Guests: Open Lines with Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Space workforce issues, policy, heavy lift, NASA policy, commercial space. Please note that you are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. We started our two hour Open Lines program with my listing several topics for discussion including the new idea for a Space Launch System Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle with congress, comparing and contrasting recent guests and their unique perspectives for our civil space program and commercial space, space workforce issues, and more. Our first caller was former Space Show guest Dean Davis who put a personal face to the space workforce issue. Dean was with us for half an hour talking about layoffs, his own situation, what is happening within the aerospace industry including the loss of mentoring, and other important elements comprising the American aerospace industry. Dean provided us with a real life reality check report plus specifics relating to his own search. If you want to follow up with Dean Davis, you can do so using QUARKSTAR13@aol.com. When we returned from our break, our next caller was Charles Pooley who told us about his Meetups in the Las Vegas area and then again commented on how he believes NASA has become irrelevant and that the Apollo era/Cold War era space programs were dead. He then said that markets don't exist, people interested in commercial space need to have a day job and seed the commercial industry with their creativity, innovation, and passion, to facilitate market development down the road. Charles then gave us an N-Prize and NASA NANOSAT Challenge update. John Hunt was our next caller who took issue with characterizing our civil space program as a Cold War Soviet style socialistic program. He did not agree with Charles nor did he agree with the comments expressed by Rand Simberg in his recent interview. When I pressed John, he said he was more in alignment with the views expressed by Dr. Griffin when he was a guest last Tuesday. John did say that there would likely be far too much push back for Congress to increase the NASA budget anytime soon. John also talked about the need for heavy lift. After John's call, I did a usual rant on our confusing space policy, the lack of leadership on space policy by all applicable parties and both political parties. I also said I thought it was natural for members of congress with significant aerospace workers in their districts to help protect their jobs. I said I saw nothing unusual about that nor did I believe such action was sinister on the part of the member of congress, especially given the state of the economy for our nation. I acknowledge that many hold a different opinion on this and disagree with me. Our last caller was Steve from Canada. He suggested a heavy lift plan to increase the four planned launches for the 70 mt vehicle to as many as ten launches. He provided us with ideas of what the payloads might be and why so see what you think of his idea. One of his ideas was for a much needed variable gravity research lab associated with the ISS. Before Steve got off the phone, I asked him some questions about the Canadian public and their interest in the Canadian space program. Steve had lots to say about this, including the earlier effort for RADARSAT to be sold to an American company which did not happen. Steven explained this from the Canadian perspective and its a story worth noting, especially for the ITAR impact from the American side. If you would like to comment or ask questions about this program, please do so on the blog URL listed above. If you want to contact any of the callers, send me your note and I will forward it to the person of your choice.
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The Space Show
