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Zero-G Zero-G

Celebrating our 30th year as space settlement advocates

Winter 2005 $4.95

The Floating Cities of Venus

Behind the Scenes at Rover Control Holiday Gift Guide TakingTaking the the Plunge into Bravo!Bravo! Plunge into SpaceShipOneSpaceShipOne Zero-GZero-G NailsNails XX PrizePrize

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or call us at (888) 449-5575. 5714-B Industry Lane, Frederick, MD 21704 Volume 16, Number 4 Winter 2005

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5 Launch Pad

6 Mission Control PAYLOAD Space Beat Orbiter Update 11 Countdown 12 Guest Space 43 Space Community 41 Countdown 47 Visionary Donors 48 Lifting Off

ON THE COVER: X-PRIZE ENDS IN DESERT DRAMA NSS members Maria Thome, Grant Anderson and Adam London aboard the inaugural NSS A pair of suborbital concludes Zero-G charter on Sept. 17. Thome is an eight-year contest and heralds a new the chapter president from Brasilia, Brazil; space age. Anderson and London are space entrepreneurs. BY JOHN KROSS

AD ASTRA, which means “to the stars” in Latin, 16 is the motto of the , an international membership group dedicated to fur- thering the exploration and development of space. Our quarterly magazine, AD ASTRA, is only one of many NSS activities aimed at creating a space-faring civilization. For more information on NSS call (202) 429-1600 or visit www.nss.org on the internet. AN AFFORDABLE TRIP TO WEIGHTLESS SPACE Can’t wait for SpaceShipTwo? Zero-gravity ride will leave you head-over-heels.

BY FRANK SIETZEN, JR. 23

INSIDE THE MARS ROVER MISSIONS FOR THE ARMCHAIR A behind-the-scenes view from the field trip of AND BEYOND: a lifetime. THE 2004 AD ASTRA GIFT GUIDE Telescopes, software, books and more for the BY BILL FARRAND 19 space buff in your life. BY TRAVIS K. KIRCHER 20 Governance

1620 I Street NW Officers Suite 615 Hugh Downs, Chairman of the Board of Governors Ⅲ Kirby Ikin, Chairman of the Board of Directors Ⅲ Washington, DC 20006 (202) 429-1600 Cliff McMurray, Executive Vice President Ⅲ Greg Allison, Chairman of the Executive Committee Ⅲ www.nss.org Jeffrey Liss, Senior Vice President Ⅲ Greg Rucker, Vice President of Projects Ⅲ Jay Wittner, Vice President of Membership Ⅲ Frank Braun, Vice President of Public Affairs Ⅲ George T. Whitesides Jim Plaxco, Vice President of Chapters Ⅲ Mark Hopkins, Secretary Ⅲ Executive Director Joe Redfield, Treasurer Ⅲ Harry Reed, Assistant Secretary Ⅲ Darren Arnold Bob Goetz, Assistant Treasurer Ⅲ Keil Ritterpusch, General Counsel Program Manager Scott Farrow Directors Membership Director Brian Lundquist • Bruce Mackenzie • Craig Ward • Dana Johnson • Don Doughty • Erich Fischer • Gary Barnhard • Bruce Janele George Howard • Greg Allison • Greg Rucker • Jeff Liss • Joe Redfield • John Strickland • Josh Powers • Kirby Ikin • Membership Services Manager Larry Ahearn • Margaret Jordan • Marianne Dyson • Mark Hopkins • Michael Fulda • Ned Dodds • Philip Young • Rich Godwin • Richard Beers • Ronnie Lajoie • Stewart Nozette • William Gardiner • William Higgins • Yvonne Spencer Melanie Weiner Director of Meetings Advisors C. J. Cherryh • David Criswell • Jerry Grey • Joe Haldeman • Eleanor Helin • Mark Holthaus • Barbara Marx Hubbard • Margaret Jordan • Florence Nelson • Scott Pace • Glenn • Stanley G. Rosen • Stanley • Craig Ward

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2002 $4.95 to the stars Governors Mark J. Albrecht • • Norman R. Augustine • Majel Barrett-Roddenberry • Lance Bass • Alan B. Binder •

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY Frank Borman • Ben Bova • Bruce Boxleitner • Gerald P. Carr • Sir Arthur C. Clarke • Tom Cruise • Michael DeBakey • Hugh Downs • K. Eric Drexler • Freeman J. Dyson • Edward R. Finch • Aaron Freeman • Don Fuqua • Newt Gingrich Publisher • Peter E. Glaser • John H. Glenn • Tom Hanks • Shelley A. Harrison • Robert Jastrow • John H. Johnson • National Space Society Arthur Kantrowitz • John S. Lewis • James A. Lovell • Robert T. McCall • Marvin Minsky • Kenneth Money • Editor-in-Chief Nichelle Nichols • Frederick I. Ordway III • William R. Pogue • Harrison Schmitt • Frederick Seitz • Irene Mona Klotz Michael Simpson • John B. Slaughter • Anthony J. Tether • James A. Van Allen • Maria von Braun • Glen P. Wilson • Senior Contributing Editor Simon P. Worden • James B. Wyeth John Kross

Copy Editor Jonathan Aretakis KEEPING IN TOUCH Art Direction and Graphic Design If you have not already given your email address to NSS, please do so. You are missing out on a number of exist- Leonard D. Righter ing and future Internet-based membership benefits, including: Andrew S. Ladson • NSS Online Report — Our monthly electronic newsletter to keep you informed about NSS activities and major space events, Production Services now available in HTML or plain text format. Mercury Publishing Services, Inc. http://www.mercurypubs.com • NSS Press Releases — NSS accomplishments and positions on critical space-related events. • NSS Announcements — Information on upcoming NSS events and activities. Ad Astra (ISSN 1041-102X) is published • Personal messages — Direct email for when we need to correspond with you (supplements phone calls). quarterly by the National Space Society. Editorial offices are located at 1620 I Street, • NSS member e-lists — Special email lists for NSS members to communicate with each other. Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. No mate- • MyNSS — Access to the new MyNSS online system whereby you can look up and update your membership information rial in this magazine may be reproduced via the Web, and even lookup nearby NSS members (as access rights and privacy rights permit). without permission. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and additional • NSS Legislative Alerts — News on the latest happenings on Capitol Hill and how NSS plans to respond, a special service entry. Membership inquiries ($45/yr, $20/yr if you choose to be part of the NSS Political Action Network. for students under 22) should be sent to the • NSS committee e-lists — Special email lists for NSS committees (some you can join). National Space Society, 1620 I Street, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. Postmaster: Send • NODAC — Future access to the NSS Online Database for Activists and Chapters, a Web-based system for aiding and address changes to Ad Astra, 1620 I Street, enhancing NSS activist, chapter, committee, and HQ activities. Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006. If you interested in any of the above, please send your email address via an email message to Bruce Janele at NSS headquarters at [email protected]. Thanks.

4 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars launch pad MODULESa

In the last issue of Ad Astra I laid out the case that we must develop space to FACING A save ourselves from ourselves. Assuming we manage to survive the expanding proliferation of weapons of mass destruction we still need to develop space in COSMIC order to survive. Eventually the fate of mankind will be sealed with utter destruction from CONUNDRUM comets and asteroids if we fail to venture into deep space. If we just sit on this third rock from the sun, another rock will check us out long before the sun becomes a threat to Earth. Greg Allison The occurrence of impacts that could destroy a city are much higher that Chairman of the the occurrence of impacts which could wipe out a civilization. These probabil- NSS Executive ities are in dispute, with estimates ranging from three per century to three per Committee millennium. The 1908 Tunguska explosion leveled 800 square miles of trees in Siberia. Such an impact over a city would make 9/11 look like a picnic. Damage could be in the hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars. There would be an untold loss of life. In a world where nations like Pakistan and India are on a hair-trigger we must consider that one of these events could trigger a nuclear war. Even one of the much more numerous high atmospheric explosions, such as one that occurred over the Mediterranean during one of the high points of the Indian-Pakistani ten- sion, could cause a nightmare. Every 3,000 to 5,000 years an impact occurs in one of Earth’s ocean basins large enough to create tsunamis more than 300 feet high, moving at the speed of sound in water that could leave that ocean basin with absolute destruction. It happened 90,000 years ago when a tsunami deposited more than 1,000 feet of coral on the Hawaiian Islands. Hundreds of millions, maybe even a couple of billion people could die. Property damage could be in the hundreds of trillions of dollars. In order to defend Earth from impact we need to establish the means to send humans and equipment to these Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). A means of rapid response needs to be estab- lished, on the ready to go to protect life on Earth. City-buster class impactors are difficult to detect. Currently no one is looking for anything smaller than one kilometer in diameter. Even if one did map out all the NEOs capable of impacting Earth, there is no expectation that we could map the potential impacts from comets on long orbits to the belt region and beyond. This is why we will eventually want a capability ready to divert an asteroid or comet with less than one year’s notice time. Many of the unmanned asteroid-divert scenarios may simply take too long to be effective against the threat from city-buster class asteroids and comets. The new exploration program that NASA is developing as it begins to evolve toward Mars- capable missions could indeed be a first step toward achieving these capabilities. The price is small compared to the potential costs of even just one small impactor. This establishes ample rea- son to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit. The technical solutions that can enable us to avert NEO and comet impacts on Earth also can enable the means for us to tap into the resources of these heavenly bodies, potentially enabling us to establish an economy in the boundless skies of space. Instead of crying about the sky falling on our heads, let’s put that stuff to good use. Support going back to the moon and on to Mars!

Greg Allison

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 5 MODULESa

NASA ASPIRE(S) TO BLISS, extended atmospheres of extrasolar With three massive side-by-side

SPIRIT AND MORE planets. common booster cores (CBCs), the MISSION As part of its Astronomical Search For astronomers aspiring to detect orange-and-white Delta 4 Heavy is for Origins Program, the U.S. space organic compounds, there is ASPIRE one of the largest expendable rock- CONTROL agency has given the light to (the Astrobiology SPace InfraRed ets launched from Cape Canaveral nine feasibility studies of future mis- Explorer). More broadly, the Baryonic since the giant Saturn 5 moon rock- spacebeat BY JOHN KROSS sion concepts ranging from a billion- Structure Probe aims to bolster cosmo- ets 30 years ago. When topped off by star census to an ultraviolet replace- logical theories by detecting, mapping its upper-stage booster and five- orbiter update ment for the and characterizing the web of matter in meter (16.7-foot) diameter payload (HST). Over the next six months, pro- the early universe. Among the other pro- fairing, the heavyweight will ponents will develop and refine con- posals is GEOP (the Galaxy Evolution stand about 72 meters (235 feet) tall cepts for missions addressing big and Origins Probe), which will take a — 15 meters (50 feet) taller than a questions such as “How did we get bead on more than five million galaxies shuttle. Powered by newly designed here?” and “Are we alone?” to study their assembly and history of Rocketdyne RS-68 liquid oxygen/liq- Among the proposals are two star formation. Lastly, fans of HST can uid hydrogen engines, the Delta 4 sure to bring blissful smiles to take some comfort in Johns Hopkins Heavy can boost up to 13,130 kg infrared astronomers. BLISS aims to University’s proposed Hubble Origins (28,950 lb.) into geosynchronous focus on infrared spectroscopy of far- Probe, a mission that utilizes instru- transfer orbit (GTO). away galaxies and chart the creation ments built for the fifth HST servicing The U.S. Air Force, which will be of heavy elements over time, while mission (the Cosmic Origins one of the new rocket’s cus- ’s (Space Infrared Spectrograph and Wide Field Camera tomers, began pushing for more reli- Interferometric Telescope) goal is to 3). NASA cancelled the Hubble servic- able launch vehicles with greater take high-resolution far infrared ing mission after the Columbia accident. flexibility about 10 years ago. The images of star and planet formation. results were stripped-down versions

No sky survey would be complete DELTA 4 HEAVY READIES of Lockheed Martin’s Atlas 5 and

without a census and OBSS (Origins FOR DEMO Boeing’s Delta 4, which made an ear- Billion Star Survey) is touted as “star The new Delta 4 Heavy launch vehicle, lier flight. But another customer is in tallier” and cosmic counter par excel- intended to shoulder the lion’s share of the market for heavy lift – NASA. The lence. OBSS’s goal is to complete a future launches for rocket-builder space agency is considering both the census of giant extrasolar planets and Boeing, was rolled out to the launch Delta 4 Heavy and the Atlas 5 for car- the demographics of stars within pad with a hefty burden already rying its Orbital Space Plane to the 30,000 light years of the sun. aboard: the rocket is up against International Meanwhile, CIP (Cosmic Inflation Lockheed Martin’s Atlas 5 for future “We’re putting the best of Probe) backers promise to measure the NASA and U.S. Air Force business. Boeing into it,” Ed Memi, a cosmic inflation potential with a near- After months of tests, Boeing spokesman based at Boeing NASA infrared redshift survey of early galax- was poised for a mid-November Systems, told Florida Today. “It is a ies. Closer to home, the proponents of launch of its Delta 4 Heavy booster priority for us.” HORUS (High ORbit Ultraviolet-visible under the Evolved Expendable The Delta 4 Heavy also is in Satellite) hope to conduct a systematic Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The the running, along with the Heavy investigation of star formation in the demo flight for the U.S. Air Force has Atlas 5 and shuttle-derived vari- Milky Way, nearby galaxies and the been postponed several times ants, to play a key roles in the high-redshift universe. Hawk-eyed because of hurricanes striking Bush Administration’s Space HORUS also aims to investigate the Central Florida and minor adjust- Exploration Initiative announced origin, structure and composition of the ments to the vehicle. earlier this year.

6 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars mission control space beat

THE END OF THE BEGINNING What was supposed to be a new beginning for solar turned instead into a violent end to the Genesis mission as the return cap- sule – bearing precious solar sam- ples – slammed into the ground due to a parachute malfunction. The genesis of the Genesis mis- sion was a desire by researchers to capture tiny slivers of the sun - ions and elements in the solar wind - and bring samples back to Earth for study. To capture the precious solar cargo Genesis journeyed to the L1 NASA Lagrangian Point – where the gravi- tational and centrifugal pull of the The Genesis spacecraft slammed into the desert floor after a failed parachute return to Earth. sun and Earth are balanced – and collected samples of charged solar base where a team of specialists determined whether it is the only particles for three years. plucked out pieces of dirt and mud. problem within the Genesis system,” The sample of solar matter was As Ad Astra went to press, scientists said Michael Ryschkewitsch, head of supposed to allow scientists to picking through Genesis’ remains at the investigation team. “The board is address fundamental questions NASA’s cura- working to confirm this proximate about the solar and nebular composi- tion facility were increasingly opti- cause, to determine why this error tions, and test theories about the ori- mistic about the prospects for sal- happened, why it was not caught by gin of the sun and the planets. Once vaging useful science from the recov- the test program and an extensive Genesis entered its halo-like orbit, ered samples. set of in-process and after-the-fact 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, the “We cheered the news from the reviews of the Genesis system.” spacecraft extended special collector science team about the recovery of a The investigators determined the arrays to capture a few millionths of significant amount of the precious sam- gravity-sensing switches probably a gram of ions and particles, which ples of the sun,” said Ghassem Asrar, were installed upside-down. Also were carefully stowed in a contami- deputy associate administrator for the worrisome is the fact that the same nation-proof canister. Science Mission Directorate at NASA switches were used on NASA’s Instead of a spectacular airborne Headquarters. “Despite the hard land- Stardust probe, which has collected capture over Utah’s Air Force Testing ing, Genesis was able to deliver. “ comet particles for a parachute and Training Range on Sept. 8, the A board investigating the accident return to Earth in 2006. Investigators out-of-control return capsule – sans has pointed an accusing finger at a are looking at design drawings to see parachute – slammed into the Utah design error in gravity-switch devices, if there is a problem. desert at 309 kilometers per hour which sense the braking caused by “While the switches are the (193 mph). atmospheric entry, and initiate a same, the installation ... is quite dif- Later that day, the science canis- sequence leading to deployment of ferent,” said Ryschkewitsch. ter was dug out of the muck and the drogue parachute and parafoil. The board expects to wrap up its flown by helicopter to a specially “This single cause has not yet investigation of the Genesis failure constructed clean room on the Army been fully confirmed, nor has it been by the end of November. to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 7 MODULESa

TITANS FALL Also passing away in October within the physical capability of “There are thousands of memo- With much attention focused on the was Leroy Gordon Cooper, one of the trained . ries from our early space days,” added future of space endeavors, the original Mercury 7 astronauts who “As one of the original seven Mercury astronaut and former senator deaths of two titans – Maxime Faget rode the Faget-designed capsule into Mercury astronauts, Gordon Cooper . “Gordo was one of the and Gordon Cooper – are a reminder orbit during the sixth and last flight was one of the faces of America’s most straight-forward people I have of the achievements of the early of the Mercury program. The mis- fledgling space program. He truly ever known. What you saw was what space age. Faget designed the origi- sion, in May 1963, lasted 34 hours portrayed the right stuff, and he you got. Pride in doing a great job, nal spacecraft for — more than three times than any helped gain the backing and enthu- whatever his assignment, was his and contributed to the designs of previous human in the siasm of the American public, so hallmark. You could always depend on every U.S. government human space- United States. Cooper later com- critical for the spirit of exploration,” Gordo. It’s hard to believe that he will craft from Mercury to the space shut- manded the Gemini 5 mission during said O’Keefe. no longer be with us in person. I know tle. He was 83. which he and crewmate Charles Cooper was the youngest of the he’ll be with us in spirit.” “Without Max Faget’s innovative “Pete” Conrad tested a prototype Mercury 7 astronauts, who were Cooper died at his home in designs and thoughtful approach to fuel cell that became a vital element selected in 1959 as America Ventura, Calif., of heart failure. He problem solving, America’s space in future space . embarked on a with the was 77. program would have had trouble get- Problems with the fuel cell pre- former Soviet Union. Mercury ting off the ground,” NASA adminis- cluded rendezvous with a radar eval- brethren Gus Grissom, Alan Shepard trator Sean O’Keefe said. “He also uation “pod,” but the astronauts and Deke Slayton preceded Cooper was an aeronautics pioneer. In fact, were able to put the spacecraft in death. it was his work on supersonic flight through a series of orbit changes, “We seven were bonded like research that eventually led to his aiming at a hypothetical target. brothers, maybe even closer if interest in spaceflight. The thoughts Cooper and Conrad splashed into the that’s possible,” said Wally Schirra, and prayers of the entire agency are Atlantic after 120 orbits, proving that one of the three remaining Mercury with his family.” a round-trip voyage to the moon was astronauts. NASA NASA Mercury 7 astronaut Gordon Cooper. Mission Control celebrates the successful conclusion of Apollo 11. At left is Mercury spacecraft designer Maxime Faget.

8 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars mission control space beat

THE DAY THE SUN STOOD STILL gle sunspot. The sun’s face was clear – but it served as a poignant state- satellite operators as well as for For the first time in six years, only for a day or two – this image ment that the sun is well on its way crews aboard the International astronomers looked at images of the was taken by the Solar and to the quietest time in its 11-year Space Station. n sun and found … nothing. Not a sin- Heliospheric Observatory on Oct. 11 cycle. That’s good news for all the

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 9 mission control orbiter update MODULESa Riders on the Storms NASA Eye on the world NASA received the crown jewel of the space station, a dome-shaped module with seven windows. The cupola, built by the European Space Agency, is scheduled to be installed in 2009. NASA Storms’ toll Panels from the exterior walls of the Vehicle Assembly Building are recovered after Hurricane Frances blasted by the . On its heels came Hurricane Jeanne which peeled off more panels from the VAB. NASA Redstone falls A Mercury/Redstone rocket on display at the Pass and Identification Building at the entrance to Kennedy Space Center lies on its side after the hurricanes. Tile workers relocate The second floor of the Thermal Protection System Facility sustained significant damage from Hurricane Frances. The storm’s path over Florida took it through Cape Canaveral and KSC property during Labor Day weekend. The facility is used to manufacture tiles and insulation for the shuttle fleet. NASA

10 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars countdown

WHEN DREAMS TAKE WING

BY IRENE MONA KLOTZ, EDITOR IN CHIEF, AD ASTRA

hen my son was six, he used to look longingly at the Many times, many people told Diamandis his plan to award a boxes of sugary cereals lining the supermarket shelves cash prize for a would never work. He would Wand inform me that they were part of a complete listen politely, then move on to more fertile fields. Always, as if by breakfast. As he’s gotten older, I mostly tune out his advertising- magic, someone would come through and save the day. inspired advice on how to have a better life. But the other day he Contributing editor John Kross recaptures the magic of came out with a new jingle: “The power of the Dali Lama com- SpaceShipOne’s journeys into black sky and the triumphant con- pels you.” clusion of the , which sprang, Athena-like, from His singsong spoof of a line from a movie got me thinking Diamandis’ consciousness while reading of ’s about what compels us, what we find compelling and the differ- flight across the Atlantic. ence between the two. This issue of Ad Astra is dominated by two The X Prize flights left many speechless, but not NSS mem- projects that have compelled a man well known in the space com- ber Lonnie Schorer, who parlayed her happiness at seeing munity – , a Harvard-trained medical doctor SpaceShipOne fly into an essay about the power of dreams. who never got as far as starting a residency, much less a practice. While the X Prize has rekindled dreams for many aspiring Instead, Diamandis stayed true to his passion and embarked on astronauts, the prospect of remotely exploring alien worlds is rich what seemed at times a fool’s quest to develop a private sector enough fodder for others. Bill Ferrand, a researcher at the Space access to space. Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., shares his behind-the-scenes This fall, two projects that Diamandis had been coaxing perspective on the engaging Mars rover missions as a member of into existence for nearly a decade, blasted into public conscious- the science team. ness. First was Zero Gravity Corp., a Florida-based firm operat- Our guest columnist, Randa Milliron, a newcomer to the ing the country’s only commercially available parabolic flight pages of the Ad Astra, poses an interesting question relevant to the service. Freelance writer and author Frank Sietzen, who usually long-term goal of space settlement. While prevailing thought and favors stories of space politics, lays out the details of the business national space policy currently is directed at eventual human set- and its unexpectedly successful debut. NSS member Loretta tlement on Mars, Milliron outlines an attractive plan for a ter- Hidalgo, now moonlighting as a flight attendant for Zero Gravity raformed Venus. After the planet makeover, the best place to live Corp., cuts to the chase in a first-person account of the weight- may be in the clouds. less wonderland. A bit closer to Earth, the NSS chapter in Mexico is drawing While Zero Gravity Corp. was giving armchair astronauts a up plans for a simulated lunar habitation module, reports our simulated space experience, across the country a highly trained projects’ columnist Gail Leatherwood team of engineers and test pilots flew a private spaceship to sub- And finally, as the year draws to a close, we offer some sug- orbital altitude twice within a mind-boggling five-day period. gestions for holiday gifts for the space buffs in your life. May the That’s nearly three times better than what Diamandis and his col- trinkets and technology we hold in our hands always align with leagues at the St. Louis-based had required what is in our hearts. Happy holidays. the contenders in their $10 million space race to do.

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 11 MODULESa

TERRAFORMING EARTH’S EVIL TWIN: THE FLOATING CITIES OF VENUS

BY RANDA RELICH MILLIRON

erraforming another planet — is it ethical? Is it A far better choice, and the real candidate for terraforming, is even possible? Is it folly to consider? Or is it simply a prac- our nearest planetary neighbor, luminous Venus. The thought of Ttical exercise to facilitate human expansion throughout visiting Venus causes potential spacefarers to recoil in horror and the solar system? ask, “Isn’t that the place with the poisonous atmosphere, crippling Living a complacent life on the home world, ignorant of the pressures, and temperatures of nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit?” precarious nature of their existence, average Earthlings think that For good reason, Venus has even been referred to as “Earth’s evil “space” is something “out there,” some nebulous concept that has twin.” But then, in terms of climate, Mars and the moon are no no bearing on their lives. What they don’t realize is that we ARE garden spots, either! in space. As the X-Files creator Chris Carter says, people are “but Shrouded in a thick mass of carbon dioxide/sulfuric acid visitors on this rock; hurtling through space and time at 66,000 cloud cover, Venus absorbs only about 20 percent of the sunlight miles an hour, tethered to a burning sphere by an invisible force.” directed at the planet, reflecting 80 percent back into space. But If the sheer thrill of engaging in interplanetary exploration even that small amount of solar radiation helps to rev up the doesn’t motivate people to move beyond Earth’s bounds, perhaps Venusian atmosphere into working like an overly efficient green- planning for doomsday catastrophes such as asteroid collisions, house, trapping the planet’s heat and causing the hellish temper- magnetic shield disruption and rampant overpopulation could atures and pressures to broil and crush the surface of what may catalyze our species into preparing for off-world colonization. have once been a wet world like Earth. Cooling and depressuriz- Thinking ahead about cloning a vacation home for humanity is ing Venus are the tasks at hand. Could terraforming ever be effec- not such a bad idea. Developing planetary evacuation and species tive in performing these two pre-colonization requirements? survival scenarios is in fact a prudent activity. One proposed exit Venus’ seeming drawbacks can actually be used to the ter- strategy is terraforming – the process of converting an entire plan- raformer’s advantage. Rather than trying to build an atmosphere et into a nearly Earth-like, human-friendly environment. — as one would have to do on the moon or Mars — the habitat- Where would planet-tamers look to find possible surrogate sculptors of Venus would have a different problem to solve: what Earths? To terraform the nearest destinations — the moon, Mars, to do with an over-abundance of atmosphere, excessive heat and or Venus — to suitably adapt one of these hostile spots would high pressure. The solution is simply to deconstruct the atmos- require centuries of work, so NOW is definitely the time to begin. phere, thereby cool the planet, and reduce the nearly 90 atmos- Building a second home for humanity is simply good advance pheres of surface pressure to a more hospitable level. planning, but exactly how does one do it? The terraforming com- Blasting off the Venusian atmosphere with a directed asteroid munity is split in terms of approach. How does the transforma- impact or with a thermonuclear device is a method that has its tion process work? What’s in the average terraformer’s toolkit? supporters, though detractors state that the planet’s escape veloc- Engineering methods include using massive solar shades; remov- ity would prevent significant dispersal of the nagging cloud deck. ing or converting the existing atmosphere; and directly applying Still, partial annihilation of the carbon dioxide/acid cloak would nanotechnology. do much to relieve the dual plagues of super-heating and unen- Which of these worlds would be the best choice to become an durable atmospheric pressure. Earth-twin? Both the moon and Mars offer similar problems for Others, Carl among them, have suggested that con- future inhabitants: a need for shielding from radiation and the verting the atmosphere of Venus by precipitating out the car- requirement to construct and heat an Earth-like atmosphere. bon from the carbon dioxide gas through a biological method There’s a reason why the moon and Mars don’t have much of an like using algae or bacteria to work as conversion agents, would atmosphere anymore — because of their low gravity and escape be the correct path to follow. Opponents feel that algae would velocity, they simply can’t hold one for long! It would be extreme- succumb to the torrid environment, or that the captured car- ly foolish to start a process that would release soil/regolith- bon would simply revert to a gaseous form as it descended trapped oxygen and water — resources that could sustain a toward the planet’s surface. Some feel that isolating the carbon colony’s population — and allow the precious life-sustaining mol- would create another problem: the explosive potential of oxy- ecules to drift off into space, just like the ancient Martian atmos- gen under pressure. phere did. Many proponents of interplanetary exploration and By far the most intriguing method in the terraformer’s arsenal settlement suggest that we leave both Mars and the moon is nanotechnology or the deployment of self-replicating machine untouched, pristine, and intact: replete with their treasures of systems to effect a chemical conversion of the atmosphere. This captive oxygen and water, waiting for harvest by future settlers. method could yield in a carbonate snow, or at least capture the

12 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars guest space

excessive carbon dioxide with continually replicating nanoma- chines arrayed as a planet-wide chemical factory. In a scenario known as “paraterraforming,” practition- ers of the art would create islands of encapsulated Earth- like environment. The Venusian real estate that cries out for this type of develop- ment is the “Cloud Zone.” In the roiling atmosphere 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface is the temperate zone, with weather in the 86 to 176 degree Fahrenheit (30-80 Celsius) range, and an Earth- like, one atmosphere of pres- sure. In this thin habitable band, settlers could construct floating cities that would ply our sister planet’s navigable atmosphere. This region, suit- able in terms of atmospheric pressure, complete with har- NASA vestable hydrogen, carbon, A global of Venus from , Pioneer and Venera data. nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen and water from the remnants of Venus’ ancient oceans, and offering a no-doubt dramatic view, raforming process. And perhaps most intriguing of all, as astrobi- could serve as a home-away-from-home, a foothold for human- ologists like David Grinspoon suggest, these same skies might ity in the thick Venusian skies. already host vast armadas of Venusian lifeforms. Planetary scientist Geoffrey Landis reveals a coincidental, yet In the future, when “the big one” is on its way for imminent remarkable fact: our human life-support gas systems of oxygen Earth impact, or when humans willingly get up and go to claim and nitrogen work as lifting gases in the denser carbon dioxide their destiny in the rest of the solar system, the floating cities of atmosphere of Venus. Therefore, the sky cities of Venus will float Venus will call to us as a safe haven for displaced or migrating by virtue of the lifting power their own life support systems. Also, humanity. They will be the ace up our collective sleeve, the tem- the atmosphere provides a benevolent shield from solar and cos- porary replacements for our old world, and the balconies from mic radiation and the planet delivers 90 percent of Earth’s gravi- which we can watch our new world materialize below. n ty. Additionally, Venus is only half the Martian travel time away from Earth. These factors put Venus very high on the short list of Randa Milliron is chief executive officer of , Calif-based terraforming targets. Corp., which is developing low-cost passenger space vehicles and systems. These floating cities, tropical oases in the clouds, could live up to the visions of humanity’s pre-Venera/ probe imagina- tion: when lush, prehistoric flowering jungles festooned the Venus of early science fiction. These suspended ports-of-call could serve as gateways for surface exploration during the ter- to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 13 XX PP DDeess

nce upon a time, men with the “right stuff” On June 21, 2004, with test pilot at , a former traveled to the high desert of California and the controls, SpaceShipOne rocketed to 328,491 feet Navy test pilot, was in Ostrapped on rocket planes to battle demons (approximately 62 miles or 100 km), making Melvill the cockpit during high above the Earth. Far above the arthritic Joshua the first civilian to fly a privately owned and operat- SpaceShipOne’s finale trees and piping flocks, men with names like ed vehicle into space. An hour before, SpaceShipOne Oct. 4. He made his Kincheloe and Crossfield and Yeager lit the candle had climbed to about 15,000 meters tucked under victory lap atop the of needle-nosed rocket planes marked with an “X.” the belly of its carrier craft, White Knight. spaceship wrapped in Today, 45 years later, a newer generation armed After a stomach-churning release and short an American flag he with engineering smarts, visionary support, and the glide, Melvill ignited the N2O-HTBP-hybrid rock- had carried aboard. same burning desire have again blistered the sky et motor and reached Mach 3 in a vertical climb. above the fabled Mojave desert and pushed the During the pull-up and climb, he encountered G- envelop to beyond the boundary of space. And a forces three to four times stronger than the pull of rocket plane called SpaceShipOne (SS1) has joined gravity on Earth. From the ground, spectators, the pantheon of the most righteous stuff. including NSS members, watched as SS1 serenely

14 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars PPrriizzee EEnnddss iinn eesseerrtt DDrraammaa BY JOHN KROSS Jim Campbell, Aero-News Network

You really do get the feeling that you’ve touched the face of God.” There was little time for sight-seeing though, as minutes later Melvill flipped SS1’s tail section into a high-drag configuration to slow the vehicle down as it nosed back toward Earth. However, the so- called “care-free” reentry wasn’t so care-free after all, as the roar of a dozen hurricanes beat against the ship’s hull. Once the hyper-speed had been scrubbed away, SpaceShipOne’s tail flipped into glide mode and Melville made a perfect three-point landing on the same runway he had left 90 minutes earlier. “I was so glad to get it back down and make a decent landing that didn’t break anything,” Melvill said. “I had to land with what I had.” As millions watched worldwide, the newly minted astronaut climbed out of SpaceShipOne’s cockpit to be greeted by SS1 designer , benefactor Paul G. Allen – the co-founder of Microsoft—and Apollo moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin. “Today’s flight marks a critical turning point in the history of aerospace,” Rutan said. “We have rede- split the blue Mojave skies. But inside the cockpit, fined space travel as we know it…Our success Melville needed a healthy dollop of the right stuff proves without question that manned space flight to wrestle control of his rolling ship. Along the way, does not require mammoth government expendi- he also heard a loud bang emanating from the tures.” craft’s nozzle fairing. Because of the unexpected roll and trim problems, NEXT STOP:THE ANSARI X PRIZE SS1 barely passed the threshold of space, but once In the wake of SS1’s ground-breaking success, there, Melville celebrated by releasing a bag of M&Ms Rutan and his team at Mojave-based Scaled in the pressurized cockpit and savoring the view. Composites geared up to snag the $10-million “The sky was jet black above,” Melvill told Ansari X Prize by flying to 100 kilometers twice reporters after the flight. “Looking out that win- within a two week span. With Melville again at the dow, seeing the white clouds in the LA Basin, it controls, SpaceShipOne coasted to 337,500 feet on looked like snow on the ground…The Earth is so Sept. 29th, successfully completing the first of two beautiful…It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. X Prize flights, but not before a hair-raising series of

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 15 Jim Campbell, Aero-News Network

White Knight and SpaceShipOne take off for the prize-winning flight.

Right: NSS Executive Director George Whitesides rubs shoulders with X Prize contender Brian Feeney, head of a Toronto-based team, who was at Mojave to witness the competition’s win.

29 rolls that Melville, in true “right stuff” fashion, called “victory rolls.” However, the unexpectedly wild ride of the laughing gas- fueled speedster was no laughing matter and Melville shut the motor down after 77 seconds when the altitude predictor exceed- Jim Spellman ed the 100-kilometer mark. A press release posted on the website claimed Melville was monitoring the apogee SPACESHIPONE…GOVERNMENT ZERO predictor during the initial rolls and was in the process of shutting “Burt Rutan, and the rest of the SpaceShipOne team down the motor when he heard the advisory call to terminate the are to be congratulated for this important achievement. They burn. Because SS1 was exiting the atmosphere there was little successfully demonstrated a new human spacecraft, a new aerodynamic damping, so Melville elected to wait until the boom- propulsion system and a new high-altitude airborne launch plat- tail was feathered before using the reaction control thrusters to form,” NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe said in a statement. dampen the rolls. “The spirit of determination and innovation demonstrated today Despite the unanticipated rolls, Rutan’s team refueled show that America is excited about a new century of exploration SpaceShipOne on Oct. 4, strapped in a new pilot, and rocketed and discovery.” into history to snatch the Ansari X Prize. In addition to taking Rutan, who said he had had no contact with NASA until home the $10-million award, pilot Brian Binnie broke the 40- shortly before SpaceShipOne’s debut spaceflight in June, took year old X-15 world altitude record by reaching 367,442 feet advantage of the media swarm to poke a little fun at what he calls (69.6 miles) above the Earth’s surface. “that other space agency.” “It’s very hard for me to express how proud I feel of Burt and “Quite frankly, I think the big guys, the Boeings, the his team, the pilot, the guys in mission control and the other peo- Lockheeds, the nay-say people at Houston, they probably ... think ple at Scaled who made this happen. It’s really an incredible feat we’re a bunch of home-builders who put a rocket in a Long Easy,” of technology,” Allen said. “I’ve been involved with technology Rutan said, referring a recreational aircraft he designed.. “But if for a while, but this is really amazing … . This is real first-class, they ... got a look at how this flight was run and how we devel- top-line rocket science executed with an incredible degree of pre- oped the capabilities of this ship and showed its safety, I think cision. This flight couldn’t have been any smoother.” they’re looking at each other now and saying, ‘We’re screwed.’ “

16 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars Eyeing public enthusiasm to the X Prize, NASA plans to pump up its cash incentives for the Centennial Challenge program and drive explorers and inventors to the edge of space and beyond. NASA reportedly is toying with the idea of cash FLIGHT REFUELS prizes to land a craft on the moon or retrieve a piece of an asteroid. SPACE DREAMS Meanwhile, entrepreneur and aspiring space guru Robert Bigelow, broke his silence about devel- Why do we climb the steepest mountains, seek to explore the remote opment work at his heavily guarded Las Vegas base unknown, and long to leave the earth behind in order to see it from the to announce a $50 million prize for the first pri- limitless reaches of space? Why would one fly across the country, drive vately developed passenger carrying orbital space- to the Mojave Desert in the dark chill before dawn and stand to turn flight. And the X Prize Foundation hopes to keep eyes heavenward with childlike excitement? For the belief in dreams. the creative sparks burning with an annual exhibi- Dreams free our minds and lift our personal hopes and current real- tion and space race called the . ities beyond what we have experienced and known. Those who have the “It’s not enough to be flying once a week or even courage to believe in dreams and have the vision, will and courage to risk once a day,” said X Prize Foundation head Peter bringing them to reality, stand apart. It takes only a few steadfast com- Diamandis “We need ships flying every hour, mitted believers to achieve a dream and accelerate a change. On Oct. 4, dozens of times a day … We need to have a com- visionaries working to build a privately funded three-person spacecraft, petitive market. We need to have not only the to send a man (plus the weight equivalent of two others) to suborbital Apple, but the Dell and Gateway and HP of space.” space and bring him safely back home, made their second spaceflight in The X Prize Cup, to be held in , is less than a week. The flight would determine whether they would modeled after several annual exhibitions including achieve a milestone in the history of mankind and also win the coveted the Experimental Aircraft Association’s highly suc- $10-million Ansari X Prize. cessful airshow in Oshkosh, Wisc., the National Arriving as strangers from homes throughout the world, those of us Championship Air Races & Air Show in Reno, who believed in the dream gathered by the desert runway, shivering with Nev., the National Association for Stock Car Auto anticipation and predawn cold. As mountaintops on the horizon Racing’s Formula One competition and the rimmed with dawn, the atmosphere became charged with excitement. America’s Cup. Binoculars emerged, cameras were loaded and strangers began to speak Cash prizes will be awarded in several areas, as friends. including the most number of flights within a two- The pilots’ families, clustered together holding an American flag, week period, the highest altitude, the fastest climb watched with us as at 6:53 a.m the futuristic White Knight took off to space, the maximum number of people flown clutching the whimsical SpaceShipOne protectively to its belly. With during a single flight as well as the maximum num- eyes strained upward for an hour, watching as White Knight circled ber of people flown throughout the two-week upward to an altitude of 47,000 feet, we anxiously awaited the moment venue. Contenders will be scored and prizes award- when the mother ship would release its load and SpaceShipOne would ed in each category. The team with the highest fire its experimental rubber and laughing gas-fueled rocket motor. number of points overall will win the X Prize Cup. Suddenly a contrail appeared, arcing to the north, and a second contrail As for SpaceShipOne, Rutan plans to use the appeared, shooting in straight-line precision upward, accelerating like a vehicle as a test platform for his next creation: a speeding bullet. The silence was broken with cheers of awed amazement fleet of five-passenger suborbital spaceships for as radio contact indicated SpaceShipOne had exceeded the required 62 what is expected to be the world’s first commercial mile altitude by more than seven miles! spaceliner, . Rutan pledged that Shielding our eyes from the golden glare of the sun, we tried to catch SpaceShipTwo will be “at least 100 times safer than sight of the plucky little ship, descending to Earth with hinged wings anything that’s ever flown man to space.” folded upward to create drag. As the star and polka-dot spangled space- Rutan said he and Virgin Group chairman ship glided down to a perfect landing on the runway, Rutan’s Scaled Richard Branson will be aboard the debut flight Composites team achieved our dream of becoming space travelers—and of SpaceShipTwo, scheduled for 2007. Ticket prices we all felt like winners. We had witnessed a breakthrough in the history are expected to be about $200,000 for the of and mankind. Emerging from SpaceShipOne, pilot Brian A early flights. Bennie said, “I thank God that I live in a country where this is possible.” LONNIE SCHORER, BURKE, VA. John Kross is a contributing editor to Ad Astra. NSS MEMBER

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 17 ave you ever had the burning desire to experience high above Florida. For your money, the “Zero-G Hspaceflight for yourself, up close and personal? Experience” sends you soaring through about 15 Burt Rutan, center, Have you ever dreamed of floating free of pull-ups and dives through the atmosphere that designer of the world’s Earth’s gravity like hundreds of astronauts and cos- trigger bouts of . The experience is first private spaceship, monauts have since the dawn of the Space Age? similar to how astronauts train for spaceflight and X Prize Foundation Have you yearned to see the Earth from high what movie actor Tom Hanks and crew experienced director Gregg above, while cavorting and cartwheeling in the ulti- a decade ago when they filmed the highly successful Maryniak, left, board mate freedom? movie Apollo 13. member David Treinis, Have you ever kind of liked that butterflies-in- The project, which marks the first time weight- behind Rutan, and your-stomach feeling? less flights have been made available to commercial Angel Panlasigui, with Well then, prepare yourself for blastoff, for your customers in the United States, is the brainchild of Zero Gravity Corp., test chance at something akin to a mini-space flight is Peter Diamandis, widely known as the powerhouse their space legs. about to float within your reach—and you won’t behind the successful Ansari X Prize competition. need to be a multimillionaire like to With the establishment of the Zero Gravity pay for the ticket. Corp., Diamandis has assembled a crack team of Florida-based Zero Gravity Corp. is offering a taste former astronauts, experienced ex-NASA staffers of spaceflight for less than $3,000—about the cost for and marketing gurus who are all part and parcel an Earth-bound visit to a large city for just a few days. Diamandis’ prime passion: opening up space and The space “experience” isn’t in space, though. space-like experiences to the average person. The X It’s aboard a jet-powered Boeing 727-200 airplane Prize and follow-on X Prize Cup exhibition is one

18 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars step in that direction. The Zero-G For everyone else, the $2,950 experience is another. upper atmospheric space adventure is The company was first established a daylong affair that begins with sto- in the mid-1990s. Diamandis and ries by former astronauts, such as former astronaut Byron Lichtenberg Lichtenberg, who flew two missions worked to modify the Boeing jet for aboard the space shuttles, Columbia commercial microgravity missions. and Atlantis. The Zero-G clients then The plane required an overhaul and receive training for his or her upcom- drew careful scrutiny by Federal ing flight, including tips on how to Aviation Administration officials who get the most out of the brief weight- Top: A Boeing 727-200 jet, leased from Jim Campbell, Aero-News Network were confronted by an entirely new less experience. Each parabola the air- commercial aviation enterprise. A plane flies gives passengers about 30 AmeriJet International, different type of plane, the KC-135 seconds of weightlessness. Fliers also debuts as the new jet, had been NASA’s training tool for Apollo and shuttle astro- are briefed on the 727-200 cargo G-Force-One. nauts. But ironically it wasn’t the use of a jet in preparing space plane. After a light lunch, the mid-air travelers that galvanized Diamandis’ and Lichtenberg’s interest in adventure begins. Above: Peter Diamandis forging a commercial project. It was the filming of the movie Following takeoff, the pilots and colleagues worked Apollo 13. maneuver the jet to an altitude for eight years to set up Engineers poured over the jet, and their resulting success between 24,000 and 32,000 feet a commercial parabolic received a first-ever FAA Supplemental Type Certificate as well as above Florida, flying through a corri- flight service in the a U.S. patent for its new role. Testing the craft, Diamandis’ com- dor about 100 miles long. The United States. Zero pany flew its first parabolic flights in 2000, helping with filming maneuvers for the zero-gravity experi- Gravity Corp., flies of “The Matrix” motion picture series. ence start with a roller coaster-like out of Fort Lauderdale- Two years later, according to Diamandis, the FAA provided effect as the plane first pulls up to Hollywood International help in developing the plane for commercial flights of private about 45 degrees, then dives toward Airport. individuals. In 2003, Zero-G signed a deal with AmeriJet the ground below. The result is about International as its operating partner in providing flights 25 to 30 seconds of weightlessness, much like what sky divers aboard the plane. experience. Only Zero-G fliers and everything aboard their plane The plane is maintained out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood are temporarily free of weight. Then pilots slowly flatten out the International Airport, although flights can be chartered and staged descent to about 30 degrees, which gently allows occupants to set- at other locations in the United States for those with pockets deep tle down onto the aircraft’s floor. Maximum force experienced dur- enough to pay for an entire, full flight. A full planeload of weight- ing the parabolas is about 1.8 times the pull of gravity on Earth. less candidates numbers 27. Commercial flights for paying customers began in September. to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 19 “We anticipated that we would fly between 100 and 400 experiences, then gradually ease into the greater degrees of commercial flights per year,” Diamandis told Ad Astra. weightlessness. But demand has been brisk. Before Zero-G flights even start- “We’ve chosen 20 (parabolas) because that seems to be the ed, 20 planeloads were booked. Originally, the company planned average that people can experience before an onset of motion sick- just two or three flights monthly. ness,” said Diamandis. Corporate clients changed Zero-G’s business plans. Diet Rite While space tourists like Dennis Tito spent a year in training Soda signed up as a major sponsor, using its zero-calorie, zero-caf- and underwent extensive medical testing, the zero-gravity fliers feine promotion as a tie-in with the zero-gravity experience. simply have to sign a medical form and answer a series of ques- In early September, with the Zero-G plane repainted in Diet tions about the state of their health. If the candidate flier answers Rite’s colors, promotional flights carrying company representa- no to the questions, it’s blastoff time. If, however, a potential pas- tives and others started flying from Newark’s Liberty International senger has some of the listed concerns or conditions, then a con- Airport. The plane hopscotched the country, offering gravity-free sultation with a doctor is needed. experiences in Los Angeles, Dallas and other stops before return- During the flights, there is a fully dedicated flight attendant ing to its Fort Lauderdale home base. on board to monitor if anyone does get a bout of motion sickness. The youngest fliers can be 15 years old, but in the future An experienced former astronaut also is onboard each time. The Diamandis said the age limit might be dropped to 12 if the child whole training session fits into the flight day. flies with a parent. Diamandis and company officials believe there are enough arm- A typical flight consists of 15 to 20 30-second parabolas chair astronauts ready to sample weightlessness to sustain Zero-G aboard the plane. Fliers can experience parabolas that simulate and turn a profit. If successful, it will be another small step for com- the gravity of Mars, which is one-third Earth gravity, or of the mercial space and a bridge to even higher-flying ventures. A moon, which is one-sixth Earth weight. They also can experi- Frank Sietzen is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer and co-author of ence the full weightless effect as well. While no one can guar- antee that fliers won’t get motion sick during their flights, the New Moon Rising, an inside story of the making of the Bush administration’s weightless sessions start with the less-intrusive Martian gravity space policy.

sure was a wall was actually a floor. In that moment I was transport- Freedom From Gravity ed to the magical place in human experience where the physical world is just NOT acting in accordance with your accumulated BY LORETTA Y. H IDALGOIDALGO years of experience with it. It is magical because it takes you out of Aug. 8, 2004. I got my first taste of freedom. I sat on the padded floor thethe ordinaryordinary andand remindsreminds youyou thatthat youyou areare notnot tootoo oldold toto bebe surprised,surprised, of the 727, as the mission director called out, “Zero-1, Zero-1” our thatthat therethere areare wonderfulwonderful dimensionsdimensions ofof thethe universeuniverse stillstill secretsecret forfor internalinternal signalsignal thatthat wewe werewere aboutabout toto enterenter ourour firstfirst zero-gzero-g parabola.parabola. us, and that at any age we really are playful beings. As the plane throttled back I slowly started to feel lighter, and soon The last time I had that sort of a visceral encounter with the uni- my feet were no longer touching the floor! At first I felt like a puppy verse was at the total eclipse of the sun in Zambia 2001 as part of the on ice, unsure what to do next. Then all my playground instincts Cosmos Education team. Somehow being totally within the realm of came flooding back. I started to jump and fly and flip around in mid- knowable science and yet completely BEYOND the realm of every- air like a medal gymnast. day experience is disorienting, awe-inspiring and totally sublime. If It’sIt’s anan amazinglyamazingly comfortablecomfortable experienceexperience toto bebe weightless,weightless, you have ever seen all the shadows curve up into long sickles almost womb-like. I guess that is why it feels like you are coming across a field and the sunlight get dim in the middle of a cloudless home. It’s a feeling that you miss. I suppose that also is why you feel day, then you know what I mean. so euphoric. It also helps that all your flight mates and the ZERO-G So go and experience one of the aspects of space that make teamteam aroundaround youyou alsoalso areare havinghaving aa tonton ofof fun.fun. ThereThere isis aa buzzbuzz inin thethe space travel so sublime. It is worth every penny to get to fly like air from the first moment everyone walks in the training room and Superman, flip like Mary Lou Retton and fish M&Ms out of the air starts talking about the magic of space. likelike anan astronaut.astronaut. ItIt alsoalso isis greatgreat trainingtraining forfor thosethose ofof usus whowho areare alsoalso II alsoalso lovelove howhow activeactive mymy brainbrain getsgets tryingtrying toto figurefigure outout whatwhat isis planning to add in the 100-kilometer view as well. happening. It is so far beyond our daily experience! It is not normal You can find out more about parabolic flight in the United States toto floatfloat pastpast someone,someone, oror toto hanghang upsideupside downdown nextnext toto someone.someone. YourYour on the Internet at www.nogravity.com. brain often doesn’t quite know how to process everything. Loretta Hidalgo is a member of NSS who also is a FAA-certified My favorite moment of the flight was when I closed my eyes for Flight Attendant for ZERO-G. This account is from her crew’s first a few seconds and just relaxed. I opened my eyes again and was perplexed to find the wall of the aircraft flat. Confused, I looked over trainingtraining flightflight inin FortFort Lauderdale,Lauderdale, Fla.Fla. toto everyoneeveryone elseelse onlyonly toto realizerealize withwith aa joltjolt thatthat whatwhat II hadhad beenbeen soso

20 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars Composite Photos: NASA

BY BILL FARRAND PHOTOS: NASA/SSI

think the longest 11 minutes I ever experienced in just sent back a signal saying that its airbag landing Imy life were those 11 minutes on the evening of Jan. system had deployed and that it was bouncing, but 3, 2004. I, along with other members of the Mars then… silence. Exploration Rover science team, were assembled in Heavy on all our minds were the recent failure our science operations working group meeting room of the 2 lander and the twin failures in 1999 at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif., awaiting of the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate the landing of the rover Spirit in Crater. We Orbiter. We had all invested so much time and had been listening with anticipation as the mission energy in these two rovers that to lose them was engineers reported on Spirit’s progress in its passage unthinkable. So we waited, and waited, and then… through the Martian atmosphere. Success! A signal was received that Spirit had rolled Described to the press as “six minutes of ter- to a stop and was safe. An adventure that science ror,” Spirit apparently had survived that perilous principal investigator Steve Squyres of Cornell journey with flying colors. In fact, the rover had University in has called “the first great to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 21 Opportunity’s in situ measurements on the pyramidal rock Pancam of the small, “,” it suffered a serious “anomaly”— round pellets, nick- “anomaly” being engineer-speak for an “oh no!” named “blueber- problem—which proved to caused by Spirit “over- ries,” scattered on feeding” on data and loading its flash memory past the ground near the capacity. The engineers worked through the prob- Shoemaker’s Patio lem, but as they struggled with Spirit’s glitch anoth- rock outcrop in er small issue had to be dealt with—the landing of Eagle Crater. Spirit’s twin rover, Opportunity.

LUCKY LANDING On Jan. 24, Spirit’s picture-perfect landing was mir- rored by the equally successful landing of its sister on the flat plains of Meridani Planum, located on the other side of the planet. While the first images we had received from Spirit had made us happy, those we received from Opportunity made geolo- gists such as myself ecstatic because in an extraordi- nary “hole in one,” Opportunity’s airbag bounce and roll had deposited it in a small 22-meter (72- foot) diameter crater. Even better, there in front of the rover was in-place bedrock. All previous Mars landers had seen plenty of rocks to be sure, but they had all been out-of-place rocks transported from mission of exploration of the 21st Century” was their source regions by impacts or floods. As we ready to begin. studied the images of the “Opportunity Ledge” out- And what an adventure it has been for those of crop that came in from the rover’s color Panoramic us who have been working with the rovers on a Camera, or Pancam, and initial thermal infrared daily basis. While living and working on Earth, we measurements of it by its “mini-TES” thermal were working and sleeping on the same time scale emission spectrometer, we began to realize that that the rovers followed. This meant extending our there before Opportunity was what we had come to days by 39.24 minutes to match the length of the Mars to find: rocks that by all initial indications Martian day. So we would sometimes sleep during were sedimentary in nature. the sunlight hours on Earth, come into JPL and Sedimentary rocks on Earth come in a variety of greet our co-workers with a chipper “good morn- forms and textures and often volcanic ash beds can ing” at 9 p.m. Pacific time. mimic many of the textures and bedding patterns of Checkout of Spirit’s systems proceeded apace water lain sedimentary rocks. We had a good deal of and we were delighted with the images of the inte- discussion about whether the rocks in the rior plains of Gusev Crater that were spread out Opportunity Ledge outcrop were in fact produced around Spirit and its landing platform. Much to by the action of water or were volcanic ash beds. our surprise and delight, visible on the horizon were The only way to find out for sure was to go up to the hills that we would come to call the Columbia them and have a close-up look just as any Earth- Hills in honor of the Columbia astro- bound geologist would do with any mysterious nauts. The hills seemed tantalizingly close and yet rocks he might find in the field. Before reaching the frustratingly far away. The mission success goal for outcrop, had another surprise in the rovers was for each of them to drive 600 meters, store for us. After rolling off its landing platform or 1,968 feet, and the hills were over two kilome- and taking a closer look at the floor of the crater ters, or 1.24 miles away. Little did we know at the with the Pancam, we found that the crater floor start of the mission how sturdy Spirit would prove (and later we would find the surrounding plains as to be. well) was blanketed with small (on average five mil- For a heart-stopping series of days, though, we limeters in diameter) spherules. In the color feared that Spirit’s mission might end before it real- Pancam images they appeared blue and were ly began. Just as Spirit was poised to make its first promptly dubbed as “blueberries.”

22 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars The mystery of the blueberries took a back seat to the allure of the Opportunity Ledge outcrop. A field geologist will scratch or break a rock to obtain a fresh surface and take a close-up look at the rock texture with a magnifying lens. Opportunity and Spirit were equipped to do much the same thing. Hence when Opportunity made its first measure- ments of the mysterious light-toned rocks exposed in the inner walls of Eagle Crater, it took a close-up look with the rover’s Microscopic Imager, obtained a fresh surface by grinding into the rock with the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT), and “sniffing” the rock—examining its chemical and iron-bearing mineral composition—with its Alpha Particle X- Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mössbauer spec- trometer. The first up-close views of the outcrop indicat- ed that the blueberries were, in fact, weathering out ly dry desert. While we had hoped that Microscopic Imager of the outcrop.Moreover, that rock provided yet Crater might have outcrops of bedrock, but upon view of “blueberries” another set of surprises. First, chemical analysis of reaching it, imaging by the rover’s Pancam and weathering out from the the outcrop by the APXS indicated that it was rich- remote spectroscopic measurements by its mini- outcrop rock found at er in sulfur—up to 40 percent sulfate minerals— TES indicated that it appeared to be a crater in a Eagle and . than any rock or soil yet analyzed on Mars. The first big rubble pile with no in-place rock outcrop. The blueberries are, measurements by the Mössbauer spectrometer pro- While they seemed frustratingly far away, hope for on average, about 5 vided perhaps an even bigger surprise since they finding evidence of a past lake in Gusev Crater now millimeters in diameter. indicated that the outcrop was filled with the min- seemed to rest entirely on Spirit reaching the eral jarosite, a hydrated iron sulfate mineral that, on . More than one of my colleagues Earth, always forms in the presence of water. So, to would say, “We’ve got to get to those hills!” use mixed sports metaphors, Opportunity’s “hole in one” at Eagle Crater led to a “home run” with its SCIENTIFIC PAYDIRT discovery of rocks formed in water. While Opportunity’s examination of the rocks out- A look inside “the cropping in Eagle Crater had confirmed the pres- Berry Bowl,” where SEASONED TRAVELER ence of jarosite, the multispectral Pancam imagery the Mars team did While Opportunity was busy analyzing the rocks of also indicated the presence of red hematite, the a detailed in-situ the Opportunity Ledge outcrop, Spirit, after having finer grained cousin of the coarse grained gray examination of the been cured of its case of “over eating” on data, was hematite that had been the reason that Meridiani odd formations. proving to be the long distance voyager of the twin rovers. It rolled across the plains of Gusev Crater to the nearly 200-meter (656-foot) diameter Bonneville Crater, stopping along the way to do its own analysis of rocks and soils. What Spirit found were dark rocks with the composition of basalt—no big surprise there since the presence of basalt on the surface of Mars had been indicated by telescopic observations and measurements by the orbiting Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) on-board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The soil also had an overall basaltic composition, but the Mössbauer spectrometer indicated that it had abun- dant olivine, a mineral that rapidly breaks down in the presence of water. So while Opportunity had found evidence of a possible past sea, Spirit had found a disappointing- to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 23 COME FLOAT WITH NS

eightlessness. It's the essence of space travel. Escaping the tyranny of gravity—experiencing a freedom unlike any other. Since the dawn of the Wspace age, there have been only two ways to experience it: in orbit, or onboard a 'parabolic' zero-gravity flight. Parabolic flight is the way that NASA has trained its astronauts for space for decades. It uses modern jets to simu- late the weightnessness of space for roughly 30 seconds at a time—and it is a feeling unlike anything else. For decades, such parabolic flight has only been available to astronauts, a few lucky scientists, and those with the time to travel to Russia. Now, for the first time, weightless parabolic flight will be available in the US to the public, via Zero Gravity Corporation.

The National Space Society is proud to offer its members a 5% discount—over $175—on parabolic flight tickets from ZERO G Corp. It is truly the dawn of the commercial age, and you can be there!

For more information and reservations, email: [email protected], or call (202) 429-1600 and ask for the membership department.

Picture this: You are on an airplane cutting through clouds at over 500 mph. Smoothly, the plane noses over into a steep descent, as if it were a dolphin swimming in the blue sea. Soon you are float- ing in air and for the next 25 seconds, you are weightless. It's a feeling of true freedom, a place where the impossible becomes real. It's the stuff dreams are made of? it's ZERO-G!

HOW DOES PARABOLIC FLIGHT WORK? Specially-trained pilots fly the parabolic flight maneuvers between approximately 24,000 and 32,000 feet altitude. The maneuver is somewhat like a roller coaster in that the plane is initially pulled up to approximately 45 degrees 'nose high.' Next the plane is 'pushed over' to begin the zero-gravity segment of the parabolas. For the next 25-30 seconds everything in the plane is weightless. At approxi- mately 30 degrees 'nose low' a gentle pull-out is started which allows the participants to stabilize on the aircraft floor. Finally, the g-force is increased smooth- ly to about 1.8 g's until the aircraft reaches a flight alti- tude of 24,000 feet. The maneuver is then repeated. Discount for NSS 5% Members! SS!

NSS Members Charter First Zero Gravity flight

On Friday, Sept. 17, the National Space Society chartered one of the first ever private parabolic flights in the United States. The pioneering NSS members who bought their tickets were, as far as we know, the first private individuals to buy a trip to weightlessness inside the U.S. To them, congratulations! To the rest of us, you’re going to love it! (Stay tuned for info on the first ever NSS Zero Gravity sweepstakes, coming soon to a mailbox near you.)

The flight took off from Los Angeles’ Burbank airport, with a flight plan that took the plane out over the Pacific Ocean. NSS members from throughout the U.S. and the world flew in for the trip. The Houston chapter sent a large delegation, with Doug and Kim Hall, Murray , Robbie Gaines, and local schoolteacher Jason Hillman. Noted author and actress Vanna Bonta was joined by her space engineer husband Allen . Josh Franta vectored in from Chicago, while Bill Bloomfield II came onboard with his son, William Bloomfield III. Bill Boland, current executive director of the Space Frontier Foundation, signed up early. Entrepreneurs Grant Anderson Adam London and Erich Fischer joined in just in time. And winning the distance award was Maria Thome, chapter president flying in all the way from Brazil!

This core team of NSS ‘flyers’ (the term for passengers onboard a Zero-G flight) was joined by a diverse group of space and entertainment celebs. Brian Binnie, the SpaceShipOne pilot who flew the winning X PRIZE flight, found himself floating with Peter Diamandis, chairman of the X PRIZE and founder of Zero Gravity Corp., who was onboard as a coach. Eugene Roddenberry, director of Trek Nation and the next generation of the Roddenberry family, came onboard to film his experi- ences. Correspondents for the Ellen Degeneres show, the Jimmy Kimmel show, and the Dennis Miller show were all float- ing onboard.

Over the course of the flight, approximately two hours long, this team completed 16 parabolas, divided between a mix of Martian, lunar, and zero gravity. It was a blast! The Houston team videotaped zero gravity tricks to show school kids back at home. Pilot Binnie got a to practice for the weightlessness he’d experience just weeks later 60 miles over the Earth’s surface. And at the end of the flight, M&Ms were deployed into weightless flight for retrieval without hands.

NSS sincerely thanks this initial group of member-explorers for taking the leap and being the first, and looks forward to more NSS space experiences soon. Come join the fun! A composite view of Endurance Crater taken by cameras on Opportunity. cate that they were actually “iron concretions,”— nodules formed by the secondary circulation of flu- ids within sedimentary rock outcrops. While such concretions are not necessarily rare on Earth, they are not found in the abundance that is apparent on the plains of Meridiani Planum. Initial examination of the Opportunity Ledge outcrop in color and high-resolution stereo imagery had revealed distinct layering. It took closer exami- nation, and a search for the best examples, to con- firm that in addition to minerals formed in water (which quite plausibly could have formed by the circulation of ground waters), the layers in these rocks formed distinct cross beds in places. Cross bedding is a form of sedimentary structure pro- duced by the movement of sediments by water or winds. The cross beds observed in the Opportunity Ledge outcrop had structures deemed distinctive of movement by water—confirming to many of my colleagues that these rocks had formed in a long- gone standing body of water and were, in fact, Above: Spirit’s Pancam Planum was chosen as a rover landing site. The host evaporates. Evaporates are rocks formed by the images “,” a of the gray hematite, detected from orbit by the evaporation of ancient lakes or seas and the result- rock found at the base TES instrument, remained a mystery until ing concentration of salts and related minerals into of the Columbia Hills Opportunity was able to take a close-up look at a sediments and consequently, rocks. that displays a distinc- concentration of “blueberries” in a feature named, In essence, Opportunity had succeeded in its tive weathering pattern. appropriately enough, “the Berry Bowl.” mission—finding evidence of the sustained action Scientists believe it is Measurements by the spectrometers onboard of water at the surface of Mars. Thus, potentially, the product of aqueous Opportunity indicated that the berries were com- finding evidence of an environment where life alteration processes. posed largely of gray hematite. This seemed to indi- would have had the ingredients, and the time, to come into being and, for a time, prosper. While the explorations of Opportunity of Eagle Crater had been fruitful, other parts of the Meridiani plains beckoned. Thus after 56 Martian days, or sols, exploring Eagle Crater, Opportunity emerged from the crater, started across the plains to the larger (150 meter in diameter) Endurance Crater which lay 800 meters to the east of Opportunity’s landing site. After 39 sols of roving across the exceedingly flat plains of Meridiani Planum, with several significant science stops along the way, the rover reached the western rim of Endurance Crater (informally named in recognition of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship) and was rewarded with a spectac- ular vista. While Opportunity had spent nearly 56 sols examining only about a meter’s thickness of outcrop, the walls of Endurance crater had more than 10 meters of outcrop. Opportunity’s exploration of Endurance began Spirit looks at two holes it carved into the rock “Clovis,” located on the west spur with a partial circumnavigation of the outer rim of of the Columbia Hills. The rock exposed in the Columbia Hills is lighter in tone and the crater, with two stops for panoramic imaging of is softer than that which was examined out on the plains of Gusev Crater. the crater interior. At the same time, engineers

26 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars Opportunity looks at the Burns Cliff portion of the walls of Endurance crater. The image is a Pancam composite. Note: All the Pancam were performing computer simulations and physi- hills, Spirit is placed in a more favorable angle for images use colors that cal trials with a test bed rover to see if Opportunity solar charging given Spirit’s location in the southern are close to what the could safely descend into the crater (and later drive hemisphere. With the improved energy situation human eye sees, with out) and begin to sample those outcrop layers Spirit is poised to continue its exploration of the the exception that the directly. Eventually, the decision was reached, and Columbia Hills. That exploration continues to be red band is centered at a location found, that was deemed safe for the interesting because as of Sol 190 of the mission, a slightly longer wave- rover to drive in and its sampling of the layering in Spirit had finally matched its twin rover by finally length than what we Endurance began. finding bedrock! While the exact nature of that see. Contrast in the bedrock still is in doubt, it is clearly not the same images has been A NEW WORLD type of dark basalt found out on the plains. The stretched to accentuate Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, Spirit’s material is softer and lighter in color than the color their colors. Some long traverse across the plains of Gusev Crater had than the volcanic rocks littering the plains. Further images are false color been successful. Along the way, Spirit had found examination of the rocks making up the Columbia to accentuate details. tantalizing hints of the action of water: rocks with Hills should provide more information on the his- fractures and veins potentially affected by water, tory of water in Gusev Crater. rounded pebbles armoring dunes, layered coatings While Spirit had found nothing but dark rocks on basaltic rocks. However, no “smoking gun” to until reaching the Columbia Hills, the only in-place compare with the cross-bedded, sulfate-rich rocks rocks found by Opportunity have been variations found by Opportunity had yet been found by on a theme of the light-toned rocks first seen in Spirit. Each rock examined by Spirit was found to Eagle Crater. However, in situ examination of the be variations on a theme of basalt. However, all that layers making up the walls of Endurance Crater was to change when Spirit finally reached the have provided important chemical details that Columbia Hills. Upon reaching the base of the should eventually provide a better picture of the hills, Spirit found a unique set of rocks with an odd history of water at Meridiani Planum. Opportunity “inside out” form of weathering (Fig. 5). Analysis of has now left Endurance Crater to continue its these rocks revealed that it had a generally basaltic exploration of the Meridiani plains. composition, but that it also had a mineral com- Spirit and Opportunity have far surpassed the mon at Meridiani Planum- hematite. These rocks expectations that any of us had before they landed with unique names such as “Pot of Gold” and nearly one year ago. They have transformed our “Breadbox” have been deemed as very likely being view of Mars from single views from isolated loca- altered by the action of water. tions to real, changing landscapes filled with a sur- Spirit’s journey had been long and hard and prising variety of rocks, soils and skies sometimes while the “promised land” of the Columbia Hills peppered with clouds. They have also given us evi- was at hand, Martian winter was approaching and dence that Mars was once a much difference place with that change of season, the effects of shorter with salty, probably acidic, seas. Whether life ever days and lower sun angles led to the solar powered formed in those waters is a question that will have rover’s power situation getting worse and worse. to be resolved by future missions, but the Mars Adding to the difficulties, Spirit’s drive had exceed- Exploration Rovers have given us the spirit to pro- ed its tested “warranty” and its right front wheel ceed. Now we must seize the opportunity and con- showed symptoms of overuse. Recent drives have tinue the exploration of our fascinating neighbor in been done backward, using five of the rover’s six the solar system. A wheels in order to preserve what is considered a lim- ited number of rotations before the wheel becomes National Space Society member Bill Farrand is a research locked in place. scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., The fact that Spirit has reached the Columbia and a member of the science team. Hills is actually fortuitous for the energy situation Check out Bill’s web log on the Mars rover missions at since, by driving up onto north facing slopes of the http://gemelli.colorado.edu/~farrand/MER_log.html to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 27 For the Armchair Astronaut The 2004 Ad Astra BY TRAVIS K. KIRCHER t’s the holiday season once again, a time when optical tube can be mounted to either an Equatorial Irocketeers, armchair astronomers and space or a Dobsonian mount. For pricing information, enthusiasts begin to wonder if Grandma’s eggnog visit www.meade.com and contact the dealer near- could be used as a liquid rocket propellant. If est you. Rudolph’s very shiny nose is really a genetic muta- And for the serious – and only for the serious – tion caused by a radioactive nickel-iron meteorite space geek, Celestron proudly presents the CGE- that crashed nearby. If a dreidel spinning in zero- 1400 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope for under gravity ever would stop. $6,000. The 14” scope comes with a database of If your friends or family members tend to think more than 40,000 heavenly objects and can main- of ties as tethers, you may have a bit of a challenge tain star alignment over several nights without on your hands as you contemplate what to get the needing to be realigned. It’s also perfect for long- space buffs in your life. We’re here to help. The edi- exposure stellar photography. torial staff of Ad Astra has scoured the country look- There is no camera that can record those images ing for the perfect gifts that would make any space better than Meade’s Deep Sky Imager. Fresh from cadet light up his boosters and head for the nearest the drawing board and powered by Meade’s shopping mall. Here are our recommendations: Autostar Suite software, the Deep Sky Imager can be used to photograph nebulae, planets and star SCOPING OUT ‘SCOPES clusters. Suggested retail price is $299. No gift excites an astronomer more than a shiny But there’s no point in buying a tele- new telescope, and this year, there are plenty of scope if you don’t know where to point scopes on the market that are high on accuracy it! That’s why the New York-based while still being easy on your pocketbook. Imaginova Corp. has created their For those just starting out, California-based family of Starry Night astronomy Celestron offers the Explorascope – a portable software packages for beginning, 80mm Newtonian reflector mounted on a swivel intermediate and expert base. The Explorascope is perfect for viewing craters astronomers. Their three most on the moon and also is adaptable for daytime land recent releases, the Starry Night viewing. It is lightweight, can be mounted to a cam- Complete Space and Astronomy Pack, era tripod. Priced less than $200, the Explorascope the Starry Night Enthusiast Version 5.0 is bound to fit nicely on your gift list. and the Starry Night Pro Version 5.0 range Newcomers also can take advantage of from $50 to $150. For more information, call 1- California-based Meade Instruments Corp.’s NG- 800-252-5417. 60 achromatic refractor telescope. With an optical diameter of 60mm, the NG-60 can easily pick up the rings of Saturn and makes for a great “first telescope” for the young astronomer in your family. Those who are more advanced in the hobby and for whom size matters will spend hours peering out of Meade’s Starfinder 16” reflecting telescope. At nearly five feet long, the

28 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars and Beyond:

flammable propellants, matches and a virtual warhead together with- out taking adequate safety precautions needs to turn in their rocket launcher and Gift Guide take up something AWAY! safer. Like reading. We suggest The Forget mistletoe. Nothing says, “I love you” more Handbook of Model Rocketry by G. Harry than an actual missile. And while the U.S. Stine and Bill Stine and published by John Department of Defense may not have any Wiley & Sons. It contains all the essentials Patriots for sale, the Colorado-based Estes-Cox on practicing safe and injury-free model rock- Corp. has an entire catalog chock-full of etry. The paperback edition can be purchased model rockets to satisfy anyone who has from Amazon.com for $16.07, plus shipping and ever held a match to a fuse. handling. Take the classic Alpha III rocket. The old saying “don’t mess with tradition” THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT immediately comes to mind. The In the 21st Century, manufactured satellites play a sleek red and black color scheme pivotal role in our day-to-day life. Orbiting space- and the traditional design are a craft are used for providing long-range communica- familiar sight to those tions, navigation and – if you believe the folks at recently initiated to the www.aliensurgeon.com — reading a person’s mind, hobby of model rock- monitoring conversations, manipulating electronic etry. The Alpha III instruments and physically assaulting someone with starter set retails for a laser beam”. They sure are guys. They sure are. about $25 and comes with a Those of us whose higher education came from launching kit consisting of a launch pad, launch other places besides The X-Files have found other controller and engines. ways to take advantage of high-flying technology, NASA carefully documents all of its launches. such as entertainment. Why shouldn’t you? That’s the thinking Take music for instance. Don’t you feel sorry for behind one of Estes Cox’s latest offerings: the that loved one who still pulls out those eight tracks Oracle rocket. A small camera housed in and listens to the grainy songs on a stereo system the rocket’s nose cone digitally records the held stiffly together by a rubber band and forces of rocket’s flight from liftoff to parachute nature man has yet to comprehend? Get them the descent. The video can then be trans- Skybox, manufactured by the Washington, D.C.- ferred to a PC or laptop. The rocket based XM Satellite Radio Inc. The Skybox, retailing comes complete with USB cable and soft- for $199.99, is sure to bring them up to speed. ware. Visit www.coxmodels.com for pric- Designed like a boom box, the Skybox consists of ing information. an AM/FM radio, a satellite radio, a DVD player There are some for who model rocketry is more and an MP3 player all than a hobby: it’s an obsession. Rather than let rolled into one. these pioneers attempt to blast their pet gerbils to Finally, the moon, get them the Big Kahuna, manufactured your by Rocketman Enterprises Inc. With a height of 19- foot-7 and a diameter more than 11 inches, this 52- pound missile is one of the largest rocket kits avail- able. All launches of this rocket must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Buy it for $875. Call 1-800- 732-4883. Your loved one will thank you, and so will his gerbils. But rodents aside, anyone willing to mix

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 29 loved one will be able to listen to “Thus Sprach Zarathustra”, the theme song to Stanley Kubrick’s You can’t really explore space while sitting in front classic 2001: A Space Odyssey (also available on of the boob tube and eating nachos (which, by the DVD from Amazon.com for $16.38 plus shipping way, can be purchased from your local snack and handling), the way it was meant to be heard. machine for 55 cents). True adventurers have to be For more information, visit www.xmradio.com. willing to walk out their door and experience the And don’t forget the sports fan in the family! universe for themselves. And there’s no better desti- New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio has recently nation to head to than U.S. Space Camp in developed the Sportster “plug and play” satellite Huntsville, Ala. radio. In addition to providing access to Sirius’ Space Camp, Space Academy and their sister 120 channels of satellite radio, the Sportster has program Aviation Challenge are excellent opportu- special functions customized to the needs of the nities for folks of all ages to get hands on training typical sports fan — such the game alert function, for not only , but also aerospace which prompts the listener when their favorite science and basic engineering. Campers will learn NFL teams are playing. The game zone feature teamwork and problem-solving as they conduct also lists all of the games that are available and simulated space shuttle missions to the lists scores by league. The receiver retails for International Space Station. Prices vary, depending $99.99. Car-docking stations and home-docking on when you register. For more information, call 1- stations can be purchased for $49.99. Visit 800-63-SPACE. www.sirius.com to find the dealer nearest you. For a truly star-studded voyage, head to the No entertainment center could be complete Space Adventures Ltd. website at www.spaceadven without Dish Network’s High Definition TV tures.com. The Arlington, Va-based company could System. The standard system, priced at $999, accurately be described as your travel agent of the comes with the basic Dish 811 HD satellite receiv- stratosphere. It was Space Adventures that organ- er, but customers can choose a system that instead ized Dennis Tito’s famous trip to the International includes the Dish Player-Digital Video Recorder Space Station. For those who aren’t able to afford a (DVR) 921 for $1,599. More information can be similar journey, the company offers 30-minute obtained through www.echostar.com. edge-of-space flights in a Russian There’s nothing more MIG-25 for $18,995 per per- enjoyable to watch than son, as well as zero gravi- the new DVD release of ty simulation flights on Lucasfilm’s original Star the Russian IL-76 for Wars series. $6,995 per person. For Though widely antici- more information, call 1- pated, George Lucas’s deci- 888-85-SPACE. sion to finally release the classic Closer to home and easier on the wallet, take trilogy on DVD is not without controversy. Some advantage of zero-gravity parabolic flight through Star Wars purists have expressed their displeasure at The Zero Gravity Corp., of Dania Beach, Fla. minor revisions Lucas made to update the films and Discounts are available to NSS members. For more to make them more streamlined with his recent pre- information, call 1-888-NO-GRAVITY or visit the quel trilogy. But no matter where your loved one company’s website at www.nogravity.com. NSS stands on the issue, this boxed set is sure to hold a members also can email [email protected] or call special place in his or her DVD library. You can the Society headquarters at 202-429-1600 and ask purchase the set from Amazon.com for $41.99, to be connected to the Membership Department. plus shipping and handling. Want more gift ideas? Visit The Space And while you’re online, don’t forget to pick up Foundation website at http://www.spaceconnec the 1998 award winning HBO miniseries “From tion.org/index.php and happy holidays. A Earth to the Moon”. In this 4-disk set, executive producer Tom Hanks takes the viewer through the Travis K. Kircher is a freelance journalist based in Louisville, history of the and man’s quest to Ky. He can be reached at [email protected]. walk on his lunar neighbor. Amazon.com has it for $86.98, plus shipping and handling.

30 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars RECOMMENDED READING to Saturn, while Pioneer 13 is the only American The following reading list has been suggested to Venus lander mission to date. Those missions, and enhance your knowledge about the history, theory, others in the , have been overshad- and future of space exploration. Many of these owed by later missions or otherwise simply forgot- books can be found in major bookstores, used ten. Mark Wolverton reminds us of these missions’ bookstores and libraries, or by running a , significance. Yahoo, or AltaVista search engine on the author’s name or book title. Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel NEW THIS YEAR by Robert Zimmerman Space stations, believes Robert Zimmerman, are Comm Check…: The Final Flight of Shuttle essential proving grounds for the eventual human Columbia exploration of the solar system. Space stations allow by Michael Cabbage and William Harwood scientists to find out how people can handle extend- One would think that the story behind the loss of ed periods of weightlessness, as well as how they can Columbia has already been told in countless articles — or sometimes can’t — get along with fellow crew published, including many by journalists Michael members in cramped quarters. Stations also offer an Cabbage and William Harwood themselves. opportunity to develop and test key technologies However, the two do an excellent job putting all the needed for interplanetary journeys, particularly life details together in a coherent, even riveting narra- support systems, as well as test the resourcefulness tive. The book details the events leading up to the of crews to carry out repairs in space. While politi- accident, including the debate regarding the severi- cians may have been motivated to fund space sta- ty of the foam impact on the orbiter during launch. tions for foreign policy or other political reasons, This debate, revealed through documents, email the various space stations built and flown to date messages, and interviews with many of the key par- have gone a long ways toward achieving those ticipants, proves damning: it shows how even very exploration goals. smart people can delude themselves that nothing is wrong when in fact there is a serious problem. New Moon Rising: The Making Of America’s New Space Vision and the Remaking Of NASA High Calling: The Courageous Life and Faith of by Frank Sietzen Jr. and Keith Cowing Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband In the months leading up to the publication of New by Evelyn Husband with Donna Vanliere Moon Rising, the book had been billed as a behind- Evelyn Husband writes the biography of her late the-scenes account of the formation of what has husband, mission commander Rick Husband. Born come to be known as the Vision for Space and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Husband decided at Exploration. The book is that, but it is also a wider the age of four that he wanted to be an astronaut: review of the recent history of NASA and space pol- not an uncommon career choice for a boy of that icy. The book starts after the 2000 election, with age, particularly given the excitement around that the tortuously extended departure of then-adminis- time of the first manned spaceflights. Unlike most trator Dan Goldin and the selection of Sean others who dreamed of becoming astronauts at that O’Keefe as Goldin’s successor. O’Keefe was charged age, though, Husband had the talent and determi- with putting the International Space Station pro- nation to turn that dream into reality. gram, and the agency in general, back on track after the station’s multi-billion cost overrun came to The Depths of Space: The Pioneer Planetary Probes light. By the time O’Keefe had made headway in by Mark Wolverton that regard, though, came the Columbia accident Pity the poor Pioneers. In the annals of exploration and investigation, and the soul-searching within of the solar system, many people remember a num- NASA and the administration about the future of ber of milestone missions: Viking, Voyager, Mars the agency. Pathfinder, Galileo, and, more recently, , Spirit, and Opportunity. More likely to be forgot- Lost in Space: The Fall of NASA and the Dream of a ten, though, are the Pioneer missions. This is an New Space Age unfortunate oversight: was the first mis- by Greg Klerkx sion to Jupiter, was the first to make it The central thesis of Lost in Space will be familiar to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 31 to many people: NASA, having defeated the Soviet Union in the Moonrush: Improving Life on Earth with the Moon’s Resources Cold War race to the moon, has since lost its way, stumbling by Dennis Wingo through the space shuttle and the International Space Station pro- Through the years there have been many arguments made about grams without making major progress in the last three decades. utilizing the resources of the moon. Many have focused on heli- Even worse, claims Greg Klerkx is that NASA has tried to disable um-3, the rare isotope of helium emplaced on the lunar surface by private space efforts that have encroached on the agency’s turf or the solar wind. Helium-3, proponents claim, could fuel fusion have otherwise posed a threat to the agency, from effectively scut- reactors on Earth, providing bountiful clean energy using only a tling the Industrial Space Facility in the 1980s to actively oppos- modest amount of the element. More jaded space advocates, ing Dennis Tito’s trip to the ISS in 2001. Rather than champi- though, tend to guffaw at that claim, noting not only the lack of oning efforts to expand the human presence in space, he argues, fusion reactors of any kind on the Earth but that controlled heli- NASA has been the grand villain of any private effort to open up um-3 fusion would be even more difficult to maintain than fusion space. reactions that use deuterium or tritium. Dennis Wingo makes a compelling case that other resources available on the moon could Sojourner: An Insider’s View of the Mars Pathfinder Mission solve the impending energy crisis on Earth. by Andrew Mishkin Based on his notes, program documentation and recollections, Andrew Mishkin, a systems engineer who worked on the Sojourner project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, writes a compelling account of the little robot sent to Mars during the successful Mars Pathfinder mission in 1997.

One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong’s Stellar American Journey by Leon Wagener Journalist Leon Wagener turns out an edgy, insight- ful look at Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon, covering Armstrong’s all-American boy- hood and his dreams of spaceflight, his military service, the foundation of his astronaut career at NASA, the historic mission to the moon and the wave of publicity Armstrong reluctantly faced upon his return.

Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard by Neal Thompson Alan B. Shepard earned many titles during his career and life, among them Admiral, first American in space and the first lunar duffer. To his fellow astronauts though, he would become known as the “Icy Commander” in deference to his cordial but stoic, steely-eyed approach to those around him. Journalist Neal Thompson delivers a portrait of the complete Shepard, from his childhood in New Hampshire through his pursuit for his Navy wings, to his selection as a Mercury astronaut and his per- sonal quest for the moon to his retirement as a phi- lanthropist.

32 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community MODULESa

Since the NSS Washington I tell you this not to move you to senators so — and be sure to tell Legislative Conference already was despair, but to arouse you to con- them why. Then, I invite you to take scheduled, more than two dozen structive anger. We need bigger the next step to effective political Use It or other space activist organizations political muscles. That means more action and join the NSS Political joined with NSS to come to people who are willing to speak up Action Network. You can sign up at Lose It Washington and speak to Congress for our cause, in letters to newspa- the NSS website home page, together. The result was the largest pers and magazines, and in phone www.nss.org. Our registration form

BY CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY collection of volunteer space lobby- calls and letters to their elected rep- allows you to choose the level of your ists in history. Seventy-six private cit- resentatives. And those activists involvement — you can be as active izens came to Washington for three need a support system that lets them as you want to be. If you decide to join days to tell their senators and con- know just when critical votes are the PAN, you have my pledge that we gressional representatives why space coming up in Congress, so they can won’t bombard you with dozens of sk any athlete the secret to is important. We visited more than apply their muscle at the right time. calls-to-arm each year. We’ll only ask success, and they’ll tell you 200 Congressional offices. We told NSS used to have a Phone Tree for your help when we think it can Athat the only way to stay in our elected officials and their staffs organization that could be quickly make a real difference. shape is to constantly exercise and that this was a historic opportunity to tapped to spread the word when Getting the future we want will stretch your muscles. You can’t break NASA out of the rut it has been action was needed. In its day, the be a long political battle, a fight build muscle, then sit back in an stuck in for nearly three decades. We Phone Tree accomplished a lot. But in that requires us to build some mus- easy chair and expect to keep it. told them that investment in space recent years, that muscle has atro- cles that haven’t been used much Use it or lose it. technology is one of the few areas of phied through lack of use. Now it’s lately. Let’s start getting back in Unused muscles are worse than federal spending that generates a time to build new muscle, in the form shape! n useless: they turn into fat. And so it is positive economic return. We told of a new Political Action Network. with the muscles of political and social them that it was important to provide The NSS Political Action influence. It’s not enough that NSS can a higher vision of possibility to our Network is a tool for space activists point to significant victories in the past. young people. We told them we in the Internet Age. Unlike the old What counts is what we’re doing today wanted the chance to see a robust Phone Tree alert system, volunteers to promote our vision of a space-faring space economy that would allow pri- won’t have to waste a lot of time on civilization. The race goes on, and we vate citizens a chance to pay for a the phone with details about what’s haven’t won yet. A look at the events in ticket to space for themselves. happening. Instead, they’ll just call Washington in the past few months We told them all that and more. their friends to alert them to news makes this very clear. Then we came home, and two weeks posted on the NSS website about The Moon-Mars Blitz, held in later we all read that the Senate upcoming critical votes in Congress, Washington in July, was an historic Appropriations Subcommittee that etc. These phone calls will be backed event. This year, with President Bush deals with NASA had not only nixed up by e-mail alerts. The result will be having put forward a plan to return the small increase requested by the that NSS members who want to astronauts to the moon and send administration, they had slashed make Washington hear their voices them on to Mars, space activist funding by more than $1 billion, to can be sure that they’re talking when groups realized that we need to get below the current year’s budget. their elected representatives are together, stop fighting amongst our- Adding insult to injury, our dear sen- most likely to be paying attention. selves over details, and speak with a ators did this on July 20, the 35th If the action of the Senate common voice in favor of breaking anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first Appropriations Subcommittee is humanity out of low-Earth orbit. steps on the moon. unacceptable to you, please tell your

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 33 space community MODULESa

EDS and the MIT Mars who have the same drive and desire The conference career fair was Society joined forces for a for space exploration and to demon- an excellent opportunity for both Snew event this fall: strate that now is the time to join companies and students. SEDS-USA SpaceVision2004, which combines forces and make a difference. Companies and organizations were JOINS FORCES the SEDS national conference with To do this, SpaceVision2004 able to meet and recruit from a high- MIT’s Marsweek. hosted not only a number of great ly talented and enthusiastic group WITH MIT The event marked the official speakers, but also demonstrations, of students from all across the coun- return of the SEDS-USA national workshops and other activities for try. In turn, students visited repre- conference from an eight-year hia- students to get more involved in the sentatives from a broad array of BY JOSHUA NEUBERT, tus. The national conference was an future of SEDS and space explo- companies specifically interested in SEDS-USA CHAIRMAN annual gathering of students to ration. Primary presentations includ- aerospace research and exploration. organize the future activities of ed: Communicating the Vision; SpaceVision2004 marks the SEDS throughout the 1980s and Commercialization of Space; and beginning of what will be a recur- ‘90s. In the past, this had been Governmental Space Programs. ring event throughout the years. organized in conjunction with the Scheduled speakers included Each year SEDS will be hosting its International Space Development Craig Steidle who is the NASA national conference at another uni- Conference hosted by the NSS. associate administrator for versity around the nation, and each SpaceVision2004 was sched- Exploration Systems; Peter year new activities will become a uled for Nov. 11 through 14 with the Diamandis who founded SEDS as part of the conference. We all look goal of bringing students and pro- well as the X Prize Foundation and forward to the future and with any fessionals together in an atmos- a number of other companies; luck this event will spark a great phere that fosters communication Lori Garver, a former NSS executive new journey for many young stu- and networking across generations director who served as an advisor to dents and space enthusiasts. of space enthusiasts. The combined ’s presidential campaign; For more information about the resources and efforts of the organiz- NASA astronaut Jeff Hoffman, who conference email Vision2004- ing groups created a great opportu- was a mission specialist on the first [email protected] or click on the nity for space enthusiasts of all Hubble Space Telescope servicing SpaceVision2004 at the SEDS ages to share their ideas. SEDS mission; and many more excellent website (http://www.seds.org). n focuses primarily upon university individuals. students, but students and profes- Other activities that were part sionals of all ages were encouraged SpaceVision2004 included student to attend to create the perfect com- project presentations, a space munity and atmosphere for this con- career fair, an evening social event, ference. a dinner banquet, a forum for space The majority of space confer- advocacy groups, a ences are dominated by the “Apollo climber demonstration and several generation,” with a speckling of SEDS meetings. young faces in the audience. A number of SpaceVision2004 aimed to change organizations, including the NSS, that, not by diminishing the number sponsored the conference by provid- of professionals in attendance, but ing speakers, financial support, pub- by reaching out to all the students licity and other services.

34 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars NSS announces new scholarship for International Space University

SS is pleased to announce a new scholarship for the International Space N University, in cooperation with SEDS and the Space Generation Foundation. The scholarship will cover $12,000 of fees for either the Summer Session program or the Masters program. It offers a tremendous opportunity for a promising young pro- fessional or student to benefit from the interdisciplinary and international education that ISU offers. What is ISU? The International Space University (ISU), located in Strasbourg, France, develops future space leaders by providing graduate level educational programs to students and space professionals in an international, intercultural and interdisciplinary environment. ISU offers its students a unique and comprehensive education covering all aspects of space programs and enterprises — space science, space engineering, systems engineering, space policy and law, business and management, and space’s role in society. International graduate students and young space profes- sionals in both the Masters programs and the Summer Session is an incredible global family Program complete an intensive interdisciplinary curriculum ISU Thanks to my NSS scholarship, not only did I have the opportunity to spend a and become part of integrated international teams to solve summer in placing my space inter- complex space related problems and complete a major team ests in a more interdisciplinary context, but I project in a truly intercultural environment. Created in 1988, got to tackle those challenges with 90 other ISU alumni now number just under 2,200 from 86 countries. classmates from 30 different countries, building terrific friendships and memories How to apply? along the way. What really amazes me, Download the application form from the NSS website, though, is that the experience has only got- www.nss.org. Applicants will need to make a separate ten better. Every time I turn around in my application to ISU. Deadline: December 31, 2004 career, I am meeting more alumni in the ISU family—colleagues who share a slightly Questions? larger view of what space can be. Thank you Call the NSS office at (202) 429-1600 or email us at “NSS for providing me with such a stellar [email protected] experience and an amazing network! ”Erika Wagner, MIT MODULESa

LANCE BASS JOINS NSS activities for teachers. Materials are commercial product the general

BOARD available in several languages with public can easily afford. We will lis- His plans to fly in space aboard a activities for all grade levels and ten to our customers, find out what Russian rocket faltered, but require little or no teacher prepara- they want and redesign our product aspiring space tourist Lance Bass, lead tion. By participating in World within 10 days.” singer of ‘NSync, has been doing his Space Week, teachers can excite The product? Initially it will be part to open up the final frontier. students about learning and even some item the customer wants to In addition to participating in receive cash grants. For details, to travel into space. Latrell describes several World Space Week events, download educational materials or it this way: “You send us your including a competition named learn more about Lance’s Lab, visit: request for ‘MissionOne,” and $149. “Lance’s Lab” that challenges stu- www.spaceweek.org/education. We send you the kit, which contains dents to design modules for the an envelope for your item and

space station, Bass has joined the BRINGING DOWN THE COST OF instructions of what can go in and

National Space Society’s Board of SPACE TOURISM what can’t, and a tracking card with

Governors. BY G.B. LEATHERWOOD your number on it,” he said, Serving in an advisory and pub- “On launch day, we put your lic outreach capacity, this honorary In a recent article in Space Future packet in the nose cone with the group includes astronauts and Journal, director of Spaceport others making the journey with you. prominent individuals who have Associates Derek Weber quotes the You can watch the launch and

NASA made a lasting, positive impact on 2002 Futron/Zogby demand study as recovery on our web site in real time Lance Bass is the newest human space exploration, including saying: “…when prices to orbit are and experience the thrill of space- luminary to join the NSS Board of Governors. actor Tom Hanks, journalist Hugh reduced to $1 million, then there flight yourself. When the trip is over, Downs and futurist Sir Arthur C. would be 250 per year public space we return your item with a certifi- Clarke, among many others. travelers in orbit, and of course the cate verifying that it went into “It’s fitting that we recognize figure would soon get into the thou- space,” Latrell said. Lance’s contributions to space educa- sands once prices drop much below Well, you don’t get to go per- tion with this honor during World $1 million.” sonally, but then the cost is certainly Space Week,” said George But NSS member and entrepre- within reach of anyone wanting to Whitesides, NSS executive director. neur Joe Latrell sees it differently. commemorate a birthday, an “Lance’s unique partnership with “We are still playing in the anniversary, or just about anything Spaceweek International Association sandbox in the space exploration else — and for far less than the $1 brought an energetic, credible new business,” said Latrell, founder and million or so estimated as a “reason- voice to the space industry and a chief executive officer of Beyond- able” cost of a tourist flight in the renewed level of interest in space Earth Enterprises (www.beyond- future. The future, that is, after years among young people. His work con- earth.com). In an interview with of development of vehicles, destina- tinues to draw attention to the limit- David Livingston, host of “The tions, and spaceports and billions of less opportunities space offers chil- Space Show,” Latrell insists that B- dollars, Euros, or whatever other dren around the world.” EE is a commercial space develop- currency is involved. Joe Latrell and Special World Space Week ment company, with emphasis on Beyond-Earth Enterprises want to instructional materials are available “commercial.” give ordinary people the opportunity to schools at no charge, featuring “We are consumer-driven,” said to experience the thrill of space trav- space-related math and science Latrell, who plans to unveil soon “a el at a price they can afford.

36 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community

In his interview on “The Space crew launched an unusual rocket MEETING MARBURGER Show,” Latrell challenged the opti- from the Pawnee National mism of the space tourism advocates. Grassland in northern Colorado. In referring to the interest in the X Assisted by members of the Prize, he said, “Once you have built Northern Colorado Rocketry the X Prize vehicle, what are you Association, the rocket, dubbed and going to do with it? There is no space registered “Launch Craft Mission tourism business at the present.” One (LC-M001) roared from the On one hand, Latrell is correct launch tower, climbed to an altitude — there is no space tourism busi- of 6,000 feet, tipped over at apogee, ness at the present. And why not? and returned to the launch site.

Because there is only one vehicle Unfortunately the nose cone separa- NASA/Renee Bouchard operating, the Russian Soyuz, capa- tion system was damaged on liftoff NSS intern Brian Olds meets Dr. John Marburger, director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy at a ble of carrying only one extra per- and failed to allow deployment of workshop introducing NASA’s Centennial Challenge program. son to one destination, the the parachute that would have guar- International Space Station, leav- anteed a soft landing. Part of the ing from and returning to one rocket crumpled as it was designed prove that private industry is fully spaceport, located deep inside to do, but the payload container, pro- capable of designing, building, Russia. It costs a reported $20 mil- tected by a blast shield between it launching, and documenting space lion for this trip; each prospective and the motor/fuel compartment, flight safely, reliably, and above all, tourist is tested, screened, probed survived, as did the rocket motor inexpensively. and prodded, and subjected to itself and the rear fin assembly. Let’s not forget that oft-stated months of preparation just like pro- “Unfortunately, a couple of the bugaboo of space flight: government fessional government astronauts bears didn’t survive the crash,” regulations and the myriad of alphabet- and cosmonauts. Not exactly a Latrell said, with a chuckle, “but the soup agencies scrutinizing every aspect “family friendly” vacation trip. And children’s contest drawings, coins, of any new and untried enterprise. How even when the U.S. space shuttle and the rest of the package came did the B-EE company deal with all the resumes service (assuming it will through fine.” Bears? Part of the restrictions and regulations? Latrell sometime in 2005) only the chosen payload was 25 toy teddy bears, two says, “It’s a lot easier than you think. few will reach orbit. of which, as he said, “didn’t sur- For example, the folks at AST (the But no market at all? No, that’s vive.” Not a bad result for the first Federal Aviation Administration not quite right either, and Latrell launch of a rocket built by amateurs Associate Administrator for Space would agree. After all, that’s why in a converted warehouse using “off Transportation) are very supportive and Beyond-Earth Enterprises exists. the shelf” parts. want to encourage efforts such as “Mission One” is just the first step, That is what made this rocket ours.” “Dealing with the government the first paying product to pave the unique. There were no government agencies is easy,” he said, “you just ask way to a much, much larger busi- funds involved, no teams of highly them what they want and give it to ness that promises ever increasing paid rocket scientists and engineers. them. I’m more interested in launching demand and profits for those brave All elements were designed and rockets than dealing with suits.” enough to invest. built by a dedicated team all of The next step in development of And what is Latrell doing to whom have other full-time jobs. The this commercial space enterprise, make this happen? In April, the B-EE objective of this entire project is to called “The Road to Space,” already

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 37 MODULESa

is under way. The B-EE team ana- cial venture guaranteed to not only memorabilia, and relevant vol- lyzed what happened to the nose satisfy the desires of NSS members umes are accepted as donations cone separation system, which is to go into space, but to benefit other at fair value. also unique in that it is a completely NSS programs needing funds. For more information, contact mechanical system employing no For complete information about O’Donnell at 800 632-2828 or by chemicals or pyrotechnics to deploy Beyond-Earth Enterprises, visit its email at [email protected]. the parachute. Immediately after the web site at www.beyondearth.com.

launch, the team was already design- Space Kits will soon be available at POLL:WELOVESPACE ing the remedy and planning for the the NSS Space Store — watch for it NASA and the U.S. space program next launch that took place at under “New Items.” enjoy broad support and interest from Oklahoma’s newly christened Capps the American public, according to the

Space Science Center in Frederick. WANTED:SPACE BOOKS results of a new Gallup survey coordi- The vehicle launched on this United Societies in Space, in coop- nated by the Space Foundation and second flight was one-third scale, eration with Colorado’s Douglas sponsored by the Coalition for Space but still built by the same dedicated County Libraries, are creating the Exploration, a group that includes the crew in the same warehouse in Buzz Aldrin Space Library Collection National Space Society. Colorado Springs, Colo., using the with volumes to focus on outer More than two-thirds, 68 per- same sources of fund — money space development and human cent, of the American public say they from their own pockets. Although habitation. support a new plan for space explo- still not a complete success (a small “We are pleased to expand this ration that would include a stepping- miscalculation in the amount of pro- important part of the library with stone approach to return the space pellant needed to jettison the pay- substantial community and private shuttle to flight, complete assembly load container) the vehicle, dubbed sector support,” said Douglas County of the space station, build a replace- “LC-2” reached its intended altitude Library director Jamie LaRue. ment for the shuttle, go back to the and returned to the launch site well The Buzz Aldrin Reading Room moon and then on to Mars and within the launch parameters. is scheduled to open in the county’s beyond. Oklahoma State Senator Gilmer Philip S. Miller Library, located in With funding for such a program Capps pressed the red “GO” button Castle Rock, in July. expected not to exceed 1 percent of and expressed admiration for the United Societies in Space, the federal budget, 42 percent of team’s efforts. The city of Frederick headed by Declan O’Donnell, has adults surveyed say they support the gave B-EE high marks for their deter- committed to fund capital acquisi- program and 26 percent strongly sup- mination, acknowledging that here tions and promote the collection in port it. Of note is that a majority of was a group actually doing some- partnership with Apollo 11 astro- Republicans, 79 percent, and thing to get us into space. naut Buzz Aldrin and his wife Lois. Democrats — 60 percent — support For its support, NSS may receive Project heads want to acquire such an exploration plan. a contribution from every “Mission another 2,000 titles before the When it comes to NASA’s budg- One” Space Kit sold to the public and end of the year to round out an et, almost two-thirds, 63 percent, of taking that ride into space. NSS already impressive collection of American adults surveyed think members will receive a discount for space books. Donors contributing NASA’s budget should remain at pres- their own kits, which will soon be $50 or more will be honored by ent or increased levels. NASA’s cur- purchased from B-EE through the having their names placed on the rent share of the total federal budget NSS Space Store. This is a commer- inside cover of the book. Artwork, is .7 percent, or about $55 per year for

38 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community

the average taxpayer. During the height of Project Apollo, NASA’s share of the budget was about 4 percent. “These poll results are extremely important and historically significant as the nation considers its future direction in space,” said Jeff Carr, communications director for United Space Alliance, which is a founding member of the Coalition. “Those of us in the space commu- nity have always believed the public supports the space program and wants to see it fully funded,” Carr said. “Thanks to the Gallup organiza- tion’s expertise, the Coalition now can demonstrate widespread support for the elements of the Vision for Space Exploration.” The complete Gallup survey report Later in the summer came the O’Keefe, former NASA astronaut Astronaut Mary Ellen Weber, and supporting data can be read on Republican National Convention, David Low, and many, many others. far right, members of SEDS the Coalition website www.space- and Boston-area NSS chap- where NSS was a supporter for an NSS thanks the many sponsors coalition.com. ter members, including board event honoring House Majority who made these events possible, and member Bruce Mackenzie, Leader Tom Delay and Representative will continue to work to bring space third from left, help prepare POLITICAL ACTION Dave Weldon for their work for space. issues to the forefront of future politi- gift bags for delegates and The National Space Society was proud guests of the NSS space The event was a tremendous success, cal races. n to co-host space events at the conven- event, held in conjunction drawing NASA administrator Sean tions of both national political parties with the Space Foundation and industry sponsors. this summer. The Democratic National Convention took place in the great city of Boston, where NSS and the Space Foundation organized an event at the city’s Museum of Science. Honoring Congressional supporters of space in the Democratic party, the event was headlined by a speech from Representative Bart Gordon, ranking minority member on the House Science Committee. Former NSS executive director Lori Garver, who advised John NSS supported an event honoring House Majority Leader Tom Delay and Representative Dave Weldon of Kerry on space issues, also spoke. Florida for their work for space during the Republican National Convention in New York. to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 39 MODULESa

SPREADING THE WORD tourists” — like “space” (the sky is Mars landers, it has had a great effect I just read the new issue of Ad Astra no longer blue, but black.) on science and national prestige. At and it is terrific, especially the focus But even the ISS may not drop this time above all others, when we Letters on the president’s space policies. significantly under 300 kilometers, in are assaulted by negative publicity, I saw a brief section on what order not to slow down too much by we must maintain such an “icon.” we can do to promote space and running into still existing air particles. The Hubble rescue would be, that is vital to our effort. I teach a So finally the mentioned 100- arguably, the most cost-effective

Special Report: Scoping Out The course on the space program to sen- kilometer mark and approximate venture of the space program. Not New Space Vision

Inside Project Constellation iors in my high school. It is entering triple sonic speed has been reached. only would it save a mission that Big Booster Options July/August/September 2004 $4.95 year number four and going strong. I “True” astronauts do not do it under already has been amortized (thus is have yet to find another high school 25-fold supersonic speed. Only then “free” except for maintenance and SpaceShip in this country that has such a class. has one reached the “First Cosmic ground control,) but it would allow wonderful! Also, I have spoken before the Speed,” which overcomes at least the economical exploration of a THE FIRST PRIVATE SPACESHIP Long Island Space Society and other the Earth’s gravity. multitude of worthy space objects. AND PILOT SOAR INTO SPACE chapters, so I am trying to do my But it is probably a first step Remember the Shoemaker-Levy part. It is a labor of love. toward space, at least in the minds event at Jupiter; though we were of those, who want to finance the lucky enough to have a spacecraft Joseph F. Russo grip to the stars — this time without en route to take some images, it Valley Stream, N.Y. tax funds. was Hubble that provided the bulk of the photographic record. How

NO TRUE ASTRONAUT Michael Stennecken many objects remain to be discov- So, the beginning of summer 2004, Muenster, German. ered, from nearby planets (extraso- the 21st of June, we should note as lar or Oort cloud) to nascent stars.

an “historical milestone.” Since yes- SAVING HUBBLE terday, mankind has its first “fully I concur with Mr. Zubrin that the James Boshnack privatized” astronaut. Hubble should be saved. The rea-

It is astonishing that the test sons are: WELCOME ABOARD pilot seems so much older than his The losses of the shuttle pro- Thank you for publishing the Kennedy sponsor, a Microsoft co-founder (he gram have not resulted from the Space Center Visitor Complex News. could be his father.) You would extra “effort” that it would take to The magazine gives me some inter- expect it just opposite. (In former reach Hubble. The Challenger was esting insights and information that I times the older had the money and lost due to launching in the face of can share with the college students I sent the younger to the front.) extreme weather conditions, while take to KSC. Although we do environ- So far we seem really been the Columbia was lost due to foam mental research on farming methods, arrived in a new age. or ice damaging heat shield tiles, we still find space topics very central

THANK YOU! But for me however this good also at launch. A good ship (at to our interests. KSC also helps pro- Credit for photographs taken by NSS Mike Melvill is no astronaut (not at launch) has never failed. Orbital haz- vides the ultimate positive represen- member Larry Evans were inad- all in the literal sense.) ards, to our knowledge, have never tation of our nation for the interna- vertenly omitted from the last issue The 100-kilometer mark as materially threatened a shuttle. tional visitors that I host. of Ad Astra. “space border ‘ is a more or less The Hubble is the “jewel” of the arbitrary definition. At least it looks NASA inventory, at the moment. John C. Capece there — also for future “space Together with Apollo, Voyager and the LaBelle, Fla.

40 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community

struct habitats, extract fuel and the space-faring community at the design such as now used by the water, grow plants, and even dis- 2003 convention of the United International Space Station, with pose of our waste material with Societies in Space (USIS) held in more headroom. But the habitat is Chapter only what exists on the moon. Denver in August 2003. still only part of the total concept. Water is extremely heavy and cost- One of the most challenging A major part of the project is to Projects ly to transport off the Earth, and aspects of this is that the Habitat generate interest in Mexican space even then it is eventually consumed. Analog is just the beginning — the activities within Mexico — in the BY G. B. LEATHERWOOD Then there is the issue of real objective is the actual habitat short term to encourage the estab- humans living together for long peri- on the surface of the moon. In lishment of a national space. In the ods in even a semblance of harmo- design now is the lunar habitat, long-term, organizers want to estab- ny. Experiences starting with the which will be a vertical cylindrical lish an international space agency. earliest habitats in space have shaped spacecraft-habitat standing All ambitious undertakings, but e do not know demonstrated again and again that 9.5 meters, or 31 feet, tall and 7.2 indicative of the energy and imagi- how to properly as compatible as people can be, pri- meters, or 24 feet, in diameter. The nation present in every NSS chapter. “Wbuild a lunar vate space is critical to mental top level will be a conical structure For more information about the habitat for even a half-dozen people.” health. It may be as simple as a cur- with a smaller diameter than the project, its progress and needs, and So says Jesus Raygoza B., tain that can be drawn across a rest of the vehicle. It contains four complete background visit the Mex- president of Sociedad Espacial sleeping cubicle, but it is necessary. seats for a pilot, a co-pilot and crew LunarHab web site at Mexicana, A.C. Chapter, the current So what is Raygoza and the and will be able to be used as both http://www.angelfire.com/space/usi NSS chapter in Mexico. Mex-LunarHab doing about it? And a command module and a rescue s/mexlunar.html or read a synopsis at In his paper, “The Mex- where does the NSS come in? module. In case of accident on the http://www.prl.ernet.in/~ILC6/abs/2 LunarHab (MLH) Project,” he Raygoza has enlisted an base, the cone-shaped aerodynamic 1.html. Raygoza can be contacted at describes not only some of the road- impressive list of supporters, includ- command-rescue module will be [email protected]. n blocks, major and minor, to building ing NSS leaders Greg Allison and separated from the rest of the habi- a true lunar habitat, but also out- Ronnie LaJoie, tat and launched. G. B. Leatherwood, NSS Director of lines many of the decisions made Society Executive director Linda The level below the command- Projects Chapter, wants to know what during the past 30 years that lead Plush, radio host David Livingston of rescue module will be the sleeping your chapter has been doing to pro- to his statement. “ The Space Show,” and organiza- compartment, resting and exercise mote space. You can contact him by “Had the U.S. space program tions including the Space Frontier areas, a toilet and a bathroom. In email at [email protected] or proj- continued at the pace of the mid- Foundation and Steve Durst’s Space the third and lowest level will be [email protected], by phone at (352) 686- 1960s (the pace of John F. Kennedy) Age Publishing Co. the infirmary and telemedicine com- 2366 or by mail at 7213 Davenport by now we might have well been on A site, called the Lunar Mexico partment; laboratories for physical Lane, Spring Hill, FL 34606-6348. the way to properly building such Habitat Analogue Project, is , geology, and biology, a habitats,” Raygoza writes. planned to be installed somewhere chamber for extravehicular activi- One of the major roadblocks is near Ciudad Jaurez, Chihuahua on ties, containing two airlocks for the inability to completely and accu- an analog site with “likeness” of a decontamination and dust-off, and rately duplicate here on Earth condi- geographical and geological condi- another one for air decompression. tions of vacuum, reduced gravity, tions for scientific research and An auxiliary element of this space- extreme temperatures, etc., that working activities as those needed ship-habitat is a pressurized all-ter- exist on the moon. for humans in a harsh environment rain vehicle. We know, for example, that it as the lunar surface. The vertical design allows for will be vital to find ways to con- The project was introduced to more usable space than a horizontal

to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 41 Chapter Coordinators OASIS Chapter NSS Chapters Vice President of Chapter Affairs: Contact: Steve Bartlett, PO Box 1231, and Projects Jim Plaxco Redondo Beach CA 90278 700 Cape Lane, Schaumburg IL 60193; Phone: voice (562) 627-3991 Learn what is going on phone (847) 923-7122; Email: [email protected] at local chapters of the [email protected] Online: www.oasis-nss.org Publications: The Odyssey, monthly National Space Society U.S. Chapters Coordinator: Projects: Public talks and lectures, Star parties and get the latest updates Bennett Rutledge at Mt. Wilson Observatory; Mars Rover on our website: 4264 E. Maplewood Way, Centinnial CO 80121; Simulator; Speakers for space-related phone (720) 529-8024; convention panels. www.nss.org/chapters. [email protected] Please send any changes Region 2 Chapters: International Chapters Coordinator: Northern California, to NSS headquarters at Michael James Washington State, Oregon [email protected]. And PO Box A2078, Sydney , Oregon L5 Society Chapter remember to update us on NSW 1235 ; phone 61 2 9808 1429 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Contact: Bryce Walden your projects by contacting Australian Standard Time only); (Region 2 chapters coordinator) PO Box 86, Mr. Gail Leatherwood, our [email protected] Oregon City OR 97045-0007 Phone: voice (503) 655-6189; Chapters Projects Director, Region 1 Chapters: fax (503) 251-9901 by email at [email protected] Southern California Email: [email protected] Online: www.OregonL5.org or [email protected], by NSS Western Spaceport Chapter Projects: Professional papers, models, brain- phone at (352) 686-2366, or by Contact: James Spellman, Jr. storming and idea incubator, prototyping, and mail at 7213 Davenport Lane, (Region 1 chapters coordinator) industry consulting through our Lunar Base 4617 Oak Lane, Mtn Mesa, Lake Isabella CA Research Team and Mars Instrument and Spring Hill, Fla., 34606. 93240-9713 Science Team; cooperative activities with In every issue of the Phone: voice/fax (760) 379-2503 museums and space advocacy groups; public information tables and educational activities magazine, we will highlight Email: [email protected] Online: http://hometown.aol.com/wspace- including Mars rover, models and moon analog your interesting and port/Welcome.html research site; America Online Space Chat . inspiring endeavors. Publications: Western Space Report, monthly Golden Gate Space Frontier Society Ad Astra! Orange County Space Society Chapter Chapter Contact: Ned Dodds, 19 Erin Court, Pleasant Contact: Larry Evans, PO Box 53241, Hill CA 94523-2614 Irvine CA 92619-3241 Phone: (925) 933 1721 Phone: voice/fax (949) 770-0702 Email: [email protected] Online: [email protected] Projects: Volunteers for Challenger Learning Publications: OC Space, monthly Center at Chabot Space and Science Center, Projects: Public displays and programs; Oakland. Student Space Congress; After School Academy; Space Camp Southern California. Chapter: Sacramento L-5 Society Contact: Robert Compton, 3945 Grey Livery Way, Antelope CA 95843 Phone: (916) 344-3290 Email: [email protected] Online: www.ad6uy.com/sac-l5/index.html Projects: Prototype water/kerosene rocket; web site; public shopping center displays.

42 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community

Chapter: NSS Seattle Austin Space Frontier Society New Mexico Space Society Chapter Projects: Educational and training programs at Contact: David Stuart, 14618 21st Ave. SW, Chapter Contact: Fred Aiken, PO Box 94133, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center; Seattle WA 98166 Contact: John Strickland, 12717 Bullick Hollow Albuquerque NM 87199-4133 support and participate in Astra Kansas Day Phone: (206) 324-9096 or (206) 241-6165 Road, Austin TX 78726 Phone: (505) 856-2145 proclamation and celebration for governor of Email: [email protected] Phone: (512) 258-8998 or (512) 465-7968 Email: [email protected] Kansas; evaluate and judge presentations at Online: http://chapters.nss.org/wa/seattle Email: [email protected] Online: Wichita State College of Engineering and Publications: Sojourner, monthly Projects: Revision of Boy Scouts Merit Badge http://pages.prodigy.net/leduda/nmss.htm National Institute for Aviation Research’s Projects: Space Day displays and volunteers; Handbook on Space Exploration; space issue Engineering Open House and Banquet. NSS speakers and staffed display table at and briefing paper for senatorial campaign of Region 4 Chapters: Norwescon, regional sci-fi convention John Cornyn of Texas; participation and Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Utah Space Association Chapter papers at conventions and councils on space- Utah Contact: J. David Baxter, 378 I Street, Region 3 Chapters: related issues Salt Lake City UT 84103 Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Heart of America Chapter NSS Phone: (801) 359-0251 New Mexico Clear Lake Area NSS Chapter Contact: George Howard Email: [email protected] Contact: Murray G. Clark, PO Box 890588, (Region 4 chapters coordinator) PO Box 22537, Online: http:www.utahspace.org Region 3 chapters coordinator: Houston TX 77289-0588 Kansas City MO 64113-0537 Publications: Aurora, quarterly Claire Stephens McMurray Phone: voice (281) 367-2227; Phone: (816) 523-7593 1206 Classen Blvd., Norman OK 73071 fax (713) 488-7903 Email: [email protected] Region 5 Chapters: Phone: (405) 329-4326 Email: [email protected] Publications: Heart of America NSS News, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Email: [email protected] Online: www.geocities.com/clearlakechap/ Projects: William Bent Station project, a Kentucky, Tennessee moon/Mars base simulation Tucson L5 Space Society Chapter NSS of North Texas Chapter Huntsville Alabama L5 Society Contact: Ben Nault, 8701 E. Saddleback Drive, Contact: Carol Johnson, PO Box 1671, United States Air Force Academy Chapter Tucson AZ 85749 Arlington TX 76004-1671 Chapter Contact: Gregory H. Allison, PMB 168, 1019 Phone: (520) 760-2283 Phone: (972) 937-3587 Contact: Kyle Vacca, PO Box 2649, Old Monrovia Road, Huntsville AL 35806 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] US Air Force Academy CO 80841 Phone: voice (256) 859-5538; Online: Online: www.nssnt.org Phone: (719) 200-6506 fax (256) 461-3232 www.azstarnet.com/public/nonprofit/tucl5 Publications: The North Texas Spacecraft, Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Projects: Judge space-related exhibits at monthly Projects: Sponsor astronaut visits and Online: http://hiwaay.net/~hal5 regional school science fair; chapter Projects: Information table and display at The presentations to cadets; conduct observatory Projects: Project HALO, including test-firings newsletter Science Place, Dallas; co-authored Boy Scouts nights; coordinate and conduct trips to of large and small hybrid rocket motors; Merit Badge Handbook revision; donated Cheyenne Mountain, Lockheed Martin and public lectures on space-related subjects Phoenix Chapter of NSS World Space Week posters to schools, other locations Contact: Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto, libraries and museum Florida Chapter of the NSS Arizona State University, Dept. of Geological Front Range L5 Society Chapter Contact: Jack Fox, 1618 South Mills Ave., Sciences, Planetary Geology Group, Tempe AZ San Antonio Space Society Chapter Contact: , 2295 Gross Circle East Orlando FL 32806 85287-1404 Contact: Carol Redfield, 609 Ridge View Drive, No. 2, Boulder CO 80302 Phone: (407) 898-7570 Phone: (480) 965-7029 San Antonio TX 78253 Phone: (303) 247-9797 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: voice (210) 679-7625; Email: [email protected] Online: www.nssflorida.org Online: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ fax (210) 436-3298 NSSPHOENIXCHAPTER/ Email: [email protected] Mile High L5 Society Chapter NSS Atlanta Chapter Publications: National Space Society of Projects: Support for Radiance Academy West Contact: Mark Schloesslin, 6937 E. Briarwood Contact: Bill Gardiner, 1197 Spur 138, Phoenix, bimonthly charter school the chapter helped start; sup- Circle, Englewood CO 80112 Jonesboro GA 30236 port for St. Mary’s University activities and Phone: (303) 779-5692 Phone: voice (770) 473-7617; Oklahoma Space Alliance NSS Young Astronauts organization at Galm Email: [email protected] fax (770) 477-0515 Chapter Elementary School; distribute CDs from NSS Email: [email protected] Contact: Thomas Koszoru, 514 Fenwick Court, Education Committee Adopt-a-School packet. Wichita Chapter of NSS Online: www.nssatlanta.org Norman OK 73072 Contact: Dr. Randall Chambers, 2704 Winstead Projects: What’s Up in Space TV program Phone: (405) 366-1977 Circle, Wichita KS 67226-1179 Email: [email protected] Phone: voice (316) 684-2614; Online: http://members.aol.com/osanss/science fax (316) 684-6748 Publications: Outreach, Update, bimonthlies Email: [email protected] Projects: Host for ISDC 2004 Publications: News Digest Reports to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 43 Kentucky Chapter of NSS Chicago Space Frontier L5 Society Region 7 Chapters: Contact: Harry Reed (Region 5 chapters Chapter Maryland, Pennsylvania, coordinator) 163 Harrison Road, Contact: Bill Higgins, MS 355, Fermilab Box Metro-DC Benton KY 42025 500, Batavia IL 60510 Phone: (270) 527-2386 Phone: (630) 393-6817 Region 7 chapters coordinator: Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Bennett Rutledge Online: www.astrodigital.org/csfs 4264 Maplewood Way, Centennial CO 80121 Middle Tennessee Space Society Phone: voice/fax (720) 529-8024 Chapter Illini Space Development Society Email: [email protected] Contact: Chuck Schlemm, 508 Beechgrove Chapter Way, Burns TN 37029 Contact: Mark , 314 Talbot Laboratory, Baltimore Metro Chapter of NSS Phone: (615) 441-1024 104 S. St., Urbana IL 61801 Contact: Dale S. Arnold, Jr., 102 F Seevue Email: [email protected] Phone: (217) 244-4263 Court, Bel Air MD 21014 Projects: Space TV, an hour-long weekly pro- Email: [email protected] Phone: (410) 879-3602 gram; display at Dickson Renaissance Center; Online: www.uiuc.edu/ro/isds Email: [email protected] educational presentations to groups of Projects: Display table at Andrews AFB air Vanderbilt University Childcare children; dis- Illinois North Shore NSS Chapter show; science programming at Maryland play tables at Cumberland Science Museum; Contact: Jeffrey Liss, 1364 Edgewood Lane, Regional Science Fiction Convention; judging monthly presentations during public viewing Winnetka IL 60093 and prize presentations at prize at Maryland nights at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory Phone: voice (847) 446-8343; Regional Science Fair; display and space fax (312) 282-7789 backdrop at outdoor community festival Memphis Space Society Chapter Email: [email protected] Contact: Robert Hudson, 3861 Trufant, NSS North Coast Chapter Memphis TN 38128 Cuyahoga Valley Space Society Contact: Edward C. Longnecker, 160 W. 8th Phone: voice (901) 388-1480; Chapter Street, Apt.. 3E, Erie PA 16510-1013 fax (901) 566-9107 Contact: George F. Cooper III, 3433 North Ave., Phone: (814) 459-2572 Email: [email protected] Parma OH 44134 Email: [email protected] Online: http://chapters.nss.org/tn/memphis/ Phone: (216) 749-0017 Projects: Astronomy Night, Email: [email protected] Blastoff Rocket Club Region 6 Chapters: Publications: Cuyhoga Valley Space Society, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin monthly Philadelphia Area Space Alliance Chapter Region 6 chapters coordinator: Lunar Reclamation Society, Inc. Contact: Earl Bennett, PO Box 1715, Larry Ahearn Chapter Philadelphia PA 19105 610 West 47 Place, Chicago IL 60609 Contact: Peter Kokh, PO Box 2102, Phone: (215) 633-0878 Phone: (773) 373-0349 Milwaukee WI 53201-2102 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: (414) 342-0705 Online: http://pasa01.tripod.com Email: [email protected] Projects: Presentations at Super Science Chicago Society for Space Studies Online: www.lunar-reclamation.org Weekend, New Jersey State Museum, Special Chapter Publications: Moon Miners’ Manifesto, monthly Awards judging at George Washington Carver Contact: Lawrence Boyle, PO Box 1454, Projects: Booth and exhibit at Aviation Career Science Fair, exhibit at New Jersey State North Riverside IL 60546 Day, Mitchell Field; “Rockets for Schools” Museum in conjunction with NASA Traveling Phone: voice (708) 788-1336; annual rocket launch event Exhibit, presentations at Philcon Science fax (847) 455-6299 Fiction Convention Email: [email protected] Sheboygan Space Society Chapter

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

44 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars space community

Region 8 Chapters: Email: [email protected] Central Coast Space Frontier Canada New York Online: www.nsschapters.org/ny/nyc Society Chapter Calgary Space Frontier Society Publications: Online monthly columns Contact: Tony James, 98 Malison Street, Chapter Region 8 chapters coordinator: Projects: Lecture series, monthly astronomy Wyoming, NSW 2250 Australia Contact: Paul Swift, 218-200 Lincoln Way, Elaine Walker observations, host information table at Earth Phone: voice 61 2 432 94748; fax 61 2 432 947 49 Calgary, Alberta T3E 6K6 Canada 1051 West Paseo Way, Tempe, AZ 85283 Day at Grand Central Station Email: [email protected] Phone: voice (403) 686 7430; (403) 287-3107 Phone: (917) 723-0802 Online: www.nssa.com.au/ccsfs Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Special Interest Chapters Publications: The View From Earth Niagara Peninsula Space Frontier NSS Boston Chapter Space Nursing Society Chapter Newcastle Space Frontier Society Society Chapter Contact: Christopher Carberry, 5 Driftwood Contact: Linda Plush, RN, 3053 Rancho Vista Chapter Contact: Raymond Merrick, PO Box 172, Road, Acton MA 01720 Blvd. No. H377, Palmdale CA 93551 Contact: Jack Dwyer, PO Box 1150, Newcastle, Thorold, Ontario L2V 3Y9 Canada Phone: (617) 646-0523 Phone: voice (661) 949-6780; NSW 2300 Australia Phone: (905) 684-5770 Email: [email protected] fax (661) 949-7292 Phone: 61 496 350 37 Email: [email protected] Online: http://chapters.nss.org/ma Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Online: www.spacenursingsociety.com Online: www.nssa.com.au/nsfs France Suffolk Challengers for Space Publications: Expanding Horizons, quarterly Publications: NSFS Newsletter NSS France Chapter Chapter Contact: Nicholas Turcat, 6 Clos Perault, Contact: Prof. Reagan Lorraine Lavorata The Odyssey Foundation Chapter Queensland Space Frontier Chapter Athis-Mons 91200 France 53 Valley Forge Dr., Bohemia, NY 11716 Contact: Harry K. Coffman, PO Box 18987, Contact: Noel Jackson, PO Box 419, Nundah Phone: voice 336 88 56 2747; Phone: (631) 321-0964 Huntsville AL 35804 Queensland 4012 Australia fax 331 69 38 8656 Email: [email protected] and Phone: (404) 786-5958 Phone: 61 7 326 663 24 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Online: www.theodysseyfoundation.org Email: [email protected] Online: http://www.nssfrance.fr.st/ and Online: www.geocities.com/francoise- Projects: Donate chapter library materials to http://www.nssfrance.com hardy51/challengers.html United Societies in Space Chapter schools and libraries Projects: Aid to internet startup space firm, Contact: Declan J. O’Donnell, 499 Larkspur Germany educational lectures on French space program Drive, Castle Rock CO 80104 Sydney Space Frontier Society Deutsche Raumfahrtgesellschaft Phone: voice (800) 632-2828; Chapter e.V. Chapter New Frontier Society of Greater fax (303) 663-8595 Contact: Wayne Short, GPO Box 7048, Sydney, Contact: Michael Stennecken, Greta- Rochester Chapter Email: [email protected] NSW 2001 Australia Buenichmann-Str. 3, 48155 Muenster Germany Contact: Carl Ellsbree, 117 Kirklees Road, Online: www.angelfire.com/space/usis Phone: 61 2 950 230 63 Phone: voice 49 251 394 4863; Pittsford NY 14534 Publications: Space Governance Journal Email: [email protected] fax 49 251 394 4864 Phone: voice (585) 381-4218; Email: [email protected] fax (585) 657-7244 NSS Space Elevator Cyber Chapter National Space of Australia Online: www.drg-gss.org Email: [email protected] Contact: Bert Murray, 8950D Town and Education Chapter Publications: Raumfahrt Concret Online: http://space.rochester.ny.us Country Blvd., Ellicott City, MD 31043 Contact: Jennie Young, 158 Murray Farm Publications: New Frontier Society of Greater Phone: (410) 371-7261 or (410) 750-7497 Road, Beecroft, NSW 2119, Australia Mexico Rochester Email: [email protected] Phone: 61 2 9614 1999 Sociedad Espacial Mexicana, Online: http://NSSchapters.org/nsecc and Email: [email protected] A.C. Chapter Long Island Space Society Chapter http://www.seattlewebcrafters.com/nsecc/ and Contact: Jesus Raygoza B., Apartado Postal Contact: Susan Raizer, 965 Merrick Ave., http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsecc/ Perth Space Frontier Society Chapter 5-75, Guadalajara Jalisc 45042 Mexico Merrick, NY 11566 Contact: Kerry McLeod, PO Box 2140 Warwick, Phone: 52 3 647 5710 Phone: (516) 489-1427 International Chapters WA 6024 Australia Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 61 8 924 342 37 Publications: XAMAN-EK,quarterly and Online: www.lispace.org Australia Email: [email protected] semiannually Projects: Promote Space Exploration Act of NSS of Australia Chapter 2002 and local space development authority; Contact: Philip Young, GPO Box 7048, Brazil Challenger Center for Space Education Sydney, NSW 2001 Australia National Space Society – Brasilia Phone: 61 2 9614 1900 Chapter New York Space Society Email: [email protected] Contact: Maria B. Tome, SQN105 – Bloco G – Contact: Candace Pankanin, 300 Gorge Road, Online: http://nssa.com.au Apt, 104 Brasilia DF 70734-070 Brazil Cliffside Park, NJ 07010 Publications: Space Frontier News, quarterly Phone: voice/fax 011 5561 337 Phone: (201) 945-0769 Email: [email protected] to the stars Ad Astra winter 2005 45 National Space Society appreciates the financial support of all of its members, and would like to recognize the top donors in the last year Major NSS Donors (donation levels reflect cumulative contributions from May 2004–January 2005).

Buzz Aldrin Council Howard Finch Dean London Gregg Foote John McQuilkin Steve Adamczyk Marc Foulkrod Mary Morss Ken Armour Kane Gross Janet David Hamlin Florence Nelson Jack Bader Mark Herrup Stanley Novak Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Daryl Hester Frederick Ordway III L. Baxter David Hindi John Pascoe Richard Beers Robert Hunter Guillermo Rodriguez Paul Canolesio John Irwin Greg Rucker Lori Cooke-Marra William Jaeger Allan Schiffman Michael Cronin Dana Johnson Randall Skinner Stephen Donaldson David Peter Kapelanski Mike Symond Hugh Downs Don Kimball Eric Tilenius Mike Dudley Jeffrey Kodosky Michael Tomkins Lars Easterson Ronnie Lajoie Jeffrey Walker Robert Edwards J. Lekson Alan Wasser Walter Ellison J. Michael Lekson Dave Welden Edward Ewell Charles Lenzmeier Jay Wittner

Visionary Adrian Hooper James O’Neil Mark Hopkins Christopher Pancratz Edward Apke Hugh Hotson, Jr. Ed Post Jack Bader Robert Hunter Guilermo Rodriquez Keith Barbaria Dave Jacques Neil Ruzic John Brennan William Jaeger James Skaggs Michael Cronin Randy Kelley Randall Skinner Stephen Donaldson Don Kimball Charles Stauble Michael Downey Jeffrey Kodosky John Swanson Vernon Edgar Georgette Koopman Mike Symond Eugene Ely Evan Malone Adrian Tymes Steven Goddard Donald McClellan George Walden Seymour George McIntyre Jeffrey Walker David Hamlin Kenneth Money Rich Wall David Hampton Eugene Montgomery Glen Wilson Mark Herrup M Montoure

46 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars Join the Team for Space. NSS is leading the New Space Age. Join today!

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

Membership makes a great gift. Bring the gift of space to someone new, and give them the special feeling that comes with knowing they’re supporting the greatest adventure of our time!

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MAIL TO: NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY, 1620 I STREET NW, SUITE 615, WASHINGTON, DC 20006 VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: OR CALL US AT: 1-202-429-1600 NASA http://www.nss.org/ lifting off MODULESa

NSS FIRST TO ZERO-G BY GEORGE T. WHITESIDES, NSS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On September 17, NSS member Maria Thome took flight weightless flight. We are proud that NSS high above the Pacific Ocean and floated for the first time was the first membership organization to in her life. charter a zero gravity experience for our Maria was onboard ‘G-Force One,’ a playfully named 727 members. It’s just the beginning. aircraft modified by Zero Gravity Corp. for a type of maneu- Over the coming months, there will be ver called parabolic flight. This type of flight, in which the more chances for NSS members to fly on plane follows a long looping path up and down and back weightless flights. We had a great presence at again, creates a condition of weightlessness inside the airplane Burt Rutan’s incredible X Prize launches, George T.Whitesides for 30 seconds at a time. It’s the closest you can get to being and we’ll do the same for NASA’s Return-to- in orbit, and boy is it fun! Flight space shuttle mission next year. We will be involved in Maria’s flight was chartered by NSS, but she and her flight several space-related movies coming down the road. And start- mates paid their own money and had flown in from around ing in December, the Society will launch the first Zero-G the world to be a part of this experience. I salute each of them sweepstakes in which one lucky member will get a chance to for being the first. Maria herself came in from Brazil, where ride on the new service. Stay tuned for entry forms coming she is an NSS chapter president. Eugene Roddenberry, a film- soon to your mailbox. maker from Los Angeles and Gene’s son, was there too, as was Creating a space-faring civilization—our ultimate goal— Vanna Bonta, a writer and actress. And there was Jason means bringing the whole human family into space. That road Hillman, a teacher and NSS member from Texas, generously starts with milestones like the flight in Los Angeles. Later, that sent with funds from the Houston chapter, demonstrating road will bring kids in space, musicians in space, teachers in weightless principles that he could show to the kids back in his space, trash collectors in space. Space is for us all, and the new classroom. experiences that are becoming available now open the door us The Zero Gravity flight is a sign of things to come for for all of us to take part in space in fundamentally new ways. NSS. The world of space is undergoing a revolution, and that These are exciting times, and seeing Maria, Eugene, Vanna revolution will bring a democratization of space experiences. and Jason float off the floor of the plane with wide weightless The winning X Prize flights have changed everything. NSS smiles really brought that home for me. I look forward to see- intends to be at the front of that revolution, as we were for this ing more members with such smiles soon. n

CREATING A LASTING LEGACY

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

48 winter 2005 Ad Astra to the stars SpendSpend aa YYearear inin SpaceSpace

isit a different celestial destination each week while you organize your life on Earth. VVEnjoy 53 stunning images from the NASA archives, the Hubble Space Telescope, interplanetary spacecraft, and world-famous observatories. Each week brings you a fun and informative photo-essay, daily Moon phases, space trivia, astronomical phenomena, major holidays, and plenty of room for your own notes. You’ll also get 16 monthly calendars (through April 2006), two year-at-a-glance calendars, and a long-range multi-year calendar that goes all the way out to 2007.

As an NSS member you can purchase this 144-page full-color calendar for only $10.95 (a $4 savings) and get free U.S. shipping. Just use the NSS sponsor discount when you order. www.YearInSpace.com (800) 736-6836 REAL. CLOSE.

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