Selected Articles from the
June 2001 Odyssey

Editor: Terry Hancock

• ISDC 2001 Report, Seth Potter
• OASIS Brings Science to the Last Agamemcon Convention, Steve Bartlett
• The Surf Report, Diane Rhodes

ISDC 2001 Report

Seth Potter

The International Space Development Conference was held in Albuquerque, NM on May 24-28. The conference provided an opportunity for space activists to mingle with engineers, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, and even actors. The theme of the conference was ``... the odyssey begins.''

OASIS member Robert Gounley speaking at ISDC 2001.

Thursday began with special symposia and seminars on space entrepreneurship, safety and reliability, and astrogeology. The Safety and Reliability track included a presentation by OASIS Secretary and NSS Assistant Secretary and Board Member Robert Gounley of JPL, speaking on Why Bad Things Happen to Good Spacecraft and an Overview of the Mars Exploration Program. As many as three tracks were held simultaneously, with the number of tracks expanding to five by Friday afternoon.

Friday morning began with welcoming remarks by Conference Chairman Robert Freeman, and Honorary Conference Chairman Dr. Harrison Schmidt, Apollo 17 astronaut, and former senator from New Mexico. This was followed by talks by businessman and futurist Peter Schwartz of Global Business Network, and Robert Sackheim of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Sessions that day included panels on expendable and reusable launch vehicles, lunar geology, and education. The lunchtime presentation commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch. Speakers were astronaut John Young, and NSS's own Marianne Dyson, a former NASA flight controller. The dinner presentation that evening featured Dr. Schmidt, as well as several shuttle astronauts. The Chapters Assembly meeting, an annual meeting of chapter leaders from across NSS, took place after the dinner. Topics discussed included NSS working groups that will address roadblocks to space development. These working groups are open to all NSS members. Other topics included web site development and the chapters database.

A session was held on military space on Saturday morning. Saturdays luncheon featured Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut. He spoke about space tourism, and showed an article on the subject that he wrote for the Wall Street Journal. He also spoke about his efforts to develop a series of launch vehicles. On Saturday afternoon, I presented a paper on A Cryogenic Propellant Production Depot for Low Earth Orbit, based on work done at Boeing under contract to NASA.

Saturday evening's banquet was a tribute to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The evening was moderated by Frederick Ordway, technical advisor to the film, and included talks by actors Keir Dullea and Dan Richter, as well as artist Robert McCall.

A session on Rovers for Mars and Lunar Exploration was held on Sunday morning. Bob Gounley presented an overview of NASA's plans for unmanned Mars exploration, emphasizing current work to deliver two large rovers to Mars in 2003. Mike Duke of the Colorado School of Mines spoke about a rover that would extract water from lunar soil. Samantha Dimmick, a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, spoke about a laser beam-powered lunar rover. This project won first prize in NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space - University Partners (HEDS-UP) competition. The audience enjoyed playing with the model car and laser pointer she brought along to demonstrate the concept. Presenters on Sunday afternoon included Mars Society President Robert Zubrin and NASA scientist Pascal Lee speaking about the Mars Arctic Research Station. This prototype Mars habitat is built in a desolate region in an actual crater in northern Canada.

OASIS President Seth Potter (on right) receives the Chapters' Award for Public Outreach from NSS Vice President Greg Allison.

The Sunday luncheon speaker was Dr. Alan Hale, co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp, who spoke on space advocacy and social issues.

The 20th Annual NSS Awards Banquet was held on Sunday evening. This was a particularly proud evening for the Southern California space advocacy community. I was pleased to accept our chapter's award for public outreach. An award was also given to the Palmdale-based Space Nursing Society. OASIS webmaster Craig Ward accepted this award on behalf of chapter President Linda Plush, RN. Awards were also given to the Orange County Space Society and the Western Spaceport Chapter of NSS. Afterward, singer and NSS/NYC President Elaine Walker performed some of her space-themed songs at the hospitality room.

The conference wrapped up on Monday morning with presentations on advanced space telescopes and deep space missions.

ISDC 2001 will be remembered for its moving commemorations of technical and cinematic achievements, as well as the quality and variety of its technical presentations.

File translated from T_EX by T_TH, version 2.25.
On 19 Aug 2001, 16:07.

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