Space Show Appearance: Request for Questions
Hey guys, as I prepare my notes for tomorrow's space show appearance, do any of you have an specific questions about topics I've discussed over the past several months that you'd like me to answer? I'm trying to make sure I have notes covering stuff that's relevant to the people that'll be listening.
Labels: Administrivia
posted by Jon Goff at 8:20 PM
5 Comments:
Jon,
Two things:
One of the strengths this blog has had is it's openness for rational discussion of alternatives. Don't be afraid to take this opportunity to promote this blog to those who would like to come and discuss things Lunar. Even those who have seemed to deride your ideas (and the people who support them) have served a purpose by forcing you (and some of us) to look at our own thoughts from a different perspective and to determine if they still make sense. This is a worthwhile forum and others in this industry should pay attention.
Second, don't stop plugging alternate lunar architectures, whether they are yours or others. Keep reiterating that there are other better and cheaper ways to get to the moon. While you have a plan that is workable, there are others to discuss as well and pretty much any of them is superior to the one being worked at NASA. The key here is not necessarily to choose your plan, but at least we need to open up discussion on several of the other plans that also have more pros and fewer cons than the current offical approach. Its not so much that NASA's won't work, just that so many others would work better.
Finally, just remember that it's almost impossible to blow this opportunity. Just by being asked to be on the show the idea that there are alternatives has gained certain merit. As long as you don't come off as a wide-eyed crackpot any discussion that follows (even if they try to rip you apart) is good discussion of the possible alternatives.
Good luck, stay relaxed and keep your powder dry...
Paul
Jon,
Looking forward to the interview.
I thought Paul had some very thoughtful insights - so keep time surfing as my teenagers would say. (still parsing that saying but i thought as an aging dad it was cool)
And since - you asked, my questions are as follows.
What would you like to see happen in the industry?
What are your thoughts about Bigelow? Or how about hooking those engines to the Bigelow BA-330?
What are your thoughts about nuclear engines? Or other alternate engine construction? What is required to make a SSTO?
Mission scenario question. Going beyond LEO - what would you choose as a destination? Asteriod - for mining or Moon - or?
And throwing on the business hat -your companies plan? What would it take for a rocket company to go public? If not why?
Thanks Larry
Jon,
Not actually something particular I want you to discuss, but please, don't become a guest that you need Zen-like concentration to actually hear. :-)
Nick
Bush will deliver what aides said would be a 20-minute address shortly after 9 p.m., a speech that will be carried live by the major television networks.
9 PM Eastern or 6 PM Pacific
That gives the President just under an hour to wrap things up before the important show:
The Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 Space Show from 7-8:30PM Pacific Time welcomes Jon Goff to The Space Show.
Jon:
Any thoughts on what kinds of new Centennial Challenges would be useful to make these plans work out? (Assuming that another round of Centennial Challenges is actually funded eventually). One of the rumored challenges had something to do with in-space refueling, so I wonder if that would fit in.
I also was wondering about one of your posts where you were trying to get a minimal 2-person crew to the moon as cheaply as possible. I think you gave the crew each a 170 pound allowance. I wondered how it would affect the feasibility of your proposal if this were drastically reduced - ie your astronauts are limited to weighing 100 pounds (or pick a number < 170 that makes the mission feasible yet doesn't filter out too many astronaut candidates, even if most candidates are indeed filtered out), and the rest of the mission (food, water, air, space suits, other life support hardware, chairs, the vehicle, etc) were scaled accordingly, would this make the missions cheap/feasible enough to make a difference? Yes Jay Leno would have a field day. You wouldn't want to filter out 99% of your customers this way with a lunar tourism project, but for the 2-person minimal NASA lunar precursors/alternatives to the "big" NASA missions you were proposing would it help?
Anyway whether you address this particular unusual question it would be good if you got into those minimal 2-person mission ideas on the show.
Ray
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