The Space Show

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Dallas Bienhoff was our guest regarding cislunar space. Dallas defined cislunar, talked about our being in a space race, including a race for lunar development and a presence on the Moon. We talked about propellants, a Moon Base, the Chinese lunar program, L4 and L5 points, Artemis and the potential usage of same by government and military. Be sure to read the full summary of this program at www.thespaceshow.com and also at doctorspace.substack.com for this date, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

Mike Gold from Redwire Space spoke about many topics including budgets, Artemis, international relations and space, China, UAPs and more. See the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this date as well as both the video and audio archive at doctorspace.substack.com.

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We welcomed our guest, Dr. Namrata Goswami, with the objectives of exploring China's lunar ambitions and space policies, comparing them to US initiatives while discussing the implications for commercial space activities and national security. The discussion concluded with analyses of China's strategic energy initiatives and space technology development, including their approach to commercial space partnerships and the potential impact of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil imports on India's space relationships. Space Show participants included Marshal Martin, Dr. Ajay Kothari, Rick Kwan, John Hunt, Dr. Charles Lurio and Amir Notea. Read the full summary at both www.thespaceshow.com and doctorspace.substack.com. The Zoom video is also on the Substack page.

Our Open Lines program began members of our Advisory Board in the Zoom meeting on casual conversation before transitioning into discussions about SpaceX's fundraising efforts and technical challenges with video conferencing and their upcoming Starship test 10 flight. The group then explored various space-related topics including more Starship test flights and SpaceX, lunar landing architectures, and NASA's Artemis program, while also discussing the importance of public communication about space exploration and its potential benefits. The conversation ended with discussions about scientific discoveries, upcoming shows featuring space policy experts, and an art showing by Dr. Kothari, along with additional updates about the upcoming Starship launch. Read the full summary at both www.thespaceshow.com and doctorspace.substack.com for this date, Sunday, August 24, 2025.

John Batchelor and I welcomed Rick Fisher back to the program to discuss China's space program, focusing on the Long March 10 and 9 rockets. Rick explained that the Long March 10, which recently passed a static test, is designed to transport cargo and astronauts to the moon, while the Long March 9, similar in size to SpaceX's Starship, is intended for lunar missions and eventual Mars expeditions. David asked about China’s funding of their space program given report of Chinese economic problems. Rick noted that China's space program is a priority for the Communist Party due to its strategic importance. He suggested that the Chinese government may prioritize space exploration over other areas due to its focus on maintaining power. Rick also outlined a timeline for China’s lunar program. Rick was also asked about their work on human spaceflight medical challenges plus their lunar settlement plans, if any. You might be surprised by what our guest had to say about their lunar development settlement plans/program.

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The program focused on Ajay Kothari's proposal to use multiple Falcon Heavy rockets instead of Starship or SLS for lunar missions, which he argued would be more cost-effective and implementable within two years despite technical challenges raised by other participants. The group discussed broader concerns about the Artemis program's leadership, timeline feasibility, and competition with China's lunar ambitions, with some members expressing skepticism about returning to the moon while others emphasized the importance of establishing infrastructure like nuclear power systems. The conversation ended with participants debating when humans would actually return to the moon, with estimates ranging from 2028-2029, and David announcing upcoming shows including Hotel Mars and an appearance on Coast to Coast. Please read the full summary of this program at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Tuesday, August 12, 2025. In addition, the video and audio archive will soon be published at doctorspace.substack.com.

Our program started with Tom announcing his new MBA program in space commerce at Sul Ross University. Tom also talked about different universities' offerings, program structures, and Texas's support for the space industry. The conversation concluded with detailed discussions about commercial space exploration, employment opportunities in the space industry, and the capabilities and future of space travel, particularly focusing on SpaceX's Starship and Falcon 9 rockets. Read the full summary of this program at www.thespaceshow.com and at Substack (doctorspace.substack.com) for this date, August 10, 2025.

Rand Simberg was our guest for this one segment Hotel Mars program. Our discussion centered on commercial space's role in the U.S. moon return efforts, with particular focus on NASA's Artemis program and the challenges posed by the Space Launch System (SLS) program's high costs and limited sustainability. Concerns were raised about the U.S. potentially losing the moon race to China due to the current focus on SLS, with suggestions to redirect funding toward more innovative space transportation solutions. The conversation concluded with an analysis of human lunar lander development progress between SpaceX and Blue Origin, highlighting both companies' capabilities and challenges in their respective development paths. Read the full summary for this program at www.thespaceshow.com and doctorspace.substack.com for this date, Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Dr. Space hosted a discussion with Ben Roberts, founder and CEO of Skyworker Work Group Finance and Advisory Surfaces LLC, about financing entrepreneurs developing health and material products in microgravity. The conversation explored how the absence of gravity in orbit can be leveraged to produce advanced materials and medical goods, with applications including protein crystals for medicines, nanoparticles, 3D printing cardiac tissue, and accelerated aging studies. While the microgravity economy is still in early development with no companies currently making significant commercial profits, many ventures are approaching viability and could potentially access substantial markets within the next 3-5 years once they clear regulatory hurdles.

Our program covered vertical takeoff and landing technology, tracing its evolution from science fiction to modern concepts and exploring various engineering challenges and potential solutions. The discussion concluded with updates on space travel innovations, including rocket designs, propellant considerations, and the importance of collaboration between private sector and government agencies in advancing space exploration. We also talked Moon and Mars. Read the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Tuesday, 8-5-25 and at doctorspace.substack.com.

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John and I introduced Megan to our Hotel Mars program for a discussion of her work with dormant blackholes and more. Megan presented research on tidal disruption events (TDEs) observed using the James Webb Space Telescope, which has revealed previously dormant black holes becoming active and providing insights into their environmental effects. The discussion covered the physics of TDEs, including their impact on surrounding gas and dust, as well as the challenges of studying dormant black holes and their relationship with galaxy size. The conversation concluded with a discussion about the limitations of current telescopes, the importance of time-domain astronomy, and the potential impact of the Golden Dome project on the space industry. Read the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. The same summary will be posted on our Substack page for the same day and date at doctorspace.substack.com.

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Our Space Show Advisory board focused on NASA's proposed budget cuts and current funding discussions in Congress, where the Senate has approved a $24.9 billion NASA budget while the House is still working on its version. The group discussed NASA's budget allocation and space policy, including concerns about potential cuts to key programs and the need for balanced government-commercial space exploration efforts. Our program concluded by discussing planning and advocacy strategies plus communication approaches to influence space policy decisions, particularly regarding budget allocations and program priorities. Please read the full summary at www.thespaceshow.com for this program and date, Sunday, July 27, 2025. You can also read it and see the video as well as hear the audio on our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com.