Guest: Dr. David Livingston and Open Lines. Topics: fusion, SSP, Green Energy, webcam for Space Show, Lunar Base. Today was a two hour Open Lines program. As soon as the program introduction was completed for the first segment, John Sved called from Germany to discuss fusion and his company, NSD-Fusion (see www.nsd-fusion.com). John spoke with us about Industrial Neutron Generators and his company activities. This discussion included a review of the potential for HE3 on the Moon, RLVs, Ariane 6, Skylon, fusion energy, and the newly forming British National Space Agency. In Segment Two, we received a listener chat question about the PGE and Solaren SSP deal. Since I am a PG&E rate payer and customer, I spoke about the green energy options that are coming our way through the Marin Clean Energy (www.marincleanenergy.info) that PG&E is resisting and that many feel are without economic merit. We discuss how staying with PG&E, going light green or dark green plays into one scenario for green energy and SSP in California. This can be applied directly to the SSP deal since California is supposed to be making the effort to replace about 30% of its current energy usage with green, renewable energy. This discussion took up the entire second segment, addressed ideas and issues with the North American power grid with a phone call from Stephen in Canada, plus lots of email and chat listeners. Paying more for subsidized green energy that is not economic was not on the shopping list of those that participated in this segment. The business case issue for SSP also came up again, as it does every time SSP is discussed on The Space Show. For those of you that might be curious, it still has not been made! As this segment ended, we talked about a correspondence between Daniel in Australia and comments Bob Zimmerman made on his last show regarding cooperation versus competition in terms of space policy, using the ISS as the focal point and model. I read the correspondence between Daniel and Bob on air. See what you think of this issue for lunar bases. I'll be happy to forward any comments you have on this issue to both Daniel and Bob. In our third and final segment which took us to a 2 hour 15 minute program, Charles Pooley of Microlaunchers called to tell us that 2010 would be the year for Microlaunchers. Listen to his plan. He then talked about N Prize, and the Google Lunar X Prize where he suggested all was not good down on the farm. Listen to his comments carefully. For those of you that want to contact Charles Pooley, you can do so through me or by emailing him at ckpooley@microlaunchers.com. For all other comments and questions regarding This Space Show Open Lines program, please let me hear from you at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
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