SSTO

Guest: Edward McCullough. Topics: Advanced technology, launch vehicles, space and lunar solar power. As we started our first segment of tonight's program, we focused on launch vehicles and Ed said up front that the launch vehicle companies must be profitable. With insufficient flights and fewer and fewer flights, it's hard for them to be profitable but were we to build and deploy a space solar power system, that would change things.

Guest: Mark Hempsell. Topics: Reaction Engines, Ltd., SKYLON, special heat exchangers, low cost space access. We welcomed first time guest Mark Hempsell. Mark is the Futures Program Director for Reaction Engines, Ltd. in the UK. I suggest you follow along on their website with this interview at http://www.reactionengines.co.uk . In the first segment, Mark started out by referencing previous efforts by Reaction Engines, Ltd. with the HOTOL space shuttle project that was cancelled by the British government.

Guest: Norman J. Gerstein was the guest for this special Space Show program. Mr. Gerstein was deeply involved in Rover/NERVA and we discussed these programs in detail. He was part of the KIWI-TNT team and involved in the cleanup by picking up the debris with a wheelbarrow and tongs. Norm described these programs in detail along with the nuclear rocket which we compared to chemical rockets. Norm made it very clear that one needs a mission to do these programs. Another way of saying it, is to make sure there is a need. Since there was no need (no mission), the programs were cancelled.

Guests: Nancy Conrad and Joshua Neubert were the guests today to discuss the Conrad Foundation and the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award. Find out more by visiting the following websites: http://www.conradfoundation.org/ and http://www.conradawards.org/ . Josh and Nancy explained the purpose of the Conrad Foundation and their incredible awards program.

Guests: Col. M. V. (Coyote Smith; Dr. David Livingston: ISDC 2008 Interview # 4 starts off with a quality discussion with Col. M. V. (Coyote) Smith, USAF, regarding the business case potential and the need for developing space solar power. This is a hard-hitting discussion in the hotel coffee shop about what is needed for space solar power to be developed. During this interview, not only do we discuss business case facts, but energy policy, the capability of the private sector to develop a demo project, other nations and their work toward SSP as well as their capability to do the project.

Guest: Greg Zsidisin was the guest for this special extra-long Mother's Day Space Show program clocking in at around 2 hours, 12 minutes. During the program, Dr. Buzz Aldrin called in twice . Bill Haynes , who was with Skylab and the Minuteman missile program , also called Greg. We started the discussion with Greg talking about his recent series of articles in The Space Review (www.thespacereview.com). To find them, go to "The Space Review" homepage and in the search box in the upper right, put in Greg's last name.

Gary Hudson joined The Space Show for a fascinating 90 minute interview. I urge listeners to listen carefully to what Gary has to say about so many of the topics and subjects that we "spacers" are interested in and want to see develop into reality. We began the interview by discussing with Gary his thoughts on what it will take to build an SSTO. Hearing what he has to say based on his experience is a must as he talked about both an expendable and reusable SSTO.