March / April 2008
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MARCH / APRIL 2008 THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY ISSUE 2 VOLUME 47 SPACE TIMES • March/April 2008 1 AAS OFFICERS PRESIDENT Frank A. Slazer, SBD Consulting EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT MARCH / APRIL 2008 Lyn D. Wigbels, RWI International Consulting Services VICE PRESIDENT–TECHNICAL Srinivas R. Vadali, Texas A&M University ISSUE 2–VOLUME 47 VICE PRESIDENT–PROGRAMS Mary L. Snitch, Lockheed Martin VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLICATIONS David B. Spencer, Penn State University VICE PRESIDENT–MEMBERSHIP J. Walter Faulconer, Applied Physics Laboratory THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY VICE PRESIDENT–EDUCATION Kirk W. Kittell, SAIC VICE PRESIDENT–FINANCE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3 Carol S. Lane, Ball Aerospace VICE PRESIDENT–INTERNATIONAL FEATURES Clayton Mowry, Arianespace, Inc. There is a Compelling Reason to Return to the Moon - VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLIC POLICY William B. Adkins, Adkins Strategies, LLC and to Stay There 4 LEGAL COUNSEL The paramount reason for returning to the Moon and establishing a Franceska O. Schroeder, Fish & Richardson P.C. colony there is to protect our existence. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR by William E. Burrows James R. Kirkpatrick, AAS AAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Emperor’s New Clothes, Redux 6 The National Vision for Space Exploration is much like the emperor’s TERM EXPIRES 2008 imaginary suit of clothing. Wearing this invisible suit in public creates Peter M. Bainum, Howard University tremendous problems for NASA. David A. Cicci, Auburn University Lynn F.H. Cline by John M. Klineberg Nancy S.A. Colleton, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Mark K. Craig, SAIC Seven Generations: A Re-Evaluation of the Paine Report 10 Roger D. Launius, Smithsonian Institution President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration is under intense pressure Jonathan T. Malay, Lockheed Martin in this era of tight budgets and presidential electoral politics. Kathy J. Nado, L-3 Communications Richard M. Obermann, House Committee on Science by Alex Howerton & Technology AAS NEWS TERM EXPIRES 2009 Marc S. Allen Recap of Space Flight Mechanics Meeting 12 Steven Brody, International Space University Ashok R. Deshmukh, Technica, Inc. Graham Gibbs, Canadian Space Agency Symposium Honors Byron Tapley of the University of Steven D. Harrison, BAE Systems Texas at Austin 14 Sue E. Hegg, The Boeing Company Arthur F. Obenschain by Margaret Baguio Ian Pryke, CAPR, George Mason University Ronald J. Proulx, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory AAS Education Committee Update 15 Trevor C. Sorensen, University of Hawaii by Kirk W. Kittell TERM EXPIRES 2010 Linda Billings, SETI Institute Ronald J. Birk, Northrop Grumman Goddard Symposium Recognizes that Yesterday’s Rebecca L. Griffin, Griffin Aerospace Dream is Today’s Reality 16 Hal E. Hagemeier, National Security Space Office Dennis Lowrey, General Dynamics Molly Kenna Macauley, Resources for the Future News for AAS Members 19 Erin Neal, ATK Lesa B. Roe Rosanna Sattler, Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLP NOTES ON NEW BOOKS Robert H. Schingler, Jr. The Story of Manned Space Stations: An Introduction 20 Woodrow Whitlow, Jr. Reviewed by James M. Busby SPACE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFF The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook - a Pictorial History of Lunar Vehicles 21 EDITOR, Jeffrey P. Elbel PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR, Dustin Doud Reviewed by James M. Busby PRODUCTION MANAGER, Diane L. Thompson BUSINESS MANAGER, James R. Kirkpatrick UPCOMING EVENTS 23 SPACE TIMES is published bimonthly by the American Astronautical Society, a professional non-profit society. SPACE TIMES is free to members of the AAS. Individual subscriptions may be ordered from the AAS Business Office. © Copyright 2008 ON THE COVER by the American Astronautical Society, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. ISSN 1933-2793. FRONT: A view of the International Space Station as Space Shuttle Endeavour undocks and completes Expedition 16. (Source: NASA) PERIODICALS BACK: A 50 light-year wide view of the central region of Carina Nebula, where a maelstrom of star birth – and death – is taking place. Our Sun and Solar System may have been born inside such a SPACE TIMES, magazine of the AAS, bimonthly, volume 47, 2008—$80 domestic, $95 foreign cosmic crucible 4.6 billion years ago. (Source: NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, quarterly, volume 56, Berkeley) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)) 2008—$170 domestic, $190 foreign To order these publications, contact the AAS Business Office. 6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 102 REPRINTS Springfield, VA 22152-2354 USA Tel: 703-866-0020 Fax: 703-866-3526 Reprints are available for all articles in SPACE TIMES and all pa- pers published in The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences. [email protected] www.astronautical.org 2 SPACE TIMES • March/April 2008 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Building on Success I recently attended the 46th annual Goddard Memorial Symposium, and I cannot tell you how many times people came up to me at the symposium and told me that this was the best event of its kind that they had ever attended. Speakers from NASA Administrator Mike Griffin to scientists and engineers from the Goddard Space Flight Center, academia, and industry all made for a memorable program – and the luncheons, breaks, and receptions all afforded excellent networking opportunities to connect with customers, colleagues, and friends. While it may sound boastful to brag of your own organization’s success, in this case, to the planning committee as well as our AAS office staff and volunteers, I think it’s appropriate to say – WELL DONE. Of course, what most may not realize is that, beyond a superb program, this year’s Goddard Symposium featured live, online e-summaries of what was happening at the symposium. Additionally, thanks to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, key program highlights were recorded and posted online for those who could not attend (www.astronautical.org). This web posting of conference video, as well as the streaming summaries, are examples of new e-initiatives to bring access to the Society into the 21st Century by utilizing information technology to reach our members and to reach out to attract new ones. Later this year, we hope to make The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences available online as well, and we are planning to devote significant resources to do so. These are only a few of the many initiatives we have begun to build upon our successes to make the society even more active and vital in the near future. From the outstanding programs the Society sponsors to our technical publications and superb technical committees, the AAS has many strengths. Unfortunately, with less than 1,500 members and after the approximate $50K budget shortfall of 2007, we need to make some changes if we are to continue to be the vibrant society that has, for over 50 years, been a significant contributor to progress in space exploration. On January 18th, the AAS Executive Committee met in Washington, DC for a daylong offsite to agree upon our vision for the Society’s future, brainstorm new ideas, and begin developing action plans. We agreed that, while the Society had a very solid base of programs, technical activities and publications, we are not doing all we can to serve our membership, promote astronautics and space exploration, and enhance our influence in the space community. To succeed in revitalizing the Society and increasing its overall vitality, we concluded that we needed to grow the Society and make it an even more active organization. Specifically, we agreed upon the following. · Membership – Doubling members and level of active involvement in the next two years · Education – Expanding our support of and connecting better to university communities, especially soon-to-be new professionals · Meetings/Events – Improving quality and increasing quantity of events/conferences · Financial Improvement – Arrest decline in reserves/improve Society’s fiscal robustness and ability to support a broader range of activities I hope you will agree that these are good goals for our future, and I welcome members’ input and ideas to help us achieve success. Our officers are working to incorporate the results of our offsite into the 2008 strategic implementation plans, but they cannot do what is needed without help from our members. I urge you to consider volunteering to help in our effort to grow the Society. From organizing new technical activities or policy programs to recruiting new members, you can be a very big part in the Society’s future. Thank you for your past contributions to the Society’s success. I look forward to your support in growing the AAS and making it an even more vital organization! AAS – Advancing All Space Frank A. Slazer [email protected] SPACE TIMES • March/April 2008 3 There Is a Compelling Reason to Return to the Moon – and to Stay There by William E. Burrows In the science fiction novel Encounter helpless, potential victims of a wrathful and on an asteroid eight days before impact, with Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John dangerous universe. The Spaceguard would not work. It would effectively turn Barnes, a colossal space cruiser goes on a Survey which was started by NASA in a cannon ball into grapeshot. That is, it multi-generational intergalactic voyage of 1998 in order to catalogue 90 percent of would transform a regional threat into discovery. The ship’s captain is a female all potential impactors that cross this dozens, perhaps scores, of city-busters that named Osepok; I suspect the authors wrote planet’s orbit on the plain of the ecliptic, could obliterate densely populated places Osepok as a woman because women are which have the latent capacity to cause from New York to Yokohama. Instead, not afraid to ask for directions. She justifies catastrophic regional or planetary damage. there is consensus among astronomers and the mission to her crew by warning them, Though the survey should be completed this others who are knowledgeable on the “There’s not a place in the universe that’s year (on a pitifully small budget), subject that the beast would have to be safe forever.