Space on the John Batchelor Show: Bob Zimmerman & Hotel Mars

Bob Zimmerman reports on the latest space news during regular weekly slots (usually Tuesday and Thursdays) on the John Batchelor radio program. See the iTunes free Podcast for links to the latest shows.

Tuesday 04/16/13 Fourth Hour

Putting its money where its mouth is: Russia under Vladimir Putin has announced a big financial boost from its government to its semi-private space industry.  Want to go to Mars? You better get in line. Dennis Tito’s project already has hundreds of volunteers.  I still have doubts that this non-private company can pull this off by 2018, but only by 2018. Given a bit more time and research, the obstacles for sending two humans on a fly-by of Mars can easily be overcome. Alan Boyle has some more information on SpaceShipTwo’s most recent test flight, and the rumors concerning the ship’s first powered flight.

Thursday 04/18/13 Batchelor Fourth Hour

Bob talked about the postponement of the first launch of the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. He also discussed the discovery by the Kepler  space telescope  of near earth-size planets orbiting a distant start

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This weeks Hotel Mars segment:

Guests: Haym Benaroya, author, Turning Dust to Gold: Building the Future on Earth and Mars