Southeastern Space Supporter
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Southeastern Space Supporter Newsletter of HAL5 – the Huntsville Alabama L5 Society chapter of the National Space Society 3 Volume 6, Number 4 — July–August 1997 S ________________________________________________________________________ HAL5 was co-founded in 1983 by NSS Campaign for the Future Konrad K. Dannenberg and included the Membership Drive Ends Soon FIRST WORD membership of Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, (by Ronnie Lajoie, HAL5 Campaign Chair) both key members of Dr. Wernher Von HAL5 Record Membership! Braun’s pioneering rocket team that If you are not yet a member of the The Sweet Taste of Success! initiated our age of space exploration. National Space Society, NOW is the time (by Greg Allison, HAL5 President) Members George McKay and Ron Creel to join. The NSS “Campaign for the were instrumental in developing the Future” membership drive is about to HAL5 membership has now soared to a Saturn V moon rocket. end. Until Labor Day, September 1, NSS record high of 69 members. It is still has lowered the cost of a one-year NSS roughly midyear and we have already Our membership includes Charlie membership from $35 to only $25. The beat last years record membership level Walker, President of the National Space $5 rebate/discount that HAL5 also offers of 65 members. This year we accom- Society and the world’s first commercial is still in effect, bring the cost of NSS plished this feat without running our astronaut to fly into space. Quite a membership down to $20 — the lowest display at TABES (due to a conflict with number of you are supporting laser in the entire nation! our historic rockoon SL-1 mission). propulsion research. HAL5 membership Also, our STEDTRAIN display was includes cutting edge pioneers develop- 15 NSS Members Recruited to Date mostly unmanned due to the fact that we ing low cost hybrid rocket motor and conducted a 680 pound thrust motor rockoon technologies. HAL5 member, 13 HAL5 members have already taken firing that weekend! Our hard work and and last President of the L5 Society, advantage of this offer. They are Wade persistence in pursuing our goals is Gordon Woodcock is now supporting Dorland, Stephen Beach, Robert Powell, paying off tremendously! Space America, a corporation developing Tim Pickens, Bill Brown, John Dodd, a low cost 125,000 pound thrust LOX Gene Young, John Corda, Clay Sawyer, Visionaries, Pioneers, and Doers kerosene motor. Herman Pickens, Chris Pickens, Todd Cayton, and Steve Mustaikis. Rodney You members of HAL5 are an elite set of We explore the applications of micro- Bradford, last month’s speaker, and visionaries, pioneers, and doers. You gravity and ultimately antigravity itself. Janis Tirey have also joined the NSS. represent both the foundation and future One of our latest members, Dr. Ning Li of space exploration and development. of UAH is pushing the far fringes of the (see Campaign on page 7) future by warping space- time itself with her gravity modification experiments. HAL5 Program Night If it can be done, you are Wednesday, September 24, 1997 the guys who can and will 7 to 9 p.m. (with social afterwards) do it! Huntsville Public Library Auditorium The good news is that “X-33 and the Aerospike Engine: HAL5 has only begun to Lockheed’s Big Space Gamble” show the world what it can do! One of the greatest Guest speakers will be Mr. Steve Cook honors I’ve known is to and Mr. Jan Monk of the Reusable share membership with all Launch Vehicle Program Office at the of you. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Together we make a All HAL5 and NSS members are tremendous difference! encouraged to attend, and to bring (see First Word on page 7) interested friends and co-workers. HALO SL-2 hybrid rocket motor fires on August 2 Open to the public. Free admission. with 680 pounds of thrust. See page 3 for details. July–August 1997 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER Huntsville Alabama L5 Society 1997 HAL5 Election Results HAL5 Enhances its Motto President — Greg Allison (by Ronnie Lajoie, SSS Editor) For many years, the motto of the Day: 895-2415, Eve: 859-5538 Huntsville Alabama L5 Society has been At the June HAL5 Program Night on Vice-President — Larry Scarborough “Promoting the development of a space Wednesday, June 25, the membership of Day: 881-1944, Eve: 881-4363 faring civilization”. The motto appears Treasurer — Ronnie Lajoie HAL5 (10 were present) voted to elect at the top of our stationary and at the Day: 461-3064, Eve: 721-1083 most of the slate of officers as selected by bottom of our forms. A highly visible Secretary — Peter Ewing the HAL5 Elections Committee. The phrase like this therefore needs to Day: 876-5151, Eve: 876-5151 Committee consisted of members accurately reflect its organization. Membership — Philomena Grodzka Philomena Grodzka and Bill Axenroth. Day: 837-4287, Eve: 536-8638 Ron Lajoie nominated the slate; Recent developments by HAL5, namely Communications — Bill Brown Philomena seconded. Greg Allison Day: 876-5151, Eve: 536-9334 Project HALO, go way beyond mere requested nominations from the floor. Special Projects — Alfred Wright “promoting” space development. We are Peter Ewing nominated Bill Brown for Day: 876-8037, Eve: 420-6273 DOING something! Our history-making the position of Communications Chair; Programming — Wade Dorland rockoon mission on May 11 proves that. which was seconded. No other floor Day: 534-2566, Eve: 534-2566 “Promoting” gives the reader a sense that nominations were made. ---------------------------------------- we are waiting for others to do Southeastern Space Supporter something, while we stand on sidelines After a motion to close nominations was Volume 6, Number 4 with banners and signs. passed, the elections were held by silent July / August 1997 ballot. Bill Adams counted the votes. In July, Ron Lajoie made a motion to The Southeastern Space Supporter is a The only contested position went to Bill revise our motto to change the word bimonthly publication of the Huntsville Brown, who received 6 of the 10 votes. “Promoting” to “Accelerating”, which Alabama L5 Society (HAL5), a not-for- The following HAL5 officers and would accurately reflect that we are profit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the committee chairs were elected and will goal of seeing everyday people living in doing something to speed space serve from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998: thriving communities beyond the Earth. development. The motion unanimously passed. The new motto will appear on Any opinions expressed in this newsletter President.........................Greg Allison our new HAL5 forms and stationary. ¶ are those of the authors or of the Editor, Vice-President........Larry Scarborough and, unless expressly so stated, are not necessarily those of HAL5 or the NSS. Treasurer ...................... Ronnie Lajoie ******************** Secretary..........................Peter Ewing Visit the HAL5 Web Page on Internet via: HAL5 Votes to Disband at L5 Membership......... Philomena Grodzka http://advicom.net/~hal5/ Communications ................Bill Brown Prior to the merger in 1986, what is now ---------------------------------------- Special Projects.............Alfred Wright the National Space Society was two very HAL5 encourages its members to speak out different grassroots organizations: the L5 on space-related issues, and welcome Programming............... Wade Dorland Society and the National Space Institute. submissions of both fact and opinion articles of interest to HAL5 members. One of the fun things about the L5 All HAL5 members should feel free to Society was that its goal was to disband Submit letters or articles to: Ronnie Lajoie contact any of your elected officials (see the organization in a meeting of the 162 Kirby Lane, Madison, AL 35758 sidebar at left for their phone numbers), membership in a space city at the L5 Day phone/message: 205-461-3064 as they are here to service you. Earth-moon Langrange point. Night/Weekend phone: 205-721-1083 Electronic mail address: [email protected] Solar Thermal Talk a Success HAL5 has been so serious as of late, with Deadline for submittal is the last day of the the pressures of getting ready for the following months: February, April, June, Following the HAL5 elections, a joint next Project HALO rockoon mission, August, October, and December. program was held, co-sponsored by that President Greg Allison felt it was HAL5, HATS, and the World Future time to interject some fun back in the Preferred format for text is ASCII on a Society. The guest speaker was Mr. diskette or sent by E-Mail. Preferred organization. In July, he asked the new Rodney Bradford, President of United format for text with graphics is Word on a Executive Committee meeting to renew diskette. Also acceptable are letters and Applied Technologies. He spoke on the spirit of the old L5 Society. Ron articles sent by mail or faxed; however, the “Solar Thermal Propulsion Utilizing Lajoie made a motion to revise our more retyping required, the less likely the Polymid Fresnel Lenses”. He brought bylaws to state that we will disband acceptance. HAL5 is not responsible for some Fresnel lenses his company made, HAL5 during a meeting of the receipt of mailed submissions; none will be which were a big hit. A total of 21 membership in a space city/station at the returned unless sent with a SASE. Hand- adults and children attended the talk. ¶ delivered diskettes will be hand-returned. L5 Earth-moon Langrange point. The No compensation is paid for submissions. motion passed unanimously. ¶ July–August 1997 2 SOUTHEASTERN SPACE SUPPORTER HALO NEWS HALO SL-2 Motor Fires! (by Ron Lajoie, HALO team member) On Saturday, August 2, for the first time since November of last year, 14 members of the Project HALO team, plus 13 other HAL5 members, family members, friends, and guests, met at the HALO Rocket Motor Test Facility at the home of Herman and Chris Pickens.