Snapshots from IAC 2019

The 2019 International Astronautical Congress is underway in Washington, D.C.  We are live tweeting some of the sessions, which are full of fascinating information. The best way to keep up is to follow us on Twitter @SpcPlcyOnline, but here are a sample of tweets from the first two days to convey some of the most interesting points.

We won’t go through the opening ceremony since we published an article about Vice President Pence’s remarks there.  Same for Jeff Bezos’s “fireside chat” this morning, where he announced the partnership with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper on the Artemis human lunar lander. But here is sample of what else we’ve heard of special note.

Eric Stallmer, President of Commercial Spaceflight Federation, moderating panel with Ryan Whitley, National Space Council; Bob Richards, Moon Express; Margaret Kieffer, NASA; and Kevin O’Connell, Department of Commerce.

Stallmer: what is benefit of Moon to taxpayers?
Whitley: there are tangible benefits, but hard to quantify. New Space is about having multiple players in that. We’re investing in companies to succeed. Will have companies thriving in this new economy.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Stallmer: View from your company?
Richards: we’ll have a new continent we can trade with, the Moon. Need to be as close to your market as possible, so Mars is at raggedy edge for commercial possibilities. Moon is right next door. The Moon is the place to be. Precedent setting.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Stallmer: what are critical components in reaching out to intl partners and companies?
Kieffer: Sustainability and open architecture. Intl and cmrcl can leverage for their own purposes.
O’Connell: need wide range of talent, doctors, lawyers, bid development, artists.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

[That should be “biz” not “bid” development, for business development.]

Stallmer: walking around here I hear ppl saying “meet me at the lander” and have to ask which one. I’ve seen three. How do we press these PPPs forward?
O’Connell: seeing nature of govt interactions in market changing. Govt more proactive now. Seed investments.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Whitley: CLPS is game changer. Small companies getting chance to play in big game. Huge for up and coming companies. They’ll become giants of new space age.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Frank Morring, former reporter for Aviation Week, moderating panel with Jan Woerner, ESA Director General; Jeff Manber, Nanoracks; Lisa Callahan, Lockheed Martin; Ellen Stofan, National Air and Space Museum; George Nield, former head of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation office; and Norah Patten, Irish Composites Centre.

Morring: how do you see Moon Village taking root in the near term, and then further out.
Woerner: Apollo 11 plaque would have been better if it said “We come in peace WITH all mankind.” [not “for”] That’s what Moon Village is all about.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Woerner: Don’t mean a village with a mayor. “Multi-partner, open concept” is what I mean but too difficult to explain. Not when will it start, it is already running. Companies saying what they want to do on Moon. This is the concept. Needs a broker. ESA can do that, not “lead”

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Woerner: I’m against colonization of the Moon or Mars bc means we are moving away entirely from Earth for rest of their life or generations. Neither Moon nor Mars are nice places. And some say we’re destroying Earth so should move to Mars. Bad excuse for not taking care of Earth

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Stofan: agree, there is no Planet B. This is where we make our stand. Job 1 is to take care of this planet. But permanent outposts are OK.
Also don’t like the word colonization.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Morring: China?
Woerner: in favor of coop with all countries even when don’t share human rights or ethics etc. Bc if you are isolating you have no interaction. I’m convinced my values are the best of course, so better to cooperate and maybe change the other partner.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Morring: how long till you could have Mars Base Camp.
Callahan: our plan was always to start at the Moon. Landing systems for Moon not too unlike those for Mars.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Morring: lessons learned from your years doing this?
Manber: term “space entrepreneurs” didn’t exist 20 yrs ago. Ppl in my office take this for granted. Yes, market has developed enuf that you can be an entrepreneur. Space is NOT the final frontier, it is OUR frontier.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Morring: what are the pots of gold you see?
Manber: that term rubs me the wrong way, like colonization. Wld rather say what are rewarding opps? This is wonderful moment. Finally close to 24/7 research. At long last will hear abt breakthroughs in microg.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Nield: we’re learning can be sig adv to more active role of private sector. Lower cost, increased innovation. Greater risk tolerance. New sources of funding and investment. Move from “programs” to robust and thriving global space economy in which all are welcome to participate.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Morring: your generation will execute all this, and living on Earth. How do you see HSF or space generally helping mitigate terrestrial problems you’ll face?
Patten: we want to keep moving forward, pushing boundaries. Use space to benefit Earth. Project Possum is example.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 21, 2019

Boeing session on Starliner and ISS, with Boeing (and former NASA) astronaut Chris Ferguson, Boeing ISS program manager Mark Mulqueen, and moderated by Boeing’s Jim Chilton.

Ferguson: on cusp of spectacular couple of months. In less than 2 weeks, pad abort test. 1 mile high,1 mile down range at White Sands. 90 sec.
On or about Dec 17 uncrewed OFT. Dock at ISS for wk. Land at one of our 4 landing sites out west.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 22, 2019

Ferguson: Nov 11 is roll out date for OFT spacecraft to mate with Atlas V.
Then Crew Flight Test with me, Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann. [didn’t hear a date]

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 22, 2019

Chilton (responding to Q): CFT maybe first half of next year. Need at least 6 months from OFT in my opinion. It’s an engineering exercise.
Buzz Aldrin asks if Starliner can go to Moon and back. Chilton says doesn’t have the heat shield for it but Moonliner has a nice ring to it.

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 22, 2019

Chilton: how long can ISS last?
Mulqueen: already cleared US modules past 2030. Maybe looking at 2045. We upgrade ISS to state of the art electronics and comm. 2 cmrcl crew docking ports so can have 2 at once. Expect Congress will pass policy this yr saying at least till 2030

— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) October 22, 2019