Minutes of March 2021 Oklahoma Space Alliance Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance chapter of National Space Society had its regularly scheduled meeting on March 13, 2021 at the McMurray residence. This was our first in-person meeting since February 2020 (due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Attending in person were David Sheely, Adam Hemphill, Clifford and Claire McMurray, John Northcutt, and Syd Henderson. Attending via Zoom were Seth Potter, Robin Scott, and Russ Davoren. OSA president David Sheely presided over the meeting. He did an Update discussing links to material covered in the meeting and this is online at http://osa.nss.org/Update2103.pdf , so I’ll cover the details that aren’t covered there.
We watched a video of the landing of the Perseverance rover and its video of the crash of the sky crane craft that landed it (or at least a view of the parachute. There was an excellent view of the landing site as Perseverance landed.
We watched a video of the Tianwen-1 entering Mars Orbit. We also watched a high-resolution video of Mars from the Chinese probe Tianwen-1, including views of the North Pole of Mars. There was an excellent view of a crater with lines on its bottom. Possibly produced by ice?
We watched a video of "Space" including images of Mars and Titan, the latter including the forthcoming Titan lander Grasshopper, and a video of LEMUR, the Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot, which, among other purposes will be a Spider on Mars.
Former Senator Bill Nelson is one of the favorites to be the new NASA Administrator. In 1986, while he was in the US House of Representatives, Nelson flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia, making him the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space. Kip met him once and thought he was oily. Other possibilities are a climate scientist or a (professional) astronaut, or perhaps former Oklahoma congresswoman Kendra Horn. [Nelson got the job.]
Seth: US Space Force is still based in Colorado Springs though the US Space Command moved to Huntsville, Alabama.
We watched a video on why Rocket Lab has decided to merge with the Vector Acquisition Corporation.
We watched a video on Axion Space.
We watched a video of the launch and landing of SpaceX's Starship SN10, followed by a video of its subsequent explosion.
Former NSS Executive Director George Whitesides has left Virgin Galactic.
We watched a video of the opening ceremonies of the 2005 International Space Development Corporation. Featured speaker was Burt Rutan.
--Minutes by OSA Secretary Syd Henderson
Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Claire McMurray.
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Norman, OK 73070
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