march / april 2008 · 2016-04-20 · kirk w. kittell, saic vice president–finance carol s. lane,...

SPACE TIMES • March/April 2008 1

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICANASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETYISSUE 2 VOLUME 47

MARCH / APRIL 2008

2 SPACE TIMES • March/April 2008

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E A M E R I C A N A S T R O N A U T I C A L S O C I E T Y

MARCH / APRIL 2008

ISSUE 2–VOLUME 47

AAS OFFICERSPRESIDENT

Frank A. Slazer, SBD ConsultingEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Lyn D. Wigbels, RWI International Consulting ServicesVICE PRESIDENT–TECHNICAL

Srinivas R. Vadali, Texas A&M UniversityVICE PRESIDENT–PROGRAMS

Mary L. Snitch, Lockheed MartinVICE PRESIDENT–PUBLICATIONS

David B. Spencer, Penn State UniversityVICE PRESIDENT–MEMBERSHIP

J. Walter Faulconer, Applied Physics LaboratoryVICE PRESIDENT–EDUCATION

Kirk W. Kittell, SAICVICE PRESIDENT–FINANCE

Carol S. Lane, Ball AerospaceVICE PRESIDENT–INTERNATIONAL

Clayton Mowry, Arianespace, Inc.VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLIC POLICY

William B. Adkins, Adkins Strategies, LLCLEGAL COUNSEL

Franceska O. Schroeder, Fish & Richardson P.C.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

James R. Kirkpatrick, AAS

AAS BOARD OF DIRECTORSTERM EXPIRES 2008Peter M. Bainum, Howard UniversityDavid A. Cicci, Auburn UniversityLynn F.H. ClineNancy S.A. Colleton, Institute for Global

Environmental StrategiesMark K. Craig, SAICRoger D. Launius, Smithsonian InstitutionJonathan T. Malay, Lockheed MartinKathy J. Nado, L-3 CommunicationsRichard M. Obermann, House Committee on Science

& Technology

TERM EXPIRES 2009Marc S. AllenSteven Brody, International Space UniversityAshok R. Deshmukh, Technica, Inc.Graham Gibbs, Canadian Space AgencySteven D. Harrison, BAE SystemsSue E. Hegg, The Boeing CompanyArthur F. ObenschainIan Pryke, CAPR, George Mason UniversityRonald J. Proulx, Charles Stark Draper LaboratoryTrevor C. Sorensen, University of Hawaii

TERM EXPIRES 2010Linda Billings, SETI InstituteRonald J. Birk, Northrop GrummanRebecca L. Griffin, Griffin AerospaceHal E. Hagemeier, National Security Space OfficeDennis Lowrey, General DynamicsMolly Kenna Macauley, Resources for the FutureErin Neal, ATKLesa B. RoeRosanna Sattler, Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLPRobert H. Schingler, Jr.Woodrow Whitlow, Jr.

SPACE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR, Jeffrey P. Elbel

PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR, Dustin DoudPRODUCTION MANAGER, Diane L. Thompson

BUSINESS MANAGER, James R. Kirkpatrick

SPACE TIMES is published bimonthly by the AmericanAstronautical Society, a professional non-profit society. SPACETIMES is free to members of the AAS. Individual subscriptionsmay be ordered from the AAS Business Office. © Copyright 2008by the American Astronautical Society, Inc. Printed in the UnitedStates of America. ISSN 1933-2793.

PERIODICALSSPACE TIMES, magazine of the AAS, bimonthly, volume 47,2008—$80 domestic, $95 foreignThe Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, quarterly, volume 56,2008—$170 domestic, $190 foreignTo order these publications, contact the AAS Business Office.

REPRINTSReprints are available for all articles in SPACE TIMES and all pa-pers published in The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3

FEATURESThere is a Compelling Reason to Return to the Moon -and to Stay There 4The paramount reason for returning to the Moon and establishing acolony there is to protect our existence.by William E. Burrows

The Emperor’s New Clothes, Redux 6The National Vision for Space Exploration is much like the emperor’simaginary suit of clothing. Wearing this invisible suit in public createstremendous problems for NASA.by John M. Klineberg

Seven Generations: A Re-Evaluation of the Paine Report 10President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration is under intense pressurein this era of tight budgets and presidential electoral politics.

by Alex Howerton

AAS NEWSRecap of Space Flight Mechanics Meeting 12

Symposium Honors Byron Tapley of the University ofTexas at Austin 14by Margaret Baguio

AAS Education Committee Update 15by Kirk W. Kittell

Goddard Symposium Recognizes that Yesterday’sDream is Today’s Reality 16

News for AAS Members 19

NOTES ON NEW BOOKSThe Story of Manned Space Stations: An Introduction 20Reviewed by James M. Busby

The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook - a Pictorial Historyof Lunar Vehicles 21Reviewed by James M. Busby

UPCOMING EVENTS 23

FRONT: A view of the International Space Station as Space Shuttle Endeavour undocks andcompletes Expedition 16. (Source: NASA)BACK: A 50 light-year wide view of the central region of Carina Nebula, where a maelstrom of starbirth – and death – is taking place. Our Sun and Solar System may have been born inside such acosmic crucible 4.6 billion years ago. (Source: NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California,Berkeley) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA))

ON THE COVER

6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 102Springfield, VA 22152-2354 USA

Tel: 703-866-0020 Fax: [email protected] www.astronautical.org


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AAS – Advancing All Space

Frank A. [email protected]

I recently attended the 46th annual Goddard Memorial Symposium, and I cannottell you how many times people came up to me at the symposium and told me thatthis was the best event of its kind that they had ever attended. Speakers from NASAAdministrator Mike Griffin to scientists and engineers from the Goddard Space FlightCenter, academia, and industry all made for a memorable program – and the luncheons,breaks, and receptions all afforded excellent networking opportunities to connectwith customers, colleagues, and friends. While it may sound boastful to brag of yourown organization’s success, in this case, to the planning committee as well as ourAAS office staff and volunteers, I think it’s appropriate to say – WELL DONE.

Of course, what most may not realize is that, beyond a superb program, this year’sGoddard Symposium featured live, online e-summaries of what was happening atthe symposium. Additionally, thanks to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, keyprogram highlights were recorded and posted online for those who could not attend(www.astronautical.org). This web posting of conference video, as well as thestreaming summaries, are examples of new e-initiatives to bring access to the Societyinto the 21st Century by utilizing information technology to reach our members and to reach out to attract new ones. Later this year,we hope to make The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences available online as well, and we are planning to devote significantresources to do so. These are only a few of the many initiatives we have begun to build upon our successes to make the society evenmore active and vital in the near future.

From the outstanding programs the Society sponsors to our technical publications and superb technical committees, the AAS hasmany strengths. Unfortunately, with less than 1,500 members and after the approximate $50K budget shortfall of 2007, we need tomake some changes if we are to continue to be the vibrant society that has, for over 50 years, been a significant contributor toprogress in space exploration.

On January 18th, the AAS Executive Committee met in Washington, DC for a daylong offsite to agree upon our vision for theSociety’s future, brainstorm new ideas, and begin developing action plans. We agreed that, while the Society had a very solid base ofprograms, technical activities and publications, we are not doing all we can to serve our membership, promote astronautics and spaceexploration, and enhance our influence in the space community. To succeed in revitalizing the Society and increasing its overallvitality, we concluded that we needed to grow the Society and make it an even more active organization. Specifically, we agreed uponthe following.

· Membership – Doubling members and level of active involvement in the next two years· Education – Expanding our support of and connecting better to university communities, especially soon-to-be new

professionals· Meetings/Events – Improving quality and increasing quantity of events/conferences· Financial Improvement – Arrest decline in reserves/improve Society’s fiscal robustness and ability to support a broader

range of activities

I hope you will agree that these are good goals for our future, and I welcome members’ input and ideas to help us achieve success.Our officers are working to incorporate the results of our offsite into the 2008 strategic implementation plans, but they cannot dowhat is needed without help from our members. I urge you to consider volunteering to help in our effort to grow the Society. Fromorganizing new technical activities or policy programs to recruiting new members, you can be a very big part in the Society’s future.Thank you for your past contributions to the Society’s success. I look forward to your support in growing the AAS and making it aneven more vital organization!

Building on Success


There Is a Compelling Reason toReturn to the Moon – and to Stay Thereby William E. Burrows

In the science fiction novel Encounterwith Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and JohnBarnes, a colossal space cruiser goes on amulti-generational intergalactic voyage ofdiscovery. The ship’s captain is a femalenamed Osepok; I suspect the authors wroteOsepok as a woman because women arenot afraid to ask for directions. She justifiesthe mission to her crew by warning them,“There’s not a place in the universe that’ssafe forever. The universe is telling us,‘Spread out, or wait around and die.’ ”

Every solid object in the solar system,from the terrestrial planets down toasteroids such as Eros, bears the scars ofasteroid and comet hits and other collisions.Mercury’s surface is so covered withimpact craters that it looks like theplanetary equivalent of a recovered smallpox victim. And the gas balls have takentheir own hits, as the string of Shoemaker-Levy comet fragments that slammed intoJupiter in July 1994 vividly showed. PlanetEarth, of course, has suffered from its ownrun-ins with very large chunks of rock andmetal. The impact that obliterated thedinosaurs 65 million years ago is widelyknown. It now turns out that another majorimpact occurred practically yesterday incosmic time – about 12,900 years ago –when one or more low-densityextraterrestrial objects exploded overnorthern North America, causing a shockwave and other deadly impulses that causedwidespread forest fires and planetarychilling (if not the global winter of 65millions years ago, at least a globalautumn). This catastrophe destroyed foodsources, killed millions of people andanimals, and forced survivors to migrategreat distances.

It is the possibility of such eventsreoccurring that brings Osepok’s direwarning to mind. We are by no means the

helpless, potential victims of a wrathful anddangerous universe. The SpaceguardSurvey which was started by NASA in1998 in order to catalogue 90 percent ofall potential impactors that cross thisplanet’s orbit on the plain of the ecliptic,which have the latent capacity to causecatastrophic regional or planetary damage.Though the survey should be completed thisyear (on a pitifully small budget),Spaceguard has inherent problems. First,it leaves ten percent of the potentiallydeadly rock and iron boulders unaccountedfor. Less obviously, a killer impactor couldcome not from Earth’s orbital plane, butfrom above or below. That is, it could comefrom the Oort Cloud which envelopes thesolar system. Spaceguard is not designedto spot and catalogue such rogue objects,so they remain a potential hazard.

Furthermore, there is currently nocoherent plan for preventing a collision thatcould end our civilization and the planetupon which it is sustained. The BruceWillis Defense, named for the actor whosecharacter martyred himself in the filmArmageddon by detonating a nuclear bomb

on an asteroid eight days before impact,would not work. It would effectively turna cannon ball into grapeshot. That is, itwould transform a regional threat intodozens, perhaps scores, of city-busters thatcould obliterate densely populated placesfrom New York to Yokohama. Instead,there is consensus among astronomers andothers who are knowledgeable on thesubject that the beast would have to bespotted two or three decades ahead ofimpact. It could then be moved off coursein a number of ways by a spacecraftdispatched from Earth flying in closeformation with it. One obvious possibilitywould be to nudge it gently. Another wouldentail putting a highly reflective shroudover it so that photons from the distant Sunwould push it off course ever so slightlybut continuously.

Given our notorious inability to takedanger seriously until it is virtually uponus – global warming seems to be anexception – nothing has been done to tryto ensure that civilization survives in anabidingly violent universe. This is not tosay that the home planet is doomed.Nothing is certain. But precaution iswarranted. No ship’s captain takes to seabelieving that his or her vessel is going tosink, but he or she nonetheless carries adingy, life preservers, and insurance in theevent that the worst happens. Similarly, Ihave no reason to believe that my house isgoing to burn down, but I keepirreplaceable documents in a safe depositvault in the bank.

Earth’s solitary companion should beused as this civilization’s safe deposit box.The paramount reason for returning to theMoon and establishing a colony there isneither for scientific research nor for themining of resources. It is to protect ourexistence to the maximum degree possible

A time lapse view of the 1994 impacts onJupiter by the comet Shoemaker-Levy.(Source: R. Evans, J. Trauger, H. Hammeland the HST Comet Science Team / NASA)


by spreading out. And civilization is all-encompassing. It includes not only peopleand other living things, but our highlyperishable social, scientific, and culturalrecord as well. In that regard, there is alesson to be learned from the destructionof the Museum and the Royal Library atAlexandria more than a millennium ago.Both constituted the greatest glory of whatwas then the greatest city on Earth; the firsttrue research institution in the history ofthe world. “Here was a community ofscholars, exploring physics, literature,medicine, astronomy, geography,philosophy, mathematics, biology, andengineering,” Carl Sagan wrote. “Geniusflourished there. The Alexandrian Libraryis where we humans first collected,seriously and systematically, theknowledge of the world.” The heart of thelibrary was its papyrus scrolls, which arethought to have numbered in the hundreds,and which constituted nothing less than arepository of Western knowledge. One ofthem was written by Aristarchus of Samosroughly 2,000 years ago. It claimed theplanet he lived on orbited the Sun. One ofthe consequences of the destruction of thelibrary was that it took thirteen centuriesbefore Kepler, Copernicus, and Galileo gotback on the trail and rediscoveredheliocentrism.

The lunar colony should therefore be therepository for a record of Earth’s collectivecivilization. To that end, some who believeimplicitly in preserving our record – thebasic totality of who we are and what wedo – have created an organization topromote that cause. It is called the Allianceto Rescue Civilization, or ARC. Its goal isto collect information that defines ourexistence and place it off-planet forsafekeeping. The Moon is a likelyrepository. The information wouldnecessarily be international, and aside fromthe obvious benefit derived from makingthe data all-inclusive, the sheer necessityof international cooperation on the projectwould benefit the world community as awhole. In a more subtle way, it wouldbecome another means by which thepeoples of Earth, irrespective of

some True Believers thought that whatPercival Lowell took to be irrigation canalscreated by intelligent beings in fact existed.As the chemist Robert Shapiro haseloquently written in Planetary Dreams,the quest to discover life beyond Earth hasbeen persistent.

All that is as it should be. The problemis that, depending on the trajectory, Marsis a year-and-a-half to two-year roundtrip.And sending an expedition there would bepointless unless it stayed long enough tosearch for life and collect other data. TheMoon, on the other hand, is only four daysaway. That makes it an excellent firstextraterrestrial habitat. The relative easeof communication and transportationwould foster the establishment of a colony,though still at a cost so great that it willnot be accomplished without internationaleffort. More to the point, such a goal wouldrequire participation by the private sector.Furthermore, the inhabitants of either bodycould help the other in the event of a seriousemergency, such as an emergency due toimpact.

The term “next logical step” has beenoverworked. It has been applied to theSpace Transportation System, and then tothe International Space Station. But takenin the context of protecting civilization andits record, spreading out is not only logical,but imperative over the long run. It is theequivalent of backing up our collectivehard drive so we are able to recover froma crash, in case one cannot be prevented.That ought to be NASA’s and theinternational space community’sfundamental reason to start a self-sustaining colony on the Moon. It wouldconstitute an insurance policy of trulyhistoric proportion.

William E. Burrows is the author of TheSurvival Imperative: Using Space toProtect Earth and The New Ocean: TheStory of the First Space Age.

nationalities, politics, social structures, andreligions, would come to understandsubliminally that they are basically thesame generic creatures.

It is important to note that the ARC (asin ARChive) program would becontinuously updated. It wouldemphatically not be a time capsule. Bydefinition, a capsule would not be updatedand would therefore limit the informationit contained. A time capsule that wascompleted at the end of the 19th Century,for example, would contain nothing abouttwo world wars; the development ofnuclear power for war and peace; theadvent of powered heavier-than-air flight;the development of the rocket and itsconsequent use for everything fromballistic missiles, to Earth observation, thecommunication and meteorologicalrevolutions, sending men to the Moon,exploring the solar system; the holocaust;astonishing medical advances; Russia’sfailed flirtation with communism; theadvent and consequences of masscommunication; computers; civil rightsadvances and women’s suffrage in theUnited States; mass travel, and a great dealmore.

Starting a colony on Mars has been onthe international space agenda in one formor another for a long time. The MarsSociety exists to help realize that goal, andso have any number of writers, includingJohn Noble Wilford, The New York Times’science and space writer, who made thecase in Mars Beckons. NASA has had theRed Planet in its sights since the agencywas born in 1958, and has sent a successionof robotic explorers to scout, starting withthe Mariner missions and then with theViking lander, followed by Pathfinder and,most recently, by the Spirit andOpportunity robots, Mars’ “happywanderers.”

Mars has captivated us because of thepossibility of life on it. As late as the 1950s,

“Earth’s solitary companion should be usedas this civilization’s safe deposit box.”


The Emperor’s New Clothes, Reduxby John M. Kilneberg

The title of this article refers to the taleby Danish author Hans ChristianAndersen, written in 1837. As youremember, it’s about a vain emperor whois persuaded by two swindlers. The conmen tell the emperor they can weave him awonderful cloth with the magical propertythat it’s invisible to anyone who is either“unfit for his office, or unpardonablystupid.”

They make a suit of clothes for theemperor, and all the ministers of the courtpretend to see it and exclaim how beautifulit is. When the emperor wears his newsuit in a public procession, everyoneapplauds (because none of them, of course,was unfit for office or too stupid). Only asmall child loudly proclaims “But he hasnothing on at all!”

It’s not just the difficulty of implementinga program so completely underfunded asthe Vision, but the attempt to do so withinexisting budgets causes irreparable damageto all other NASA programs. By pretendingthat this invisible suit is real, NASA isforced to back away from an amazing arrayof opportunities in aeronautics and civilspace that the Agency should be activelypursuing.

Let me give you some examples, basedon my own personal experience.

AeronauticsI joined the NRC’s Aeronautics and

Space Engineering Board in early 2003.My first assignment was to chair a panelwhich would perform an independentassessment of NASA’s Aeronautics

Our two most importantrecommendations were:

(1) The government should continueto support air transportation, which is vitalto the US economy and the well-being ofits citizens.

(2) NASA should provide worldleadership in aeronautics research anddevelopment.

The report was completed in November2003. The budget cuts continued, and bythe time I testified in Congress over a yearlater, in March 2005, the funding had beensubstantially reduced and the focus wasnow entirely on the basic science ofaeronautics, not on systems research. Atthe hearings, I took the opportunity toexpress what I really believed and said:“This program is a disaster. It is on its way

“The National Vision for Space Exploration is much like theemperor’s imaginary suit of clothing. Wearing this invisible

suit in public creates tremendous problems for NASA.”On January 14, 2004, President Bush

announced a new vision for the Nation’sspace exploration program, committing theUS to “a long-term human and roboticprogram to explore the solar system,starting with a return to the Moon that willultimately enable future exploration ofMars and other destinations.” The so-called National Vision for SpaceExploration is much like the emperor’simaginary suit of clothing. We pretend wesee it and we exclaim how wonderful it is,but there’s nothing there at all.

Wearing this invisible suit in publiccreates tremendous problems for NASA.

Technology Programs. My team consistedof a central committee and three panels,one for each of the component activitieswithin the program, and involved almostforty knowledgeable, well-respectedexperts in the field.

The committee’s report concluded thatthe Aeronautics Technology Programs werevery good. The array of research activitieswas about right. There were good plans inplace to carry out the programs. Theprogram was achieving much of what itwas established to do, and the activitieswere reasonably well connected to theusers.

to becoming irrelevant to the future ofaeronautics in this country and in theworld.”

This has happened at the worst timeimaginable. The air transportation systemis headed for a crisis, and NASA had beenin the position to help develop potentialsolutions when it abdicated itsresponsibility. The problem is that thecontrol of air traffic, on the runways andin the terminal area, now is performedentirely by controllers at their terminals onthe ground. The pilots are supposed tofollow directions, not make decisions orprovide advice.


The air traffic system is almostcompletely saturated. The only practicalsolution is to share decision-makingbetween the ground controllers and thehighly-trained professional pilots. This idearepresents a fundamental change to thesystem. Depending on an operationalagency, in this case the FAA, to developsuch a long-term solution is not realistic -they’re focused on solving today’sproblems. To make matters worse, someof the people on the ground are not preparedto accept new technology because proposedimprovements look to them like a meansof reducing future employment.

NASA’s response to this impendingnational emergency was to walk away fromthe systems activities in the aeronauticsprogram and to take the Ames ResearchCenter, their prime organization for airtraffic systems research, out of aeronautics.This was done in an attempt to free up fundsfor the Vision for Exploration.

Let me give you another example.

Space SciencesI recently chaired an SSB panel entitled

“Assessment of the NASA AstrobiologyInstitute.” This program is part of thePlanetary Sciences Division of NASA’sScience Mission Directorate.

Astrobiology is the study of the origin,evolution, and future of life in the universe.It’s about the study of life as a planetaryphenomenon, and it looks at the origin andevolution of biological life as well ashabitable environments. Astrobiologyprovides the intellectual and scientificfoundation for much, if not all, of NASA’srobotic solar system exploration missions.Understanding how life arose on Earth andhow it evolved helps define themethodology for searching for lifeelsewhere in the universe. Astrobiology iscentral to most of the science goalsenunciated in the Vision for Exploration.

During the course of our study, wediscovered that in spite of very favorablereviews by the NRC and almost a decade’s

worth of steady budget increases, NASA’sfunding for 2007 cut the Astrobiologyprogram’s budget by 50%. We were toldthat NASA’s budget for Astrobiology isexpected to remain at approximately thislevel in the future, with possible annualcorrections for inflation.

NASA declared that because of risk to theastronaut crew, they were cancelling theSM-4 mission. Although all the equipmentfor the servicing mission had already beenbuilt and paid for, this mission was notconsistent with the Vision, and the plan wasto re-allocate any funds that remained aftercancellation. At the last minute a roboticmission was proposed in place of SM-4,but it was technically beyond the state-of-the-art and eventually also would havebeen cancelled after being declared toohigh a risk.

I was part of a joint SSB/ASEB teamconsisting of two Nobel laureates inastronomy, three former NASA astronauts,several robotic experts from variousuniversities and other knowledgeablepeople in our field who were charged toassess various options for extending the lifeof HST. The committee stronglyrecommended that NASA commit to ashuttle servicing mission that wouldaccomplish the objectives of the originallyplanned SM-4 mission as early as possibleand pursue a robotic mission only to de-orbit Hubble.

As we all know, and fortunately forspace science, NASA eventually reversedthe earlier decision and agreed to servicethe Hubble with an astronaut crew. But ittook a strong reaction by the externalcommunity and a change of Administratorsto make this happen. At this time, a finalmission to repair HST is planned for latefall 2008.

Earth SciencesI became Goddard center director in

1990 and early in my tenure took a trip toNew York City to visit GISS, the GoddardInstitute for Space Studies. At the end ofthe day, I answered some questions andclosed with a short speech saying that I wasvery proud of the work they had done andlooked forward to supporting them in thecoming years. Nobody said anything. As Iwas leaving, I asked Jim Hansen, theInstitute director, why there hadn’t been

Our report contains the followingcaution: “the Astrobiology program entersits second decade with a major disconnectbetween the resources allocated to itsexecution and the important role ascribedto the program in NASA and NRC strategicplans.”

The same could be said for NASA’sprogram to search for habitable planetsoutside our solar system. Funding for thefirst major flight system that is a centralpart of this effort, the Space InterferometryMission, was reduced by 75% in 2005.Instead of going into Phase C/D the nextyear, the project was reclassified as a“technology only program” and its launchdate was changed to “unspecified.” It isnow very unlikely that this mission will goforward in the near future. And this damageis caused by the desire to re-allocate neededresources for the Vision for Exploration.

One other example in Space Scienceended well: the last planned mission toservice the Hubble Space Telescope,designated SM-4. In mid-January 2004,

As the current Air Traffic Control systembecomes saturated, future systems will beGPS based and rely on spacecraft like thisnew GPS-IIR launched in March. (Source:Carleton Bailie / ULA)


any response. He said: “John, you’re thefirst Goddard director who hasn’tthreatened to shut us down. And we’re stillhere. We just don’t know if we should berelieved by your position or really start toworry this time.”

GISS was one of the very firstorganizations to raise scientific questionsabout global warming and its causes.We’ve come a long way since then. Letme cite two recent news events asexamples.

The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was sharedby Al Gore and the U.N. IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change, a group of 2,000scientists from about 140 countries. Theyrecently released the key findings of theirsix-year study.

· Global warming is unequivocal.Temperatures have risen 1.3 degrees in thelast 100 years. Eleven of the past twelveyears are among the warmest since 1850.Sea levels have gone up by an average 0.07of an inch since 1961.

· About twenty to thirty percent of allplant and animal species face the risk ofextinction if temperatures increase by 2.7degrees. If the thermometer rises by 6.3degrees, between forty and seventy percentof species could disappear.

· Human activity is largely responsiblefor warming. Global emissions of green-house gases grew seventy percent from1970 to 2004. The concentration of carbondioxide in the atmosphere is much higherthan the natural range over the past650,000 years.

· Climate change will affect poorcountries most, but will be felt everywhere.By 2020, 75 million to 250 million peoplein Africa will suffer water shortages.Residents of Asia’s large cities will be atgreat risk of river and coastal flooding,Europeans can expect extensive speciesloss, and North Americans will experiencelonger and hotter heat waves and greatercompetition for water.

There was another interesting newsrelease a few weeks ago. The Ninth U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco,voided the new fuel economy standards and

ordered the Transportation Department torewrite its regulations for many SUVs,minivans and light trucks. The court arguedthat the new rules were inadequate, in partbecause they failed to properly assess therisk and cost of global warming. Althoughthe ruling is likely to be appealed to theSupreme Court, it certainly reflects thegrowing public concern over the issue ofclimate change. There also will certainlybe congressional action of some kind in thisarena.

Now that responsible people around theworld are trying to develop mitigationstrategies, now that small changes inregional consumption patterns will makethe need for precise measurements ofgreenhouse gases more important thanever, NASA is intent on decreasing itscommitment to research on climate change.

Historical Lesson – BuranLet me give you one last example, again

based on my personal experience. It’s asomewhat different, but important, point.NASA is trying to develop a new mannedlaunch system without sufficient funds forthe RDT&E. Because of that, the designsturn out to be similar to the old Apolloconfiguration. Setting aside the legitimateissue of whether NASA should pursue amajor program that doesn’t advance newtechnology, this approach can be a veryrisky one. The Soviet Buran Spacecraftmay be a good example.

The development of the Buran began inthe early 1970s in response to the U.S.Space Shuttle program. Soviet engineerswanted a smaller, lighter lifting-bodyvehicle, but the military pushed for a fullscale copy of the double delta-wing SpaceShuttle. The Buran crew at Baikonur toldme that this approach was deliberatelyadopted because, with their exceedinglytight budget, they needed to save RDT&Efunds by copying the US design.

The first and only launch of theunmanned Buran occurred on November15, 1988. It was lifted into orbit by the newEnergia launch vehicle. The life supportsystem was not installed. There was no

payload, and there was no software on thedisplays. The Buran orbited the Earth twicein just under four hours of flight andperformed a fully automated landing on thespecial shuttle runway at Baikonur. It neverflew again.

I saw this vehicle in a hangar inBaikonur during one of my many visitsthere to launch the Globalstar satellites onthe Soyuz. The flight vehicle was locatednext to a full-scale static test model thatwas used to measure loads and to performinterface tests with the booster. The flightvehicle was later destroyed by the collapseof the hangar roof in 2002.

Although it looked very much like theAmerican shuttle, the Soviet design had nomain engines since they were part of thebooster, and it was able to incorporate twogas turbine engines at the rear for poweredflight during re-entry in the atmosphere.The Buran could also fly autonomously,from liftoff from the launch pad to itslanding on the runway.

There were rumors that there may havebeen problems with the aerodynamics ofthe Buran, especially in the allowable c.g.travel over the entire flight regime. Butwhatever the reason, the program wascancelled in 1993, five years after thesingle orbital flight. The reason given waslack of funds, which was certainly a goodpart of the problem.

A view of the Russian version of the USSpace Shuttle called the Buran, namedafter the Russian word for a blizzard orsnowstorm. (Source: Dr. Vadim P.Lukashevich)


John M. Klineberg is a former CEO ofSwales Aerospace, president of SpaceSystems/Loral, and director of NASA’sGoddard Space Flight and GlennResearch Centers. Excerpts of thisspeech were delivered at Examining theVision: Balancing Science andExploration, A Stanford University andPlanetary Society Workshop, onFebruary 12-13, 2008.

I’m reminded of the old quote attributedto J.P. Morgan, when his neighbor askedhim about the expense of maintaining ayacht: “If you have to ask how much itcosts, you shouldn’t buy one.”

A Possible SolutionThe most straightforward way to resolve

the mismatch between public expectationsfor NASA and the Agency’s ability todeliver is to ask Congress for considerablymore money. Unfortunately, given the otherpressures on the Federal budget, thelikelihood of success in obtaining adequatefunding is not good. There is one otherpossible solution.

This October, the US will celebrate the50th anniversary of NASA’s founding.NASA was very much a product of the coldwar. The Soviets had just launched Sputnik,and we decided to send men to the Moonto show the world that our system wasbetter. The race was on, and we won thatrace on July 20, 1969.

There is no longer any reason for us todemonstrate our technological superioritythrough spectacular achievements in space.It is time for us, as the only remainingsuperpower, to accept a leadership role inaeronautics and space and to cooperatewith the rest of the world. Let’s go back tothe Moon together. Let’s work on the otherproblems together.

We are now finishing the constructionof a large, multinational platform in lowEarth orbit known as the InternationalSpace Station. We have joined with theRussians, Europeans and Japanese in acooperative venture that takes advantageof the financial and technical capabilitiesof all space-faring nations. We alreadyhave demonstrated that we can work withastronauts from other countries, that we canassemble, in space, modules built infactories around the world, and that we canuse Soviet launch vehicles and re-entrycapsules as part of the project. Let’s buildon this remarkable success.

The commercial aircraft that land inNew York and Los Angeles also fly to Parisand to Rio, Narita and Singapore. We need

an air traffic control system that works inall airports around the world. Our spacescience programs are very often plannedand executed in partnership with ESA,Japan and others. Astrobiology is aninternational endeavor with activeresearch centers and scientific

“We’ve already won the race to theMoon. Let’s go back there, this time

to set up a permanent outpost.”

the federal budget at $2.8 trillion, 4% forNASA would exceed $110 billion a year,compared to the current budget of just over$16B.

There’s no apparent national will, andthere is insufficient funding, to support theVision for Space Exploration. By trying to

organizations in Europe, Australia, theMiddle East, and Latin America. Andglobal warming is just that, a phenomenonthat affects all people regardless of wherethey live. It is a critical problem that canonly be solved by working across nationalboundaries.

We’ve already won the race to theMoon. Let’s go back there, this time toset up a permanent outpost, much asvarious nations have done in Antarctica.But this time, let’s take the Europeans,Russians, Chinese, Indians, and otherswith us. If we can solve the problem ofprotecting people from space radiationand decide to go on to Mars, let’s go thereas part of an international contingent aswell.

As a world economy, we can afford topursue the needed programs inaeronautics, space science, earth scienceand human exploration. There aresufficient resources in the world and wecan succeed if we all are willing to worktogether.

SummaryBut first, we must recognize our

limitations and the folly of the Vision. Atthe height of the Apollo program, NASAspent about 4% of the federal budget.There was a national mandate to gethumans to the moon during the decade,and other programs in NASA andelsewhere were put on hold. Today, with

do it the way we are, there is high risk tothe program itself. NASA is forced toabdicate its other responsibilities inaeronautics and in space and earth sciences.The entire space community is to blame,because we have not spoken up andexplained the issues thoroughly enough tothose making the political decisions.

The ending to the Hans ChristianAndersen tale is usually omitted in theretelling. After they realized what the childhad said, the people all eventually agreedand also cried: “But he has nothing on atall.” This very much impressed the emperorbecause it seemed to him that they must beright. But he said to himself: “I must bearup to the end.” So he and his chamberlainscontinued on. The story finishes as follows:“And the chamberlains walked with stillgreater dignity, as if they carried the trainwhich did not exist.”

Fellow chamberlains, fellow citizens,let’s not let that happen.


Seven Generations: A Re-Evaluationof the Paine Reportby Alex Howerton

President Bush’s Vision for SpaceExploration (VSE) is under intensepressure in this era of tight budgets andpresidential electoral politics. AviationWeek recently reported that a group ofscientists were to gather at a conference inFebruary. Hosted by the Planetary Society,the conference’s purpose was to discussoptions and alternatives to the VSE, whichcould be presented to the next president-elect.

Also, Jeff Foust recently reported in TheSpace Review that this is the critical yearfor the survival of VSE. He indicated thatNASA Administrator Mike Griffincommented that NASA has had to absorbalmost $12 billion in budget reductionsover fiscal 2005 to 2012. This is the criticalperiod of VSE implementation, making itvery difficult to successfully achieve itsstated goals.

Even though NASA has issued keycontracts, especially in the Constellationprogram, it is doubtful that VSE cansurvive an administration change,especially given the lukewarm support ofspace initiatives from both sides of thepolitical fence.

A Republican would be sorely attemptedto throw the bone of VSE to detractors, inexchange for increased funding for the warin Iraq or other pet projects. It is also aneasy, visible method for a new Republicanpresident to distinguish himself from theBush administration and appear to be areformer.

On the Democratic side, it would bevery easy for a president-elect to bask inthe glow of elder statesman and NobelLaureate Al Gore and divert any spacespending to Earth observation, seekingways to mitigate global warming. Science

and robotic missions would be emphasizedat the expense of crewed activity.

No matter what the outcome of thepresidential elections, VSE is an easytarget.

NASA tends to become a politicalfootball, with each new administrationdesiring to put its stamp on the directionof the agency. NASA activities are highlyvisible. Since Kennedy’s dramatic speech,NASA has been viewed as one of the bestways for a president to try to make hisstamp on history. Politics can oftenovershadow the vision, however; evenbefore we achieved Kennedy’s grandvision of landing a man on the Moon bythe end of the ‘60s, NASA’s budget hadbegun to be eviscerated.

Space spending becomes an easy targetbecause the public does not often see theimmediate relevance of space development.It can be unclear how such efforts canaugment other desirable activities, such asenvironmental monitoring and job creation.Moreover, NASA (and the space advocacycommunity on the whole) often does alackluster job of communicating thesebenefits to a wider audience. The result isthat space spending is usually in the frontof the line for the budget guillotine.

A Harris Poll conducted on April 10,2007 listed respondents’ answer to thisquestion: “If spending had to be cut onfederal programs, which two federalprogram(s) do you think the cuts shouldcome from?” The space program receivedthe sharpest blow of the hypotheticalbudget ax at 51%, followed distantly bywelfare and defense at 28%. This is thestate of public perception, even thoughNASA’s Fiscal Year 2007 federal budgetallocation was less than 1%, while defense

came in at 19%, and unemployment andwelfare registered 13%. It is nearlyimpossible to establish stable NASAfunding in this political and culturalclimate.

There is a potential route out of thisterminal problem of presidential politicsand public apathy for space development.In 1986, the National Commission onSpace released an astounding document,Pioneering the Space Frontier. Thisdocument is also known as the PaineReport, named for Dr. Thomas O. Paine,Chairman of the Commission and formerNASA Administrator. While this reportwas overshadowed at the time by theChallenger tragedy, it nonetheless remainsan excellent roadmap to the future for spacedevelopment. The commission was broad-based, bipartisan, and drew from manyfields, including science, public policy, andthe military. The commission spent manymonths conducting wide-reaching surveysand public forums to determine the public’strue interest in space development. It isinteresting to note that many of thecurrently most active space advocates arelisted as participants in the public forumsand as letter-writers. Even today, more thantwenty years later, the report contains clear,coordinated, and innovative approaches todeveloping America’s space future.

Many concepts advocated in practicaldetail within the Paine Report’s pages havenot advanced much since that time, due tothe aforementioned nature of space politics.These include earth observation andenvironmental monitoring, public-privatesector cooperation (we are just now seeingCOTS be haltingly implemented),development of space enterprise, reusablevehicles, self-replicating factories, closed-


loop life support systems, lunar andasteroid resource utilization, tethers fortransportation and power generation, solarpower satellites, and many otherinnovations. It contains a detailed,economical, phased approach to space thatcould lead to sustainable development andmany benefits flowing back to Earth.

One passage is especially striking,indicating that perhaps it is time toseriously re-examine this document, inlight of the battles over VSE:

Alex Howerton is a BusinessDevelopment Consultant withAmerican Aerospace Advisors, Inc.(http://www.american-aerospace.net/).He can be reached by email [email protected].

“Jeff Foust recently reported in The Space Review that this is thecritical year for the survival of the Vision for Space Exploration.”

“Should the United States choose not toundertake achievement of these economiesin launch and recovery capability, then theNation must face the probability that othernations will rapidly overtake our positionas the world’s leading space faring nation.The competition to get into space and tooperate effectively there is real. Above all,it is imperative that the United Statesmaintain a continuous capability to put bothhumans and cargo into orbit; never againshould the country experience the hiatus weendured from 1975 to 1981, when we wereunable to launch astronauts into space.”

A reengagement of the recommendationsof this amazing and comprehensivedocument could go a long way towardshort-circuiting the partisan politicssurrounding space development ragingbetween Republican and Democrats,crewed versus robotics advocates, andenvironmentalists versus champions ofeconomic development. The commissionwas carefully and conscientiouslybalanced, and many of the politicalstakeholders of the day have since passedfrom the stage. The recommendations of thereport are cogently conceived. Theyacknowledge a broad spectrum of agendas,and are eminently achievable.

Another looming travesty brought tolight by re-examining this document is the

loss of the opportunity of putting SpaceShuttle External Tanks (ETs) into orbit asuseful resources. The report, along withmany other early ‘80s space documents, isa strong advocate of such an approach:

In addition to these natural resources,there is a potentially valuable artificialspace resource that is now going to waste:the shuttle’s external tanks. At present, witheach successful flight of a shuttle, an emptytank with mass greater than the full payloadof the shuttle itself is brought to 99 percent

of orbital speed and then discarded to burnup in the atmosphere. The shuttle fleet’sflight schedule suggests that over a 10-yearperiod, about 10,000 tons of that tankagewill be brought almost to orbit and thendiscarded. At standard shuttle rates, itwould cost about $35 billion to lift thatmass to orbit. There are reasonablearguments, involving potential hazards andthe costs of maintaining tanks in orbit overtime, against saving this resource, but wefeel that so great a resource cannot beignored and propose that a new look betaken. We cannot set limits now on whatuses could be made of shuttle tanks in orbit;ingenuity and the profit motive mightproduce useful ideas. One obvious use isas shielding against radiation; anotherpossibility is mass for tether anchoring. Wetherefore recommend that the potentialvalue, risks, and costs of stockpiling shuttleexternal tanks in orbit be reviewed againin light of increased orbital activities todetermine whether preserving a largetonnage of fabricated aluminum, steel, andother materials is desirable in the next 10to 15 years.

While Gene Meyers and the SpaceIsland Group are still active, more thanlikely the Space Shuttle era will passwithout one ET in orbit. This willeventually be perceived as one of the

greatest squanderings of opportunities tohave occurred in American history. Thishas happened because of a lack of acomprehensive plan to develop space,exacerbated by the above-reviewedpolitical landscape.

George Santayana tells us “Those whocannot learn from history are doomed torepeat it.” The Iroquois Confederacycounsels us that “In every deliberation, wemust consider the impact of our decisionson the next seven generations.” A renewed

appreciation of the gift of the Paine Reportfrom the previous generation will help usfocus on building a sustainable future forthe following seven generations andbeyond. Taking such a broad view wouldnot only be incredibly inspirational,especially coming from the mouth of apresidential candidate, but would also goa long way to stop the inter-party, inter-agency, and inter-constituency bickeringover space policy. The alternative is towatch the VSE expire by the proverbial“death of a thousand tiny cuts.”

References:http://www.spaceref.com/http://www.thespacereview.com/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/http://history.nasa.gov/painerep/begin.htmlhttp://www.wisdomquotes.com/002322.htmlhttp://www.freedom-here-and-now.com/7glt/


AAS NEWS

The 18th Annual Space Flight Mechanics Meeting was heldfrom January 27 through January 31, 2008, in Galveston, Texasat the San Luis Resort Spa and Conference Center. The meetingwas sponsored by the American Astronautical Society (AAS)Space Flight Mechanics Committee and co-sponsored by theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)Astrodynamics Technical Committee. Approximately 193 peopleregistered for the meeting; attendees included engineers, scientists,and mathematicians representing government agencies, themilitary services, industry, and academia from the United Statesand abroad.

There were 133 technical papers presented in 21 sessions ontopics related to space-flight mechanics and astrodynamics. Thetwo special sessions on Lunar Missions and Analyses, and USASpace History, were well received and strongly attended. A specialworkshop on Lunar Mission Design was held on Sunday by JohnCarrico of Applied Defense Solutions, Dave Folta of NASAGoddard Space Flight Center, and Jim Woodburn of AnalyticalGraphics, Inc.

The meeting included several special events. On Mondayevening, the 2007 AAS Dirk Brouwer Award recipient, BernardKaufman, presented his lecture entitled “A PersonalRemembrance.” On Tuesday evening attendees participated in aguided tour of Johnson Space Center, followed by special dinnerand awards presentation at Space Center Houston. The eveningended with a guest lecture by Dr. Wendell Mendel on future lunarmissions.

A debt of gratitude is owed to the Session Chairs who madethis meeting successful: Jeff Beck, Matthew Berry, Dennis Byrnes,Michael Gabor, Jim Gearhart, Bob Glover, Felix Hoots, KathleenHowell, Alan Lovell, Don Mackison, Craig McLaughlin, BoNaasz, Frederic Pelletier, Ron Proulx, Hanspeter Schaub, PaulSchumacher, Tom Starchville, Al Treder, Jim Turner, MatthewWilkins and Jim Woodburn. Our gratitude also goes to ShannonCoffey for his support and assistance with website administration.

We would also like to express our thanks to AnalyticalGraphics, Inc., for the cover design and printing of the conferenceprograms, and for donated supplies and to the AAS Headquartersstaff for their support throughout the process.

Recap of Space Flight Mechanics Meeting

Thomas J. Eller John SeagoAstro USA Analytical Graphics, Inc.LLCAAS General Chair AAS Technical Chair

Frederic Pelletier Beny NetaJet Propulsion Laboratory Naval Postgraduate SchoolAIAA General Chair AIAA Technical Chair

Presentation of the Brouwer AwardGalveston, Texas, January 28, 2008

During the 18th Space Flight Mechanics Meeting a special ban-quet was held for the presentation of the Brouwer Award. Duringthe ceremony Dr. Daniel Scheers of the University of Coloradomade remarks about the award itself. Dr. Terry Alfriend of TexasA&M made remarks about the recipient, Bernie Kaufman. Dr.Tom Eller, of Astro USA, LLC., AAS General Chair of the Meet-ing presented the award to Bernie. Below is a summary of Bernie’sspeech.

A Personal Remembrance - Bernard Kaufman’s RemarksSummarized

Bernard Kaufman gave remarks after receipt of the 2007 DirkBrouwer Award at the AAS/AIAA Space Fight MechanicsMeeting in Galveston, Texas.

He opened the lecture with thanks to the committee for theAward, Terry Alfriend for nominating him, and Richard Battin,Richard Holdaway, Peter Bainim, and John Prussing forsponsoring his nomination.

His remarks summarized his career at the Naval ResearchLaboratory (NRL) and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)and highlighted programs and research he had worked on duringhis 37 year career in astrodynamics. These programs and research

Bernard Kaufman, Tom Eller, Peter Bainum, and Jay Middour (Source:Hannah Kaufman)


AAS NEWS

included: autonomous satellite navigation, orbit determination,lunar-solar perturbations, semi-analytic research, gravity assist,satellite disintegration, launch window analysis, star cameras,and perturbation analysis among other areas.

The talk outlined his career from 1961 until his retirement in1998 from his first five years at NRL, his five years at GSFC,and then the following twenty-seven years back at NRL. Thelecture was more of a personal history than a technical discussionand was presented on a light note. He shared stories of interestabout the development of the space program in the early daysand the exciting events in which he was involved.

During his first five years at NRL, he worked under RogerEaston, the inventor of the GPS system. The lecture outlined thecalibration of the Naval Space Surveillance (NAVSPASUR)System Fence using the ECHO balloon and the first orbitdetermination program that he wrote. Although crude by today’sstandards, the program was used for years.

The lecture further discussed the five years at GSFC, whereMr. Kaufman started his early developments in long-termpredictions of orbit lifetime and gravity assist. An example of thelifetime analysis was presented by its role in the serendipitoussaving of a scientific spacecraft. He also told a story of his earlyinvolvement in what was, at that time, known as the Grand Tour.He discussed how he wrote a highly accurate interplanetaryprediction program during this time, which he used for theremainder of his career. This software incorporated accuratemodeling for precession and nutation (possibly the first completeimplementation for this kind of application). It also included ahighly accurate eclipse model for all of the planets and the Moon.

On returning to NRL, Mr. Kaufman’s work encompassed awide variety of topics including some work in astronomy. Muchof this work was in classified areas and resulted in very interesting

Bernard Kaufman, recipient of the 2007 Dick Brouwer Award (Source:Hannah Kaufman)

and exciting work. The talk continued with events and storiesconcerning his participation in the NRL space program. Some ofthese stories involved the funny things that happened betweencleared and uncleared people involved in classified programs.

The lecture presented some details of the HERCULES cameraprogram at NRL, which was a hand-held, autonomous cameraflown on the space shuttle. It was capable of geo-locating thecenter of the image to within two (2) nautical miles. This camerautilized what was essentially the “go-to” technology of today’smodern telescopes, but was developed long before it appeared onthe commercial market. The lecture continued with a detaileddiscussion of the CLEMENTINE scientific mission to the Moon,which was the first return to the Moon by the U.S. since Apollo,and was the first of so-called “faster, better, cheaper” spacecraft.

Mr. Kaufman concluded the lecture with a brief description ofhow technology had changed over the course of the years, talkingin particular about the change in computer technology, butmentioning how the use of the two line element set had not reallychanged since 1959.Terry Alfriend introduces Bernard Kaufman (Source: Hannah Kaufman)


AAS NEWS

Symposium Honors Byron Tapley ofthe University of Texas at Austinby Margaret Baguio

For 50 years, Dr. Byron D. Tapley, principal investigator ofNASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)mission and professor of aerospace engineering at The Universityof Texas at Austin, has been an educator, a researcher, and avisionary who has made unique and lasting contributions to thefield of aerospace education and research. On February 1, 2008,a symposium was held in recognition of his 50 years of service atthe Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin,attended by more than 100 colleagues and former students fromaround the world. The symposium was sponsored by TheUniversity of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering and theAmerican Astronautical Society. Symposium presentationsspanned a range of disciplines that reflected Professor Tapley’sinterests and contributions in science and engineering, includingorbit determination and estimation theory, space mission design,space geodesy, oceanography, and relativity. The numerous awardsProfessor Tapley has received in his career include election tothe National Academy of Engineering, the American GeophysicalUnion Charles A. Whitten Medal, the American AstronauticalSociety Dirk Brouwer Award, the honorary doctorate from Delft

Mrs. Tapley (mother), Byron Tapley, and Sofie Tapley (wife)(Source: Anne Eller)

University of Technology, and NASA’s recent 2007 William T.Pecora Award to the GRACE science team for achievingexcellence in Earth observation.

Bob Schutz, Master of Ceremonies (Source: Anne Eller)

Christoph Reigber, Byron Tapley, and Tom Eller (Source: AnneEller)

Margaret Baguio is a Senior Program Coordinator for theCenter for Space Research, Cockrell School of Engineeringat The University of Texas at Austin.


AAS NEWS

AAS Education Committee Updateby Kirk W. Kittell, Vice President-Education

Here’s a quick update from the AAS Education Committee. If you are interested in the activities below, or if you would like to joinus, please contact us. Email [email protected] or join the discussion list at http://groups.google.com/group/aas-edu.

We need your help in various activities: judging student papers; acting as a mentor; sharing tips about upcoming space educationevents. All help is gratefully welcomed. It is also necessary to perform good work.

Be a Voice of Experience

Can you write four to five paragraphs about an important experience in the growth of your career, and then answer questions posedby students? If so, you should be a Voice of Experience. We need interesting folks like you with real stories to engage students on oure-mentoring blog.

Student Technical Design Judging

We’re looking for two flavors of volunteer judges:1. On site volunteers for DC-area grade school science fairs2. Electronic judges for an AAS student activity: Lunar Rover Design Competition, http://earth.seds.org/rovers. Later in the year, wewill need a few on-site judges in Pasadena.

CubeSat Workshops

In January, students and professors met at ESA’s Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands,for the Vega Maiden Flight CubeSat Workshop. This as the first dedicated CubeSat Workshop to be held at European level. Cal Polywill be hosting the 5th Annual CubeSat Developers’ Workshop on April 9-11 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The AAS EducationCommittee is in the preliminary stages of organizing a CubeSat workshop to be held before the International Astronautical Congressin Glasgow, Scotland in September.

For more information:* http://www.esa.int/esaED* http://cubesat.calpoly.edu

Finally, on the topic of CubeSats, if you have technical expertise in satellite systems, you could contribute regularly as a mentor forstudent CubeSat developers. The most recent question comes from the students of SEDSAT-2: “Is it more common to allow a chargedbattery or to require a discharged battery for a CubeSat launch?” If you can provide the answer, email us.

Space Days

Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign write to tell us that they will host Illinois Space Day, a one-day educationevent for grade school students on Saturday, April 26. See http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/iss/isd for more information. This is an event thatis inspired by the annual Purdue Fall Space Day (http://www.fallspaceday.com). You might also be interested in Lockheed Martin’sSpace Day, celebrated this year on May 2. Visit http://www.spaceday.org.

Do you know of any other events or activities? Tip us: [email protected].


AAS NEWS

Goddard Symposium Recognizes thatYesterday’s Dream is Today’s Reality

The 46th Robert H. Goddard MemorialSymposium was held March 4-6, 2008 atthe Greenbelt Marriott Hotel in Greenbelt,Maryland. This annual symposium issponsored by the American AstronauticalSociety and supported by the NASAGoddard Space Flight Center. Corporatesponsors included a.i. solutions, Inc.,Computer Sciences Corporation, LockheedMartin and N. Hahn Investment Banking.

On the eve of NASA’s 50thAnniversary, this Symposium broughttogether leaders in government, industry,academia, and entrepreneurs to considerthe history and current state of spaceexploration and commercialization, andcollectively discuss new plans andprospects for the future of humanity inspace. The theme was “Exploration toCommercialization: Going to Work inSpace.”

Goddard Center Director, Dr. Ed Weilerwelcomed attendees on the first day andintroduced keynote speaker NASAAdministrator Michael Griffin. Opening

Ed Weiler introduces Michael Griffin

Michael Griffin, opening Keynote Speaker,addresses the audience.

A. Thomas Young

by Dewayne WashingtonPhotographs: Courtesy of Chris Gunn/NASA GSFC

keynote speaker for a third consecutiveyear, Griffin remembered Dr. RobertGoddard in his presentation with a focuson “The Reality of Tomorrow.” Griffinspoke of the evolving symposium themesover the past 46 years from “strictlytechnical subjects to the broaderimplications of spaceflight for humansociety.”

NASA’s eleventh administratorhighlighted the achievements ofcommercial suborbital flight and spoke ofa need for NASA to develop strategies toengage the emerging commercial spacesector to advance NASA’s goals. He alsorecognized 2008 as one of the busiest yearsof space activity in Goddard’s illustrioushistory. Going to work in space for the menand women of Goddard this year includesthe launching of nearly a dozen sciencemissions.

The first day of the symposium includeda presentation by Roger Launius, Senior

Curator of the National Air and SpaceMuseum, who provided ‘Perspectives onthe 50th Anniversary of NASA’sFounding’. He reviewed images of theSaturn V vehicle at liftoff; the Earth andMoon from Apollo 8; the footprint on themoon; planting the U.S. flag on the moon;and a view of the Earth from Apollo 17.He recalled that the tone for human spaceexploration was set with the words: “Wecame in peace for all mankind.”

Other first day presentations includedWilliam Gerstenmaier, NASA AssociateAdministrator for Space Exploration,speaking about humans working in spacetoday on the International Space Stationand Space Shuttle. Tom Cremins, DeputyAssociate Administrator for ExplorationSystems, discussed NASA’s efforts tosustain a Human Presence in Space. LonRains, Editor of Space News, talked aboutthe international role in expanding human


AAS NEWS

Frank Slazer and John Marburger

Conrad Lautenbacher

presence in space. He cited the importanceof international leaders with politicalcourage. A. Thomas Young, formerDirector of the NASA Goddard SpaceFlight Center and President and COO ofMartin Marietta, currently involved withthe U.S. Space Program, provided theluncheon address. Afternoon presentationsincluded a History of the Vision for SpaceExploration by Stephen Garber and KenDavidian discussing ways to encouragecommercial space capabilities. Two panelsessions on the Emerging Space AdventureIndustry, and Spaceports and CommercialSpace Launches, rounded out the afternoonand were extremely well received by theaudience.

Dr. John H. Marburger III, ScienceAdvisor to the President, was the keynotespeaker for day two and recalled hisremarks at the 44th Goddard Symposium:“Questions about the Vision boil down towhether we want to incorporate the SolarSystem in our economic sphere, or not.Exploration by a few is not the grandestachievement. Occupation by many isgrandeur. Not necessarily in the sense ofpermanent human occupation, but in thesense of routine access to resources.”

F. Landis Markley and Frank Slazer

James Zimmerman and Frank Slazer

Marburger cited the need to craft thearchitecture of the exploration phase withsustainability in mind and a future wheresuccessors will reap the benefits of the newterritories after exploration ceases. Heemphasized the importance of enhanced

international collaboration to sustainhuman exploration. With regards to Marsas an eventual destination for humanpresence, he indicated that the currentpolicy emphasizes a step-by-step approachwith deep space exploration necessarily asa “journey, not a race.”

Sessions on the second day includedMoon Science by David Smith; Investingin Technology to enable future missions byLaurie Leshin; and a panel on Faces forthe Future moderated by Ed Hoffman. Thelunch speaker was retired Admiral ConradLautenbacher, National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA)Administrator, who spearheaded the effortto encourage world science and policyleaders to work toward a common goal ofbuilding a sustained Global EarthObservation System of Systems (GEOSS).

Frank Slazer, AAS President, presentedF. Landis Markley with a 2007 AASFellow plaque and James V. Zimmermanwith the 2008 Award for the Advancementof International Cooperation.

The afternoon sessions included apresentation by Dr. Frank Cepollina aboutthe Hubble Servicing Mission later thisyear. He emphasized the importance ofmodularity and tools in the architecture anddesign to enable repair and refurbishmentof past, present and future satellites and

observatories. Louis Lanzerotti, NewJersey Institute of Technology, spoke aboutthe importance of a Space Weatherpredictive capability, to protect ourastronauts and space assets. Dr. Jim Garvinpresented a summarized understanding ofMars and reflected on the results fromrecent satellite observations and Roverdata. Dr. Mario Livio, Head, Office ofPublic Outreach/Space Telescope ScienceInstitute talked about Astrophysics Beyond2020 and the pursuit of improvedunderstanding directed at the big questionsfacing us in astrophysics.

In a closing review, Wesley Huntress,Director, Geophysical Laboratory atCarnegie Institution of Washington,reviewed our plans, our resources, ourdestinations and our challenges to sustainspace exploration. This year’s symposiumfeatured three receptions including a Future


AAS NEWS

More than twenty students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign attended the Symposium. NASA GSFC arranged fora special tour of their facilities for the students.

Dewayne Washington is a Public AffairsSpecialist at the NASA Goddard SpaceFlight Center and a member of thePlanning Committee for thisSymposium.

Chris Gunn is a photographer for theNASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Leaders Networking Reception attended byuniversity students with the largestcontingent from the University of Illinois.

“From all we have heard, I believe thisto be our most successful symposium todate,” said Jim Kirkpatrick, ExecutiveDirector, AAS. “There was a good varietyof topics, presenters, national andinternational subjects and focus. We alsohad our largest attendance of Goddardemployees as well. I am very proud of allthe hard work of each committee memberand would like to thank them for a job welldone.”

PowerPoint graphics of thepresentations will be available on the AASwebsite.

Frank Slazer and Frank Cepollina


AAS NEWS

News for AAS Members

Call for Committee VolunteersAre you interested in being considered as a member of the 2008 Awards, Fellows or Nominations Committees?These committees will meet late summer/early fall and conduct their meetings by teleconference. The presidentappoints committee chairs, but the chairs need to select committee members, and are always looking forvolunteers. Please contact the AAS Office if you are interested.

Call for 2008 Fellows NominationsCandidates must be a current member of AAS with significant scientific, engineering, academic and/or managementcontributions to astronautics and space. In addition, contributions to AAS are considered. Selection procedures,nomination cover sheet and a complete list of Fellows elected since 1954 can be viewed on the websiteat www.astronautical.org. Nominations can be submitted by any AAS member, and must be received by the AASOffice by June 16, with supporting letters due by July 16. The Fellows Committee will review all submissions, andtheir recommended candidates will be sent to officers, directors and active Fellows for vote.

Call for 2008 Award NominationsEach year AAS presents awards to recognize the excellence and professional service of our own membership andmembers of the space community. You are invited and strongly encouraged to nominate worthwhile candidates forthese awards. Award descriptions, previous recipients and nomination procedures can be viewed on the website atwww.astronautical.org. Nominations will be accepted by the AAS Office through July 16, at which time the AwardsCommittee will review all submissions and forward names of recommended candidates to the officers and directorsfor vote. Recipients (and newly elected Fellows) will be invited to accept their award at the AAS National Conferenceand Annual Meeting at the Pasadena Hilton in November.

Articles for SPACE TIMESHave you written (or do you plan to write) a space-related article you’d like published in the SPACE TIMESmagazine? How about an opinion piece on a current issue of interest to the space community? Maybe you’ve reada great article that would be of interest to the AAS membership and could be reprinted. If so, please contact theeditor, Jeff Elbel, at [email protected].

Moving? Changing jobs?If you’ve changed your address, job, or situation, please let us know – you can call the AAS Office at 703-866-0020or send us your updated information online from the website. Don’t forget you can also renew your membershiponline.


NOTES ON NEW BOOKS

The Story of Manned Space Stations:An IntroductionReviewed by James M. Busby

The Story of Manned Space Stations: AnIntroduction, Philip Baker, Springer/Praxis Publishing, 170 pages, 2007,$29.95 USD, ISBN-10:0387307753.

A few years ago a friend from aneastern bloc country told me that theSoviets had put machine guns on a SalyutSpace Station in the 1970’s. I just laughed.Now I wish I hadn’t.

Phillip Baker outlines the history ofinternational space stations in his newbook. Although it is a small book at 170pages, he tells quite a bit of history thatfew have totally known before - like thefact that the Salyut-3 space station had amachine gun system onboard which wasactually tested in space!

The book is filled with facts andrevelations about the nearly century-longefforts at building space platforms fromwhich people could live, fight and observeEarth. Baker starts with the Nordungstation of 1928, and lists many of thedesigns that led up to today’s InternationalSpace Station. In this book, we can readabout other major space platforms thatwere attempted, like the USAF-MOL. Wecan read about the tests that led up toAmerica’s Skylab and Russia’s Salyut andAlmaz stations.

The writer even describes the SovietUnion’s attempt to place the Polyus space“battle” station in orbit with the firstlaunch of the Energia booster. The attemptwas ordered to fail by Premier MikhailGorbachev, who had just met withPresident Ronald Reagan. Gorbachev

assured the President that the USSR hadno plans for such “Star Wars” weapons!

Baker’s volume provides a concisehistory of mankind’s first attempts to makea home in earth orbit. While it lacks thedepth that many readers would like (I wishthat it had a bibliography for in-depthresearch), it fits nicely into one’s libraryand presents the essential facts about thesespace platforms. This content is verycurrent, and an appendix even lists themany future missions needed to completethe International Space Station.

Oddly, another appendix is about spacemission patches. It begins with ValentinaTereshkova’s patch on Vostok-6, which Idid not know about!

Baker describes the somewhatsuccessful Mir missions, but I found that Iwanted to cross index the dates and lengths

of these flights. Such facts are sometimesmissing in this book. Ultimately, this is auseful book that should be in everyone’slist of space station references - until abetter one appears!

James Busby is not a lunar spacecraftdesigner, but he played one on TV. Hewas the technical advisor for TomHanks’ HBO miniseries From the Earthto the Moon and played a pencil tappingGrumman designer in episode five. Hecurrently assists at the AerospaceLegacy Foundation in Downey,California, where retirees from NorthAmerican Aviation, Rockwell, andBoeing are helping to create theColumbia Space Science Center withthe city.


NOTES ON NEW BOOKS

The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook- aPictorial History of Lunar VehiclesReviewed by James M. Busby

The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook - aPictorial History of Lunar Vehicles,Robert Godwin, Collector’s GuidePublishing, Inc., 224 pages, December2007, $36.95 USD, ISBN-10:1894959698

I tried to get an advance copy of thisvolume, but the buzz was so overwhelmingthat the publisher said that it wasimpossible. Once I purchased it, Iunderstood why. As a child born just beforeSputnik, I have read most of the booksabout the early designs for ways to get tothe Moon. There have been some beautifultomes like The Dream Machines by RonMiller and The Spaceship Handbook byJack Haggerty and Jon C. Rogers, but theyhave always been printed in limitednumbers. They’re hard to obtain andexpensive. These previous books werebased mostly on press releases and publicinformation that was found here or there.

The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook cutsright to the blueprints. Most contractors getrid of their plans and blueprints after theylose a contract, since they don’t want thewinning competitor to know theirphilosophy of approach. I have heard talesabout how bosses would roll trash cartsby every desk within hours of losing acontract, telling the employee to trash thecontents of their desks … now! Thisprocess would leave not a shred of paperor a plan.

Robert Godwin must have been hidingin those trash cans, as he put those “lost”plans in this beautiful book.

I have seen many of these lost ideas inour little museum here at the former

Rockwell plant in Downey, CA, but I haveto say that I was amazed at what this bookcontains. Incredible concepts, plans, andphotos of early mockups grace the pagesof this book. I never knew that some ofthese designs ever went beyond crudeexterior drawings. Many of these went tothe mockup stage and even further - rightto the point of bending metal. Many werein advance development.

Upon reading this book, you willwonder whatever happened to our lunarbase, as everything was designed and justwaiting for the money to build the flyers,crawlers, landers, and bases. This is a bookof what could have been.

This is a wonderful book that you willwant in your library. You will recommendit to your friends who love space historyor those who dream of building tomorrow’sspacecraft.

The computer generated images thatwere created for this book vary in quality,

as the author was learning texture mappingwhile writing the book. The LunarExploration Scrapbook is large, thoughthere are some designs that had to beomitted to keep the price reasonable. Andhey - isn’t that my uncredited model onpage 62?

James Busby is not a lunar spacecraftdesigner, but he played one on TV. Hewas the technical advisor for TomHanks’ HBO miniseries From the Earthto the Moon and played a pencil tappingGrumman designer in episode five. Hecurrently assists at the AerospaceLegacy Foundation in Downey,California, where retirees from NorthAmerican Aviation, Rockwell, andBoeing are helping to create theColumbia Space Science Center withthe city.


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IN MEMORIUMMr. G. David Low, astronaut, space industry executive, and engineer, died of cancer at age 52 on March15, 2008. Mr. Low worked for NASA from 1980-1996, first as an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,and then as an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center. He joined the Orbital Sciences Corporation inFebruary 1996, where he was Senior Vice President and Deputy General Manager of the AdvancedPrograms Group. He was an active member of the AAS Board of Directors from 2004-2006, also servingon the Executive Committee during that time.

Mr. Low is the son of the late George M. Low, former NASA Administrator and President of RensselaerPolytechnic Institute. He is survived by his wife JoAnn Andochick Low, three children, his mother, twobrothers, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family suggests memorial donations in Mr. Low’s memory to the American Cancer Society or theAstronaut Scholarship Foundation, 6225 Vectorspace Boulevard, Titusville, FL 32780,www.astronautscholarship.org.


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