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Horizons Fall 2008 Page 1 Volume 33, Issue 4 AIAA Houston Section www.aiaa-houston.org Fall 2008 HubbleNASA Revisited Celebrates on NASA’s its 50th 50th Anniversary Year Vanguard 1 Launched March 17, 1958 The fourth artificial satellite and the oldest human-made artifact still in space AIAA Houston Horizons Fall 2008 Page 1 Fall 2008 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S From the Editor 3 HOUSTON Lecture Summary—X-Prize at JSC 4 Horizons is a quarterly publication of the Houston section Lecture Summary—Global Warming 5 of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Town Hall Meeting Report 7 Dr. Steven Everett Editor International Space Activities 10 Assistant Editors Douglas Yazell OES in Toulouse 12 Jon Berndt Sean Keefe Lunar Exploration 14 Bob Beremand 1940 Air Terminal 16 AIAA Houston Section Executive Council NASA’s 50th Anniversary— 17 Looking Back, Celebrating, Looking Forward Chad Brinkley Chair Historic Sites 22 Ellen Gillespie Sarah Shull NASA’s 50th Anniversary—Norm Chaffee Interview 23 Chair-Elect Secretary Membership 39 Douglas Yazell Jason Tenenbaum Past Chair Treasurer Book Review—A View from the Doghouse 40 Nick Pantazis Sean Carter APR Corner 42 Vice-Chair, Operations Vice-Chair, Technical Dinner Meeting—Aerospace’s Role in the Prevention of Terrorism 43 Operations Technical Dr. Gary Turner EAA Corner 44 Melissa Gordon Dr. Al Jackson Linda Phonharath Dr. Zafar Taqvi Odds and Ends 46 Munir Kundawala Bebe Kelly-Serrato Dr. Doug Schwab Bill Atwell Cranium Cruncher 47 Lisa Voiles Sheikh Ahsan Svetlana Hanson William West Jim Palmer Paul Nielsen Horizons and AIAA Houston Section Dr. Ben Longmier Bob Beremand Web Site Gabe Garrett Gary Brown AIAA National Communications Joel Henry Chet Vaughan Award Winner Matthew Easterly Dr. Michael Lernbeck (& 2008 Honorable Mention) Dr. Steven Everett Ludmilla Dmitriev Gary Cowan Dr. Kamlesh Lulla Amy Efting Councilors Tom Propp 2005 2006 2007 Natasha Rowell Donald Baker Rafael Munoz This newsletter is created by members of the Houston section. Opinions expressed herein other than Prerit Shah by elected Houston section officers belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent the Holly Feldman position of AIAA or the Houston section. Unless explicitly stated, in no way are the comments of Ansley Collins individual contributors to Horizons to be construed as necessarily the opinion or position of AIAA, Lorenn Vega-Martinez NASA, its contractors, or any other organization. Please address all newsletter correspondence to the Editor: [email protected] More information at: www.aiaa-houston.org/orgchart Cover: Vanguard 1 liftoff, March 17, 1958 (NASA photo). AIAA Houston Horizons Fall 2008 Page 2 Page 3 The Old and the New From the Editor STEVEN EVERETT, HORIZONS EDITOR I hope everyone has had Keefe and Robert Beremand. tion Processing Facility, and some success in recovering Despite the new editorial staff, Launch Control Center. Most from the effects of Hurricane however, you won’t see any impressive to me was the lo- Ike. The widespread devasta- significant changes to the for- gistical miracle of each launch tion and drain on local re- mat, the professional appear- considering the incredible sources undoubtedly affected ance of which has undoubtedly amount of hardware that must every person in the area in contributed to the Communica- coalesce perfectly before every some way. Among the effects tions Award our chapter news- mission. As a part of this se- which were particular to the letter has received the past ries of tours, our group visited aerospace community, the three years. pad 34, the site of the Apollo 1 Ballunar Liftoff was cancelled, Our profession is seeing the fire. From there, we could see and extensive damage was old and new most obviously in pad 37 where a Delta 4-H, done to the Lone Star Flight the Constellation architecture adorned with a United Launch Museum. Publication of this being developed to support the Alliance logo, was being pre- issue of Horizons, which was new Vision for Space Explora- pared for launch. It was some- to be online in September, was tion. Capsules reminiscent of what dismaying to see this itself delayed by nearly a the 1960’s Apollo era vehicles historic site marked by little month. However, we will be promise to take mankind back more than a kiosk, plaque and back to a quarterly release of to the place they took us almost engraved benches, and to read Horizons now that its con- 40 years ago. But this time, the words “Abandon in Place” tributors are beginning to re- they will be brimming with the stenciled on the concrete pil- sume their normal lives. newest technology, and will lars and flame diverters. This Just as many other magazine take crews of four or more to site stood among a string of features and celebrations have the lunar pole for weeks rather abandoned launch pads along done this year, in this issue of than days. Meanwhile, rum- the Cape Canaveral coastline, Horizons we chose to high- blings about a possible exten- generated as each new system light some of the events of the sion of the Space Shuttle pro- outgrew its current facilities 50 years since NASA’s incep- gram beyond the established during the 1960’s and 70’s. tion in our feature article. deadline of 2010 continue. Only time will tell if pads Norm Chaffee also shared the One of the most poignant 39A and B will also stand unique perspective on NASA’s juxtapositions of the old and empty someday, or if the history he has gained over his new I’ve seen recently was on modifications in process will four-decade career at JSC. a visit I made to Kennedy finally result in a new gateway During this, the 50th year of Space Center this past Spring. I back to the moon, and eventu- NASA’s existence, it seems had the once-in-a-lifetime op- ally Mars and beyond. appropriate to reflect on the portunity to take some close-up old and the new. Award- tours of the Vehicle Assembly winning editor Jon Berndt and Building, launch pads, Mobile Below: ULA Delta 4-H launch acting editor for the last three Launch Platforms, Orbiter vehicle on pad 37, as seen from pad 34, site of the Apollo 1 fire. issues, Douglas Yazell, have Processing Facility, Space Sta- (photo by the editor) moved on to other things, but they remain as assistant edi- tors. I am a relatively new member of the Houston AIAA chapter who has worked in Shuttle Entry flight control for the past few years, and I am looking forward to serving our local chapter as Horizons edi- tor for at least the next few issues. I am also fortunate to have the assistance of Sean AIAA Houston Horizons Fall 2008 Page 3 Page 4 Lecture X-Prize at JSC Summary MICHAEL FROSTAD After a long day of work ple people to stay in space, the get big results. An idea is and meetings a good cross most famous being Dennis crazy one day, and a section of the JSC population Tito, the first commercial breakthrough the next. made their way to Building space traveler, and Anousheh • Looking at recent history 30’s Auditorium here at Ansari, the first female space who were those that were NASA JSC. The reason? X traveler and the person who making things happen? Prize Foundation Chairman funded the $10 million X The internet and .com and Founder, Dr. Peter Dia- prize. The Zero-G corporation explosion? People in their mandis was in town and the Be sure to check out the review of is a commercial parabolic 20’s. The manned pro- this talk in Justin Kugler’s blog at Advanced Planning Office flight service where people gram of the 60’s? People the Houston Chronicle website also. asked him to give a talk about experience 15 parabolas of in their 20’s. Make sure Go to his inspiring ventures. microgravity on a Boeing 727- you are giving them the http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/ Dr. Diamandis is involved 200. They fly out of KSC, Las then look for COSMO.SPHERE on chances and responsibili- with many exciting space ven- Vegas, and now JSC ties where they can excel the right. You can find his discus- tures and he probably has even sion in the August archives. (Ellington Field)! Finally, the and use their creative en- more exciting plans for the Rocket Racing League, the ergy. All generations can future. Some of his best newest venture using NASA learn from each other. known ventures are the X developed technology, is just Did you know Lindbergh Prize Foundation, Space Ad- getting started and will com- • flew across the Atlantic ventures, Zero-G Corp., and bine the excitement of NAS- for a $25,000 prize? New now the RRL (Rocket Racing CAR and flying to give the prizes and different con- League). public a whole new experience tracting set ups may drive If you are unfamiliar with while driving technology de- future feats. (Dr. Dia- his ventures, The X-Prize velopment. mandis is now focused on Below: Dr. Peter Diamandis (holding foundation and its $10 million So what advice did Dr. sword) with Arthur M. Dula (left), building the X Prize Foun- Ansari X PRIZE for private Diamandis have for those Kristen Diamandis, and astronaut Buzz dation into a world-class spaceflight led to Space Ship seeking it? Aldrin upon receipt of the half million prize institute whose mis- dollar Heinlein Prize for Space Com- One’s flight, a first for pure • Never give up. Determina- mercialism on July 7, 2006.
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