Future Forum

Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator, at NASA Future Forum, The Museum of Flight, Seattle

TALKING ROCKETS: This morning I had the absolute pleasure of attending a NASA event called "Future Forum." Hosted by The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, the forum brought together NASA officials and business and commercial space leaders. On the agenda was talk of advancing innovation, technology, science, engineering and education, and spaceflight's benefit to the nation's economy.

Speakers included NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, Seattle’s Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King, and stellar panelists from Aerojet, Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX, the University of Washington, Virgin Galactic and more.

It was extraordinarily interesting. Fresh from my Tweetup experience during the Mars Science Laboratory launch, I made it my mission to make a mini-Tweetup out of it. I Tweeted several soundbytes during the four-plus hour discussion, and was re-Tweeted multiple times by people I don't even know, which is a good thing in the social media world.. :)

I also took lots of notes, none of which I am going to transcribe right here right now. Be watching for a bonus
edition in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can watch the forum on NASA TV's Youtube chnnel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NASAtelevision

I will tell you that one of the big announcements made today by NASA's Lori Garver was that the next "demonstration" test-flight for the SpaceX Dragon cargo freighter will link up with the International Space Station. This means SpaceX will be combining its two previously-planned flyby and capture missions into one. It's all (supposedly) going down on February 7, with a launch from Cape Canaveral. I am eagerly awaiting a story that includes a Russian response to/acknowledgement of this development, as I have to imagine they will definitely have something to say about it. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, big brother Kennedy was entertaining his younger siblings. This included playing Mouse Trap and Jenga.

Ken told me he repeatedly tried to stress to the kids that you do NOT want to take the lower blocks out. What Ken (IMHO) failed to realize is that they, of course, know this, but they were more interested in having fun toppling the tower.

Speaking of CJ and Annabelle, here they are as the Wright brothers, I think. Ken took the photo at The Museum of Flight, when they all met me there after the forum.