Southeastern Space Supporter
Newsletter of HAL5 – the Huntsville Alabama L5 Society chapter of the National Space Society 3 Volume 9, Number 3 — May–June 2000 S ______So why have you not heard anyone NASA Budget Passes House FIRST WORD screaming?! Good question! SLI has Panel Uncontested been chosen as the pawn in a political (special to SPACE.com, 7-June-2000) U.S. Congress Zeros NASA’s game between NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and the U.S. House. To “Space Launch Initiative” NASA’s budget breezed through a address the problems cited in the (by Ronnie Lajoie, SSS Editor) House spending committee Wednesday recently released Mars Report, Dan with little discussion as legislators Goldin told the House Committee that The membership of HAL5 is not very grappled over funding for veterans and NASA’s 2001 budget must be raised politically active, preferring (based on housing programs. past membership surveys) to work on above the original requested level. Not surprisingly, the House said “Hell no!”. technical and educational projects. The Despite lingering concerns that the Goldin then told the House Committee time may soon come, however, when we House VA-HUD spending bill cuts new that he would have to cut a new program will once again be called upon to stand NASA programs such as the $290 because the Mars problem fixes would with our fellow NSS chapters. In fact, million Space Launch Initiative to take priority. The House obliged. as the strongest chapter in Region 5, research a replacement for the space HAL5 may be expected to lead such an shuttle, NASA appears to be in a strong effort for the southeastern United States. position to get more money this year.
The very future of space transportation In a House Appropriations Committee has been recently threatened, when the hearing spent arguing over money for U.S. House of Representatives cut the housing and veterans’ health programs, budget for NASA’s new “Space Launch the final legislation was expected to pass Initiative” program (SLI). SLI is the with $13.7 billion set aside for the space product of a year-long intensive study agency. That’s a $113 million increase between NASA and industry called the over last year’s amount. Space Transportation Architecture Study (STAS). The SLI program is extremely The only tinkering to the NASA budget well thought out, and its cancellation came from Rep. George Nethercutt, who before its birth came as a major shock to offered an amendment to study whether NASA Marshall, the space industry, and to strengthen the agency’s research and all activists space organizations. analysis programs. The amendment HAL5 Program Night cites concerns that NASA has over- Word “on the street” is that there is a looked research and data analysis ac- Thursday, July 6, 2000 battle of wills going on, and all space tivities aimed at providing the scientific 7 to 8:30 p.m. (with social afterwards) activists have been told to wait to see questions that drive space-exploration Huntsville Public Library Auditorium how it plays out. In the meantime, we missions. The measure directs NASA to conduct a study with other agencies to “Future Generations of need to get prepared for what may be a consider strengthening those activities. Reusable Launch Vehicles” very frantic time in September. In this issue, I will share with you information The House Appropriations Committee Guest speaker will be Mr. Daniel on the Space Launch Initiative. I also adopted the measure by a voice vote. Davis, Deputy Program Manager, strongly encourage you to attend the NASA MSFC 2nd Generation RLV HAL5 talk on Thursday. Danny Davis, An amendment offered by Rep. Alan Program. Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Mollohan to restore $300 million to the science and technology budget fell short All HAL5 and NSS members are 2nd Generation RLV Program, will provide us with the detailed background of passage along a 23 to 22 vote. That encouraged to attend, and to bring would have funded science and technol- interested friends and co-workers. information and plans for the SLI program. Ad Astra — we hope! ¶ ogy spending at $5.9 billion, the Open to the public. Free admission. president’s requested level. ¶
May–June 2000 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER Clay Sawyer Chosen HAL5 HAL5 Elections on July 6 Huntsville Alabama L5 Society 2000 Professional of the Year President — Greg Allison Due to a conflict with the Professional of Day: 544-4440, Eve: 859-5538 On June 1, HAL5 members celebrated the Year Awards night (see previous Vice-President — Gladys Young the selection of Clay Sawyer, Jr. as its article), no HAL5 Program Night was Day: 852-0561, Eve: 852-0561 2000 Professional of the Year. The held on June 1, thus forcing a delay in Treasurer — Ronnie Lajoie Professional of the Year Awards is an our elections. The HAL5 Elections and Day: 971-3055, Eve: 721-1083 annual event at TABES sponsored by Program Night will be held on July 6. Secretary — Wade Dorland the Huntsville Association of Technical You must be present to vote — voting Day: 551-0008, Eve: 534-2566 Societies (HATS). by proxy is not allowed (yet) in HAL5. Membership — Philomena Grodzka Please attend. Refreshments will be Day: 536-8638, Eve: 536-8638 provided. ¶ Communications — Ellen Cozelos Day: 726-6387, Eve: 883-4873 ------Southeastern Space Supporter Volume 9, Number 3 May / June 2000 The Southeastern Space Supporter is a bimonthly publication of the Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5), a not-for- profit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the goal of seeing everyday people living in thriving communities beyond the Earth. Any opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors or of the Editor, and, unless expressly so stated, are not necessarily those of HAL5 or the NSS. Visit the HAL5 Web Page on Internet via: http://hiwaay.net/~hal5/ ------HAL5 encourages its members to speak out on space-related issues, and welcome Clay Sawyer receives his Professional of the Year Award at TABES 2000 submissions of both fact and opinion articles of interest to HAL5 members. Clay joined HAL5 in 1996 and served as NSS Publishes Roadmap Submit letters or articles to: Ronnie Lajoie Secretary (1998-9). He has led much of (by Ronnie Lajoie, NSS Roadmap Chair) 162 Kirby Lane, Madison, AL 35757 the electronics work for HAL5’s Project Day phone/message: 256-461-5934 HALO. In 1996, he developed the At the 2000 ISDC, NSS presented its rocket avionics module for the first Night/Weekend phone: 256-721-1083 “NSS Statement of Philosophy” and its ground launch (GL-1). In 1997, Clay FAX number: 256-461-3045 “Roadmap to the Stars”. These two developed the rocket avionics module Electronic mail address: [email protected] products were the result of the NSS for the historic Sky Launch 1 rocket. In Policy Summit held in September 1999, Deadline for submittal is the last day of the 1998, he (along with Gene Young) followed by many review cycles to get following months: February, April, June, developed the rocket avionics module feedback from every member of the NSS August, October, and December. for the current Sky Launch 2 rocket. leadership. Clay is also an advocate for space Preferred format for plain text is ASCII education, and in 1999, he gave a (text with graphics is MS Word or The “NSS Statement of Philosophy” is HALO slide presentation and led a one- WordPerfect) either sent by E-mail or on a included as a 4-page insert in this PC diskette. Also acceptable are letters and day HALO Achievement class. newsletter. Please pull it out and use it articles sent by mail or faxed; however, the to remind yourself and to tell others more retyping required, the less likely the Clay has been a great asset to our society what the NSS is all about. You can see acceptance. HAL5 is not responsible for and is considering serving again as the NSS Roadmap at this URL: receipt of mailed submissions; none will be HAL5 Secretary for the 2000-1 time returned unless sent with a SASE. Hand- frame. Please consider voting for him in http://www.nss.org/future/ delivered diskettes will be hand-returned. the upcoming elections on July 6. ¶ NSS%Roadmap.html No compensation is paid for submissions.
May–June 2000 2 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER 2nd Generation RLV Program based on what’s been going over the the knowledge gained from Shuttle previous six years or so in the RLV upgrades,” he explains. Will Prepare Roadbed for program. We learned in some cases ‘Highway to Space’ how to do things and in other cases how The Space Launch Initiative (from Web site: http://stp.msfc.nasa.gov/) not to do things. Now, we need to take the next step, the second generation The second generation RLV program, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center program,” Dumbacher said. the centerpiece of NASA and the in Huntsville, Alabama, is leading an Administration’s “Space Launch Initia- effort to help NASA get into space more 2nd Generation RLV Competition tive,” is a result of NASA’s industry-led safely and for less money in the future Space Transportation Architecture than it does today using the Space Dumbacher believes the second genera- Studies in 1998 and 1999 and NASA’s Shuttle. tion program will bring expanded Integrated Space Transportation Plan knowledge to industry and government developed in the fall of 1999. In addi- “We are preparing the roadbed for the when NASA conducts a second- tion to the second generation program, ‘highway’ on which the next generation generation RLV competition in 2005. the integrated plan also includes the space vehicle will travel into orbit,” says Industry will know more about investing Shuttle upgrades, alternate means of Dan Dumbacher, manager of the Second in the space program. Government will access to International Space Station, Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle know more about investing in a launch and a third-generation element that Program at Marshall. system that will meet NASA’s safety looks 25 years into the future. The latter and cost goals, he said. aims toward a one-in-a-million loss-of- “The roadbed consists of the space crew safety goal and a hundred-dollars- transportation foundation technologies per-pound price-to-orbit goal. (propulsion, airframes, advanced sensors and the like) that will give industry and As a result of a NASA Research us the confidence we need before we Announcement released earlier this begin development of the next full-scale year, NASA selected nine companies as launch system,” Dumbacher said. participants in the first round of second generation work, requirements defini- Space Shuttle to Fly until 2012 tion. Preceding even concept drawings, requirements are the starting point for NASA is also upgrading the Space systems engineering. The advance work Shuttle to keep it flying safely and effi- by these companies will put the second ciently until at least 2012. These generation program on a path leading to upgrades are designed to extend the life accomplishment of the goals of of the Space Shuttle, a first generation improvement by a factor of 100 in reusable launch vehicle, until a second- launch safety, and a factor of 10 in generation vehicle is ready to fly. launch cost.
“Our goal is to substantially reduce the According to Dumbacher, there is a technical and business risks associated Program Manager Dan Dumbacher fundamental difference regarding the with developing safe, reliable and way the second generation program affordable RLV’s. “Full-scale develop- approaches full-scale launch vehicle ment of any new RLV systems would “We want to get a hundred times safer development and the way the United begin after 2005,” Dumbacher said. than Shuttle in the second generation, States previously addressed similar more in line with the odds of losing a jet challenges. “We call second generation More X-vehicles to Come fighter,” said Dumbacher, “and we want a technology advanced development to get the cost of lofting a pound of program,” he says. “The second Through the second generation payload into orbit down from $10,000 to generation program is something we program, NASA and its industry $1,000.” need before we start a full-scale launch partners will build on the success and vehicle development program. It will progress of the ongoing development of Plans to upgrade the Shuttle are directly help us make sure that the technologies the X-33, X-34 and X-37 technology in line with NASA’s second generation we plan to incorporate in a full-scale demonstrators to reduce the technical program, according to Dumbacher. vehicle can actually be achieved within risk while creating increased “Shuttle engineers are doing things like the time-frame and cost required for competition. advanced health monitoring on Space full-scale development and for making a Shuttle Main Engines and other viable business case.” “The second generation program is in elements. Engineers working on the the early phases of formation. It is second generation program will build on
3 May–June 2000 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER He says NASA — through the second associated with closing a commercial MSFC Director Art Stephenson generation program — will do increased business case — that is, projecting a ‘disappointed’ by budget action preparation work prior to starting a full- profitable balance of cost and revenue. scale development program where the We also want to reduce the risk the on Space Launch Initiative major costs are incurred. “We are doing government will face in investing tax (MSFC Press Release, 24 May 2000) work up front that will demonstrate the dollars in development of the next technologies needed in order to make a launch system.” Art Stephenson, director of NASA’s full-scale development program happen Marshall Space Flight Center in according to plan.” Paving the “Highway to Space” Huntsville, Alabama, has reacted to Tuesday’s markup of the NASA FY To illustrate his point, Dumbacher According to Dumbacher, NASA is 2001 budget by the VA, HUD and recalls the development approach used taking the next step beyond Shuttle and Independent Agencies subcommittee of in the 1970s to build the Space Shuttle. beyond the X-vehicles to open the the House Appropriations Committee. “The Space Shuttle Main Engine was highway to space. “We have to do this the first major element started in the kind of work to develop the transpor- “It came as a great disappointment to Shuttle program. It was a completely tation infrastructure to get to space so learn yesterday that a congressional new engine although somewhat based that the market opportunities open up. subcommittee, in marking up the NASA on Apollo technology. It was built and The business market for payloads and budget for fiscal 2001, has zeroed all but tested in parallel with all of the other other activities in space represents the a small part of next year’s funding for activities that were required for the next frontier for economic growth,” he the Agency’s Space Launch Initiative,” complete Shuttle system. As a result, said. Stephenson remarked. “That initiative technical challenges arose which meant is absolutely essential to achieving one schedule and cost growth for the rest of “The first ‘gold’ from that frontier, of NASA’s most critical assignments, the program,” he said. mined with the help of communications which is to cut the cost of access to satellites and the microelectronics they space by orders of magnitude — within “We are doing something different with required, is information,” said Dum- 10 years to one-tenth of today’s cost, the second generation program. Before bacher. “Second Generation RLV then to one-hundredth within 25 years. we ever start a full-scale launch vehicle Program represents a National reinvest- We at the Marshall Space Flight Center development program we want to make ment in our early success in space, and have been given the lead to accomplish sure we have built and tested the right can pay dividends for many years to those ambitious goals, and we take it kinds of rocket engines. When we start come.” extremely seriously. It is the right thing another full-scale launch vehicle devel- to do. opment program we won’t be looking at Dumbacher pointed out that “the big a blank sheet of paper when it comes to cost of doing anything in space is how Half the Cost is Just Getting it There the engines or other technologies.” much it costs to get you there. The costs associated with what you do once you “To understand why, just consider this: Technology Investments Required get there are relatively minor compared Currently, when we launch something to launch cost. “ into space, roughly half the total cost is He said the goal of the program is make tied up with just getting it there. People the technology investments ahead of the He said the priority is “to find out what would never put up with that in their development program. “We need to it will take to meet our safety and cost everyday lives. For instance, if a car make initial investments in engine tech- goals.” As an example he points to life- cost $50,000 because it took $25,000 to nologies, thermal protection system cycle costs such as those associated with get it from the factory to the buyer, it technologies and propellant tank propellant tanks. “Commercial business would be a major issue on the national technologies. We need to test out proto- cases are calling for future vehicles that agenda! types of these pieces and make sure we are good for 500 missions.” The Space understand how well they perform. This Shuttle uses one External Tank for each “Likewise, sharply reducing the cost of will make us more confident that we can flight. getting payloads into orbit is the key to meet the budget and schedule that is set our future in space, and the Space for developing the actual flight vehicle “There are a lot of challenges ahead. Launch Initiative is the foundation for system.” What we want to do is use the second- achieving that objective,” Stephenson generation program to make access to continued. “I realize that the budget “Our work will also further systems space less expensive and safer and thus process is a long road with many steps requirements definition work necessary expand the commercial development along the way and I remain hopeful that for the second generation program and and civil exploration of space,” yesterday’s cut to the Initiative will be let us begin technical risk reduction Dumbacher said. ¶ restored before the budget becomes activities in fiscal year 2001. “We want final.” ¶ to reduce the business and technical risk
May–June 2000 4 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) your local chapter of the National Space Society presents
a free public presentation by Mr. Daniel J. Davis, Deputy Program Manager NASA Second Generation RLV Program Thursday, July 6, 2000 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library The public is invited. Admission is FREE. A social at Shoney's will follow the meeting. For more information: call Ronnie Lajoie at 256-461-5934 or email: [email protected]
5 May–June 2000 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER HAL5 CALENDAR OF MEETINGS AND EVENTS June 2000 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 25 26 27 28 29 30 HAL5 & Project Tunguska HALO Meeting asteroid impact 12p at Piccadilly 1908 July 2000 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday July HAL5 Elections and Program Night 1 M “Future Generations of Reusable Launch Vehicles” Canada by Mr. Daniel J. Davis, Deputy Program Manager, NASA Marshall Second Generation RLV Program Day 7-9 PM, Thursday, July 6, at Huntsville Public Library Auditorium, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 }j Independence HAL5 Program Day “Future RLVs” 7-9 pm, Library 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Voyager 1 HAL5 & Project NASFA Meeting flybys Jupiter HALO Meeting 6-8 pm 1979 12p at Piccadilly Madison City Hall 16 F 17 18 19 20 21 22 AIAA Joint AIAA Joint AIAA Joint Moondreams Moondreams Moondreams Propul. Conf. Propul. Conf. Propul. Conf. The Musical The Musical The Musical VBC Halls VBC Halls VBC Halls 7:30 p.m. at VBC 7:30 p.m. at VBC 7:30 p.m. at VBC 23 24 ia 25 26 27 28 29 HAL5 & Project Ranger 7 Delta Aquarid HALO Meeting impacts Moon meteors 12p at Piccadilly 1964 (15 per hour) August 2000 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday July 30 M July 31 1 2 3 4 5 Apollo 15 HAL5 Program VBAS hosts lands on Moon “TBD” Astronomy Day 1971 7-9 pm, Library Von Braun Obs. 6 }j 7 8 9 10 11 12 HAL5 & Project NASFA Meeting HALO Meeting 6-8 pm 12p at Piccadilly Madison City Hall 13 14 15 F 16 17 18 19 HAL5 & Project HALO Meeting 12p at Piccadilly 20 21 22 }j 23 24 25 26 Viking 2 HAL5 & Project Voyager 2 lands on Mars HALO Meeting flybys Saturn 1976 12p at Piccadilly 1981 27 28 29 M 30 31 HAL5 & Project HALO Meeting 12p at Piccadilly
May–June 2000 6 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER
Space Activists at ISDC 2000 U.S. Congress. Recent attempts to slash Rick Tumlinson, president of the Space NASA’s space science budget has put Frontier Foundation, said that NASA Demand Better Space Program America’s future as a spacefaring nation has put out the unwelcome mat for (by Leonard David for Yahoo! News) “at mortal risk,” he said. MirCorp, attempting to torpedo the privately funded renovation project. He America’s space program is going no “We don’t have the kind of budgets for is also an advisor to MirCorp, working place fast. As shuttle astronauts fiddle NASA that we would like. We don’t on the early phases of commercializing with pieces of a mega-billion dollar have the kind of fervor and passion that the Russian Mir. International Space Station built for six, existed in the 1960s,” Kolbe said. exactly where the U.S. space enterprise NASA is searching for a mission that Characterizing NASA as a “socialist is taking the ground-bound, tax-paying would grab the public attention, he said. institution,” Tumlinson said that the public-at-large remains unknown. “Somehow, we have to find that newly established MirCorp is a product mission,” Kolbe said. “We’ve got some of free enterprise Americans working Disgruntled space activists met here real opportunities, but we’ve got some with free enterprise Russians. “It’s May 25-29 at the 19th annual Interna- real challenges that are ahead of us.” unfortunate that NASA is still trying to tional Space Development Conference. kill the project. NASA is still behind They contend no shortage exists of sky- Colonizing Mars and in front of the scenes offering high projects worth doing: from taking money to bring the station down. This personal treks into Earth’s orbit to Seeing red is Robert Zubrin, President of is pure, free enterprise, and it’s our own building lunar cities and planting settle- the Mars Society. Not only is the red government and our own NASA trying ments on Mars. But such visionary planet Mars an ideal spot for a new to stop us. That makes me very sad.” quests appear to be “lost in space.” branch of civilization, Zubrin said, a human mission to that neighboring “NASA has sterilized space. They’ve Call For Fresh Space Effort world speaks to what the human venture taken this exciting frontier and have in space is about. The issue at hand is turned it into a bureaucratic playground. Apollo 11 moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin, getting the space program to go the And no wonder that it’s turned people called for a rejuvenated space effort, one distance, he said. off,” Tumlinson said. “Most of what that is steeped in market economics. NASA talks about now is safety, safety, Care must be taken in selecting future “The American people by and large do safety, safety. Well I’m sorry, it’s a Earth-to-orbit space transportation, he want there to be a next step. They do frontier and frontiers are about risk and said. Aldrin said he is concerned that want a space program that goes some- taking chances,” he said. current NASA studies in next- where. In fact that’s the only reason generation launch vehicles fail to why they tolerate the space program Time for a Station Break adequately address the high volume because they expect the space program, markets that offer the greatest potential eventually, to go somewhere. They are Demanding that the U.S. Congress and to drive down space access costs. One kind of waiting for that to happen,” NASA make a little down-payment on such market is space tourism, he said. Zubrin said. the future is at the heart of a new proposal and public campaign proposed “Taking people into space may be a “As long as we are spending $14 billion at the conference by the National Space nuisance to a bureaucracy that is a year on NASA we ought to have a Society of Washington, D.C. running the astronaut office and the space program that goes somewhere,” present shuttle system. It just doesn’t fit Zubrin said. “Right now there is a “We are proposing a very modest one in,” Aldrin said. But John Glenn’s crystal sphere walling us in, below low percent for the future program. We return to orbit aboard a space shuttle, he Earth orbit. And we have to break it.” need to get away from the ambiguity said, stirred up a public sentiment that that we’ve seen in the last year to do “if he can do it, why can’t I do it?” Mir — The Unwelcome Mat is Out some technology work towards what humans might do in the future in Some Seeing Red Now undergoing a commercialized space,” said Pat Dasch, Executive makeover is the Russian Mir space Director of the National Space Society. “We either are going to open up orbital station. Operating since 1986, the flight to people or not. That decision orbiting outpost recently got an infusion “The public is disinterested in space. could be influenced a significant amount of private monies to keep it afloat. A What we’re calling for is roughly $140 by steps we take in defining the next lease arrangement between the Amster- million a year to start developing the generation shuttle,” Aldrin said. dam-based MirCorp and the station’s technologies and plans to enable the Russian operator, Energia, is trans- human exploration of the moon and Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) forming the aging complex into the first Mars. For the public, humans in space decried the bureaucracies that exist both private building in space. captures their imagination,” she said. in the space program, as well as in the
7 May–June 2000 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER
Space Station a Work-In-Progress Our event made such a good impression Shuttle scale models, an Apollo 11 on the NSS Vice President for Chapters Lunar Module, a Mars Sojourner Rover Dasch said that the International Space that he created a new award category for and a Soyuz/Mir/ Kvant. We were tight Station has become a stale and a long- “Service to Chapters”. Congratulations on space, but still had many people stop term work-in-progress. “It has grown to all members of HAL5 who helped by and discuss the state of our space old as its technology has grown old. organize this event, and a second nod of program. We also handed out NSS and The public sees NASA bogged down in appreciation to the members of HAL5, MTSS flyers. I used the same models to this enormous project. They see NASA NSS Atlanta, and the Middle Tennessee speak with a separate group of children weighed down with the project, with Space Society (MTSS) who participated during a regularly scheduled book morale also dragged down by it. They to make this a great event. reading session. see an agency struggling even now to get it done,” Dasch said. I have asked the MTSS officers to After his speech and autograph session, consider hosting another Southeast Buzz came to our display for photos and Given a small wedge of money and Space Summit this October or Novem- a discussion with us of how his Starbird mandate, NASA must begin to plan for ber, either just before or just after the reusable launch system could be used for the future and the human settlement of next NSS Board of Directors meeting. crew transport and rescue capabilities. space, on the moon, Mars, asteroids, This summit would be held near He said that he hoped to have models of within space habitats, and eventually the Nashville, and part of the activities will his launch system components stars, Dasch said. “We want action. be to help MTSS recruit more members. commercially available in the future. This is what we want and we want it They do a lot of work (see next article) now.” ¶ for a chapter of just three members — I feel we had a successful display and an just think what they could accomplish if enjoyable stay. We promoted the devel- ********************** they had more! ¶ opment of space for about 5 hours — 2 hours before, 2 hours during, and 1 hour HAL5 Awarded at ISDC ********************** after Buzz’s appearance. We shared a (by Ronnie Lajoie, HAL5 Officer) Middle Tennessee Chapter lot of good info and hope we may have picked up some NSS/MTSS members. HAL5 was recognized twice at the 2000 Promotes Space at Events The bookstore management was pleased ISDC. The first time was for being one (by Chuck Schlemm, MTSS President) and accepted our invitation to call us if of the top two chapters to recruit new they had any future guests that are space members into the National Space On Saturday, June 3, the Middle Ten- related and wanted us to come again. Society. Our efforts, even though small, nessee Space Society (MTSS) setup a were more than all but one NSS chapter. display at the Davis-Kidd Bookstore in MTSS at “The Mars Show” While we should feel proud of our Nashville during a visit by Buzz Aldrin accomplishment, there is much more we to autograph copies of his new book, On June 9, Mike Holmes, Bob Tonini can do, including to continue sharing “The Return”. We were viewed by 200- and I setup the MTSS display at the knowledge with other chapters on the 400 people, spoke to many of them, premier of “The Mars Show” at the best (and worst) ways to recruit new spoke to a children’s book reading Dickson Renaissance Center (DRC) members. group, and spoke with Buzz about his Planetarium. This show describes Mars Starbird concepts. and the history of how we have learned NSS Resources Committee Chair Larry about the planet and speculation of what Ahearn has spoken with NSS Treasurer I heard about his nationwide tour it might take to go there and colonize. Joe Redfield about a new direction (or through a non-NSS connected website: We spoke with many people who were approach) for the “Campaign for the http://www.collectspace.com/sightings/h attending this show along with a “Three Future” membership recruitment drive. ome.html. It seemed reasonable to Dog Night” concert and 2 other laser He received approval to move forward, expect space interested people to be shows the same night. and more details will be provided in the there, so I called the bookstore manager near future. In the meantime, the 2000 to get permission. After an initial OK, Our ISS model brought the most atten- “Campaign for the Future” is underway, then a NO, then a maybe, I called tion. We answered many questions and anyone recruited between last April Buzz’s publicist to get the final OK. about the station construction status, and next April will be counted towards You must be persistent and not accept how long till crews stay on board, how next years recruitment rewards. just anybody’s answer. Some people long will they stay, how long will it last, will say “NO” just because its easier. If and will it be used as a staging post for Award for Southeast Space Summit it seems unreasonable, go above them. going to Mars? We expect to change our monthly meeting site to the DRC to HAL5 was also recognized for our About two hours before Buzz’s appear- increase our public exposure. ¶ hosting of the Southeast Space Summit, ance, Mike Holmes and I setup our as a “chapters helping chapters” event. display table with our Space Station and
May–June 2000 8 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER Moondreams, a new musical by Rhett more space for the focus of technology UPCOMING EVENTS Parrish, will have its World Premiere at for the new millennium. This focus Huntsville’s Von Braun Center on July showcases technology by directly July 17 to 19, Huntsville, AL 20, 2000 at 7:30 pm. Moondreams is a introducing it to the decision maker and AIAA/ASME Joint Propulsion Broadway-style musical that explores user. With a new millennium come new Conference Comes to Town the dreams of space exploration from possibilities. The focus of the IEEE 1955 to the present through the eyes of a Computer Fair 2000 is “Open Source (by Ronnie Lajoie, Aerospace Engineer) fictional Huntsville family that interacts Systems”. We encourage all businesses with the spirits of Dr. Wernher von that provide open source systems to Now that NASA Marshall Space Flight Braun, H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, and showcase their tools in this year’s Center has been designated the lead many others. It portrays America at its Computer Fair. For more details, please center for space transportation research, best, embraces family values, and offers see the IEEE Computer Fair Web site at: it makes perfect sense why the AIAA a dramatic and musical portrayal of http://www.ieee-computer-fair.org/ ¶ chose Huntsville, Alabama as its site for historic events from the last fifty years. its 36th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint ********************** Propulsion Conference (JPC) & Exhibit. The composer/author is an award- Exhibit hours are 10 AM to 4 PM on October 4 to 5, Huntsville, AL winning, Grammy-nominated music Monday and Tuesday only, and may be producer who lives in Huntsville. Rhett Simulation Conference 2000 open to the public (I am not sure). has created memorable advertising (from “http://www.scs.org/”) music such as ALFA’s “Put Your Trust The conference will be held Monday, in People Who Care, Call ALFA”, Kraft Formerly known as the Southeastern July 15 through Wednesday, July 17 at Philly Brand Cream Cheese’s “Spread Simulation Conference, the newly titled the Von Braun Center. The conference the News”, Payday Candy Bar’s “Totally Huntsville Simulation Conference 2000 is designed for professional engineers Nuts”, and many others. The (HSC 2000) will be held at the Holiday and thus comes with a “professional” production will be directed by Vivienne Inn at Research Park (near Madison price of $570 (for sessions, exhibits, Atkins, assisted by Jay Tumminello as Square Mall), Huntsville, Alabama on meal events and 10 papers) or $740 the Musical Director and Bruce October 4 and 5, 2000. (above plus proceedings on CD-ROM). Beaumont as the Technical Director. AIAA members get a good (about 20%) The conference seeks technical papers, discount. Just as “The Music Man” put Iowa on briefings, session organizers, chairs and the map, Moondreams can make Rocket panel discussions related to simulation AIAA student members and retired City USA a place to fondly remember in areas that include: Missiles; Simulation- AIAA members can attend the sessions song for many years to come. For more Based Acquisition; Visualization; and exhibits for only $10, other students information, visit the Moondreams Web VV&A; HLA; Manufacturing; Human can attend for $35 — still a great deal. page at: http://www.moondreams.org/ Factors and Ergonomics; Machine For more details, call 703-264-7500. Learning Methods; Test and Evaluation; Show times are July 20-22 at 7:30 PM, Virtual Environments; Ballistic Missile Registration can be done in advance or and Saturday, July 22 at 2:00 PM in the Defense; Control Systems; Signal at the door, or via the AIAA JPC Web VBC Concert Hall. Tickets range from Processing and Sensors; Hardware-in- site at: http://www.aiaa.org/calendar/. $13.50 to $29.50 and be purchased at the-Loop; Battlefields; Software and The on-line registration form is at link the VBC Box Office. You can also Hardware Tools; Earth Systems; Law “joint00reg.html” and the program is at phone TicketMaster at (800) 277-1700, Enforcement; Biomedical. Abstracts link “joint00prog.html”. or purchase tickets from their Web site and papers accepted only in electronic at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/ ¶ formats. Proceedings on CD-ROM. The JPC is one of the largest (if not the largest) conference that the AIAA hosts ********************** Sponsored by the Society for Computer each year. The JPC, like other AIAA Simulation International (SCS). Early conferences, moves from place to place August 25 to 26, Huntsville, AL Registration fee before September 30, each year. Huntsville should be proud IEEE Computer Fair 2000 2000 is $125. Normal Registration fee that they were selected this year. It has (from “http://www.ieee-computer-fair.org/”) after September 30, 2000 is $150. been a long time coming. ¶ The revamped IEEE Computer Fair will For more details, please contact ********************** be held in the South Hall of the Von Program Chair Joseph Gauthier, of the July 20 to 22, Huntsville, AL Braun Center on August 25 and 26. A AEgis Technologies Group, 6703 Moondreams — The Musical new millennium is here. A new Odyssey Drive, Suite 200, Huntsville, direction is needed. A new format is Phone: 256-922-0802; Fax: 883-5516; (from “http://www.moondreams.org/”) implemented. The new format provides e-mail: [email protected]. ¶
9 May–June 2000 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER
HAL5 Membership Report Upcoming Events of Interest to HAL5 Members
The following is a list of additions to the Thu., July 6 — HAL5 Program on “Future Generations of Reusable current paid membership of HAL5, 7:00 - 8:30 PM Launch Vehicles” by Mr. Daniel J. Davis, Deputy Program which includes 32 renewals and 10 new Manager, NASA MSFC 2nd Generation RLV Program, at members, for a total of 42. Welcome to Huntsville Public Library, 915 Monroe Ave.; free; questions: all our new and renewed members! 256-461-5934 (afternoon/evening) or 256-721-1083 (morning)
John Barnum (R, D) Mon., July 17 to AIAA hosts the “AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Space Lorraine Barnum (R, D) Wed., July 19 Propulsion Conference”, in North and South Halls of the Von Ellen Cozelos (R, Comm.) Braun Center, Huntsville; info: call 703-264-7500 Bruce Cunningham (R) Vincent Dauro (R, D) Thu., July 20 to “Second Annual Lunar Development Conference” at Melanie Hazelrig (R, D) Fri., July 21 Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada; registration fee; Gene Hornbuckle (R) sponsored by the Space Frontier Foundation, FINDS, Space Glen May (R) Studies Institute, Moon Society, and National Space Society. Allen Meece (R, D) Doug Peets (N) Thu., July 20 to “Moonbeams — The Musical” in the Von Braun Center Chuck Schlemm (R) Sat., July 22, Concert Hall, Huntsville, Alabama. Tickets range from Matthew Travis (N, D) shows 7:30 PM, $13.50 to $29.50 and be purchased at the VBC Box Office. Timothy Weaver (N) plus 2 PM Sat. You can also phone TicketMaster at (800) 277-1700. Mark/Judy Wells (R) Thu., Aug. 3 — HAL5 Program on “TBD” by TBD, at Huntsville Public 7:00 - 8:30 PM (N) - New Member Library, 915 Monroe Ave.; free; questions: 256-461-5934 (R) - Renewed Member Fri., Aug. 25 to 2000 IEEE Computer Fair, in in North and South Halls of (P) - Past Member Sat., Aug. 26 the Von Braun Center, Huntsville; revised for the 21st century (D) - Included a Donation with new emphasis on “Open Source Systems”. For more HAL5 welcomes back its previous details, see the Web site: http://www.ieee-computer-fair.org/ members and also past members Gene Thu., Sep. 7 — Hornbuckle and Glen May. With these HAL5 Program on “TBD” by TBD, at Huntsville Public 7:00 - 8:30 PM two rocket pioneers back, hopefully we Library, 915 Monroe Ave.; free; questions: 256-461-5934 will be reactivating Project HALO soon! HAL5 gratefully thanks the many all very much! HAL5 also welcomes its new members, members who included a donation with including Doug Peets, Matthew Travis, their membership. Allen Meece HAL5 also thanks members John and and Timothy Weaver. Doug and renewed as a Supporter member with his Lorraine Barnum for rejoining the Matthew are NSS members from donation going to Project HALO. John/ National Space Society as well. Chicago, Illinois. Matthew is a member Lorraine Barnum and Melanie Hazelrig Currently 59 percent of HAL5 members of the new NSS Roadmap Committee both renewed as Contributing members are also NSS members. I encourage Definition Team, and will have a big with their donations also going to those of you who have let your NSS role in the creation and maintenance of Project HALO. Matthew Travis did membership slip to renew. Good things the future NSS Roadmap Web site. likewise but split his donation between are happening at the national level, as Timothy Weaver lives in Huntsville and HAL5 and HALO. Vince Dauro also you will find out in this issue and next we hope he will be an active local donated to Project HALO. Thank you issues of this newsletter. Ad Astra! ¶ member. Thank you all very much!
Huntsville Alabama L5 Society Place Special Announcement PMB 168, 1019 Old Monrovia Road First Class Huntsville, AL 35806 Stamp HAL5 July Program Night ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Here “Future Generations of Reusable Launch Vehicles” Thursday, July 6, 7–9 pm
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