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The First Private Spaceship and Pilot Soar Into Space

The First Private Spaceship and Pilot Soar Into Space

Special Report: Scoping Out The New Space Vision

Inside Project Constellation

Big Booster Options July/August/September 2004 $4.95

SpaceShip wonderful! THE FIRST PRIVATE SPACESHIP AND PILOT SOAR INTO SPACE

PAYLOAD SPACE BIRD Hailed as a modern-day Charles Lindbergh, test pilot Mike Melvill ventures beyond the wild blue yonder for a few minutes of space wonderland.

Volume 16, Number 3 July/August/September 2004 6 Special Report , MARS AND BEYOND: FOR A NEW ERA THE U.S. BLUEPRINT FOR SPACE EXPLORATION BY JEFF FOUST S4 MODULES FIRST MAN ON THE MOON LOOKS FOWARD TO OTHERS’ RETURN 3 BY S7 4 Mission Control INSIDE PROJECT CONSTELLATION Space Beat BY FRANK SIETZEN, JR. S9

S3 Countdown LAUNCH OPTIONS LOOM LARGE FOR NASA’S NEW MISSION 41 Space Community BY WILLIAM HARWOOD S13 48 Lifting Off ONE WAY TO MARS BY LUCIAN SAMOSATA S18 ON THE COVER: Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne THINK SMALL returns from its short but historic venture into space. BY JEFF FOUST S23 Photo: Jeff Foust Outlook: The Real Cost of the New Space Plan BY TAYLOR DINERMAN S26

Outlook: Bush’s Stepping-stones to Space AD ASTRA, which means “to the stars” in Latin, is the motto of the , an international BY JOHN H. MARBURGER III S28 membership group dedicated to furthering the explo- ration and development of space. Our quarterly maga- Outlook: Common Goal Unites Space Advocates zine AD ASTRA is only one of many NSS activities aimed at creating a spacefaring civilization. For more informa- BY JIM BANKE S29 tion on NSS call 1-202-429-1600 or visit www.nss.org/ Outlook: The 11th Commandant of Space BY CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY S30 Governance

1620 I Street NW Suite 615 Officers Washington, DC 20006 Hugh Downs, Chairman of the Board of Governors Kirby Ikin, Chairman of the Board of Directors (202) 429-1600 www.nss.org Cliff McMurray, Executive Vice President Greg Allison, Chairman of the Executive Committee Jeffrey Liss, Senior Vice President Greg Rucker, Vice President of Projects George T. Whitesides Jay Wittner, Vice President of Membership Frank Braun, Vice President of Public Affairs Executive Director Jim Plaxco, Vice President of Chapters Mark Hopkins, Secretary Darren Arnold Joe Redfield, Treasurer Harry Reed, Assistant Secretary Program Manager Bob Goetz, Assistant Treasurer Keil Ritterpusch, General Counsel Scott Farrow Membership Director Directors Laurence Ahearn David Baxter Marianne Dyson Robby Gaines Rich Godwin Francis Govers Bruce Janele Dana Johnson Alan Ladwig Ronnie Lajoie Bruce Mackenzie Stewart Nozette Robert Pearlman Membership Services Manager Seth Potter Harry Reed Peter Vajk Charles Walker Elaine Walker Alan Wasser Melanie Weiner Wayne White Philip Young Director of Meetings Caroline Cromeline, Advisors Jared Hall, Brian Olds C. J. Cherryh David Criswell Jerry Grey Joe Haldeman Eleanor Helin Mark Holthaus Interns Barbara Marx Hubbard Margaret Jordan Florence Nelson Scott Pace Glenn Reynolds Stanley G. Rosen Stanley Schmidt Craig Ward JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2002 $4.95 to the stars Governors Mark J. Albrecht Norman R. Augustine Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Alan B. Binder THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY Ben Bova Bruce Boxleitner Gerald P. Carr Sir Arthur C. Clarke Publisher Michael DeBakey Hugh Downs K. Eric Drexler Freeman J. Dyson Edward R. Finch Aaron Freeman National Space Society Don Fuqua Newt Gingrich Peter E. Glaser John H. Glenn Shelley A. Harrison Robert Jastrow John H. Johnson Arthur Kantrowitz John S. Lewis James A. Lovell Robert T. McCall Editor-in-Chief Irene Mona Klotz Marvin Minsky Kenneth Money Nichelle Nichols Frederick I. Ordway III William R. Pogue Frederick Seitz Michael Simpson John B. Slaughter Anthony J. Tether Senior Contributing Editor John Kross James A. Van Allen Maria von Braun Glen P. Wilson Simon P. Worden James B. Wyeth

Copy Editor Jonathan Aretakis Visionary Donors

Photographer B UZZ A LDRIN C OUNCIL I NDIVIDUALS Joe Marino Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Edward Apke Jack Bader Richard F. Beers Michael Cronin Art Direction and Graphic Design Paul Canolesio Stephen R. Donaldson Michael Downey Hugh Downs Leonard D. Righter Lars S. Easterson Andrew S. Ladson Vernon Edgar Steven Goddard David R. Hamlin Robert Edwards David Hampton Mark Herrup Adrian S. Hooper Production Services Gregg Foote Mercury Publishing Services, Inc. Dana Johnson Hugh Hotson, Jr. Robert Hunter Dave Jacques http://www.mercurypubs.com David Peter Kapelanski William Jaeger Randy D. Kelley Don Kimball Ad Astra (ISSN 1041-102X) is published J. Michael Lekson Jeffrey Kodosky Georgette Koopman Ronnie LaJoie quarterly by the National Space Society. Charles T. Lenzmeier Evan Malone Eugene Montgomery James O’Neil Editorial offices are located at 1620 I Street, Dean E. Frederick I. Ordway III Christopher Pancratz Ed Post Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. No mate- Mary Morss rial in this magazine may be reproduced Guilermo P. Rodriquez Greg Rucker Randall Skinner without permission. Periodicals postage John H. McQuilkin Charles E. Stauble Mike Symond John A. Swanson paid at Washington, DC, and additional Stanley J. Novak entry. Membership inquiries ($45/yr, $20/yr Allan M. Schiffman & Phylis Ooi Eric W. Tilenius Adrian Tymes Jeffrey C. Walker for students under 22) should be sent to the Eric Tilenius Glen P. Wilson Jay Wittner National Space Society, 1620 I Street, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. Postmaster: Send C ORPORATIONS address changes to Ad Astra, 1620 I Street, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. Fisher Space Pen Lockheed Martin Raytheon SGI

2 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars launch pad MODULESa

On May 17 an amateur group, the Civilian Space Exploration Team, led by SAVING Ky Michaelson sent a into space on a suborbital trajectory. The next month Burt Rutan and his company Scaled Composites did the same with a THROUGH SPACE person. Only a few decades ago it would have taken a superpower nation to attempt such feats. I congratulate both teams for their efforts. Maybe one day such groups can actually reach for orbit. The advance of technology enables small groups to accomplish imponderable things more and more with each passing day. That has an upside, but it has a Greg Allison downside, too. Biotechnology is both advancing and spreading the world over. Chairman of the Unfortunately nuclear weapons technology is spreading as well. NSS Executive Just as we build in our garages and aim for space today we also will Committee find groups building weapons of mass destruction in their garages and shops. The people who bring you Internet viruses today may bring you the real thing tomorrow. You will not need organized terror networks such as Al Qaeda to do the dirty work. Small groups, or even embit- tered loners, will be able to cook up horrible nightmares. In his book Our Final Hour, British astronomer Sir Martin Rees gives odds of no better than 50 percent that our civilization will sur- vive until the end of this century. At the International Space Development Conference over the Memorial Day weekend Canadian and NSS board member Dr. Ken Money described the neural mechanism for group conflict. This is an actual mental switch that enables people to commit atrocious acts against people whom they do not consider to be part of their “group.” On Earth we all live in one biosphere. One can think of our world as a really large fish bowl. We are all swimming around in it together. The accidental release of some nasty pathogen, what Sir Rees calls bio-error, or bio-terror, could be devastating. Especially when one considers the nature of the hardy, super virulent bugs that weapon scientists devised before the advent of genet- ic engineering. If we can survive long enough there is nanotechnology that could turn our whole world into gray goo. Space exploration and settlement offers multiple means to address these vexing problems. The obvious one is getting all of our eggs out of the single basket of Earth by building new baskets in the heavens. Then we are not all just swimming around together in one fish bowl. Dr. Money sug- gests that we need something constructive to channel our energies. Less obvious, but more powerful than the goal of saving Earth itself, is the idea discussed in Frank White’s book The . who fly in space, especially out to the moon, are emotionally moved by the view of Earth from space. From the moon one sees the small pale blue Earth contrast against the black night of the void. From this vantage point it becomes obvi- ous how precious and fragile our world is. The atmosphere is thinly spread over the 8,000-mile diameter rock we call Earth. They notice the lack of borders. From space it becomes obvious that we are all one, one group. What this world needs is a lot of people seeing that view and bringing this message back home, spreading it through communities around the world. If we are to survive we must use this as one of our tools to eliminate hatred and bond our world together. If we all work together we can save the Earth through space. Let’s do it!

Greg Allison

to the stars Ad Astra july august s e p t e m b e r 2004 3 MODULESa

MOON LURES NEW EXPLORERS obtain high-resolution geological, min- could cross paths with our planet, caus- As the ’s eralogical and topographical maps of ing a close encounter of the worse kind. MISSION Smart-1 probe spirals out to the the moon’s surface. Eight proposals With that in mind, Apollo-veteran moon, work has accelerated on have been received so far, including Rusty Schweickart and former ISS crew- CONTROL NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance concepts from the ESA, and a pri- man Edward Lu are pushing for launch of Orbiter, which could wield powerful vate laboratory in the . an unmanned to test ways to spacebeat BY JOHN KROSS radar to scan permanently darkened China plans to launch its first deflect a threatening asteroid as early as craters to look for trapped water ice. moon rover in 2012 as part of an ambi- 2015. Testifying before an investigation orbiter update NASA plans a follow-on robotic lunar tious space exploration program. The into the threat from asteroids to the in 2009. However, lunar mis- rover would carry a camera, a tele- Earth, Schweickart called for a new mis- sions from traditional space powers scope and seismological instruments sion to develop the technologies needed are only part of the story. to provide information on sites for a to protect the Earth. After years of neglect, the world- potential lunar base. The rover is part “More and more people are com- wide interest in Earth’s closest neigh- of the three-phase lunar probe pro- ing to know that some few of these bor seems to be growing. Encouraged gram, dubbed “Chang’e” after a moon- asteroids do not silently the by recent progress, the Indian Space traveling fairy in Chinese folklore. Earth, but indeed crash in, largely Research Organization is moving up the Phase one of China’s moon dream unannounced. On the rare occasions launch date for its planned $10-million is under way, with scientists begin- when this happens they can wreak lunar orbiter mission by a year. ning work on a two-ton lunar probe, havoc of a magnitude unprecedented Originally slated to launch in 2008, the scheduled for launch in 2007, that is in human history,” Schweickart Chandrayaan-1 mission could circle the being designed to take three-dimen- warned, adding that even the small- moon by 2007 or earlier in search of sional lunar images, measure the den- est, frequent impacts are more deposits of helium-3—a potential fuel sity of the moon’s soil and explore the powerful than the blast from the most for future fusion reactors. During its lunar environment. powerful U.S. nuclear weapon. two-year mission, Chandrayaan-1 will China has loosened the cloak of The lack of fundamental informa- secrecy shrouding its space program tion about asteroids would hamper after last year’s success of the pioneer- deflection plans if nudging a cosmic ing Shenzhou V (“divine vessel”) human cannonball were called for. To remedy space flight, opting to use space as a this, Schweickart said the country symbol of technological progress. should “adopt the goal of altering the orbit of an asteroid, in a controlled

ASTEROID HUNTERS TEAM UP manner, by 2015.” Asteroid hunters from NASA, the U.S. He added that, in his view, such a Air Force and the National mission would not require the devel- Reconnaissance Office have joined opment of additional new technolo- NASA/LMSAL forces to spot the many careening gies or new spending. “The key capa-

VENUS PASSING cosmic cannonballs that might target bilities required already are in the The crossing of our planetary neighbor in front of the sun on June 8 as Earth in the future. pipeline of the existing Prometheus viewed in extreme ultraviolet by NASA’s TRACE spacecraft. The last About 1,000 to 2,000 asteroids Program,” said Schweickart. Venus transit occurred in 1882 and was used to compute the distance larger than 1 kilometer approach within The plan drew support from astro- from the Earth to the sun. Scientists with NASA’s Kepler mission hope 48 million kilometers of Earth, but less naut Lu. “The first attempt to deflect an to discover Earth-like planets outside our solar system by searching for than 20 percent have been detected so asteroid should not be when it counts transits of other stars by planets that might be orbiting them. far. Although the vast majority will for real, because there are no doubt never pose a threat, a tiny percentage many surprises in store as we learn

4 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars mission control space beat how to manipulate asteroids,” he said. Mother Nature chimed in a warn- ORBITER UPDATE ing as well, dispatching a small near- Earth asteroid on the closest approach to Earth ever recorded. The object, designated 2004 FH, is roughly 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter and passed just 43,000 km (26,500 miles, or about 3.4 Earth diameters) above the Earth’s surface on March 18.

MODEL ROCKET TO SPACE A former Hollywood stuntman- turned-rocketeer has sent a model NASA rocket where none have flown before—into space. WING RESTORATION NASA After failed attempts in 2000 and Shuttle Discovery, which is 2004, Ky Michaelson of Bloomington, being prepared for NASA’s CLOSER LOOK Minn., launched his 21-foot rocket to first post-Columbia mission, Astronaut Soichi Noguch, a member of the STS-114 Return to Flight an altitude of about 100 kilometers is outfitted with its first crew, inspects a pressure oxidizer duct in the Main above the Nevada desert. Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Engine Shop at . The vehicle, named “GoFast wing panel. Rocket“ after one of the project’s spon- sors, lifted off from the Black Rock Desert in May, under the watchful eyes of the Federal Aviation Administration. A 14-second burn catapulted the rocket faster than 4,000 miles per hour to an altitude of more than 100 kilometers— the official boundary of space—in about three minutes. The rocket spent several minutes radioing data down before falling to Earth for recovery. “I just freaked out,” Michaelson told after the launch. “All those emotions after all those years came out of me. I just couldn’t believe it.”

The sending of an amateur rocket NASA and payload into space marks a signifi- WATER SOFTENER cant milestone, and provides another NASA tests the shuttle launch pad’s sound suppression system, which is used during launches to dampen avenue—presumably a cheaper one— out potentially dangerous acoustical energy. During the test, 360,000 gallons of water flooded the pad in into suborbital space. (Watch the launch 41 seconds. video at www.civilianspace.com) n to the stars Ad Astra july august s e p t e m b e r 2004 5 Space bird

eyond blue sky lies black space, a sight unseen by all but the tiniest the hopes and dreams of dozens of space entrepreneurs, many of whom are Bfraction of human beings. On June 21, one man got there on a wave competing in a $10 million due to expire at the end of the year. generated by private, not government, investment. Crafted under the artis- “Mike Melvill became Charles Lindbergh that day,” said Geoff Sheerin, tic eye of Burt Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites, SpaceShipOne head of Canadian team developing its own reusable suborbital passenger and its jet carrier White Knight, soared over the Mojave Desert in a suc- spaceship. “That flight changed everything.” cessful attempt to leave Earth’s atmosphere and stick a toe in space. Riding Photos courtesy: Aero-News Network, Houston Chronicle, Scaled Composites, alongside pilot Mike Melvill, who earned his astronaut wings that day, were Jeff Foust and Irene Klotz.

6 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars

Space bird

SPACEPORT MOJAVE The newest road to space begins in Mojave, Calif., home of the nation’s first inland space- port. An exotic armada of airplanes accom- panied White Knight and SpaceShipOne into the skies. Among the thousands on hand to witness the flight were prime sponsor Paul Allen, moonwalker Buzz Aldrin and NASA astronaut Scott Horowitz. n

SEND A MESSAGE TO BURT Want to offer your congratulations to Burt Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites for sending the first private astronaut into space? You can post a message here and read what others have written. http://www.nss.org/petition/mt/archives/2004/06/send_congratula.html

8 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars special report Moon, mars and Beyond: Space Exploration for a New Era

The U.S. Blueprint for First Man on the Moon Looks Inside Project Constellation Launch Options Loom Large Space Exploration Forward to Others’ Return By Frank Sietzen, Jr. for NASA’s New Mission By Jeff Foust By Neil Armstrong By William Harwood

Also: The Real Cost of the New Space Plan By Taylor Dinerman Bush’s Stepping-stones to Space By John H. Marburger III Common Goal Unites Space Advocates By Jim Banke The 11th Commandant of Space By Clifford R. McMurray

One Way To Mars Think Small By Lucian Samosata By Jeff Foust

countdown MODULESa

OVER THE THORNS, TO THE STARS

BY IRENE MONA KLOTZ, EDITOR IN CHIEF, AD ASTRA

d Astra, the magazine of the National Space Society, civilian, military and commercial sectors offers his view of an Atakes its name directly from the Latin words for “to the alternative funding mechanism to get to Mars – philanthropy – stars.” With this special section, perhaps a new mantra is in and explains why we are ready for this new age of exploration. order: Per aspera ad astra — “over the thorns, to the stars.” Likewise, Jeff Foust points out another path we can take to dis- Space advocates are raising their sights above the trees to focus patch robotic probes to the moon. He questions the wisdom of squarely on the forest, burying differences in details in order to NASA’s approach to the proposed Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, build momentum for the common goal of expediting humanity’s which the agency plans to build in-house with instruments provid- reach into space. ed by research teams, and makes a compelling case for using a fleet Galvanized by a presidential directive to move NASA beyond of smaller, more focused missions that rely heavily on the commer- low-Earth orbit, the space community is hard at work to turn cial sectors. words into actions. This special section of Ad Astra offers several Our special report also includes commentaries by the presi- perspectives that are shaping the new exploration plan and high- dent’s science advisor, John Marburger and a thoughtful per- lights some of the program’s particulars. spective piece by Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on To begin, Jeff Foust, a keen observer of , lays out the the moon. findings of the presidential commission charged with coming up Essayist Taylor Dinerman explains why we cannot afford to with a plan to implement the new space vision. As explained by NOT go to space and points out the true value of what NASA is President Bush in January, the plan redirects NASA from space buying for Americans with its $15 billion a year allotment. shuttle and -based missions to voyages that return the Finally the National Space Society’s Cliff McMurray, head of United States to the moon and then sets the stage for future human the policy committee, and Jim Banke, a long-time aerospace ventures beyond Earth. reporter who recently joined the , offer sugges- Author Frank Sietzen takes us inside Project Constellation for tions on how to turn your passion for space into reality. a look at NASA’s first steps into this new era of exploration. He The shift in the government’s program comes as the private sec- discusses development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle and how tor engages in one of the most compelling space projects in decades the program is being set up to evolve the craft from moonship to – the development of commercial human . How long it Mars carrier. takes for the suborbital baby steps we are witnessing to progress to Veteran aerospace reporter and author Bill Harwood discusses affordable orbital excursions for those seeking adventure is any- options for a new heavy-lift booster to carry the nuts and bolts of body’s guess. But what the entrepreneurial and government space the new program into orbit and on to the moon. sectors share is the realization that if you can visualize it in your A top space official who has spent years sculpting the philos- mind, you can create the reality. ophy and implementing the vision of space programs for the Ad Astra!

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S3 The U.S. Blueprint for Space Exploration

BY JEFF FOUST

A view of our moon from the flight deck of space shuttle Columbia during its final mission. It was , in part, Columbia’s demise that set in motion plans for the U.S. to return to the moon. NASA

S4 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars The remaking of NASA is only part of the job; the real test will be sustaining the vision over decades to come

ver the past two decades, there has been no A more surprising recommendation involves Oshortage of reports discussing what is wrong with the future of NASA’s 10 field centers. For years, NASA and in what direction the space agency should rumors have swirled that NASA might close one or go for the near as well as far term. From the National more of the centers as a cost-cutting move. While Commission on Space, which in 1986 offered a many expected the commission to endorse such a series of goals for NASA extending over 50 years, to move, it instead offered a different approach: con- the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, which verting the centers from federal facilities to federal- last year delved into the root cultural problems with ly funded research and development centers the agency, one could fill most of a bookshelf with (FFRDCs). While FFRDCs get their money from the reports that have promised to “fix” NASA. the government, they are instead run by outside However, most of those reports have had little lasting entities, usually universities or nonprofit organiza- effect on the agency. tions. For example, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory In June, another high-powered commission in Pasadena, Calif., already is a FFRDC: while announced its plan to reform NASA. The President’s funded by NASA, it is run by the California Commission on Moon, Mars, and Beyond, better Institute of Technology. known as the Aldridge Commission after its chair- Converting the field centers into FFRDCs would man, former Air Force secretary Edward “Pete” offer a number of advantages, commissioners believe. Aldridge, wrapped up its investigation of how NASA “It would revitalize innovation, work effectively with and the nation should implement President Bush’s the private sector, and stimulate local economic Vision for Space Exploration. The commission’s final development,” Aldridge said. In addition, FFRDCs report, “A Journey to Inspire, Innovate, and offer a greater degree of flexibility in their manage- Discover,” doesn’t provide a detailed technical analy- ment over traditional federal facilities, including the sis of how NASA should return humans to the moon ability to pay employees comparable amounts to by 2020 in preparation for and their private-sector counterparts. beyond. Instead, the slender 60-page report offers a At the press conference where the commission blueprint for how NASA should reorganize itself, unveiled its report, Aldridge admitted that realpolitik engage the private sector, and capture the imagina- also played a role in the commission’s decision to tion of the public, all critical milestones if the vision convert the centers into FFRDCs. “We thought is to become reality. about it a long time,” he said, “and our view was that Not surprisingly, the commission made a num- if we put into our report that the Congress and ber of recommendations regarding how NASA NASA should undertake a base realignment and clo- should be structured to best carry out the vision. sure action, the report would probably have burned The commission believes that three new organiza- on the first day.” tions should be established within NASA: a techni- Another somewhat surprising outcome of the cal advisory board to provide independent advice on report was a strong endorsement of the private sec- technology issues, an independent cost-estimation tor’s role in space exploration. “The Commission group, and a research and technology organization believes that commercialization of space should to sponsor “high-risk, high-payoff” technology become a primary focus of the vision,” the report research. The last organization, commissioners said, noted, “and that the creation of a space-based should be patterned after the Defense Advanced industry will be one of the principal benefits of this Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s journey.” In the eyes of the commission, no such organization for doing risky, but potentially ground- industry exists today: while there is an aerospace breaking, technology work. The commissioners industry, it is comprised primarily of a small num- noted that NASA has to be willing, like DARPA, to ber of large corporations that do contract work for have some of those technology projects fail. “If the government. Creating a more diverse space DARPA is not failing, then it’s not pushing the state industry would, in the commission’s view, be “a of the art,” Aldridge said. national treasure.” to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S5 Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury shares his ideas with the President’s Commission that looked at how to implement the new exploration policy.

One way to help develop the is to improve the professor at the Institute of Technology. That private sector’s relationship with NASA. In particular, the report shortfall, she noted, poses a risk not just to NASA, but also to the calls for NASA to procure services from the private sector whenev- nation’s leadership in high-technology fields in general. er possible, relying on internal resources only when there is an One solution to the problem proposed by the commission is “irrefutable demonstration” of a lack of capability elsewhere. The the creation of a “virtual space academy.” The academy would fea- commission even suggested, in a footnote, that NASA consider ture a one-year series of courses designed to give college students “limited advertising and sponsorships” akin to the Olympics to pro- hands-on experience in space science and engineering work, vide additional revenue for exploration programs. preparing them for a possible career in the field. NASA would In particular, the report recommends that NASA procure all design and fund the courses, which would be based at participat- its low-Earth orbit launch services commercially, with the excep- ing universities around the nation. tion of manned launches. By and large NASA already does this, A bigger issue, the commission acknowledged, is getting the purchasing launches for missions. NASA general public interested in spaceflight and sustaining that interest could expand this, commissioners noted, by using the private for years to come. Commissioner Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of sector to launch cargo to the International Space Station. NASA the Hayden in City, mentioned the public is studying commercial ISS resupply options but has not yet outcry when NASA decided to cancel the final shuttle servicing made a decision how to proceed. In a speech the day after the mission to the Hubble . “That told me that NASA report’s release, Michael Kostelnik, NASA deputy associate didn’t own Hubble, the public owned Hubble,” he said. “It’s that administrator for the space station and space shuttle programs, kind of ownership that I look forward to seeing in the public as we suggested that NASA was in no hurry to hand over ISS resupply go forward, because the day that happens, it no longer becomes a to the private sector. “It’s not very likely that we can get a robust political issue. It becomes part of our culture, part of what it means delivery capability in the near term, nor is it clear that we need to be American. It would become unimaginable to think of a time one right now,” he said. He did add, though, that commercial when we don’t do it.” ISS resupply of some kind would be needed late in the decade, The near-term challenge, though, will be trying to implement as the shuttle approaches retirement. the commission’s recommendations. The day of the report’s release In addition to encouraging NASA to purchase commercial serv- both NASA and the Bush Administration thanked the commission ices, the commission offered a number of other ways to stimulate the for their work, but were non-committal about whether, when, and private sector, including prizes, tax incentives, regulatory reform, and how they would act on the report’s findings. “I am confident that a re-examination of the issue of property rights in space. The com- the Commission’s report will help Congress, NASA, other govern- mission was particularly fond of prizes, strongly endorsing NASA’s ment agencies, the private sector, the international community, and prize program, which wrapped up a two-day the American public to work together to undertake the next steps planning workshop the same day the report was released. in our journey into space for the benefit of generations to come,” While NASA is not planning to spend more than $50 million a President Bush said in a statement. year on the program, the commission recommended that larger In the eyes of the commission, the success of the vision depends prizes be established, including possibly a $1-billion prize for the on how well NASA and others carry out the report’s recommenda- first organization to send people to the moon and have them live tions, a tall order given the fate of previous reports on reforming there for a period of time before returning. NASA. “If this vision is serious, then the recommendations of this While much of the media attention surrounding the commission’s report are critical in the successful implementation of the vision,” report focused on its organizational and commercialization recom- said Aldridge. “Will it be successful without the recommendations? mendations, a key aspect of the report is how to keep the public, and Maybe, but it is more likely to be successful if these recommenda- in particular students, interested in the exploration vision. The vision tions are implemented than otherwise.” n could fail in the long term if today’s students shun careers in science, engineering and related fields. “We are not training enough scientists Jeff Foust is a freelance writer and editor of The Space Review online and engineers in this country,” said commissioner Maria Zuber, a geo- publications. (http://www.thespacereview.com)

S6 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars First man on the moon looks forward to others’return

The first man to set foot on the moon says the new Vision for Space Exploration has “substantial merit and prom- ise.” Commander Neil Armstrong recently reflected on the history of the and looked ahead to future exploration plans, noting that “our economy can certainly afford an effort of this magnitude.” Armstrong made the speech in Houston on March 11, 2004, where he was awarded the National Space Trophy by the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation. He was introduced by famed NASA Flight Director Christopher Kraft.

ARMSTRONG’S REMARKS: The new jet engine permitted remarkable Thank you very much. Thank you so much. It’s very increases in aircraft performance, but their thrust special for me to have Kraft decreased at altitude, and their top speed was limit- be the presenter for this award. We go back a long ed. Rocket engines had neither of these disadvan- way, sometime back in the middle of the last centu- tages. Americans take a great deal of pride in Robert ry when we were both young engineers working with Goddard’s development of liquid propellant rock- the National Advisory Committee for . ets, but the reality is, at the time, his work was NACA was strictly a research agency with no opera- ridiculed by some, including , tional role, but they were certainly trying to solve the and only lightly supported. Most people could not problems of going higher and faster. see much practical use for a rocket. It didn’t run for very long, had the world’s worst fuel consumption, and it seemed to be prone on destroying itself one way or another. After World War II, the NACA, along with the Air Force and the Navy, pursued high-speed aerody- namic research using small rockets and rocket pow- ered experimental aircraft. The Army, with the help of the German rocketeers from Project Paperclip, continued research using the V2 and its derivative rockets. The possibility of artificial was really fairly widely discussed within the scientific commu- nity, but still it was a great shock to most Americans when, in October of 1957, Sputnik sailed across the night sky, and people could actually watch it. The space age had begun, and we weren’t a part of it. Americans were embarrassed, and for the first time ever, people began talking seriously about people going into space. One and a half weeks later, researchers gathered at a long-planned conference to consider the best successor for the X-15, a hypersonic, rocket powered research aircraft, which was, at the time, still under construction. The competing configurations were a

NASA highly swept delta wing, a flat-topped lifting body, Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong. and a flat-bottomed lifting body.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S7 Apollo had a crew of three and more propulsion and more computing power, and Apollos, for the first time, were on boosters that were designed and built for them and had enough juice to leave Earth orbit. Apollo proved that humans were not forever a prisoner of Earth’s gravity. We could leave our own planet and go to other celestial destinations, and Americans were no longer second best. Space stations emerged in the 70s with and Salyut, and Apollo and rendezvoused

The and docked in the 70s, paving the way for interna- Apollo 11 astronauts tional participation in later stations, and here on with President Bush at But Sputnik had changed the world. Hypersonic the ISS. After Apollo, NASA conjured a grand plan the White House mark- was being pushed aside in favor of sending a man all to expand human presence in space and include ing the 35th anniversary the way into orbit. All of the configurations that had one or more permanent terminals in Earth orbit, of their mission. From been competing were too heavy to be lifted to orbit by craft to depart from and after return to the termi- left: Michael Collins, existing rockets, products of the , which were nal from various places in the solar system, and President George W. designed to carry warheads over oceans. Max Faget and reusable craft to service the entire enterprise by Bush, Neil Armstrong Paul Purser of Langley argued that if we were to get a shuttling back and forth between Earth orbit and and Buzz Aldrin on July man into orbit soon, the only choice, the only reason- the Earth’s surface. 21, 2004. able choice, was a ballistic shape lifted by an ICBM Advocates were unable to persuade the establish- booster. The Soviets had reached the same conclusion. ment that that was all doable with the resources One obvious configuration was the sphere. It available, and only the last piece, the shuttle orbiter, had no instability problems at any Mach number, was funded. The shuttle has now been operating for and its aerodynamic characteristics were very pre- a couple of decades, with occasional time-outs for dictable. But depending on its entry angle into the good reason. And, although it never came close to atmosphere, it might produce deceleration forces reaching the original planned flight rate, and, conse- which are beyond human tolerance. went quently, the economies of scale, it has done a the spherical route, and the Americans, using the remarkable job of performing a very wide range of work of Harvey Allen and Al Eggers at Ames, devel- mission types. oped modified warhead shapes. And so it happened From time to time, new grand plans have been that the on the A1 booster and the Mercury announced, only to decay and dissolve from an inad- on an Atlas, were created and launched, and human equate level of public support, as interpreted by their beings found themselves circling the Earth high elected officials. above the atmosphere. Now our president has introduced a new initia- Soviets were soon flying multiple crews, and we tive with renewed emphasis on exploration of our wanted to also. We wanted the ability to do more. solar system and expansion of the human frontiers. The Gemini added onboard rocket propulsion so we This proposal has substantial merit and promise. The could maneuver in space, and it had an onboard dig- success of that endeavor will be dependent on over- ital computer. Digital computers weren’t so highly coming principle concerns of cost and risk. regarded in those days. They could be accurate, but Our economy can certainly afford an effort of they were interminably slow. This one didn’t have any this magnitude, but the public must believe that the gigs or any megs; it had 4K of memory. No screen, benefits to society deserve the investment. Noting just one seven-digit register for input and output. the advancement of knowledge, the rate of progress But Gemini crews could navigate. And, for the is proportional to the risk encountered. The public at first time, knew how to get to a destination without large may well be more risk-adverse than the individ- asking for directions. Using all this computing uals in our business, but to limit the progress in the power, they took great pride in controlling their name of eliminating risk is no virtue. entry into the atmosphere, the trajectory, and land- The success of the endeavor will also be ing precisely close to the ship that was awaiting them. dependent on the degree to which the aerospace I landed (Gemini 8) near Okinawa, but my intend- community, all of us — government, industry, and ed target had been the Caribbean. I doubt the record academia — can coalesce their forces and converge will ever be broken. on a common goal. n

S8 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars NASA’s first step beyond low-Earth orbit begins with I a new vehicle to transport cargo and people to the moon PROJECT CONSTELLATION

n the upper floors of a sandstone-faced building for the civil space agency. But while the politicos and Oin southwest Washington, D.C., a new era of pundits have battered the Bush initiative on Capitol space exploration is taking shape. There men and Hill and in the media, NASA has begun to quietly N women—some youthful, others with faces lined chart the course for the , a from years of experience—are hunched over com- course that hopes to speed up the normal slow-paced puter screens on desks stacked with paper docu- process of defining spaceship designs and issuing ments and reports. They move about their offices, contracts to create them. cubicles, and conference rooms with dispatch and a In fact, according to the head of the new NASA quiet sense of urgency. I saw this kind of intensity office that is in charge of fulfilling Bush’s space among space professionals only once before: In the dreams, Constellation may set a virtually interplane- summer of 1965, my mom took me to work one tary pace for its development and testing plans. day at her job at the Test Facility in “We’re trying to do business differently,” says retired S Hancock County, Miss. There, workers were Rear Admiral Craig E. Steidle, who was brought into focused on test-firing the gigantic first and second NASA the day after Bush’s announcement in January stages of Apollo’s Saturn V booster. Even the air to become the Associate Administrator for the Office seemed to be electric. People were working unusu- of Exploration Systems. Steidle had precious little ally hard and in my memory were focused on some- time to get acclimated to his job after years in the thing that illuminated their individual roles, an all- Pentagon, where he directed the Joint Strike Fighter encompassing cause. Today that focus is being repli- project. His new NASA job had been created from cated in tone here at NASA headquarters and at its scratch. The navy-man-turned-spacer seems field centers nationwide. undaunted by his charge. “We’re doing the require- Their bustle suggests something of the task ments (for the lunar missions) and then it goes to Ed I assigned to them more than 20 weeks ago ago by Weiler,” he joked. George W. Bush: send humans outbound from Earth The task before Steidle and his team is a multi- to explore the solar system pronged effort to get the first requests out to indus- in an aptly named program try on how to develop the Constellation spaceships, called Constellation. Inside called Crew Exploration Vehicles. The CEVs will these offices at NASA head- come in slightly different versions, like different quarters on E Street within models of a car. Some versions of the craft will have sight of the Capitol dome, equipment that would allow it to dock with the Project Constellation’s plans International Space Station, now under orbital D are starting to unfold. For the first time since the early assembly. Other versions will come with hardware 1970s, NASA and its industry partners and planners that would allow it to serve as a base of operations are designing a completely new U.S. crewed space- on the moon’s surface. Yet other variants will be ship. And for only the second time in history, a ver- capable of leaving the Earth-moon system behind sion of this machine is to take astronauts once again and head out for asteroids, or Mars, or possibly down to the moon’s surface. If the planners’ work more distant destinations. Such machines may all continues, another variant of the craft will embark have the same shape, but under their heatshield someday for the red planet Mars. That history-mak- skins they would prove to be very different craft, ing journey would send Constellation’s people-carry- possibly some bigger, some smaller. E ing ships to follow today’s headline-grabbing robots What form the ships will take, their shapes and now roving the Martian surface. sizes and weights, are all up to industry to define. Since Bush came to this building on the cold Steidle has left only the broad outlines of Bush’s space winter afternoon of Jan. 14, much attention has plan to guide space designers as they move out with BY FRANK SIETZEN, JR. focused on the controversial political issues facing the the first paying contracts to begin detailed design plan, termed a new exploration vision and mission studies this summer and fall. Will they be space cap-

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S9 sules, like the Apollos of the 1960s? “We are going in with no pre- conceived solutions,” said Capt. Michael Hecker, deputy for Development Programs in the Office of Exploration. The process of defining the new craft began this spring, when NASA released to industry a “Request For Information” that con- tained 39 different elements. The document basically asked indus- try leaders in the space field how they thought NASA should pro- ceed with designing the Constellation ships, what issues should be identified early, and what capabilities did individual companies possess that could be utilized in the new space program. Based on the responses, NASA developed a series of “White Papers,” that are designed to give detailed attention to each aspect of the Bush space plan — moonships, Mars craft, new space boosters, advanced robots, new power technologies to run bases on the moon and expeditions out into deeper space venues. Six of the trade studies alone address ways to lift the Constellation components off of the Earth into orbit. The next step, after assimilating these studies, will be to issue a series of Broad Area Announcements that break down the three ele- ments of the Constellation CEVs for detailed study-an orbital ver- sion, a lunar version, and technology maturation. The space agency will proceed to design and construct the spacecraft using a man- agement process called Spiral Development. Originally created to advanced new software designs, the process builds programs around incorporating new technologies or capabili- ties into a system earlier than other management methods, and then brings the system to operations while still refining its capabilities. Engineers say it is a way to keep the design of a system updated while still being developed. Spiral One will be the design and development of the first gen- eration of Crew Exploration Vehicle capable of carrying astronauts only into Earth’s orbit. According to Hecker, Spiral One’s objective is to send the first crewed CEV ships into space no later than 2014, preceeded by unpiloted flight tests in 2011 and the first test-flight of a stripped-down prototype in 2008. Testing would center around choosing two contractor teams that would each bring a prototype of their CEV design, along with a separate booster rocket, into space during 2008. “This is not a flyoff,” Hecker said, because the test versions would only contain about 30 percent of the systems of a fully developed craft. Added Garry Lyles, deputy division director for the Constellation project, “The purpose of these demonstrations is risk reduction. We’ll use the results of the 2008 demonstrations to help Earth’s orbit to the moon and down to live on its surface. Spiral us in the source selection of the CEV.” Two, by definition, would be a more complex CEV. Given Bush’s What issues would Spiral One try to address? stated objective of crewed lunar landings beginning as early as “Well, provide a concept of a CEV — what does it look like, 2015 but no later than 2020, the lunar CEVs would be not just a what is its (shape) and subsystems,” said Hecker. ship, but a series of “technical solutions” that accomplish Bush’s In the development plan of the ship, Hecker said that NASA lunar element. The moon-bound variants would come with a would expect the contractor teams to “identify the objectives” to whole series of equipment, according to Steidle, that supports be met when the prototype ships fly to space in 2008. humans on the moon in an extended stay. But Lyles added that the At the end of that development cycle, the resulting design lunar CEVs should also have systems and elements that could would fold into Spiral Two, which would be a moon-bound ver- migrate to their Mars-bound cousins, when that version began sion fully capable of supporting astronauts on their trip from development in future years.

S10 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars The moon-bound variants (of Spiral Two) would come with a whole series of equipment that would support humans on the moon in an extended stay.

Such a future Spiral, not yet in the detailed planning stages like seek to mature? The CEVs will have all-new heat shields, Spirals One and Two, would be a CEV version fully capable of made of new materials that didn’t exist when the space shut- interplanetary flights to Mars. Steidle pointed out that Bush’s vision tles were designed 30 years ago or even five or six years ago called for human voyages to other solar system destinations, like when the X-33 was under development. asteroid rendezvous, or someday a truly bold mission to interesting While no decision has been reached as to whether the ships will of Jupiter. “It’s not aimed at one destination,” he said. be expendable or reusable, reusability as a favored feature seems What about management of the operational fleets of CEVs likely. Even the technology of landing systems — will the craft and their boosters—would NASA seek to recreate the type of return to Earth by parachute, on landing gear, or by rocket thrust Space Flight Operations Contract (SFOC) that is used for the — are all open questions. shuttle fleet? “We are open to whatever the industry brings to And beyond the design and technology of the spaceships is the us,” Steidle told Ad Astra. And what technologies does NASA issue of how they will find their way to the moon. Mission modes

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S11 also are under trade study review. Will new atomic powerplants that can pro- the CEVs fly from Earth directly to the vide light, heat and electricity to a moon, or will the expedition fleet be moon or Mars base, or to power or assembled in Earth orbit and then embark As the exploration planners go propel an interplanetary spaceship in for cislunar space? No pathway has been about their early tasks, they now flight. New types of hand tools and selected yet as well. equipment, spacesuits and backpacks, The study of how best to send have a shiny new logo to inspire and roving vehicles are also being stud- American astronaut crews to the moon for them. Three spheres representing ied, along with when to introduce each landings and exploration is a present-day new technology and how to flight test Earth, the moon and Mars — are exercise with historical overtones. Some it. Advanced robotics is being given 43 years ago, following President arrayed in sequence, with the detailed review, with Goddard Kennedy’s man-on-the-moon challenge, it streak of a rocket soaring across Spaceflight Center near Greenbelt, took NASA 1 1/2 years to select the lunar Md., in charge of developing the first orbit rendezvous mode. One of Wernher them. A Latin inscription on the lunar robotic probes, which Steidle Von Braun’s approaches that was rejected emblem says “Audentes Fortuna said were to be launched into moon then, Earth Orbit Rendezvous, is being orbit in 2008, and make their first Juvat,” which means “Fortune looked at anew. Why? Because it would landings on the surface between 2009 not require building a huge new rocket to Favors the Bold.” and 2010, well in advance of their send the CEVs out from Earth orbit, but human counterparts. The lunar robots possibly could use instead versions of might be humanoid in appearance, today’s Delta 4, 5, Atlas 5 — or an and might also use versions of the unmanned cargo version of the space shuttle, to assemble the moon- same surface roving vehicles that will be taken up by the astro- bound Constellation fleet. The BAA studies will begin in earnest the naut crews during their later expeditions. All of these issues are search for answers to these and many other questions facing the being addressed in the 15 studies now under way. space planners of the exploration office. Thus by fall, NASA and the U.S. aerospace industry will be Each of the BAA requests would lead to study contracts valued deep into the definition of the Constellation ships, technologies, at $6 million each — a $3-million base study with a $3-million and equipment to fulfill the Bush mandate. And this summer, added set of options. At least three such studies are planned: a Steidle said NASA would have a development plan by which for- BAA to address the whole CEV concept; a BAA to study eign aerospace firms could also participate in the exploration advanced science needs, and a BAA to assess a development path program. Senior NASA sources confirm that the administration to mature the technology that the Constellation project would is serious about international participation. require. “We will also extend a major outreach to the scientific Also by fall, NASA planners will roll out a complete reorganiza- community,” says Steidle, to craft research programs and science tion plan that will be the most comprehensive restructuring of the priorities that the lunar-walking astronaut and robotic expedi- civil space agency since it was created in 1958. While details are not tions will follow. yet finalized, one NASA source working on the plan said that it Other BAAs may be added later, or these planned studies does not include closing any NASA field center. But the centers changed as a result of industry input. At this early stage, little is might have a different management structure or focus, agency fixed in stone, other than Bush’s directives. sources suggested. When done, all of the study results would shape the actual As the exploration planners go about their early tasks, they now Request for Proposals (RFP) for the actual contract for the spaceships have a shiny new logo to inspire them. Three spheres representing themselves, to be issued next year. Earth, the moon and Mars — are arrayed in sequence, with the Rocket planners add that the design of the launcher that would streak of a rocket soaring across them. A Latin inscription on the carry the CEVs would be included in the package. Lyles explained emblem says “Audentes Fortuna Juvat,” which translates to that the crew-carrying rocket and any possible heavy lift cargo ver- “Fortune Favors the Bold.” NASA and its space partners must be sion should have maximum common elements and compatibility hoping it also is a prediction for Constellation’s future. n between the two types of space boosters. Together with their industry partners, NASA will also be Frank Sietzen is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer and co-author of attempting to identify equipment and systems that astronauts the newly released book, New Moon Rising, an inside story of the making of working on other worlds will need. First and foremost will be the Bush administration’s space policy.

S12 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Engineers are studying a variety of options for developing new, more affordable heavy-lift rockets to carry astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars LaunchLaunch optionsoptions loomloom largelarge forfor NASA’sNASA’s newnew missionmission

BY WILLIAM HARWOOD Joe Marino

o matter how often a visitor sees one of the mighty Saturn 5 shuttle-derived hardware and a variety of new, “clean sheet” designs. Nmoon rockets on display at the Kennedy, Marshall and Johnson The president’s moon-Mars initiative, unveiled in January, calls space centers, the view never ceases to amaze. If nothing else, it for retiring NASA’s current heavy lift booster—the space shuttle— reminds the visitor of the glory days of NASA’s youth, when the by 2010, after completion of the international space station. While human exploration of the solar system was not a dream, but boots- the shuttle flies out its remaining manifest, NASA is to develop a on-dust reality. new Crew Exploration Vehicle, or CEV, that could carry astronauts As tall as a 36-story office building, the three-stage Saturn 5 to and from Earth orbit and, in some form, on to the moon. could carry 285,000 pounds of cargo, fuel and supplies—and three What sort of rocket might be needed to boost the CEV into astronauts—to low-Earth orbit and boost 107,000 pounds out of space is an open question. But based on presentations before the Earth’s gravitational grasp and on to the moon. 41st Space Congress in Cape Canaveral last April, a shuttle-derived But it wasn’t cheap. Adjusted for inflation, according to the vehicle appears to offer the fastest path toward developing a new Encyclopedia Astronautica, NASA spent more than $40 billion to heavy-lift launch capability, one that supporters say could be scaled develop the Saturn 5 system and another $2.4 billion per launch to down to carry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. operate it. Without the impetus of a Cold War space race—a race The space shuttle is a close rival to the Saturn 5 in terms of raw the Saturn 5 helped win—and the seemingly unlimited budgets power: 6.4 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. But the comparison falls that race generated, the world’s most powerful rocket had no future. short when one realizes that most of the mass delivered to low-Earth Three Apollo moon missions ultimately were canceled and orbit is the 220,000-pound shuttle itself. Maximum payload to low- America’s original heavy-lift booster became a piece, Earth orbit is, in theory, 65,000 pounds. The heaviest payload it ever the space age equivalent of a steam engine as an icon of out- actually carried, however—the Chandra X-ray Observatory, its solid- dated technology. fuel booster and support equipment—weighed 50,162 pounds. But today, thanks to President Bush’s new moon-Mars initiative, But the shuttle system, or at least modified components, engineers are studying a variety of options for developing new, more could offer an attractive option for the moon-Mars initiative. affordable heavy-lift rockets to carry astronauts back to the moon The infrastructure already is in place, including launch pads, and, eventually, on to Mars. Those options include upgraded Delta 4 ground processing equipment, a network of contractors and a and Atlas 5 evolved expendable launch vehicles, launchers based on trained workforce. Equally important, shuttle components are

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S13 “man rated,” that is, already certified for human space flight. Boeing and Lockheed Martin can support more than two dozen Mike Kahn, vice president of ATK Thiokol’s reusable solid EELV launches per year, but due to a soft commercial mar- rocket motor program, said “the soonest thing you could do is take ket less than a third of that capacity is being utilized. the orbiter off and bolt on a cargo carrier and bolt it onto the tank “So there is a current capability already there to help jump-start the same way the orbiter bolts on.” the initiative and move quickly into some early successes,” Collins “Of course, it has no wings or tail or tiles or any of the other said. “That may be one way to go, get some early successes without complex items that the orbiter has,” he told the annual gathering trying to hit the home run ... to get the momentum going and get of aerospace engineers and managers. “But it does have engines on the support behind the program.” the back and they would most likely be the same engines we have The first heavy-lift version of the Delta 4 is scheduled to make (in the shuttle) today to minimize re-qualification costs. its debut flight this summer. In its current configuration, it can “The goal would be to take the orbiter off and bolt something boost about 50,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit, roughly the same as else on that could put up a pretty good amount of payload. The the shuttle. With modifications, use of solid-fuel boosters and more motors and the tank and most of the infrastructure (are) already in powerful upper stages, “you can take that system with its current place and it’s just a matter of working that cargo carrier. So that’s a launch pads and grow it significantly” into the 100,000 pounds-to- nearer-term approach.” LEO capability, Collins said. Using existing boosters, external tank and shuttle main engines, “Beyond that, however, significant launch pad modifications an unmanned shuttle-derived vehicle could lift 160,000 pounds to would be needed, but ultimately you can still use that hardware, but low-Earth orbit and be operational as early as 2008, Kahn said. Using you’re going to need a different launch pad, or a modified launch five-segment boosters and a stretched external tank, up to 200,000 pad. Beyond that, with some modifications and civil engineering, pounds could be delivered to LEO by the 2011-2015 time frame. you can get even further.” Beyond that, major upgrades would be required, including Perhaps, ultimately, to Saturn 5-class performance: 90,000 shifting the cargo carrier to the top of the vehicle. While he did not pounds of payload to the moon. Gass said Lockheed Martin’s Atlas provide details, Kahn said up to 225,000 pounds could, in theory, 5 also could be upgraded to increase payload capability. be launched using shuttle-derived hardware. “Our first step would be in widening the upper stage, widen- At the same time, a medium-lift vehicle would be almost ing the Centaur,” he said. “Just like a Titan today has a Titan “a gimme.” Centaur that’s a 14-foot diameter (vehicle), we’d go to a five-meter “If you want to put up something smaller, just take one of the diameter on an Atlas, get that real estate, get that fuel capacity. (shuttle solid-fuel) motors, put on a liquid second stage ... and you Simple, one step. could put up 35,000 or 40,000 pounds,” Kahn said. “You could use “Next thing is to put multiple engines on that upper stage, it as your CEV (crew exploration vehicle) launcher since most of its moving toward a performance capability but it’s also moving heritage is man-rated systems.” toward an engine-out capability for human space travel. Next Thiokol has been studying the possibility of using hydrogen- step, do the same thing on the booster: Add volume. The fueled J2-class engines, the same powerplants used in the second engines have the thrust capability, but we need more fuel. So we and third stages of Saturn 5 moon rockets. widen the tank to that five-meter capability. In each of these, An added benefit, Kahn said, is that “if you decide you want to fly that new vehicle becomes the core vehicle that’s used on all the this hardware before the shuttle program ends, you could still do that.” missions. It would be used for the DOD. ... We’d have a new Dan Collins, Boeing vice president and program manager of the common core vehicle.” Delta program, agreed a shuttle-derived vehicle is a “very viable That approach also would enable survivable engine-out scenar- option.” But Collins and Lockheed Martin vice president and space ios in first-stage powered flight. Gass said the Atlas 5, like the Delta transportation manager Michael Gass believe their evolved expend- 4, could be scaled up to Saturn 5-class performance by bolting five able launch vehicles—the Delta 4 and Atlas 5—offer many of the core vehicles together, each one equipped with two powerful RD- same benefits without relying on 1970s-era technology. 180 engines. “Delta 4 is certainly a big part, or we hope will play a part in “Are there in-between steps? Absolutely,” Gass said. “The this,” Collins said. “But the pieces can also play a part. We can take important message on this is it can be dialed into the exploration the Delta 4-Heavy (nose cone) fairing, which is actually taken from architecture, not to the architecture. This is just one the Titan 4 booster ... that fairing can certainly play a part in a lot of the solutions that is available.” of different configurations, whether there’s a Delta underneath it or A team at Boeing also is looking at possible “clean sheet” designs something that’s shuttle derived or a new clean sheet. that don’t rely on existing systems. The company’s Phantom Works “Taking pieces of hardware that we know work and that are flight team is looking at kerosene-powered first-stage engines with hydro- tested is a great way to reduce risk and to accelerate what can be done gen-fueled upper stages or no upper stages at all. early on in the program,” he said. “We’re also looking at the upper “If you’re going to go the clean sheet route, how does it work?” stages, in this case the Delta 4 upper stage, can you get it into orbit Collins asked. “Certainly, the development of a clean sheet rocket and then use it as a transfer vehicle of some type.” is a constraint that you have to be aware of as you go into this.

S14 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Rollout of the first Delta 4 heavy-lift launcher. Boeing

There are some advantages to it. It really becomes a cost-benefit looking for what Boeing thinks the launch vehicle for space explo- analysis. Can you use that money in other parts of the exploration ration is, we don’t know. We’re not sure what the mission is yet. The business and rely on boosters that already exist or do you really requirements certainly will flow from the mission once it’s there.” n need a new vehicle. Tough questions. “I think the customer’s doing the right thing, keeping an open Author and aerospace journalist William Harwood is a consultant for CBS mind at this point, trying to understand what the mission is and News and a contributor to . He is the co-author of what the options are to get there,” Collins said. “If you came here Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S15 We Are

Blitz participants at the office SEA of Congressman Ralph Hall (R-TX). Hall is a strong supporter of the Moon, Mars and Beyond Vision. The young gentleman in the Congressman's Chair (by per- mission) is our 12 year old team NSS member Malcolm Forbes. The others from left to right are Katie Cormer (the staffer we spoke with) Kent Miller, Mark Hopkins and Nicholas Perino. Malcolm and his teammates did a fan- tastic job presenting informa- tion on why the Moon Mars vision is right for the country. This was one of 200+ Congressional visits carried out during the two days of the Blitz.

76 Blitz participants assemble in front of Congress.

SPACE BLITZ NSS led an unprecedented effort to show broad support for the new space exploration vision with the first Moon-Mars blitz in Washington, D.C. Bringing together the 21 groups of the Space Exploration Alliance, the Blitz was the first time that such a wide array of space constituencies have come The Power together to promote a common agenda. The legislative effort stemmed from the National Space Society’s annual legislative conference. When the SEA was announced, NSS invited the other groups to join the conference and focus on the Moon Mars and Beyond plan. And join they did! In all, 76 partici- pants answered the call, with NSS members representing the of One largest contingent. From age 12 to age 70, from across the country and all walks of life, the participants demonstrate the Finding common ground in space broad support the new vision is finding across our country. After a full day of training, participants broke into teams and visited more than 200 Congressional offices. Almost all We are the Space Exploration Alliance: the visits found an appreciative audience, with staffers fre- American Astronautical Society Aerospace Industries Association quently expressing the need for reaffirming the purpose of Aerospace States Association American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics since the Columbia accident, and defining goals that will excite the explorers of tomorrow. Thousands California Space Authority Federation of Galaxy Explorers Florida Space Authority of personally signed petitions from NSS members to their rep- National Coalition of States resentatives and senators were presented during the con- National Space Society ProSpace Space Access Society and Space Frontier Foundation gressional visits and provided a critical link between local Space Generation Foundation Space Studies Institute grassroots organizations and a focused national effort. REAL. CLOSE.

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n Jan. 14, 2004 President Bush announced a new vision for the further solar system and the universe at large. Our task is to sort ONASA and the United States in space. He put the nation on a out these conflicting problems and devise an affordable, support- track to expand human presence into the solar system – first back able path to achieve the president’s vision of Americans leading the to the moon then to Mars and beyond. While this is a very excit- way into future opportunity based in and on space. The private sec- ing vision, it has generated more controversy than enthusiasm. tor may provide us with just such a solution. Many in Congress and the space community decry the initiative as unaffordable. They cite costs up to $1trillion or more for a Mars SKY-HIGH COSTS mission. The initiative comes at a time of phenomenal and fasci- Missions to Mars will be expensive if done with current technolo- nating revelations about the planet Mars from NASA’s Mars rovers, gy and government management. Most reports suggest that a Spirit and Opportunity. The likelihood that Mars had at one time round-trip human Mars ship would weigh several hundred tons. A substantial surface water raises the possibility that it once bore— Mars ship would have a mass at least twice that of the International and perhaps still bears—life. But these discoveries, far from build- Space Station—and likely several times larger. To launch such a ing enthusiasm for the president’s vision divides those who support machine could take a number of heavy-lift (100 metric tons) or manned exploration into the “lunatics”—interested in the presi- perhaps a smaller number of super heavy-lift vehicles (200 metric dent’s early focus on the moon and the “Martians” who want to tons or more). focus only on manned missions to Mars. Others oppose all human With our largest current launch vehicles—the space shuttle and exploration in favor of more extensive robotic exploration of Mars, the Atlas and Delta unmanned boosters—being able to loft a max-

S18 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Government could develop the technology for using Martian resources to support human life on another world. Pictured is an artist’s conception of a propellant production facility that could fuel vehicles for return trips to Earth – or elsewhere.

imum of 20 tons to low-Earth orbit, significant improvement will number killed several times per year in airplane accidents—has be needed. The true cost of the International Space Station is more twice brought the U.S. human spaceflight program to standstills than $100 billion including the space shuttle and international lasting several years. Each high-visibility accident has raised a seri- costs. With a maximum expenditure globally on space exploration ous consideration of complete cancellation of the program. A much of $10 billion per year and a minimum cost of a government Mars more expensive and visible human Mars mission could not tolerate mission of $200 billion, such a program would take at least 20 much, if any, risk to the human participants. years. Given the current controversy over the space station and Threats to human survival on a Mars mission are almost instability that setbacks in that program have caused, it is highly insurmountable with current knowledge and technology. With unlikely that a government-oriented Mars mission could be mount- likely transit times of about a year, we are at the maximum limit ed using any currently understood technology. for human survival in weightless conditions. Surviving a round- trip journey would require either —now only RISKY BUSINESS available through very massive rotating structures on the Mars The most serious barrier to a government-supported Mars mission ship—or substantial stays on the Martian surface. The latter, at is human survival. High-visibility space efforts—of which a nation- one-third Earth gravity may or may not re-set the human sensi- al or more likely international Mars mission would certainly be— tivity to zero gravity. This uncertainty should be understood after are extraordinarily sensitive to loss of human life. The two space extended human stays on the lunar surface with its one-sixth shuttle disasters which took the lives of 14 people—less than the Earth gravity.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S19 Regardless, most scenarios demand that the entire crew descend to the Martian surface leaving their return ship unattended in Mars orbit. This requires an extraordinary level of reliability and autono- my. Our recent experience with the space station suggests that extended operation of a complex large system in space is very diffi- cult without ready access to replacement parts and almost prohibi- tive redundancy in the vehicle. Such redundancy would almost The Columbia Hills, a region of highlands in the Gusev Crater, opens a new ch assuredly require a two-ship mission with each capable of returning the entire crew. Radiation hazards from a long-trip in exposed Some visionaries such as Robert Zubrin already have proposed interplanetary space also may be a serious, but probably not insur- that the way to affordably mount missions to Mars is to make use mountable challenge. All of these problems suggest much higher of in-situ Mars resources. Such a concept coupled with private costs that a simple mission analysis would suggest. sector sponsorship of Mars settlement — and not round-trip exploration — could see people on Mars within two decades. The NUCLEAR NO-GO key is that people would go to Mars under private sponsorship Solutions to the high risk of long trips to Mars generally fall into one way – to stay. They would, in course, assume significant risks. the propulsion category. If much more efficient and capable propul- But these would be private and personal risks. Our society has sion systems were available, the flight time to and from Mars, always tolerated private risks as part of our entrepreneurial char- including a modest stay on the surface with some crew remaining acter. Settling Mars should be no different. in Martian orbit with the return vehicle, total mission duration of less than a year is possible. The only known technology to provide A NEW ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT such capability is nuclear. However nuclear systems are very expen- Key to the Zubrin model of Mars exploration, detailed in his book, sive to develop and controversial to launch or use in space. The Case for Mars, is sending unmanned systems to Mars first with Most current effort is focused on nuclear-electric propulsion autonomous capabilities to extract and store needed resources such for unmanned missions. This technology is unsuited for manned as fuel, oxygen and power from in-situ Martian material in the mission as it supplies several orders of magnitude less energy than atmosphere and land. To do this requires some technology devel- needed to propel a large manned ship rapidly to and from Mars. opment, but the concept is understood. Power systems, probably Even so, the very modest capability Prometheus nuclear electric utilizing surface nuclear-power systems delivered from Earth, are at mission will take more than 10 years to develop and is likely to cost the core of in-situ resource extraction. Consequently, the U.S. gov- close to $5 billion. Development has not yet even begun on the ernment’s focus for Mars should be on developing the necessary more appropriate nuclear thermal high-thrust rockets. Even so, technology to enable people to live indefinitely on Mars. Then the these systems probably reduce the total mass required to get to government should emplace the necessary infrastructure on or Mars by less than 40 per cent. We are still left with a very large, around Mars to support human occupation. This would consist of expensive and risky possibility. four related requirements: • Conducting extensive reconnaissance on Mars to find the LACKLUSTER SUPPORT most suitable locations for occupation. These would presum- While interest was considerable in manned Mars missions after ably be locations close to water and likely near caves. the Mars Rover results, the necessary public and political support • Placing suitable communications systems – both for commu- to mount a very long-term expensive Mars mission is lacking. The nicating in the vicinity of Mars and back to Earth. controversy over whether to focus on the moon or Mars dilutes • Placing suitable navigation systems – a “GPS” for Mars; the already tenuous support for any human exploration beyond • Placing robotic surface power and resource extraction facilities low-Earth orbit. Moreover, with a number of other nations focus- on the surface and certifying their functioning. ing their human and robotic missions on the moon, U.S. atten- These resources are all necessary for robotic and scientific explo- tion will almost assuredly gravitate there as well. The moon likely ration or the planet. Many already have been planned, but if done offers some, albeit speculative, economic benefits, while Mars with specific intent to enable private sector occupation of Mars, offers none that we know of. These factors all conspire to place they could ignite one of mankind’s most significant accomplish- government-supported Mars missions into the indefinite and very ments – spreading the human species to another world. distant future, A new paradigm is needed if we are to get humans to Mars. A PRIVATE VENTURE EXPLORATION new division of functions between the public and private sectors How can the private sector afford and for what conceivable reason with the government assuming the longer-term and less glamorous would it support human occupation of Mars? There is very likely functions of technology development and infrastructure deploy- no near-term economic return from such an endeavor. The answer ment could enable risky, but much more affordable private sector- may lie in the history of exploration. Some exploration was done by sponsored human missions to Mars. governments, such as the European government sponsorship of

S20 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Space-X and is building his own booster rockets. He is starting with small boosters but has plans before the decade is out of building heavy-lift (100 metric ton to leo-Earth orbit) boosters suitable for sending manned missions one-way to Mars. Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com has founded “Blue Horizons” to develop affordable launch vehicles. Others are also studying this w chapter in NASA’s ongoing exploration of Mars.

NASA issue. There is ample evidence of wealthy individuals supporting space exploration – private money built the giant Keck exploration and colonies in the new world. The last great global Astronomical Telescope in Hawaii in the 1990s at a cost in today’s sailing ship exploration was the first one for the United States—the dollars of $200 million, and work is beginning on privately funded United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-42 which discovered astronomical telescopes in the 20- to 30-meter diameter range with the continent of Antarctica. costs a good fraction of $1 billion. Other exploration was sponsored by groups interested in profit, Truly exciting space exploration can and does attract capitalists such as the British East Co., and British Hudson’s Bay Co. willing to invest amounts of money approaching a billion dollars However, some significant exploration was financed by wealthy today. These people are spending their money not to make more, individuals to establish new colonies, sometimes for religious or but for grand visions and philanthropic purposes. With even richer utopian reasons in new locations. Key exploration and, more sig- Americans in the future, several billion dollar investments by one or nificantly colonization in the new world was of this type. For exam- several of America’s richest “venture philanthropists” in space explo- ple , William Penn’s founding of the colony of Pennsylvania or Lord ration is quite feasible. Baltimore’s (George Calvert) founding of Maryland. This latter type of endeavor—which we might refer to as “venture philanthro- MARS INC.? py”—is alive and well and has significant application to the occu- The key question is whether a manned one-way mission to Mars pation of Mars. could be done in several decades for several billion dollars—and America is an astoundingly wealthy place at the beginning of moreover if venture philanthropists would fund such missions. the 21st century. Our gross national product is four times what is First, private individuals already are investing in space explo- was in the 1960s when we mounted Apollo. At even modest levels ration and space science, and in some cases appear willing to of growth we will be twice again as wealthy in another 20 years spend amounts that approach $1 billion. But why would they when human Mars missions are likely. A significant amount of this spend even more on a mission to Mars? Private individuals do not wealth is in private hands. The 400 richest Americans together con- generally like to support long-range technology development— trol about $1 trillion. The richest few individuals have private with decades needed for any results. Furthermore, private indi- wealth approaching $50 billion. These individuals, if they choose, viduals generally eschew standing infrastructure costs—what the could mount a private one-way mission to Mars in the decade military calls “roads and commodes.” But these functions—devel- ahead. But would they? oping necessary technology and supporting critical infrastructure An interesting thing about wealthy people—they tend to give for manned Mars missions and occupation—are things the gov- their money away. For the older among them, the appeal of med- ernment can, and indeed intends to do. ical research is strong—clearly with some enlightened self-interest But can we send people to Mars, even one-way in a few decades present. But many of the younger wealthy Americans invest in for a few billion dollars? The answer is probably yes. Zubrin’s Mars things that are more fun. Some seeks sports spectaculars, but Direct concept envisages a manned spaceship weighing about 120 many—particularly those who made their money on high technol- metric tons, with the Mars transfer and landing vehicle weighing ogy such as the internet—have a strong interest in space. These men about 40 tons. This includes the return capability and a four-per- and women grew up on Star Trek and Star Wars and now some of son crew, but not the fuel for the return which would be gathered them want to go themselves. A few have spent or plan to spend $20 from mining materials on Mars itself. It is likely that a 100-ton million for a Russian-supplied trip into space. Almost half of the launcher could throw a Mars one-way mission carrying six or more wealthiest Americans fit this—having become self-made on high crew plus provisions and equipment for a permanent stay on technology. And some of them have already started investing in new Mars—provided the necessary power, air and water generating sys- space capabilities. tems already were in place. Currently, most of this investment sensibly is being spent on What would be the cost for this mission? We do not have a 100- just getting to space. Probably the most noted is by Paul Allen, a co- metric ton launcher today but several are under development and we founder of Microsoft. He is financing Burt Rutan’s effort to win the had several in the past such as the Saturn V rocket. If we extrapolate X Prize for the first private, reusable suborbital flight—thus exceed- from today’s heavy-lift launch cost (about $10,000 per kilogram on ing the first steps of the Mercury program. Paul Allen has spent launchers, half that on Russian or other boosters), the cost more than $20 million for this attempt. But he is not alone. to launch 100 metric tons would be between $500 million and $1 of Paypal internet accounting fame has founded billion. Very heavy-lift boosters should be cheaper per pound.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S21 Where there was water, there may be caves, MARS which could serve as habitats for early MYSTERIES Martian settlers. Mars Global Surveyor snapped this view of gullies etched into a crater wall presumably by running water that flowed on Mars eons ago.

NASA’s Spirit rover has been collecting data about a mysterious and sparkly dust-like material that is created when the Mars soil is disturbed. This false- A three-dimensional view of Mars’ north color composite image was taken with pole, which is capped with water ice. the panoramic camera on June 20, 2004.

Space-X is developing a 100-ton launcher which reportedly may Of course traveling to Mars would not necessarily be per- cost only $100 million per launch. The costs for a shuttle-derived manent. As infrastructure grows, and technology matures, it is launch vehicle are reputed to be less than $500 million. A reason- likely that means to return to Earth would emerge. Perhaps able working assumption would be that to launch 100 tons into Zubrin’s model of returning on the spacecraft that brought orbit would cost about $500 million—clearly within the reach of the settlers fueled by Marian-produced prepellants and con- venture philanthropists 20 years from now. sumables could enable those who wish to eventually return. But what would the payload cost? Today the total costs of space Regardless, those choosing to go to Mars as privately financed missions seem to run about two to four times launch costs. A con- settlers would be choosing a permanent new home and not servative estimate therefore would be that a total mission to Mars just a visit. weighing 100 metric tons at liftoff would cost $2 billion. A Russian It is unlikely that the United States government would ever send group, Aerospace Systems, has proposed launching a “round-trip” any humans to Mars, let alone dispatch a crew for a one-way jour- Mars mission for about $4 billion. Many in the aerospace commu- ney. The risks are simply too great. However, the government places nity regard this as a credible proposal. It is thus reasonable to believe few constraints on private ventures – asking only that risk-takers do that a privately developed human one-way mission to Mars would not threaten others. Good examples are such adventure sports as cost about $2 billion—again within the reach of wealthy Americans. hang-gliding and mountain-climbing. Indeed, the government places few if any constraints on those seeking to climb the world’s NEW AGE MARTIANS tallest peak, Mount Everest, despite fatality rates of about 20 per- Once on Mars, the private astronauts would become Martian set- cent for those who attempt the climb. tlers making use of the infrastructure placed there by the govern- Going to Mars to stay will be risky. Many would undoubtedly ment to build a new society—probably naming their new settle- face death. Those who came to the new world half a millennium ment after their sponsor (who may or may not have chosen to ago faced horrendous risks. Most died the first winter from disease, accompany them). This would assure the sponsor’s legacy in a way starvation and privation. Only 60 of the first 300 settlers coming to that few, if any other uses of several billion dollars would. Every two Jamestown, Va., in 1607 were alive by 1610 and of the 14,000 peo- years, when Earth and Mars are favorably aligned, more people ple who came to Virginia between 1607 and 1624 from England would join the original settlers. only 1,132 were living there in 1624. Yet they continued to come, A likely initial location for settlement would be caves. With the as settlers will travel to Mars. The excitement of building a new recent discovery that Mars once had substantial flowing water, it is world will overcome even the most serious risks. There would be no highly likely that certain cave structures formed and still exist. These shortage of volunteers. n caves would provide extensive underground volumes that would pro- vide protection from the serious radiation on the Martian surface, and Lucian Samosata is a pen name for the author, who is a senior official with could be sealed to provide Earth-pressure habitats and greenhouses. extensive experience in the military, civil and Congressional space sectors.

S22 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars THINKTHINK SMAL L

As plans hen President George W. Bush announced will be charged with carrying out a number of scien- Wthe new national space exploration plan, he tific and exploration objectives ranging from identi- shape up described two near-term milestones that would, in fying the resources in the lunar polar regions to for robotic addition to the shuttle and the space station, be the measuring the radiation environment around the immediate focus of the civilian space agency. The moon. To carry out those objectives LRO will be excursions to first was the development of a new human-rated filled with a number of instruments weighing in the moon, spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, with the about about 120 kilograms. intent to “develop and test” it by 2008. The second That payload mass may prove to be a significant NASA near-term milestone was “a series of robotic missions issue for LRO. In addition to the scientific payload, may want to to the lunar surface to research and prepare for future there is the rest of the spacecraft as well as a sizable human exploration” that would begin “no later than amount of propellant — required for both entering consider that 2008.” Other than those brief mentions—a single lunar orbit as well as maintaining that orbit in the bigger isn’t sentence in the case of the robotic lunar missions— moon’s irregular gravity field — to contend with. President Bush offered no other details about either NASA plans to launch LRO on a Delta 2, the necessarily project in his speech. workhorse of planetary and space science missions. better Since Bush’s speech in January, more details have However, as Goddard planetary scientist David emerged about each project. For the CEV, the 2008 Smith noted at a recent conference, the Delta 2 can date is only an interim step in its development: an place only about 800 kg into lunar orbit. (That is BY JEFF FOUST unmanned, perhaps suborbital, flight of one or more actually less than what the Delta 2 can put into orbit “boilerplate” models from which a final design will around Mars, because Martian orbiters can use aero- be selected and built over the following few years. By braking to reduce the amount of propellant they contrast, there appears to be nothing boilerplate need, an option obviously not available for lunar about the lunar mission plans: NASA has directed missions.) LRO’s mass has become enough of an the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., issue that there is serious consideration now given to to begin work on a lunar orbiter mission scheduled switching from the Delta 2 to the more powerful — for launch in late 2008. and more expensive — Atlas 5 or Delta 4. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), as it is LRO also represents a departure of sorts from currently known, will be perhaps the most sophisticat- how NASA handles many mis- ed lunar orbiter mission ever, carrying a broad array of sions. The Discovery and Explorer programs, for instruments to characterize the lunar surface and envi- example, rely on competitive selection processes to ronment. However, there is considerable evidence to choose entire missions: proposers must provide suggest that there are alternatives to LRO, notably information not only on the science they plan to through the use of multiple small spacecraft, which achieve but also how they plan to build and launch could be both more effective and more affordable. their spacecraft. For LRO, all NASA wants are instruments for the mission — the launch services THE SUV OF LUNAR MISSIONS and spacecraft will be provided by NASA. Since the end of the Apollo lunar missions more than To be fair, this approach is hardly unprecedented:

NASA 30 years ago, NASA has participated in only two NASA has used it for much of its Mars exploration Past lunar probes include robotic lunar missions, and Lunar program, including the Mars Exploration Rovers. Clementine, which flew Prospector. Both featured relatively small spacecraft: However, while the rovers were technologically chal- in 1994. The spacecraft Clementine weighed in at 425 kilograms while Lunar lenging missions that arguably could be done best, carried geologic mapping Prospector’s mass was just 295 kg. Despite their and perhaps only, by NASA, lunar orbiters have been cameras and two star diminutive stature, both spacecraft carried out their off the leading edge of space exploration for decades. tracker imagers. In this missions successfully and provided scientists with a view, the moon is great deal of new knowledge about the moon, includ- THE SMALLSAT ALTERNATIVE illuminated by light ing the putative existence of deposits of water ice in Is there a better way to accomplish the goals of LRO reflected from Earth. permanently shadowed regions of polar craters. than with a single large orbiter? One option worth If these missions were small or mid-sized cars, exploring is to replace the single large spacecraft then LRO, by comparison, is a full-sized SUV. LRO with a number of smaller spacecraft, or smallsats.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S23 The instruments needed to meet the scientific requirements of the During the public hearings of the President’s Commission on Moon, LRO mission would be split among several smallsats, each carry- Mars, and Beyond (also known as the Aldridge Commission), a num- ing perhaps only one or two instruments. Those smallsats, built by ber of witnesses have expressed the need to find new ways to encour- perhaps several different companies or organizations, could be age students to pursue careers in relevant science and engineering launched over a period of time using a variety of different, lower- fields. By requiring, or at least strongly encouraging, lunar smallsat cost launch options. projects to involve universities in some manner in their development, At first glance that approach may seem to be rather inefficient. NASA can harness both the experience of universities and promote If the same instruments are going to the same destination, it would the development of a new generation of spacecraft engineers. After all, seem to make sense to combine them into a single spacecraft, shar- what could be more exciting to a prospective engineering student than ing the same power, communications, and other resources, rather the opportunity to work on a spacecraft that will fly to the moon? than building a separate spacecraft for each instrument. Yet there are a number of advantages to the smallsat approach that go beyond INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND COMPETITION science and engineering. Smallsats also lend themselves nicely to international cooperation. Smallsats offer a wider range of launch alternatives. Rather than Much of the smallsat development expertise is located outside the having to choose between a Delta 2 or a heavier-lifter, a smallsat United States. One of the premier smallsat companies, Surrey could ride aboard a variety of smaller and lower-cost vehicles, such Satellite Technology Ltd., is located in the United Kingdom, as a Taurus or SpaceX’s low-cost Falcon 1 or 5. while there are many other smallsat efforts elsewhere in the world. Alternatively, a lunar smallsat could be launched as a secondary Given that international cooperation is one of the goals of the payload on a commercial launch of a exploration initiative, smallsats offer a relatively low-cost, low-risk bound for . The smallsat would be deposited first step that could lead to bigger roles for international partici- into a geosynchronous transfer orbit and use a kick stage, or electric pants in the future. propulsion, to make its way to the moon. That’s the approach used International cooperation also opens up new launch options: by SMART-1, Europe’s first lunar mission, which was launched as working with European and Russian partners could allow smallsats a secondary payload on an last September and is gradual- to launch on low-cost Russian vehicles like Dnepr and Rockot. ly making its way to the moon with its ion engine. NASA already has taken advantage of this: in 2002 the twin Smallsats also lend themselves to a staged approach to explo- Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) spacecraft, a ration. Rather than lumping a number of instruments on a space- joint effort of NASA and the German space agency DLR, launched craft, then using those results to shape the development of a second- on a Rockot. International cooperation allowed NASA to use the or third-generation mission, flying a steady stream of one or two (or Russian vehicle for most likely a small fraction of the cost of an more) smallsat missions a year allows the results of those missions to American vehicle. more rapidly be incorporated into the design of follow-on missions. Hand in hand with international cooperation is international This is, in effect, a form of “spiral development” that has become the competition. At the same time the United States is planning LRO, buzzword du jour at NASA and the Defense Department. Flying a number of other nations also are planning their own, albeit less large spacecraft packed with instruments makes sense with Mars ambitious, lunar missions. By the late 2008 launch date of LRO missions, for example, where the launch windows are open for only several other countries will have sent spacecraft to the moon, a few weeks every 26 months, but makes far less sense for lunar mis- including Europe (SMART-1), Japan (Lunar-A and Selene), China sions, where the launch windows are effectively continuous. (the first Chang’e mission), and India (Chandrayaan-1). Some Smallsats also allow a larger number of companies to participate. members of Congress have raised concerns that the United States is Outside of NASA, there are only a handful of companies that could somehow falling behind in a new race to the moon. While such realistically be able to build a spacecraft the size of LRO: Boeing, concerns are most likely unfounded, NASA could mitigate them Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and a few others. Smallsats, nonetheless with a fast-track smallsat program that would send the on the other hand, are within the capabilities of a larger number of first mission to the moon one to two years earlier than LRO. companies, including those like AeroAstro of Herndon, Va., and Indeed, there is a way that NASA could jumpstart this smallsat SpaceDev of San Diego, Calif., that specialize in smallsat develop- lunar exploration even faster, while at the same time promoting ment. This increased competitiveness can lead to better, less expen- commercial space development. TransOrbital is developing sive designs, while the use of multiple smallsats allows several compa- TrailBlazer, a small lunar mission designed to return high-resolution nies to participate, strengthening the industrial base in the field. images and video of the lunar surface. That spacecraft is under In fact, some of the best developers of smallsats in the United development and is scheduled to launch in late 2004, although that States are not necessarily companies. A number of universities have launch date has slipped several times and could slip again. NASA participated in smallsat development for both educational and could partner with TransOrbital to either purchase some of the data research purposes, giving graduate and even undergraduate students from the mission and/or fly additional instruments on the space- hands-on experience building flight hardware. This experience can craft, for the fraction of the cost of a dedicated smallsat mission, let prove useful for lunar missions, but it could have other benefits as well. alone LRO. This could give NASA some of the data it plans to

S24 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Artist’s illustration of a design for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA acquire with LRO well in advance of current plans, not to mention suffer schedule slips, it is quite possible that LRO, if it continues as ahead of other nations’ missions. For TransOrbital, a deal with planned, won’t fly before 2009 – or later. NASA would give the company an additional revenue stream; a What might be motivating LRO more is the available suite of down payment from NASA could also provide the company capital launch vehicles, and their costs. A smallsat program suddenly looks to help finish and launch the spacecraft. less inviting if one is limited to current launch vehicles like the Taurus, which costs NASA about $50 million a flight. By compari- IS SMALLER BETTER? son, the much larger Delta 2 costs $80 million to $90 million. Even Some will no doubt argue that a smallsat approach like this is not an EELV-class vehicle, which costs NASA as much as $140 million, radical enough: instead, NASA should go to a more purely com- would be cheaper than three Taurus launches of smallsats. Only if mercial approach, and rely on mechanisms like data purchases and one assumes that cheaper foreign or domestic launch options will be prizes to obtain the information they need. Indeed, NASA has a available do smallsats look attractive. For NASA, it might simply be prize program, Centennial Challenges, in the works that could less risky to assume that those options won’t materialize. eventually include prizes for “micromissions” to the moon and else- Ultimately, the problem may be with thinking big when where. However, one can argue that the commercial market may smaller will do. In testimony before the Senate Commerce not be mature enough yet to support such mechanisms, which Committee’s space subcommittee, Sven Grahn, vice president of require up-front private investment of tens of millions of dollars for the Swedish Space Corp., described the development of SMART- an uncertain payoff, not to mention as-yet unqualified commercial 1 by his company, a relatively small player in the space industry. markets for such missions. A NASA-supported lunar smallsat pro- When pressed by subcommittee chairman Sen. Sam Brownback gram would seem to strike a middle ground between entirely com- to explain the rationale for doing a small mission when NASA was mercial lunar missions and large government efforts like LRO. pursuing a larger one, Grahn offered a simple explanation. “Big If smallsats are so attractive, why is NASA pressing ahead with organizations want to do big programs,” he said. “Smaller organ- LRO? NASA has claimed that because of the relatively near-term izations can get along with smaller programs.” deadline imposed by the president’s plan to begin lunar exploration, Perhaps it is time for NASA to recognize that while it is a they have little choice other than to proceed with the internal big organization capable of doing big programs, not every development of a large lunar spacecraft. Yet smallsats could be pro- program it does needs to be big. n viding data to NASA scientists long before LRO’s planned launch date. Bush’s plan didn’t specify what or how much data would have Jeff Foust ([email protected]) is the editor and publisher of The to be returned by 2008, only that lunar exploration would begin by Space Review. He also operates the Spacetoday.net web site and the that year. Moreover, given the propensity of large space projects to Space Politics weblog.

to the stars Ad Astra july august september 2004 S25 MODULESa

In his presentation to the Aldridge have been for the last 32 years. “space guy.” The Exploration Vision Commission in , Joel NASA exists and it is not going to be is more or less what the “space Greenberg of Princeton Synergetics abolished. The question for the pub- guys” have been calling for since THE REAL COST posed the question, “What else lic and the nation’s leader is, ‘Will it Apollo. However, it is based on the OF THE NEW could we do with this investment?” serve any purpose beyond its own premise that it will be “sustainable He suggested that an alternative use narrow interests?’” and affordable.” The consensus is SPACE PLAN might be to seek “energy independ- The Exploration Vision is the that NASA, in its current form, can- ence.” Good point. Regardless of the obvious answer. This plan is going to not do the job.

BY TAYLOR DINERMAN virtues of going to the moon and, send robots and humans into the This is no real surprise. NASA eventually, to Mars, moving from a solar system and lay the groundwork has been slowly going downhill. transportation economy that for humanity to spread throughout Since the 1970s, it has been build- depends on oil to one that depends this small part of our galaxy. The ing bureaucratic structures and on hydrogen is, most emphatically, in strategy, as laid out by NASA, may adding missions that may or may the U.S. national interest. be subject to legitimate quibbles. not have to do with its primary mis- Realistically, however, in the For example, it may put too much sion. In the late 1980s, after the next 10 years NASA is going to have emphasis on Mars as a long-term Challenger disaster, the Ride something between $150 billion and goal and not enough on the moon as Commission suggested that the $180 billion, or maybe a little more. a short- to medium-term objective. agency concentrate its efforts in For that price, the U.S. government In the end, having an integrated set four areas: Aerospace Technology could finance the development of a of goals and programs is far better Development, Earth Science whole generation of vehicles that than the uncoordinated, disconnect- (“Mission to Planet Earth,” as it was run on hydrogen fuel cells. This ed, and wasteful practices of the then called), Space Science, and would, of course, not only involve past 30 years. Human Exploration of the Solar canceling all of the exploration Since that decision is essentially System. While NASA is still basical- efforts which the president hopes to behind us, the problem is how to ly structured this way, there have begin work on, but it would mean implement it. Supporters face two been so many new additions, such shutting down the space agency key issues: how to attract and main- as the Education Enterprise and the altogether. Such an outcome is tain public and political support over addition of the Exploration Systems extremely unlikely. several decades; and how to trans- Office, that the lines of authority If the vision, as it has come to be form NASA into an organization and of actual control are complex. known, is not financed, it is far more capable of carrying out the missions Simplifying NASA’s command likely that NASA will still spend entrusted to it. structure would be a good start at somewhere between $15 billion and It is this second issue that Sean reforming the agency. If, however, $18 billion a year. Humans will stay O’Keefe has been wrestling with they just reproduce the kind of mind- stuck in low-Earth orbit and the since he became administrator. Dan less “downsizing” that was a big cor- space agency will grow more and Goldin probably saved the agency porate fad in the 1990s, then they more aimless and dysfunctional. As from complete disintegration in the will be setting up the agency for commission member and early 1990s, but was unable to begin more failures. Just as the Army Congressman Bob Walker explained, the kind of top-to-bottom reform that needs more NCOs, NASA needs “America can either spend the was needed. He simply lacked the more, not less, middle management. money and go somewhere, or it can political support. In contrast, The new safety office is a step in the spend the money and stay where we O’Keefe is a reformer rather than a right direction, but the agency also

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needs a new and clearly established other priorities. The extra $600 mil- force in advancing the frontiers of way to demarcate those areas of lion, or so, that the Administration knowledge. Every time the United new, cutting edge science and tech- is seeking for 2005 is barely the States gives up on a major aspect nology, where risk taking should be cost of three or four days opera- of this effort, another nation or encouraged, and those well-under- tions in Iraq. One of the witnesses alliance takes up where we stood systems where tight quality at the hearings made the point that dropped the ball. In particle and cost controls are appropriate. this is really about “hope for the physics, the loss of the supercollid- The case for the Exploration future.” Space exploration is the er project has relegated America to Vision will be debated by the public only way we can ensure a challeng- a back seat in the quest to under- and by the Congress over the next ing enough mission for America’s stand the structure of matter. We couple of years. The cost will be brightest scientists and engineers. cannot afford to have the same one of the most critical elements. America depends on its posi- thing happen in space. n NASA does need some extra tion as the world leader in science money, but it should not expect and technology. Space exploration Taylor Dinerman is editor and pub- unlimited amounts. America has and exploitation is a major driving lisher of spacequity.com

National Space Society and its chapters are proud to partner with MEETUP.COM to reach out to SPACE-INTERESTED AMERICANS across the country. On the FIRST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, NSS members and those interested in space are gathering in local cafes, restaurants and bars to discuss the latest space- related issues.

»»» Check out http://www.nss.org/meetup for the latest information on how you can be a part of the fun in your town!

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budget spike and a demanding This can’t be rushed because ing the shuttle fleet to service, which schedule. In this new vision, mile- spacecraft drift through space on in turn entails effective responses to stones are established to guide plan- well defined “transfer orbits.” Any the recommendations of the BUSH’S ning on a series of discrete and method of speeding the journey Columbia Accident Investigation STEPPING-STONES mutually reinforcing projects, whose would once again require large Board, or CAIB. The president’s 2010 aim at each step is to reduce the cost amounts of fuel, regardless of the deadline to complete the station and TO SPACE and risk of all subsequent missions. means of propulsion. During the long retire the shuttle fleet acknowledges A long history of imaginative flight, interplanetary craft are bom- the CAIB conclusion that the orbiters

BY JOHN H. MARBURGER III space literature has blurred some barded with cosmic radiation at hun- should not be used beyond that date basic facts that strongly constrain dreds of times the intensity on Earth, without recertification. interplanetary exploration, and the which makes the journey hazardous, The second presidential goal president’s vision takes these facts even for robots. These are facts of ensures a means of human transport Neil Armstrong’s first footsteps on into account. life of , and beyond low Earth orbit. The idea is the moon in 1969 inspired universal Above all is the need to propel they must be faced and overcome. not simply to repeat the Apollo exer- wonder and excitement. In that spacecraft with rockets, whose size The president’s new paradigm cises, but to ensure a human pres- moment, it seemed the unimagin- must accommodate enormous takes these facts seriously, balances ence to establish and oversee what able had become reality, and a amounts of fuel. To reach Earth’s robotic and human roles in dealing must eventually become complex course for an enterprise in space in entails a huge ratio with them, and mandates a step-by- operations at the lunar base, the third which anything was possible was of fuel to payload. The Mars rover step approach to address the risks goal. This is not a question of “colo- established. Spirit was utterly dwarfed by the and costs within a steady and realis- nization” but of enabling the develop- Today we know much more rocket mass at launch. Bringing Spirit tic flow of resources. ment of serious and sophisticated about the difficulties of space explo- home would have required sending With respect to human explo- infrastructure in a hostile environ- ration by humans or machines, and along another great mass of fuel to ration, it implies a fundamental ment in order to support subsequent our thinking about space has evolved escape Mars. If that fuel, or any change in ground rules. The idea is to exploration to Mars and elsewhere. with our growing awareness of its other of the material needed for the “explore space and extend a human For more than 30 years, we have costs and hazards. Remarkably, mission, were shipped from outside presence across our solar system ... witnessed an astounding series of rev- those first footsteps continue to Earth, the rocket size and hence cost (making) steady progress one mis- elations about our space environment, inspire. President Bush’s remarks on would be dramatically less, but only sion, one voyage, one landing at a in pursuit of which we developed new the Columbia tragedy capture a if its source were also outside Earth. time.” The emphasis is on sustained technologies with immense and unex- widespread sentiment: “Mankind is The closest source of mass out- exploration and discovery through all pected benefits to society. We know led into the darkness beyond our side Earth is the moon, which appropriate means, at a pace we can there are fascinating places within our world by the inspiration of discovery explains its attractiveness as a base. afford in terms of risk as well as cost. solar system that bear close and and the longing to understand. Our The next closest source is Mars— NASA’s capabilities are compati- detailed scrutiny, and whose explo- journey into space will go on.” 200 to 1,000 times farther away from ble with this new paradigm. The ration will continue to enrich our lives. Now the president has given Earth—so far that a round trip radio International Space Station provides President Bush has provided a practi- shape to this quest through a plan for signal takes from eight to 40 minutes, an important laboratory for under- cal framework to bring these goals space exploration that is at once depending on planetary alignment. standing the effects of weightless- within our reach. n visionary and pragmatic. Described Because Earth orbits nearly twice as ness, as well as opportunities for by the president as “a journey, not a fast as Mars, closest approaches are exploiting physical phenomena in the John Marburger is science adviser to race,” this plan differs profoundly separated by two years, which more weightless environment. the president and director of the Office from the Apollo paradigm of a single or less determines the duration of a The president’s first goal is to of Science and Technology Policy, massive project requiring a large single Mars mission. complete it, and that requires return- Executive Office of the President.

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Long-time advocates of a spacefar- United Space Alliance (USA), the message and fully support every ing civilization finally have reason to NASA contractor responsible for aspect of the vision. celebrate with the decision, preparing the shuttles for launch. The nation’s Vision for Space COMMON GOAL announced in January, that directs Carr also helps lead the Coalition Exploration directs NASA to focus on UNITES SPACE NASA to refocus its mission on for Space Exploration, a collection of returning the space shuttle to flight, exploration and discovery. industry firms, non-profit organiza- completing assembly of the ADVOCATES But the many scientific, techno- tions and state agencies gathered to International Space Station and con- logical and economic benefits that increase public awareness and tinuing important human factors

BY JIM BANKE are promised with realizing the approval of the vision’s goals. research aboard the outpost. Vision for Space Exploration won’t be The Coalition is promoting the At the same time, NASA is to enjoyed for another generation vision through newspaper and radio develop a replacement for the shut- unless its backers rally to demon- ad campaigns, visits to schools and tle and send robot probes out into the strate this new direction is supported civic leaders in cities around the solar system to learn more about the across the country. nation, and by partnering with planets, moons and asteroids – and “Our nation’s leaders must Imaginova (formerly Space Holdings) to help nail down suitable landing understand there is broad public sup- to host an online petition at sites for future human expeditions. port for this vision,” said Jeff Carr, http://www.space.com/goformars. Once a new Constellation-class director of communications for Equally important to the vision’s spaceship is flight-worthy the vehicle acceptance in Congress are the will be used to carry humans back to efforts of grass roots organizations, the moon for the first time since FOCUS ON THE VISION such as the National Space Society 1972, all with the eventual goal of You can help the Vision for Space Exploration gain support among the in leading letter-writing campaigns, reaching for Mars and beyond. general public and members of Congress. Here’s a checklist of things getting petitions signed and making All of this is to happen on an you can do today: visits to members of Congress. affordable, step-by-step basis that • Visit the SPACE.com homepage (http://www.space.com) and click on According to NSS Executive relies on a budgeting philosophy of the “Are you GO for Mars?” button. Fill out and electronically sign Director George Whitesides, the “go as you pay.” Put another way, the petition, adding your name to thousands of others who support vision “represents a once-in-a-decade this is not going to be a trillion dol- the Vision. chance to break the space program lar program to reach a specific des- • Sign up at the National Space Society web site (http://www.nss.org) out of low Earth orbit and open the tination by a set deadline. Instead, to participate in educational conferences and workshops. path toward a spacefaring civilization. this is a whole new way of • Volunteer to speak to a classroom of students, Rotary Club meeting, We cannot let it go down to defeat.” approaching spaceflight. Chamber of Commerce gathering or any other community event and Finding strength in numbers, the “This vision presents us with a talk about the Vision. Use materials available at http://www.space- NSS has joined 11 other non-profit unique opportunity to focus our coalition.com to help prepare your message. organizations to form the Space space program on a path of explo- • Write a letter, send an e-mail or telephone the local office of your Exploration Alliance. Like the Coalition, ration that will provide benefits both Congressional representatives expressing your interest that they sup- the Alliance is pooling its resources practical and inspirational for port the vision for Space Exploration. For help, see hoping to be a more effective voice in decades to come,” Carr said. n http://congress.org. championing the vision. Representatives • Take advantage of an opportunity to voice your opinion on your local of both the Coalition and the Alliance Jim Banke is director of communi- talk radio. Use a current space headline as your news hook to get the agree that a critical element to ensur- cations for the Space Foundation host talking about our future in space ing support on Capitol Hill is that all of and is based in Cape Canaveral, these groups reach out with the same Fla.

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other than we have at the folks out- do we need on the moon before we exploration and development. side the space movement who would go on to Mars? This year, it’s easier to present a prefer no space program at all. As The answers will affect how united front to the outside world, THE 11TH former NSS Executive Director Brian soon we get to our common goal of because many of the details of the COMMANDANT Chase said, we have all too often “spacefaring civilization,” and we new Space Exploration Vision “formed a circular firing squad” to should continue a healthy debate. haven’t been nailed down yet. As OF SPACE prevent any view but our own (and of But we should never allow that NASA makes decisions about which course, each of us has the One True debate to grow so acrimonious that set of hardware to build, who gets

BY CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY Vision, don’t we?) from being adopt- we lose sight of the fact that every the contracts to build it, and what ed by Congress. It’s an approach that space activist, whatever their the timeline and specific goals of the hasn’t gotten us very far. “party,” is our comrade in arms. We new projects are, these details will Ronald Reagan, who was called should remember the many points on diverge from the specific vision of the “Great Communicator” with which we do agree: many of the groups that are united good reason, had some words of • It’s time for humanity to leave low- today. The individual members of the This year’s Washington Legislative wisdom that we’d do well to heed. Earth orbit, and move out into the Space Exploration Alliance will find Conference marked a watershed The path to success for his party, he solar system. We all want “a space more points of disagreement, and event in the history of space said, was strict adherence to an program that goes somewhere.” more temptation to fall into the old activism. For the first time, members “Eleventh Commandment: ‘Thou • Whatever the path we choose for patterns of conflict with each other. I of many different groups in the shalt not speak ill of any fellow getting there, we don’t want hope we can resist that temptation, space movement joined forces in a Republican.’” He didn’t mean that “flags and footprints.” We want and find ways to continue and Space Exploration Alliance, and his party should crush all dissent an architecture that is sustainable strengthen our newfound unity. The came together to jointly urge within its ranks. But where differ- for the long term – and that means best way to make that happen is to Congress to adopt a NASA budget ences existed, his advice was to affordable. start practicing the Eleventh that includes startup funding for the keep family quarrels within the fam- • The space frontier will not be Commandment today. n new National Space Exploration ily, and to look hard to find ways to opened in a big way until the Vision. This new course for NASA is speak kindly of the people who high cost of transportation to Members of the Space Exploration something all of us in the space share your strategic vision, whether low-Earth orbit is cut, so atten- Alliance are: American movement, whatever our differ- or not you can agree on the details. tion should be focused on ways Astronautical Society, Aerospace ences, have wanted for a very long If we can adopt this Eleventh to break this bottleneck. Industries Association, Aerospace time. It breaks humanity out of the Commandment as “Thou shalt not • It will be a long time before the States Association, American low-Earth orbit rut it has been stuck speak ill of any fellow space risks of spaceflight are as low as Institute of Aeronautics and in for the last 30 years and sets us activist,” we will achieve greater the risks associated with other, Astronautics, California Space back on the pathway to the stars. legislative success. more mature means of transporta- Authority, Federation of Galaxy For too long a time, the various The tactical questions are still tion; and that the higher risks of Explorers, Florida Space Authority, groups within the space movement important. Do we need a new heavy- spaceflight are nevertheless Mars Society, Moon Society, have concentrated on the differences lift launch vehicle? Should it be a acceptable because of the poten- National Coalition of Spaceport in our tactical approaches to the shuttle-derivative, or an upgraded tial for great rewards from space. States, National Space Society, questions of the best way to get Atlas or Delta, or a new design? • The shuttle is nearing the end of ProSpace, Space Access Society humanity into space, rather than the What is the proper role for private its useful life, and should be and Space Frontier Foundation, common strategic objective of simply industry in the Space Exploration retired as soon as practicable. Space Generation Foundation, getting there. We have sometimes Vision? What incentives should be • Humans and robots have different Space Studies Institute. directed more bitter rhetoric at each provided? How much infrastructure and complimentary roles in space

S30 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars NSS Proud to Partner with Students for the Exploration and Development of Space

The National Space Society is pleased to announce a partnership with SEDS—a national organization for student space enthusiasts. NSS will use its resources to help SEDS grow, helping the usher a new generation into space scholarship and activism. Stay tuned for regular updates about this new partnership.

By Joshua Neubert SEDS-USA Chairman

In 1980, Peter Diamandis and other MIT and Princeton students with a common desire to see a stronger space program joined forces to form the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). This new organization quickly launched a drive to connect students with a similar vision for space exploration into one large network where they could learn, manage, and promote their views of space. The desire and drive to create this network of student space enthusiasts spread like wildfire, and within a few months the organization had expanded to schools all across the country and around the world. Since 1980, SEDS has had chapters at more than 70 colleges, universities, and high schools in the United States alone—with a strong set of international chapters in Canada, Europe, and Asia. SEDS members have enjoyed the success of careers in a variety of space exploration fields, including research positions at universities and engineering jobs at NASA. Members have also created a number of companies (including the X Prize Foundation), and now work in all aspects of commercial space enterprise. Today, SEDS alumni can be found in almost any space-related career imaginable. For the past 24 years, SEDS has been an organization where students can share their ideas and enthusiasm. SEDS does not focus on any one particular facet of space, but rather attempts to ensure that our future there is as bright as the stars themselves. It will be our peers who lead the way to the moon, Mars and beyond in the coming decades. Now, more than ever, student space enthusiasts need to be heard! In recent years SEDS has been pushing forward to develop new chapters and to reach out to connect everyone in a national and world-wide network of student space enthusiasts. SEDS itself serves as a facilitating organization where we can accomplish amazing tasks. We have been forging bonds with a number of professional groups such as the NSS to show that we are serious about our goals and will stop nothing short of seeing our dreams come true. We encourage all students to join SEDS and make a difference in the future of space exploration. SEDS is not just for aerospace engineers or planetary scientists, but rather for all types of students with the common desire to reach for the stars. If you are interested in learning more about the organization and becoming connected to a network of students with a true drive to expand our capabilities in space, contact us! Our webpage can be found at: http://www.seds.org/ For more information, or to get help starting a chapter at your school, contact [email protected] or [email protected] Now is the time for all students to speak up and show the world that we will not let our future in space be anything less than our dreams have shown us to be possible.

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Who in their right mind would want to a new direction for space advocates, as site of the 1995 terrorist bombing of the drive 12 to 14 hours across three states outlined by the new Vision for Space Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. or shell out $300 (or more) in airfare to Exploration, unveiled earlier in the year ISDC2004 chair Tom Koszoru, CONFERENCE come to the middle of cattle and oil by the White House. George Whitesides and the ISDC vol- DRAWS NSS country during the height of tornado sea- “NSS has long advocated a unteer staff greeted Oklahoma Lt. son over the Memorial Day weekend? roadmap for exploration that is Gov. Mary Fallin during the opening MEMBERS TO You would, if you were one of ded- reflected in the architecture of the ceremonies later that evening. NSS OKLAHOMA icated attendees who drove across new Vision for Space Exploration,” announced plans for a major public state lines from Colorado, Texas and explained George Whitesides, execu- campaign to support the Vision for and flew from as far away as tive director of the National Space Space Exploration at the ISDC. BY JAMES SPELLMAN, JR. Canada, , the United Kingdom Society. “Returning to the moon and Among those speaking at and to be at the National on to Mars is the right way to move ISDC2004 were former astronaut Fred Space Society’s 23rd annual forward, as long as it builds infra- Haise from fame along with International Space Development structure and capacity of private Sy Liebergot, the who Conference, held May 27-31 for the first industry along the way. The degree to made the critical decision that changed time in Oklahoma City at the Clarion which this initiative stimulates and the course of the ill-fated mission; and Meridian Hotel and Convention Center. establishes private enterprise astronauts Donald Thomas and Ken Hosted by the NSS-Oklahoma throughout the solar system will be Money. Other notable speakers includ- Space Alliance under the theme the central indicator of whether it will ed Dr. Robert Zubrin of the Mars “Settling the Space Frontier,” ISDC2004 have a lasting impact on our society.” Society, Charles Chafer of Team was a low-key event compared to past The four-day event kicked off with Encounter’s “Humanity’s First Starship” ISDCs, but it made up in quality what it a behind-the-scenes tour of the project, and former NASA chief of staff lacked in quantity by bringing together Cosmosphere and Space Courtney Stadd. American space heroes with the next Center. From its humble beginnings in However, as most ISDC attendees generation of space commerce profes- 1962 with a staff of high school vol- know, it’s not always the scheduled sionals, robotics engineers and avid unteers and a used star projector sessions, but the unscheduled gather- space futurists who are helping to chart housed inside a chicken coop on the ings in the hallways that draw a lot of Kansas State Fairgrounds, the story of attention as ideas and concerns are the Cosmosphere is as remarkable as shared in an informal setting. Leading WHITESIDES TESTIFIES the history it preserves. the discussions were NSS members On May 3, 2004, NSS executive director Now the museum sports an aero- Randall Severy and Gary Barnhard of George Whitesides testified before the space gallery second only to the CyberTeams, Inc.—who, along with Aldridge Commission on how to better National Air and Space Museum and board members Jay Wittner, Ronnie involve the public in the space exploration the largest gathering of Russian space Lajoie, Bruce Mackenzie and Arthur vision. In his closing remarks, he stated, artifacts outside of . There Smith, unveiled changes for a new “The real cause for the exploration we also were tour stops at the proposed and improved NSS website. The high- seek is to create a space-faring civiliza- Oklahoma Spaceport on the grounds of lighted improvements and transition tion—a civilization of vibrant communi- the former Clinton-Sherman Air Force to a new server promise to be much ties living and working beyond Earth.” For Base at Burns Flat; the Kirkpatrick more interactive and user-friendly for

NASA/Michael Ventura full text of the testimony, visit: Science and Air Space Museum at chapters, including access to up-to- www.nss.org/news/Aldridge_20040505.pdf Omniplex; and the hallowed grounds of date membership databases and the Oklahoma City National Memorial, website hosting. n

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has been far less common. Sinatra should likewise inspire musical may have sang “Fly Me to the expression in support of the cause. Moon” but those were just other Well, we now have the new CD CD EXPLORES words for “Baby, kiss me.” Even “To Touch the Stars” that does in fact DREAMS OF space songs like “Rocket Man” and prove the existence of grass roots “Space Oddity” were topical and spaceflight music. Developed in part- SPACEFLIGHT ironic, not a heartfelt incitement to nership with the NSS, the 16 songs take to the sky. by various composers and perform-

BY CLARK S. LINDSEY The NASA Art Program has com- ers display a broad diversity of musi- Space has supplied plentiful musical missioned music on the theme of cal styles, but a common conviction metaphors for millennia. The first space exploration for many years but that space is important and relevant love song ever composed most sure- those works came from the top to our lives. ly compared the darling object of down. What about music that arose Selections from the album are affection to the sun, moon, planets naturally from the community of being used in classrooms and plane- or stars. Actually, about one in every space enthusiasts and advocates? tariums. One of the songs was even three songs has a cosmic allusion of Many political causes such as the played on Mars. “The Pioneers of some sort. Music written about environment have inspired the cre- Mars” by Karen Linsley and Lloyd actually going into space and visit- ation of songs to spur on the true Landa was chosen by the Jet ing the moon and planets, however, believers and attract new adherents. Propulsion Laboratory flight team as If the space movement is an authen- the wakeup music for the tic aspiration of real people and not Opportunity rover during its 20th day “Space buffs will revel in this of a government agency, then it on the Red Planet. n well-told tale of the little space probes that could.” —Publisher’s Weekly

HOW TO ORDER “TO TOUCH THE STARS” THE DEPTHS OF SPACE The Story of the Pioneer Planetary Probes By Internet: Mark Wolverton http://www.prometheus-music.com/buy/thestars-nss.html ISBN 0-309-09050-4 $24.95 • Hardcover By Postal Mail: TO ORDER: Send a check for $15.97 per CD, Call toll-free 1-888-624-7651 plus $2 shipping and handling to: or browse before you buy. Prometheus Music Preview a full-text, searchable (c/o Eli Goldberg) version at www.jhpress.org 333 Franklin St. #5 Mountain View, CA 94041

JH Please indicate that you are an NSS member—the Society will receive a $2.50 donation for each CD that you buy! From Joseph Henry Press • an imprint of The National Academies Press

42 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars space community

There is an old radio program that speak to as many people as possible and earth preservation organiza- began “Grand Central Station! about the reasons why space explo- tions,” she added. Crossroads of a million lives!” What ration and Earth preservation groups Case in point: John Pazmino, an GRAND CENTRAL a place for … a space show? should work together as one. A per- amateur astronomer and member of SPACE-TION If you’re a member of the New fect example of this complementary NSSNYC, who hosts a table at Earth York City chapter of NSS, that’s pairing has existed in New York City Day every year called “New York where you were on Earth Day, for many years now. The American Skies.” It was at Pazmino’s sugges- BY G.B. LEATHERWOOD Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and Museum of Natural History is joined tion that the NSS chapter set up its 25. You were behind a table with the with and has co-existed under the information booth for Earth Day. National Space Society banner same roof as the Hayden How many passed this project in prominently displayed, along with a Planetarium. The director of the the heart of New York City? Well, number of other exhibits, such as pic- planetarium is Dr. Neil deGrasse perhaps not a million, but enough to tures of the Hubble telescope and Tyson, appointed by President Bush encourage this chapter and others to two DVDs—“Blue Planet,” and “The as a member of the Commission for seek out cooperative opportunities in Ultimate Space Experience.” Moon, Mars and Beyond. their own communities. The stars Candace Pankanin, NYC chapter But if you weren’t a member, Pankanin continues: “If you look can be seen—from telescopes plant- president, at Earth Day 2004. you might ask, “What’s the connec- at the spin-offs of NASA that bene- ed firmly on this Earth. tion between Earth Day and space fit our home planet it becomes obvi- For more information, exploration?” ous that these new breakthroughs contact Candace Pankanin at Candace Pankanin, president of not only create new technologies [email protected] n the NSSNYC, explains it this way: for increasing our standard of living “While we explore we must not but some also increase our years of G. B. Leatherwood, NSS Director of forget to preserve those things that life and the quality by which we live Projects Chapter, wants to know what are important to us. While we main- that life. your chapter has been doing to pro- tain what we hold dear, we must “It turns out that most of the mote space. You can contact him by allow ourselves to grow by exploring members of our group not only email at [email protected] or proj- what we have yet to learn.” belong to the National Space [email protected], by phone at (352) 686- The chapter joined the Earth Day Society and other space related 2366 or by mail at 7213 Davenport event to take the opportunity to groups, but also to animal protection Lane, Spring Hill, FL 34606-6348.

SPACE RADIO SHOWS ON THE AIR and 9:30 a.m. ET on WMUH in Allentown, Pa., or anytime on the web. Check with Space enthusiasts can now tune in to two radio shows about space that are available your local NPR affiliate for additional schedule information. globally via the internet. The Space Show, hosted and produced by Dr. David Livingstone, can be heard Planetary Radio, a project of the California-based Planetary Society, will be anytime at http://www.thespaceshow.com, as well as in the Seattle area on downlinked Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Pacific Time on the Public Radio Satellite Service 1150AM. The weekly show focuses on timely and important issues influencing the spacecraft, Channel A67.7. Hosted and produced by Mat Kaplan, the show development of space commerce and . In September and October, features in-depth conversations with scientists, engineers, project managers, tune in for special programs on the X PRIZE launches which will be broadcast live astronauts and authors involved in the quest for knowledge about our universe. from the Mojave Spaceport. The show airs from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays PT and there The program is also available via webcast on ’s website is a special edition segment from 8 to 8:15 p.m. that is available only through the http://planetary.org/radio, and on KUCI’s website at http://www.kuci.org. Catch internet. KKNW also streams this rebroadcast on its own streaming site at the broadcast every Monday from 5:30 to 6 p.m. PT on KUCI in Irvine, California, http://www.newschannel1150.com. Click on the “Listen Live” button at the top.

to the stars Ad Astra july august s e p t e m b e r 2004 43 Chapter Coordinators OASIS Chapter NSS Chapters Vice President of Chapter Affairs: Contact: Steve Bartlett, PO Box 1231, and Projects Jim Plaxco Redondo Beach CA 90278 700 Cape Lane, Schaumburg IL 60193; Phone: voice (562) 627-3991 Learn what is going on phone (847) 923-7122; Email: [email protected] at local chapters of the [email protected] Online: www.oasis-nss.org Publications: The Odyssey, monthly National Space Society U.S. Chapters Coordinator: Projects: Public talks and lectures, Star parties and get the latest updates Bennett Rutledge at Mt. Wilson Observatory; Mars Rover on our website: 4264 E. Maplewood Way, Centinnial CO 80121; Simulator; Speakers for space-related phone (720) 529-8024; convention panels. www.nss.org/chapters. [email protected] Please send any changes Region 2 Chapters: International Chapters Coordinator: Northern California, to NSS headquarters at Michael James Washington State, Oregon [email protected]. And PO Box A2078, Sydney South, Oregon L5 Society Chapter remember to update us on NSW 1235 Australia; phone 61 2 9808 1429 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Contact: Bryce Walden your projects by contacting Australian Standard Time only); (Region 2 chapters coordinator) PO Box 86, Mr. Gail Leatherwood, our [email protected] Oregon City OR 97045-0007 Phone: voice (503) 655-6189; Chapters Projects Director, Region 1 Chapters: fax (503) 251-9901 by email at [email protected] Southern California Email: [email protected] Online: www.OregonL5.org or [email protected], by NSS Western Spaceport Chapter Projects: Professional papers, models, brain- phone at (352) 686-2366, or by Contact: James Spellman, Jr. storming and idea incubator, prototyping, and mail at 7213 Davenport Lane, (Region 1 chapters coordinator) industry consulting through our Lunar Base 4617 Oak Lane, Mtn Mesa, Lake Isabella CA Research Team and Mars Instrument and Spring Hill, Fla., 34606. 93240-9713 Science Team; cooperative activities with In every issue of the Phone: voice/fax (760) 379-2503 and space advocacy groups; public information tables and educational activities magazine, we will highlight Email: [email protected] Online: http://hometown.aol.com/wspace- including Mars rover, models and moon analog your interesting and port/Welcome.html research site; America Online Space Chat . inspiring endeavors. Publications: Western Space Report, monthly Golden Gate Space Frontier Society Ad Astra! Orange County Space Society Chapter Chapter Contact: Ned Dodds, 19 Erin Court, Pleasant Contact: Larry Evans, PO Box 53241, Hill CA 94523-2614 Irvine CA 92619-3241 Phone: (925) 933 1721 Phone: voice/fax (949) 770-0702 Email: [email protected] Online: [email protected] Projects: Volunteers for Challenger Learning Publications: OC Space, monthly Center at Chabot Space and Science Center, Projects: Public displays and programs; Oakland. Student Space Congress; After School Academy; Space Camp Southern California. Chapter: Sacramento L-5 Society Contact: Robert Compton, 3945 Grey Livery Way, Antelope CA 95843 Phone: (916) 344-3290 Email: [email protected] Online: www.ad6uy.com/sac-l5/index.html Projects: Prototype water/kerosene rocket; web site; public shopping center displays.

44 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars space community

Chapter: NSS Seattle Austin Space Frontier Society New Mexico Space Society Chapter Wichita Chapter of NSS Contact: David Stuart, 14618 21st Ave. SW, Chapter Contact: Fred Aiken, PO Box 94133, Contact: Dr. Randall Chambers, 2704 Winstead Seattle WA 98166 Contact: John Strickland, 12717 Bullick Hollow Albuquerque NM 87199-4133 Circle, Wichita KS 67226-1179 Phone: (206) 324-9096 or (206) 241-6165 Road, Austin TX 78726 Phone: (505) 856-2145 Phone: voice (316) 684-2614; Email: [email protected] Phone: (512) 258-8998 or (512) 465-7968 Email: [email protected] fax (316) 684-6748 Online: http://chapters.nss.org/wa/seattle Email: [email protected] Online: Email: [email protected] Publications: Sojourner, monthly Projects: Revision of Boy Scouts Merit Badge http://pages.prodigy.net/leduda/nmss.htm Publications: News Digest Reports Projects: Space Day displays and volunteers; Handbook on Space Exploration; space issue Projects: Educational and training programs at NSS speakers and staffed display table at and briefing paper for senatorial campaign of Region 4 Chapters: the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center; Norwescon, regional sci-fi convention John Cornyn of Texas; participation and Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, support and participate in Astra Kansas Day papers at conventions and councils on space- Utah proclamation and celebration for governor of Region 3 Chapters: related issues Kansas; evaluate and judge presentations at Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Heart of America Chapter NSS Wichita State College of Engineering and New Mexico Clear Lake Area NSS Chapter Contact: George Howard National Institute for Aviation Research’s Contact: Murray G. Clark, PO Box 890588, (Region 4 chapters coordinator) PO Box 22537, Engineering Open House and Banquet. Region 3 chapters coordinator: Houston TX 77289-0588 Kansas City MO 64113-0537 Claire Stephens McMurray Phone: voice (281) 367-2227; Phone: (816) 523-7593 Utah Space Association Chapter 1206 Classen Blvd., Norman OK 73071 fax (713) 488-7903 Email: [email protected] Contact: J. David Baxter, 378 I Street, Phone: (405) 329-4326 Email: [email protected] Publications: Heart of America NSS News, Salt Lake City UT 84103 Email: [email protected] Online: www.geocities.com/clearlakechap/ Projects: William Bent Station project, a Phone: (801) 359-0251 moon/Mars base simulation Email: [email protected] Tucson L5 Space Society Chapter NSS of North Texas Chapter Online: http:www.utahspace.org Contact: Ben Nault, 8701 E. Saddleback Drive, Contact: Carol Johnson, PO Box 1671, Academy Publications: Aurora, quarterly Tucson AZ 85749 Arlington TX 76004-1671 Chapter Phone: (520) 760-2283 Phone: (972) 937-3587 Contact: Kyle Vacca, PO Box 2649, Region 5 Chapters: Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] US Air Force Academy CO 80841 Alabama, , Kentucky, Online: Online: www.nssnt.org Phone: (719) 200-6506 Tennessee www.azstarnet.com/public/nonprofit/tucl5 Publications: The North Texas Spacecraft, Email: [email protected] Projects: Judge space-related exhibits at monthly Projects: Sponsor astronaut visits and Kentucky Chapter of NSS regional school science fair; chapter Projects: Information table and display at The presentations to cadets; conduct observatory Contact: Harry Reed (Region 5 chapters newsletter Science Place, Dallas; co-authored Boy Scouts nights; coordinate and conduct trips to coordinator) 163 Harrison Road, Merit Badge Handbook revision; donated Cheyenne Mountain, Lockheed Martin and Benton KY 42025 Phoenix Chapter of NSS World Space Week posters to schools, other locations Phone: (270) 527-2386 Contact: Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto, libraries and museum Email: [email protected] Arizona State University, Dept. of Geological Front Range L5 Society Chapter Sciences, Planetary Geology Group, Tempe AZ San Antonio Space Society Chapter Contact: Bill Nelson, 2295 Gross Circle East Huntsville Alabama L5 Society 85287-1404 Contact: Carol Redfield, 609 Ridge View Drive, No. 2, Boulder CO 80302 Chapter Phone: (480) 965-7029 San Antonio TX 78253 Phone: (303) 247-9797 Contact: Gregory H. Allison, PMB 168, 1019 Email: [email protected] Phone: voice (210) 679-7625; Email: [email protected] Old Monrovia Road, Huntsville AL 35806 Online: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ fax (210) 436-3298 Phone: voice (256) 859-5538; NSSPHOENIXCHAPTER/ Email: [email protected] Mile High L5 Society Chapter fax (256) 461-3232 Publications: National Space Society of Projects: Support for Radiance Academy West Contact: Mark Schloesslin, 6937 E. Briarwood Email: [email protected] Phoenix, bimonthly charter school the chapter helped start; sup- Circle, Englewood CO 80112 Online: http://hiwaay.net/~hal5 port for St. Mary’s University activities and Phone: (303) 779-5692 Projects: Project HALO, including test-firings Oklahoma Space Alliance NSS Young Astronauts organization at Galm Email: [email protected] of large and small hybrid rocket motors; Chapter Elementary School; distribute CDs from NSS public lectures on space-related subjects Contact: Thomas Koszoru, 514 Fenwick Court, Education Committee Adopt-a-School packet. Norman OK 73072 Phone: (405) 366-1977 Email: [email protected] Online: http://members.aol.com/osanss/science Publications: Outreach, Update, bimonthlies Projects: Host for ISDC 2004

to the stars Ad Astra july august s e p t e m b e r 2004 45 NSS Chapter Space Frontier L5 Society Region 7 Chapters: Contact: Bill Gardiner, 1197 Spur 138, Chapter Maryland, Pennsylvania, Jonesboro GA 30236 Contact: Bill Higgins, MS 355, Box Metro-DC Phone: voice (770) 473-7617; 500, Batavia IL 60510 fax (770) 477-0515 Phone: (630) 393-6817 Region 7 chapters coordinator: Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Bennett Rutledge Online: www.nssatlanta.org Online: www.astrodigital.org/csfs 4264 Maplewood Way, Centennial CO 80121 Projects: What’s Up in Space TV program Phone: voice/fax (720) 529-8024 Illini Space Development Society Email: [email protected] Middle Tennessee Space Society Chapter Chapter Contact: Mark Wallace, 314 Talbot Laboratory, Baltimore Metro Chapter of NSS Contact: Chuck Schlemm, 508 Beechgrove 104 S. Wright St., Urbana IL 61801 Contact: Dale S. Arnold, Jr., 102 F Seevue Way, Burns TN 37029 Phone: (217) 244-4263 Court, Bel Air MD 21014 Phone: (615) 441-1024 Email: [email protected] Phone: (410) 879-3602 Email: [email protected] Online: www.uiuc.edu/ro/isds Email: [email protected] Projects: Space TV, an hour-long weekly pro- Projects: Display table at Andrews AFB air gram; display at Dickson Renaissance Center; Illinois North Shore NSS Chapter show; science programming at Maryland educational presentations to groups of Contact: Jeffrey Liss, 1364 Edgewood Lane, Regional Convention; judging Vanderbilt University Childcare children; dis- Winnetka IL 60093 and prize presentations at prize at Maryland play tables at Cumberland Science Museum; Phone: voice (847) 446-8343; Regional Science Fair; display and space monthly presentations during public viewing fax (312) 282-7789 backdrop at outdoor community festival nights at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory Email: [email protected] NSS North Coast Chapter Memphis Space Society Chapter Cuyahoga Valley Space Society Contact: Edward C. Longnecker, 160 W. 8th Contact: Robert Hudson, 3861 Trufant, Chapter Street, Apt.. 3E, Erie PA 16510-1013 Memphis TN 38128 Contact: George F. Cooper III, 3433 North Ave., Phone: (814) 459-2572 Phone: voice (901) 388-1480; Parma OH 44134 Email: [email protected] fax (901) 566-9107 Phone: (216) 749-0017 Projects: Astronomy Night, Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Blastoff Rocket Club Online: http://chapters.nss.org/tn/memphis/ Publications: Cuyhoga Valley Space Society, monthly Area Space Alliance Region 6 Chapters: Chapter Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin Lunar Reclamation Society, Inc. Contact: Earl Bennett, PO Box 1715, Chapter Philadelphia PA 19105 Region 6 chapters coordinator: Contact: Peter Kokh, PO Box 2102, Phone: (215) 633-0878 Larry Ahearn Milwaukee WI 53201-2102 Email: [email protected] 610 West 47 Place, Chicago IL 60609 Phone: (414) 342-0705 Online: http://pasa01.tripod.com Phone: (773) 373-0349 Email: [email protected] Projects: Presentations at Super Science Email: [email protected] Online: www.lunar-reclamation.org Weekend, State Museum, Special Publications: Moon Miners’ Manifesto, monthly Awards judging at George Washington Carver Chicago Society for Space Studies Projects: Booth and exhibit at Aviation Career Science Fair, exhibit at New Jersey State Chapter Day, Mitchell Field; “Rockets for Schools” Museum in conjunction with NASA Traveling Contact: Lawrence Boyle, PO Box 1454, annual rocket launch event Exhibit, presentations at Philcon Science North Riverside IL 60546 Fiction Convention Phone: voice (708) 788-1336; Sheboygan Space Society Chapter

fax (847) 455-6299 Contact: Wilbert G. Foerster, DC-L5 Chapter Email: [email protected] 728 Center St., Kiel WI 53042-1034 Contact: Donnie Lowther, PO Box 3955, Online: www.astrodigital.org/csss Phone (920) 894-2376 Merrifield VA 22216-3955 Projects: Cartoon History of the Space Email: [email protected] CALL FOR NEW ADDRESS Phone: (703) 354-2665 Program, planetary presentations Online: www.tcei.com/sss Email: [email protected] Projects: “Rockets for Schools” display Projects: Around Space, cable TV access program

46 july august septembe r 2004 Ad Astra to the stars space community

Region 8 Chapters: Email: [email protected] Central Coast Space Frontier Canada New York Online: www.nsschapters.org/ny/nyc Society Chapter Calgary Space Frontier Society Publications: Online monthly columns Contact: Tony James, 98 Malison Street, Chapter Region 8 chapters coordinator: Projects: Lecture series, monthly astronomy Wyoming, NSW 2250 Australia Contact: Paul Swift, 218-200 Lincoln Way, Elaine Walker observations, host information table at Earth Phone: voice 61 2 432 94748; fax 61 2 432 947 49 Calgary, Alberta T3E 6K6 Canada 1051 West Paseo Way, Tempe, AZ 85283 Day at Grand Central Station Email: [email protected] Phone: voice (403) 686 7430; (403) 287-3107 Phone: (917) 723-0802 Online: www.nssa.com.au/ccsfs Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Special Interest Chapters Publications: The View From Earth Niagara Peninsula Space Frontier NSS Boston Chapter Space Society Chapter Newcastle Space Frontier Society Society Chapter Contact: Christopher Carberry, 5 Driftwood Contact: Linda Plush, RN, 3053 Rancho Vista Chapter Contact: Raymond Merrick, PO Box 172, Road, Acton MA 01720 Blvd. No. H377, Palmdale CA 93551 Contact: Jack Dwyer, PO Box 1150, Newcastle, Thorold, Ontario L2V 3Y9 Canada Phone: (617) 646-0523 Phone: voice (661) 949-6780; NSW 2300 Australia Phone: (905) 684-5770 Email: [email protected] fax (661) 949-7292 Phone: 61 496 350 37 Email: [email protected] Online: http://chapters.nss.org/ma Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Online: www.spacenursingsociety.com Online: www.nssa.com.au/nsfs France Suffolk Challengers for Space Publications: Expanding Horizons, quarterly Publications: NSFS Newsletter NSS France Chapter Chapter Contact: Nicholas Turcat, 6 Clos Perault, Contact: Prof. Reagan Lorraine Lavorata The Odyssey Foundation Chapter Queensland Space Frontier Chapter Athis-Mons 91200 France 53 Valley Forge Dr., Bohemia, NY 11716 Contact: Harry K. Coffman, PO Box 18987, Contact: Noel Jackson, PO Box 419, Nundah Phone: voice 336 88 56 2747; Phone: (631) 321-0964 Huntsville AL 35804 Queensland 4012 Australia fax 331 69 38 8656 Email: [email protected] and Phone: (404) 786-5958 Phone: 61 7 326 663 24 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Online: www.theodysseyfoundation.org Email: [email protected] Online: http://www.nssfrance.fr.st/ and Online: www.geocities.com/francoise- Projects: Donate chapter library materials to http://www.nssfrance.com hardy51/challengers.html United Societies in Space Chapter schools and libraries Projects: Aid to internet startup space firm, Contact: Declan J. O’Donnell, 499 Larkspur educational lectures on Drive, Castle Rock CO 80104 Sydney Space Frontier Society Deutsche Raumfahrtgesellschaft Phone: voice (800) 632-2828; Chapter e.V. Chapter New Frontier Society of Greater fax (303) 663-8595 Contact: Wayne Short, GPO Box 7048, Sydney, Contact: Michael Stennecken, Greta- Rochester Chapter Email: [email protected] NSW 2001 Australia Buenichmann-Str. 3, 48155 Muenster Germany Contact: Carl Ellsbree, 117 Kirklees Road, Online: www.angelfire.com/space/usis Phone: 61 2 950 230 63 Phone: voice 49 251 394 4863; Pittsford NY 14534 Publications: Space Governance Journal Email: [email protected] fax 49 251 394 4864 Phone: voice (585) 381-4218; Email: [email protected] fax (585) 657-7244 NSS Space Elevator Cyber Chapter National Space of Australia Online: www.drg-gss.org Email: [email protected] Contact: Bert Murray, 8950D Town and Education Chapter Publications: Raumfahrt Concret Online: http://space.rochester.ny.us Country Blvd., Ellicott City, MD 31043 Contact: Jennie Young, 158 Murray Farm Publications: New Frontier Society of Greater Phone: (410) 371-7261 or (410) 750-7497 Road, Beecroft, NSW 2119, Australia Mexico Rochester Email: [email protected] Phone: 61 2 9614 1999 Sociedad Espacial Mexicana, Online: http://NSSchapters.org/nsecc and Email: [email protected] A.C. Chapter Space Society Chapter http://www.seattlewebcrafters.com/nsecc/ and Contact: Jesus Raygoza B., Apartado Postal Contact: Arthur Smith, 8 Sherry Lane, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsecc/ Perth Space Frontier Society Chapter 5-75, Guadalajara Jalisc 45042 Mexico Shelden NY 11784-3901 Contact: Kerry McLeod, PO Box 2140 Warwick, Phone: 52 3 647 5710 Phone: (631) 732-1367 International Chapters WA 6024 Australia Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 61 8 924 342 37 Publications: XAMAN-EK,quarterly and Online: www.lispace.org Australia Email: [email protected] semiannually Projects: Promote Space Exploration Act of NSS of Australia Chapter 2002 and local space development authority; Contact: Philip Young, GPO Box 7048, Brazil Challenger Center for Space Education Sydney, NSW 2001 Australia National Space Society – Brasilia Phone: 61 2 9614 1900 Chapter New York Space Society Email: [email protected] Contact: Maria B. Tome, SQN105 – Bloco G – Contact: Candace Pankanin, 300 Gorge Road, Online: http://nssa.com.au Apt, 104 Brasilia DF 70734-070 Brazil Cliffside Park, NJ 07010 Publications: Space Frontier News, quarterly Phone: voice/fax 011 5561 337 Phone: (201) 945-0769 Email: [email protected]

to the stars Ad Astra july august s e p t e m b e r 2004 47 lifting off MODULESa

HEADY DAYS FOR SPACE BY GEORGE T. WHITESIDES, NSS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nice to meet you! This is my first column as your Executive That is when I first fell in love with space, Director, and I could not be more excited. Your society has and it is a love affair that continues to this day. been reinvigorated and reenergized by the Summer of Space, I intend for it continue to the day I die. and there is so much going on that it is hard to know where I know many of you feel the same. And to begin. I bet many of you felt your heart beat Begin at the beginning, I’ve heard it said, so let me begin by afresh with all the wonderful space mile- saying this: I am here because I believe promoting space is the stones that have claimed headlines this most important thing a person can do at this moment in histo- year. Have you explored the NASA website George T.Whitesides ry. It is the key to the future of humanity—and never has it to look through the picture archive from been more relevant to humanity than today. the Mars rovers? You should—because exploration has been I had the privilege of watching Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne reborn in those pictures. Have you read the new Vision for reach space on June 21, 2004, on a dazzlingly bright Mojave Space Exploration and Aldridge Commission Reports your- morning. It was the day that I—and many of you—have been self? You should—because together they set out the most waiting for and dreaming about. To watch Mike Melvill pilot visionary plan for human activity in space that we have ever that tiny craft straight up, the rocket plume shining in the sun, had as official government policy. Have you made plans to brought tears to my eyes. To see Mike land safely just a few min- come to Mojave Airport (newly christened as the Mojave utes later brought the tears back. We are making progress, my Spaceport) for the X PRIZE launches, or wherever they will friends, and Rutan and his team have just made history. be? You should – because you are an NSS member, and those Recently I watched a new Saturn 5 rocket video, which we launches are what we are all about. received here at the office. (By the way, you are all invited to This is a terrific time to be involved in space. It is also a come by our new headquarters in Washington, D.C., any- terrific time to share your love of space with others. If I time—it is just two blocks north of the White House.) The could make one request of every member, it would be this: video cut together shots of all of the Saturn 5 launches, from the Take a risk and share with a good friend why you are a first test-flights to the last launch of . member of NSS. Share what it is about space that has cap- Watching the epic, rumbling power of that great ship—and tured your heart, and invite them to join us in the most seeing its characteristic red ‘USA’ letters, its black-and-white important movement there is—the movement that encom- interstages, and the needle of the escape tower poking up from passes the future of humanity and the best of humanity— the crew capsule—made me think back to my youth, when I the effort to reach out to space, to explore, and—someday, sketched pictures of those ships with crayons and pens. perhaps someday soon—to stay. a

CREATING A LASTING LEGACY If you look back 500 years, few events stand out as truly important. A few pieces of great artwork, religious reforms, perhaps certain battles. Topping the list, though, is a discovery every child can recite, an event that shaped the entire world as we know it today—the voyage of Christopher Columbus and the explorations of a new world. We are embarking on a similar journey, one that again will reshape the course of humanity. You have an oppor- tunity to help bring it about as part of the lasting legacy we at the National Space Society are building, together with the world space community. Your vision of a future for all humanity, spread beyond these bounds of Earth, can be realized as testament to your courage and ability to imagine the possible. If this is a legacy you wish to share with us, please consider remembering the National Space Society in your will, or through a planned gift. For more information on making a bequest or gift to NSS, please contact our exec- utive director at (202) 429-1600. Ad Astra!

48 july august september 2004 Ad Astra to the stars Join the Team for Space. NSS is leading the New Space Age. Join today!

bush announces manned space exploration initiative From X PRIZE to the Space Station, from the Moon to Mars The Nation’s New Space Garage and beyond, NSS is at the forefront of the New Space Age. Power Down: Beaming Solar Energy to Earth New members can join now for a special introductory rate Heinlein Award Send Your Ballot January/February/March 2004 $4.95 of only $20, and get a one-year subscription to Ad Astra, the only magazine of its kind!

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NASA http://www.nss.org/ Yuri’s Night spacefest in Los Angeles Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols and NSS executive director George Whitesides

Singer Lance Bass and space tourist party at Yuri’s Night

www.nss.org NSS in Action Astronaut Ken Money, NSS board NSS board member member Jim Plaxco, and Bob Zubrin Mark Hopkins at at ISDC ISDC

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NSS members at SpaceShipOne launch

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