1. Monday, Dec.28, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT: No special programming.
2. Tuesday, Dec.29, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT): We welcome back Thomas A. Olson for his annual review of the space industry with a focus on commercial space.
3. Wednesday, Dec.30, 2020: Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. See upcoming show menu on the home page for program details.
4. Thursday, Dec.31, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): No program today. Happy New Year To All!
5. Friday, Jan.1, 2021; 9:30-11 am PDT (11:30 am-1 pm CDT, 12:30-2 pm EDT): No show today. Happy New Year Everyone!
** Dec.27.2020 – In this Open Lines program, David Livingston discussed “multiple topics with multiple callers. We talked space solar power, Starship and Boca Chica, callers made lots of predictions for 20201, we covered our efforts to go to the Moon and much more.”
The Space Show wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, a healthy holiday season and 2021. Here at The Space Show we are winding down 2020, a year that has been challenging for us and each of you. Despite the year’s challenges we have managed to continue bringing you great guests, lots of listener participation with phone calls, emails and blog commentary. The Space Show has continued our strong advocacy for commercial space development, a lunar return and eventual humans to Mars mission plans. We have supported having a strong national security space policy plus we love our planetary science program which is the best in the world. Many of you have promoted your books, websites, blogs, ideas and work on The Space Show this year as well as in previous years. Students have been on The Space Show gaining valuable experience related to their future skills and career choices. The list of Space Show accomplishments is a lengthy one but I think you get the picture.
Production of The Space Show is expensive, so we ask for your support to continue working hard advocating for the space industry we all want, especially in these uncertain times for our industry and country. Fulfilling The Space Show mission is why we ask for your financial support. Thee Space Show, as a live broadcast internet radio talk show with multiple phone lines for the guests and listener discussions, is not just another podcast. Our unique format featuring live broadcasts, real time callers and listener emails helps The Space Show stand out bringing you in-depth information about all aspects of our industry. Each year we engage in our end of the year fundraising campaign to help continue our work into the coming year. We are now in our annual end of year campaign and we are asking you to please support The Space Show with a gift today. Don’t forget that as a nonprofit 501c3 with the One Giant Leap Foundation as our parent, your contribution entitles you to an IRS tax deduction along with a California tax deduction if you are a California tax payer (check with your tax advisor for details applicability). But tax deductions are not a reason to contribute to us. You contribute to us because of our programming, because we fight and advocate for what you want in space, because we educate with facts and solid information and because we offer everyone the opportunity for civil discussions on all space related topics. You contribute to us because you have a voice with our guests, with each other and in future programming. That is why you contribute and why we are asking you to contribute once again this year. We believe The Space Show delivers the value you deserve and that we have earned your respect which you show us by helping to financially support us.
** Sunday, Dec. 20.2020 – David Livingston and and co-host John Jossy talked with Kim Holder about the newest version of Moonwards, which is an open source virtual moon town, and a new demo. “Kim talked about Moonwards, its purpose, the why of Moonwards and much more.”
A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):
** China Aero & Space Weekly News Round-Up – Episode 12 (14th -20th Dec. 2020) – Dongfang Hour – YouTube
Topics discussed include:
1) Long March 8 Launch on Sunday 20/12 2) Chang’e-5 Return to Earth 3) New JV between China Eastern, Juneyao Group, and China Telecom 4) Baidu is Considering Making its own Electric Vehicle
** David Buehler – How Is CHPS [Cislunar Highway Patrol System] Going To Benefit Space Force? – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube
Captain David Buehler of the Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate is on the Cold Star Project to talk about the CHPS program. The CHPS program will monitor cislunar space, extending to 272,000 and beyond: a 10X reach in range and 1000X increase in volume. With host Jason Kanigan, Capt. Buehler discusses:
– Why is cislunar space of interest to the AFRL?
– What is CHPS?
– Why has the AFRL chosen to develop CHPS?
– What are some of the technical challenges with Space Domain Awareness in cislunar space?
– Why don’t TLEs work in cislunar space?
– What are some long term benefits to the Space Force for develping CHPS?
Past DARPA program manager and Robots In Space founder Dr. Gordon Roesler is on the Make Space Boring News show to share some details about his new paper, A Robotic Space Station for the 2020s. Why do we need this space infrastructure, and why now? Dr. Roesler’s paper: https://coldstartech.com/rssroesler
In this week’s Space Cafè WebTalk, Prof. Steven Freeland, Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia talked about the Multifaceted Nature of Space and the Role / Rule of Law. Prof. Steven Freeland talked about:
Australia’s initiatives on the commercial space side, National law – what are the important issues to consider for each country and why?, International law – how the initiatives of one or several countries can be an input to broader discussions and why we need broad ‘buy in’ on the really big issues, Civil Society – how industry, academia and broader civil society have important voices on space in many ways? Prof. Freeland also answered relevant questions from the audience.
This Space Cafè WebTalk, held on 24 November 2020, was hosted by Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global.
Listen to Jeff Guido talk about Planet, a company founded by three NASA scientists in a garage. Learn about a “flock” of small satellites imaging the entire Earth’s land mass every day, delivery data images almost instantaneously over the Internet. How is that possible? Jeff discusses vertically integrating a cloud-based imaging platform and the digital transformation of the industry. They are both key to getting remote sensing data immediately out to the market, helping everyone from small farmers to governments optimize their resources. Jeff talks about managing large numbers of satellites by getting them to work in concert through automation and interoperability. Learn about the difference between CMOS and push broom cameras and how the imagery obtained from those cameras can be analyzed to detect change. Finally, what is a virtual constellation and why is it important?
1. Monday, Dec.14, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT: No program today.
2. Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT): We welcome back Bob Zimmerman for a 2020 space roundup, a look at 2021 and more. See his website, www.behindtheblack.com.
3. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020: Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. See upcoming show menu on the home page for program details.
4. Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): No program today.
6. Sunday, Dec.20, 2020; 12-1:30 pm PDT (3-4:30 pm EDT, 2-3:30 pm CDT): We welcome back Kim Holder to debut the new MOONWARDS game. John Jossy is co-hosting this program. Visit and play the Moonwards demo posted on our blog. Give it a try. Call us and share your experience with us. The demo will be posted on our blog in advance of this program. Visit Moonwards at www.moonwards.com. [See also Moonwards juuuust about has a demo – Moonwards.]
Some recent shows:
** Sunday, Dec.13.2020 – Dr. David Livingston led an Open Lines program with discussion on a wide range of topics with callers.
A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):
** Casey Dreier: Are Changes Coming to NASA/US Space Policy – Weekly Space Hangout: December 9, 2020
We are pleased to once again welcome Casey Dreier from the Planetary Society to the WSH. Casey will update us (as much as possible) about Space Policy changes that may occur once the new American Presidential administration takes office on January 20, 2021. As Chief Advocate, Casey is the public face of The Planetary Society’s efforts to advance planetary exploration, planetary defense, and the search for life. He educates and empowers the organization’s members to take political action. He writes, teaches, and speaks to The Society’s members, the public, and policymakers to impress upon them the importance, relevancy, and excitement of space exploration. Casey is committed to demystifying the politics and policy process behind space exploration for all audiences. He is a trusted source for journalists and has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Vox, and The Verge, to name a few. He also has appeared as an expert on BBC News and both seasons of National Geographic’s MARS series as a “MARS Big Thinker”. As Senior Space Policy Adviser Casey helps lead the strategic planning of The Society’s policy and advocacy efforts. He works closely with The Society’s leadership, its Board of Directors, and other policy experts to craft the organizational positions and goals regarding the future of space exploration. He provides trusted analysis of the budgetary, political, and policy decisions relating to space, pursues original research, and works collaboratively to generate policy ideas and guidance for the U.S. space program.
The Australian Space Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) in Perth is opening, and Dr. Ben Kaebe is its Technical Interface Manager. What will SpAARC do, and how will it help space startups? Join host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project to find out. Jason asks Dr. Kaebe:
-how he ended up in Australia, having been born in Germany
-the vision for the complex and its user base
-the process and partners of developing SpAARC
-what Earth-based and space applications the facility will assist with
-what capabilities will be available first, and how the complex plans to grow.