Mike Hodel's Hour 25

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January - December 2006


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Index to our previous shows

  • December 25, 2006 - Holiday Readings
  • October 31, 2006 - Halloween Readings
  • March 17, 2006 - Rob Godwin
  • February 20, 2006 - Rick Godwin
  • Shows from November/December, 2005
  • Shows from September/October, 2005
  • Shows from July/August, 2005
  • Shows from June, 2005
  • Shows from May, 2005
  • Shows from April, 2005
  • Shows from February, 2005
  • Shows from January, 2005
  • Shows from December, 2004
  • Shows from November, 2004
  • Shows from October, 2004
  • Shows from September, 2004
  • Shows from August, 2004
  • Shows from June, 2004
  • Shows from May, 2004
  • Shows from April, 2004
  • Shows from March, 2004
  • Shows from February, 2004
  • Shows from January, 2004
  • Shows from December, 2003
  • Shows from November, 2003
  • Shows from October, 2003
  • Shows from September, 2003
  • Shows from August, 2003
  • Shows from July, 2003
  • Shows from June, 2003
  • Shows from May, 2003
  • Shows from February, 2003
  • Shows from January, 2003
  • Shows from December, 2002
  • Shows from November, 2002
  • Shows from October, 2002
  • Shows from September, 2002
  • Shows from August, 2002
  • Shows from July, 2002
  • Shows from June, 2002
  • Shows from May, 2002
  • Shows from April, 2002
  • Shows from March, 2002
  • Shows from February, 2002
  • Shows from January, 2002
  • Shows from December 2001
  • Shows from November, 2001
  • Shows from October, 2001
  • Shows from September, 2001
  • Shows from August, 2001
  • Shows from July, 2001
  • Shows from June, 2001
  • Shows from May, 2001
  • Shows from April, 2001
  • Shows from March, 2001
  • Shows from February, 2001
  • Shows from January, 2001
  • Shows from November - December, 2000
  • Shows from September - October, 2000
  • Shows from July - August, 2000




  • Holiday Readings                   Listen to this show

    On Monday - December 25th, 2006 - Hour 25 joined you to share some holiday spirit with readings of seasonal stories.

    The end of each year has been a reason to celebrate for most every culture since the beginning of time. Some festivals, like the Saturnalia or the Winter Solstice, are ancient. Christmas and Chanukah are not quite as old, while others, like Kwanzaa, are relatively new.

    Many of the religious and non-religious traditions of today's Christmas celebration were adapted from the rituals of those older belief systems and carry on the tradition of a magical season. It is said that animals have the ability to speak at the hour past midnight on Christmas eve, toys can talk and move about as well, and ghosts can appear at the stroke of midnight. {Is it any coincidence that that magic hour just after midnight is often called the twenty-fifth hour of the day?}

    We at Hour 25 also have our own tradition. At this time of year we bring you stories of the season with a magical or science fictional or ghostly twist. But no matter where in the spectrum of the fantastic we find our stories, they all reflect the fundamental spirit of this holiday time. Because whatever tradition you follow, the holiday season is a time for reflection, for charity, and for cherishing the time spent with the ones we love. For as was said in Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, "When happiness comes to a party, be sure to give it a comfortable seat."

    Tonight's Stories

    One Man with an Idea by William Morris, read by Suzanne Gibson.

    The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Warren W. James.

    The Wind in the WIllows (excerpt) by Kenneth Grahame, read by Suzanne Gibson.



    holly bar

    A Christmas Greeting from the Moon

    Earthrise
    It seems like only yesterday, but it was 38 years ago when humans first reached the Moon.

    On Christmas Eve 1968 the crew of Apollo 8 orbited that cold gray world and saw the Earth hanging over their horizon like a bright blue ornament plucked from a Christmas tree. Their Christmas greeting to the world was one of the most moving moments from the Apollo Program, no matter what specific religious views you might happen to hold.

    And from all of us at Hour 25, we wish you the very best for this holiday season. May all your dreams come true in the coming year.

    compliments of the season


    A note on timing : My apologies for the delay in getting this show up. As you might imagine things around here have been more than a little busy since bringing Suzanne home from the hospital a few days ago. Thus, it took a lot longer to get the show put together than expected - especially since we had a weird hardware problem that made editing the show something of a challenge.

    But Suzanne is recovering nicely from her operation and that is for me the best present I could get this Christmas. We'll be having another show featuring a guest from the worlds of science and science fiction in just a few weeks. And at that time Suzanne should be well on the way to a full recovery and she'll be joining me 'live' on the air, as opposed to being with me on taped segments as she was tonight. Till then, take care and have a wonderful Holiday season.

    Warren


    Listen to this week's show

    webcasting     

    Click here to listen to the entire show. {1:11:07}

    Or

    • Click here for the show's intro music.{0:41}
    • Click here for the show's opening. {2:32}
    • Click here for Suzanne's reading of One Man with an Idea. {1:42}
    • Click here for the introduction to The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. {2:04}
    • Click here for Warren's reading of The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. {42:59}
    • Click here for Suzanne's reading from The Wind in the Willows. {14:04}
    • Click here for our Christmas thoughts for all of you. {1:17}
    • Click here for Warren's thoughts about Hour 25 and the Christmas season. {2:16}
    • Click here for a Christmas greeting from the crew of Apollo 8.{2:01}
    • Click here for the show's closing.{1:31}

    • For more Hour 25 holiday readings you can listen to our Christmas shows from 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000.
    • And to add some music to your holiday season you might want to listen to our previous show featuring holiday carols with a Lovecraftian twist.

    • Click here for our current show.
    • Click here for links to all of our previous Shows that you can listen to on the Hour 25 Web Site.
    If you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 Web Site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.





    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    Space News - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
  • Updates and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter can be found at the project's Official Web Site.
  • For an interesting perspective on the exploration of Mars you should check out this Web Site by Corby Waste, who creates many of the stunning images of the spacecraft used to explore Mars.

    Space News - Mars
  • For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers be sure to check out the MER Web Site at JPL or this Mars Rover site at Cornell University. You can also get information about the MER mission by reading the News Updates posted by Dr. Steve Squyres, the project's Principal Investigator.
  • To learn more about the Mars Express mission you can go to this ESA Mars Express Web Site, this Mars Express Web Page from JPL, this NSSDC Mars Express Web Page, or this Web Page from Mars News.Com.
  • For more information about the Exploration of Mars be sure to go to the JPL Mars Exploration Site, the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA Ames, or the Mars Missions Web Site at the Planetary Society.
  • Information about the data returned by previous Mars missions can be found at this Mars Web Page at the NSSDC.
  • Information about the Phoenix Mission to Mars can be found at this Press Release from the University of Arizona. You can view a 3D picture of the Mars Phoenix spacecraft here.
  • For more Mars news be sure to check out the Mars News.Com Web Site.
  • Percival Lowell did much to shape our ideas about Mars in the early years of the 20th Century. You can learn more about his work by reading this on-line copy of his 1895 book Mars.

    Space News - The Cassini Mission to Saturn
  • Much information about the Cassini mission can be found at the Project's Official Web Site at JPL.
  • JPL is constantly releasing pictures from Cassini. You can find them by going to this JPL Web Page.
  • Additional information about the Cassini mission can be found at this ESA Web Site.
  • The University of Arizona Web Site for the imaging system used to take the Huygens pictures of Titan has much information about how they were obtained and processed as well as a collection of processed and unprocessed images.
  • The Huygens probe carried a microphone and recorded the various sounds that it heard while descending to the surface of Titan. You can listen to those sounds at this Web Page sponsored by the Planetary Society.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • Links relating to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia can be found here.
  • The Reusable Launch & Space Vehicle News Web Site Web Page that is part of the Hobby Space Web Site is a really good place to watch for news about, well... Reusable Launch Vehicles and related subjects. I check it out just about every day and often find news there that doesn't show up anywhere else. Give it a look. {And while you're there be sure to check out some of the site's other pages. Wow! Is there a lot of information there.}
  • The Space Today Web Site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now Web Site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch Web Site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today Web Site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station Web Page or the Boeing Web Page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link Web Site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA Web Page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    Space Related Organizations
    If you are interested in learning more about current space activities there are many local and national organizations you might want to know about. Joining these organizations and taking part in their activities is a good way to stay abreast of things going on in space as well as a way to show your support for those activities. Listed below are some of those organizations.
  • The Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and Settlement has long been place for persons living in the Los Angeles area to gather and discuss the promise of space. Be sure to check out their Web Site for information about their meetings and other activities.
  • The Orange County Space Society is another Los Angeles area organization that provides a focal point for persons who are interested in space developments to get together and share their ideas. They have created a number of displays explaining the history and importance of space exploration that have appeared at various public events. Be sure to check their Web Site for information about their meetings and other events.
  • The National Space Society has a long history of being an advocate for a vigorous space program and provides much information to its members through their magazine and Web Site.
  • The Space Frontier Foundation is a strong advocate for a non-governmental space program and serves as a focal point for much activity in that arena. Their annual conference in Los Angeles during the Fall is a great way to find out what is happening in the non-government space arena.
  • The Space Access Society is focused on reducing the cost of going into space by promoting non-governmental launch vehicle programs. Their annual conference in the spring is a major source of information on non-traditional launch vehicle activities.
  • The Planetary Society is focused on the exploration of the Solar System and has a wealth of information for its members and others.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note Web Pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.






  • Halloween Readings

    left web come on in right web

    Listen to this show

    On Tuesday - October 31st, 2006 - Hour 25 returns with readings of Halloween stories featuring ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night.


    The Tyburn Ghost by The Countess of Munster

    cover for Tales from a Gaslit Graveyard      Suzanne starts our Halloween readings with a classic English haunted house story wherein a Mother and her daughters get a bit more than they were expecting while on a visit to London.

    But then, what would you expect to find in a house that was built on a hill previously used for hanging criminals?

    A Tropical Horror by William Hope Hodgson

    William Hope Hodgson was a writer from early in the last century who was known for his atmospheric tales of horror that were often set against an authentic nautical background.

    Tonight he takes us onto a sailing ship that has an encounter with a horror from the ocean depths while traveling through the South Seas.

         cover for Adrift on the Haunted Seas


    cover for HP Lovecraft's Book of Horror      If you're looking for more tales to send a chill up your spine you'll not find a better guide than H.P. Lovecraft's classic essay on Supernatural Horror in Literature.

    The anthology H.P. Lovecraft's Book of Horror reprints that seminal essay and then brings together 21 classic stories that Lovecraft put forward as examples of superlative supernatural fiction. Think of this as an anthology that was 'ghost edited' by Lovecraft himself.

    If you're looking for stories suitable for a chilly autumn night, you need look no further than here.

    Enjoy.


    Halloween lantern      Halloween Moon


    Listen to this show

    webcasting     

    Click here to listen to the entire show. {55:47}

    Or

    • Click here for the show's intro music.{0:41}
    • Click here for the show's opening. {5:08}
    • Click here for our introduction to The Tyburn Ghost. {1:42}
    • Click here for Suzanne's reading of The Tyburn Ghost. {18:14}
    • Click here for our introduction to A Tropical Horror. {2:20}
    • Click here for Warren's reading of A Tropical Horror. {25:20}
    • Click here for the show's closing.{2:22}

    • For more readings and interviews you can listen to our Halloween shows from 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001 and 2000.
    • And to add some music to your holiday season you might want to listen to our previous show featuring holiday carols with a Lovecraftian twist.

    • Click here for our current show.
    • Click here for links to all of our previous Shows that you can listen to on the Hour 25 Web Site.
    If you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 Web Site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.





    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    Space News - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
  • Updates and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter can be found at the project's Official Web Site.
  • For an interesting perspective on the exploration of Mars you should check out this Web Site by Corby Waste, who creates many of the stunning images of the spacecraft used to explore Mars.

    Space News - Mars
  • For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers be sure to check out the MER Web Site at JPL or this Mars Rover site at Cornell University. You can also get information about the MER mission by reading the News Updates posted by Dr. Steve Squyres, the project's Principal Investigator.
  • To learn more about the Mars Express mission you can go to this ESA Mars Express Web Site, this Mars Express Web Page from JPL, this NSSDC Mars Express Web Page, or this Web Page from Mars News.Com.
  • For more information about the Exploration of Mars be sure to go to the JPL Mars Exploration Site, the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA Ames, or the Mars Missions Web Site at the Planetary Society.
  • Information about the data returned by previous Mars missions can be found at this Mars Web Page at the NSSDC.
  • Information about the Phoenix Mission to Mars can be found at this Press Release from the University of Arizona. You can view a 3D picture of the Mars Phoenix spacecraft here.
  • For more Mars news be sure to check out the Mars News.Com Web Site.
  • Percival Lowell did much to shape our ideas about Mars in the early years of the 20th Century. You can learn more about his work by reading this on-line copy of his 1895 book Mars.

    Space News - The Cassini Mission to Saturn
  • Much information about the Cassini mission can be found at the Project's Official Web Site at JPL.
  • JPL is constantly releasing pictures from Cassini. You can find them by going to this JPL Web Page.
  • Additional information about the Cassini mission can be found at this ESA Web Site.
  • The University of Arizona Web Site for the imaging system used to take the Huygens pictures of Titan has much information about how they were obtained and processed as well as a collection of processed and unprocessed images.
  • The Huygens probe carried a microphone and recorded the various sounds that it heard while descending to the surface of Titan. You can listen to those sounds at this Web Page sponsored by the Planetary Society.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • Links relating to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia can be found here.
  • The Reusable Launch & Space Vehicle News Web Site Web Page that is part of the Hobby Space Web Site is a really good place to watch for news about, well... Reusable Launch Vehicles and related subjects. I check it out just about every day and often find news there that doesn't show up anywhere else. Give it a look. {And while you're there be sure to check out some of the site's other pages. Wow! Is there a lot of information there.}
  • The Space Today Web Site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now Web Site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch Web Site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today Web Site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station Web Page or the Boeing Web Page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link Web Site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA Web Page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    Space Related Organizations
    If you are interested in learning more about current space activities there are many local and national organizations you might want to know about. Joining these organizations and taking part in their activities is a good way to stay abreast of things going on in space as well as a way to show your support for those activities. Listed below are some of those organizations.
  • The Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and Settlement has long been place for persons living in the Los Angeles area to gather and discuss the promise of space. Be sure to check out their Web Site for information about their meetings and other activities.
  • The Orange County Space Society is another Los Angeles area organization that provides a focal point for persons who are interested in space developments to get together and share their ideas. They have created a number of displays explaining the history and importance of space exploration that have appeared at various public events. Be sure to check their Web Site for information about their meetings and other events.
  • The National Space Society has a long history of being an advocate for a vigorous space program and provides much information to its members through their magazine and Web Site.
  • The Space Frontier Foundation is a strong advocate for a non-governmental space program and serves as a focal point for much activity in that arena. Their annual conference in Los Angeles during the Fall is a great way to find out what is happening in the non-government space arena.
  • The Space Access Society is focused on reducing the cost of going into space by promoting non-governmental launch vehicle programs. Their annual conference in the spring is a major source of information on non-traditional launch vehicle activities.
  • The Planetary Society is focused on the exploration of the Solar System and has a wealth of information for its members and others.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note Web Pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.






  • Rob Godwin     Listen to this show

    On Friday - March 17th, 2006 - we continued our "Godwin brothers two pack" when our guest on Hour 25 was publisher and author Rob Godwin talking with us about his work at Apogee Books.

    Rob and Rick Godwin have created a publishing success story by following their dreams and interests. But more than creating a successful business for themselves they are helping to shape the future of space exploration. They are insuring that the knowledge and experience from Apollo and other projects is not lost and forgotten, but easily available so that it can guide the next generation of space explorers. Their books combine NASA reports with CDs and DVDs containing hours of video and still images that thrill and inspire. Their books and a delight for the mind, the eye and the heart. All of their books are most highly recommended!

    Join us tonight when Rob Godwin tells us about how they came to create Apogee Books and to learn about their plans for the future.

    Cover for Apollo 11.

        Cover for Mars Mission Reports Volume 1.

        Cover for Creating Space.

    Click on the Apogee Books logo to open a doorway to new worlds.

    logo for Apogee Books



    Google Mars

    Mars - Click on this image to go to Google-Mars


    If you click on the above image of Mars you will be taken to the "Google Mars" Web Site. There you will be able to view an interactive map of Mars that includes visible and IR images as well as color coded elevations along with an index of various Martian features. It's way cool.




    Listen to this week's show

    webcasting     

    Click here to listen to the entire show. {1:11:04}

    Or

    • Click here for the show's intro music.{0:41}
    • Click here for the show's opening. {3:15}
    • Click here for our thoughts about the passing of Octavia Butler. {10:16}
    • Click here for news about the arrival of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at Mars. {5:13}
    • Click here to learn about Google Mars. {1:16}
    • Click here for our comments about the new Wallace and Gromit movie. {0:52}
    • Click here for an update about the discovery of geysers on a satellite of Saturn. {1:45}
    • Click here for our interview with Rob Godwin. {46:40}
    • Click here for the show's closing.{1:53}

    • Click here to listen to our interviews with Apogee Books authors Guenter Wendt and Laura Woodmansee.
    • Click here for our current show.
    • Click here for links to all of our previous Shows that you can listen to on the Hour 25 Web Site.
    If you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 Web Site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.





    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    Octavia Butler
  • More information about Octavia Butler can be found at this SFWA Web Site and at this SFWA news item.

    Space News - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
  • Updates and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter can be found at the project's Official Web Site.
  • For an interesting perspective on the exploration of Mars you should check out this Web Site by Corby Waste, who creates many of the stunning images of the spacecraft used to explore Mars.

    Space News - Mars
  • For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers be sure to check out the MER Web Site at JPL or this Mars Rover site at Cornell University. You can also get information about the MER mission by reading the News Updates posted by Dr. Steve Squyres, the project's Principal Investigator.
  • To learn more about the Mars Express mission you can go to this ESA Mars Express Web Site, this Mars Express Web Page from JPL, this NSSDC Mars Express Web Page, or this Web Page from Mars News.Com.
  • For more information about the Exploration of Mars be sure to go to the JPL Mars Exploration Site, the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA Ames, or the Mars Missions Web Site at the Planetary Society.
  • Information about the data returned by previous Mars missions can be found at this Mars Web Page at the NSSDC.
  • Information about the Phoenix Mission to Mars can be found at this Press Release from the University of Arizona. You can view a 3D picture of the Mars Phoenix spacecraft here.
  • For more Mars news be sure to check out the Mars News.Com Web Site.
  • Percival Lowell did much to shape our ideas about Mars in the early years of the 20th Century. You can learn more about his work by reading this on-line copy of his 1895 book Mars.

    Space News - The Cassini Mission to Saturn
  • Much information about the Cassini mission can be found at the Project's Official Web Site at JPL.
  • JPL is constantly releasing pictures from Cassini. You can find them by going to this JPL Web Page.
  • Additional information about the Cassini mission can be found at this ESA Web Site.
  • The University of Arizona Web Site for the imaging system used to take the Huygens pictures of Titan has much information about how they were obtained and processed as well as a collection of processed and unprocessed images.
  • The Huygens probe carried a microphone and recorded the various sounds that it heard while descending to the surface of Titan. You can listen to those sounds at this Web Page sponsored by the Planetary Society.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • Links relating to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia can be found here.
  • The Reusable Launch & Space Vehicle News Web Site Web Page that is part of the Hobby Space Web Site is a really good place to watch for news about, well... Reusable Launch Vehicles and related subjects. I check it out just about every day and often find news there that doesn't show up anywhere else. Give it a look. {And while you're there be sure to check out some of the site's other pages. Wow! Is there a lot of information there.}
  • The Space Today Web Site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now Web Site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch Web Site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today Web Site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station Web Page or the Boeing Web Page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link Web Site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA Web Page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    Space Related Organizations
    If you are interested in learning more about current space activities there are many local and national organizations you might want to know about. Joining these organizations and taking part in their activities is a good way to stay abreast of things going on in space as well as a way to show your support for those activities. Listed below are some of those organizations.
  • The Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and Settlement has long been place for persons living in the Los Angeles area to gather and discuss the promise of space. Be sure to check out their Web Site for information about their meetings and other activities.
  • The Orange County Space Society is another Los Angeles area organization that provides a focal point for persons who are interested in space developments to get together and share their ideas. They have created a number of displays explaining the history and importance of space exploration that have appeared at various public events. Be sure to check their Web Site for information about their meetings and other events.
  • The National Space Society has a long history of being an advocate for a vigorous space program and provides much information to its members through their magazine and Web Site.
  • The Space Frontier Foundation is a strong advocate for a non-governmental space program and serves as a focal point for much activity in that arena. Their annual conference in Los Angeles during the Fall is a great way to find out what is happening in the non-government space arena.
  • The Space Access Society is focused on reducing the cost of going into space by promoting non-governmental launch vehicle programs. Their annual conference in the spring is a major source of information on non-traditional launch vehicle activities.
  • The Planetary Society is focused on the exploration of the Solar System and has a wealth of information for its members and others.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note Web Pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.






  • Rick Godwin     Listen to this show

    On Monday - February 20th, 2006 - our guest on Hour 25 was publisher and author Richard Godwin talking with us about his work at Apogee Books. It was a delight to learn how he got into this business and to hear the stories about his adventures in the publishing trade.

    Rick Godwin (along with his brother Rob) have created a publishing success story by following their interests and their dreams. As you'll hear in tonight's interview they got their start by reprinting a NASA publication for the anniversary of one of the Apollo missions. They did such a great job on that book that they were soon being asked to reprint it and to do more such volumes.

    One thing lead to another and the next thing they knew they were heading up a publishing venture that is filling bookshelves around the world with reports and information that had previously been almost impossible to find.

    Cover for Gemini 12.

        Cover for How NASA Learned to Fly in Space.

        Cover for Virtual LM.

    The publications from Apogee Books span an impressive range. From reprints of hard to find NASA technical reports, to new books covering the history of the space program or heavily illustrated documentaries on spacecraft such as the Apollo Lunar Module. Their books are always a delight for the mind, the eye and the imagination.

    Cover for Dyna-Soar.

        Cover for Rocket and Space Corporation Energia.

        Cover for The High Frontier.

    Apogee Books also stretch your mental horizons by publishing books that show you what might have been or might someday be. These have included an amazingly well researched volume dedicated to the prematurely canceled Dyna-Soar project, a translated history of the Energia Design Bureau, and a reprinted and updated edition of Gerard K. O'Neill's classic book The High Frontier which discusses the prospects for moving human society into space.

    Individually each of these books is a joy but when taken together they create a reference library that is as inspiring as it is educational. All of their books are most highly recommended!


    Click on the Apogee Books logo to open a doorway to new worlds.

    logo for Apogee Books



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    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    Space News
  • You can learn more about the mission of the Stardust spacecraft by visiting the project's Official Web Site.
  • More information about comets can be found in this article at the Nine Planets Web Site.
  • For more information about the New Horizons mission to Pluto you should vist the project's Web Site at the Applied Physics lab at John Hopkins University or this web site maintained by JPL.
  • The Nine Planets Web Site has an informative article about Pluto with links to many more sources of information. You can read an interview with the late Clyde Tombaugh here.

    Space News - Mars
  • For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers be sure to check out the MER Web Site at JPL or this Mars Rover site at Cornell University. You can also get information about the MER mission by reading the News Updates posted by Dr. Steve Squyres, the project's Principal Investigator.
  • To learn more about the Mars Express mission you can go to this ESA Mars Express Web Site, this Mars Express Web Page from JPL, this NSSDC Mars Express Web Page, or this Web Page from Mars News.Com.
  • For more information about the Exploration of Mars be sure to go to the JPL Mars Exploration Site, the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA Ames, or the Mars Missions Web Site at the Planetary Society.
  • Information about the data returned by previous Mars missions can be found at this Mars Web Page at the NSSDC.
  • Information about the Phoenix Mission to Mars can be found at this Press Release from the University of Arizona. You can view a 3D picture of the Mars Phoenix spacecraft here.
  • For more Mars news be sure to check out the Mars News.Com Web Site.
  • Percival Lowell did much to shape our ideas about Mars in the early years of the 20th Century. You can learn more about his work by reading this on-line copy of his 1895 book Mars.

    Space News - The Cassini Mission to Saturn
  • Much information about the Cassini mission can be found at the Project's Official Web Site at JPL.
  • JPL is constantly releasing pictures from Cassini. You can find them by going to this JPL Web Page.
  • Additional information about the Cassini mission can be found at this ESA Web Site.
  • The University of Arizona Web Site for the imaging system used to take the Huygens pictures of Titan has much information about how they were obtained and processed as well as a collection of processed and unprocessed images.
  • The Huygens probe carried a microphone and recorded the various sounds that it heard while descending to the surface of Titan. You can listen to those sounds at this Web Page sponsored by the Planetary Society.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • Links relating to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia can be found here.
  • The Reusable Launch & Space Vehicle News Web Site Web Page that is part of the Hobby Space Web Site is a really good place to watch for news about, well... Reusable Launch Vehicles and related subjects. I check it out just about every day and often find news there that doesn't show up anywhere else. Give it a look. {And while you're there be sure to check out some of the site's other pages. Wow! Is there a lot of information there.}
  • The Space Today Web Site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now Web Site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch Web Site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today Web Site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station Web Page or the Boeing Web Page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link Web Site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA Web Page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    Space Related Organizations
    If you are interested in learning more about current space activities there are many local and national organizations you might want to know about. Joining these organizations and taking part in their activities is a good way to stay abreast of things going on in space as well as a way to show your support for those activities. Listed below are some of those organizations.
  • The Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and Settlement has long been place for persons living in the Los Angeles area to gather and discuss the promise of space. Be sure to check out their Web Site for information about their meetings and other activities.
  • The Orange County Space Society is another Los Angeles area organization that provides a focal point for persons who are interested in space developments to get together and share their ideas. They have created a number of displays explaining the history and importance of space exploration that have appeared at various public events. Be sure to check their Web Site for information about their meetings and other events.
  • The National Space Society has a long history of being an advocate for a vigorous space program and provides much information to its members through their magazine and Web Site.
  • The Space Frontier Foundation is a strong advocate for a non-governmental space program and serves as a focal point for much activity in that arena. Their annual conference in Los Angeles during the Fall is a great way to find out what is happening in the non-government space arena.
  • The Space Access Society is focused on reducing the cost of going into space by promoting non-governmental launch vehicle programs. Their annual conference in the spring is a major source of information on non-traditional launch vehicle activities.
  • The Planetary Society is focused on the exploration of the Solar System and has a wealth of information for its members and others.

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