Join us at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) 2011 taking place in Huntsville, AL, May 18-22, and the Part-Time Scientists will be attending for the first time! The conference is organized by the US National Space Society to discuss progress in developing a spacefaring civilization. The ISDC is one of the premier global space exploration conferences, where professionals, policy makers, investors, entrepreneurs and others with a common interest come to share their experiences and visions and to inspire others.

This year the ISDC has a GLXP panel discussion, where (so far) seven GLXP teams are sending representatives to report on their progress, discuss common challenges and answer attendees’ questions.

Michael Doornbos of evadot.com, and an independent expert on the GLXP, will chair the session. We asked Michael a few questions leading up to this exciting week for space exploration.

PTS: Mike, to begin, how long have you been following the GLXP?

Mike: I started Evadot in March of 2009 without much knowledge of where the commercial space industry really was. I had heard about the Ansari X PRIZE, but I didn't know anyone in the industry at all. I found out pretty quickly that the X PRIZE Foundation was active on Twitter and I contacted them. Will Pomerantz of the XPF was my first ever podcast guest.

PTS: What was Will Pomerantz’ function at XPF?

Mike: He was the Director of Space Prizes. He was the person primarily responsible for administering the prize. Will was a great driver of their social strategy. He was willing to try new things and engage a great community. He has since moved on to become a VP at Virgin Galactic.

PTS: What prompted you to start a website about space exploration?

Mike: I was watching NASA TV one night and very disappointed that they could make something so cool so boring. I decided to do something about that.The tools are available to make publishing easy these days. It was really just a matter of coming up with good content. I had no podcast or radio experience then either. Things sure have changed in these two years.

PTS: How much time to you spend on evadot.com, following the space industry, and GLXP?

Mike: It's hard to say. There is a lot of research that goes into it. If I'm being honest, I'd say about 20 hours per week. I have a day job, but I'd LOVE to do it full time. We’d need some sponsors to pull that off, or maybe a grant.

PTS: Is evadot.com your first project in space exploration?

Mike: Yes, my background is in Computer Science. I was in the Navy from 1993-1999 and worked on Aircraft electronics, but I had no prior experience in space.

PTS: What does evadot stand for?

Mike: Evadot doesn't mean anything really. We liked when "Wall-E" said Eeeevaaa, in the movie. Plus EVA is short for Extra Vehicular Activity.

PTS: How do you make your evadot GLXP ranking?

Mike: I try to be very transparent about that. It's really just an opinion based on public information, talking to the teams, interviews, emails with trusted advisors and experts. It's actually quite difficult to do well. It's speculative, and largely my own opinion. I spend a large amount of my free time reading public information, looking for hidden information, AND talking to teams. There are probably a thousand ways to do the scoreboard, and I'm pretty happy with the way Evadot's is done for the particular contest at this stage in the competition.

PTS: You’re chairing the GXLP session at ISDC. How did that come about?

Mike: ISDC contacted me a few months ago and asked if I could help them get some of the teams to the conference. We've got at least seven teams attending at this point.

PTS: Which teams are coming?

Mike: Rocket City Space Pioneers, White Label Space, FREDNET, Phoenicia, JURBAN, Omega Envoy, and the Part-Time Scientists.

PTS: What's the purpose and history of the ISDC?

Mike: ISDC is a conference put on by the National Space Society. They are a non-profit organization that was the result of two groups merging in the 1980s. The idea is for it to be an international gathering focused on the advancement of space exploration. I think the majority of people who attend work in the space industry in some capacity. This will be the first time I've ever attended.

PTS: What do you expect to be covered in the panel session?

Mike: I got some of the basics of the GLXP scheduled that we'll cover, but I also want to cover the impact the competition can have on the industry. Plus I've got some tricks up my sleeve that you'll just have to wait to see. My job as moderator is to dig up and say the parts the teams may not be able to say, or might not want to, anyway.

PTS: Have you met any of the people in the teams, the XPF, or GLXP?

Mike: Yes, quite a few of them. I attended the team summit on Isle of Man last year.

PTS: What else is of interest to you or the GXLP at the conference?

Mike: There are a lot of policy makers and industry leaders there. It would be good for the GLXP teams to win their mindshare and interest.

PTS: Thank you for the interview.

The interview was conducted by Aram Khalili.

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