Guest: Rob Lowe. Topics: ShipInSpace space tourism company in the UK and their 48 passenger spacecraft. 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. We welcomed Rob Lowe to the program to introduce us to and discuss ShipInSpace, a new entry in the suborbital space tourism industry. During the first segment of our 1 hour 24 minute program, Mr. Lowe introduced us to ShipInSpace, he described their proposed space tourist flight adventure program, we talked about the vehicle, the entry and reentry g forces, the stacking system for passenger pods and the safety escape system. Rob also described a typical parabolic flight profile for ShipInSpace once it starts operations in five years. Rob answered questions about vehicle safety and certification, their two year passenger training program, the vertical launch and horizontal landing design, the hatch closure and opening procedures, plus the use of space suits for the occupants, and their pricing model which is significantly lower than their competition. Rob also addressed listener questions about ShipInSpace financing, budgets, and the start of ticket sales. Crowd funding was brought up in the financial discussion, our guest was asked about the competition not only from Virgin and XCOR but from other companies in the U.S., Canada, and across Europe. One of our listeners in India wanted to know how ShipInSpace was different from the AXE APOLLO space project. In the second segment, Rob was asked about choosing one's pod mates for the flight given each stacked pod had room for four passengers. We also learned that initially the flight frequency would be weekly but that might increase over time. Rob digressed to tell us about his book which is available on Amazon, "The Eccentric Universe." Remember, if you buy the book using The Space Show/OGLF Amazon portal (instructions are in all show summaries on the website and the blog plus the blog has a specific link to our Amazon portal), Amazon will make a donation to The Space Show/OGLF. His book sounds most interesting so check it out. Later, our guest was asked about the possibility of their using Spaceport America and our guest indicated that it was a possibility, as was the use of spaceports in Europe and elsewhere. Near the end of our discussion, Rob gazed forward with an assessment of the potential of a future space tourism and development industry, then a listener asked them about plans to move toward orbital tourism. We asked our guest about their proposed flight test program, Point to Point transportation, and a few more questions about their competition. The last listener sent in an email saying he was a skeptic and wondered about their Plan B if the marketing survey they are counting on turned out to be invalid. In response he said that the company and the spacecraft were designed to do other types of mission so not to worry. He also cited the demand Mars One has experienced in opening up the application process for their mission as solid evidence of the interest in space tourism and travel. Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can contact Rob Lowe through my email address.
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