2009 April UPDATE Newsletter, Oklahoma Space Alliance NSS
PLEASE NOTE ASSORTED CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATES AT BOTTOM
April Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance will meet at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Claire and Clifford McMurray’s house. Prospective members are also welcome. Their house is at 2715 Aspen Circle in Norman.
To get to the meeting either: (1) Take the Lindsey Street east exit from I-35, turn right at Berry, and proceed to Imhoff Road. Turn right at Imhoff, right at Poplar Lane, left at Aspen Lane, and right at Aspen Circle. The turns at Poplar, Aspen Lane and Aspen Circle are the first you can take, or (2) Take the Highway 9 east off I-35, turn left at Imhoff Road, left at Poplar, left at Aspen Lane, and right at Aspen Circle.--SH
Agenda
1) Introductions (if necessary)
2 )Read and approve agenda
3) Read and approve minutes and reports of activities
a) Report on April 15 meeting of Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority.
4) Read and discuss mail
5) Old Business
a)Yuri’s Night 2009 followup
b) Space Week Project for Second Life
c) Start Up Kit for Chapters in Second Life
d) 40th Anniversary of Moon Landing (July 2009), including projects at the OU and Norman Public Libraries
e) Panels and Activities for Soonercon
f) Space Solar Power
6) New Business
7) Create New Agenda
Minutes of March Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance met March 21 at the house of Clifford and Claire McMurray. Attending were Tom Koszoru, Syd Henderson and Claire McMurray. Clifford McMurray also made an appearance partway through the meeting.
Tom is thinking about looking into private funding for projects. He wants to add an agenda item on research funding for space projects. That fits in with our mission.
Claire is still hoping to do a radio quiz.
Tom's Second Life project has been scheduled for review to NSS in Second Life.
We are having our annual Yuri's Night celebration at 6:00 p.m. on April 12 at the McMurray residence. We will be inviting Fanarchy, a group of science fiction fans based in the Oklahoma City area. Coffee will be provided. Tom will post an announcement on the Yuri's Night web site. The party is smoke-free.
Syd will send directions for the solar eclipse on July 22 to woman in Sri Lanka.
We went through Scientifics catalog looking for space stuff. (This is the catalog from which we got the gravity well simulator.)
Tom is head of the NSS Chapters Assembly so he will be our representative at the International Space Development Conference. Clifford has been confirmed as commercial space track chair.
Claire suggested that NSS [chapters—cm] do coupon fundraisers as a method of making money. Oklahoma Space Alliance did this in September with some success.
Syd needs to put the Soonercon date in the calendar.
Leonard Bishop has asked us whether we can do some space programming at SoonerCon. We can do a thing on private space flight and the funding thereof. We can do a panel on space solar power, one on non-USA space programs, and what we are learning from space probes. He should do one on how space will fare during the Obama Administration.
We will host the con suite again on Saturday night.
We will have a meeting at 3:00 p.m. on April 18 at Tom and Heidi Koszoru's house. [See correction above—Claire]
--Minutes submitted by OSA Secretary Syd Henderson
The National Space Society's 28th Annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) is just a few weeks away. ISDC will engage the public and decision-makers in an open and positive discussion about the role that space exploration, research and development will play in ushering in a new era of hope in a climate of uncertain change. We have an unprecedented line-up of speakers this year. We are pleased to announce our line-up now includes;
View the full lineup at www.isdc2009.org/speakers
Register by April 23th and get the special NSS room rate at the luxurious Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. In addition to the family-friendly features of the resort, we will have a FREE kids program for children of ISDC attendees! Register to attend this years ISDC and book your room
ISDC IS THE PUBLIC SPACE CONFERENCE OF THE YEAR!
The space industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. From the retirement of the Shuttle to the first flight of WhiteKinght two. To hear the latest developments in space such as:
Register before April 23th at www.isdc2009.org to SAVE!
Between-Meetings OSA Activities:
Yuri’s Night Party
We held our Yuri’s Night potluck party on Sunday, April 12, celebrating the first human in space (Yuri Gagarin, 1961) and the launch of the world’s first reusable space ship (NASA’s space shuttle,.1986). We had fun with the sound-responsive laser “light show,” being careful to place it where no one could look directly at the laser. We hope with a large white screen or wall, it will be dramatic. Unfortunately, rain prevented using the stomp rockets, and a pair of tiny “science” toys vanished during the pre-party setup.
Eight attended, including 3 who are not current members of Oklahoma Space Alliance NSS chapter. Our guests were kind enough to help us revise some of the space-quiz questions, and add a few. --CM
Notes on OSIDA [Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority] Meeting:
Not much to report this month. They’ve got the FEMA money for the repairs from wind damage (from last June). Apparently OSIDA had to chip in a little of their appropriation to cover the remainder of the cost, which upset General McGill because allocating that for repairs was
something OSIDA was not going to do until the emergency repairs were needed, and OSIDA’s already on a tight budget. The next appropriation will be down 15% because the economy has cut state revenues.
Dan Sheeholtz from OU was there again promoting unmanned aerial systems operations from the Oklahoma Spaceport. This would include weather balloons and radar. He said something about surveillance, but I don’t see how it applies unless they’re testing systems for use outside the US. [Perhaps marijuana surveillance?—Claire]
Oklahoma has been allocated $2.6 billion from the stimulus package, and it’s the only windfall it is likely to get for the immediate future. Half of that has to be spent by the fall, and the rest by January 1, 2011. Last month they weren’t expecting it to directly benefit the Oklahoma Spaceport, but that’s a larger sum than they were anticipating.
The next OSIDA meeting was moved to May 27, which falls during the Florida Inernational Space Development Conference. They were talking last month about having the June meeting in Tulsa during the Aerospace Summit., which would make it June 17.--SH
Space-related News
NASA’s Zero-G Feline: Back in the 80’s, some NASA people brought a cat aboard the ‘vomit comet.” See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvU9GZjBTzs., apparently courtesy of a self-described journalist and rocket scientist named Matthew. He posts space-related videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/spacearium and runs an interesting website at http://www.spacearium.com http://www.spacearium.comwith a “somewhat) Daily video podcast of the latest space news.
Hubble Repair Mission & Shuttle Deadline
For an excellent discussion of these issues, see www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current
In brief, STS-125 Atlantis is on the launch pad, and still scheduled for launch on May 12 (despite rumors of schedule slip.) Initial estimates that the debris risk was too high (after the Chinese blew up their own satellite and two of ours collided) have been recalculated. Assuming a late inspection on flight day nine and an 86 percent chance of damage that could be successfully repaired “the residual risk of loss of crew and vehicle for the entire mission now is 1-in-221," Steve Stich, manager of the orbiter project office at the Johnson Space Center said. "That's MMOD, both the man-made and micrometeoroids, for the entire mission." Although that’s about 50% greater than the risk on the most recent mission to ISS, it is above the arbitrary mission-cancellation cutoff.
Because reaching the Hubble orbit means the shuttle cannot reach the space station, Endeavour will be moved to pad 39B Friday for work to ready the ship for a quick-response launch on an emergency rescue mission if necessary. The rescue mission would be known as STS-400 but is one more than has currently been funded.
Pres. Obama has extended the 2010 deadline for the last shuttle flight from 9/30 to 12/31.
North Korean Rocket Program (info condensed from AP story)
The U.S. and its allies reacted to North Korea's defiant launch of a rocket that apparently fizzled into the Pacific (rather than launching the advertised satellite) by holding an emergency U.N. meeting. The launch was provocative because it may have been a long-range missile test, and the U.N. sanctions imposed after North Korea’s 2006 nuclear test barred the North from ballistic missile activity
Pres. Obama has condemned North Korea for threatening the peace and stability of nations "near and far" and requested an international response. Minutes after liftoff, Japan requested an emergency Security Council session in New York. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed immediate indignation: "North Korea's reckless act of threatening regional and global security cannot have any justification," he said.
Concerns by China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam about further alienating North Korea seem well-founded, now that North Korea has expelled the UN inspectors and announced they will restart their nuclear program
Contact Information:
Oklahoma Space Alliance NSS is a chapter of the National Space Society. Contact NSS at 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005, space.nss.org. Tel: (202) 429-1600 -- FAX: (202) 530-0659, E-mail: [email protected] Direct questions about membership matters to: [email protected] . Many of us are also members of The Mars Society (see below). Both organizations are interested in promoting settlements off Earth.
Our chapter website is http://osa.nss.org/index.html. Webmaster is Syd Henderson. So far, one can join our chapter without joining NSS. To receive emails of our chapter newsletters for free, contact the editors (see below).
Oklahoma Space Alliance Officers, 2009 (Area Code 405)
Tom Koszoru, President 366-1797 (H)
Claire McMurray, Vice-President/Update Editor 329-4326 (H-no msg) 863-6173 (C-msgs OK)
Syd Henderson, Secretary & Outreach Editor 321-4027 (H)
Tim Scott, Treasurer 740-7549 (H)
OSA E-mail Addresses and Web Site:
claire.mcmurray at sbcglobal.net or at nss.org (Claire McMurray; can forward to Cliff)
T_Koszoru at cox.net (Heidi and Tom Koszoru)
sydh at ou.edu (Syd Henderson)
ctscott at mac.com (Tim Scott)
lensman13 at aol.com (Steve Galpin)
dmcraig at earthlink.net (Nancy and David Craig).
E-mail for OSA should be sent to [email protected]. Members who wish their e-mail addresses printed in Outreach or Update, and people wishing space-related materials e-mailed to them should contact Syd.
Other Contact Information
NASA: www.nasa.gov. Huge info source. Assorted phone numbers are also in there somewhere.
The Mars Society , Box 273, Indian Hills CO 80454. Old website doesn’t work: use http://www.marssociety.org/portal. Interested in human settlement on Mars: active projects.
The Planetary Society, http://www.planetary.org/home/. Phone from US & Canada: 1-800-9WORLDS (1-800-996-7537). Outside the US & Canada, phone 1-626-793-5100. Interested in exploring the solar system & beyond, mostly robotic. Nice magazine.
Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly Omniplex), 2100 NE 52nd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111. Museum information: 405-602-6664 (old 800# doesn’t answer) Their new web site is http://www.sciencemuseumok.org/default.htm, but one must click on “Agree” or “Disagree” to enter the site
Oklahoma Space Industrial Development Authority (OSIDA), 401 Sooner Drive/PO Box 689, Burns Flat, OK 73624, 580-562-3500. Web site www.state.ok.us/~okspaceport.
Tulsa Air and Space Museum, 7130 E. Apache, Tulsa, OK 74115, Phone (918)834-9900.
Web Site is www.tulsaairandspacemuseum.com.
Congress of the United States: 202/224-3121 (switchboard). Senate: www.senate.gov/
House of Representatives: www.house.gov. You can email most from those main web sites.
Write to any U. S. Senator or Representative at [name]/ Washington DC, 20510 (Senate) or 20515 [House].
President of the United States: www.whitehouse.gov. Click on “Contact Us” for email.
Postal mail: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
OKLAHOMA SPACE ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP ORDER FORM
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New mailing address: 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005 or join on line. Be sure to ask them to credit your membership to Oklahoma Space Alliance.
To join the Mars Society, visit http://www.marssociety.org/portal. One-year memberships are $50.00; student and senior memberships are $25, and Family memberships are $100.00. Their address is Mars Society, Box 273, Indian Hills CO 80454.
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OSA Memberships are for 1 year, and include a subscription to our monthly newsletters, Outreach and Update. Send check & form to Oklahoma Space Alliance, 102 W. Linn, #1, Norman, OK 73071.