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1SPACE TIMES•Sep/Oct2014
THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICANASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETYISSUE 4–VOLUME 54
JULY / AUGUST 2015
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3
FEATURES The Blog of Christopher R. Cooper: Future of Space Exploration: Apollo Program and SpaceX 4 How will we move beyond the scope of the Apollo program missions? byChristopherR.Cooper A Roadmap for an Interstellar Worldship 9 The time to explore the unknown is now, but many challenges must first be overcome. Team Astra Planeta has created a conceptual design for a worldship and produced a roadmap for its launch. AnISUresearchteamprojectbyFergusRussell-Conway,MicahKlettke,KaranGujarati, JamesBevington,AbigailSherriff,AndersonWilder,MansoorShar,KyleAcierno,BrianRamos, Jean-FrancoisRococo,Chaitra,andFlorin-CristianLazar
TECHNICAL CONFERENCE 39th Annual AAS Guidance and Control Conference 18
NOTES ON A NEW BOOK Explore the Cosmos like Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Space Science Journey 19 ReviewedbyRickW.Sturdevant
2015 ISS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 20
AAS CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS 23
NEW AAS INSTITUTIONAL MEMBER 23
AAS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 24
JULY / AUGUST 2015
ISSUE 4–VOLUME 54
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
ElonMusk,CEOandLeadDesignerofSpaceX,ProductArchitectandCEOofTeslaMotors,andChairmanofSolarCity,speakingatthe2015ISSResearchandDevelopmentConferenceinBoston,Massachusetts(Source: CASIS/Austin Jordan)
ON THE COVER
6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 102Springfield, VA 22152-2370 USA
Tel: 703-866-0020 ♦ Fax: [email protected] ♦ www.astronautical.org
AAS OFFICERSPRESIDENT LynD.Wigbels,RWI International Consulting ServicesEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT J.WalterFaulconer,SGT, Inc.VICE PRESIDENT–TECHNICAL JimMcAdams,JHU/Applied Physics LaboratoryVICE PRESIDENT–PROGRAMS HarleyA.ThronsonVICE PRESIDENT–PUBLICATIONS DavidB.Spencer,The Pennsylvania State UniversityVICE PRESIDENT–STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH MadhuritaSengupta,Federal Aviation AdministrationVICE PRESIDENT–MEMBERSHIP TracyLamm,Space Center HoustonVICE PRESIDENT–EDUCATION LanceBush,Challenger Center for Space Science EducationVICE PRESIDENT–FINANCE PaulEckert,Federal Aviation AdministrationVICE PRESIDENT–INTERNATIONAL SusanJ.Irwin,Irwin Communications, Inc.VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLIC POLICY EdwardGoldstein,Aerospace Industries AssociationLEGAL COUNSEL FranceskaO.Schroeder,Fish & Richardson P.C.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JamesR.Kirkpatrick,American Astronautical Society
AAS BOARD OF DIRECTORSTERM EXPIRES 2015A.WilliamBeckman,The Boeing CompanyVincentC.Boles,The Aerospace CorporationSandyColeman,Orbital ATKDavidA.King,Dynetics, Inc.CarolS.LaneKimLuu,Air Force Research LaboratoryIanW.Pryke,Independent Consultant-AerospaceFrankA.Slazer,Aerospace Industries AssociationMarciaS.Smith,Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC
TERM EXPIRES 2016StephanieBednarekOrton,SpaceXRonaldJ.Birk,Northrop GrummanThomasF.Burns,National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationPeggyFinarelli,George Mason University/CAPRRobFulton,Valkyrie Strategic Partners, LLCRebeccaL.Griffin,Rebecca Griffin SpaceHalE.Hagemeier,Eagle Ray Inc.MollyKennaMacauley,Resources for the FutureKathyJ.NadoJohnOlson,Sierra Nevada Corporation
TERM EXPIRES 2017GaleAllenRobertH.Bishop,University of South FloridaMarkK.Craig,SAICLauraDelgadoLópez,Secure World FoundationKathleenKarika,Lockheed Martin Space Systems CompanyZigmondV.Leszczynski,VCSFA/MARSSuneelSheikh,ASTER Labs, Inc.PatriciaGraceSmith,Patti Grace Smith ConsultingDaveA.Spencer,Georgia Institute of TechnologyMichelineTabache,European Space AgencyGreggVane,Jet Propulsion Laboratory
SPACE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR,DianeL.Thompson
PHOTOANDGRAPHICSEDITOR,DianeL.ThompsonPRODUCTIONMANAGER,DianeL.Thompson
SPACE TIMES is published bimonthly by theAmericanAstronauticalSociety,aprofessionalnon-profitsociety.SPACE TIMES isfreetomembersoftheAAS.IndividualsubscriptionsmaybeorderedfromtheAASBusinessOffice.©Copyright2015bytheAmericanAstronauticalSociety,Inc.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.ISSN1933-2793.
PERIODICALSSPACE TIMES,magazineoftheAmericanAstronauticalSociety,bimonthly,Volume54, 2015—$80domestic, $95 foreign (Toorder,contacttheAASat 703-866-0020.)The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences,quarterly,printandonline(Toorder,contactSpringerat1-800-777-4643.)
REPRINTSReprintsareavailableforallarticles inSPACE TIMESandallpaperspublishedinThe Journal of the Astronautical Sciences.
SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
www.twitter.com/astrosociety
www.youtube.com/user/astrosociety
www.facebook.com/AmericanAstronauticalSociety
www.slideshare.net/astrosociety
Follow AAS on:
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
AAS–AdvancingAllSpace
LynD.Wigbels [email protected]
Iamhappytoreportthatthe4thAnnualInternationalSpaceStationResearchandDevelopmentConference–“GainaNewPerspective–wasanoutstandingsuccess!Morethan700attendeeswereonhandtohearaboutthelatestspacestationachievementsanditsroleinshapingourfutureinspace.SpeakersincludedseniorofficialsfromNASA,includingDeputyAdministratorDavaNewman,AssociateAdministratorforExplorationandOperationsWilliamGerstenmaier, ISSProgramManagerMikeSuffredini,ChiefScientistEllenStofan,andChiefTechnologistDavidMiller.AstronautCadyColemanledawell-attendedNewUserWorkshop.Leadingspacestationresearchersfromthecom-mercialandacademiccommunitiespresentedsomeveryexcitingutilizationresults,andaerospaceandcommercialindustryleaderslenttheirperspectivesoncurrentandfuturepossibilitiesthatthespacestationprovides.“Aconversation withElonMusk”kickedoffthethreedayeventwith4,500peoplewatchingliveonline,andthevideohasbeenviewedover114,000timessince.Onthelastdayoftheconference,attendeesheardpresentationsbyAstronautsSuniWilliamsandKarenNybergrightafterthefirstcommercialcrewannouncement.Videosandpresentationsfromtheeventcanbeviewedatwww.issconference.org/resources.php.AASwasverypleasedtopartnerwiththeCenterfortheAdvancementofScienceinSpacetoorganizetheeventincollaborationwithNASA,andwehavealreadybegunplanningforthe5thannualISSconferenceinSanDiego,July12-14,2016.
OurnextbigeventistheWerhnervonBraunMemorialSymposium,October27-29inHuntsville,Alabama.Thethemethisyearis“SpaceExplorationandDiscovery:ExpandingHumanKnowledge.”Registrationisnowopen,andwehopeyouwilljoinusthere.
AASispartneringwiththeAmericanAstronomicalSocietytoorganize“FutureinSpace”GoogleHangouts.July17markedthestartoftheserieswithadiscussiononthecurrentstateofexoplanetresearchandtheexcitingresultsthatmaybecomingwiththenextgenerationofspacetelescopes,includingJWST,WFIRST,andTESS.ThesecondeventintheserieswasheldonAugust14.“ForeseeingtheFuture:SpaceAstronomyinthe2020’sandBeyond”focusedonhowfuturespacetelescopeswillhelpusaddressquestionssuchaswhetherwearealoneintheuniverseandifotherEarth-likeworldsarecommon.
The11thStudentCanSatCompetitionwasheldJune12-14with42teamsfromtencountriescompeting–thelargeststudentturnoutever!FirstplacewiththehighestoverallscorewenttoAGHUniversityofScienceandTechnologyfromPoland,withTheUniversityofAlabamainHuntsvilletakingsecondplace.CarletonUniversity(Canada)wonthirdplace,whileMiddleEastTechnicalUniversity(Turkey)andSRMUniversity(India)tookfourthandfifthplace,respectively.SethJaiParkashMukandLalInstituteofEngineering&Technology(India)wontheTenderfootAwardforthehighestscorefromateamcompetingforthefirsttime.Congratulationstothesestudentsfortheiroutstandingwork!
Inclosing,IencourageallmemberstoconsidernominatingworthycandidatesforFellowsandourannualawards.Com-pleteinformationonsubmittinganomination,aswellaspastawardrecipientsandalistofFellows,canbefoundontheAASwebsite.ThedeadlineforFellownominationsisSeptember30andforAwardnominationsOctober31.
SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
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4 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
The Blog of Christopher R. Cooper: Future of Space Exploration: Apollo Program and SpaceXbyChristopherR.Cooper
Were the Moon missions worth the cost? Are humans doomed to Earth? (Source: SpaceX)
Myfatherhadhis60thbirthdayrecently.EverysooftenIhearastoryfromhimabouthow“thingshavechanged”intheU.S.Helikestodistillthe“things”toemotionslikehope,faith,exceptionalism;aninnocence.Ialwaysaskforanecdotes.Howhavewe“lostourway?”ThemeanderingexplanationleadstotheSpaceProgram.ThestorygoesthatApolloProgramwastheapex.Thatlosingthemomentumofchasingadreamaftershatteringtheneedresultedinaslow-growinglethargy.
Now,don’tgetmewrong.MyfatherlovesAmerica.He’saveteran,he’sworkedhardtobringtheAmericanDreamtomyfamilyhisentirelife.Idon’tknowifhe’srightabouthow“thingshavechanged.”Perhapsit’sjustwithtimethatwelookbackonhistorywithrose-coloredglasses.Nostalgiacanbeacloudysetofspecs.Still,Ican’thelpbutthinkofNormanRockwellwheneverthetaleisspun.Thefamilysitsaroundthebubble-televisionwatchingontenterhooksasthelatestNASAmissionisdetailed.Icanalmostseemyfathertherewithacowboyhatandaredwagon.
Thisthoughtof“innocencelostinAmerica”isn’tuniquetomyfather.Myunclesandauntslovetochimeinwithagreementwhenthey’rearound.Icanalmosthearsomeoneholdingbacka“kidsthesedays”comment.Itisn’tuniquetomyfamily,either.Infact,“Americalostitsinnocence,”vergesonrepetitivetrope.Ithinkit’salossofvision,alossofpriority.
Is the U.S. Spending Enough on NASA, is Space Exploration a Priority?
Perhapsthere’sanargumenttobehadwithspaceexploration,though.TheU.S.isn’tspendinglikeitusedto.IntheageoftheApolloProgram,NASA’sportionofthefederalbudgethoverednear3%insomeyears.Onaverage,NASAhascostabout1%ofthefederalbudget.
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5SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
NASAfundingistrendingdown.The2015budgetrequestisfor$17.5B,abitlessthan2014.Itrepresentsabout0.45%ofthefederalbudget.$4Bofthatisdedicatedtohumanspaceexploration.NASAisconsistentlyunderfunded,despitethefactthatthepublicoverestimatesNASA’scost.A2007studyfoundthattheaverageAmericanthinksthatwespendabout24%ofourfederalbudgetonNASA,orabout48x reality.
“From the Earth to the Moon” by Norman Rockwell, 1969
NASA budget as a percentage of the federal budget(Source: http://www.academia.edu/179045/_Public_Opinion_Polls_and_Perceptions_of_US_Human_Spaceflight_)
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6 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
NASA’sbudgetrealityhasbeendivergingfrompublicperceptionfordecades.It’snowonderwehavesciencecelebritiespan-handlingtothepublicoverhalfofapenny.
Neil deGrasse Tyson said it best with “We Stopped Dreaming”
NeildeGrasseTysontalksaboutamindsetinthevideo“WeStoppedDreaming”(https://youtu.be/CbIZU8cQWXc).AmindsetwheretheaverageAmericanwould“thinkabouttomorrow.”Theideathatwe,asapeople,wouldlookforwardtotechnologyadvances;thepossibilitiesunlockedfromresearchanddevelopment.Thatwe,asapeople,weregalvanizedtodreamaboutthefuture.Afutureinwhichwehaveinvestedforthelongterm.Thisisn’tafutureguidedbyquarterlyreportsorelectioncycles.It’soneinwhichweareguidedbyimprovingthehumancondition.Whentheguidinglightofexceptionalgoalsisreplacedwithmain-tenanceandstatusquo,dreamsareshattered.Theengineers,scientists,technologists,andmathematiciansoftomorrowneedtobeledbythevisionofexceptionalgoals.Withoutthem,scientificprogressstalls.Withoutadreamtopursue,wemortgageourfuture.
Benefits of NASA space exploration
TheApolloProgramyieldedanincrediblereturnoninvestment.TheU.S.hadreal,tangiblegainsfromtheinvestmentsmadeintheproject.TheprogramwasamajorsteppingstoneintofuturebeyondEarthprojects.HardwaredevelopedduringtheApolloProgramerawasusedinSkylab,ourfirstspacestation.Skylabproducedvaluableresultsthroughitssolarobservatoryandexperi-mentsperformedonboard.Skylabisjustoneofthespacecraftthatwouldnothavebeenfeasiblewithoutknowledgefromthelunarprogram.In1975aspacedockingwiththeSoyuzspacecraftoccurred.ItwasamajorsteptowardrebuildingrelationsbetweentheU.S.andtheU.S.S.R.ItplayedakeyroleintheendoftheColdWar.Avarietyofbreakthroughsinearlybreastcancerdetectionoccurred.Theaccelerateddevelopmentofintegratedcircuitswasmadepossiblethroughspaceexplorationresearch.Severalmajorspin-offsweretheproductofthelunarprogram.Therewererealbenefitsofspaceexploration.
Tysonmakesapointinhisspeechandvideo.Perhapstheoneinwhichthisentirestoryisbasedupon.Hesuggeststhathavingaculturalmindsetwherethepeopleareinternallyinvestedinthefutureenablesthoseverypeopletobringthefuturetopresent.Perhapsthat’swhatmyfathermeanswhenhesays“thingshavechanged.”
Maybethere’ssolaceinaplacewewouldn’thaveexpectedit.Traditionally,governmenthasbeentheonlysourcewiththeauthorityandresourcestobreachspace.Thatmightbechanging.Canprivateentitieswithcommercialneedsexistwithinthevacuumofspace?
3…2…1
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft (Source: SpaceX)
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7SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Ifoundmyselfanxiouslywaitinginfront ofascreenforalaunchcountdown.I’dsayI’mafanofspaceexploration,butI’mnotthetypetositaroundwatchingrocketlaunches.IregretnothavingseenaSpaceShuttlelaunchbeforetheprogramended,though.However,thisfeltlikesomethingentirelydifferent.TheInternetwasawashinexcitementforSpaceX’sDragonspacecraftlaunch.Itwasn’tjustthegeeksandnerds,either.Mainstreammediahadpickedupthestory,andElonMuskhadbecomeacelebrity.MuskfoundedSpaceXonthebasiseventuallyEarthwillnolongersupportourspecies.It’sadifficultconcepttointernalizeasit’saneventfarinthefuture,butitisinevitable.Atsomepoint,someonehastomakethedecisiontospreadhumanitybeyondEarthorourspeciesdieswithit.Acrosstheglobe,regularpeoplewereexcitedaboutspaceagain.
Myscreenhadlessofabubbleshapetoitthandidmyfather’sduringtheApolloProgramera,butIbetthefeelingsweresimilar.IwatchedthegroundcrewatSpaceXasDragoncompleteditsmission.YoucouldseewhatTysonhaddescribedinhisvideo.Iwasinspired.Theinternalizedgoals,desire,andfaithinthedreamtheirprojectcreatedwaswrittenalloverthefacesoftheyoungtalentatSpaceX.Theseengineers,scientists,technologists,andmathematicianswereburstingwithgenuineexcitement.Theyhadacauseandadream.
SpaceX Dragon leaving HQ (Source: SpaceX)
Justlikethem,Ifeltarushofexcitement.Itwasexcitementfortechnology,exploration;formovingthegoalpostfurther.NASAintendstogobacktotheMoon.Marsseemsalittlelessimpossible.OpportunityRovercompletedamarathon.Itwasexcitementforthefuture.
The Future of Space Exploration
HowwillwemovebeyondthescopeoftheApolloProgrammissions?SpaceXisdoingaterrificjobasacompany,buttothegeneralpublic,they’relittlemorethanagoodstransportservice.Arocket-poweredtractor-trailer.OnewhichisprimarilypaidbyapubliclyfundedNASA.
Therewillundoubtedlybemore:atractor-trailerthatcansupporthumans,onewhichcantravelfurtherintothesolarsystem,asystembywhichtodeliverapayloadtoMars.Ultimately,privatecompanieswillrelyuponpublicfundingtoreachunchartedter-ritorybecausethere’slittlereasonforotherprivatemoneytoparticipate.Aspublicinterestandfundingfades,sogoestherevenuesourceofdependentprivatecompanies.
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8 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Ifwehaven’tmadeextendinghumanitybeyondEarthapriority,oneday,we’llbeforcedoffit.AsmuchofagiftasEarthis,itwillnotlastforever.Ifwecanraisedesiretogooutandexplore — tostretchourboundaries — wemaybereadyforwhichevereventforcesusoffbeforeithappens.Ifwecanfindthataweinspaceexplorationagain,wemayavoidsittingontheearthlyTitanic,scramblingforalifeboat.
Wecanhelpbyraisingawarenessinthebenefitsofspaceexploration.TherearenumerousNASA-supportedinventionsandadvancesalreadythisyear.Wecanhelpbytellingourrepresentativesspaceexplorationdeservesatleastapennyonthedollar.Wecanhelpbybeingoutwardlyinterestedinspaceexplorationwithfriendsandthroughsocialmedia:theexcitementspreads.
Itwasn’tanApolloProgramorShuttlelaunch,butIwon’tforgetwatchingtheDragoncapsule’sfirstsuccess.Humanitystarteddownanotherpossibleavenuetoexpandamongthestars.Notunlikemyfatherdecadesbefore,Isatbythescreenwatchingandwonderinginawe.AllIneededwasacowboyhatandaredwagon.
Christopher R. Cooper is a web technology expert in Richmond, Virginia. He is founder and creative director of Daymuse Studios and an adjunct professor at The George Washington University. He writes for industry publications but also moon-lights as an eponymous blogger on topics such as technology, travel, and business.
This essay is a continuation of a post from 2009 detailing the Apollo space program cost. All SpaceX photos courtesy of their public domain gallery.
Originally published by @chrisrcooper on April 27, 2015
© 2015 Christopher R. Cooper
Opportunity’s Marathon Journey (Source: NASA/JPL http://tinyurl.com/nb8flxj)
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9SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
A Roadmap for an Interstellar WorldshipbyFergusRussell-Conway,MicahKlettke,KaranGujarati,JamesBevington,AbigailSherriff,AndersonWilder,MansoorShar,KyleAcierno,BrianRamos,Jean-FrancoisRococo,Chaitra,andFlorin-CristianLazar
Formillennia,humanshavelookedatthestarswithdreamsofwhatmaylayinthatdistantbeyond.Thetimetogoforwardandexploretheunknownisnow,butmanychallengesmustfirstbeovercome.TheexplorationofEarth’sgalacticneighborhoodwillrequiredecadesofplanning,research,anddevelopment.
Thisyear,AstraPlaneta,ateamof22graduatestudentsattheInternationalSpaceUniversityMastersProgram,cametogethertocre-ateaconceptualdesignforaworldshipandproducearoadmapleadingtoitslaunch.Theworldshipinthisstudywasdesignedtocarry100,000passengersoverajourneylastingupto1,000yearswhiletravellingslower-than-light.Thestudycoveredmanydisciplinessuchasengineering,science,economy,law,projectplanning,humanities,andspaceapplications,todeterminewhatstepswerenecessarytofundaprojectofthismagnitude,developandbuildtheworldship,andprepareEarthforsuchaglobalendeavor.
Figure 1 - Artist’s Worldship Concept (Source: Fergus Russell-Conway)
Figure 2 - Astra Planeta Logo (Source: Abigail Sherriff)
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10 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Theteamreportitselfoutlinesthedifferentchoicesineachdisciplinethatcouldbetaken,identifiesthemissiondrivers,thechallengeswhichmaybefaced,andthecriticalpathoftheroadmap.Theroadmapdoesnotassumethatcertainchoicesaremade;rather,itoutlinestherequiredpointsatwhichthedecisionsanddevelopmentsshouldbemade.
Thefirstconceptofgenerationshipswasproposedin1928byKonstantinTsiolkovsky.Formally,aworldshipisaself-sustainingstarshipthattravelsatslower-than-lightspeedsoverhundredsofyearsandisintendedforlarge-scalehumantransportationforextra-solarvoyages.
AstraPlanetaapproachedthechallengesfromaninterdisciplinaryperspective,consideringscientific,technical,societal,political,legal,ethical,andeconomicaspects.Thisincludedconsideringpublicoutreachandeducation,whichisacrucialaspectinsuchamomentousundertaking.Thefinalresultisaconceptandarchitectureforaworldshipmissionandaroadmaptoachieveit.
MethodologyAnominalhundred-yeartimeframeconstrainedthetechnologytocurrentornear-futuredevelopments.Identifyingapreferredconcept
ledtoalistofrequirementsfortheworldship.Fromthis,alogicalprogressionoftasksleadingfromcurrenttechnologiestothepreferredconceptwasdevelopedandthedurationforeachtaskwasestimated.Wherepossible,analogueswereusedandextrapolationwasdevel-oped.AstraPlanetadidnotsetouttoforcethenecessarytechnologicalandsocietaldevelopmentsintoahundred-yeartimeframe.Instead,arealisticestimateforthedurationofcriticaldevelopmentswaspursued,resultinginaroadmapthatrepresentsa160-yeartimeframe.
Interstellar Mission Concept and ChallengesAninterstellarmissionisacomplexandmulti-facetedundertakingwithmanychallenges.Itisimportanttohaveagoodunderstanding
ofthescientificimplicationsandbackgroundofsuchamission.Thisaidsintheidentificationofthekeymissionchallengeswhichinformsthemissiondesignandnarrowsthemissionscope.Themissionconceptwasdevelopedbytheteamtothefollowing5points:1)Multi-generationalWorldship;2)Singlevoyagetoonedestination;3)Self-sustainingoverathousandyears;4)Capableofsustainingapopulationof100,000people;and5)Destinationwithin25lightyears.
Todeveloptherequiredtechnologiesforsuchanendeavorrequireshavingadetailedknowledgeaboutthespacewherethecraftwillbetravelling,aswellasdetailsaboutpotentialhazardsthatwillrequiredevelopingandpre-testingprotectionmethodsfortheworldship.Therefore,theinterstellarmedium(ISM)andourgalacticneighborhoodmustbeexploredbeforeembarkingonaninterstellarjourney.Anunderstandingofgalacticcosmicradiation,hazardousionsandparticles,interstellardust,andnearbystellarsystemsmaybegainedusingthefollowingmethods:
•SendingprecursorprobesbeyondtheSolarSystem•DirectmeasurementoftheISMphysicalenvironment•Developingnewmethodologiestosurveycloseststarsandtheirplanets
Wefoundthatourmissionconceptpresentedanon-exhaustivelistofchallenges,butthosethatwebelievedtobethemostpertinentregardingtechnical,geopolitical,economic,societal,andphysiologicalchallengeswerethefollowing:
Technical:•Developmentoftechnology•Interstellarcommunication•Radiationandparticleshielding•Closed-looplifesupportsystem
GeopoliticalandEconomic:•Politicalandfinancialsupport•Maintainingfunding•Controllingonboardeconomy•Governanceonboard
Societal:•Culturalandethical•Language•Isolation•‘Earthout-of-sight’phenomenon
Physiological:•Radiation•Healthandillness
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11SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
•Recreationandphysicalactivities•Producingpharmaceuticals
Theteamalsolookedintodestinations;however,wefoundthatcurrentlythereisinsufficientinformationtoselectatargetdestinationsystem.Continuedobservationsanddevelopmentofastronomicalobservationtechniquesisrequiredtodefinethehabitabilitycriteriaforastellarsystem.Selectionofadestinationisakeydecisionpoint.
Thecomplexityofaninterstellarmissionplacesextrarequirementsonthedesignofaworldshipascomparedtoaconventionalspacecraft.Theteaminvestigatedsomeofthemorechallengingaspectsofthedesign,andidentifiedthesubsystemswhichrequirethemostresearchanddevelopmentfromexistingtechnologiesandwherenecessaryfeasiblenewtechnologieswhichwouldneedtobedevelopedfortheworldship.
Nuclearfusionisthemostsuitableandcapabletechnologyforpropulsionandpowerthatislikelytobedevelopedinthenearfuture.Energyfromthefusionoftwolighterelementsintoheavierones(e.g.,deuteriumintohelium)wouldbeusedtopropeltheworldshipandprovidepower.Otherpromisingtechnologiessuchasantimatterandinterstellarramjetsshouldalsobeconsidered.
Pulsarbasednavigationseemsthemostfeasiblenavigationmethodforinterstellartravel.Pulsarsemittremendouspulsesofenergyinpreciseperiodsthatcanbemeasuredoverinterstellardistances.Usingthesepulses,positioningcanbeachievedbytriangulationinasimilarmannertothewayglobalnavigationsatellitesystemssuchasGPSwork.
Figure 3 - Nuclear Fusion Process (Source: eteknix.com)
Figure 4 - Artist’s Concept of a Pulsar (Source: wallpaperswide.com)
Tofueltheworldship,assumingthepowerand/orpropulsionsystemsarefusion-based,alargevolumeofdeuteriumwouldbeneeded.ThesourceofthisfuelcouldbeJupiter,buttocollectfuelfromJupiter,aminingsystemmustbedeveloped.Asdepictedinthefigureoftheworldship,thisfuelwouldbestoredexternallyasafrozenball.
Figure 5 - Artist’s Concept of Frozen Ball of Deuterium (Source: Fergus Russell-Conway)
TheunitstructureisatorusinspiredbytheStanfordspacecolonydesign,but,theworldshipismuchlarger;therefore,atotalof10ringsareneeded.Eachringcanhold10,000peopleandhasamajordiameterofapproximately1700mandminordiameterofabout140m.The
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12 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Figure 6 - Artist’s Concept of a Single Torus Structure (Source: Fergus Russell-Conway)
Figure 7 - Life Support System Cycle (Source: Fergus Russell-Conway)
worldshipcanbespunat1.2rpmtoprovideartificialgravityintherangeof1g.
TheLifeSupportSystem(LSS)fortheworldshipwouldhavetobeaself-sustainingclosed-loopsystem,thereforetheprimarywork-horseofthelifesupportsystemisanecologicalsystem.Thesystemwillcyclenutrientsandorganicmaterialsandprovidefood.Traditionalphysical/chemicalLSStechnologiescanbeusedtosupplementtheecosystem.Inorganicmaterialscanberecycledbymoretraditionalrecyclingmethods.
Bothpassiveandactiveshieldingmethodswereresearchedfortheworldship;however,mostoftheexistingtechnologiesaredesignedforusewithinoursolarsystemandnotforwithstandinggalacticcosmicrays(GCR)orheavyionizedparticles(HZE).Onesuggestionwastouseacombinationofmaterialsinapassiveshieldingskin,i.e.,theworldshipskinwouldhaveanouterandinnershellofaluminumwiththeinsidecavityfilledwithwater,whichwouldhavetheaddedadvantageofself-sealingafterapunctureevent.MuchfurtherresearchwouldbeneededonthistopictoseewhatmightbeadequateintheISM.
Theteamhadanumberofpeoplewholookedintosocietalissuesandwhatdevelopmentsmaybeneededtoensureacohesivesocietyonboardtheworldship.Thepopulationoftheworldshipwillneedtobeselectedbasedonspecificcriteria,andtheymusthaveacompleteunderstandingofthemissionaims,objectives,andrisks.Thiswillimpactthetrainingpriortolaunchandtheinteractionsonboardtheship.
Thecultureofthepopulationonboardwillbegreatly,ifnotentirelydifferentfromthatoftypicalEarthculturebecauseoftheworldshipenvironment.WhereasEarthcultureisaveryfluidsystem,cultureonboardwillbeplanned,tosomedegree,accordingtothelogisticsofthevoyage.Physicalaswellasmentaloutletswillneedtobeconsideredaccordingtotheconfinesoftheship.
Medicalaspectsfortheworldshipwerealsoresearchedbecause,aswecanexpect,humansincreasecomplexityforanyspacemission.Advancementsmustbemadeintechnologyandknowledgetoaidhumansurvivalinthenewanddangerousenvironmentofinterstellartravel.Properplanningfor“outdoor”spaceandvirtualrealityenvironmentswillbeessential.Dependingonthesocietalenvironment,anestablishedeconomywillbeasimportantonboardtheworldshipasitisonEarth,andwillplayaprominentroleintheonboardgovernancestructure.Rangingfromchild-rearingtoproperdisposalofdeadbodies,anagreeduponsetofethicswillplayapivotalroleinthecohesionofthepopulation.
Communicationisthebasisforinteractionamongpeople.Languageisamainform,anditwilldevelopdifferentlywithisolationfromEarth.ThelanguagethatisspokenontheworldshipwhenitleavestheEarthmaynotbethesamelanguagethatisspokenafteritarrivesatitsdestination,andtheremaynotbeanequivalentlanguageonEarth.Religionisalsoaconsiderationthatmustbeaddressed.Religionisapersonaltopictoeveryindividual,sotheprosandconsofthevariousoptionsmustbeconsidered.Theshipmayallowallreligions,onlyonereligion,ornoreligion;thiswilldirectlyimpactthemake-upandselectionofthepopulation.Educationofallageswillbeaparamountissueforthesurvivalofthemissionandthecontinuedsuccessofknowledgetransfer.Maintainingpriorknowledgeandgainingnewwill
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Figure 8 - International Interstellar Fund Concept Logo (Source: Abigail Sherriff)
beoftheutmostimportanceforthepeopleonboard.Thehumanmindisboundlessinitscomplexity,andmanagingalargepopulationtravelingtotheinterstellarreachescomeswithinnumerableconsiderations,manyofwhichareunimaginabletotheEarth-boundhumansoftoday.Thesmallandlargechangesofthehumanbrainandpsychewillbeacentralfocusofthemission,andcognitivebehaviormustbestudiedpriortolaunchandmonitoredthroughoutthemission.
Agrowingtrendtowardslargersystemsofsystemsmeansthatprojectplanningisoftheutmostimportance.Giventhesizeoftheworld-shipandthelevelofinternationalcollaborationneeded,properplanningisnecessarytoensurethatrisk,financing,governance,andlegalissuesareresolvedinadvanceinthecontextofinternationalcollaboration.
Onenationcannotundertakeaninterstellarmissionbasedsolelyonitsownfinancialresources.TheInternationalInterstellarFundwillservethisfunctionandestablishitselfastheprimarybodyforcoordinatingfinancingeffortsforthedurationoftheproject.Initially,thefundwillconsistoftwentyfoundingmembers,whichincludetheleadingandemergingspacenations.Afterinitialfounding,thesecountrieswillformacommitteetoestablishagovernancestructuresimilartotheInternationalMonetaryFund.
Risksareaninevitablepartofthismission,includinggovernmentalandpoliticalfactors,alackoffunds,scheduleoverruns,andtechni-calfailures.Riskmitigationstrategiesareexploredanddevelopedfurtherinthefinalreport.
Figure 9 - Risk Matrix Concept (Source: Fergus Russell-Conway)
Theteambelievedthatacentralcitydedicatedtotheendeavorwouldbethebestandsimplestlocationtocarryouttheplanning,educa-tion,outreach,logistics,research,development,andothersuchactivities.Theycoinedthiscityasthe“InterstellarCity.”IntheInterstellarCity,individualsfromaroundtheworldwillcometogethertopushforwardthecollectivethinkingandprogressoftheworldship.Besidesincludingalltheinfrastructure,testing,andresearchfacilitiesneededforaninterstellarworldship,thiscitywillhaveitsownacademies,institutions,factories,andotherfacilitiesfoundinnormalcities.
Strongoutreachandeducationalprogramswillbenecessarytosupportfundingandtobuildasocietythatiswillingandabletocreatetheworldship.Theseprogramsarekeytoensuringthatthepopulation,societyingeneral,andfuturegenerationsareinformedabouttheprogressoftheworldshipanditsmission,andalsotoensurethatsupportcontinuesthroughouttheprogramofdevelopment,construction,andaftertheworldshipdeparts.
Crowdsourcedproblem-solvingplatformsmayprovideoutreachthatwouldalloweveryonetoparticipateinworldshipcreation;virtualrealityandgamingwouldallowyouthtoexperiencelifeonboardtheworldship;biospheresandoldtechnologydemonstrationprojectscouldbecomeclassroomsfortheyouthandpotentialpopulationmembers;creativeviralmediacompetitionswouldgenerateoutreachad-vocates;futureworldshipcitizenscouldmeetwithstudentstodiscusslifeonboard;andsocialmediamonitoringwouldbeusedtogatherpublicsupportstatistics.
Increasinglyconnectedgenerationsrequireflexibleandeasilyadaptableoutreachtoolstoallowuserstobeactivelyinvolved,andthat
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14 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
takeadvantageoftheindividual’spersonalabilitytodooutreach.Technologiesdevelopedovertime,aswellasoldertechnologiesdevelopedfortheworldship,willbefullyutilizedforthispurpose.
Interstellarsubjectsshouldbeintegratedintoschoolcurriculumswithintheeducationsystemintheinterstellarcity;vocationalschoolsshouldbecreatedwithfocusonspaceflightskills;worldshipmentalitieswillbeintroducedthroughrecyclingprojectandprogramswithafocusoninterdependencies;andfreeonlineeducationcourseswillensurethatpeopleofallagescanlearnaboutinterstellartravel.
Educationmustbothinformabouttheinterstellarmissionaswellasproducelearnersthatarereadyandwillingtopartakeinmakingitareality.Thiseducationalinfrastructuremuststretchfromearlychildhoodtoadulthood,andshouldincludeadvanceddegreeoptions.
TeamAstraPlanetacameupwithanumberofrecommendationswhichwebelievearenecessaryforthecreationoftheinterstellarworldship.Werecommendthatcontinuedmissionstoexoplanets,interstellarmediumstudies,andmicrogravityeffectresearchshouldbepursued.Thestructureshouldconsistofasingleworldshipconstructedusingmultipletoroidalrings.Researchanddevelopmentshouldbepursuedinnuclearfusiontechnology,alternativepowerandpropulsionmethods,activeshieldingmethods,gravitationallensing,pulsar-basednavigation,biological3Dprinting,andclosedloopecologicalsystems.Allcomponentsmusthaveanextremelyhighlevelofreusabilityandrecyclabilitywithinthedesignandshouldbemanufacturedtohighstandardsofreliability.Thismeansthatmoreresearchshouldbeperformedconcerningmaterialrecyclabilityinaclosedloopsystemovermanygenerations.Acultureofrecyclingneedstobeinstilledintheworldshipinhabitants,andshouldbefosteredintheselectedpopulationaspartofthetrainingleadinguptothelaunch.
Beforethelaunchoftheworldship,longerspaceflightanalogsimulationsandpsychologicalresearchmustbeconducted.Theeducationsystemsshouldincorporatesomeinterstellarcurriculumintothestandardschooleducation.WerecommendthattheinitialeconomicsystemshouldbeahybridbetweenplannedandmarketeconomiesandthattheInterstellarCityshouldbecreatedwithacentralizedcommunityandeconomicsystem,actingasahubforworldshipexperimentation,research,manufacturing,andgoverning.
AnInternationalInterstellarFundisneededtofundandfacilitatethedevelopmentofsubsequentinvestments.Werecommendthatin-situresourceutilizationontheMoonshouldbepursued,andthatthefivemainspacetreatiesshouldbeamendedtoincludeandengagetheprivatesector.Itisalsoextremelynecessarythatpublicoutreachandeducationalchangesshouldbeginimmediatelywithincreaseduseandmonitoringofsocialmedia.
Overview of the RoadmapNote:Thisroadmapisnotmeanttobeacomprehensiveanddetailedscheduleofeventsleadingtothelaunchofaworldship.Instead,it
outlinesthekeyinterdisciplinarydevelopmentsrequiredandidentifiesthecriticalpath.AstraPlanetaintendsthatitwillserveasaguideinidentifyingthewayforwardtomakinginterstellartravelareality.
Successfullaunchofaworldshiprequiresmanytaskstobecompleted.Someofthesearequitetechnicalinnaturewhileothersfocusonsocialandorganizationalaspectsoftheproject.Aswithmostprojects,fundingavailabilityisimperativefortaskstobeundertakenandcompletedinatimelymanner;thus,theestablishmentofamonetaryfundisthefirsttasktowardconstructingaworldship.Alongthecriti-calpathliethetasksofestablishingalunarbaseanddevelopinglunarmines,alongwiththetechnologyneededtooperatethem.TheMoonwouldprovidemostofthematerialsforconstructionoftheworldship.Oncethematerialsandconstructiontechnologiesaredeveloped,constructionofasingleringengineeringmodelwouldbeundertaken,followedbytestingandexpansionintoconstructionoftherestoftheworldship.Forthemostpart,currentlyprovenphysicsandtechnologiesaretheoreticallyfeasibleforaninterstellarworldship.However,thecapabilityofthesetechnologiesiscrudeandwouldneedtobeimprovedandrefined.Itisestimatedthataninterstellarworldshipcouldbeconstructedandlaunchedinapproximately160years.
ConclusionThedesign,constructionandlaunchofamulti-generational,slower-than-lightworldshipisamonumentalundertaking.Enablingthismis-
sionrequiresadvancementsinspacetechnologies,aswellasashiftinfocustomoresustainableones.Itwillnecessitatehumansdevelopingadepthofknowledgeabouttheinterstellarenvironmentinadditiontoanunderstandingofthemselves,bothpsychologicallyandsocially.Thisdictateschallengingthedefinitionofwhoweare,understandinganddefiningourplaceintheuniverseandonEarth,andrevisitingourethics.Internationalcollaborationisvital,makingeconomicandpoliticalchallengesequallypivotaltotechnicalones.Mechanismstoraiseinternationalfundsmustbeputinplace,politicalcollaborationmustbeproperlygoverned,andspacelawandtreatiesmustevolve.
AstraPlaneta’sroadmapdeterminedthat160yearsistheminimumtimebeforeaworldshipcouldbelaunched.However,regardlessoftimeframe,thelaunchofaworldshipwillbeconductedbyamuchdifferentsocietythanourown.Thissocietywouldbeonethatvaluesthepresenceofhumanlifeoutsideofourownsolarsystemandcooperatesonaglobalscale.Thesereasonsalonemaketheworldshipprojectaworthwhileendeavor.
NoteTheInternationalSpaceUniversity’s2014MastersinSpaceStudiesisanintense,multidisciplinaryone-yearcourseforpostgraduate
studentsandprofessionalsheldinStrasbourg,France.Thecurriculumcoverstheprincipalspace-relatedfields,bothnon-technicalandtechnical,andrangesfrompolicyandlaw,businessandmanagement,andhumanitiestolifesciences,engineering,physicalsciencesandspaceapplications.ThefullreportandexecutivesummarycanbedownloadedfromtheInternationalSpaceUniversityLibrary.Hardcopiesoftheexecutivesummaryarealsoavailableuponrequest.
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Figure 10 - Roadmap for Interstellar Travel(Source: Background Image - Fergus Russell-Conway and Abigail Sherriff; Roadmap Outline - Florin-Cristian Lazar, Chaitra, and Jean-Francois Rococo)
SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
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16 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
AWARDS NOMINATIONS DEADLINE – OCTOBER 31AASpresents awards to recognize the excellenceandprofessional service of our ownmembership andmembersofthespacecommunity.AASmembers(andnon-members)areinvitedandstronglyencouragedtonominateworthwhilecandidatesforthisyear’sawards.Awarddescriptions,previousrecipients,andnominationprocedurescanbeviewedontheAASwebsite.TheAwardsCommitteewillreviewsubmissionsandforwardnamesofrecommendedcandidatestotheofficersanddirectorsforapproval.
www.astronautical.org/awards
FELLOWS NOMINATIONS DEADLINE – SEPTEMBER 30MembersoftheSocietyarenominatedtobecomeFellowsinrecognitionoftheiroutstandingcontributionstoastronautics.AlistofcurrentFellowsandnominationprocedurescanbeviewedontheAASwebsite.TheFel-lowsCommitteewillreviewthesubmissionsandforwardnamesofrecommendedcandidatestotheofficersanddirectorsforapproval.
www.astronautical.org/members/fellows
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
8th Wernher von Braun Memorial SymposiumThe University of Alabama in Huntsville ♦ Chan Auditorium
“Space Exploration and Discovery: Expanding Human Knowledge”
October 27-29, 2015
www.astronautical.org
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17
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18 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
TECHNICAL CONFERENCE
39th Annual AAS Guidance and Control ConferenceBeaver Run Resort ♦ Breckenridge, ColoradoFriday, February 5 - Wednesday, February 10, 2016TheRockyMountain Section of theAAS is excited to invite you to the 39thAn-nualAASGuidance,NavigationandControlConferencefromFebruary5toFebruary10,2016.TheconferencewillhosttopicscoveringtheentirelifecycleofGN&Cforspacecraftandsensorswhilereflectingsomeofthemostrelevantandcurrenttopicsintheindustry.Inkeepingwiththedesiretobuildthenextgenerationofengineers,theconferencewillagainhostSTEMscape–anoutreachtoover100localhighschoolstudentsandeducators.
Asalways,AdvancesinGN&Cwillcontinueasananchorsessionandwillexaminethecurrentstate-of-the-artandthefutureofGN&C.Newfor2016,wewillincludetu-torialsessionsbetweensessionsledbyindustryleaderscoveringavarietyof“beyondthetextbook”topics.
Severalupcomingmissionsrequirealowthrustandahightotaldelta-Vcapability.Consequently,onekeyfocusareaforthisyear’sconferencewillcoverthehardwareandmissionplanningaspectsofemergingpropulsiontechnologyandwillincludeadedicatedsessiononInSpacePropulsionInnovations.Thecommunityhasalsoseenagrowthinmissionsthatrequiretheabilitytonavigaterelativetoanotherbody.Therefore,wewillhavesessionsfocusingonopticalnavigation,servicing,andencountersbeyondearth.
Asgreaternavigationaccuracyissoughtacrossavarietyofterrestrialandorbitalapplications,ourGNSSPrecisionPositionNavi-gationandTimingsessionwilllookatthestridesbeingmadetorefineprecisionandincreaseavailabilityacrossadiversesetofassets.
Theconferencewillhavesessionsaddressingourcommunity’sgrowinginterestinreducinglaunchcoststhroughbothhostedpay-loadsandinnovativeapproachestoalternatelaunchvehicles.Asourcommunityhasalsoseenpressuretoreducetotalcostsinpartbyreducingspacecraftandcomponentmasses,aforwardlookingsessionwillcovertheminiaturizationofGN&Ccomponents.
Continuingourtraditionofwelcomingthosenewtotheindustryandbasedonthestellarpresentationsoverthelastthreeyears,StudentInnovationsinGN&Cwillfeatureastudentcompetitionwithscholarshipprizes.Afterlookingforwardtothegreatemerg-ingworkofthestudents,wewilldoaretrospectiveofthechallengesfacedbyourpioneersinGN&C.Wrappinguptheconfer-encewillbeRecentExperiences,atraditionalsessionwithcandidrevelationsofthesuccessesandfailures,trials,andtribulationsencounteredbyyourcolleaguesinthespaceindustry.
TheconferencewillagainhavetwoClassifiedSessionsonAdvancesinGN&CandRecentExperiencesatthebeginningoftheconferenceforparticipantswhohaveproperclearances.ThissessionoffersauniqueopportunitytoshareandnetworkatalevelnotusuallyavailabletomanyinourGN&Ccommunity.Mondayeveningtheconferencewillhostanetworkingopportunity.FamilyeventsincludetheperennialfavoriteTechnicalExhibitsandbuffetonSaturdaynight.Thisisagreatopportunitytosocializewithfriendsandcolleagues.Ourdiverseattendanceandagendaoffersinteractionwithindustry,government,andacademiapersonnelandstate-of-the-arttechnology.
Bothnewandveteranconferenceattendeeswillappreciatetheexpandedtechnicalcontentfeaturedthisyear.Inadditiontothepaperpresentations,adailyPosterSessionwillbeintegratedwithandhighlightedduringtheconference.
Abstracts are due by September 2, 2015.PaperandposterabstractsmaybesubmittedontheGN&CConferencewebsiteathttp://www.aas-rocky-mountain-section.org/.Theconferencewebsitealsocontainsthefullconferencescheduleaswellasregis-trationandlodginginformation.
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19SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
NOTES ON A NEW BOOK
Explore the Cosmos like Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Space Science Journey byCAP Saucier. Amherst, New York:PrometheusBooks, 2015.178pages.ISBN 9781633880146. US $14.99(paperback, illustrations, notes,glossary,bibliographyindex).
Without a doubt, astrophysicistNeil deGrasse Tyson, director ofthe Hayden Planetarium, has filledthe void left by the passing in 1996of astronomer Carl Sagan. Notwo scientists have done more topopularize the study of outer space,andTysonhasexpandedhis audiencebyusingtechnologySagancouldonlyhaveimagined.Beyondcosmologicalbooks and television documentaries,Tyson is in his sixth year of hostinga radio show and podcast called“StarTalk,” communicates with3.5 million followers via Twitter,and recently began hosting a late-night talk showabout scienceon theNational Geographic Channel. Heunabashedly seeks to blend comedy,popular culture, and science to getaudiences to understandhow scienceis at work everywhere in their lives.AsonemeasureofTyson’sbeingthepreeminent science communicatorof the early twenty-first century,the National Academy of Sciencesbestowed on him its highest, annualaward – the 2015 Public WelfareMedal.Now,inabiographytitledExplore
the Cosmos like Neil deGrasse Tyson,author CAP Saucier engages readers
Explore the Cosmos like Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Space Science JourneyReviewedbyRickW.Sturdevant
ages8-12withthestoryofhowaboyinNewYorkCitybecame fascinatedby the heavens, which he viewedthrough a telescope from the rooftopof his family’s apartment building.As youngsters follow Tyson’seducational and career development,Saucierskillfullyinterlacesquotationsfrom Tyson, heavy doses of currentinformation about the universe, andexplanations of the space-relatedsciences. An ample sprinkling ofspectacularly colorful cosmic imagesand other photographs renders thebookwellsuitedtovisuallearners.Saucier’s emphasis on Neil’s
enjoyment of humanities coursesand athletics as an undergraduate atHarvardtemperswhatevertendenciessomereadersmighthave to label the
Dr. Rick W. Sturdevant is an AAS Fellow and deputy director of history for Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
budding scientist as a nerd. Tysoncomesacrossasatalented,fun-lovinghuman being, not someone fixatedon a blackboard full of equationsor cloistered in a sterile laboratory.Nonetheless, Saucier clearly deliversthe message that one cannot be anastrophysicist without a substantialimmersioninscienceandmathematics.At a time when the United States
desperately needs to attract morestudents toward science, technology,engineering, and mathematics(STEM)courses,Explore the Cosmosrepresents one small tool. Parentsand teachers alike might find thisbook just the ticket for encouragingtheir children to develop a passionfor learning more about all thingsscientific.SomeofthosereadersmightevenadoptNeildeGrasseTysonasarolemodel,perhapsaspiringtobecomescientists themselves. If members ofthe American Astronautical Societyreally want to succeed in promotingSTEMeducation,findingwaystoputSaucier’sbookinthehandsofeager-to-learnyoungstersseemsworthwhile.Inaddition,encouragingotherauthorsto write STEM-related books foryoungreadersmightbeagoodidea.
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20 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
2015 ISS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
Snapshots of the 4th ISS Research and Development Conference(Photos courtesy of CASIS/Austin Jordan)
We greatly appreciate the support of the following sponsors who
made this event possible.
PLATINUMTheBoeingCompany
GOLDOrbitalATK
SILVERFedEx®SpaceSolutionsSierraNevadaCorporationUnitedLaunchAlliance
MARKETPLACEAirbusDSSpaceServicesInc.
CSS-DynamacEclipticEnterprisesCorporation
Fish&RichardsonHNu-Photonics
KentuckySpace/SpaceTangoLockheedMartin
NanoRacksSpaceVirtualReality
Techshot,Inc.TeledyneBrownEngineering
ZINTechnologies
BioServeSpaceTechnologiesBoyScoutsofAmerica-ChicagoLandCouncil
EliLillyMassachusettsLifeSciencesCenter
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21SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Save the Date!July 12-14, 2016
5th International Space StationResearch and Development
ConferenceSan Diego, California
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22 SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
Join the American Astronautical Societyor renew or update your membership online at
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23SPACE TIMES•July-August2015
AAS CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS
a.i. solutions, Inc. Aerojet Rocketdyne The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace Industries Association Analytical Graphics, Inc. Applied Defense Solutions, Inc. Arianespace Auburn University Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. The Boeing Company CASIS Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) Dynetics, Inc. Edge Space Systems, Inc. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. International Space University Jet Propulsion Laboratory JHU / Applied Physics Laboratory KinetX, Inc. Lockheed Martin Corporation Marquette University Northrop Grumman
AAS Corporate and Institutional Members Orbital ATK The Pennsylvania State University Phillips & Company Qwaltec RWI International Consulting Services SAIC SGT, Inc. Sierra Nevada Corporation Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC Space Dynamics Lab / Utah State University SpaceX The Tauri Group Texas A&M University United Launch Alliance Univelt, Inc. University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Florida University of South Florida University of Strathclyde, Glasgow University of Texas at Austin Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority /
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Women in Aerospace
Thank you for your continued support!
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Welcome New AAS Institutional Member
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24 SPACE TIMES•Sep/Oct2014SPACE TIMES•July/August2013
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2015-2016 Schedule of EventsSeptember15-18,2015AMOS - Advanced Maui Optical & SpaceSurveillance Technologies ConferenceWaileaMarriottMaui,Hawaiiwww.amostech.com
September26,2015Explore@NASAGoddard Open HouseNASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenterGreenbelt,Marylandwww.nasa.gov/explorenasagoddard
October12-16,2015International Astronautical Congress (IAC)Jerusalem,Israelwww.iac2015.org
October27-29,2015Wernher von Braun Memorial SymposiumTheUniversityofAlabamainHuntsvilleChanAuditorium,BusinessAdministrationBuildingHuntsville,Alabamawww.astronautical.org
February5-10,2016AAS Guidance and Control ConferenceBeaverRunResortBreckenridge,Coloradowww.aas-rocky-mountain-section.org
February14-18,2016AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics MeetingEmbassySuitesNapaValleyNapa,Californiawww.space-flight.orgABSTRACT DEADLINE: October 19, 2015
March8-10,2016Robert H. Goddard Memorial SymposiumGreenbeltMarriottGreenbelt,Maryland
July12-14,2016International Space Station (ISS) Research and Development ConferenceTownandCountryResort&ConventionCenterSanDiego,California
www.facebook.com/AmericanAstronauticalSociety www.twitter.com/astrosociety www.youtube.com/user/astrosociety
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