Minutes of January 2024 Oklahoma Space Alliance Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance met January 13, 2024 at the Cyber Hall and Gaming Lounge at Norman Computers in Norman, Oklahoma. Attending in person were Clifford McMurray, Mark Deaver, Dave Sheely, Tim Scott, and Syd Henderson. Robin Scott attended by phone. OSA President Adam Hemphill couldn’t make the meeting, so OSA Vice-President Clifford (Kip) McMurray presided over the meeting He did an Update discussing links to material covered in the meeting and this is online at https://osa.nss.org/Update2401.pdfso I’ll cover the details that aren’t covered there. Adam also got a partial newsletter done which Kip presented, and that is online at https://osa.nss.org/Update2401(Simple).pdf.
There were 228 total launched into space in 2023, 116 from the United States (with 96 by SpaceX alone) and 67 from China. The latter is fewer than 2022.
SpaceX lost a lander when high winds knocked it over. This was the first SpaceX lander to carry people into space and had been launched many times since. The engines were saved but not the booster.
Artemis II is now scheduled for September 2025 and Artemis III for September 2026.
The Beta Pictoris system sports a structure [presumably natural] that is shaped like a cat’s tail.
The Juno Jupiter orbiter passed within 930 miles of Io, the closest pass in more than twenty years. [I’m guessing the previous encounter was by Galileo.]
MEPs (Mission Extension Pods) can extend a space mission by up to six years by providing fuel.
Vulcan Centaur’s third lunar mission will be outside of NASA’s aegis; that is, it is independent of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) that is part of the Artemis project.
NASA requires two successful launches of Vulcan Centaur. The first was the Peregrine launch. [The Vulcan Centaur performed perfectly but Peregrine did not.] The second launch will be in April.
We watched “Space Race” featuring launches in first quarter of 2024. This included a discussion of Dream Chaser (Sierra Space). Dream Chaser’s mission is now scheduled for April.
SpaceX is going for fuel propellant transfer test.
We looked through the Celestis list of people whose cremains and/or DNA were aboard the Vulcan Centaur that launched Peregrine. Most of these cremains, including Star Trek actors and NSS Executive Director Mark Hopkins, were launched into heliocentric orbit, not to the Moon.
We have $843.48 in the checking account and $267 in cash.
Russ Davoren. Adam Hemphill and Kip McMurray renewed memberships.
--Minutes by OSA Secretary Syd Henderson
Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Claire McMurray.
PO Box 1003
Norman, OK 73070
Webmaster is Syd Henderson.
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