomed back Dr. Jeff Bell & was at his best for blunt talk, specifically the need for a winning rational for human spaceflight (HSF). For those of you new to Dr. Bell, hold on tight for a ride that will likely be upsetting. During the first segment of our 1 hour 58 minute program, Dr. Bell started with saying he was pessimistic over the future of human spaceflight. In fact, this was an overriding theme throughout the full discussion. He said it was more than just not properly telling the story either by NASA or space advocates. He said there was no winning rational for the need or the urgency of HSF. While he was pessimistic on HSF, he was just the opposite on science, robotic, & unmanned missions which he said were doing well & in a class of their own. He also talked about the success of satellites & that part of the commercial industry. Listeners challenged him during the show. He got several emails regarding space settlement which Jeff addressed in terms of his perspective on HSF. He also nixed the idea of leaving Earth as a safety valve for when Earth might be destroyed by an incoming NEO. This led Jeff to talk about planetary defense. Tony called with an idea to keep a Martian settlement from freezing at night, a point Jeff talked about re Mars settlements. A listener asked about radiation & magnetic fields. Jeff said the atmosphere was more of a screen for Earth, again in a discussion about lunar & Martian settlements. Jeff talked about Orion & SLS, various ideas for Mars missions & the NASA asteroid mission. I asked Jeff what he was positive about & he replied the Russian space program & SpaceX with Elon. He then spoke about some of the Russian programs he follows. He was asked about space tourism & suborbital flights, then he spoke about SpaceShip2 problems, hybrid engine issues, Richard Branson & more. In the second segment, he had more to say re SpaceShip2 & Branson. Next, he was asked about space debris cleanup ideas being skeptical of them. He was also skeptical of propellant depots. He spoke about small boosters costing much more than using one large booster. Pooley called in to support everything Jeff was talking about. Dr. Bell was asked about Dream Chaser. In general, Jeff was very critical of lifting bodies & their CG problems. Listeners asked for his assessment of Inspiration Mars & Mars One which was not positive. In his closing comments, he said HSF was probably mature & needed radical new technologies to make it cheaper & feasible. I told him he should come back on the show, invite only callers & emails suggesting radically new & different technologies & he could assess the ideas. Dr. Bell agreed to do that so watch the newsletter for this upcoming program. Please post your comments/questions on TSS blog.
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The Space Show
