I’m in the third row of tables–I didn’t get here early enough to stake out something closer. I’m looking at the backs of Jeff Foust and Alan Boyle. Robin Snelson is up there as well, and Leonard and Barbara David have front-row seats.

I wandered around yesterday as they were setting up. Masten Space has a static display of the vehicle that they wanted to fly in the Lunar Landing Challenge, but couldn’t ready in time. XCOR has a modest tent, with the occasional demo by Doug Jones of their tabletop rocket engine, when the crowd pressure builds up enough to justify it. Sort of like a little geyser.

Rocketplane Kistler has a static display of the XP vehicle. No mockup of the Kistler K-1.

NASA has a walk-through inflable Orion spacecraft, with an inflatable spacesuited astronaut inside, larger than life. Kind of scary for the kids, if you ask me. But no one did. Some people have inflatable girlfriends, others inflatable astronauts. Space geeks, what can you say?

I guess the inflatable spacecraft is the latest attempt to save weight. On the other hand, if they reduce the weight too much, they won’t be able to justify the development of CLV. [VOICE=”Homer Simpson”]In case you didn’t realize it, I was being sarcastic.[/VOICE]

More later.