March 26, 2010 Odyssey Moon in Preparation for Moon 2.0

Note venues and dates with care. The Explorers Club San Francisco, CA Our next event is at 6:30 on March 26, a Friday evening, Northern California Chapter at the UNIVERSITY CLUB. March 2010

In color at our web site: http://www.explorersnorca.org San Francisco March 26, 2010 Odyssey Moon In Preparation for Moon 2.0

Moon-One Prototype for Moon 2.0

Bob studied aerospace and industrial engineering at Ryerson University, physics and astronomy at the University of Toronto, and space science at Cornell University, where he became special assistant to Carl Sagan. In 1987, Bob co-founded the Interna- tional Space University with Peter Diaman- dis and Todd Hawley; today ISU is a global institution with a central campus in Stras- bourg, France. While a student in the 1980’s Bob also co-founded the Space Generation Foundation and Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). In 2008, Bob joined Peter Diamandis, Ray Kurzweil and other leading thinkers in the founding of Singularity University, an insti- tution dedicated to preparing humanity for Between 1969 and 1972, twelve humans metric for going to the Moon is sustainable accelerating technological change, based at walked on another world. After the most business and commerce. The announcement the NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley. awesome technological and psychological of the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE Bob is an evangelist of the NewSpace achievement of the human species, they left, on September 13th, 2007, has energized their movement and has been a catalyst for a never to return. Why? Was it a useless waste imaginations and catalyzed a new race to the number of commercial space ventures. He is of human ingenuity on an Olympian folly? moon—Moon 2.0. the recipient of the K.E. Tsiolkovski Medal What caused humanity to abandon it’s Bob Richards is Founder and CEO of (Russia, 1995), the Space Frontier Vision to first toehold on another world? More impor- Odyssey Moon Limited, the first official con- Reality Award (USA, 1994), the Arthur C. tantly, what is the basis to go back? What tender for the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE. Clarke Commendation (Sri Lanka, 1990) new forces and motivators are at play today Odyssey Moon missions involve a unique and Aviation & Space Technology Laurel that make the story a different one than the robotic lander, designed in collaboration (USA, 1988). He is a contributing author of Moon 1.0 dead end? with NASA, to deliver payloads to the Moon Blueprint for Space (Smithsonian Institution Today there is a rebirth of interest in in support of science, exploration and com- 1992); Return to the Moon (Apogee Books going back to the Moon among many merce. 2005) and The Farthest Shore (ISU Press nations. However, while nations plan and In this talk Bob Richards will outline how 2009). strategize how to navigate the political mine a carefully planned private Moon mission As Director of the Optech Space Divi- fields and conflicting national priorities that could set in motion the technological, politi- sion from 2002-2009, Bob led the company’s justify the value of the Moon to the every- cal, legal and regulatory precedents that will technology into orbit in 2004 and to the day tax payer, there are some new kids on allow humanity, rationally and peacefully, surface of Mars in 2008 aboard the NASA the block not so constrained. They are the to embrace and develop the Moon as the Phoenix Lander, making the first discovery privateers; visionaries too; their driving world’s eighth continent. of falling Martian snow.

NOTICE: Our March talk is a replacement for that previously scheduled; thanks to Dr. Richards for stepping in! ©page 2010 1 The Explorers Club urson H on V

Professor Reg Barrett given a NorCA Trail Kit by Dr. Anders Jepsen, Vice Chair (left) Reclusive fishers captured on in-the-wild photographs by Barrett’s trail cameras.

ON THE TRAIL OF THE WILEY WEASEL San Francisco It takes great skill to condense thirty-five years of study dense old-growth forest, won’t cross open country and into a fascinating, slide-studded, after-dinner presen- thrives in a limited altitude range of 3000 to 7000 feet. tation, which is just what professor, wildlife biologist The total biomass of trees is important to the fisher and, and Explorers Club member, Reg Barrett, succeeded in between aggressive timber harvesting in the 50’s plus doing at our February 26 dinner meeting. a permitted cut that was tripled during the Bush years, In 1975, on the recommendation of one of his profes- there are only 32 known fishers in the southern Sierra sors, he embarked on a quest that has become his entire Nevada, all of which have been radio-collared (GPS). career. Little did he suspect how passionate he would They are tracked by aerial radiotelemetry to conduct become about tracking and studying the threatened in-depth studies of behavior. Their activities and range Pacific Fisher (Martes pennanti), a small carnivorous are captured by numerous cameras as well. member of the weasel family. The remaining fish- In addition to logging, other mortality threats ers now exist almost entirely in the southern Sierra include predation, vehicle traffic and disease. Their National Forest and in the very northwest part of the natural prey of porcupines and snowshoe hares have state, where once they were found along the entire all but disappeared, though a fun side note is that they north and western part of California. love pecans! Like with many other species, a conflict rages A lively question and answer period followed an between wildlife and, in the case of the fisher, the excellent presentation – and the future? Surprisingly, California timber industry, with the Forest Service all many new wildlife biology students have no outdoor too often taking an ostrich approach to the issue. As experience of any kind. Professor Barrett’s plans are to a result, the fisher’s habitat has been shrinking and its continue tracking and studying these very fast moving, population has been in decline. elusive and interesting animals, in an attempt to raise The fisher’s habitat requirements place it on a col- awareness of their plight while rebuilding, expanding lision course with the timber industry since it favors and stabilizing their population. (V. Hurson)

MAY SEASHORE ADVENTURE, sea captain, and underwater-film consultant. NorCA is expanding—The Explorers Point Lobos— On May 8, at 11 am. Ed Email Dida Kutz as Club in New York has been helping to align Clifton, Geologist Emeritus, USGS, will lead soon as possible if interested: cost about $70/ the boundaries of the various Chapters, and a two-hour geology walk at Point Lobos. As person, 2 dives. Email Dida if you’re a diver we have won the lotto: Hawaii is now part of well as being a distinguished geologist, Ed is who is interested. the Northern California Chapter! Alas there famous for his participation as an aquanaut A backstage tour of the aquarium is are not so many members on the islands, for the Tektite projects in 1969 and 1970. another option. (Cost to be determined.) yet one has been in touch; perhaps you read Bring your camera to take photos of the Email Von to sign her article in the Winter Journal, “Finding ‘crown jewel’ of the California State Parks. up. Sanctuary in the Pacific.” Dr. Jean Kenyon We’re planning that Peter Hemming will FN07 is a coral reef expert and opines, “I be available for photo tips. There are picnic VOTE - VOTE - VOTE In my attempt have indeed missed not having the cama- areas for lunch; dinner will be at Phil’s Fish to become a member of The Explorers Club raderie of participating in chapter events...I Market in Moss Landing. Board of Directors I do need all of the sup- would like to join your chapter... perhaps The diving in Monterey and Carmel is port I can get. If you have not voted please getting to the San Francisco area once a year some of the best in the world, and it should do so NOW; ballots are due in New York on to participate.” not be missed—so let’s dive on May 9! We March 19. Please contact any members you America’s Cup— Congratulations to the need a minimum of 4 people to charter a know, throughout the club, on my behalf. Golden Gate Yacht Club. Stop by to see it when boat with Phil Sammet, local diving legend, Thanks. —Lee Langan Capt. Ellison brings the trophy home! page 2 Marin Women Award Joan Linn cation Foundation, and in 1984, the Terwil- Remember Erden Eruç MN04?— Bekins— Joan Linn Bekins FN86 will liger Guild. When last visited he had been pulled from be inducted into the Marin Women’s Hall While education chairwoman of Marin the Pacific somewhere north of New Guinea, of Fame on March 20 at a festive dinner and Audubon Society’s board in 1972, Joan con- a couple of years ago, after 314 days rowing program that will honor nine Marin women ceived the idea of the “Tripping with Terwil- across the Pacific. He went back in late 2009, who have made significant contributions to liger” film series. To date, seventy million and was placed where the GPS said he had the county. Joan will be honored for her 42 children have met Mrs. T via film in class- been. He then rowed around New Guinea years of “Community Service” rooms throughout the U.S. to some small island north of the Great Bar- as a volunteer. In 1979, Joan obtained Buck rier reef, where he borrowed an ocean kayak. Joan Linn was one of thirty- Trust funding to provide vol- Thence through the reef and along Australia’s five business people chosen by unteers an office and staff for northeastern crocodile-laden shore to Cook- the San Francisco Chronicle as new Terwilliger Nature Guides. town. “Bay Area Leaders Who Made Nature Vans filled with taxider- He is now riding a bicycle across the con- Their Mark in 1963.” She was a mied animals made school pre- tinent! Follow him at Fascinating. relations woman representing counties, often reaching 200 Erden’s wife, Nancy Board, follows his agricultural industries when she students a day. She has edited adventure from Seattle. She contacted NorCA married Don Bekins. With their and published educational books with the following request: infant, Linn, in a backpack, and and record albums. “A colleague of mine, Anelize du Plessis, leading toddler, Laurence, by the An advocate for Open Space, is moving to the Bay area in mid March from hand, Joan started walking with Joan chaired an ad hoc commit- South Africa. She knows no one in America Elizabeth Terwilliger in 1967. It tee in 1999 to fund and reinstate and is following her heart. I would really like changed the course of her life. the Marin County Open Space to help her in any way I can. She is absolutely Joan became the energetic volunteer naturalist-interpreter position. She continues a delight. If you know of any housing options “woman behind the woman.” She publicized to educate others about nature through her for her I will pass that along. ” to direct public attention to Mrs. T’s impor- tions that benefit non-profits. She also writes tant work in nature education. In 1970, Joan a newspaper column, “Wildflower Watch” Help Wanted at NorCA— to con- launched the Terwilliger Nature Guides who illustrated by her photographs. Joan’s dedi- nect with new Sirdars, add to the newsletter, have led tens-of-thousands of children on cated commitment to nature education has help welcome at meetings. (Many thanks to school field trips. In 1975, Joan founded the had a positive effect on the lives of children Von Hurson for the reporting and photo on non-profit Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Edu- and adults throughout Marin and the nation, last month’s talk!)

The Corner Chair— The mysteries short tomb that we climbed into. Museum, the new opera house (we heard of the Upper Nile held Becky and me too Travel in Egypt requires a strong grip on Beethoven!), the Christian Orthodox com- long so we missed our Explorers meeting; I your stomach and wallet—they are masters plex, three grottoes claim to be where Jesus should miss more often—Vice Chair Anders of the bait and switch—now you see it and and Mary hid out from Herod. (Its scary Jepsen ran the show so well. now you don’t when you open the package; nowadays for the 10% Coptic Christian Egypt is sanctified by the Dead in tem- we were assigned the “best” room on a 5-star minority.) Don’t spend too much time in ples, tombs, and pyramids all over; the boat up the Nile, Room 336, only to find town without a smog mask. Gaza Pyramids confirmed my hypothesis; (too late) there was no such room and 5 stars Egypt is a very rich poor country--sugar the Cheops and Chepher Pharaohs from meant 2 stars!. and cotton, oil and gas, gold and minerals, the Old Kingdom built their own in sacred The Nile is smaller than the Mississippi; manufacturing and tourism; yet for foreign mountains. Building mountains made it too yet,even now, it’s more inspiring, especially aid purposes it’s “developmentally disad- easy for grave robbers and expensive so the when it meets the Nubian Desert far south. vantaged.” Why? “Because,” according to Middle Kingdom Pharaohs (the Ramses Why did it spawn so much more early human many Egyptians, “the government, like the gang, Sushipsut, Tut Ankh Amon, etc) built progress: religion, civilization, agriculture, rich, want to keep the labor cheap and people their impressive underground hidden tombs arts? Grand as it looks, don’t swim in it: poor.” in a sacred mountain at the Valley of the parasites, crocodiles, turds, Heineken beer It turns out the Pharaohs were lovers. Kings. cans, sugar cane, pesticides By the New Kingdom their wive’s statues So much of this astounding sacred build- Death is a science in this Land of the embrace the Pharaoh and are almost as tall; ing has survived the weather and floods in Dead overseen by Egyptologists. Temples, Ramses II built an extraordinary temple for spite of the European graffiti from as early pyramids, tombs, mummies, infidels, sepa- his favorite wife Nephretiti, carved from a as 1814 (in the middle of a pyramid we hiked rate but unequal Muslim and Christian mountain at Abu Simble (saved from drown- into) and the colossal rip-offs from Europe cemeteries, and home of Osiris (God of the ing in the Aswan dam lake by building a new (more antiquities in the British Museum Underworld, whose wife Isis saved him from man-made mountain.) than the Egyptian museum and one Austrian his brother Seth who buried him in a tree Don’t miss Egypt—there’s much to learn Prince appropriated a whole Middle King- and cut him into 42 pieces­—a nasty and love from the Dead: dom temple). story at the same time). “The dead teach patience We traveled the Nile from the Mediter- For me a high point was our journey into The dead teach emptiness ranean at Alexandria to the Sudan border to the Western Desert near Nubia with Lula and Time is relative explore 6000 years of construction, much Lala, great companions, for camels. Time is finite still standing. Imagine Tut ankh amon ton, Souvenirs and security are big in Egypt. Time is precious a relatively poor and short lived pharaoh Soldiers, Tourist Police, local and national Death is infinite” still stuns the world with his whole floor of police. I don’t know how their war on terror Chief Priest for Pharaoh RAMSES III at Karnath, comparatively second-tier gold objects in the is going, but they certainly keep we tourists Luxor Temple to Horus Egyptian Museum (with a small sampling in our channels. –Alan Nichols (FN84) now at our De Young.) All from his smallish Must sees in Cairo: The Egyptian page 3 March 2010

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Chair: Alan Nichols 415 789-9348 [email protected] Vice Chair: Anders Jepsen 925 254-3079 [email protected] Treasurer: Sue Estey 510 526-2216 [email protected] Secretary: Stephen E. Smith Preparing for Moon 2.0 Webmaster: Mike Diggles Newsletter: Lee Langan 26 March — University Club, San Francisco

Northern California Calendar of Events March: UNIVERSITY CLUB (Venues will be identified as soon as known.) USEDate PAYPAL! Friday, March 26, 2010 Reserve __ spaces for Our next Meetings Place: University Club March 26, 2010 March 26 (Friday) ...... Bob Richards Odessey Moon Odyssey Moon ...... University Club 800 Powell St., San Francisco, CA on Nob Hill in San Francisco Time: 6:30 - reception Cost: is $49 (Chapter annual dues are: Future Events 7:15 - dinner $25 for members and sirdars) April 30 ...... Seth Shostak Are We Alone in Space? . . . . University Club 8:00 - talk May 8 ...... Seashore Field Trip Cost: $49 in advance; $60 on the 26th Name: ______Point Lobos, Monterey Peninsula Chapter 2010 dues: $25 Address (if changed): ______May 21 ...... planning Companion: ______June TBD ...... Angel Island Picnic Please mail information to Dr. Sue Estey, July 1 . . . Joint Meet with Dendrology Society Marcel Robinson University Club 216 Carmel Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 or email [email protected] Please NOTE this location. Earlier Meetings (2009-10) or call (510) 526-2216 April 24 ...... Christopher Whittier Stories of Gorilla Country, GGYC May 9 ...... Paul Freitas, MD We have established a PayPal account. Medical Emergency Field Expedition, Mt. Diablo For those of you who have these accounts, you can sign up and remit dinner costs to the May 15 ...... Doug Findley NorCA Chapter by transferring money to: [email protected] Sailing the NW Passage, GGYC June 6 Angel Island Picnic There is also a PAYPAL BUTTON on our website (www.explorersnorca.org); easy to use! June 13 ...... Mt. Shasta Climb September 25 ...... Jim Sano Retracing Shakleton, GGYC October 30 Diana Pickworth Yemen Archaeology, GGYC November 20 Nathaniel J Dominy Tsavo Lions of yore, Dana home, Tiburon December 5 ...... Fofo Gonzales University Club, Cave Field Expedition December 12 Alan & Becky Nichols Atop Nob Hill Chair’s Member Reception Nichols home, Tiburon where the cable January 29, 2010 several Story Night University Club cars cross February 26, 2010 Reginald Barrett The Elusive Fisher University Club

Send address changes and The University Club has Valet Parking for $20; the Brocklebank Garage on Sacramento is only $10! Other corrections by email to Steve at nearby garages are expensive. Some street parking. Muni (cable cars OR Sacramento #1) is very near; BART connections are easy; CalTrans a good option. Car pool! The University Club is wheel-chair accessible. [email protected]