November 2006
From the National President........
What an exciting time
we have ahead of us! With the new space age upon us – the doors to
space have flung open and now more than ever we are closer to our goal
of living and working in space!
We recently held our AGM and elected a new leadership team who will guide
the NSSA over the next 2 years. We welcome back Jack Dwyer and Bill Abrahams
from Newcastle SFS, Wayne Short and Kirby Ikin from Sydney SFS who are
Deputy and Chairman respectively of the NSSA. We have elected one new member – Roxy
Jacombs. Welcome to Roxy who has taken on a leadership role
in the NSSA and will be serving with me as Vice-President.
I would like to thank my predecessor Tony James for the past two years
as President. It was Tony who inspired me to join the NSSA when I was 15
years old and helped me win a scholarship to attend Space Camp in 2000.
He has been my supporter ever since and encouraged me to take a leadership
role, furthering my role within the NSSA. For that I thank Tony as I have
new skills and a wonderful group of friends! I encourage others to be a
mentor to a younger passionate person – as it could be them in 10
years time leading the NSSA (and who knows what else!)
We are also saying good bye to Mr Tim McEgan who has been on the Board
of Directors for more than a decade and who has also been President and
Deputy Chairman. He will soon be welcoming a new child into the world and
we wish him and his family the very best!
Also congratulations to Bill Abrahams who received the 'Outstanding Service'
Award for his continued and sustained assistance. Bill is the NSSA Secretary
and does his job fabulously! Thank you Bill! Special recognition was also
extended to Perth SFS for their work with the Poster Expo. Congratulations!
This is a new era in the NSSA. We are assembling a strong team with a mixture
of newer members and 'wise' older members. I will introduce them over the
next 6 months!
In 2007 we are building our capacity and in 2008 – watch out!
Ad Astra!
Anny Joseph
President NSSA
In this months issue:
Readers Request
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
Rebuilding the International Space Station
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
On September 21 the crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely after a 12-day journey of more than 4.9 million miles in space. After landing Commander Brent Jett said "It was a great team effort, so I think assembly's off to a good start." Atlantis delivered the first major new component to the station since 2002 and laid the groundwork for upcoming station assembly missions. The crew made three spacewalks that completed truss installation, enabled solar arrays to be deployed and prepared an important radiator for later activation. They also installed a signal processor and transponder that transmits voice and data to the ground and performed other tasks to upgrade and protect the station's systems. After undocking, the Atlantis crew participated in a first-ever three-way call with the Expedition 13 crew aboard the International Space Station and the three crew members of the Soyuz spacecraft on its way to the station. All 12 astronauts in space at that time were able to have a conversation. Discovery's shuttle mission is scheduled to launch December 7. The STS-116 crew will deliver the P5 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station, continuing the assembly of the orbiting outpost. The plan is to send astronauts out on two spacewalks, each devoted to rewiring half of the station.
ISS seen from Atlantis
First Female Space Tourist
http://www.anoushehansari.com/press/AA%20Returns%20to%20Earth.pdf
On September 28 Mrs Anousheh Ansari returned to Earth after a 10 day trip to the International Space Station. She is the fourth private space explorer that Space Adventures has sent to the ISS as well as being the first woman. After completing a cosmonaut training program in Russia she left Earth on September 18 with the new ISS crew. She returned in a Soyuz TMA-8 capsule with cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and US astronaut Jeffrey Williams who had been on the ISS for 6 months. Mrs Ansari is the chairman and co-founder of Prodea Systems, a revolutionary digital home technology company. She is also a member of the X Prize Foundation's Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees. After having realised her dream of travelling into space she is now sharing her experience with others. "We, at Space Adventures, are excited to welcome Anousheh back to Earth and congratulate her on this historic spaceflight. She is a true space visionary and it is our hope that her dedication to the development of commercial human spaceflight will be an inspiration to the rest of the world," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures.
Anousheh Ansari
Orion: New crew exploration vehicle
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/mmb/orion_announcement.html
NASAs New crew exploration vehicle, Orion, will succeed the Space Shuttle as NASA's primary vehicle for human space exploration, carrying a new generation of explorers back to the Moon and later to Mars as a part of NASA's Constellation Program. Lockheed Martin will build the craft that will have its first flight with astronauts onboard no later than 2014, to the International Space Station. The first flight to the Moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion will be capable of transporting cargo and up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station. It can carry four crewmembers for lunar missions. Later, it can support crew transfers for Mars missions. Inside, it will have more than 2.5 times the volume of an Apollo capsule. The spacecraft will return humans to the moon to stay for long periods as a testing ground for the longer journey to Mars. Orion is named for one of the brightest, most familiar and easily identifiable constellations. "Many of its stars have been used for navigation and guided explorers to new worlds for centuries," said Orion Project Manager Skip Hatfield. "Our team, and all of NASA - and, I believe, our country - grows more excited with every step forward this program takes. The future for space exploration is coming quickly."
This artist's rendering represents a concept of a crew exploration vehicle (CEV) and service module.
X Prize Cup
http://www.xprizecup.com/index.php
On October 20-21 the X Prize Cup took place at the Las Cruces International Airport, New Mexico. This year's Cup featured three spectacular competitions with over $2.5 million in prize purses, multiple high-powered sounding rocket launches, the unveiling of the Rocket Racing League's development X-Racer, multiple static engine test firings live on the field and fly-overs by the T-38 astronaut trainer. Back down on the ground the fare also included an open-air museum of space, with all kinds of scale models, simulators, space artifacts and live astronaut talk. The competitions were the Lunar Lander Challenge, Space Elevator Games and the Vertical Rocket Challenge. The idea for the X PRIZE Cup began developing before SpaceShipOne ever won the Ansari X PRIZE. The vision - create a one-of-a-kind event where the public could come and watch the rockets that will one day be taking us all into space. Watch them fly. Watch them compete in time and altitude competitions. Watch them vie for new generations of prizes. And see it all from a spectacular space theme park on the ground, with dozens of scale model rockets, simulators, space artifacts, astronauts and space entrepreneurs all around. From 2007 to 2009, the X PRIZE Cup will expand even further, with more rockets, and multiple flights of the Rocket Racing League X-Racers, amateur rocket flights built by people all over the world, Rocket Racing League Finals - a Grand Prix in the sky, and eventually, actual races to space.
People of all ages enjoyed the X Prize Cup
OPTUS D1 Satellite Launch
http://home.singtel.com/news_centre/news_releases/2006_10_14.asp
This month Optus launched its new D1 satellite from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket. Is the seventh satellite successfully launched by Optus and the fifth satellite in Optus' current fleet. The satellite will provide fixed communication and direct television broadcast services to Australia and New Zealand. Optus Chief Executive, Paul O'Sullivan, said the successful launch of Optus D1 satellite reaffirmed the Company's position as Australia's leading satellite operator. Optus D1 satellite will carry a mix of new business and the transfer of existing customers from the Optus B1 satellite. It will also increase Optus' capacity to deliver broadcast services and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) services for high speed internet and voice and data communications across Australia and New Zealand. Now that the Optus D1 satellite has been successfully launched, the Optus B1 satellite will be retired once all customer services have been migrated. This is expected to be completed in late November 2006 on final in-orbit testing of the Optus D1 satellite. The second satellite in the D-series, Optus D2 is planned to be launched from French Guiana in 2007 and will provide growth capacity for direct-to-home services and in orbit back-up capacity for the Optus D1 satellite. Optus D2 will be supported through Optus' earth station located at its new technical facility, Canberra, ACT.
Optus D1 & D2
This month's Board Member Profile: Wayne Short - Membership and Information Technology Director
My portfolios are Membership and Information Technology director. The IT role primarily is responsibility for the NSSA's website but it also includes general multimedia work (eg. DVD and CDs). I also am the President of the Sydney NSSA chapter - which makes me rather busy!
I work as a Project Manager/Systems Analyst in the Government Sector (NSW Health). My profession has nothing to do with space - but that does not diminish my passion. My original training was in Engineering - I worked as a chemical process engineer for almost 5 years in the 1980's. My skills in Information Technology (IT) and management are useful for my NSSA project work.
Completely by accident - I was involved with the Apple Users Group (a PC computer users group in Sydney). A friend of mine (who also was in that club but also happened to be the NSSA treasurer) asked me to go along to an interesting conference and event - it happened to be very first Australian Space Development Conference (ASDC) back in 1990. Buzz Aldrin was at the ASDC. (When I was a kid, I was fascinated with space - the Apollo Moon-landings were happening.) A couple of months later after attending the first ASSC I joined the Sydney Chapter as a member.
2 things really…
Firstly - I like the social aspect that a chapter offers… I have made a few friends over the years.
Secondly - I do feel the NSSA is able to make a difference to both educate and influence people (the general public, industry and government).
You do feel some pride when you have helped organize large events such as the ASDC that do this. However, when it comes to direct change in society it may take longer than many would like - and it may take longer than my lifetime - but you must keep trying.
The NSSA has a role to play as a premier space advocacy group. My desire for the NSSA is to make it more effective. To do that we need more members - not just for the sake of more membership in itself but a number of these people will have novel ideas and want to be active in educating people about the benefits of a space-faring civilization. It would be great to reactivate the chapters in some of the smaller states. Australia desperately needs high-tech industries for its own future and space related industries with scientists and engineers working here (instead of overseas!) would serve all our purposes.
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