Broadcast 893 (Special Edition)

Guests: Ross Tierney, Chuck Longton, Stephen Metschan. Ross Tierney, Chuck Longton, and Stephen Metschan returned to The Space Show for an important discussion about the Direct 2 alternative to the NASA ESAS approach for returning to the Moon. To follow along with this discussion, please visit www.directlauncher.com and up near the top, you will see a link to download this special Space Show presentation material in the format of your choice. If you do this and follow along, you will find that the excellent graphics and presentation materials facilitate understanding these important issues which are discussed by our guests. With excellent listener questions throughout the two hours of this program, we covered the strong and weak points of the NASA ESAS program and as well as for Direct 2, show just how the Direct 2 approach offers unique advantages in significant cost, time savings, and more. Lots of listeners asked questions about NASA management in the Ares program as well as the process for getting more attention focused on Direct 2. As you will hear from our guests, Direct 2 is getting attention and most of what could be reported about NASA management is available on the web and responsible blogs and news services. We did not break any new compelling stories on this program. However, one of the best sources of information on Ares and this subject is www.nasaspaceflight.com. You will need to register, but registration is free. I recommend you do visit the site frequently as the issues you heard mentioned on today's show are frequently discussed in detail on this site. In fact, for listeners who have questions or comments for our three guests today, one way to ask them is to do so through nasaspaceflight.com as all three guests are frequently there as they discuss Direct 2 and the Ares program. While some of today's show is heavy duty engineering, it's not all engineering. Other topics include policy, leadership, and political support on a bipartisan basis. Our guests pointed out the need for this trip to the Moon to be different than before, we need to be able to sustain the presence there and here is where the lower costs and more rapid time table available with Direct 2 can make a major difference. Also, this could provide motivation and inspiration for the public and for education because with Direct 2, a dozen or so flights a year could launch for the Moon where as it's estimated that maybe two flights a year might go to the Moon with NASA's ESAS architecture. Prior to the end of the show, I made a few requests for NASA people who might be listening to the show to call, email, or chat with us and comment on what they were hearing from our guests. Unfortunately, we did not hear from anyone with NASA, but as you will hear during the program, the invitation is certain extend to those at NASA involved with this project to come on The Space Show and discuss Ares with us. If our guests are wrong, let us all know. Everybody is on board with the NASA vision, it appears that any dissent is in the implementation of the vision not the vision itself. Certainly as host of The Space Show, I welcome NASA officials to talk to us all about Ares and the issues we are reading about right now on an almost daily basis. Our guests concurred with my request for NASA personnel to participate in The Space Show on this important subject. You will want to hear this full program as it is packed with important information, excellent graphics that you can look at and follow along with the discussion, and ample opportunity for you to continue to ask our guests questions. In addition to doing so at www.nasaspaceflight.com, please send any comment or question you might have for either or all of our guests to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will promptly forward your note.