President's Report
Halfway through the year and the NSSA continues to build on momentum, generating more energy with each passing week.
We launched our brand new-look website which is action packed with material and will serve as an improved communication link to our members, industry and broader community. We welcome comments and highly recommend you bookmark the website: www.nssa.com.au The Australian Space Science Conference is shaping up to be the space event for 2007 and with a strong list of confirmed speakers and an exciting array of abstracts submitted; it truly is a must for everyone. The Program Committee, chaired by Prof Iver Cairns is working hard and will release a draft program later in July. I encourage everyone to set aside the 24-27 September 2007 and join us in Sydney, for more information see www.assc.nssa.com.au There will also be a student AIAA paper presentation. In keeping with the theme of high profile conferences, the 10th Australian Space Development Conference planning is underway with continued and new leadership. More information will come through in the next few months. The NSSA is expanding its image within the broader community. We were represented at the Australian Davos Connection Futures Summit which saw the coming together of high profile leaders. We have also presented at several community groups and have a growing demand for public engagements in the next few months. It is with a sad heart that we report the de-establishment of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at Macquarie University. The ACA is the only place in Australia where astrobiology is formally researched and one of only two places in the country which hosts a planetary science group. Our best wishes to Dr Malcolm Walter who has headed up the centre for many years. Finally, if you know of a school group that wishes to be involved with space education or a participant in school space competitions, please let us know as there are many exciting opportunities available! Ad Astra! Anny JosephIn this months issue:
If there is a topic that you'd like to read about in the next issue of eSFN or your chapter would like to be featured just let us know. Email your Readers Requests to: esfn@nssa.com.au
http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Spaceport_Closer_To_Breaking_Ground_999.html
The Spaceport America project could break ground next April. It's the the first-ever purpose-built commercial spaceport. The $198 million facility will open in southern Sierra County in late 2009 or early 2010. A final draft of an Environmental Impact Statement will be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration in June or July.
Final draft of the Environmental Impact Statement for the site is due soon.
NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology-based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the "nanosensor" could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats. Less than a half-inch across, the test chip with its 32 nanosensors is smaller and less costly than other analytical instruments that could be used for the same measurements. Other advantages of nanosensors include low power use and durability. Scientists have developed chemical sensors using carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures to detect ammonia, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen peroxide, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and other gases. The goal of the experiment was to prove that nanosensors, made of tiny carbon nanotubes coated with sensing materials, could withstand the rigors of space flight. The experiment also helped scientists learn how well a nanosensor could endure microgravity, heat and cosmic radiation in space.
The test chip, less than a half-inch across
More than 300 "celestial burials" have taken place since 1997 including Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the TV sci-fi series Star Trek and Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto. By 2012, as many as 10,000 such burials could be conducted each year, says a Houston, Texas aerospace company, Space Services Inc. To be clear, what is being sent into space is not the full remains -- just a symbolic thimbleful of ashes, typically weighing a few grams, which are encased in a small capsule. Under the company's "Earth Return Service," the ashes are sent in a sub-orbital loop, reaching an altitude of some 115 kilometers (72 miles) before the craft parachutes back to Earth for recovery. "We return the flight capsule in a nice case with a certificate, so that people actually have a keepsake that shows dad, mum or their cousin has been put into space and has then returned to Earth," says Charlie Chafer, Space Services' chief executive officer.
Canadian company, Columbiad Launch Services
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/
Eris, the newly discovered Dwarf Planet that helped spark the reclassification of our solar system, is definitely bigger than Pluto, according to a new study by planet hunter Dr. Michael Brown of Caltech. Brown has precisely calculated Eris to be 27 percent more massive than Pluto. In fact, if you scooped up all the asteroids in the asteroid belt they would fit inside Eris, with a lot of room to spare. In Greek mythology, Eris is the goddess of warfare and strife. She stirs up jealousy and envy to cause fighting and anger among men. Eris stirred up a great deal of trouble among the international astronomical community when the question of its proper designation led to a raucous meeting of the IAU in Prague. At the end of the conference, IAU members voted to demote Pluto and Eris to dwarf-planet status, leaving the solar system with only eight planets. The satellite of Eris has received the offical name Dysnomia, who in Greek mythology is Eris' daughter and the demon spirit of lawlessness. Currently, Eris is more than three times farther from the Sun than Pluto. It is so cold out there that the dwarf planet's atmosphere has frozen onto the surface as a frosty glaze. The path Eris takes around the Sun is shaped like an oval rather than a circle. In about 290 years, Eris will move close enough to the Sun to partially thaw. Its icy veneer will melt away revealing a rocky, speckled landscape similar to Pluto's.
The four circles show the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The yellow dot in the center is the sun. The orbits of the two outermost planets, along with their current positions, are also shown.
The Wirefly X PRIZE Cup is an annual two-day air and space exposition. The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. This year the Cup will be held in conjunction with Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, NM to create the first ever Air & Space Expo with live fire / fly demonstrations and competitions. Launch and air show demonstrations will feature Rocket Racing League's X-Racer, as well as the return of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, a two-level, $2 million competition requiring a vehicle to simulate trips between the moon's surface and lunar orbit. Nine teams are currently registered for this year's competition. Additionally, visitors can tour nearly 30 acres of space and rocket exhibits as well as Air Force aircraft. Since the X Prize was won in 2004 the Foundation has expanded its mission beyond space exploration to offer new prizes for breakthroughs in the life sciences, energy and the environment, education and global entrepreneurship. In October of 2006, the X PRIZE Foundation announced the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for genomics, which will reward the first private effort to map 100 human genomes in 10 days ushering in a new era of personalized preventative medicine.
This month's NSSA Member Profile: Kirby Ikin - Chairman and Founder
I serve as Chairman of the NSSA Board of Directors and have done so since the formation of NSSA at the beginning of the 1990's. Being one of the founders of NSSA and having been responsible for the establishment of the organization I served initially as both the organisation's first President and Chairman. As the organisation grew I handed over the Presidency about ten years ago at about the same time as I was appointed as Chairman of the Board of the National Space Society (NSS) in Washington, NSSA's parent organisation. I also currently serve as President of NSS.
I am very fortunate to work in the space industry as a consultant. In fact my career in space has largely grown from my involvement with NSSA. When I started my working life at Ernst & Young it coincided with the early days of the commercialisation of the space industry. This allowed me to apply my space knowledge at work and gave me the opportunity to help Ernst & Young establish a local 'Space Industry Services Group'. From there I went to work at GIO as a space risk underwriter insuring satellites during launch and in-orbit. My role with NSS and NSSA gave me a great platform to develop my space industry knowledge and network which was very synergistic with my work. After GIO I spent two years working at the Asia Pacific Space Centre while the company was trying to develop a spaceport on Christmas Island. Since then I have spent the last five years running and owning Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants which allows me to provide space industry consulting services to companies and organisations all around the world. In many respects my involvement with NSSA allowed me to make space my career.
I first became involved with the NSSA via its predecessor organisation, the L5 Society. In 1985 when the Space Shuttle fleet was new I read an article in 'Omega Science Digest' about this group of individuals who were committed to seeing the space frontier open up. They were from the Sydney chapter of the L5 Society and I immediately wrote to the address in the article to join. When I turned up to my first chapter meeting I discovered the chapter President couldn't get anyone to replace himself so he was going to close the chapter. I stepped in and said I would take on the role of President until we could get someone else to do it, and that was the beginning of my involvement with NSSA - chapter President at the first meeting I attended! I then had the unenviable task of producing my first chapter newsletter immediately after the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger. They were certainly difficult times in running a space organisation with the Space Shuttle fleet grounded for more than two years. When the L5 Society and the National Space Institute in the US merged the National Space Society (NSS) was born. The Australian chapters of the L5 Society thus became chapters of NSS, and as the number of chapters in Australia started to grow we decided it made sense to form an umbrella national organisation to coordinate our efforts in Australia. Thus the NSSA was formed to coordinate our growing activities in this country, and I was the founding President.
There have been several great aspects to being an NSSA member. For me it was a unique opportunity to do something positive to try and advance the day when people live and work in space. I have always had a strong belief in humanity becoming a spacefaring community and being a member of NSSA gave me the platform to make a difference, something I could never have done as an individual. For me it is gratifying to know that after all these years of commitment to NSSA the things we have undertaken have made a material difference in advancing space development in this country. At another level though being a member of NSSA also allowed me to be part of a community of like minded people who share my dream of space exploration. It has been a lot of fun being part of the NSSA community and consequently a number of those members are amongst my closest friends.
My vision for NSSA continues to be for it to be the pre-eminent public voice advocating space exploration and development in this country. The NSSA is one organisation which can represent the public's interest in space and take actions to advance the cause of space development. With the advent of the so-called "New Space Age" there are growing opportunities for Australia and Australians to be a part of the next wave of space development and exploration. Exciting times are ahead and I hope that NSSA and its members will be out there doing whatever they can to make sure that Australia is part of the opening of the space frontier.
How to start an NSSA Chapter
Have you got a group of friends that enjoy discussing space? Would you like to do it regularly and get recognised for your efforts? Well here is your chance! Start a new NSSA Chapter today, it's this easy:
1. Identify which of your friends enjoy chatting about space issues
2. Suggest that a group of you get together one time to talk about space eg. at a cafe
3. If it goes well then suggest you do it regularly eg. once a month
4. Once you have 5 people who are NSSA members let NSSA know and request recognition as a chapter.
5. Ask NSSA for the contact details of other members in your area.
6. Find a regular venue to meet eg. Uni tutorial room or a community centre
7. Appoint a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer (although these do not need to be three separate people).
8. Each chapter receives a share of the membership fees paid by their members who join or renew each year.
9. Arrange a guest speaker eg. A local university lecturer
10. Organise a public outreach event eg. Have a stand at a public event such as National Science Week
11. NSSA can tell you when people of note will be in your area and help you invite them to your meeting as a speaker eg. Andy Thomas is occasionally in Adelaide.
12. Inform the Board of your activities if you are doing something exciting.
13. Have the chance to stand for election to the Board as your Chapters representative.
Tips on how you can be more involved with the NSSA