the GAP

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.

Guest: Pat Duggins. Topics: Mars, "Trailblazing Mars," space policy. We welcomed Pat Duggins, the news director for Alabama Public Radio to the show to discuss his new book, "Trailblazing Mars: NASA's Next Giant Leap." Please note that you are invited to comment, ask questions, and rate this program on the new Space Show blog, http://thespaceshowoutsidethebox.blogspot.com. His book is available at the One Giant Leap Foundation website and if you order it from OGLF, Amazon will make a contribution to The Space Show.

Guest: Bobby Block. Topics: space journalism, space policy news, Florida Space Coast. We welcomed Bobby Block, Space Editor for the Orlando Sentinel to the show. We started our first segment which was one hour by asking Bobby about his transition to space journalism from his previous journalistic assignments at the Wall Street Journal, as a foreign correspondent, even covering various global hot spots. You will find his transition story interesting. Bobby offered us his opinion on Florida space policy and politics and some of the positions being articulated by Senator Nelson in the state.

Guest: Gary Hudson. Topics: Obama space policy and FY 2011 budget. Gary Hudson was our guest today to speak about the Administration's space policy program and the Fiscal Year 2011 space budget recommendations. In our first segment, Gary defined heavy lift in the context of history. For example, early in the space days in the 1960's, heavy lift was thought to be a million pounds to orbit. Today we talk about 50 to 200 tons to orbit. During this segment we also talked about a Mars mission and commercial launchers and their readiness to transport humans to LEO.

Guest: Mark Bray. Topics: Space policy, commercial space, launch industry, NASA contractors, engineering. Mark Bray was the guest for this two segment two hour eighteen minute program. In addition, you can download and read Mark's paper, "The Business Case For American Space Commerce and Exploration" from http://visionforspace.net/The_Business_Case_for_American_Space.pdf.

Guest: Dr. Paul Spudis. Topics: U.S Space Policy, space vision. Dr. Paul Spudis, Senior Staff Scientist with the Lunar and Planetary Institute, was our guest for this program to discuss the Administration's space policy proposals and the need for a vision for space development. In the first of two segments, we talked about space vision and goals which according to Dr. Spudis, must include a destination.

Guests: Charles Precourt and Trina Patterson. Topics: Ares 1, space policy, crew safety, mission success. While attending the SmallSat Conference, I requested a meeting at ATK Space Systems in Promontory, Utah, in order to understand and accurately report on the Ares 1 rocket. Space Show friend, frequent guest, and One Giant Leap board member Dr. John Jurist accompanied me to ATK Monday morning, August 10, to meet with Trina Patterson, ATK spokesperson and Charles Precourt, vice president and general manager of Space Launch Systems for ATK’s Space Systems Group.