Historic SpaceX Launch Set for Saturday
Host:
Produced by:
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Listen to/Watch entire show:
On Saturday, the private company, SpaceX, is scheduled to do what NASA's been doing for years: launch a capsule developed in Southern California to rendezvous with the International Space Station. That's if it can get off the ground and show the maneuverability needed to complete the docking and — presuming the Russian Soyuz will have gone home. We hear about the risks and potential benefits. Also, when Facebook goes public, will it help reduce California's state revenue shortfall? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, more on the Facebook IPO. Is the company really worth 105 times its annual earnings?
Banner image: DragonLab in orbit, courtesy of SpaceX
Making News
How Much Will Facebook's IPO Help California's Ailing Budget? ()
Tomorrow's the day that shares in Facebook will start publicly trading, and the share price has been set at $38. The State of California is hoping that the IPO will create enough new money to increase state revenues. H.D. Palmer is Deputy Director of Governor Brown's Department of Finance.
Guests:
- H.D. Palmer: California State Department of Finance, @cccbudgetnews
Main Topic
Private Enterprise in Low Earth Orbit ()
PayPal billionaire Elon Musk admits, "There's a lot that can go wrong." But his Dragon space capsule could be the first private mission to reach the International Space Station as soon as next week. Launch is scheduled for Saturday from the Air Force Station at Cape Canaveral.
Guests:
- Ian O'Neill: Discovery News, @astroengine
- Marcia Smith: SpacePolicyOnline.com
- Peter Westwick: University of Southern California
Main Topic
Facebook IPO: A Touchstone Cultural Moment for America? ()
Facebook's share price for tomorrow's initial public offering will be $38. One close observer calls the IPO a "touchstone cultural moment." He's David Kirkpatrick, founder of the Techonomy Conference, which studies "how technology is changing everything else." He's also author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Changing the World.
Guests:
- David Kirkpatrick: Techonomy Conference
- Todd Benrud: Grossmont High School
- Scott Schermerhorn: Granite Investment Advisors
- Peter De Lorenzo: AutoExtremist.com, @Autoextremist
Links:
- AP/CNBC poll shows Facebook, ad sales
- Andrew Grove's 'Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company'
- Kirkpatrick's 'The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World'
- Grossmont High School's Charity Student Investment Project
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
Engage & Discuss
Further the conversation with your thoughts and comments. Agree, disagree, present a different perspective -- engage.
For information and guidelines click: Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Please note, comments are moderated. KCRW reserves the right to edit and or remove posts deemed off-topic, abusive or not in accordance with KCRW's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
