The Space Show by Dr. David Livingston

The Space Show Presents John Hunt, Tuesday, 3-17-26Quick Summary:The Tuesday Space Show focused on UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) and UFO discussions, with John Hunt as our UAP specialist. The conversation covered various topics including the mysterious disappearance of General McCaslin in Albuquerque, potential government disclosure efforts, and historical cases like Roswell. John explained his personal journey into UFO research, starting with skepticism but becoming convinced of the phenomenon’s reality based on credible witness accounts and government behavior. The discussion touched on various theories about alien technology, government cover-ups, and the potential im...

Phil Swan, Sunday, 3-15-25The Space Show Presents Phil Swan on Launching Orbital Data Centers from The Moon are ready!Quick Summary:The meeting focused on the feasibility and implications of building data centers on the moon, with Phil Swan as the main speaker discussing the concept and addressing various technical and economic challenges. Participants explored the potential of mass drivers for launching data centers from the moon, the advantages of lunar manufacturing, and the role of nuclear power in supporting such endeavors. The discussion touched on the competition between space-based and...

John Batchelor and I welcomed Dr. Peter van Dokkum of Yale to define and discuss runaway black holes which are supermassive objects expelled from galaxies after massive collisions. These objects move at 1,000 kilometers per second, escaping their host galaxies to roam through intergalactic space.Astronomers first detected a runaway black hole via a shock front and a wake of 100 million newborn stars. This stellar trail traces the black hole’s path as it travels through intergalactic gas per the description used by John Batchelor for this Hotel Mars program.Special thanks to our sponsors:American In...

The Space Show Presents Jim Muncy, Sunday, 3-10-26Quick Summary:Our discussion focused on NASA’s Artemis program changes and lunar development strategy, with Jim Muncy discussing NASA Administrator Jared’s recent modifications to Artemis missions, including standardizing on the Centaur 5 upper stage and adding an Earth orbit rendezvous mission before lunar landing attempts. The discussion explored how these changes improve odds for a 2028 moon landing, with both HLS providers (SpaceX and Blue Origin) being encouraged to demonstrate their lander systems in Earth orbit by mid-2027. The conversation concluded with a debate about commercial luna...

Anatoly Zak was our Hotel Mars guest for March 4, 2026 to once again take us through Russian space history with stories and events that were classified at the time so new to us today. You can follow along on Anatoly's excellent website, https://www.russianspaceweb.com.Though many of his stories are behind a paywall, and I suggest you subscribe if Russian space news and history is important to you, it goes a long way in filling in details of our historic space program that as I said are only coming to light in these recent...

The Space Show Presents Dr. Andrew Fraknoi, Sunday, March 1, 2026Quick Summary:The Space Show presented an in-depth discussion with astronomer Dr. Andrew Fraknoi about the upcoming total lunar eclipse on March 3rd, which will be visible in the early morning hours across North America. Our discussion explored how ancient Greeks used lunar eclipses to prove Earth’s spherical shape and covered modern astronomical topics including the Vera Rubin Observatory’s 10-year sky-mapping project and the James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities for observing distant galaxies. The discussion also touched on the debate between active and passiv...

The Space Show Presents Karen Jones re “SPACEPORTOPIA” Thursday, 2-26-26Quick Summary:This Space Show program focused on spaceport development and launch forecasting, featuring Karen Jones from Aerospace Corporation to discuss her paper “Spaceportopia: A Primer for Successful Launch Site Planning.” The discussion explored the economic challenges of spaceport development, including demand forecasting, regional compatibility, and the risks of irrational exuberance in space industry projections. The Space Show Wisdom Team panel examined several failed spaceport initiatives like Spaceport Michigan and Spaceport Camden, while also discussing the current state of launch infrastructure and the potential for offs...

Hotel Mars, Doug Messier, Weds, 2-25-26Doug joined John Batchelor and myself to discuss the plight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. He went over the recent problems with the capsule that stranded astronauts on the ISS until SpaceX could bring them safely home using Dragon. Doug described the problems, issues in quality control and engineering with Boeing in recent times and probably solutions or ways to salvage Starliner for both NASA and Boeing. This was a one segment Hotel Mars program for approximately 10 minutes.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of...

The Space Show Presents Trisha Epp. Sunday, 2-22-26Quick Summary:The Space Show hosted Trisha Epp, Director of Innovation at Freelancer.com, to discuss NASA’s open innovation challenges and Freelancer’s role in facilitating these competitions. Trisha explained how Freelancer works with NASA’s Tournament Lab to run innovation challenges that attract solutions from around the world, with prize money awarded for successful ideas. The discussion covered the differences between Freelancer’s approach and traditional government RFP processes, highlighting cost savings and broader participation as key advantages. Trisha shared that Freelancer has helped NASA ach...

The Space Show Presents Dr. Siamak Hesar and Araz Feyzi on the Shenzhou-20 Debris Scare, Tuesday, 2-20-26.Quick Summary:The Space Show hosted a discussion on the orbital debris problem, focusing on the recent Shenzhou 20 debris scare and its implications for space safety. Araz Feyzi and Siamak Hesar from Kayhan Space explained the challenges of tracking and mitigating space debris, highlighting the need for better coordination between satellite operators and advancements in debris removal technology. They discussed Kayhan Space’s role in providing space traffic coordination services and their recent collaboration with SpaceX’s Star...

Hotel Mas with Dr. Kshalay De, Wednesday, 2-18-26John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston welcomed Dr. Kishalay De of Columbia University discuss a star collapsing into a black hole without a supernova, challenging established theories about the minimum mass required for such cosmic events. Dr. De of Columbia University outlined future astronomical surveys using advanced telescopes to identify more “disappearing” stars, aiming to create a comprehensive population road map for black hole formation.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corp...

The Space Show Presents OPEN LINES, Sunday, 2-15-26Quick SummaryThe Space Show Wisdom Team discussed Elon Musk’s decision to pivot SpaceX’s focus from Mars to the Moon, examining both technical and business reasons for the shift. Ajay presented technical arguments against Starship’s capability to achieve significant payload delivery to orbit, while others debated whether this pivot represented a permanent shift away from Mars colonization goals. The discussion explored potential business motivations, including the need for a public IPO to secure funding for ambitious lunar projects like orbital data centers, and consid...

The Space Show Presents FRANK PIETRONIGRO, a visionary interdisciplinary artist, astronaut, polymath, educator, and author whose work, in part, explores the intersection of human creativity and space, Friday, 2-13-26Quick Summary:The Space Show featured a discussion with Frank Pietronigro, an interdisciplinary artist and artronaut who presented his vision for the Xenian node, a biologically living space habitat that would represent universal hospitality and integrate living biological systems. Frank shared his concept of the BioPixel, which would replace traditional flat screen pixels with living, biological units of information that could reflect light and video...

Hotel Mars with Rick Fisher, Weds, 2-11-25Our special Hotel Mars guest was Rick Fisher who returned to discusses China’s recent Long March 10 A test which was a very important test for the development of their lunar rocket. The Long March 10 A is planned to be a reusable rocket for China’s lunar missions. The development of the Long March 10 A illustrates China’s evolving moon architecture compared to U.S. efforts. Our guest, Rick Fisher who is a national security China watcher on all fronts, including space, explained China’s ambitious “Tiangong Kaiu” 100-year plan to esta...

The Space Show Presents Steve Wolfe, Tyler Bender, & The Beyond Earth Institute, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026Quick Summary:This Space Show program focused on promoting the upcoming Beyond Earth Symposium, scheduled for February 24-25 in Washington, D.C., which will explore creating a clear pathway to a space town and discuss Artemis program developments. The discussion covered NASA’s authorization bill, commercial space station development, and the need for infrastructure to support a sustainable lunar presence. Key speakers included Steve Wolfe and Tyler Bender from Beyond Earth, who explained their organization’s focus on policy and strategic thin...

The Space Show Presents Dr. Scott Solomon, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026Quick Summary:The Space Show program focused on Dr. Scott Solomon’s new book “Becoming Martian,” which explores the biological and evolutionary challenges of human space settlement, particularly on Mars. Our discussion covered key concerns about reproduction in space, medical care for astronauts, and the genetic diversity needed for a successful Mars colony. Solomon emphasized that while technology for space travel is advancing rapidly, biological research and medical care capabilities need to develop in parallel to ensure human survival and reproduction in space. The Space Show Wisdom...

The Space Show Present Dr. Greg Autry, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026Quick Summary: The group explored various aspects of the Artemis program, including its challenges, timeline concerns, and comparison with China’s space efforts, while discussing the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration. The conversation concluded with discussions about space policy, commercial space activities, and educational challenges facing the U.S., with emphasis on the need to generate public enthusiasm for space exploration initiatives.Detailed SummaryDavid introduced Dr. Greg Autry, a space policy expert and economics professor at UCF, to discuss hi...

The Space Show Presents Mark Whittington, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026Quick Summary:Our program began with followed by conversations about the Artemis II mission and space technology advancements. The group explored various aspects of space exploration, including Iran’s space program, lunar missions, and the development of space suits and launch systems. The discussion concluded with conversations about AI in journalism, nuclear reactor technologies, and the upcoming Artemis II mission, including its potential for public celebration and media coverage.Detailed SummaryOur Zoom program Wisdom Team discussed the Artemis II mission, with Mark ex...

The Space Show Presents Marc Berte & Paul Jaffe of the Overview Energy Co. Friday, 2-6-26Quick SummaryThe Space Show hosted a discussion about space solar power with Marc Berte, CEO of Overview Energy, and Paul Jaffe, Vice President of Systems Engineering at Overview. The conversation focused on Overview’s innovative approach to space solar power, which involves beaming near-infrared light from geosynchronous orbit to existing large-scale solar projects on Earth. Marc explained how their system could potentially provide utility-scale power at a lower cost than other space solar concepts, with a target of de...

Eric Berger of Ars Technia joined both John and me on this one segment Hotel Mars program to discuss thre details regarding NASA's urgency in acquiring a new Mars telecommunications orbiter. The debate seems to be between traditional public (government) builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions. Note that this was a one segment Hotel Mars program.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by...