the magazine of the National Space Society DEDICATED TO THE CREATION OF A SPACEFARING CIVILIZATION COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS AN INTERVIEW WITH NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE THIRTY YEARS OF LIFTING OUR SPIRITS FRAU IM MOND A WOMAN ON THE MOON A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE REMEMBERING APOLLO 13, 50 YEARS ON 2020-2 || space.nss.org GIVE THE GIFT OF OUTER SPACE ...METEORITES Authenticated specimens, certified extraterrestrial gemstones, and fine space rock jewelry from a world leader in meteorite recovery and research AEROLITE METEORITES INC aerolite.org @aerolitemeteorites [email protected] (888) SKY ROXX COVER ILLUSTRATION: “Pillars of Creation,” the Eagle Nebula, Hubble Space Telescope image. Credit: NASA PUBLISHER National Space Society EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rod Pyle MANAGING EDITOR Aggie Kobrin COPY EDITOR Shaun Kobrin ART DIRECTION + GRAPHIC DESIGN Michele Rodriguez DESIGN CONSULTANT Geoffrey Notkin PRINTING + MAILING Publication Printers Denver, CO ADVERTISING CONTACT Aggie Kobrin 949.836.8464 Contributors + Columnists [email protected] Rhonda Stevenson Spring 2020 720.327.9051 Volume 32 • Issue 2 [email protected] Joseph M. Rauscher Nancy Atkinson [email protected] Emily Carney Ben Evans Francis French Loretta Hall Karlton Johnson Ad Astra, ISSN 1041-102X, is published quarterly by the National Space Society John F. Kross at 11130 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 350, Susan Karlin Reston, VA 20191. Martin Lollar Clikfford R. McMurray For questions about membership, please call 202.424.2899. Anthony Paustian Rod Pyle No material in this magazine may Dale Skran be reproduced without permission. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, Melissa Silva D.C., and additional mailing offices. Jordan Strickler POSTMASTER: Send address changes All images, content, and materials in this magazine to the National Space Society are used via permission of their respective creators/ 11130 Sunrise Valley Drive licensors, or are in the public domain. Suite 350, Reston, VA 20191. 4 || adAstra || space.nss.org Contents FEATURES COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS OFFERS AN ANTIDOTE TO 28 18 A PLANET GONE AWRY BY SUSAN KARLIN A DRAGON IN THE SKY BY JOHN F. KROSS 42 OUT IN SPACE 36 A HISTORY OF GAY ASTRONAUTS FRAU IM MOND BY FRANCIS FRENCH A WOMAN ON THE MOON BY JOHN F. KROSS “A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE” 51 REMEMBERING APOLLO 13 50 YEARS ON THE HUBBLE SPACE BY BEN EVANS 47 TELESCOPE 30 YEARS OF LIFTING OUR SPIRITS BY NANCY ATKINSON 6 || adAstra || space.nss.org DEPARTMENTS 60 COMMS NEW TECH 9 THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE 22 DIVING AND DRIVING IN SPACE ON ICY MOONS By Rod Pyle By Rod Pyle 11 UNITY IN THE SKIES 38 A DRAGONFLY ON TITAN By Karlton Johnson By Jordan Strickler 15 SAMPLE SPACE LIKE COSTCO By Anthony Paustian SETTLEMENT 34 GAMING SPACE SETTLEMENT: COUNTDOWN TERRAGENESIS By Melissa Silva 12 GANGWAY 13 BACK TO THE FUTURE 13 SPACE RANGERS 22 14 NEW FOR CHINA 14 COSMOS IS BACK NSS LOUNGE 56 NSS GOING VIRTUAL DURING COVID-19 By Melissa Silva 58 FOR ALL MANKIND [TV REVIEW] By Emily Carney 59 FIGHTING FOR SPACE TWO PILOTS AND THEIR HISTORIC BATTLE FOR FEMALE SPACEFLIGHT [BOOK REVIEW] By Francis French 60 URBAN LEGENDS FROM SPACE: 62 THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT SPACE DEMYSTIFIED [BOOK REVIEW] 13 By Loretta Hall 61 FIRST ON THE MOON: THE APOLLO 11 50TH ANNIVERSARY EXPERIENCE [BOOK REVIEW] By Martin Lollar 62 IN MEMORIAM ALFRED M. WORDEN By Rod Pyle 63 LOCAL AND SPECIAL INTEREST CHAPTERS 65 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, BOARD OF GOVERNORS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, NSS ADVISORS, NSS COMMITTEES 66 BUZZ ALDRIN COUNCIL, 34 MAJOR DONORS Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 7 SHASTA VISIONS 530-926-3333 [email protected] Proudly Creating ISDC Awards & Other PO Box 990, Mount Shasta, CA 96067 USA Space-Theme Products Since 1987 8 || adAstra || space.nss.org COMMS INTHE POWER SPACE OF PERSISTENCE Rod Pyle, Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief here’s power in persistence. In this issue, we celebrate two space missions that demonstrated this trait in very different ways, as well as some future ones that will be the result of great tenacity. First up, his year marks the 50th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 13. Shortly after launch in April 1970, the spacecraft experienced a nearly catastrophic explosion of an oxygen tank on the Service Module. It was only through the calm responses of the crew and heroic levels of effort on the part of Mission Control that the astronauts were able to return to Earth alive despite the staggering odds against them. This was persistence in the extreme: focused determination to save the flight from disaster. Ben Evans’ tale of the rescue follows in these pages. A second anniversary celebrated in this issue is the Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th birthday. Launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the space shuttle Discovery, the telescope met misfortune immediately. Within weeks of its arrival in orbit, it became clear that the optics were flawed—the 8-foot (2.4-meter) mirror had been incorrectly formed (it was off by just 2,200 nanometers and only on the outer edge, but that was all it took), and the images were distorted. A solution was devised, and another shuttle mission in 1993 allowed astronauts to implant corrective optical elements into Finally, we see the persistence of the individual. These are the women the telescope, correcting the flaw. As Nancy Atkinson fighting for their proper place in spaceflight, whether in the past (see this tells us in her feature article, that mission resulted in a issue’s review of the new book Fighting for Space by Amy Shira Teitel) or in magnificent, decades-long program that changed how the upcoming lunar landing of the Artemis program. scientists understand the cosmos, and how the average On a sad note, the world has been beset by a tragic pandemic of citizen looks at (and appreciates) the heavens. unforeseen proportions. Accordingly, the International Space Development ® Next, in a rare look inside China’s human Conference for 2020 will not be held, but plans are underway for a one-day online event called A Day in Space spaceflight program, John Kross examines the history, , and we are planning for a robust ISDC and likely future, of human spaceflight in that country. 2021 in Los Angeles. This is a final case of persistence—the NSS will continue The West does not get a lot of advance information to strive for the development and settlement of space; a goal which is now more urgent than ever. Ad Astra. about Chinese space efforts, but Beijing has been a bit more forthcoming of late, and if we’ve learned anything, it’s that the country has big plans that are well-funded. It is a consistent approach that America has not enjoyed since the 1960s, and can today only admire from a distance. Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 9 COMMS UNITY IN THE SKIES Karlton Johnson, Chairman of the National Space Society’s Board of Governors ears ago, I had an experience that impacted me profoundly and reinforced my belief that the wondering what it was—then a young future of humanity is truly written in the stars. soldier smiled with realization and I was an officer serving in the U.S. military, said, “I know what that is. I look for it stationed in Iraq supporting Operation IRAQI sometimes at home, but never saw it FREEDOM. Our team was responsible for assisting like this! That’s the International Space the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior and the Station.” I had never seen it either, Counter Terrorism Service to improve the Iraqi Security except in pictures. But it now rose Force’s institutional performance. That support would peacefully in the skies above us, and help them to assume full responsibility for population was strikingly beautiful. I asked one of protection, leading them toward the goal of becoming a the linguists to translate what we were self-sufficient nation. seeing to our partners there, and they This was very important but dangerous work. called to each other to come and look. Soon, soldiers of several nations marveled On a near-daily basis, our coalition of multinational at this spectacular moment: Americans, Iraqis, Britons, Ugandans, and others. partners was subjected to a number of threats: sniper We could make out the solar panels, and even some of the individual modules, fire, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and mortar and for a long while we just stood there, watching that marvel of human and rocket attacks. The weather was often arid, with ingenuity and sharing our wonder. As it glided overhead towards the horizon, dust storms arising with little notice that would block someone translated, “One day, all of us, to the stars ... together.” In truth, the our vision, and we were often able to see just a few dream of the stars was with us that night. feet. Many of us were there on tours ranging from six That amazing, powerful moment still inspires me today. There I was, to fifteen months, and just about everyone was on their thousands of miles away from home and in a combat zone, and the passion that second or third tour, having left family and friends back drives humanity upward was still able to touch us. It brought nations together home. The days were long and filled with challenges, but in a moment of unity, and gave us all something in common. That’s why it is despite knowing that at any time we could be called upon important to continue advocating for space settlement whenever possible. Space to make the ultimate sacrifice, we took each one as a gift, programs benefit us in many ways: they give us something to strive for, they holding firm to the knowledge that we were making a ignite our creativity, they bring us together for a common cause (the survival, difference in the lives of others.