SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY

ISSUE 5 VOLUME 4 5 AAS OFFICERS PRESIDENT Mark K. Craig, SAIC SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Peggy Finarelli, Finarelli Associates ISSUE 5 – VOLUME 45 VICE PRESIDENT–TECHNICAL Arun K. Misra, McGill University VICE PRESIDENT–PROGRAMS Barbara B. Pfarr VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLICATIONS Ronald J. Proulx, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory VICE PRESIDENT–MEMBERSHIP Steven D. Harrison, Northrop Grumman THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY VICE PRESIDENT–EDUCATION John E. Cochran, Jr., Auburn University VICE PRESIDENT–FINANCE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Michael F. Zedd, Naval Research Laboratory AAS and the Flow of Discovery 3 VICE PRESIDENT–INTERNATIONAL Lyn D. Wigbels, Rice Wigbels International VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLIC POLICY FEATURES Ian Pryke, CAPR, George Mason University Lunar Interferometery: The Future Home of Astronomy 4 LEGAL COUNSEL A little over forty years ago, the Moon was an alien place, still untouched Franceska O. Schroeder, Fish & Richardson P.C. by the hand of man. With the dawn of the space age, humanity’s view of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR the Moon began to change. No longer was the Moon merely a barren James R. Kirkpatrick, AAS expanse of dust and rock; now it was possible for the Moon to serve as a springboard for further human activity in space and a platform for AAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS advanced astronomical observations. The first step could lie in placing a structure, an observatory, on the Moon that can be robotically controlled. TERM EXPIRES 2006 One kind of observatory that may be ideally suited to the lunar surface is Shannon Coffey, Naval Research Laboratory Ashok Deshmukh, Technica Inc. an array of interferometric telescopes. Angela P. Diaz by Megan C. Kirk Graham Gibbs, Canadian Space Agency Robert E. Lindberg, National Institute of Aerospace A Leader from Apollo: Rocco Petrone 8 G. David Low, Orbital Sciences Corporation Rocco A. Petrone, 80, an Apollo-era NASA executive known for his Arthur F. Obenschain Todd Probert, Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. toughness and drive to see NASA succeed, passed away August 24 Frank A. Slazer, The Boeing Company at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Trevor C. Sorensen, University of Kansas by Richard Faust TERM EXPIRES 2007 Visualizing the Vision 19 Paul J. Cefola, MIT/Consultant Michael L. Ciancone Turning engineering and policy concepts into a compelling, visual story is John W. Douglass, Aerospace Industries Association a critical part of transforming vision into reality. Dramatic, technically G. Allen Flynt Robert G. Melton, Penn State University accurate images can help audiences imagine how the various pieces of a Linda V. Moodie, NOAA space exploration architecture will come together years down the road, Arnauld Nicogossian, George Mason University making the whole concept more real and more supportable. But engineers Frederic Nordlund, European Space Agency and scientists need high-quality visual materials, too, particularly when the James A. Vedda, The Aerospace Corporation act of creating these images helps technical experts refine their designs. Thomas L. Wilson John Frassanito & Associates has been in the forefront of this effort, and TERM EXPIRES 2008 along the way has already created iconic images that have already become Peter M. Bainum, Howard University John C. Beckman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory synonymous with the Vision for Space Exploration. David A. Cicci, Auburn University by Keitha Nystrom Lynn F. H. Cline Nancy S. A. Colleton, Institute for Global IN ORBIT Environmental Strategies Roger D. Launius, Smithsonian Institution A Case For Exploration 9 Jonathan T. Malay, Lockheed Martin Corporation In his article “A Different Vision for Space Exploration” in the July/August Clayton Mowry, Arianespace, Inc. Kathy J. Nado, Computer Sciences Corporation 2006 issue of Space Times, Donald Beattie raised a number of interesting Richard M. Obermann, House Committee on Science points concerning the value of lunar science and the wisdom of investing money in returning astronautics to the lunar surface. Like Mr. Beattie, I have been involved in various aspects of space science since the Apollo era. However, I SPACE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFF would like to propose a different perspective, one that is significantly less pessi- EDITOR, Jonathan M. Krezel mistic about the potential for lunar exploration than that offered by Mr. Beattie. PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR, Dustin Doud by Yoji Kondo PRODUCTION MANAGER, Cathy L. Eledge BUSINESS MANAGER, James R. Kirkpatrick UPCOMING CONFERENCES SPACE TIMES is published bimonthly by the American AAS National Conference and 53rd Annual Meeting 12 Astronautical Society, a professional non-profit society. SPACE TIMES is free to members of the AAS. Individual subscriptions can be ordered from the AAS Business Office. © Copyright 11th Space Conference of Pacific-basin Societies 15 2006 by the American Astronautical Society, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. AAS NEWS IPC Welcomes Shana Dale - AAS/AIAA Seminar Planned 14 PERIODICALS NOTES ON A NEW BOOK SPACE TIMES, magazine of the AAS, bimonthly, volume 45, 2006—$80 domestic, $95 foreign Spacecraft Technology: The Early Years 17 The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, quarterly, volume reviewed by Jonathan Krezel 54, 2006—$160 domestic, $180 foreign To order these publications, contact the AAS business office. 6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 102 REPRINTS Springfield, VA 22152-2354 U.S.A. Phone: 703-866-0020 Fax: 703-866-3526 See a story you’d like to share? Reprints are available for all articles in SPACE TIMES and for all papers published in The [email protected] www.astronautical.org Journal of the Astronautical Sciences. 2 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE AAS and the Flow of Discovery

The last issue of Space Times contained two excellent articles on Mars entitled “Thirty Years After: The Science of the Viking Program and the Discovery of a ‘New Mars’” by Dr. Joel Levine and “The Golden Age of Mars Exploration” by Dr. Michael Meyer. These articles remind us of how Viking revolutionized our view of Mars (and of Earth) and they paint the broad outline of the flow of discovery as missions are undertaken to search for life and now, more specifically, to “follow the water.” The flow of discovery will continue with the recently-arrived Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it returns more data about Mars than all previous missions combined. The size of a bus, MRO carries the most powerful camera ever flown on a planetary exploration mission. Previous Mars cameras were able to identify objects no smaller than a dinner table; this camera will be able to spot something as small as a dinner plate. The MRO also carries a sounder to find subsurface water. In addition, it will serve as the first element of an “interplanetary Internet” to provide a communications link back to Earth for several international Mars spacecraft in coming years. MRO is the leading edge of another flow of discovery, one in space flight mechanics and in guidance, navigation and control. To increase the instrument complement by 600 kilograms, the need for thruster fuel was reduced by that amount using aerobraking to shrink and shape the orbit to the nearly circular, low-altitude configuration required to observe the planet. MRO dipped into the upper fringe of Mars’ atmosphere 426 times between early April and Aug. 30 to gradually decrease the apoapsis from 45,000 kilometers to 486 kilometers. The periapsis ranged from 98 to 105 kilometers. When it arrived at Mars on March 10, the spacecraft took more than 35 hours to complete an orbit. During the final weeks of aerobraking, it was flying more than 10 orbits a day. And finally, on September 11, MRO fired its thrusters for 12.5 minutes to shift the periapsis to stay near the Martian south pole and the apoapsis to stay near the north pole. Quite a dance! The space flight mechanics and the guidance, navigation and control required to plan and execute these maneuvers at Mars are discoveries themselves based on experience and years of hard work by dedicated professionals, many of whom are members of our society. To hone and share expertise, and to pass it along to the next generation, each year the AAS sponsors three world-class conferences devoted to the professionals in these disciplines: • The AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting (Jan. 28 - Feb. 1, 2007) • The AAS Guidance and Control Conference (Feb. 3-7, 2007) • The AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference (Aug. 19-23, 2007) We are very proud of these conferences and the contributions that they, and our members, make to the flow of discovery in space exploration.

Mark Craig [email protected] ON THE COVER

FRONT: Soyuz TMA-9 blasts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, CORRECTIONS Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, and the worlds first female Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari. (Source: NASA/Bill There were three errors on page 4 in the July/August Ingalls) feature article Thirty Years After: The Science of the Viking Program and the Discovery of a "New Mars." BACK: A view of the recently installed 240ft solar wings The Viking 1 landing date was erroneously given as of the International Space Station. Installed by the crew 20 June 1976; the correct date was 20 July 1976. Also, aboard STS-115, the solar wings will double the power the lander that touched down on Utopia Planitia on 3 available to the ISS when they are brought online during September 1976 was Viking 2, not Viking 3. Finally, the next shuttle flight currently scheduled for December Mariner 6 made its closest approach to Mars on 31 2006. (Source: NASA) July 1969. Space Times regrets these errors.

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 3 Lunar Interferometery: The Future Home of Astronomy A little over forty years ago, the Moon was an alien place, still untouched by the hand of man. With the dawn of the space age, humanity’s view of the Moon began to change. No longer was the Moon merely a barren expanse of dust and rock; now it was possible for the Moon to serve as a springboard for further human activity in space and a platform for advanced astronomical observations. The first step could lie in placing a structure, an observatory, on the Moon that can be robotically controlled. One kind of observatory that may be ideally suited to the lunar surface is an array of interferometric telescopes. by Megan C. Kirk

Two major goals of astronomy in collects the electromagnetic radiation from is the universe. Within the past twenty the past couple decades have been to cre- a celestial object (say, a star or planet) years, the science of optical interferometry ate better imaging systems and to find along two different paths using, in the has appeared to fill in the gaps that radio extrasolar terrestrial planet with qualities case of a radio telescope, two antennas. interfermotery has left. Great strides in similar to Earth. It would be far easier to The radio waves strike the antennas at this field have been made with the optical spot these extrasolar terrestrial planets different times, thus giving each antenna interferometer on Mount Wilson, from the Moon than from the Earth be- a different part of the wave. The Georgia, which has emerged as a world- cause the Earth’s atmosphere interferes difference between the two waves is then class instrument capable of providing with images produced by ground-based measured. Since the difference in the astronomers with unprecedented data and instruments, greatly increasing the chal- waves depends on the angle of their source beautiful images of some of the most lenge of finding the faint signals of Earth- with respect to the telescopes, it is easy, distant celestial object ever seen. like planets. Without the radio noise and at least conceptually, to find the origin of However, even with current optical atmosphere of Earth, the far side of the the waves. technology, astronomy still strives to moon would be the best choice for a ra- Yet radio interferometry, while achieve a clearer picture of the sky. This dio observatory close to home. proven immensely useful in researching clearer picture depends on the resolving Interferometery was first used to the cosmos over the years, provides only power of a telescope. If the optics are measure the positions and structures of “audio” imaging, and an audio imaging perfect, the resolution of a telescope discrete radio sources. An interferometer is but a fragment of the larger picture that depends on the diameter of its mirror. The

Images like this one, a 400x900 light-year mosaic of images captured by the space telescope Chandra, provide new perspectives on the nature of our universe. An interferometric telescope could provide more detail than any of NASA’s Great Observatories can currently supply. (Source: NASA/UMass/D. Wang et all)

4 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 larger the mirror, the better resolution one can achieve. An enormous telescope would have excellent resolution, but this it is not a straight forward case of bigger is better. As with most dreams, physical impossibilities get in the way. The biggest problem in constructing a telescope of this magnitude would be its own, massive size. To the human eye, glass does not appear to sag over time, mostly because its movement is too slow to see. Yet gravity does act on glass, and the heavier that glass is the greater the tendency to bend under its own weight. Normally, sagging doesn’t affect the performance of an average, everyday mirror because it does not have to conform to a certain shape. However, in an optical instrument such as the mirror of a telescope, the exact shape of the mirror makes an enormous difference in getting a clear picture. The mirror in a telescope should be a perfect parabola to get a clear image. If that parabola is off only by a small fraction of an inch here and there, then it will distort the image. The 200 inch mirror of the Hale telescope, for In order to maintain the extreme accuracy of the Hale Telescope primary mirror, the example, possesses a surface that is mirror surface must be re-aluminized periodically to maintain its accuracy. The top accurate to two millionths of an inch. Two photo shows the original primary mirror before only 3 millionths of an inch of aluminum millionths of an inch is the requirement were applied (bottom). (Source: Caltech) to get the mirror to reflect perfectly properly, a requirement if the telescope is to return scientifically useful data. the telescope within the constraints of an individual telescope in an array, then This leads to two other problems practicality? the problem is isolated to that telescope with building such a large telescope: cost The answer is to use an interfero- only and data can still be received from and construction. Making a small and metric array. An interferometric array uses the other telescopes in the array. accurate mirror isn’t an inexpensive ven- several individual telescopes linked to- There has already been an attempt ture, but neither is it a simple one. A large gether to produce a resolution equal to a at building an interferometric array with telescope has the same problems, only mirror the size of the spread of the tele- great success. CHARA, the Center for amplified. Plus there’s the added ques- scopes. For example, if telescopes that are High Angular Resolution astronomy, is tion of how to move an extremely large linked by fiber optics cover a distance of an optical and infrared interferometric telescope, say one that is on the order of one kilometer, then the interferometers telescope. Often considered the most pow- one kilometer in diameter. Location is also jointly have the resolving power of one erful telescope of its kind in the world, a problem for such a large telescope be- mirror one kilometer in diameter in the CHARA can resolve details as small as cause there is no obvious place on Earth direction of two linked mirrors. Not only two-hundred micro-arc seconds. This is where one could construct such an instru- is such an array more economical to roughly the resolving capability of one ment that would have suitable atmo- build, but it’s also less cumbersome to telescope a fifth of a mile in diameter. spheric properties (such as the clear, non- operate. It takes less time to position sev- Each one of the telescopes in the array is turbulent air on a mountain top). Clearly eral smaller telescopes than to move one equipped with a one meter mirror. If such the idea of building such a large, single large one. Also, if anything breaks on a an array can be built on the Earth, where mirror telescope is impractical. So what larger telescope, then data can no longer all the terrestrial factors such as high can be done to increase the resolution of be collected on that telescope until the gravity and atmospheric turbulence must problem is fixed. If something breaks on be considered, imagine what kind of in-

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 5 strument can be built in the right location results have been excellent, but even the tions for such an instrument. Prime as- on the low-gravity, airless lunar surface. most sophisticated techniques still can not tronomical real estate is on the Moon is The surface of the Moon consists completely compensate for all the blur- not likely to be an issue anytime soon. of dust and rock and is almost flat in the ring. Orbiting telescopes like Hubble fly The next question is how we may craters. This removes the need of clear- above the tenable atmosphere, but these consider building such an array. One of ing a site for construction. Another con- telescopes tend to have very small mir- the more common array designs envisions venient aspect of the Moon’s landscape is rors, and are costly to operate. In free- a hub-and-wheel type structure. At the the fact that it lacks significant seismic fall telescopes have to be oriented using center is one primary telescope, or a hub, activity that could jostle and break the gyros. This takes far more effort than that is elevated. Surrounding it are sev- telescope. Recent studies have attempted would be needed on the Moon because it eral other interferometers linked to the to challenge the stability of the Moon for is a lot easier to orient the telescope in hub by fiber optic cables. interferometry, claiming that the moon different direction against the large mass Weight will be a deciding factor was unstable due to “tidal and meteoroid of the Moon then using moment wheel for the materials used to build the tele- induced-seismic disturbances.” This con- (gyros). scope. If an optical interferometer would require carrying significant amounts of mass to the lunar surface, then the over- “As the next phase in space age comes about, there is little all cost of the project might become pro- hibitively expensive. A large part of the doubt that more and more people will arrive on the Moon in mass of such an array would come from the next century and, as is common with human expansion, the heavy and, not to mention, fragile mirrors required by the imaging system industry will come as well. This Moon-based industry will be in the telescopes. Recent advances may able to service, repair and expand the array.” help in this regard. NASA recently de- veloped a sturdy and lightweight com- posite fiber resin mirror specifically for tention, however, is immediately negated The potential for astronomy on the telescopes that may be as effective as the by the data collected by the Apollo flights. Moon is therefore based on at least two glass mirrors found in terrestrial obser- In the 127 collisions that occurred in the traits – its small but non-negligible grav- vatories. A mirror made of this material course of a typical year, only one critical ity and its lack of atmosphere. The fact may also have a self-repair capability. If disturbance impact was record by the that there is nothing between the telescope the mirror is damaged, an electric cur- Apollo 14 station. This makes the rate and the sky it is trying to study, along rent can be applied to the fiber laminate and magnitude of asteroid impacts a neg- with the gravitational mass of the Moon of the mirror. The electric current will ligible concern for the array unless it takes serving as a means of telescope control, melt the resin to form a smooth surface a direct hit which, statistically speaking, makes the Moon an excellent potential on cooling. Such self-repair capabilities is highly unlikely. site for an astronomical observatory. are essential for a telescope that won’t The atmosphere of Earth envelops The last thing that makes the Moon have contact with humans for some de- the planet and, fortunately, protects the a perfect site for interferometric telescope cades. Earth from the various negative effects arrays is its endless future possibilities. Crews will be able to visit the ar- of space weather. However, the Earth’s Assuming that there is regular access to ray sporadically to repair and upgrade it, atmosphere also absorbs infrared waves the lunar surface, it would be far easier but the system design must be inherently from space, while the radio noise gener- to increase the size of the interferometric robust and reliable, able to be used for ated from our planet frequently makes it array on the Moon then it would be on long periods of time with minimal need difficult to discern signals from further Earth or with satellites. This is not with- for maintenance. A telescope drive and out in space. Earth’s weather, such as out reason. Various surface features on bearing mechanism needs to be capable storms, fog and diurnal cycles, can also Earth are not suitable for building gigan- of very slow and very smooth move- prevent a terrestrial telescope from see- tic astronomical instruments, while many ments. Since this telescope is on the ing the sky for indefinite periods of time. of the most prime pieces of real estate Moon, it needs to be able to operate in an The atmosphere also frequently like the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii are environment that is very cold, dusty, and blurs the images taken by telescopes. already nearly oversubscribed. Further- very close to a hard. High Temperature Blurring can be offset by adaptive optics more, an array-type instrument in par- Superconductors (HTS) might work well which compensates for the movement of ticular needs space to grow if it is to real- for this purpose. In an HTS bearing, the the atmosphere. Most modern observato- ize its full potential over the long term, rotor (a magnet) and the stator (the HTS) ries make use of adaptive optics and the further constraining the potential loca- never come in contact with one another.

6 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 If these two parts don’t touch, the poten- tial for wear and tear is greatly reduced. Using HST bearings, it may be possible for the telescope’s mechanisms to survive for a long period of time, perhaps even indefinitely, without intervention. Most of the newer technology needed to operate such a telescope is al- ready developing. However, the technol- ogy to needed to take the telescope to the Moon is slightly more speculative. While a telescope by itself is a slightly heavy load, hauling only one up with a stan- dard rocket shouldn’t be a problem. Un- fortunately, one telescope does not an ar- ray make. It is neither economical nor practical to haul all of the telescopes into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and on to the Moon at once. High temperature ceramic superconductors, like the one pictured above, are made In one scenario, an array is as- from a material that has only very low alternating-current resistance and thus dissipate less power. The magnetic forces between ceramic superconductor and magnet allow sembled in space. Using standard rock- the magnet to float above the superconductor. (Source: Pacific Northwest National ets, pieces of the array are brought into Laboratory) LEO, where they are assembled at a space station. This space station will have to be an entirely new space station; the Inter- A prime spot on the Moon for this with an Earth-based telescope, but it also national Space Station CANNOT satisfy array would be the shadowed crater be- has vast stretches of untapped land nec- this requirement. A far more adequate low Malapert Mountain, located 122 ki- essary for building such a large instru- orbit would be a near equatorial orbit lometers from the lunar South Pole. The ment. The only real cost will come from around the Earth. mountain itself is five kilometers high, its space-based assembly and transporta- The next step is to place the as- but what makes it appealing is the lack of tion to its location. Yet, these costs will sembled pieces on a specially designed, sharp, steep slopes along the peak, which be well worth the results of the telescope robotically-controlled interplanetary ship would simplify construction. Another as it continues to search the sky for more and send them to the Moon. For thing to keep in mind about this perfect Earth-like bodies and expands the knowl- efficiency’s sake, this ship will use an ion peak is that it gets sunlight more then 90% edge of the space frontier. As the next drive for propulsion. An ion drive is es- of the time, making it an excellent plat- phase in space age comes about, there is sentially a rocket engine that, instead of form for solar energy generation. Finally, little doubt that more and more people using a chemical reaction, uses an elec- the Earth is always in the direct view of will arrive on the Moon in the next cen- tric propulsion system. In the engine, ions this peak, thus making communication to tury and, as is common with human ex- (generally the ions of hydrogen, helium and from Earth relatively simple by set- pansion, industry will come as well. This and cesium) are accelerated across an elec- ting up relay stations. Moon-based industry will be able to ser- tric field at 100 kilometers per second or The passage of time will change vice, repair and expand the array. The more. Solar arrays would create the elec- how the telescope is crewed and serviced, array will be the first step in a line of tricity needed to power the drive. and will dictate its eventual overall size. human occupation and the services used Within a couple days the ship would The array will initially start with two tele- for its construction will be able to be used then enter a low moon orbit (LMO). Once scopes. As flights to the Moon become in similar extra-terrestrial construction in LMO, a part of the ship similar to a more regular, it will be relatively easy to projects in the future. lunar excursion module will descend to link more telescopes into this array, with The Moon is for the taking; it’s a the lunar surface. From there telescopes, the potential of eventually covering sev- matter of reaching out to touch it. ■ which are equipped with rover-like mod- eral kilometers of the Moon’s surface. ______ules at their base, will move into the po- The Moon is prime real estate for Megan Kirk is currently an under- sitions dictated to them from controllers building an interferometeric telescope. graduate student a Georgia Tech major- on Earth. Not only does it lack the atmosphere and ing in Civil Engineering. noise of Earth that normally interferes

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 7 A Leader from Apollo: Rocco Petrone Rocco A. Petrone, 80, an Apollo-era NASA executive known for his toughness and drive to see NASA succeed, passed away August 24 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. by Richard Faust

Mr. Petrone, who truly believed he held until September 1969, when he that spaceflight could serve towards the was appointed Apollo Program Director betterment of humanity, was a tireless at NASA Headquarters. worker and promoter of NASA and the During his time with Apollo Mr. manned spaceflight program in particu- Petrone was instrumental in all aspects lar. Upon his retirement from NASA, he of the missions. He worked tirelessly on Dr. Rocco Petrone, NASA’s third Director said: quality control and held his people to the of Marshall Space Flight Center, stands before a Saturn V rocket. Dr. Petrone I see man in the program highest level of standards. He took the supervised the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing as the essential element of adven- Apollo I fire and the loss of the three as- and later directed the Apollo program in ture and discovery that we need. tronauts particularly hard. His toughness 1969. (Source: NASA) You start talking about adventure earned him the respect and dedication of and discovery and anyone who his people. His longtime colleague and tells you what’s going to come friend Jim Odom, who went on to be- short list for the position of NASA Ad- out of it has got to be a fool to come Associate Administrator for Space ministrator at the beginning of both the try, because out of discovery man Station, recalls Mr. Petrone as “a very Carter and Reagan administrations. has moved from the caves to intense person. He could be demanding, Mr. Petrone ended his Apollo ca- where he is today, and we ain’t but fair.” Mr. Odom “thoroughly enjoyed reer as the Program Director for the finished moving. working with him and for him because NASA component of the Apollo-Soyuz I look upon all those of those attributes.” Axel Roth, who re- Test Project. On January 26, 1973, he things out there (in space) as tired from NASA as the Marshall Space- became Center Director for the Marshall challenges, put there by someone flight Center Associate Director, dates his Spaceflight Center. This move brought for us to try to understand, and interaction with Mr. Petrone back to 1961. his career full-circle to where he started in trying to understand, we’re He recalls Mr. Petrone as a “pretty hard in 1952 at the Redstone Arsenal. This going to be better. (Los Angeles task master” who “held people’s feet to the time his reputation preceded him. In the Times, April 23, 1975) fire,” noting that while “he may have been announcement of his appointment on a tough task master, he was very fair.” January 24, 1973, The Huntsville Times Mr. Petrone graduated from West The value of the work that Mr. noted that “‘The Rock’ is what some of Point in 1946 and attained the rank of Petrone and other engineers and design- his associates call Rocco Petrone. It is a Lieutenant Colonel during his career in ers contributed to the success of Apollo sobriquet that is much more a reflection the U.S. Army. He received a master’s cannot be overstated. Dr. Roger Launius, of solid dependability than a mere play degree in mechanical engineering from Chair of the Division of Space History at on a name.” the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the National Air and Space Museum says Mr. Petrone left Marshall in March in 1951 and began working as a mechani- in regard to Mr. Petrone that “he was one 1974 and returned to Headquarters to cal engineer working on the Redstone of a band of brothers captured by the become NASA’s Associate Administrator ballistic missile system. In 1960, the army dream of spaceflight. While they didn’t – the third-highest position in the agency. loaned Mr. Petrone to NASA, where he get to go themselves they are the ones He retired from NASA in April 1975 at worked as Saturn Project Officer focus- who made it real.” the age of 46. Even though he left the ing on the development and construction While Mr. Petrone may not have agency at a young age, Mr. Odom notes of the Saturn launch system. He retired been as famous as the Apollo astronauts, that “he was an extremely strong propo- from the army in 1966 and joined NASA he was certainly known and respected nent of NASA throughout his career.” as Director of Launch Operations at the within NASA and the aerospace commu- Kennedy Spaceflight Center, a position nity. The Washington Post put him on a Continuted on page 18

8 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 IN ORBIT A Case For Exploration In his article “A Different Vision for Space Exploration” in the July/August 2006 issue of Space Times, Donald Beattie raised a number of interesting points concerning the value of lunar science and the wisdom of investing money in returning astronauts to the lunar surface. Like Mr. Beattie, I have been involved in various aspects of space science since the Apollo era. However, I would like to propose a different perspective, one that is significantly less pessimistic about the potential for lunar exploration than that offered by Mr. Beattie. by Yoji Kondo

Central to the arguments in that born curiosity about the universe we have with jettisoning space ships after using it article seems to be the notion that going been born into. If you stifle one, you stifle only once – the way we have been doing back to the Moon will not answer the 125 the other. Both manned and unmanned it. Think how expensive it will be to pur- questions raised in the July 2006 issue of (e.g., robotic) exploration of space go chase a seat on a flight from New York Science magazine. I don’t think that any- hand in hand whenever and wherever to Paris if we must throw away or junk one who supports the idea of returning to practical. We have seen that, when the the airplane every time. It would prob- the Moon claimed that it would answer financial support for manned space flights ably cost several orders of magnitude any of those 125 questions. Although has declined, so has the support for ro- more. That is how expensive reaching those 125 questions are quite interesting botic missions. low-Earth orbit (LEO) is now. The Space from a purely scientific standpoint, many In general, opening a new frontier Shuttle, although it is a fine piece of en- of those have little or nothing to do with would open new possibilities, both physi- gineering from an era a few decades ago, the space program. cally and culturally, for the society un- is not exactly a completely reusable The article appears to support the dertaking it. Let me cite a few examples launch vehicle. You might call it a status quo in the space program; i.e., let of what they could be for us in this in- “rebuildable” space ship. It takes some us keep doing what we are doing now, stance, particularly if we use this unique ten thousand engineers and technicians to and it is certainly consistent with opin- moment in history to develop a signifi- put it in a flyable condition and to keep it ions expressed by some in the 1950s and cantly better way of getting to and from flying a few times a year. 1960s about “all that money in space”. space. Once we have an entirely reusable [The money for the space program has First, let’s look at what going back space vehicle (such as those envisioned all been spent here right on Earth. None to the Moon economically and safely can in DC-X, originating in the U.S. Air of the work has been out-sourced to the do for us. A significant part of the costs Force Space Command, and by several putative Martians or ETs.] Some support- of going anywhere in space is associated entrepreneurial groups like Mojave ers of spending the money here com- plained that for the price of one Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, we could build ten Palomar Mountain 5-meter class telescopes, the largest in the world at that time. In turn, the supporters of the ro- botic telescopes in space argued that we should spend all our money in robotic missions in space. Manned missions in space, according to this view, are a waste of money. Anything a human astronaut can, a robotic experiment could accom- plish better, cheaper, and with less risk. But, is such an argument valid? I am one of those who believes that the desire to explore new and unknown frontiers is deeply embedded in our genes. Our intellectual drive to understand the universe is related to our desire to ex- An artist’s conception of NASA astronauts using an unpressurized bulk transport vehicle plore the unknown territories – our in- to assemble components of a distributed lunar telescope. (Source: NASA)

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 9 Desert neighbors Scaled Composite and performed in a work station – a new space away, for building a new space station as XCOR), some studies have shown that the station – in an orbit economical to reach a mid-way port to the rest of the solar cost of reaching LEO could potentially from a U.S. launch site, such as the system. Combined with a new generation be reduced to one percent of the present Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canav- of space suits that do not require pre- cost of using the Space Shuttle, i.e., from eral in Florida. The present International breathing and that incorporate lessons $10,000 per pound using the Shuttle Space Station has a highly inclined orbit learned from the International Space Sta- down to $100 per pound using the reus- relative to the equator, a compromise tion assembly experience, lunar shuttles able launch vehicle. DC-X, for example, made in the early 1990s to facilitate ac- optimized for trans-lunar flight could be was serviced by only a dozen or so engi- cess by Russian launch vehicles launched built at the new orbiting facility. Once at neers for a reflight within a day or two in from a site in Central Asia. While this the Moon, lightweight, highly-optimized lunar landers could be dropped on nearly any part of the lunar surface. Such an “In general, opening a new frontier would open new architecture would be a significant im- provement over that which was deployed possibilities, both physically and culturally, for the society during the Apollo era, and would in fact be much more in line with pre-Apollo undertaking it. Let me cite a few examples of what they could notions of how one builds out a useful be for us in this instance, particularly if we use this unique interplanetary transportation infrastruc- ture. moment in history to develop a significantly better way of Once we solve the (not-inconsid- getting to and from space.” erable) problem of ensuring economical and safe access to space, the frontier sud- denly becomes much easier to explore, a public demonstration flight at White orbital inclination makes life easier for and the opportunities for science are Sands a decade ago. Russian launch vehicles, it severely im- blown wide open. Ready access to the In LEO, we could assemble Moon pacts the ability of the United States to lunar surface would enable a whole host shuttles that will not have to punch take maximum advantage of the Interna- of new, radically more capable scientific through the Earth’s atmosphere, making tional Space Station as a staging point for instruments like the interferometric ar- it unnecessary to protect the ship with missions beyond LEO. ray discussed on pages 4 - 7 in this maga- massive outer skins and without the need There are serious engineering pro- zine. Such an array, built in the near to break away from the heavy Earth grav- posals to use spent Space Shuttles exter- vacuum of lunar surface using indigenous ity. Such an assembly work would be nal tanks, which are currently thrown lunar materials, would enable the collec- tion of more and better types of data than any astronomical instrument in history, at wavelengths and resolutions far beyond the capabilities of any similar instrument built either on the Earth’s surface or in free space. The Moon is also a great platform for constructing and launching interplan- etary probes and crew facilities out into the solar system at high speed. For ex- ample, solar-powered magnetic catapults (sometimes called mass movers) have been proposed since at least the 1970s. The potential for high-g acceleration from the lunar surface opens up fantastic pos- sibilities for the exploration of Mars and other celestial bodies. Of course, these scenarios above In this concept drawing, NASA astronauts are deploying a field site for scientific data would assume an easy and economic ways collection away from their lunar base with the assistance of a lunar transport vehicle and to get to the Moon so we can have a num- a lunar robot. (Source: NASA) ber of workers on the Moon for construc-

10 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 tion of the mass movers and other facili- ties. To make that happen, we must have reasons to go there – to justify it techno- logically and otherwise. All of this does not consider any possible new discoveries on the Moon and not-yet-considered uses for both the Moon and space in general. For example, much has been written on how solar power sat- ellites, built using lunar materials, could be built using lunar materials. Utilizing our LEO equatorial space station, these satellites could be built and boosted to geostationary orbits with minimum fuel costs. An SPS with a light gathering area In this artist’s concept, two astronauts watch carefully as their drill bores down into the top of several square kilometers can produce layers of the lunar surface. Using this drill, the astronauts will be able to extract an intact and transmit a gigawatt of electricity to core sample that will be used by Earth-based scientists to learn about the formation of ground-based rectennae via microwave. the moon and solar system. (Source: NASA) A gigawatt is what a fair-sized American city needs and is equivalent to the output of a typical atomic power plant. So, as a United States and the survival of the hu- to take full advantage of, and protect our- “byproduct” of developing a fleet of re- man species. Carl Sagan noted that any selves against the inevitable catastrophes usable space transportation vehicles to species limited to a single planet has only from, the great black ocean in which we support lunar exploration, we can address one ultimate fate – extinction. Whether sail. Wilbur Wright summed up this the looming energy problem in a forward or not some such extinction event is im- struggle for knowledge while speaking to looking manner. minent for humanity, the fact of the mat- the Western Society of Engineers in 1901, Long-term, of course, developing ter is that it will only be through hard- two years before the seemingly impos- the capacity to operate easily in space is won experience that we will develop the essential to the future strength of the vast array of tools and techniques required Continuted on page 18

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SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 11 UPCOMING CONFERENCE - CHECK WWW.ASTRONAUTICAL.ORG FOR UPDATES - AAS National Conference and 53rd Annual Meeting “The Human + Machine Equation” November 14-15, 2006 at the Pasadena Hilton in Pasadena, California

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Sciences was asked by members of the U.S. Congress to conduct a study to recommend what federal policy-makers 7:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast could do to enhance the science and technology enterprise in the U.S., so that the U.S. could compete, prosper and be 9:00 Welcome and Introduction secure in the global environment in the 21st century. One Mark Craig, AAS President and Vice President/Manager, of the recommendations from that study was to “make the Assurance Engineering Operation, SAIC U.S. the most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that we can develop, recruit and retain Opening Video the best and brightest students, scientists and engineers from within the U.S. and throughout the world.” Congressional 9:10 Introduction of Keynote Speaker legislation has now been offered which is titled “Protecting Charles Elachi, Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory America’s Competitive Edge” and is aimed at ensuring the U.S. successfully competes in the 21st century global 9:15 Carl Sagan Memorial Lecture & Award Presentation environment. In the session, these issues will be discussed G. Scott Hubbard, Carl Sagan Chair for the Study of Life to include perspectives on what role the federal in the Universe, SETI Institute government and academia should play, and how the private sector can play a role in addressing this issue. 10:00 Break Moderator: Angela Phillips Diaz, NASA Ames Video Panelists: 10:15 The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate * Ronald A. Madler, Embry-Riddle 10:35 Session 1: Robotics and the New Age of Space Explora- * Brian Duffy, Lockheed Martin tion - A discussion of the potential for synergy that hu- * Gabriel Elkaim, UC Santa Cruz mans and robots bring to the future of space exploration. 2:45 Session 3: Human-Robotic Cooperation - The Vision for Panelists will discuss the kind of robots humans will likely Space Exploration charters NASA with a return to the work with in space; what they will do for us and with us; moon—and later Mars—through a succession of robotic interactions that are possible between people and robots; precursors, short term crew visits, and durable human- the roles of each in space exploration; and the nature of robotic outpost encampments. Opportunities for human- these relationships over time as the “minds” of robots and robotic synergy in implementing such mission sets are computers become able to replicate and improve them- selves. This session provides an intellectual foundation rich and challenging. for the rest of the conference - don’t miss it! Moderators: Paul S. Schenker, JPL and Nancy J. Currie, Moderator: Susan Ruth, The Aerospace Corporation NASA JSC Panelists: Panelists: * TBD, NASA HQ * David L. Akin, University of Maryland * Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Robotics Engineer, JPL * Robert O. Ambrose, NASA JSC * Walter Sipes, Crew Psychologist, NASA JSC * Douglas Gage, DARPA * Janice Voss, NASA Ames (invited) * Andrew H. Mishkin, JPL * Brian H. Wilcox, JPL 12:00 Luncheon - Guest Speaker: Maja J. Mataric, Professor of Computer Science and Neuroscience; Founding Director, 4:15 Break USC Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems; Director, 4:30 Session 4: Lessons Learned From Other Industries: The USC Robotics Research Lab; President, Academic Senate Art of Integrating Science, Technology, and Humans - Senior Associate Dean for Research, Viterbi School of Space exploration is not the only discipline working to Engineering, University of Southern California solve the human + robotic equation. Many industries have already developed applications – and learned lessons – 1:30 Session 2: Motivating Tomorrow’s Scientists and about human-robot interaction. This session examines Engineers – Strengthening the U.S. Position in the Global some lessons about human-robot interaction from other S&T Environment - In 2005 the National Academy of industries, and how space explorers can learn from them.

12 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 Full Registration: includes all sessions, continental breakfasts, break refreshments, two luncheons, and Nov. 15th reception.

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Apollo 12 Visits Surveyor 3. (Source: NASA)

The session includes experts from the aviation and automotive industries, where robotics and automation are Video used extensively. They are joined by experts from the Panelists: Department of Defense and the entertainment industry. A * John Grunsfeld (NASA JSC): The HST Experience fascinating application-oriented discussion! with Advanced Tools and Humans in Space and on the Moderator: David Fitts (invited) Ground * Richard Cook (JPL): The First Generation of Mars Rov- Panelists: ers: Lessons Learned for Future Surface Exploration * Michael Feary, NASA Ames * James Garvin (NASA GSFC): The Future of Mars * Brent Weathered, NASA Langley Robotic Exploration * Mark I. Nikolic, Boeing/JSC * Dan Lester (Univ of Texas): The Future of Space As- * Steven Shladover, UC Berkeley tronomy: Using Astronauts and Robots to Achieve the VSE * Wendell Mendell (NASA JSC): Exploring the Moon: 7:00 Pre-Banquet Reception Robots and Astronauts as Partners 7:30 Awards Banquet 2:30 Break 3:00 Session 7: Human Attitudes Towards Robots - Taking a WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 careful and considered look at the emotional responses humans have toward robots and robotics. Working robotics 8:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast scientists and engineers discuss questions like: Does the use of robots increase a sense of fear or risk within humans 9:00 Session 5: Inter-center Collaboration: Making NASA’s who work with them? Can this happen in the exploration Vision for Space Exploration Happen scenario? Do robots increase dependency, and decrease competence in humans? What causes the various attitudes Moderator: TBD humans have, and how do we know they are realistic? Is Panelists: working with robots really safe? And how will current * Charles Elachi, Director, JPL attitudes affect future attitudes, as the work of space * Mike Coats, Director, NASA JSC exploration progresses? * S. “Pete” Worden, Director, NASA Ames Moderators: Bill Bluethmann, NASA JSC and Andrew 11:30 Luncheon - Guest Speaker: Al Diaz, Vice Chancellor for Mishkin, JPL Administration, UC Riverside and former Goddard Center Video: Robots in action Director; AA for Science at NASA HQ Panelists: 1:00 Session 6: Humans and Machines Exploring Space: * Robert Anderson, MSL Investigation Scientist, JPL Moon, Mars, and Astronomy - Increasingly challenging * Scott Maxwell, MER Rover Planner, JPL exploration goals for NASA will almost certainly require * Nancy Currie, Astronaut, NASA JSC more ambitious human-machine interaction, whether it is * Cynthia Breazeal, MIT Media Lab remote robotic operation from the Earth’s surface or direct astronaut-machine interaction. This panel will review the 4:30 Session 8: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO): Status lessons learned from the Mars rovers and the Shuttle ser- and Update vicing missions to HST and discuss future concepts that ad- Richard Zurek, MRO Project Scientist vanced astronaut capabilities and robots will make possible. 5:00 Adjourn / Closing Reception Moderator: Harley Thronson, NASA GSFC

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 13 AAS NEWS IPC Welcomes Shana Dale — AAS/AIAA Seminar Planned

The AAS International Programs comments were particularly relevant in space exploration overall. National space Committee (IPC) was honored to have light of an upcoming AAS/AIAA initia- exploration objectives, plans and indus- NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale tive, organized in conjunction with trial capabilities worldwide will be re- as special guest at a recent IPC meeting, George Mason University. viewed and presented in relation to a stan- hosted Mr. Kiwao Shibukawa, Director This initiative will include a se- dard template. The template approach of the Japan Aerospace Exploration ries of events to examine exploration ob- will aid an independent assessment of the Agency Washington D.C. office. Ms. jectives, plans and industrial capabilities overall space exploration endeavor and Dale discussed NASA’s Global Space and develop a single integrated data base the roles of individual national space ex- Exploration Strategy process, and partici- of space exploration activities worldwide. ploration components within it. The tem- pated in a spirited question and answer The events will focus on the comprehen- plate approach will also aid the identifi- session with committee members. Lyn sive range of plans, encompassing Moon cation of gaps, overlaps and strategic re- Wigbels, Vice President International and and Mars programs and other missions dundancies, providing useful input to dis- chair of the IPC, noted that Ms. Dale’s and precursor research that contribute to cussions on and planning for exploration activities in the coming decades. The initiative’s first event will be a public seminar on November 1–2, where Ms. Dale will speak, followed by an invitation only workshop January 30– February 1, 2007. It is the first activity being undertaken by AAS and AIAA un- der a new collaborative agreement on in- ternational activities. A written report containing the summary document and workshop findings will be released at public events in Washington and at non- U.S. venues in addition to being circu- lated within space agencies. Papers sum- marizing the report will be given at In- ternational Astronautical Congress and other relevant conferences. For further information on the Jon Malay (Lockheed Martin), Lyn Wigbels (AAS VP International), Shana Dale (NASA November Seminar, and for on-line reg- Deputy Administrator), and Peggy Finarelli (AAS Executive VP). istration, visit www.astronautical.org. ■

2007 CanSat Application Deadline is October 30 The 3rd Annual Student CanSat Competition for college (undergraduate and graduate) and high school students from the United States, Canada and Mexico will be held in early June, 2007 in Texas. CanSat teams are required to write a mission proposal, design and build a satellite (which must fit into a 12-oz soda can, hence the name), travel to the launch site, supervise preparations and launch to an altitude of 2000- 3000 feet, then present a post-mission debrief. See www.cansatcompetition.com for application, mission details and to view photos and video of the 2006 competition.

14 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS ABSTRACT DEADLINE: January 5, 2007 Eleventh International Space Conference of Pacific-basin Societies (11th ISCOPS) May 16-18, 2007 in Beijing, China

Aim of the Conference C1 Astrodynamics, Guidance and Con- • Single spacing, starting in the top trol (including space robotics and quarter of the page. The Chinese Society of Astronau- ground operations) tics (CSA), the American Astronautical Include …. C2 Satellite Communications, Broad- Society (AAS) and the Japanese Rocket casting and TT & C • Title Society (JRS) are pleased to hold jointly C3 Satellite Remote Sensing, Meteo- • Author’s full name the 11th International Space Conference rology, Small Satellite Systems/ • Author’s affiliation and mailing ad- of Pacific-basin Societies (ISCOPS) Constellations, etc. dress from May 16 to18, 2007 in Beijing, C4 Human Space Flight, Space Station • Email address and phone & facsimile China. and Pacific Space Port (including numbers The aim of the conference is to Lunar Research and Exploration) • No less than two key words provide a forum for the space decision- C5 Materials and Structures makers, experts, engineers and techni- Authors should suggest the most C6 Space Transportation and Propulsion cians to exchange ideas and experiences suitable session for their presentation. C7 Micro-gravity Sciences (including in space technology and prospect the fu- Space Debris and Environment) and ture of space development and its appli- Regional representatives: Life Science cations mainly in the Pacific Basin un- CSA The secretariat ISCOPS der the theme “Space Exploration for Chinese Society of Astronautics st Abstracts the 21 Century.” P.O. Box 838 Abstracts for proposed papers must Beijing 100830 China Conference Venue be received by January 5, 2007. An ab- Fax: 86-10-68768624 stract of 1000 to 1500 words in English The 11th ISCOPS will be held in [email protected] should be submitted to the regional rep- Beijing, China. More information will (for Chinese and other partici- resentatives with Microsoft Word and be released in 2nd announcement. pants) PDF documents as attachments. Student abstracts should indicate the level (Mas- AAS Prof. Peter Bainum Conference Language ter or Ph.D.) and the name of the stu- Dept. of Mechanical Engineering English will be the working lan- dent presenter. The abstracts will be gath- Howard University guage of the conference. ered in a bound volume and distributed Washington, D.C. 20059 USA to all participants at the conference. Fax: 1-202-806-5258 Main Sessions Authors are requested to prepare [email protected] their abstracts as follows: A National and International Space Prof. Arun Misra Programs Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Use… B International Students Conference McGill University and Competition (graduate level) • A text area of 170mm X 240mm. 817 Sherbrooke St. W. C Technical Sessions The preferable page size is A4 Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6 (210mm X 297mm). Canada

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 15 Fax: 1-514-398-7365 abstracts and the proceedings of the con- sentation for full participants and stu- [email protected] ference. dent participants. Additional banquet (for North and South American Additional banquet tickets can be tickets can be purchased for USD 50. participants) purchased for USD 50. Accomodations JRS Prof. Takashi Nakajima Spark Matsunaga Memorial Award The Institute of Space and Accommodations are available at Astronautical Science During the conference, the Fifth and nearby the conference site. More in- nd Japan Aerospace Exploration Spark Matsunaga Memorial Award will formation will be released in the 2 an- Agency be presented to a person from the Pa- nouncement. 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara cific region who has made distinguished Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan contributions to the regional or global Post-Congress Tours Fax: 81 42 759 8458 space cooperations. In order to simplify More information will be released [email protected] the process of selection, the following in the 2nd announcement. (for Japanese participants) principles agreed by the three sides of AAS, JRS and CSA will be followed: Conference Organization Proceedings and Preprints 1. Each ISCOPS in principle selects Honorary co-chairmen Proceedings of the conference will one winner; CSA TBD be published. The format instructions for 2. The winner should be selected from AAS TBD full papers is provided in 2nd announce- the candidates nominated by the host JRS TBD ment. society from their own country; General co-chairmen 3. The other two societies are asked to CSA Prof. Zhang Qingwei Conference Fees respect the hosting society’s nomina- AAS Mr. Mark K. Craig tion and support the selected winner; Before May 15, 2007 JRS TBD 4. One additional winner from another Full Participant ...... $500 pacific-basin country not involved Technical co-chairmen Full Participant (Retired) ...... $350 with hosting future ISCOPS might CSA TBD Student Speaker ...... Free be possible upon the agreements by AAS Prof. Peter Bainum Student Participants (not speakers) .. $70 the three societies. All the nomina- Prof. Arun Misra Accompanying Person ...... $150 tion materials should reach CSA JRS Prof. Takashi Nakajima ISCOPS Secretariat by January 5, International Program Committee After May 15, 2007 2007. co-chairmen Full Participant ...... $550 CSA TBD Full Participant (Retired) ...... $400 Technical Visit AAS TBD Student Speaker ...... Free A half-day technical visit will be JRS TBD Student Participants (not speakers) $120 organized in Beijing in the afternoon of Accompanying Person ...... $200 For further information, contact: May 18. Free of charge. Ms. Zhang Chi Full participant and student reg- Social Events Chinese Society of Astronautics istration fees include admission to all P.O. Box 838 technical sessions and social programs, The Welcome reception will be Beijing 100830, China including the welcome reception, the provided on evening May 16, 2007, Ban- Tel: 86-10-68768623 award banquet, coffee breaks and half quet will be provided on evening May Fax: 86-10-68768624 day technical visit, as well as a book of 18, 2007 together with the Award Pre- [email protected]

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16 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 NOTES ON A NEW BOOK Spacecraft Technology: The Early Years Reviewed by Jonathan Krezel

Spacecraft Technology: The Early Years, focused on the nuances of how a particu- of the Apollo-era lunar exploration ar- Mark Williamson, The Institution of lar piece of spaceflight technology came chitecture. Though not a trained histo- Electrical Engineers History of Tech- to fruition (or not, as the case may be). rian, Williamson also takes the opportu- nology Series (Dr B. Bowers and C. For big projects and programs like Apollo nity to reach back deep into the history Hempstead, editors), 2006, 388 pages, or the Space Shuttle, there can be a lot of of spaceflight technology, and to look $80.00, ISBN 0863415539 [hardbound] overlap between the two approaches. For ahead at the political and cultural impli- others, like those that deal with the de- cations of recent advances in both tech- Histories of spaceflight generally velopment and evolution of spacecraft nology and policy. fall into one of two categories. The first computers, spacesuits, or astronomical in- While Williamson does not break tend to look at the rise of this peculiar struments, the intent is often to show how a lot of new ground in terms of historical capability as a primarily human activity, individuals and small groups seek to bend detail, he succeeds in drawing together a host of technical details, personal stories, and historical background into a very en- “Spacecraft Technology should be on the reading list for gaging and readable summary of some key advances in spaceflight. His insights decisionmakers and technology entrepreneurs alike, if only to are also very timely, coming as they do as the U.S. and other governmental and remind the current generation how the great innovations that private agencies look to bring a whole we take for granted ultimately came to be.” host of new spaceflight hardware online over the next two decades. Spacecraft Technology should be on the reading list and thus tend to view the history through metal around the immutable laws of phys- for decisionmakers and technology entre- the lens of the social scientist. These are ics for novel new purposes. There is of- preneurs alike, if only to remind the cur- the big picture treatments, embedding ten an intimacy to these histories, a some- rent generation how the great innovations spaceflight within the context of the larger times dry but often fascinating look at the that we take for granted ultimately came social, economic, political, or cultural is- minutiae of technology development that to be. ■ sues of the time. Many of the themes in speaks to the soul of the scientist and the ______this body of literature have become in- engineer. Jonathan Krezel is Editor of tellectual touchstones for the spaceflight Mark Williamson’s Spacecraft Space Times. community. For example, to borrow a Technology: The Early Years certainly has phrase from military theorist Carl von its heart squarely in the latter school (mi- Clausewitz, spaceflight has been seen by nus the dry part). Drawing primarily from some as simply politics by other means, secondary source materials, Williamson particularly as one battle along what uses a number of representative space- President John Kennedy called the “fluid flight technologies to drill down into the front” of the Cold War. Others place the heart of the hardware design and devel- evolution of spaceflight squarely within opment process. The case studies focus the context of American exceptionalism, on the two decades from the 1950’s to citing authors like Frederick Jackson the 1970s, a timeframe Williamson calls, Turner and concepts like the “Frontier “one of the most important periods of Thesis” or “Manifest Destiny.” Still oth- technological development mankind has ers see a continuity of exploration run- ever known.” Based on a series of talks ning through all of human history, per- the author gave over the past several haps reflecting some basic genetic trait years to the Institution of Electrical that separates homo sapiens from other Engineers, the case studies cover the species on this planet. development of space launch systems, At the other end of the spectrum space and Earth science instruments, are those histories that tend to be more communication satellites, and key pieces

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 17 A Case of Exploration (Continued from page 11)

sible dream of powered flight was to be- come, not only a reality, but one of the most disruptive developments in human history over the last thousand years: Now, there are two ways of learning how to ride a fractious horse: one is to get on him and learn by actual practice [and] the other is to sit on a fence and watch the beast … It is very much the same in learning to ride a flying machine; if you are look- ing for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch the birds; but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a ma- chine and become acquainted with its tricks by actual trial. As I have noted in the previous discussion of reusable launch vehicles, the details of how we execute the sweep- ing scope encompassed in the Vision for Space Exploration is certainly a worthy topic of vigorous debate. The real bur- den of proof, however, is on those who would assert, despite all the evidence of history, that the civilization that steps back from the brink of exploring new frontiers, be they physical or intellec- A Leader from Apollo: Rocco Petrone tual, is somehow better of for doing so. Until then, the ambitions of other na- (Continued from page 8) tions and the realities of our existence as inhabitants of a beautiful, lonely, frag- Rocco Anthony Petrone was born March 31, 1926, in Amsterdam, NY, the son ile world have and will continue to com- of Italian immigrants. He was proud of his Italian heritage, and in February 1973 pel the ambitions of the United States in the Italian Government conferred on him one of its highest honors – the Commander space exploration. ■ of the Order of Merit. The Italian Ambassador noted that “his government was ______especially proud that a man of Italian descent had been a leader in the Apollo pro- Dr. Yoji Kondo headed the astro- gram” (Los Angeles Times, Sunday February 11, 1973). physics laboratory at the Johnson Space Center during the Apollo and Skylab Mis- He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ruth Holley Petrone; four children sions. He was also director of the IUE Michael, Theresa, Nancy, and Kathryn; a brother; and a half brother. He also moves geosynchronous satellite observatory for on with the respect and gratitude of the space agency and space community to which 15 years. He served as President of the he gave so much. ■ International Astronomical Union Com- ______mission on Astronomy from Space, Richard Faust is a Research Analyst for Valador, Inc at NASA Headquarters among other offices. He was also profes- with the Academy of Program Project and Engineering Leadership. He has over 10 sor, adjunct, at several universities, in- years experience researching space policy and history. A version of this article also cluding the University of Pennsylvania appeared in the NASA Office of the Chief Engineer newsletter Ask OCE. and the Catholic University of America.

18 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 Visualizing the Vision Turning engineering and policy concepts into a compelling, visual story is a critical part of transforming vision into reality. Dramatic, technically accurate images can help audiences imagine how the various pieces of a space exploration architecture will come together years down the road, making the whole concept more real and more supportable. But engineers and scientists need high-quality visual materials, too, particularly when the act of creating these images helps technical experts refine their designs. John Frassanito & Associates has been in the forefront of this effort, and along the way has already created iconic images that have already become synonymous with the Vision for Space Exploration. by Keitha Nystrom

When President Kennedy first de- The CAIB finding prompted the and the benefits to the nation all had to be clared NASA’s goal of landing on the White House to establish the VSE, which incorporated within a policy framework. Moon, he set a standard for United States used multiple teams working indepen- A big part of JF&A’s contribution world leadership in space. As we entered dently on the policy formation process. was via the firm’s Strategic Visualization® the 21st century, senior NASA managers John Frassanito & Associates (JF&A) process, an integral part of the VSE plan- and policy makers, under Executive di- worked on one team for four months, ning process that, ultimately, provided rection, began to outline clearly defined supporting this formation process. many of the images and animations that goals and a roadmap that could secure our JF&A worked on various mission the President used for his announcement. national leadership in space for coming designs, the locations and characteristics These visuals were broadcast on televi- generations. The results of their efforts culminated in President Bush’s announce- ment of the Vision for Space Exploration “With Strategic Visualization(r) JF&A captures the ideas and (VSE) on January 14, 2004. One of the teams that crafted this contributions of individual members of a working group and policy announcement was headed by the Space Operations Mission Directorate converts them to a visual vocabulary that supports the planning (SOMD) and included an early contribu- process.” tor to strategic planning of US space en- deavors—John Frassanito. Frassanito’s NASA design and engineering team cred- of Earth, Lunar, and Martian venues, and sion around the world, posted on the its include Skylab, the International Space the articulation of the benefits in terms NASA and industry websites, and reprinted Station, Lunar inflatable habitats, Reus- of the key imperatives of the policy— in national and international publications. able Launch Vehicles, Crew Exploration national security, economics, and science. NASA first used JF&A’s Strategic Vehicles, First Lunar Outpost, technical These three tenants of the policy were Visualization® process for exploration support for Earth to orbit (ETO) trans- inspired in part by Theodore Roosevelt’s planning and management support in 1989 portation, the Space Exploration Initia- concept of a Blue Water Navy—a policy during “The 90-Day Study on Human tive, and, now, the Vision for Space Ex- that eventually established the United Exploration of the Moon and Mars.” The ploration. States as the dominate world presence. JF&A staff worked with the different This policy announcement was, in JF&A also provided technical support in engineering teams on a conceptual explo- part, one of the outcomes of the Colum- developing the elements on which to base ration plan, capturing their ideas in bia accident. The Columbia Accident In- the VSE mission, particularly for space sketches, then posting them on a “plan- vestigation Board (CAIB) found that transportation aspects, rationale and ben- ning wall.” Each team could see what the NASA had no clear, defining mission to efits, historical perspective, as well as other teams were doing and how their focus the agency’s activities. Without a many other aspects of the policy basis. ideas fit with their own team’s work. defined mission, no one knew how long In addition to being technologi- Notes, annotations, and yellow “stickies” the Space Shuttle would fly. Without a cally viable, the major elements of the registered comments and problems; known service life for the Shuttle, it was mission designs had to be explained in a changes were made on the sketches, and difficult to determine what investment non-technical, compelling way. The lo- then reposted on the wall. Some result- strategies the nation should make with cations and characteristics of various ven- ing concepts of that Study (http:// respect to our space program. ues, the international partner participation, history.nasa.gov/90_day_study.pdf) laid a

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 19 20 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 21 foundation for the planning going into are distributed within a virtual support the Exploration Systems Mission and coming out of the Vision for Space network. Consequently, computer Directorate (ESMD) at a number of lev- Exploration animation and other digital tech- els including the Administrator’s rollout With Strategic Visualization®, niques provide an efficient means of the Exploration Systems Architecture JF&A captures the ideas and contributions to communicate top-level techni- (ESAS), the Lunar Reconnaissance Or- of individual members of a working cal information among team mem- biter, the Crew Exploration Vehicle group and converts them to a visual vo- bers. project, the Constellation program, and cabulary that supports the planning pro- Furthermore, once the other program elements. The firm ar- cess. JF&A condenses volumes of data team has developed a sound mis- chives and updates a library of current into powerful images that clearly com- sion design, STRATEGIC VISU- architectures in 3D formats that it pro- vides to its NASA clients as part of its ser- vices so, when a new component or mis- sion is under development, the project team “Since the President’s 2004 announcement, Frassanito has has the tools at hand to help do the job. continued to support the Exploration Systems Mission John Frassanito is a New York-born industrial designer who trained at Art Cen- Directorate (ESMD) at a number of levels including the ter in Los Angeles and, after graduation Administrator’s rollout of the Exploration Systems Architecture in 1968, worked as part of the famed Raymond Loewy and William Snaith de- (ESAS), the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Crew Exploration sign team on the interior concepts for Vehicle project, the Constellation program, and other program Skylab, America’s first space station launched in 1973. A co-founder of elements.” Datapoint Corporation in 1969, Frassanito later began his own design firm design- ing products for companies such as Scott municate missions, technologies, and ALIZATION® is used to commu- Paper, Texaco, Sani-Fresh, Daniel Indus- plans to engineers and managers as well nicate that concept to the gen- tries, General Foods, and EMI Corpora- as the general public. Now the “planning eral public. This is a vital step tion. Since 1985 he has been a strategic wall” is behind the firewall of NASA’s that Dr. Wernher von Braun used planning, mission and spacecraft design websites, and JF&A’s NASA presentations to enhance public support for consultant to NASA engineering, scien- are used for everything from Congres- space exploration. In 1952, for tific and planning teams for the Agency’s sional briefings, broadcast television, and example, Chestly Bonestell and future space missions, making those scien- magazine articles to high-level technical others working under the direc- tific visions come alive for specialists and exchanges and publications worldwide. tion of Dr. von Braun, created the the general public alike. “Strategic Visualization and Space Collier’s Magazine series of eight JF&AI’s work in Strategic Visual- Exploration,” a paper by NASA’s Douglas articles known as ‘the Collier’s ization for the space program has been Cooke and John Frassanito, noted the his- space program.’ Unlike previous recognized in major public exhibitions in- torical role of visuals in space exploration: works of science fiction, these ar- cluding the Art Institute of Chicago and, NASA teams, such as the ticles were based on rigorous sci- currently, The Intrepid Aircraft Carrier NASA Exploration Team ence and technology. Virtually Air, Sea, and Space Museum in New York (NEXT), utilize[d] advanced every aspect of space flight was City, as well as in general public and tech- computational visualization pro- considered: astronaut training, nical journals such as Popular Science cesses to develop mission designs space stations, lunar expeditions Magazine, Aviation Week, Space News, and architectures for lunar and and missions to Mars. Space ex- Men’s Magazine, and in the book Space planetary missions. One such pro- ploration was greatly advanced Architecture, The Work of John Frassanito cess, STRATEGIC VISUALIZA- as a national priority when & Associates for NASA by John TION®, is a tool used extensively Collier’s presented the American Zukowsky. ■ to help mission designers visual- public with a bold and feasible ______ize various design alternatives and vision of excursions to Moon and Keitha Nystrom is a Houston-based present them to other participants other planets. writer with a focus on harsh environment of their team. The participants, technology and operations for offshore, who may include NASA, indus- Since the President’s 2004 an- subsea, and space industry trade publica- try, and the academic community, nouncement, Frassanito has continued to tions.

22 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 UPCOMING EVENTS AAS CORPORATE MEMBERS

a.i. solutions, Inc. AAS Events Schedule The Aerospace Corporation Air Force Institute of Technology Analytical Graphics, Inc. November 1–2, 2006 March 20–21, 2007 Applied Defense Solutions, Inc. *AAS/AIAA Seminar 45th Robert H. Goddard Arianespace “Contributions to Space Memorial Symposium Auburn University Exploration: Global Objectives, “Sputnik to Orion: Perspectives, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Plans, and Capabilities” Opportunities, and Future Directions” The Boeing Company George Mason University The Inn & Conference Center by Marriott Braxton Technologies, Inc. Carnegie Institution of Washington Arlington, Virginia See page 14 University of Maryland University College Computer Sciences Corporation 703-866-0020 for details! Adelphi, Maryland www.astronautical.org 703-866-0020 Embry Riddle Aeronautical University www.astronautical.org General Dynamics C4 Systems November 14–15, 2006 George Mason University / CAPR AAS National Conference and May 16–18, 2007 Honeywell, Inc. Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. 53rd Annual Meeting *11th International Space Conference Jacobs Sverdrup “The Human+ Machine Equation” of Pacific-basin Societies (ISCOPS) Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena Hilton “Space Exploration for the 21st Century” See pages 12-13 KinetX Pasadena, California Beijing, China for details! See pages 15-16 Lockheed Martin Corporation 703-866-0020 703-866-0020 for details! Mitretek Systems www.astronautical.org www.astronautical.org N. Hahn & Co., Inc. Northrop Grumman January 28–February 1, 2007 August 19–23, 2007 Orbital Sciences Corporation *AAS/AIAA Space Flight *AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Raytheon Mechanics Winter Meeting Specialist Conference RedShift Ventures Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa Mission Point Resort SAIC Sedona, Arizona Mackinac Island, Michigan Space Systems / Loral 703-866-0020 703-866-0020 Swales Aerospace www.space-flight.org www.space-flight.org The Tauri Group Technica, Inc. February 3–7, 2007 Texas A&M University 30th AAS Guidance and Univelt, Inc. Control Conference Universal Space Network Beaver Run Resort University of Florida Breckenridge, Colorado Utah State Univ. / Space Dynamics Lab. 703-866-0020 Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ. www.aas-rocky-mountain-section.org Women in Aerospace Wyle Laboratories *AAS Cosponsored Meetings

2nd Space Exploration Conference

The Boeing Company, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) are pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2nd Space Exploration Conference, which will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas, 4-6 December 2006. Please join us as a united space community to implement the Vision for Space Exploration.

Register online at http://www.aiaa.org/events/exploration

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006 23 Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #565 Springfield, VA

6352 Rolling Mill Place Suite 102 Springfield, VA 22152-2354

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24 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2006