Oklahoma Space Alliance

OKLAHOMA SPACE ALLIANCE

A Chapter of the National Space Society

Who We Are:

        Oklahoma Space Alliance is the central Oklahoma Chapter of the National Space Society, one of the largest space advocacy groups in the country, and has existed for more than 20 years. Our purposes include promoting the exploration and development of space, educating the public to current events in space and the usefulness of an active space program, all with the intent of promoting a space-faring civilization.
        Oklahoma Space Alliance hosted the 23^rd Annual International Space Development Conference on May 27-31, 2004. We previously hosted three Regional Space Development Conferences, assisted with earlier ISDCs, put displays in malls, hosted lectures, sponsored television interviews, hosted viewing nights, worked with other space-oriented groups and maintained local contact with the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority.
        Oklahoma Space Alliance helped out with the 2007 International Space Development Conference which was hosted by the National Space Society of North Texas in Dallas Texas from May 24 - 28, 2007, and put together a commemorative exhibit for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. This exhibit ran through July of 2009. (See below for details.)
        We do a bimonthly newsletter called Outreach and a monthly e-mail newsletterUpdate to keep our members informed of current developments in space and upcoming events they might be interested in. Editor of Outreach is Syd Henderson and editor of Update is C;ifford McMurray. Clifford also does an Update most months when Outreach is published.

Oklahoma Space Alliance is now on Facebook at Oklahoma Space Alliance

January 2026 Update (pdf format) (Information to be presented at January meeting)

January 2026 Outreach (pdf format)

Space Priorities (pdf format)

January Meeting

Oklahoma Space Alliance will meet at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, at the location next to Norman Computers on West Main in Norman. Prospective members are welcome.
The meeting room is in the Cyber Hall and Gaming Lounge next to Norman Computers. Please enter through the Cyber Hall door. The Cyber Hall is at 914 W Main St, opposite Norman High School. The phone number is (405) 292-9501. To get to the meeting space from points north, take Highway 77 exit off I-35, and continue south until you reach Main Street. Norman Computers is about a block and a half west of this on the south (left) side of a small mall.

Saturday, January 10, 2:00 p.m.

Introductions and review of Space events this past month
What’s Happening in Space, News, Pictures, and Videos approximately one hour. See http://osa.nss.org before the meeting for items to be discussed.
Break
Oklahoma Space Alliance Chapter Business Discussion

Review OSA treasurer’s report.
Minutes of November Meeting and Xmas Party
Proposed NASA budget
Isaacman is head of NASA
Plans for 2026

Video (to be announced)
Chat

Notes on OSA Christmas Party

Oklahoma Space Alliance had its annual Christmas party on the evening of December 13 at the McMurray residence. We had a smaller crowd than usual this year, with Clifford McMurray hosting Adam Hemphill, Tim Scott, David Sheely and Syd Henderson. Mark Deaver showed up late as I was leaving.
We hold elections at the Christmas party. Since there were no new nominations and I received no ballots by mail, we elected officers by acclamation: Clifford McMurray as president, David Sheely as vice-president, Syd Henderson as secretary and Tim Scott as treasurer, all continuing from last year.

Minutes of November 8 Oklahoma Space Alliance Meeting

        Oklahoma Space Alliance met November 8, 2025, at the Cyber Hall and Gaming Lounge at Norman Computers in Norman, Oklahoma. Attending were Clifford McMurray, Adam Hemphill, John Northcutt, Tim Scott, Dave Sheely and Syd Henderson. OSA President Clifford 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/Update2511.pdf so I’ll cover the details that aren’t covered there.
        SpaceX has a second launchpad under construction. Elon Musk is talking about 1000 launches per year.
        The problem with technology for debris removal in LEO is the same technology has military uses.
        NASA was planning to launch some shuttles from Vandenberg, but the Challenger disaster cancelled those plans. There are no plans yet to launch Starship from Vandenberg.
        Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy want to reopen bids on Artemis 3 landing, which pissed off Musk.
        Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine thinks Duffy’s proposal to reopen bidding for Artemis is absolutely the right thing.
        Blue Origin’s Blue Moon 2 will be for Artemis 4 and Artemis 5.
        We watched a video on the Orion capsule and Moon landing.
        JAXA’s Akatsui Venus orbiter was launched in 2010 and exceeded its planned lifetime by 300%.
        The problem with using AI in satellites is that it generates a lot of heat requiring a lot of coolant.
        We watched a video of a SpaceX Falcon 9 night launch of Bandwagon 4 (the one that carried Haven-Demo for VAST). We watched a video on the development of Haven-1.
        We watched a video on air frying on Tiangong. They were cooking barbecued chicken and steak. They can also bake cakes.
        Apex interceptor mission demo is June of next year. Lockheed Martin is working on interceptors for 2028.
        We watched a video for Impulse Space. Impulse has the capability of launching three tons to the Moon, which is the same mass as Blue Moon 1.
        We watched a video of Jared Isaacman’s renomination to be NASA Administrator.
        Kip will host the OSA Christmas Party.
        We nominated OSA Officers for 2026: Clifford McMurray for President, Dave Sheely for Vice-President, Syd Henderson Secretary and Tim Scott Treasurer. Syd will send out ballots around December 1.
        OSA has $731.39 in our checking account and $267 in Cash.

Minutes by OSA Secretary Syd Henderson

Outreach & Update

Outreach and Update are the newsletters of Oklahoma Space Alliance. Outreach is published in odd-numbered months and is sent both by post and by e-mail.Update is published in even-number months and is sent by e-mail. The December Update is often replaced by a meeting announcement election ballot, in which case the November minutes will be published in the January Outreach. You must be a member of Oklahoma Space Alliance to receive Outreach by post unless you are on our courtesy list. To receive newsletters by e-mail, contact Syd Henderson at the address at the bottom of the page. The newsletters listed below are slightly edited to turn them into web pages.
Outreach is edited by Syd Henderson, and Update by Clifford McMurray (except the June 2024 was by Adam Hemphill)

--Minutes By OSA Secretary Syd Henderson

January 2026 Update (pdf format) (Information to be presented at January meeting)

January 2026 Outreach (pdf format)

Minutes of previous meetings

Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Clifford McMurray
PO Box 1003
Norman, OK 73070
Webmaster is Syd Henderson.
Copyright 2026 Oklahoma Space Alliance.