The Space Show by Dr. David Livingston

Listeners: Watch the video if you can as our guest uses excellent visuals that are more than helpful. Meeting assets for Space Show with Mari Anne Snow of Eascra, a Nanomedicine company are ready! The following assets for the meeting - Space Show with Mari Anne Snow of Eascra, a Nanomedicine company are now available. Our program began with guest Mari Anne Snow, CEO of EASCRA Biotech, focusing ion...

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....

Please note that we experienced unidentified audio problems for this program including callers using our toll free line. We sincerely apologize for this unfortunate audio problem. In this space policy discussion, host David and guest Michael Listener, a space attorney, addressed recent developments including potential changes to COMSTACK, budget concerns, and the Trump administration's approach to...

Our Open Lines program began by delving into a wide-ranging discussion about space exploration topics including nuclear power on the Moon, micro reactors, and SpaceX's Starship program. Together we explored various challenges facing space missions, including regulatory hurdles, technical limitations, and the need for proper infrastructure, while also discussing the financial implications of space...

John, David and Andrew Chanin (our guest) discussed UFO, ETF (Exchange Traded Fund), which offers exposure to over 40 publicly traded space-related companies worldwide. Their conversation explored investment opportunities in both public and private space companies, including large aerospace firms and emerging startups. Andrew examined investment vehicles such as ETFs, special purpose vehicles (SPV...

The Space Show presents Dr. A.J. Kothar via Zoom leading a discussion on how best to return & get infrastructure to the Moon. Tuesday, August 12, 2025 Our discussion centered on Ajay Kothari's proposal to use multiple Falcon Heavy rockets for lunar missions as a cost-effective alternative to NASA’s SLS and SpaceX’s Starship. Kothari argued this method could be implemented within two years at an es...

Our program opened with my announcing changes to the show's format, including a new Tuesday Zoom-broadcast program, a toll-free call-in line, and details about upcoming guests such as Dr. Kothari returning to the Moon plans and Andrew Chanin of the UFO ETF being on Hotel Mars for Wednesday. He reminded listeners of the show's nonprofit status and encouraged support. With Dr. Tom Matula as our gues...

Hotel Mars with Rand Simberg, August 6, 2025 John and I, with our guest Rand Simberg, focused this one segment Hotel Mars program on the role of commercial space with regards to our effort to return to the Moon. Rand Simberg explainrd that while NASA's Artemis program includes public-private partnerships with SpaceX and Blue Origin, Congress has been requiring the use of the Space Launch System (S...

Dr. Space, host of The Space Show , recently hosted a compelling conversation with Ben Roberts, founder and CEO of Skyworker Work Group Finance and Advisory Surfaces LLC. The discussion centered on financing space business entrepreneurs developing health and material products in microgravity. They explored how the unique conditions of space, specifically the absence of gravity—can be leveraged to...

Meeting notes for Sponable on Tuesday , August 5, 20245 interview: We welcomed back Jess Sponable, who shared his expertise on the feasibility of the Golden Dome defense system, drawing from his experience with DARPA and DCX. Jess explained that while Golden Dome is technically possible, it would require significant software and sensor technology development, and he noted that the US has robust sa...

Dr. Livingston introduced Michael Gordon, a serial entrepreneur, author, and digital health innovator, known for co-founding Teladoc and developing VoIP telephone lines. Michael shared his background in space physics, including his graduate work on the magnetosphere and involvement in the Hayley's comet probe project. He discusses his Tachyon Tunnel sci fi book series, which explores the concept o...

Megan Masterson 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 the...

Mark Whittington on Tuesday, 7-29-25 I introduced Mark, who discussed the current turmoil at NASA, describing the agency as "rudderless" due to the stalled nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman as Administrator. Isaacman, known for funding private missions like Inspiration 4 , was nominated by Donald Trump and had garnered bipartisan support, including backing from former NASA Administrator Jim...

The Space Show Advisory Board discusses NASA budget and mission cuts plus policy via Zoom on Sunday, July 27, 2025. The Space Show Advisory Board meeting centered on NASA’s proposed budget cuts and the ongoing appropriations process in Congress. Bill Gowan outlined the current situation: while the President’s budget proposes a 24% overall cut to NASA—including a 47% reduction to the Science Missio...

Quick recap The meeting focused on challenges in science funding and peer review processes, with discussions about budget cuts, public pushback, and the need for advocacy and reform. The group explored issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in scientific research and academia, including their impact on merit-based evaluations and graduate admissions. The conversation concluded...

David opened the program by introducing Rand Simberg and his Evoloterra ceremony—a tradition created around 40 years ago and modeled on the Jewish Seder. The ceremony celebrates the evolution of Earth and humanity’s journey into space. Rand encouraged listeners to download and participate in Evoloterra annually, emphasizing its continued relevance today. He also mentioned China’s plans to land hum...

Our program with Dr. Talaat covered various aspects of space research, technology, and exploration, including the role of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in advancing these fields. Discussions focused on challenges in human spaceflight, the importance of government investment in space research, applications of AI in space-related activities, and the development of nuclear techno...

Hotel Mars focused on Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based company developing launch vehicles and spacecraft for lunar and Earth orbit missions. Despite financial challenges, Firefly has achieved significant milestones, including landing the first private lander on the Moon under NASA's CLPS program. The company has recently filed for an IPO to raise funds for debt repayment and expansion, with backin...

Meeting summary for John Hunt vs. the WSJ (07/15/2025) David introduced John Hunt as the guest for the Tuesday Space Show program. John quickly turned to criticizing the Wall Street Journal's two-part series on UFOs/UAPs, arguing that it unfairly dismissed the subject as government disinformation. He highlighted several issues with the article, including its selective use of evidence, misrepresent...

Our program with guest Jim Muncy covered NASA's current leadership situation and workforce challenges, including discussions about temporary administrators, potential job losses, and changes in federal government staffing policies. The conversation explored NASA's budget situation and space exploration priorities, with particular focus on the Appropriation Bill for Commerce, Justice, and Science,...

We welcomed guest Bryant Cruz, founder of New Sapience, a company developing artificial intelligence technology that processes language in a fundamentally different way from traditional models such as ChatGPT and GROK. New Sapience’s approach involves building internal models of the world that mirror human knowledge, allowing their AI to reason and understand more like a person rather than relying...

John, David and Dr. Haym Benaroya discussed the progress and ongoing challenges of human exploration and habitation on the Moon and Mars. Since 2002, significant advancements have been made in data collection and our understanding of Martian and lunar environments. These improvements were contrasted with earlier speculative or fictional portrayals of space colonization. Professor Benaroya, a mecha...

Our program centered on the Viking life detection experiments on Mars and their broader implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. Our guest, Dr. Steven Benner, delved into topics including synthetic biology, paleogenetics, and the potential for current and future Mars missions to detect life. The conversation also addressed the capabilities and limitations of genetic engineering techn...

John and I had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Simone Marchi from the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in Boulder, CO, to discuss his recent work on “The shaping of terrestrial planets by late accretions.” You can read his paper, published in Nature, at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08970-8 . In this fascinating study, Dr. Marchi and his co-author explore how the final ~1% of planet...

Meeting Summary The main portion of the meeting focused on space policy and technology, including debates about SpaceX's role in the U.S. space program, the feasibility of reusable rocket technology, and comparisons between U.S. and Chinese space capabilities. The discussion concluded with conversations about NASA's future, recent rocket nozzle issues, and Relativity Space’s new leadership, with p...