Guest: Jason Andrews. Topics: Andrews Space, SpaceFlight Services, secondary launch payloads and more. Please note that you are invited to comment, ask questions, and rate this program on the new Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Additionally, you can find out more about the topics discussed during today's program at both www.andrews-space.com and www.spaceflightservices.com. While our program was divided into three segments, our overriding discussion topics carried over through all segments of the program. We started our interview with Mr. Andrews providing us with an update for Andrews Space since Andrews Space was last featured on The Space Show in January 2008. As you will hear, there has been a significant new focus toward nanospacecraft and to this end, Jason has formed a new company, SpaceFlight Services, which brokers secondary payload space on launches with excess capacity. Much of today's discussion centered on this business with Jason explaining the commercial business model and even explaining how this model supports their entry into the Google Lunar X Prize Contest, Rocket City Space Pioneers (www.rocketcityspacepioneers.com). Jason also took us through the nanosat/cubesat hardware programs for commercial space applications, talked about the technology for secondary payloads using the ESPA ring, and much more. He received several listener calls and questions, largely focusing on the nanosat constellations he was describing, debris mitigation for such small satellite constellations, orbital details, and even competition his company might be facing from international businesses along with others in the U.S. going after the same market. Jason was asked about our new direction in space policy, we talked about retiring the shuttle, the GAP, continuing with external tank manufacturing, and the risks facing Space X and the developing commercial industry. Also discussed were the regulations in place that apply to a secondary payload and here Jason explained the process quite well, both from the perspective of the launching company and the party wanting to launch a secondary payload. As the reseller of the launch excess capacity, Jason explained how they work within the regulatory environment to assist their customers with compliance and the launching company. As you will hear, safety is primary and this includes safety to the launch vehicle and primary payload. We talked about getting usable payloads to the surface of the Moon and Jason pointed us to several of the pages of detailed information on the SpaceFlight Services website. This program proved to be a comprehensive discussion of these topics, commercial space business models, and more. If you have questions or comments for Jason Andrews, please post them on the blog above. You can also send them to info@andrews-space.com by putting Jason Andrews on The Space Show in the subject line.
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