Guest: Shubber Ali was our guest today in order to discuss our economic situation and its fallout for civil and private space, space solar power (SSP), space investment, venture capital, and much more. Several callers asked Shubber questions ranging from how NewSpace Companies should strategize for survival or moving forward given our economic crisis and one caller even asked for models of how aviation companies did it in the 1930s. Shubber commented that at one time Boeing even made wooden furniture and another caller pointed to several companies who already have a secondary product line ranging from medical equipment to book sales and more. We had lots of discussion about cheap access to space and the lack of economics behind space solar power. Shubber also pointed out the advancement in many energy related technologies applicable to terrestrial energy production which also make it more challenging to develop space solar power on any type of economic basis. One listener, Thalia from Seattle, called in to ask why otherwise very smart people do such stupid things in alt.space. Shubber provided a good response to her questions and I referred her to the Dorky Space Cadet paper written by the Old Space Cadet on the Space Cynics blog, http://spacecynic.wordpress.com/. You can do a global search at the blog for "Dorky Space Cadet" and find this paper which provides an answer of sorts to the question asked by Thalia. As Thalia has a classical education and knows Greek and Latin, both Shubber and I asked her questions about her ability to write and her perceptions about space and why and how she became a space cadet. Later in the discussion with Shubber, a listener sent in a note asking why Space Cynics gives out a Walking Eagle award and challenging our doing so as a Cynics project. Note the responses that Shubber, Old Space Cadet (he was on the phone asking Shubber a question) and I provided for Roger who sent in the question. In addition, Shubber was asked about Zubrin's idea to mandate flex fuel car engines and this led to an energy program discussion. We also discussed markets and what makes an industry, especially as related to space tourism and spaceports. As to be expected, Shubber provided us with hard hitting, factual and reality based analysis on many important aspects and programs in the space community and in our country. You can send your comments or questions to Shubber Ali through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com or to him at spacecynic@mac.com.
Guest
The Space Show
