HobbySpace - Space Access 2008

(Image credits: Mike Massee, XCOR Aerospace)
The XCOR Lynx rocket plane, presented to the press just a day before the
start of Space Access'08, was a major topic of discussion at the meeting.

Space Access '08, the latest of the annual meetings of the Space Access Society, took place this year during March 27-29 in Phoenix, Arizona. This page provides various resources related to the meeting including links to the live blogging entries posted at Space Transport News. Several other blogs are also linked.

Henry Vanderbilt organized the meeting and did a great job as always.

Resources

Space Access'08 Agenda
Conference Reviews & General Comments:
- One size may not fit all - The Space Review - Mar.31.08 - Jeff Foust
- The New Space Race - Transterrestrial Musings - Rand Simberg
- Miscellaneous Prize Comments at Space Access '08 - Space Prizes

Daily

Thursday, March 27, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008

Previous Space Access Conference Reviews

March 27, 2008 - Thursday

Henry Spencer continued the tradition of leading off the Space Access annual conferences.

Session 1
- Welcome from Henry Vanderbilt
- Henry Spencer: The Road Not Traveled, or, How To Return To The Moon (And How Not To)
- Vincent Cate and Henry Cate Jr.: Fully Reusable Lunar Transport: Celestial Acrobatics
Blogs:

Session 2:
- Gerry Nordley : Brief Updates on Tethers Unlimited and the CONTACT Conference
- Ian Kluft: Stratofox Aerospace Tracking Team
- Jess Sponable - The History And Future Of Spaceplanes
- Michael Carden: Hydrogen Peroxide Benefits to the Commercial Space Industry
Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 1 notes
- Henry Cate:

The Rocket Pilots panel included (L-R) Ian Kluft (hidden, see him here), Randall Clague,
John Carmack, Mark Street, and Erik Anderson.

Session 3:
- Randall Clague, Erik Anderson, John Carmack, Ian Kluft, Mark Street : Panel: Paths to Rocket Piloting
- Leik Myrabo : Beamed Energy Propulsion Prospects And Projects
- Timothy Bendel: The Angel Company (a proposed Frontier Astronautics spinoff)
- Joe Carroll: Challenges of Commercial Manned Orbital Space
Ian Kluft: Presentation slides (pdf)
Blogs

March 28 , 2008 - Friday

(Courtesy Armadillo Aerospace)
This artwork shows a conceptual design by Armadillo Aerospace of a suborbital vehicle built from
six rocket modules. See the discussion by John Carmack in his April 2, 2008 progress update.

Session 1
- Lee Valentine: Space Studies Institute
- Charles Miller: Air Force Research Lab, on the FAST and RASTE Projects and AFRL Commercial Partnership
- Michelle Murray and Sherman Council: FAA AST
Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 1 notes
- Henry Cate:
Session 2
- Paul Breed: Unreasonable Rocket
- Dan DeLong: XCOR Aerospace
Blogs:

Space Prizes
- Unreasonable Rocket - Space Access '08

Jordin Kare talked about power beaming and laser propulsion.

Session 3

Jordin Kare: Recent Laser-Launch Technology Readiness Progress
John Carmack: Armadillo Aerospace

Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 3 notes
- Henry Cate:
  - Jordin Kare, on Recent Laser-Launch Technology Readiness Progress
  - Armadillo Aerospace/John Carmack
- Rand Simberg
  - Armadillo
- Space Prizes
  - Armadillo Aerospace - Space Access '08
- Other:
  - Notes & Queries - Centauri Dreams - Paul Gilster talks about Jordin Kare's ideas.
Session 4
- Ken Davidian: NASA ESMD Commercial Development
- Dave Masten: Masten Space
- Jordin Kare: LaserMotive, a Laser-Launch Startup Company
- Charles Miller: End of the Beginning//National Reusable Access Summit
Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 4 notes
- Henry Cate:
- Jeff Foust
  - Endings vs. beginnings - Space Politics - about Charles Miller's talk
- Space Prizes
  - Masten Space at Space Access '08
  - LaserMotive at Space Access '08
Session 5
- Jon Goff, Dallas Bienhoff, Frank Zegler, and Rand Simberg - Space Propellant Depots Panel
- Bob Steinke - SpeedUp
- John Gedmark - Personal Spaceflight Association
Space Access 2008 Propellant Depot Panel - Selenian Boondocks - Mar.31.08 - Jon Goff posts the slide sets from the four panelists
- Propellant depots - their time has come - Space Transport News - Apr.1.08
Blogs:

March 29, 2008 - Saturday

Jim Muncy discusses space politics.

Session 1
- Chuck Lauer: Rocketplane Global
- Timothy Bendel: Frontier Astronautics
Blogs:
Session 2
- Steve Harrington: Flometrics
- Ben Brockert: Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)
- Jim Muncy: PoliSpace on Space Politics & Policies
Blogs:
Session 3
- Andrew Tubbiolo: Old Pueblo Instruments
- Berin Szoka (via web) : ITAR: Recent Progress
- Robin Snelson: Frontier Spaceport in Second Life - should it live or die?
- Frank White (via web): The Overview Effect/Overview Institute
Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 3 notes
- Henry Cate:
Session 4
- Jeff Foust, Clark Lindsey, Dave Salt, Henry Spencer: Panel Discussion on Non-US Perspectives & Prospects
  - We discussed several aspects of NewSpace style development outside of the US.
  - Topics include the EADS rocketplane project, the status of space tourism flights on Soyuz to the ISS, Surrey Satellite and GIOVE-A, ESA RLV technology development programs, etc.
  - This slide (pdf) shows a sample of NewSpace style projects around the world.
- Misuzu Onuki: Space tourism in Japan Update
- Wrapup Panel
Blogs:
- Space Transport News - Session 4 notes
- Rand Simberg:
  - Wrap Up

Berin Szoka presented his talk on ITAR issues via a web linkup.