Damn I'm tired and I think the cookie tried to do me in ... LOL.

Final panel was on re-entry. We got to watch the heads up display and hear the conversation of the last shuttle mission return that Scott Lindsay flew. It was fun watching the speed and altitude meters drop and then the commentary about the cloud cover. There isn't supposed to be a cloud ceiling lower than 8000 feet on a shuttle landing. Apparently,  if the entire area isn't socked in with clouds, it doesn't count. The shuttle came out of the clouds at about 3500 feet altitude and the pilot was less than happy. However, the landing was successful and well done.

The panel before that was on Intellectual Property and how such things are handled by the patent office, by a gentleman  who started out as a chiropractor and by the financial officer of Xcor. The single agreement was to get someone who knew what they were doing to handle the major work of protecting the invention process and the patent/trademark/trade secret process. I have no idea what a trade secret process is.

Also discussed was whether patenting outside the US could be problematic for a patent in the US. Answer, yes.

Apparently Sir Richard Branson was at Spaceport America's dedication yesterday with White Knight and Space Ship 2. They returned to Nevada during the opening comments of the Symposium this morning. <sigh> One of these days I will get to see the man in person from a distance, but not today. Nor is his second in command on Virgin Galactic in evidence.

However, as a finale to today's meetings, Robert Bigelow was kind enough to have the water engine demonstrated. Ignition! Noisy! I got pix of it prior to firing but not during since we were inside and it was way noisy!!!

Will get more pix of Bigelow's models tomorrow. There's a silent auction for two of his models, but I sure as hell cannot afford to compete. <sigh> They are beautiful.

Well, that's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow with day two of
 
Wow. OK I'm saying that a lot. Bigelow is urging us to find the fire to stand up to the Chinese challenge. One of the questions was would collaborating with the Chinese be good. His answer: yes. If the stated Chinese purpose is to lay claim to large chunks of the lunar surface and then Mars, to work in partnership with them would benefit us on two levels: it would curtail the imperial endeavor of conquest of land mass and it would put us in a position to negotiate ownership, especially if the Chinese can alter the 1967 treaty that disallows ownership of celestial bodies or if they withdraw entirely from the treaty.

Very thought provoking.

Lunch was good. Roast was cool, but the tuna was excellent as was the salad. (OK, greek salad with raspberry vinagrette is not everyone delight, but I like it.) The deserts apparently weren't all wonderful. the sort of pyramid looking things didn't get a lot of takers. <laughter>

Panels this afternoon. The first on building supply chains and partnerships. I yawned. I'm sorry, it's business and I am so not involved.The discussions were good, but aside from emphasizing commitment and trust, I don't get a lot out of it.

The second was on the industry in general and how to build the demand for the supply ... Bigelow and George from the FAA had great answers and the discussion was really good about how the American government had the populace easily in the 1960's and about how the commercial businesses need to work on their marketing, not just for market share, but to encourage students to look to aerospace as a future.

I had a question, but didn't figure it would get answered. It did. It was the last one. While it didn't get answered exactly, i did get some good information out of what was said. The Chinese program is supported by the people, they are excited. Kids here are excited also, but only up to middle school. Somewhere between the ages of 12 and 15 there is a disconnect. High schoolers are blase about the entire space thing when they tour Bigelow's facilities.

And I wonder about that. How do we convince the high school kids that science and math are worthwhile, that the exploration of space is worthwhile? The whole what has space done for me lately attitude is kinda scary.
 
I am listening to Mr, Bigelow talk about the future. Wow. Truth in advertising. Talking about space budgets. Entrepreneurs in space. Talking about the passion we've lost for space. Damn.

Meanwhile, breakfast was so so. The opening talk with Pat Hynes was excellent. Spoke of transition and the passion with which the global space community is working.toward a sustainable business community.

The FAA rep was also inspiring. No notes of course. Sigh. Pictures later.

Bigelow is talking about China's program and what they are working toward ... ownership of non-terrestrial land ... The moon, Mars ... yeek

Water run engines ... colonization, rental of moon facilities, etc. Control benefits of being there. Scary thoughts. The rest of the world apparently needs to get it's butt in gear ...LOL

Meanwhile the exhibits are incredible. Not much in the way of give away goodies. But wonderful displays. Pictures. Pictures.
 
Tomorrow is the first day of the symposium. I get to hobnob with astronauts, business men, engineers and people who think tomorrow belongs in space.

I am excited! For the first time, I can comment as fast as I see things. I can post pix and I can share my passion with those who know me ... All three of you! <laughter>

I'm so gonna enjoy this! 
 
The ISPCS is Oct 19 and 20, 2011 and I'm not quite holding my breath. I have missed only two of these symposiums in the seven years they have been having them. I will post my old notes from a couple of years ago on a separate page, but this year, I'm gonna do it live from Las Cruces ... yep, laptop and camera in hand, I will record my own observations. And download the pix i took last year!

I am excited!

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    Much like my fan fiction, old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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