Conference 7.286::space

    I hope to go to the Sept 10th meeting, if anyone is interested in
    a group trip.
    
    gary

    Thursday, Oct 1st, 8pm
    MIT AI Bldg, Rm NE43-512A
    Lecture by Bruce MacKenzie
    - a summary of material from the Case For Mars III conference
    - a description of plans for airtight structures for a Mars colony
    
    Thursday, Nov 5th, 8pm
    MIT AI Bldg, Rm NE43-512A
    Lecture by Professor Ranko Bon of MIT
    - Prof. Bon was the director of the Space Station Design Workshop
    course run at MIT in Fall 1986
    
    Thursday, Dec 3rd, 8pm
    MIT AI Bldg, Rm NE43-512A
    Lecture by Professor K. Canizar of MIT
    - Prof. Canizar will describe the plans and needs of an X-ray
    observatory satellite.
    

Here are some notes I took at the Boston chapter of the
National Space Society/L5's November meeting.

Professor Ranko Bon spoke at the meeting.

Professor Bon is an architect whose specialty is the rather new
and obscure field known as building economics. He was involved in
what he humorously called the "Building Technology Revolt" in the
MIT architecture school -- this consisted of foreign students who
were not interested in American professors teaching them how to
build Appropriate Technology shelters (i.e. dung huts). They wanted
high-tech.  So Professor Bon devised an interdisciplinary design
course, "Space Habitat Design Workshop".

The first course focussed on the design of a space station using
deployable structures -- lightweight framing that could be collapsed
for transport, and easily unfolded in space. The goal was the limiting
of the number of flights and the amount of eva work (it being dangerous,
inefficient and expensive to have people in space suits bolting things
together in zero-g).

Bon showed slides made from CAD diagrams of the structure and details
of the proposed framework.  He estimated that three shuttle flights
would have been necessary for a minimum livable station.

The second version of the course, which is currently in progress,
expanded further the multidisciplinary character of the course.
The course featured speakers, and students, from the Aero & Astro,
Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, Civil Engineering, and other
departments.  Bon also invited the flamboyant Wendel Wendel (have
I got his name right?), founder of Space Structures International,
a firm specializing in deployable structures.  Wendel's motto is,
"Why wait for NASA?"  Midway through, the students voted on their
mission: to design a moon base.

Bon then showed slides detailing some of the current thinking in
the course: a network of 3000 meters of tunnels, laid out in
hexagonal grids in the loose rock of the rim of a large crater.
In situ rock melting technology, which has been used on a small
noncommercial scale in Arizona, would be used to form the
tunnels.  These tunnels, which would be five meters in diameter,
would then be segmented into pressurized habitation tunnels
thirty meters long.  Bon emphasized the importance of dispelling
a "submarine" or cave-shelter ambiance through use of plants,
fiber optic lighting and other features. The base would hold
180 people.

Two-hour presentations on the final design will be given on
December 7th and 9th, starting at 5pm, in building 3-133 at
MIT.  Bon invited all interested to attend.

During the talk I scribbled down a few quotes I thought were
interesting.

"Engineers and architects, when put into a friendly environment,
generally cooperate nicely...at first the engineers do not want
to come out of their corners... but you show them some good ideas,
and then they will come out."

"You know it will not all be designed by scientists and engineers.
It will be designed by many people.  Dumb ones, crazy ones, all of
us."

"If I gave you $2 million to design a new kind of shoe, what would
you do?  You would spend it!"

Pat

                                                     

Thursday, March 3rd, 8 PM
Lecture by Yukiko Minato of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
of Japan:
"An Overview of Japanese Space Development"

Thursday, April 7th, 8 PM
Lecture by Ann Carlsen, LL.B., MSc(System Management):
"Law and the Colonization of Celetial Bodies"

MIT Artificial Intelligence Bldg
Rm NE43-512 (5th floor)
545 Tech Square
Cambridge, Ma.

    Last time I tried finding the MIT AI lab, much less "### Tech Sq"
    in Cambridge, I spent an 'entertaining' evening wandering around
    Cambridge and MIT campus.  And pestering people going in and out
    of buildings in the area...
    
    Could someone knowledgeable give SPECIFIC directions and/or a real
    street address to the meeting location ?  "Tech Square" is as
    informative to a non-Bostonian/non-MITer as Boston Computer Society's
    "1 Center Plaza" address.
    
    Dwight (NSS member, looking for the local chapter, living in the
    toolies)

    Send me a mailstop and I'll copy the map on the back of their
    newsletter. Its not great but you CAN find your way using it. FYI,
    Tech Square is basically the same area as Kendall Sq. If you find
    Lethal Sea Foods, you're in the right area.
    
    gary

From: [email protected] (Craig Milo Rogers)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Los Angeles Area Space Talk, 23 Apr 88, 7:30 PM
Date: 26 Mar 88 22:35:32 GMT
 
		   Space Technology Comes to Earth and
		Commercial Applications of Space Technology
 
    John Graham of NASA's Industrial Applications Center will show us
how space technology affects our lives today, and what the products of
space development will bring to our future.  This presentation, open
to the public, will be given in Rockwell International's DEI Room,
12214 Lakewood Blvd. in Downey, California, on Saturday, April 23,
starting at 7:30 PM. 
 
    Other speakers will include Herb Asbury, Director of the NASA
Industrial Application Center at USC; E. A. Brown, Project Manager for
Commercial Uses of Space, Boeing Aerospace Operations; and Richard P.
Macleod, Executive Director of the United States Space Foundation. 
 
    The National Space Act of 1958, which established NASA, also
required NASA to transfer its research efforts into the commercial
sector.  The NASA Industrial Application Center at USC (NIAC) was one
of the original Industrial Application centers.  Three topics will be
covered in this meeting: 1) the NIAC Associate in Technology Transfer
Program, which provides commercial access to scientific databases,
NASA researchers and NASA facilities, 2) the NASA Commercial
Utilization of Space program, a program to introduce companies to
doing business in space, and 3) a presentation by the United States
Space Foundation on "Space Challenge 88", a call to action. 
 
    This lecture is one of many activities sponsored by the
Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and
Settlement (OASIS), the Greater Los Angeles Area chapter of the
National Space Society.  The organization is a non-profit educational
group which promotes space development. 
 
    The public is invited; there is no admission charge.  For more
information about this lecture or other OASIS activities call the
OASIS Message Machine at (213) 374-1381 or Craig Milo Rogers
<[email protected]>. [Note:  We do not normally make transcripts of these
meetings.] 

    Time:		Thursday, May 5th, 8pm
    Place:		MIT AI building, Rm NE43-512A
    Program:	"Return to the Moon"
    		Lecture by Dr. Peter Glaser of Aurthur D. Little.
    		Discussion of transportation systems needed to economically
    		support a variety of missions in low Earth orbit,
    		geosynchronous orbit, and on the moon, as well as use
    		of lunar resources to support these orbital activities
    		and build the transportation system itself.
    

July 7th, 8pm
MIT AI Bldg, NE43-512A

Lecture by Brand Griffin, who is the Boeing manager in charge of
integrating subsystems in the NASA space station habitation modules.
He will discuss the adaptation and orientation of humans to the
zero-gravity environment, and the illusion that it represents more
freedom for beings raised in a 1G world.  For example in space we need
to maintain an "up-down" orientation.  Mr. Griffin will cover the
computer tools and physical simulators that Boeing has created to
answer the issues of crew mobility and restraint.

August 4th, 8pm
MIT AI Bldg, NE43-512A

Lecture by John Alred, Advanced Program Office, NASA Johnson Space
Center.  He will talk about NASA's new Lunar Base Program to establish
a self-sufficient lunar facility providing for permanent human
habitation, intensive science, and export of lunar materials for use
in space.  A lunar outpost for this would be built between 2000 and
2005.  He has also recently worked on a NASA Mars mission plan, which
he may describe if there is time.

    Oct 6th, 8pm
    MIT AI Bldg, NE43-512A
    (545 Main Street, opposite Albany Street, Cambridg, MA.)
    
    "The Overview Effect", a lecture by Frank White - the change in
    a person's perspective after viewing the Earth from space and seeing
    its inherent unity as a whole system, without borders or boundaries.
    Frank White has interviewed 16 people who have been in space, examined
    secondary material, and written a book about the changes in awareness
    caused by spaceflight in astronauts and in society as a whole.
    
    

    Dec 1st, 8pm
    MIT AI Bldg, NE43-512A
    (545 Main Street, opposite Albany Street, Cambridge, MA.)
    
    "Robots and Astronauts in EVA work".  Dr. David Akin, of MIT's
    Aero-Astro dept. has built and tested some robots in the zero G
    simulation tanks working with astronauts in construction tasks.
    
    

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 89 07:04:34 PST
From: [email protected]
Subject: NSS Space Policy Platform
 
/* Written 11:27 am  Mar 28, 1989 by jordankatz in cdp:sci.space */
/* ---------- "NSS Space Policy Platform" ---------- */
THE 1989 SPACE POLICY PLATFORM OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY
 
    The National Space Society (NSS) endorses the vision of the
National Commission on Space as the proper focus for the American
space program. We believe the technologies and industries created on
the space frontier in the next few decades will drive the world's
leading economies in the next century. 

    Our role is to educate the public on the benefits of space
development and work with allied organizations to create the cultural
and political context for an open frontier in space. 

    We believe the United States must be a leader on that frontier, or
it will cease to be the great hope for human liberty and freedom. 
 
    What Steps Need to be Taken?
 
    Take the Lead in Space Transportation

     1. Establish a national policy goal of radically lowering the
cost of manned and unmanned access to space.  New initiatives should
be encouraged from the civil, military, industrial, and scientific
space communities. 

     2. Provide assured access to space with a robust mixed fleet,
including the Shuttle, and new heavy lift launch vehicles.  Ensure a
robust industrial infrastructure to support the fleet. 

     3. Promote the international competitiveness of the U.S.
commercial launch vehicle industry. 

     4. Pursue the development of advanced air-breathing launch
vehicles with the National Aerospace Plane Program.  At the same time,
continue evolutionay improvements of the Shuttle to enhance its
effectiveness. 

     5. Initiate development efforts to improve the capabiity and
efficiency of in-space transportation systems for manned and unmanned
missions beyond Earth orbit. 
 
    Learn How to Work in Space

     1. Build the Space Station Freedom to create the enabling
technologies and knowledge for people to live and work in space. 

     2. Develop capabilities for the routine performance of space
construction, servicing, and in-space repair tasks.  Initiatives are
needed in human extravehicular activities (EVA), teleoperation, and
robotic spacecraft. 

     3. Establish a permanent manned return to the Moon by the early
21st Century as a Space Station mission requirement. Evolutionary
growth of the Station complex should support the creation of multiple
facilities in low Earth orbit. 
 
    Open the Frontier

     l. Establish scientific and resource extraction facilities on the
Moon.  Mission requirements should emphasize the greatest possible
degree of self-sufficiency. 

     2. Promote renewed study of solar power satellites to provide
energy to space facilities and potentially to Earth. Construction and
operation of such satellites should emphasize economic benefits and
environmental acceptability. 

     3. Explore the Solar System using manned and unmanned
expeditions.  Priority missions should be those with clear scientific
and potential economic value. 

     4. Pursue a long-term goal of extending human life beyond Earth's
atmosphere, leading ultimately to the establishment of space
settlements throughout the Solar System. 
 
    Reform the Governmental Environment for Space Policy

     1. Increase the efficiency of the interagency process and provide
timely resolutions to space policy questions.  The national security,
civil government, and commercial sectors of space activity are
recognized as having distinct functions that promote U.S. interests. 

     2. Oppose the so-called Moon Treaty, and open discussions with
signatories to the l967 Outer Space Treaty and the l972 Liability
Convention on measures to speed the commercial development of space
for all parties. 

     3. Establish a national policy goal of sustained industrial expansion 
into space, assisted but not controlled by government agencies. 
 
    Revitalize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

     1. Provide the resources and management focus for NASA to perform
leading edge research and development in space. Areas for special
attention include propulsion, life sciences, automation, robotics and
artificial intelligence technologies, space power systems, microgravity 
research, and the processing of non-terrestrial materials. 

     2. Provide limited exemptions from Federal civil service
regulations to enable NASA centers to attract the vital talent it
needs for its leadership and oversight roles. 

     3. Increase NASA's budget commensurate with its mission.  A
minimum of $14 billion is required for fiscal year l990. 
 
    [This was provided by Jordan Katz: National Computer Networking
Coordinator; of The National Space Society. 
 

From:	VERGA::US4RMC::"[email protected]" "Bruce A. Mackenzie"  
        3-MAY-1994 13:22:13.52
To:	[email protected] (Bruce A. Mackenzie)
CC:	
Subj:	SV events, Neil Armstrong speaking in Boston now.

--------

Neil Armstrong is speaking at MIT at 4:30 TODAY (Tuesday, 5/3/94, see below).

Also, the Apollo 10 crew will be in Boston on May 20, 1994.

May 5th, 1994, Boston NSS: "Mining Carbonaceous Asteroids" by Chuck Niclos

June 2nd, 1994, Boston NSS Meeting: Peter Glaser: "The Relevance of Space...

These were to be announced in "SpaceViews", the newsletter for the Boston 
chapter, But, SpaceViews will be late, and I don't want to hold off sending 
this list of events any longer.  See below for details.
My apologies to those who do not read their e-mail until tonight, and
for bothering those of you outside the Boston area.
(remind me to start a Boston-only list, and a general SpaceViews list.)

  ---Bruce Mackenzie,  (of Boston Chapter of the National Space Society)
	[email protected]         (617)944-7027

Upcoming Boston NSS & Other Events.

Most Boston NSS meetings are at 7:30 pm on the first Thursday of each month.  
Meetings are in MIT building NE43, 8th floor RplayroomS,  545 Main St., 
Cambridge.   Main St. goes from Central Square toward the Longfellow bridge 
and Beacon Hill.  NE43 is the only 9 story building where Main St. crosses 
the railroad tracks, park in the parking lot between the building and the 
railroad tracks.

If coming by subway, take Red Line to Kendall Square, walk away from downtown 
Boston, first building after the railroad tracks.

May 3rd, 1994,  4:30 pm,  Tuesday,  MIT room 26-100
"Engineering Aspects of a Lunar Landing"

by Neil A. Armstrong (first person to step on Luna, Earth's moon), and 
Robert C. Seamans  (of MIT Aero/Astro Department and former deputy 
administrator of NASA)

Based on their personal experiences, the two will discuss the various 
technical and strategic issues involved in achieving the historic Lunar 
landing, 25 years ago this July.

Directions: enter MIT's main entrance at 77 Mass. Ave, Cambridge; proceed 
straight ahead to end of the "infinite corridor", turn into last hallway on 
left (not a closed stairway), go down the open flight of stairs, continue in 
same direction through 2 pairs of double doors, room 26-100 is on the right.  
The lecture can also be seen on MIT Cable and in rooms 26-110 and 9-150, 
which is at 83 Mass. Ave.


May 4th 1994, Last of the 5 Lowell Lectures on Astronomy, Wednesdays, 7:30 pm
"Searching for Extrasolar Planets" 

by  Robert Stefanik

Lowell Lectures at the Boston Museum of Science's  Cahners Theater, at 7:30 
on Wednesday evenings.   Free.

Tickets were available at the last NSS meeting, or by mail, but if you do not 
have a ticket, just show up, there usually is extra room.  Reduced rate 
parking is available in the Museum garage.

May 5th, 1994, 8pm   Boston NSS Meeting:

"Mining Carbonaceous Asteroids"

by Chuck Niclos

Chuck will start on the economic and chemical engineering considerations for 
space mining, especially for extracting volatiles such as water from 
carbonaceous asteroids.  We'll where the discussion leads.

May 19th, 1994, Thursday   8pm;     Smithsonian Astrophysics Lecture,	

Phillips Auditorium, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge 

"The Jupiter - Comet Collision"

by Prof.  Tim Dowling, MIT Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Come hear the predicted effects of the collision of the fragments of comet 
Shoemaker-Levy-9 with the planet Jupiter.  This is the pre-collision version 
of this talk, come October 6th to see how different the post-collision 
version of this talk is.  You may remember Tim Dowling from his July '91 NSS 
presentation and video tape of simulations of the Jupiter atmosphere, 
including the great red spot.

May 20th, 1994, Friday,  approximately 6 to 10 pm

Meet the Apollo 10 astronauts:    Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan, John Young
25th Anniversary of Apollo 10 flight, celebration at John F. Kennedy Library 
in Boston.  Cocktail reception, approx. $25.  Volunteers are needed to staff 
an NSS/SEDS/SSI table.  See pages 7 & 8.

May 27 - 30,  1994,  Memorial Day weekend,   Toronto Canada 

1994 International Space Development Conference

Over 100 speakers on topics such as;  Why Go Into Space, Propulsion, 
Exploration of Mars, MicroGravity, Apollo, Nanotechnology, Environment, 
Simulations, Space Art, Lunar Development, International Space Programs, 
Jupiter, Titan, Internet, SSTO (DC-X), Lunar Observatories, CELSS (Controlled 
Ecological Life Support Systems).      Speakers include: Buzz Aldrin, K. Eric 
Drexler, Dave Dunlop, Keith Henson, Ken Money, Harrison Schmitt, Charlie 
Walker, David Webb, Robert Zubrin.

June 2nd, 1994, 7:30 pm  (Note earlier time)   Boston NSS Meeting:

"The Relevance of Space for the 21st Century:  Key to Survival on Earth"
Peter Glaser, will talk about the problems of limited resources supplies on 
Earth, and how resources and energy from space could help those on Earth.  
Dr. Glaser invented the Solar Power Satellite, and works at Arthur D. Little 
on tools for the Apollo Lunar landing and other NASA contracts.  (This and 
future meetings will begin earlier, at 7:30, instead of 8pm)

July 4th, 1994    Betsy Mackenzie's little brother arrives (tentative date, 
subject to change).

July 7th, 1994, Thursday   7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting,     
(Note: date, due to July 4th holiday.)

"Orbital Dynamics and Tracking the Jupiter Comet Collision"

presented by Andy LaPage  of Visidyne Corp. (details next month)

August 4th, 1994, Thursday   7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting,  Topic to 
be arranged.

Sept. 8, 1994, Thursday 7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting, (2nd Thursday)

"Low Cost Experiments in the Shuttle Mid-Deck"

by Havier deLuis, president of Payload Systems.  Discussing several 
experiments by Payload systems flown on the shuttle to test dynamics and 
active control of structures (such as a large antenna or space station).  
Payload Systems was the first US company to fly an experiment on Mir.

Oct. 6, 1994, Thursday   7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting,

"The Jupiter - Comet Collision"

by Prof.  Tim Dowling, MIT Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences
What happened in the collision of the fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 
with the planet Jupiter.  This is the post-collision version of this talk, 
see May 19th for the pre-collision version of this talk.  You may remember 
Tim Dowling from his July '91 NSS presentation and video tape of simulations 
of the Jupiter atmosphere, including the great red spot.

Nov. 3, 1994,   Thursday,   7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting,  Topic to 
be arranged

Dec.  1, 1994,   Thursday,   7:30 pm;  NSS Boston Chapter meeting, Topic to 
be arranged

Jan.  5 (?), 1995,  NSS Boston Chapter meeting,

"Meet the Lunar Rocks"  (tentative) 

by Prof. Tim Grove, MIT

Tim expects to show thin slices of Lunar rocks under a microscope using 
polarized light;  and show how to identify the minerals, and what they tell 
us about Luna geology  (very tentative, subject to Tim's and the rock's 
availability.)

Contact Info for National Space Society, Boston Chapter:
Don Doughty,   Box 729,  Atkinson,  NH  03811;     (603)362-6020;    	
	
	[email protected]
	(New Chapter President: to help with most chapter projects: DC-X, SSTO, 
	Legislative, Robotics, Media, Clementine...)
Roxanne Warniers,    5 Driftwood Rd.,  Acton,  MA  01720
	(Treasurer:  for subscriptions, to join the chapter)
Jeff Foust, [email protected],  550 Memorial Dr., #16A, Cambridge, MA 02139
	(SpaceViews Editor:  to submit articles, letters to the editor, etc.  
	please send via e-mail)
Bruce Mackenzie,   (617)944-7027,   110 Van Norden Rd., Reading, MA 01867; 
	[email protected]
	(Director & Past President:  info on upcoming meetings, suggested 
	speakers, investment club, research projects.)

Clementine Lunar and Asteroid Images for YOUR Computer

The Clementine Mission is a test of SDI spacecraft which orbited the Moon and 
is now off toward an asteroid.  If you have Internet access, you may download 
the images via FTP.   Depending on your computer, the commands would be 
something like:

	ftp  Clementine.S1.gov
	login:  anonymous
	password:     ((give your e-mail address))
	cd   pub/clementine/images
	ls  
	get  ....

Let me know how you do.	Thanks to SSI for the info.	--Bruce Mackenzie,  
[email protected],   (617)944-7027

---end of e-mail on Boston area events.

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Date: Tue, 3 May 94 12:07:58  19
% From: [email protected] (Bruce A. Mackenzie)
% Message-Id: <[email protected]>
% To: [email protected] (Bruce A. Mackenzie)
% Subject: SV events, Neil Armstrong speaking in Boston now.

From:	US4RMC::"[email protected]" "MAIL-11 Daemon"  4-AUG-1994 19:32:03.26
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	NEWS: Amateur Balloon Launch in Huntsville AL

On 7/31/94, the Huntsville Alabama L-5 Society (a chapter of NSS), and
the Alabama Space and Rocket Center co-sponsored a balloon launch. The
payload, launch, and recovery were supervised by Bill Brown, for whom
this was the 45th launch. Tracking and recovery assistance was
provided by many enthusiastic local hams.

The balloon carried two major payload modules: a VHF HAM repeater
(144.34 MHz), and an amateur TV module. Additionally, a packet of new
membership cards for HAL-5 was flown, duct taped to the top of the VHF
module. 

Bill started the day with a presentation to a group of teachers at
International Space Camp, while we awaited the predicted breakup of a
cloud cover.

A picture-perfect launch was achieved at 9:55 am Central time, from
the lawn next to the Apollo 11 lunar crater mockup at the Space and
Rocket Center. The balloon reached an estimated 123,000 feet, at which
point the limb of the Earth was visible through more than half of the
camera's field (I forgot to ask what lens he was using) with space
above it. The balloon burst at 11:58 AM, and continued to transmit
video essentially all the way down. TV reception was reported from
Rolla, MO, Springfield, IL, Melbourne, FL, and many points nearer. The
whole adventure was recorded by WHNT-TV reporter Dick Curtis, himself
a ham and a bit of a space nut. He went to Tennessee with the chase
team and filmed the payload recovery from a cow pasture belonging to a
rather surprised farmer.

We're all ready to do it again anytime Bill has a payload ready.

Usually, he flies a GPS circuit and adds telemetry from that to the
video, but this time the GPS box would just not talk to the TV
transmitter, despite all-night hacking. Also, the VHF repeater froze
up between 40,000 and 80,000 feet, but worked again from 80,000 on up.
Outside of those minor flaws, it was an outstanding flight, and a big
thrill for all concerned.

\\ [email protected] (Craig Presson)   [email protected]\
-- WWW: http://www.nuance.com/~fcp/ -----------------\
-- President & Principal,  T4 Computer Security ------>
-- P.O. Box 18271, Huntsville, AL 35804 -------------/
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