Guest: Rex Ridenoure. Topics: Mars, Space policy, NASA, RocketCam, commercial space. Please note that you are invited to comment, ask questions, and rate this program on the new Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Also visit the Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation website at www.eclipticenterprises.com. In our first segment, Rex Ridenoure introduced us to RocketCam and identified the launches and companies that are using it. You can learn more about it at www.eclipticenterprises.com/products_rocketcam.php, plus during the show Rex told us that their Facebook site has the best collection of RocketCam photos. If you are a Facebook member, search for RocketCam by Ecliptic. We both offered our congratulations to SpaceX for its terrific Falcon 9 launch a few days earlier and we talked about the EchoStar 11 Dish Earth project where they show nonstop pictures of the Earth from the satellite. During this segment, Rex went through his space career as a type of timeline for space industry and project development as his history spans more than 35 years in the industry. Rex had much to say about our history as well our new direction and the new commercial companies leading the way. Our second segment emphasized our unique place in history and the crossroads we are at today. Our guest said there were two trends that thrilled him. The first was that in five years, we will have completed the first order of solar system exploration. The second trend was in our being able to answer the basic first order scientific questions. We then talked about first order, second and third order scientific questions being asked and answered and he told us what was meant by first, second, and third order questions. Space Solar Power (SSP) came up as we talked about energy usage and then I asked him for his preferred space policy were he appointed space czar. Rex likes the idea of a jump start to the grand vision and that would be to build heavy lift and do one way human missions to Mars. He said this would probably have to be done by private business as he did not think a government program would do it. Don't miss what he had to say about the Mars trip and having and implementing a grand vision. He lamented that there is still no basic strategy to deal with the Moon. He then brought up step by step or incrementally developing the technology to implement a space vision. In our third segment, Rex continued addressing Constellation due to a question asked at the end of the second segment. We talked about the shuttle and ISS. Rex went into more detail about RocketCam on the shuttle and contracting with the government. Don't miss what he said about their contracting strategy. Rex responded to questions about EELV conversion to human rating and he mentioned the upcoming Boulder conference on this subject. Toward the end of the program, he referenced many of the NewSpace companies and then at the end, Elliot called to ask why GEO telecommunication busses were getting larger, not smaller. You do not want to miss what Rex explained on this subject. For your questions and comments for Rex Ridenoure, please post them on the blog URL above. You can also email Rex at rexridenoure@gmail.com.
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