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Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says when we have 13,000 people on the moon they can submit to become the next state in the USA. Is it possible in todays risk averse culture to get that process moving by the year 2020, or are there too many hurdles? We look at some space news, bring in some of your comments from episode 4.22 and in general just have a good time. More information on this episode including show notes and links is available at our wiki at http://wiki.spacevidcast.com/en/4.24

Known as the Rocket Whisperer, Doug Jones will be guiding the Salon?s quest to gain insight into the current state of advanced space technology and the future of things to come. Doug will speculate on the viability of using possible technological advancements such as space tethers, beamed power, gun launches, and electromagnetic sails as a means to realize humanity?s continued reach into the cosmos. Doug is a Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at XCOR Aerospace. He handles test design and analysis of test results for the company?s liquid rocket engine development and facilitates the development and operation of rocket engine test apparatus. Before joining XCOR, Doug was responsible for sizing the fluid injector elements in Rotary Rocket Company?s (RRC) rocket engine design. Prior to RRC, Doug designed, built, and tested a 400 lb thrust nitrous oxide/propane engine, it's test facility, and a 300,000 cubic foot balloon system for Vela Technology. Doug also flew multiple times as flight test engineer in the X-Racer rocket powered aircraft! Note to Spacevidcast epic subscribers. The standard video is only 60 minutes but you have an enhanced 80 minute version of this presentation. Jump ahead just past the 1 hour mark above to see the Q & A session only available to epic subscribers.

For a full rundown of all of the stories covered in this live show, check out the wiki page: http://wiki.spacevidcast.com/en/4.22 In this community live show we explore what role NASA should take in 2012, a new Space Code of Conduct being developed, life on Venus and community questions. For the after dark show as well as additional great content check out our epic subscription. Bringin you even more space coverage and helping us produce the show, Spacevidcast epic is available in monthly or yearly subscriptions. http://www.spacevidcast.com/epic flowplayer("player", "/flowplayer/flowplayer-3.2.7.swf");

Spacevidcast Live shows are back! Since we took the last part of 2011 off we thought it may be a good idea to review some of the amazing events that took place. From the shuttles retiring to space mishaps we talk about 2011 and what the future holds for 2012. If you didn't catch it, our live shows have changed times. We now broadcast on Sundays at 22:00 UTC / 2:00pm PST / 5:00pm EST. The live show is a lot more fun when you participate in the community, so stop on by and say hello! flowplayer("player", "/flowplayer/flowplayer-3.2.7.swf");

William Pomerantz of Virgin Galactic presents at the first LA Space Salon. These events are designed to get the space community talking about what needs to be done to grow space and how we can take action. This is the full presentation portion of LA Space Salon. There was an additional 60 minutes of conversation which is available to Spacevidcast epic subscribers. Log in to your Spacevidcast epic account to view and download the full presentation.

NASA's most ambitious Martian rover ever is on its way to the red planet. This is your SpacePod for November 28th, 2011 NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission lifted off the launch pad atop an Atlas V rocket on November 26th, 2011 at 15:02 UTC. This isn't just another rocket launch or rover being sent to the red planet. I could tell you how this is the largest lander we have ever sent to Mars and is nearly the size of a mini cooper. I could tell you that this is the heaviest rover that we have sent to our fourth planet coming in at over 2000 pounds. But instead I think William Pomerantz described this mission best at his LA Space Salon talk. Needless to say the MSL mission with the Curiosity Rover will be a nail biter as the vehicle enters, descends and lands on the Martian Surface. To make things even more dramatic, Mars is far enough away that radio signals will take around 10 minutes to reach Earth. In fact, it is so far that by the time we start to get the radio signals telling us that the craft is about to begin its entry to the Martian atmosphere, the vehicle will actually already be on the ground, hopefully in one piece! If everything goes according to plan, then on August 5th, 2012 the Curiosity rover will begin roaming the gale crater on Mars. We're not just sending Curiosity to Mars for fun. This giant rover has several missions it will attempt to accomplish in one martian year which is nearly 2 Earth Years. The goals are to determine if life could have ever been there, characterize the climate and geology of this alien world, and finally, help prepare for human exploration of this alien world. NASA is known for its awesome Twitter accounts and the Curiosity Rover is no exception. If you would like to follow real-time update via the tweety bird, hit up the official account @MarsCuriosity or visit the web site via the far more complicated URL which is mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl... Or the bit.ly link at the bottom of your screen will bring you there too. If you missed the Launch that's OK! There are plenty of additional rocket launches coming up, and here's a quick list of everything you can watch or tweet about. Finally, if you're a space geek or interested in what is happening within the cosmos, don't forget to subscribe to our yoUTube channel. Click the big yellow button and new videos will be automagically added to your YouTube homepage from Spacevidcast. We also have a Twitter account @spacevidcast or you can hit up our web site. Spread the word and help us make space exciting again!

Isn't Apophis dead yet? This is your SpacePod for November 21st, 2011 A couple of weeks ago we did a SpacePod on Asteoid 2005 yu55 and where you could see it. It sure would be a shame if we didn't show you this little space rock. This 28 frame movie was captured by nasa's goldstone solar system radar. YU55 is rotating faster than real time, which would have been once every 18 hours. Remember that this asteroid came closer to earth than our own moon! Speaking of asteroids coming close to earth, Youtuber SexyToshi asked, "Can you please do a topic on 99942 Apophis". Well it is still a wee bit early to talk about apophis, but it is already starting to make the news. Back in December 2004 there were predictions that Apophis has a 2.9% chance of hitting earth in 2029. since then we have refined projections for Apophis and it won't be hitting earth in 2029. However there was a possibility that Apophis would pass through a gravitational keyhole which would then re-align it for impact with earth in 2036. However, as more time passes we gather more data and of october 2009 the probability that Apophis would hit that keyhole was down to 1 in 250,000. This is not to say that asteroids don't pose a serious threat to the survival of humanity. but in reality our best chance for survival it to become a multi-planetary species so if something does happen to one planet, we don't all go down with it. Hey, we do it with hard drives and personal data, why not with our species as well? One way we will be able to travel to other stars is via next generation rockets. Many companies are working to make this happen, but one company you don't hear a lot from is amazon founder Jeff Bezos' project blue origin. What you're watching is blue origins vertical takeoff, vertical landing rocket. This particular rocket is their second test vehicle and while they just released the video of this flight, it actually took to the air a few months ago. The craft has no capsule as that is being designed separately and this is only capable of sub-orbital flight. But much with how we first landed humans on the moon, you have to take baby steps before you can learn to walk in space. It may be nearing the thanksgiving holiday here in the US, but space waits for no one! Here is a list of upcoming flights. Alas, we're still working on the Spacevidcast live channel where you can go to chat with fellow space geeks and watch all of these launches in one place. until then hit up the launch providers webcast, but remember that our chat room is still open. And if you're watching us on youtube, don't forget to subscribe. we have awesome SpacePods released weekly and hopefully some time soon will be able to start up our live channel again. and as an added surprise we were able to attend the LA Space Salon and capture Will Pomerantz's amazing session there. watch for that on our channel soon!

To best understand what has recently happened we need to first roll back the clock to September 29th, 2011 and head on over to Jiuquan Launch Area 4. What you’re watching is the launch of Tiangong 1, which translates to Heavenly Palace 1, aboard a modified Long March 2F rocket. This is the first part of what we’ll call China’s test space station. Floating in space for just over a month, this 11-foot-wide, 34-foot-long module is a target vehicle for what would come next. On October 31st, 2011 at 21:58 UTC another modified Long March 2F rocket took to the skies. Aboard was the second part of this test station, the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft, which roughly translates to “Divine Craft” or my personal favorite “Magic Boat”. With a series of maneuvers China brought their Magic Boat to over 27,000 Kilometers Per Hour and right up to our Heavenly Palace. Then on November 2nd at 17:28 UTC China accomplished something that very few countries have done before. And just like that... China has performed their first ever space based docking. This is not an easy thing to do in the vacuum of space at a velocity of 7.8 kilometers per second. According to some media outlets they are one of only three countries to accomplish this feat.. And while fun to say, that part isn’t exactly true. A handful of other countries have mastered docking techniques. The European Space Agency’s Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle which sends food and supplies to the International Space Station is certainly a good example of that. Nevertheless, China has become members in a very exclusive club and with this ability can begin to unlock further manned spaceflights. Docking in space is an important factor for being able to host not only a space station but also unlocking the ability to send crafts to the Moon, Mars and beyond. To get to these other alien worlds a space based docking with other craft, fuel depots or space stations will likely be required, just as it was during the Apollo era when the command and service module had to dock with the lunar module. For China ,space based docking is even more important as they don’t currently have a rocket with the amount of thrust and lift capability that the Saturn V had to loft Apollo. Actually, right now now one has a rocket that powerful, which means space based re-fueling may be our best chance to travel to other alien bodies. For China, this is just the beginning. Tiangong 1 is expected to be visited by 2 more Shenzhou craft, the manned Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10, both expected in 2012. After this test is complete, China is planning on launching the larger and more capable Tiangong 2 in 2013 and Tiangong 3 in 2015. Tiangong-3's design will form the basis of a full-size, multi-module space station, which is expected to launch in the early 2020s.

A couple of awesome space geekery things to watch. This is your SpacePod for November 7th, 2011 It’s time to dust off those telescopes! For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll have a great chance to see Asteroid 2005 YU 55. Measuring in at around 400 meters in diameter, or about the size of an aircraft carrier, not only will YU 55 be coming close to Earth, but it will actually be about 15% closer to Earth than our own Moon! On Tuesday, November 8th at 23:28 UTC which is 6:28pm EST amateur and professional astronomers from around the world will have a chance to glimpse this giant space rock. Getting as close as 319,000 kilometers to Earth, this is the first time since 1976 that an object this large has come this close to our planet. But this isn’t the first time that we have been able to observe this asteroid. In April of 2010 YU55 made a close enough approach that the Arecibo (airy-see-bow) Observatory was able to get this radar image. To get your best view you’ll want to be on the Northern Hemisphere, ideally on the Eastern coast of the United States. The best time for viewing is early evening. You won’t be able to see this with the naked eye, so grab your medium to large telescope, or if you don’t have one hit up a friend or observatory for your chance to see this. YU55 is blacker than charcoal and scientists believe it is made up of mostly carbon based materials as well as some silicate rock. More information about its composition and structure are expected from radar and chemical studies as it passes by Earth. For your doomsdayers out there, no YU55 will not hit Earth. We’re safe for at least the next 100 years from this particular asteroid. It also won’t be hitting our moon, so lets put that rumor to bed as well. This is just a great chance to see something awesome in the night sky. One other fun thing to watch right before YU55 will be the launch of Phobos-Grunt which will takeoff on November 8th at 20:16 UTC. Phobos-Grunt is a Roscosmos mission to get samples from Phobos and return them to Earth. Phobos is the largest moon of Mars. This is to be the first interplanetary mission for Roscosmos since the failed Mars 96 in 1996. It’s looking to be a fun couple of days! Make sure to tweet your star gazing and rocket watching pictures to @spacevidcast so we can share the awesomeness with other space geeks!

ESA has been busy! An all new location to launch an old rocket. This is your SpacePod for October 31st, 2011. In 2004 ESA retired their medium lift Ariane IV launch vehicle leaving only the heavy lift Ariane V rocket in their lineup. For the past couple of years ESA and Roscosmos have been working to add an all new launch site for the medium lift Soyuz rocket at the Arianespace French Guianna launch site. This is a unique venture in that traditionally Soyuz rockets have only launched from Russia. On October 21st, 2011 the very first Soyuz rocket launched outside of Russia lifted off the pad, once again giving ESA a medium lift rocket to add to their manifest. Aboard are the first two satellites for the Galileo GPS constellation helping to remove Europe’s reliance on the US GPS constellation which can be shut off at any time for political or military reasons. The constellation should go live some time around 2014. And with the successful first flight of the Soyuz from the Amazon Jungle behind them, ESA is looking to add another vehicle to their lineup. Now scheduled to launch early 2012 the Vega rocket is designed to take even smaller payloads to orbit. With no boosters the Vega system will fill out ESAs rocket lineup giving them a light, medium and heavy launch capability for whatever payload they may need to loft to orbit. Speaking of rocket launches, United Launch alliance recently launched the last scheduled Delta II rocket, carrying the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System or NPP satellite to orbit. NPP is an Earth observing satellite with a suite of five sensors that will take measurements of our planet including, cloud, vegetation, ice cover, ocean color, and sea and land surface temperatures. This data can be used to help better understand climate change as well as help weather forecasters make predictions on dramatic and life threatening weather. While this was the last scheduled launch of the Delta II, that doesn’t mean the program is over. United Launch Alliance still has parts to build up to 5 more Delta II rockets. However right now there are simply no customers signed on to have those rockets built. The Alliance hopes to fly these final 5 Delta II rockets sometime around 2014, if they can line up the customers. Before we go, here is a quick calendar of upcoming launches. Remember that technology, weather or bad voodoo can scrub or delay any of these launches. Unfortunately the Spacevidcast live channel isn’t quite online yet, although we’re working on that. Until then make sure to check out the launches via the launch providers webcast and hot up the Spacevidcast Chat room to get your geek on with fellow space nerds.

Spacevidcast's Kennedy Space Center reporter Jason Rhian and his wife Marisa Rhian join us to talk about 'Countdown for the Cure'. This is a silent auction to raise money for leukemia research. Space has a long history of helping to find solutions for humanity and on-orbit cancer research is no exception. After the break we take a look at the upcoming final flight of the space shuttle. Where you can watch it, how you should watch it and what to do before and after the shuttle flight.

Sometimes launching rockets isn't as easy as it may seem. Armadillo Aerospace is a NewSpace company looking to take you and me to the stars. Led by fearless leader John Carmack this amazing little startup is cranking away at next generation vehicles. Sometimes things don't always go according to plan. We take a peek at a couple of crashes and big bada booms. Speaking of NewSpace, Virgin Galactic is looking beyond sub-orbital tourist flights to LEO and even uber short trips between continents. Beyond just awesome space trips, it is possible that Virgin Galactic will change how we fly and make the world an even smaller place. flowplayer("player", "/flowplayer/flowplayer-3.2.7.swf");

A traveling art exhibition featuring 73 works by some of America's leading artists has been organized by the Smithsonian Institution to honor NASA's 50th birthday. "NASA | ART" opened Oct. 25 at the Art League of Bonita Springs in Bonita Springs, Fla. The exhibition remained there until Jan. 19, 2009, then travel to 10 other museums through 2011. The show was put together by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at: http://www.sites.si.edu The video above includes the full 13 minute Art Exhibit walkthrough for epic subscribers. If you would like to see the 6 minute public video, you may do so below:

For the full show notes, links and awesome stuffs check out our wiki page at http://wiki.spacevidcast.com/en/4.15 We may spend a lot of time talking about the larger NewSpace companies such as SpaceX, but in this episode we look at a couple of the smaller entities that are doing some amazing things with next to zero budget. NASA has returned some beautiful videos of the shuttle attached to the ISS while ESA wants to make sure we don't go stir crazy during our ride to Mars. All that, a bit of Spacevidcast crazy and your questions answered on this Jun 10th, 2011 edition of Spacevidcast Live. flowplayer("player", "/flowplayer/flowplayer-3.2.7.swf");

CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. – When one thinks of rockets the image that was presented during what is known as a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) of a Delta IV medium – does not exactly fit the mold. The WDR is conducted by United Launch Alliance (ULA) to test out the Delta’s systems prior to spacecraft integration and launch. Although not all elements of the Delta IV medium are in place, enough are present to accomplish the objective of testing if the rocket is ready for flight. “With the WDR we load cryogenics, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, onto the Delta rocket to validate the vehicle’s readiness prior to attaching the spacecraft,” said ULA’s Assistant Launch Conductor Doug Lebo. “This way if there is any kind of problem with the rocket we will know before the satellite has been mated with the launch vehicle.” The Mobile Service Tower or MST for the Delta IV medium is about the height of a football field, weighs approximately 9 million pounds and is rolled back around 360 feet on two massive wheels to expose the rocket. The entire process of moving the structure back takes between 20 and 30 minutes. From there controllers over at the rocket’s Launch Control Center test out the rocket’s launch readiness. This Delta IV rocket will carry the GPS 2F-2 satellite to orbit. The satellite is the second block 2F of the GPS navigation series. “These GPS satellites are manufactured and fully tested out in California, when ready they are then shipped here to the Cape,” said Captain Stephen Nielson a spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force. “The GPS 2F-2 satellite arrived at the Cape in the early morning hours of April 20, we then unpackaged it and performed two weeks of compatibility testing to makes sure it was ready for launch.” The Delta IV medium that will be used on this flight is the 4, 2 configuration that has two solid rocket boosters that provide the extra thrust required to achieve orbit. The launch is currently slated to take place on July 14 at 2:51 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37B.