In the first half, Dr. David Livingston, founder of the One Giant Leap Foundation, which controls and operates The Space Show, discussed recent developments in space exploration including the re-usability of rockets, human missions to Mars, and the viability of deep space mining missions. Commercial rocket re-usability has the potential to make a significant dent in the cost of accessing space, he believes, and will open up many more commercial space opportunities. For example, a new Kickstarter campaign to build telescopes to look for exoplanets is now more feasible because they can get a more affordable launch into space via the current competitors SpaceX and Blue Origins, he explained.
The Outer Space Treaty signed by the US in 1967 did not foresee some of the ventures that are possible today, and seems overly restrictive, he commented. It doesn't allow for property ownership in space, which could complicate mining efforts on asteroids. It's possible that President Trump could withdraw from the Treaty, he noted. Livingston also touched on NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS), problems that might be encountered with the first Mars settlement, and Google's Lunar XPrize, in which various teams are competing for $30 million to launch their spacecraft to the moon.
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In the latter half, gemologist, explorer, and researcher, Leela Hutchison detailed her explorations into the crystal caves of Naica and Chihuahua, Mexico. These caves contain the largest crystals found on planet Earth as well as microbes that were dormant inside the crystals for up to 50,000 years, and not seen anywhere else on Earth. These strange life forms, which were researched by NASA astrobiologist Penelope Boston, were eating the metals and the minerals of the caves to stay alive, Hutchison said, and could be an indicator of what alien life may be like elsewhere in the solar system.
She talked about high strangeness in the southwestern desert of Chihuahua including UFO activity and animal mutilations, such as a lamb found hanging in a pine tree 22 ft. above the ground, with its eyes and lips removed. Also in the desert is a mysterious area called the Zone of Silence-- a vortex where no radio and TV signals can be received, and rockets go off course, and meteors fall. Hutchison also shared reports of giant skeletons found buried in Mexican caves early in the 20th century. She'll be presenting a workshop on 'Connecting into the Planetary Crystal Grid' at the upcoming Portal to the New Earth gathering in Joshua Tree, this May.
News segment guests: Jerome Corsi, Mish Shedlock