Astronauts JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2002 $4.95 to the stars in Trouble! Teachernauts are Go W’s Report Card THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY Reel Space understanding space November/December 2002 ⅷ $4.95 T MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN WASHINGTON: HE THE NSS LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE What is the NSS Legislative Conference? From 6 April to 8 April 2003, the National Space Society will sponsor its first Legislative Conference at the NSS L Westin Grand Hotel in Washington, DC. This conference will provide our members with the opportunity to speak directly with their elected representatives regarding issues affecting the United States government’s policies about space. All NSS members are invited and encouraged to attend. The greater our participation, the more seriously our representatives will take our members’ concerns and recommendations. The national budget and legislation that are voted on in the coming year will have a large impact on how swiftly our goals of opening the space frontier will be realized. The Legislative Conference is designed to provide NSS members with an enjoyable and educational way to participate in our democratic system of government, as well as provide a forum for their voices to be heard as citizen lobbyists. EGISLATIVE C What will we be doing at the Conference? Sunday, 6 April 2003 ONFERENCE The conference will open with a briefing by fellow NSS members who have experience speaking with members of Congress about space-related issues. The briefing will bring participants up to date on current space-related legislation and inform them about the proper protocols for speaking with members of Congress. Members will also participate in exercises that will simulate a visit to Capitol Hill and allow them to understand how to make effective presentations that will make a positive impression. Monday, 7 April On Monday, 7 April, invited speakers from Congress will share with us their perspectives on the problems and opportunities faced by “friends of the high frontier” on Capitol Hill. Question-and-answer sessions will also provide participants with an opportunity to interact with each of the legislators. Tuesday, 8 April On Tuesday, conference attendees will break into teams to visit the offices of Congressmen and Senators, for personal meetings with their own elected officials. Briefing packets will be provided to help structure these meetings and focus them on the upcoming legislative year. How do I sign up for the conference? Members interested in participating in the conference should contact NSS Headquarters, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite 201, Washington, D.C. 20003 as soon as possible to register for this event. The conference registration fee will be $25. Any questions regarding the con- ference should be directed to the conference coordinator, Clifford McMurray, at [email protected] or call (405) 329-4326. For Members who wish to stay at the conference hotel, the Westin® Grand Hotel (2350 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20037) offers conference participants a special rate of $169 per night (plus tax) for a double room, which can sleep one to four people. Other hotels are available in the DC area, but they will require longer, less convenient commutes to Capitol Hill. For more information about the conference hotel, you may call their reservations line at 888-LODGING, e-mail them at [email protected], or visit their Web site at www.starwood.com/westin/. Are we alone? Our mission is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature, prevalence and distribution of life in the universe... and we can’t do it alone! SETI Institute - 2035 Landings Drive - Mountain View, CA 94043 - phone (650) 961-6633 - fax (650) 961-7099 - www.seti.org JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2002 $4.95 to the stars PAYLOAD ‘W’ IN SPACE: THE STORY SO FAR Taking stock of George W’s impact on space THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY policy over his first two years in office. Volume 14, Number 56 November/Decemeber September/October 2002 BY JIM VEDDA 11 SOUTH AMERICAN SPACE: THE BRAZILIAN SPACE PROGRAM IN REVIEW MODULES Brazil continues its efforts to break into a very exclusive club. 4 Launch Pad BY FRANK BRAUN 16 A MILESTONE IN SPACE EDUCATION: THE NEW ISU CAMPUS IN STRASBOURG 6 Mission Control School’s in! And in a brand new facility in Space Beat Strasbourg, France. BY PAT DASCH What’s Up? 20 LARRY YOUNG: ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE Ad Astra talks to the force behind 10 Countdown the critically acclaimed graphic novels. BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO 24 43 Space Community READING, WRITING... AND SUB-ORBITAL MECHANICS “Teacher-naut” Barbara Morgan is go for 2004. Ad Astra talks to her about what it 48 Lifting Off might mean for young people. BY TRAVIS K. KIRCHER 29 PROVIDING A POLICY FOUNDATION FOR NUCLEAR PROPULSION IN SPACE ON THE COVER: NASA has an historic opportuniity for near- Our quest for knowledge about our universe term progress... if it can look beyond the continues unabated as represented by our Mars hype. cover illustration. BY HARRY DHILLON AD ASTRA, which means “to the stars” in Latin, 33 NASA’S EPO PROGRAM: STUDENTS AND is the motto of the National Space Society, an international membership group dedicated to fur- COMMUNITIES REACH FOR THE STARS thering the exploration and development of space. EPO Programs are inspiring teachers and Our bimonthly magazine AD ASTRA is only one of students across America. many NSS activities aimed at creating a spacefar- BY REBECCA STOWERS ing civilization. For more information on NSS call 1-202-543-1900 or visit www.nss.org/ 37 SPACE MOVIES What first ignited your interest in the stars? A good bet it was something seen on the silver screen. BY TAMMY RUGGLES 39 MODULESa As the 21st century beckons, it becomes more and more clear that future gen- LEARN TO erations need to be inspired, motivated, and directed to study the hard sciences, math, and other subjects whose understanding will be vital to any adult in the TEACH SPACE! new century now underway. Space is among the few subject areas that encom- pass so many of the sciences, and even the social sciences; it is an ideal way to stimulate young minds and get young people committed to a life of learning. We at NSS are devoted to the exploration of—and even mastery—of the space environment. From the pages of science fiction to the college textbooks Kirby Ikin of today, space exploration can unlock many of the mysteries and wonders of Chairman of the our world, and point the way to future discoveries and adventures. That is, if Board of Directors tomorrow’s adults, today’s young students, are made to understand what is at stake on this, the ‘High Frontier.’ So what can we do? We can all become, in a very real sense, space educators. Not necessarily in a classroom setting, but in the giving of our time and interest, sharing our dreams and, in many cases, our knowledge of the rich history of space flight. This is teaching in the broadest possible way. If we expect space activities to be supported and cherished in the years ahead by those who will share our world, and come after us, then we all must make the effort to get the message out. Teach space—everywhere and to everyone. It’s our need—and space is our destiny! Ad Astra! Kirby Ikin As the holiday season arrives and we think of home and family, and reflect on what is important THE NSS in our lives know that it is possible for your support of space exploration to live on forever . The NSS Endowment Fund was established in 1998 so that a permanent reservoir of fund- ENDOWMENT ing was created to support the exploration and colonization of space. Planned giving allows you to pledge to be a pioneer for the future now and in perpetuity by establishing a role for your funds when you will no longer need them. However, planned giving can also help you now to accomplish personal and financial plan- ning objectives simultaneously. Charitable gifts can: • Help support your long term objectives for space endeavors. • Increase your income tax deductions or otherwise change your tax status. • Create a lasting tribute to the person or persons you may wish to designate. Vehicles such as gift annuities allow you to designate funds now, but receive income for life. For more details visit the NSS website home page at <http://www.nss.org>www.nss.org and select “Find out more about the NSS Endowment Fund” or feel free to contact NSS HQ at 202-543-1900 if you have questions. A bequest packet is available and we would be happy to send you a copy. http://www.nss.orhttp://www.nss.ordg / 4 november Ⅲ december 2002 Ad Astra to the stars launch pad ADVANTAGE: AD ASTRA ered in this depth and detail by any Don't forget international space also. 600 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. Suite 201 Dear Sirs, other magazine. Well done! Keep up the good work! Washington, DC 20003 I have watched with increasing Hopefully, you will continue to Iten Trapolin (202) 543-1900 interest the professional appear- provide the kind of information Prague http://www.nss.org/ ance of Ad Astra that has grown about what is really of importance Alison Schutt over the past few years. Clearly, the in space flight to the readers and Administrative Officer NSS fathers have decided to add NSS members. I'd like to see some ERRATA Vivian Silver resources and staff to the maga- coverage of the new activities of In the October/November 2002 issue Membership Database Manager zine, and it shows up each issue.