Per Aspera Ad Astra: From Peru to Space

This book has been waiting on my shelf for several years but I decided to read it before I start SSP@NASA Ames. What I liked about it? It provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges of the space industry, and provides solutions to the main problems that affect it.

I can’t recommend it, though. The book is 7 years old and a lot has changed. If you are looking for actual information on the status of space industry, there are free sources such as the Satellite Industry Association, the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, and the Space Show.

Brian Shiro, astronaut for hire, was interviewed by Dr. Livingston on his online comparison of ISU and UND studies. This podcast is a must for anyone considering space-studies. Before listening to the interview, I recommend reading Brian’s comparison first.

Amazing interview with Brian Hanley. This interview has little relation to space, though. But coming from a country that was affected by destructive and savage terrorist acts, I find it is quite insightful. If you want to know more about terrorism, this is a primary source you need to listen.

http://archive.thespaceshow.com/shows/1046-BWB-2008-10-31.mp3

This interview blew my mind. Roger Easton was not only the designer of the Vanguard 1 satellite, but he also conceived and led the development of GPS. Since Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) is one of the main sectors in space industry, I truly recommend this interview.

http://archive.thespaceshow.com/shows/1025-BWB-2008-09-28.mp3

Great interview with the Director of Civil Aerospace Medical Institute at the FAA. Quite interesting for me, since I didn’t know the level of influence FAA has on suborbital and orbital tourism. In brief, FAA has a pro-business approach that I think will contribute to the development of this industry in the US.

http://www.thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=1023

I just finished listening to an amazing interview to Dr George Nield. He was Senior Scientist for the Advanced Programs Group at Orbital Sciences Corporation, and now is Associate Director for the FAA Office of Commercial Spaceflight. It is very interesting to hear someone who used to work in the private sector and now uses his knowledge in the public sector, helping to develop a new industry such as sub-orbital flights.

One of the topics I liked the most was how a stable regulatory framework helps reduce risk in a business. Sometimes regulations generate additional costs through paperwork, but if a legal framework is developed and applied properly, it is the best for industry.

SpaceShipTwo with wings in feathered position. Source: Virgin Galactic.

This was an amazing interview. Dr. Jim Logan from NASA’s Johnson Space Center states, quite clearly, how far we are from going to Mars. It is amazing that after 47 years of human spaceflight we still don’t know how different levels of gravity affect the human body. This is essential if we plan to colonize the Red Planet.

High View of Melas, also known as the Grand Canyon of Mars. The images were taken by NASA’s Mars Odyssey. Source: NASA.

Today I rejoined Hewlett-Packard as Account Delivery Manager for Managed Printing Services. My job is to act as Project Manager for new contracts and addendum and Delivery Manager, assuring our compliance with the Service Level Agreements stated in the the contracts. I am really happy because it is my first managerial position in a Fortune 500 company and I will be able to implement all the knowledge I gained during my tenure as an entrepreneur at MyB.

Hewlett-Packard’s logo. Source: Hewlett-Packard.

Well, it has been little more than month since Liftport’s main source of funding, an office building in Bremerton, WA, was taken over by the bank. Since then there have been several meetings among Liftport collaborators on ways to generate new streams of revenue. Unfortunately I had to decline my participation on all of the plans. My translation business is booming and I am about to assume a new position as Account Delivery Manager for Hewlett-Packard. That means I have only a few weeks to transfer all my responsibilities to the team of translators, and after that work like hell for 6 months to get used to my new job.

This also means I will leave my volunteer position as Latin America Research Coordinator. As you have read through the posts, I have invested a considerable amount of resources in this, and I don’t regret it. I learned a lot and contributed my two cents on the further development of the space industry. During this three years my main accomplishments have been:

– Public survey on the Space Elevator;
– Helped dozens of Latin American students with sources and information about the Space Elevator and the Space Industry;
– Lead the translation team;
– Finish my thesis on the space launch industry;
– Public Relations: article in Etiqueta Negra Magazine, chapter in the book God is Peruvian, radio interview at 1160, plus promoted the project in dozens of space-related web sites in Spanish.

Alas, now I have to invest all my available time in my new post at HP, so there is no other choice. It has not been an easy decision, tough, but there is a limit to the amount of work any man can do.

Still, I wish to thank Michael for the opportunity and the best of luck to all my friends at Liftport.

Well, just finished reading Cristian’s essay. Pretty impressive piece of work; he has managed to resume, in 130+ pages, the life of Verne, his books, and the history of how humankind went from the Earth to the Moon.

On the other hand, the meeting with Daniel went great. We talked a lot about Peru & Space. It is interesting but there are like 10 Peruvians around the world working for space related projects. Hey! We even have our own astronaut, Carlos Noriega!

Plus, we use tons of space technology for our main industries: mining, fisheries, forestry & agriculture. And let’s not forget about those taxis that wander through our city with the sign that reads: “Warning. This car is protected against robbery by a satellite. This service is provided by company X.”

Once Daniel has gathered all the information, we will meet with Alvaro (the movie director). I estimate that it will be in February or March, but I must confess that I am pretty eager about it.

And what about the economic analysis of the Space Elevator? A very nice headache, thanks. But a very interesting one. I hope that in a month I will have a first draft. However, here are some interesting numbers that I have been considering as part of the analysis:

HP
Employees: 150,000+
Annual Revenue: US$90+ billion
R&D money: U$3.6 billion

Boeing
Employees: 150,000+
Annual Revenue: US$55+ billion
R&D money: U$3 billion

BTW, it was quite a relief to know that no one was hurt in the explosion of Sea Launch’s Zenit. A pity though. I hope that they can find the error soon.

*This entry was originally posted in Liftport’s blog.