The Space Show Classroom Blog

Lesson 12 Archive Notes July 19, 2010

Space Show Classroom Lesson 12:  Program Summary 

Sunday, July 18, 2010

 Archive Notes and Program Information

 The Space Show Classroom Lesson 12 can be downloaded or heard

at:

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1394-BWB-2010-07-18.mp3

Guests: Classroom featuring Dr. Livingston, Dr. Jim Logan, Dr. John Jurist.  Topics:  This is a summary and critique of The Space Show Classroom Series for this year.  This program will also be archived on The Space Show Classroom Blog, https://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com.  Please post your feedback, comments, and questions to the blog, do not send the to the three co-hosts.  Anything we receive will be uploaded to the blog.  We started this summary program with the three co-hosts critiquing the Classroom program.  Dr. Jurist provided was first, followed by Dr. Logan, and then mine which turned into a minor rant.  All of us agreed that the Classroom series was a mixed bag and we graded it and ourselves accordingly.  We thought we missed our target audience, & our feedback so far was insufficient and disappointing given the effort put into the programming.  I also described the rating system which I have mentioned on other shows re archives on Live365.com and noted that exceptional shows got horrible ratings, mentioning again that for the most part, the more fantasy driven a guest or program is, the higher the rating. We spent a considerable time talking about this aspect of the Classroom and our frustration.  We stressed over and over again the need for feedback on the Classroom series, honest feedback, including feedback on the blog, especially if we are to consider another semester of the Classroom in January.  Our co-hosts talked about how ideological we have become as a nation and how little thinking we now do and that critical thinking is not taught to students.  Later in this segment, I asked both co-hosts what their favorite Classroom programs were and the rocket equation and flight dynamics programs were pointed out, mostly because those programs provided the root foundation for most of the others operating and visiting in space is based on those two components.  For most of this session, we talked about some of the shortfalls we saw with the Classroom series and we integrated that into our culture and educational system because the problems that we detected by doing the Classroom were not just limited to space.  Heavy lift was discussed as part of this critique and in talking about the rocket equation, Dr. Logan brought up Initial Mass in Low Earth Orbit (IMLEO) as an illustration point.  We then talked about Congress and the difference between tactical decision making and enabling the strategic.  Life sciences were then discussed and our co-hosts talked about why so many want to dismiss the findings of life scientists because they are seen as obstacles. Even engineers do this.  We had several callers during this segment talking about a specific question, not so much the Classroom summary.  As we started the second segment of this two hour program, all of us again stressed the need for useful feedback, a thumbs up or down on the Classroom programming.  Jim talked about a possible point counter-point format for a future program and I asked about the likelihood of improving our ability to reach the target audience by doing the Classroom with video and webcams.  Gravity became a topic in this segment with questions about going to an asteroid.  We also talked about the ISS and the application of life sciences.  As we concluded our program, Drs. Logan and Jurist said they wanted to know how listeners were impacted by the Classroom.  For example, did anyone change their mind about an issue or subject based on a Classroom program.  We concluded our summary program by reminding people about the written paper opportunity (contact me for details) and that if we are to continue the Classroom series in a following semester, we need meaningful feedback, plus or negative, and information from you that can help us do a better job. Also, what topics would you like covered should we resume the Classroom next semester.  Please post all your comments, questions, etc. on the Classroom blog.

Lesson 11 Archive Notes July 12, 2010

Space Show Classroom Lesson 11:  Space Sustainability? Environmental and Crowding Issues Across All Orbital Domains

 Sunday, July 11, 2010

 Archive Notes and Program Information

 The Space Show Classroom Lesson 11 can be downloaded or heard

at:

http://archived.thespaceshow.com/shows/1389-BWB-2010-07-11.mp3

Guests:  Classroom featuring Brian Weeden, Dr. Livingston, Dr. John Jurist.  Topic:  Space Sustainability:  Environmental and Crowding Issues Across All Orbital Domains.  Lesson 11 for The Space Show Classroom focused on Space Sustainability issues with guest instructor Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation.  Brian’s paper on this subject is on the Classroom Blog under Lesson 11 Presentation Materials and at www.secureworldfoundation.org/images/SWF_Space%20Sustainability%20Booklet.pdf.  We started our first of two segments with a definition of space sustainability and where we as space-fairing nations were in terms of a pending disaster because of orbital debris pollution.  We talked about human spaceflight and issues surrounding it.  From our human spaceflight discussion, we evolved to satellites of all types and scientific payloads.  One of the questions and comments brought up by Dr. Jurist was the difference between natural debris and man made debris.  Brian also took us through Conjunction Assessment and we discussed it in terms of the US and the Russians who are the only ones that can do it at this time.  A listener brought up issues about potential SSP systems.  As you will hear, there is not much debris in the orbits that would be used for an SSP system.  Listen carefully to what Brian said about this.  We talked about GPS and its importance and how evolved economies would be adversely impacted without access to space resources.  As we drew to a close in the first segment, Brian talked about the size of objects and said being hit by anything 7CM and larger would be catastrophic.  From 1-6CM serious damage would be sustained.  As we started the second segment, we summarized and addressed a few additional questions on orbital debris and GPS, including a discussion on the vulnerability of GPS to a hostile attack.  We then focused our attention on Space Situational Awareness (SSA)which implies one knows what is going on in space all the time.  So far, the US and the Russians are the strongest nations applying SSA but more and more countries are starting to use it.  SSA also implies the use of Space Traffic Management.  Some of the questions Brian brought to our attention included who pays for these services and who makes important decisions.  He said the UN Treaties were OK but were based on the framework of the Cold War.  What is happening now is more in line with voluntary agreements.  Brian also said there was no legal definition for space debris so legally there no way to discriminate between valuable space hardware and useless space debris.  We talked about which countries are getting more and more involved in these discussions and as it turns out, most do, even those nations considered rogue.  Toward the end of the program, a question came in about the use of a nuclear bomb to deflect or destroy an incoming NEO.  Brian said it was not allowed by current treaties but that the problem would not be solved until a real incident was upon us and a nuclear nation had to make such a decision.  We talked about the role of the UN COPUOS, the UN Action Team 14 and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).  For your questions and comments, please post them on The Space Show Classroom Blog under this post at https://spaceshowclassroom.wordpress.com.  All questions sent to me will be posted on the blog.

Lesson 11 Presentation Materials July 11, 2010

Space Show Classroom Lesson 11:  Space Sustainability?  Environmental and Crowding Issues Across All Orbital Domains

Sunday, July 11,  2010

Presentation Material from Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation, special guest for this program

Brian Weeden suggests you review the following material which is directly related to our Classroom program discussion.  Please visit:

www.secureworldfoundation.org/images/SWF_Space%20Sustainability%20Booklet.pdf