Guest: Dr. Bryan Laubscher. Topics: A comprehensive look at the space elevator. Please note that you are invited to comment, ask questions, and rate this program on the new Space Show blog, http://thespaceshowoutsidethebox.blogspot.com. We welcomed back to the program Dr. Bryan Laubscher to update us on the recent space elevator conference and happenings within this industry. This is a two hour forty-five minute program with lots of listener questions and challenges, both by email and using the toll free line. The program is divided into two segments, the first segment lasting for about the first hour. General themes were present throughout the program so rather than breaking the show down by segment, I will tell you what we discussed. We were updated with developments from this year's conference. We learned about special conference guests Yuri Artsutanov and Jerome Pearson, the incredible climber contest and more. Visit The Space Elevator blog for more information, www.spaceelevatorblog.com. Also visit the website for the Spaceward Foundation at www.spaceward.org and the site for the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) at www.isec.info. Discussion topics covered the progress made with the NASA Challenge climber contest, the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes, the markets for carbon nanotubes, and eventually the economics of the space elevator. Scattered throughout these discussions, Jack asked about Professor Richard A. Muller at Berkeley who has advanced the theory that we are residing in a binary star system with a red or brown dwarf that may, at some point, push asteroids from the Oort Cloud into the inner solar system. Do not miss what Bryan had to say about this. We talked about nuclear propulsion and alternatives to chemical rockets. The economics of the space elevator were challenged by several listeners in hard hitting phone calls during the second segment. As the transcontinental railroad was brought up, I referred everyone to last Friday's program with Berin Szoka and the economic paper he recommended we read on the transcontinental railroad at http://fee.org/nff/the-myth-of-the-robber-barons. The discussion evolved with multiple callers about launch rates, Falcon launchers and Space X, launch costs and their drivers, markets, and the future for the elevator. Sparks flew among Kelly, Charles, and Bryan! At one point John joined the callers to provide current Falcon launch costs from the Space X website and to opine on the value of space elevator research which was under attack by some of the listeners. Other problems were discussed re the elevator, specifically lightening strikes, orbital issues, and payloads. I realize this is a longer than usual Space Show program, even longer than most shows that run to two hours or slightly longer, but it is an important, must hear program and we thank Dr. Laubscher for staying with us to be responsive to the listeners. At the end of the show, propellant depots were put into the mix by John in Atlanta and in responding to John, Bryan also talked about elevator orbits and how the elevator puts a payload in LEO. The book, "The Space Elevator," will be on the OGLF Amazon book partners page later this week, www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/books. If you have a question or comment for Dr. Bryan Laubscher, please send it to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I'll forward it to him. Don't forget you can post your comments on the blog address above and I will make sure Bryan sees them.
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