Thursday, October 2

"Sputnik: The First Man Made Earth Satellite"

by Andrew LePage

Forty years ago the Soviet Union shocked the world and began the Space Age with the launching of the first satellite, Sputnik. America's response to this launch not only led to the Space Race which culminated with the first Moon landing in 1969, but also spurred the development of comsats, metsats, recon sats, microcomputers, and a host of other technologies that we take for granted today. The launching of Sputnik also heralded the arrival of the world's first ICBM and started an arms race whose remnants still threaten our survival today. The repercussions of this single event have influenced the course of human history ever since.
     With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many details of the Sputnik story have finally come to light. Using a collection of rarely seen photographs of the men and machines, local spaceflight historian and writer Andrew LePage retells the story of the development of the Soviet's first satellite, the rocket that sent it into orbit, and Sputnik's lasting legacy.

Carl Sagan said it's either space exploration or extinction for the human race. SEDS came up with the slogan "explore or die." At the September meeting of the Boston NSS chapter Larry Klaes, chapter vice president, discussed why humanity must conquer space or die trying, and how to promote space.
     The first reason is pure survival. If the human race stays on one planet, we're in big trouble. An asteroid or something else could come along and wipe us out. Carl Sagan said earth is a "pale blue dot." We need to land on a few more blue dots and put humanity's eggs in more than one basket.
     Life needs to reproduce. Socially and culturally we need to progress. Seeing the round earth from space was a big thing when it first happened. There is much more in space which can uplift mankind. Materially needs and wants can be addressed as well. We are surrounded by the resources of space.
     Given that space is so important, why aren't more people involved? Klaes postulated that most people don't care because that don't know. If more people knew how wonderful the real universe is, they'd flock to space and science. In an anecdote from Sky and Telescope, an amateur astronomer showed a neighbor the moon through a telescope. "Do people know about this?" the neighbor wondered. People do get excited about astronomy and space when shown that planets are visible in the sky and comets come into view.
     Klaes handed out a kit to help space enthusiasts introduce space and astronomy to people. He stressed that it must be fun. We need to add a touch of Hollywood, some glitter and glitz to our educational effort. Cheap access to space is very important, but it's not how to attract people outside the current space community. We need big projects.
     Another problem is that people get the wrong ideas from what is presented to them. Star Trek makes it look like the stars are next door, but the nearest star is twenty-five trillion miles away. Voyager would take 80,000 years to get there. At one grain per star, it would take 10,000 boxes of salt to equal one average size galaxy. A powers of ten movie graphically portrayed the immensity and wonder of the universe.
     What can the Boston chapter of NSS do? The British Interplanetary Society did two projects which made quite an impact. In the thirties they did a lunar landing study, and more recently the Daedalus starship project. The chapter needs to do a big project like this to create excitement.

Philadelphia Area Space Alliance:
by Jay Haines

PASA regular business luncheon and formal meeting from 1-3 pm, the third Saturday of every month at Smart Alex Restaurant, Sheraton University City, 35th & Chestnut. 2 hours free parking with validation.
     Scheduled PASA activities: Oct. 18th regular monthly meeting at Smart Alex. Nov. 14-16th PASA presence at Philcon. (See below.) Dec. 13th (N.B., 2nd Sat.) regular monthly meeting at Smart Alex. Call Dottie for details.
     Sept. 6th Meeting Report: Hank Spencer reported on Philcon '97: PASA will have a display table and do a presentation at Philcon '97, Nov. 14-16th, at the Adam's Mark Hotel on City Line Ave. All are invited to assist at the display table starting Friday evening through Sun., as your schedule permits. Philcon registration: $35 until Oct. 20, $40 after. 215/957-4004, PO Box 8303, Phila. 19101, www.netaxs.com/~philcon, philcon@netaxs.com.
     Michelle Baker, Earl Bennett, Jim Chestek, Mitch Gordon, and Jay Haines are planning to participate in the presentation, which is likely to take place late morning or early afternoon on Sat., Nov. 15th. Contact Dottie for conformation of presentation day and time, or to participate at the table.
     Hank reported on other science fiction conventions with prominent NSS special guests: 1998 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Baltimore w/C.J. Cherryh. (Attending membership gives you the opportunity to vote for Philadelphia as the site of the 2001 Worldcon.) $110 until 9/30, $130 after, bucconeer@bucconeer.worldcon.org, www.bucconeer.worldcon.org, 301/474-8237 (fax). 1999 North American SFC in Anaheim w/Jerry Pornelle, 2000 Worldcon in Chicago w/Ben Bova.
     Michelle Baker reported on the 9/97 Scientific American article "Buck Rogers, CEO" on space ventures, and on the SpaceViews electronic newsletter. Dottie Kurtz reported that the Shorecon in Cherry Hill is anxious to have us participate.

Oklahoma Space Alliance:
by John Northcutt

The Oklahoma Space Alliance met at 2:30 p.m. Sat. Aug. 23rd at the Aerospace Science and Education Center meeting place at Shepherd Mall. Some members heard the radio ad for the meeting on the floppy talk program just before the meeting started. The ad ran about a week before the meeting. Meeting was opened by President Syd Henderson, also present were Claire Stephens, Dana Blake, John Northcutt, Tom Koszoru, and 1st time visitor Sherif Lepi.
     We welcomed visitor Sherif Lepi, a retired Air Force Radar and Computer Consultant, who heard about the meeting on the radio.
     News from the National office, David Brandt is on paid leave, and acting National NSS director is Pat Dasch until October. Other news included word the Cassini Rocket launch is a month or two away and may be picketed by people afraid of the Plutonium in the mission power system.
     Standard reminder/ The Space Development Conference in 1999 in Houston, is still being planned, and we - our Oklahoma Space Alliance Chapter- has promised to man the registration Desks at that event on Memorial Day, 1999.
     Next Weekend the San Antonio World Science Fiction Convention is scheduled Aug. 30-31st. Tim Scott and Claire Stephens are 2 members who have plans to attend.
     Correction on the display offer from the Tulsa Air and Space Center for our group OSA to prepare a Display at their complex. The display area would be 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide (not 8 feet wide as previously reported). There was some discussion on what we could put in such a display and what it would look like.
     We played the audio tape of Dr. Robert Zubrin's plan to get an expedition to Mars based on his new book, "The Case for Mars" by the Free Press.
     The secretary was asked to write a letter to Freda Deskin, the Director of the Aerospace Science & Technology Education Center, to thank her for the use of the center for our meeting. That letter is delayed, but should go out in the mail on 9-16-97.
     After a quick tour of the Aerospace Science and Education Center and the full size space shuttle mockup, the meeting was adjourned. There was some discussion of having the meeting at the same place next time.

Memphis Space Society Meeting
by Richard McNeil

Visit Richard McNeil's place on Sunday, Oct 12 !
     Richard and Margaret McNeil are sponsoring a friendly afternoon get together for members and friends of the Memphis Space Society. Beginning at 2pm on Sunday, Oct 12, we will have some light refreshments. If anyone wishes to bring a favorite beverage or some snack to share, that would be fine, but you are not expected to.
     The purpose of this meeting is to get to know your fellow MSS members better, to informally discuss things that we are interested in, and to have a relaxing time together.
     Please bring your family and friends. Because it is always so hard to know ahead of time how many folks may come to an event like this, Margaret & I would appreciate an e-mail, or a phone call to 363-6067, by Friday, Oct 10, to let us know if you are coming, and how many folks will be coming with you.

The National Space Society's New York Chapter had a great time last Saturday (Sept. 20) showing the media and the anti-Cassini crowd that Cassini and the future of space exploration have grassroots supporters willing to come out and protest against those who would shut it all down.
     We now need as many space activists as possible to come out to the White House rally next Sunday (9/28) to make that point even more strongly. Our numbers for D.C. are building, but we need *everyone* to come out, get energized, and show these people we mean business! [Ed. Note: see following statement by on the results of the D.C. rally.]
     In New York, a dozen space activists set up a large banner reading "Cassini is GO!" across the street from the anti-Cassini rally near the United Nations. We also passed out hundreds of flyers based on the "talking points" on the NSS Web Page, and presented our side, from a grassroots viewpoint, to attending media looking for our side of the story.
     The "anti" rally numbered several hundred people. The speakers at the rally, and the literature being passed out, demonstrated the tremendous disinformation being peddled by the anti-Cassini interests. A number of the "anti" speakers spoke urgently about the need to end space exploration altogether, to applause from the crowd.
     One of the best things we did was to speak with sincere protestors who came to our side to ask why ordinary people like us would support Cassini, why we thought it was safe, and why we needed to explore space. Many of these people were hearing the "pro" side in any depth for the first time.
     I'm very proud of the job dedicated space activists did at the U.N. But we can't get let up. We need much larger numbers in D.C. to show that NYC wasn't a fluke, but a movement -- that there are dedicated individuals who feel Cassini and the future of space exploration are worth showing up and standing up for.

[Ed. Note: the following was written shortly after the Sept. 28 rally.]

Our White House pro-Cassini rally Sunday [September 28] was a truly inspiring, affirming event. I'm very proud of my role as organizer, the dedication of the volunteer activists who came out or spread the word on the Net, and Karen Rugg's and Rob Pearlman's yeoman efforts.
     Grassroots activists from Maryland, New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and elsewhere traveled by carpool and train to the White House, and braved torrential rain and aggressive anti-Cassini protestors to get the message across: that Cassini and space exploration have a public constituency, with a deeper commitment that the "issue of the season" attitude of our opponents.
     Our group set up on the sidewalk in front of the White House a little after noon. Despite the absence of anti-Cassini protestors (who had already cancelled speakers and pushed their start time back two hours), our group started a picket line, circling the sidewalk in front of the White House. We almost immediately began to chant slogans, while carrying simple signs with such messages as "Knowledge Not Fear," "Solar at Saturn: a Dim Idea," and "My Heart Sings for Saturn's Rings."
     Mike Pelletier, visiting D.C. from Ann Arbor, Michigan, had actually brought enlarged Cassini logos with him, downloaded from the Web. These made for truly striking homemade signs. Locals Joe Gillin and Karen Cramer had pitched in with early sign-making duties at HQ.
     My favorite slogan, made up by a U of Maryland SEDS members whose name I unfortunately don't know, was "Don't be a Weenie: Launch Cassini!" Not as elegant as "Knowledge Not Fear," but a fun take on exactly the same point.
     Threatening skies made good on their word, and we were pelted by rain. For the benefit of rolling cameras (I'm sure one photographer announced himself as "CBS"), we continued our march for a while longer in the rain. Soon, the rain became a deluge, and we were forced to seek shelter at a nearby McDonalds.
     We took back to Pennsylvania Avenue after the rain subsided, and a number of anti-Cassini protestors started up their rally. While they huddled around a small speaker's podium, under the shelter of trees in Lafayette Park, we marched in the rain, chanting nearly continuously. Even when the opposition shouted at us from the middle of the street, our ralliers kept their cool and their spirit, even turning the antis' chants around on them.
     We were approached by media: NBC, Associated Press, Fox, and Dutch Television (whose newswoman apparently talked to Steve Wolfe in part because she liked his Shuttle tie).
     By 3:45, the opposition had dwindled to a sad handful, and the press had done their thing. Soaked but happy, we had a victory cheer and packed it in, many people heading back for a quick visit to HQ.
     I'm so proud and so honored to have been part of such a great group of activists! I'm very grateful for those who came, and those who helped, but in particular I want to thank:
     George Lewycky - who spent days contacting speakers (until our speaker rally became a sidewalk picket), calling local members to support Cassini, and faxing me reams of background information. George then drove down from New Jersey, picking up Philadelphia chapter members Earl Bennett and Mike Fischer along the way. George's "push" was key factor in keeping the organizing effort going.
     Rob Pearlman - who did an outstanding job mobilizing SEDS students for the rally, and for some really terrific Web support. Space activism needs many more people like Rob.
     David Millman - without whose plaintive email, I might never have set the UN and DC rallies in motion.
     Steve Wolfe and Donna McAllister - who drove carpools down from and to NYC in some really nasty weather, and were real pillars of the rally crew. (Donna, you were a great sloganeer!)
     Donnie Lowther - for the support of the DC L5 Chapter. I think it was her group who also brought out those wonderful waterproofed signs (encased in Baggies!) just when our original signs went completely soggy.
     Pat Dasch - who came directly from another weekend event to march with us, just at the most critical point of the rally.
     Last but not least, Karen Rugg - who took on more a leadership role than probably either of us planned, and did it well.
     Thanks so much, you guys: you've renewed my faith in grassroots space activism!

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	INDEX

	NSS NEWS

Exec Comm Votes Review of HQ, Shuffle of Officers

	Appoints Committee to Review Operations,
	Report by Oct. 1 (p.1)

	Nominates Kirby Ikin to Head Exec Comm;
	First Non-U.S. Citizen (p.1)

	Bob Zubrin, Lauri Zeman Named for new Positions;
	Some Nominations Deferred (p.1)

Board Terms Lengthened, Shortened
As NSS Implements Four-year Terms (p.1)

LATE BULLETIN
NSS to Sponsor D.C. Conference Oct. 29 (p.1)

Board Election Results:
Zsidisin, Redfield Win in Regionals (Marianne Dyson) (p.1)

About Kirby Ikin (p.6)

Report From Headquarters (Karen Rugg) 
	NSS Holds Senate briefing on X-Vehicles (p.3)
	Slide Scripts Out (p.3)

	EDITOR'S NOTES (Jeffrey Liss)

Apollo 17 -- December 14, 1972:
Rejuvenating a Dismal Anniversary (p.2)

An Explanation and a Sort of Apology (p.2)

	LETTERS AND COMMENTARY

Dollars & Sense in Space (James Spellman) (p.3)

	CHAPTERS AND ACTIVISM

NSS at Worldcon (Marianne Dyson) (p.4)

Leadership Brief #1:
One Peon Cannot Change the Universe (Bennett Rutledge with Chris Pancratz)
(p.4)

NSS Australia Sets Ambitious Course for Year (p.5)

Memphis NSS Doubles in Size, Visibility (W.W. (Bill) Wood) (p.5)

Chapter Notices (p.15)
	Clear Lake NSS -- September 12
	Philadelphia Area Space Alliance -- September 21

	SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

Water on Mars? (Murray Clark) (p.1)

Special section: 
Responding to Concerns That Might Be Raised --
Nuclear RTGs & Cassini Mission to Saturn --
What You Should Know and What you Can Do (pp. 9-13)

16 teams Sign Up for X-Prize (p.16)

	MISCELLANEOUS

Correction: SFF & Prospace