Minutes of May 11 Oklahoma Space Alliance Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance met May 11, 2024, at the Cyber Hall and Gaming Lounge at Norman Computers in Norman, Oklahoma. Attending were Adam Hemphill, Claire and Clifford McMurray, Kevin?, John Northcutt, Tim Scott, Dave Sheely, and Syd Henderson. OSA President Adam Hemphill presided over the meeting He presented an Update put together by Clifford McMurray discussing links to material covered in the meeting and this is online at https://osa.nss.org/Update2405.pdf so I’ll cover the details that aren’t covered there.
Chang’e 6 is carrying a (secret) rover that carries an infrared imaging spectrometer. Chang’e 6 will probably spend at least three weeks before landing so it can take advantage of the lunar day.
Adam thinks the new requirement for reentry licenses is less necessary because other commercial space companies learned to lesson from Varda’s problem getting its payload back to Earth. [FAA hadn’t made a provision for reentry licenses so for a while Varda looked to be stranded or have to land in another country.—SFH]
If we send a 1,000 kg (1 metric ton) lander to Mars, we can bring back 25 kg of samples collected by the Perseverance rover.
NASA has a survey on space priorities and the time limit is three days after this meeting,.
Adam: SpaceX would be more likely to get into Commercial Mars than Sample Return. They are already talking about Starlink on Mars.
Starlink is now running a profit, about $600 million out of $6 billion.
Adam: So far all proposals for space debris removal consumes the removal satellite along with the target debris. Adam thinks that they will have to deploy removal satellites that will stay in space to perform more missions. [That’s the only way I see it being cost-effective.—SFH]
Switzerland, Sweden and Slovenia sign the Artemis Accords. [Slovakia signed on May 30. Now if they can just get San Marino to join.]
NASA selected three companies to build lunar rovers.
Kip will not be able to do the next Update.
Claire and Kip McMurray and Dave Sheely will be going to the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles. Syd will attend the Chapters Assembly meeting remotely. [I hope to publish the minutes in the July Outreach.]
--Minutes By OSA Secretary Syd Henderson
Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Claire McMurray.
PO Box 1003
Norman, OK 73070
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