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Selected Articles from the
March 2001 Odyssey

Editor: Terry Hancock

Scorpius Team Files Again, Steve Bartlett
The Demise of X-33 and X34, Steve Bartlett
Opening Space: The SpaceLift Project, Terry Hancock
The Surf Report, Diane Rhodes

The Surf Report

By Diane Rhodes

Moon Hoxes Debunked

Photograph of Apollo astronaut Alan Bean and Surveyor spacecraft on the Moon.

Alan Bean at Surveyor site, Ocean of Storms,
The Moon, 1969 (NASA). Click here to enlarge.

This has been an interesting month - "moon hoaxes" and all.

I never thought that people could be so obtuse about the Apollo missions; I mean, you hear about "flat-earthers" and so on, but the whole world was watching!!! We were all witnesses. And yet ...

Our government saw fit this month to cut back the space station program, to cut costs. In the climate where this is possible, it isn't so strange after all that people can believe any old conspiracy theory that comes down the pike. If the government can ignore the importance of the future of humanity in space, then anything is possible.

This month I have a number of sites for you. In keeping with the theme of the OASIS event this month (hope you were there), there's a number of sites having to do with the "Moon Hoax". I particularly recommend the first three:

You'll note that a couple of these are actually sites belonging to individuals not working for NASA or the Government (that's gotta count for a little credibility, for the really paranoid!).

Space Talk

My other find this month, is a new (or nearly so) site dedicated to eradicating ignorance of all things associated with space and astronomy: http://www.space-talk.com/.

You can go to the Message Board for space topics, to discuss the news, like the phenomenal idea that there may have been more black holes in the early universe than now! This is interesting because it seems to suggest that black holes can die! They also have an area where you can get any burning questions you may have answered. You can ask questions on space missions - both manned and unmanned, astronomy questions, space history - just about anything space and science related! The site is very well organized, with the topics (and posts) sorted by type.

These sites will hopefully be a step toward curing gullibility in the general public where space is concerned!

Yuri's Night

Next month will be interesting, too! On April 12, it will be the 40th anniversary of the first flight of a human being in space. It will also, on the same day, be the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the Space Shuttle. That is indeed a leap for mankind, to go from the very first trip for one man to a reusable craft for up to seven in only 20 years! To commemorate this, a far-flung group of students and space enthusiasts will be having a World Space Party! It's called Yuri's Night, in honor of Yuri Gagarin, the Russian cosmonaut who first escaped Earth's gravity well. I believe it could as easily have been called Alan's Night for Alan Shepard, the race was that close. The website is located at: http://www.yurisnight.net/spaceparty.htm.

There will be celebrations at thirty-six parties (so far!) in nineteen countries (so far!) on one planet. If you can't make it to one of the parties listed, why not go out to dinner with a few like-minded friends and celebrate the graduation of humanity from Earthman to Spaceman? Take a step outside your door and look up, think of the future to be and raise a glass and your heartfelt hopes for our future in the stars.

Happy surfing, till next month!