Spaceflight A British Interplanetary Society Publication Cosmonauts exhibition F-1 recovery Space Resources Kettering get-together Remodelling the Cape Vol 58 No 6 June 2016 £4.50 www.bis-space.com INBOX 202 Spaceflight Vol 58 June 2016 CONTENTS Editor: Published by the British Interplanetary Society David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub-editor: Volume 58 No. 6 June 2016 Ann Page Production Assistant: 210-211 Utilising Resources Ben Jones Nick Spall discusses the thorny issue of accessing the mineral resources of the solar system and reviews the many legal, ethical and Spaceflight Promotion: Gillian Norman moral questions raised by extending our propensity to outgrow our place on Earth by supplementing depleting resources through scavenging Spaceflight Arthur C. Clarke House, other worlds. 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, England. 212-215 A Vanishing Era Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 Joel Powell has watched the changing Cape Canaveral landscape for Fax: +44 (0)20 7582 7167 many decades and brings a disturbing tale of wanton abandonment Email: [email protected] as launch pads and block houses are erased for ever in the conversion www.bis-space.com of the area as a new age in space activity brings different rockets to ADVERTISING Florida. Tel: +44 (0)1424 883401 Email: [email protected] 216-221 The Cosmonauts challenge DISTRIBUTION Spaceflight may be received worldwide by Ian Blatchford and Dr Natalia Sidlina provide a revealing insight to the mail through membership of the British extraordinary effort required to bring an unprecedented range of Russian Interplanetary Society. Details including Library space hardware to the Science Museum in London, our tribute to an subscriptions are available from the above outstanding exhibition, remembered through a special photographic visit address. by Bob Christy. * * * Spaceflight is obtainable from UK newsagents and other retail outlets in many countries. 222-223 Kettering and the Plesetsk site In the event of difficulty contact: Warners Mike Sinnett of the Kettering Group recalls the time when British Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, amateurs, still at school, provided unparalleled detail on the activities of Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England. the Soviet space programme and reports on a historic reunion at a very Tel: +44 (0)1778 391 000 special birthday celebration. Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 * * * 226-227 Saturn V F-1 parts retrieved Spaceflight is a publication which promotes the The UK’s greatest authority on the Saturn V, rocket engineer Alan Lawrie mission of The British Interplanetary Society. Opinions in signed articles are those of the describes the recovery of key sections of F-1 engines from the ocean contributors and do not necessarily reflect the floor off Cape Canaveral, testimony to the world’s largest successful views of the Editor or the Council of the British launch vehicle and now an iconic representation of the “golden age” of Interplanetary Society. space exploration. * * * Back issues of Spaceflight are available from the Society. For details of issues and prices go to www.bis-space.com or send an sae to the Regular Features address at top. 204-205 News Analysis – Don’t Break It! * * * Published monthly by the British Interplanetary 206-208 ISS Report – 16 March-15 April 2016 Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed in the UK by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. 209 Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world * * * Copyright © British Interplanetary Society 224 Shelf – Into the Black – World Launcher Review 2015-16 – Thor Ballistic Missile 2016 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 225 Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month electronic or mechanical, including photo- copying or recording by any information storage 228-229 Satellite Digest – 521 March 2016 or retrieval system without written permission from the Publishers. Photocopying permitted by license only. 230-236 Society News – A Change of Leadership – BIS Vision and Strategy Meeting * * * – Westcott gets a visit – Tom Stafford in Yorkshire The British Interplanetary Society is a company limited by guarantee. 237 Obituary – Morris V. Jenkins (1923-2016) Mission The British Interplanetary Society promotes the 238 What’s On exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, by connecting people to create, educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in Cover image: An Atlas V rocket prepares to lift the extended Cygnus cargo module to the International all aspects of astronautics. Space Station on 22 March (local time) from LC-41 at Cape Canaveral. NASA Spaceflight Vol 58 June 2016 203 NEWS ANALYSIS DON’T BREAK IT! NASA’s Curiosity rover is one element in a combined robotic/human space flight programme to extend deep-space exploration to Mars and beyond, an initiative which could be threatened by further changes made by an incoming President. JPL n a presentation to the Space Transportation companies would focus on ferrying cargo and None of the contenders have discussed Association on 31 March, NASA administrator people to the ISS. space with the electorate and NASA has been Charles F. Bolden addressed issues relevant Some said that cancellation of the operating on a “call us when you want to talk” Ito the upcoming US Presidential election by Constellation programme was unavoidable – basis. But once the nominees are selected and affirming that his intention was to approach the and it certainly was too expensive for the annual the lucky candidates can begin their dialogue respective nominated candidates “on an equal NASA budget meted out by Congress. A strong with the American people, NASA will brief them basis and without regard to political affiliation.” lobby within the dissident camp said it was on its programmes and plans. Plus, NASA He was, of course, referring to the briefings going in the wrong direction and a few within will be making a concerted plea to avoid the each candidate will get when the political that group proposed a completely different temptation to carry out swingeing changes to parties decide on who will go forward to the approach, less expensive they said and more the status quo. country in the national Presidential election achievable than the “big spend” government Charlie Bolden has not yet been approached held on 8 November. On that day the United architecture. Arguments such as these fuelled by any of the candidates and his attitude is to States will decide which of the two candidates the New Space/Old Space debate, with many wait until called, because staying quietly to one will go to the White House in January 2017. believing that doing things the NASA way was side may just be the best bet for NASA to cruise Between those dates, a transition team will a recipe of overspend, delay and inflexibility. on through the election period without focused manage the shift of power. Nevertheless, Congress resuscitated the attention which could work against continuity. There is a nervousness in the air about what ailing patient, gave NASA a big rocket to build Making space an election issue can sometimes will happen when the new President is sworn and resurrected the Orion spacecraft that be very bad for long-term consistency in. Memories of former convulsions created by had been designed for the Constellation era. and complex technical, engineering and the “clean slate” approach to re-structuring US With a general trend of shifting low Earth orbit programmatic issues connected with a wide space goals and objectives hangs high on the traffic to the commercial sector and retaining range of projects. list of concerns. The record endorses those deep-space exploration for robotic spacecraft If all goes as expected the two nominees worries. and the Space Launch System, NASA has should be known by the end of July, when the The cancellation of the Constellation compromised on the very big differences long list of Federal agencies will parade their programme by Barack Obama in 2010 between Congress and the White House, wares and each presidential candidate will unravelled a series of steps which would have providing the lawmakers with options to receive in-depth briefings. Transition times put humans back on the Moon and paved the balance the programme. are populated with such detail, all the more way for missions to Mars. It caused several so at the end of a two-term presidency when years of delay in reconfiguring the dynamic of No talk yet the White House will inevitably receive a large-scale human space flight, extended US With hotly contested political issues and two new tenant and the all-but irresistible urge to support for the International Space Station and highly polarised parties slugging it out in the make changes cascades through the planning sustained a programme begun under the Bush primaries, heavy-hitters are leaning on the documents of the incoming president. administration in which subsidised New Space candidates for clip-quotes on policy issues. On several occasions since NASA opened for 204 Spaceflight Vol 58 June 2016 NEWS ANALYSIS business on 1 October 1958, metamorphosing his hands while campaigning for re-election, tourist activities within a single structure. But from the old National Advisory Committee for Nixon had NASA put the Apollo 17 flight back that is a very big step and may require NASA Aeronautics, the President has made broad until after the country went to the polls on 7 to remain as an integral structure of such an changes in programmes and focus, if not in November 1972. organisation, rather than being absorbed by it. downright rewrite of space policy agreements Yet for all the debate and lack of substance to The rationale behind this proposal is driven during former administrations.