NSS Space Forum - Space Settlement Perspectives with Jim Crisafulli and Jim Plaxco
SPACE SETTLEMENT PERSPECTIVES
Featuring two presentations: GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IN SPACE
with Jim Crisafulli HOW TO DESIGN A MARTIAN CIVILIZATION OF ONE MILLION PEOPLE: EXPERIENCES FROM THE MARS CITY-STATE DESIGN COMPETITION
with Jim Plaxco The Global Alliance for International Collaboration In Space (GALIX) is a multinational coalition to advance and diversify space innovation and collaboration for all humankind. Many space professionals now envision that space activities are destined to significantly multiply and diversify over the next few decades, and that this expansion will present many challenges for humankind. GALIX hopes to address these challenges in partnership with space professionals worldwide by both enabling more effective exchange of information among key space leaders and expanding international collaborative ventures. GALIX was established to enable all countries of the world — both developed and developing — to pursue and realize the benefits of space more effectively. In his presentation, Mr. Crisafulli will discuss GALIX’s goals and operational objectives, as well as the collaborative activities that are planned for promoting the development of new space technologies and systems that can benefit all of humankind. The Mars City-State Design Competition was an international contest held in 2020 to solicit designs for a Mars city-state of one million people. Competition guidelines called for the city-state to be self-supporting to the maximum extent possible to minimize the need for imports from Earth. In addition, the design teams had to account for the production of essential bulk materials and the downstream manufacturing processes that would convert those materials into usable goods with the objective being for the city-state to be able to produce all the food, clothing, shelter, power, machines, and consumer products that a population of one million would need. At the same time, the design teams had to identify those goods and services that could be exported back to Earth to cover the cost of imports. In his presentation, Mr. Plaxco will share his experiences from the competition, insights garnered on the challenges of settling Mars, and will provide a critique of the design submitted by his team.
NSS-XISP Alpha CubeSat Project
The MissionThe first mission of the Alpha CubeSat heritage will set an operational precedent for nanosatellites through: technology demonstration, deep space communication, launch & deployment, maneuvering, and lunar orbit. Success will occur through a combination of competition and cooperation. The Alpha CubeSat Team is out to win the NASA Cube Quest Challenge. The Cube Quest Challenge, sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Centennial Challenge Program, offers a total of $5 million to teams that meet the challenge objectives of designing, building, and delivering flight-qualified, small satellites capable of advanced operations near and beyond the moon. Alpha CubeSat will demonstrate innovative satellite instrumentation while following progressive, low-energy trajectories to reach a deep space altitude of 4 million km (about 10x farther than the moon!) before returning to the moon and establishing a strategic resonance orbit. Design freedom and launch options afford an intrepidity lacking in new satellite missions: the courage to prove never flown before instruments, demonstrate efficient experimental orbits, and develop new launch opportunities for future cubesats. Innovative trajectories and orbits will provide high definition access of the moon’s surface as well as backup communication provisions for independent space missions.
NSS Space Settlement 2021
Space Settlement 2021 is a free virtual event showcasing the technologies, people and organizations that will lead us to the settlement of the final frontier! Space Settlement 2021 presents the finest minds in this revolutionary movement, with experts the latest visions of humanity’s migration into space: where we will go, why we will go there, and how we will do so. Highlights include: a STEM space settlement competition, today’s incremental steps to space settlement, the classic ideas of Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill, new initiatives by visionaries such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and other NewSpace visionaries, and much more. Space Settlement 2021 is available thanks to the International Space Settlement Design Competitions and Anita Gale.
NSS Space Settlement 2021
Space Settlement 2021 is a free virtual event showcasing the technologies, people and organizations that will lead us to the settlement of the final frontier! Space Settlement 2021 presents the finest minds in this revolutionary movement, with experts the latest visions of humanity’s migration into space: where we will go, why we will go there, and how we will do so. Highlights include: a STEM space settlement competition, today’s incremental steps to space settlement, the classic ideas of Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill, new initiatives by visionaries such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and other NewSpace visionaries, and much more. Space Settlement 2021 is available thanks to the International Space Settlement Design Competitions and Anita Gale.
NSS Space Forum with Chris Calle - Space Art: Documenting the Story of NASA's Quest for the Moon
In 1962, Chris’ father Paul Calle was chosen as one of the first eight artists of the newly established NASA Fine Art Program. Created by then NASA Administrator James Webb, who, sensing the increasing public interest in space exploration sought to use art as a way to emotionally capture NASA's progress in its quest for the Moon. Beginning in May of 1963, with the final Mercury flight, Paul Calle and the other artists documented the wonders of spaceflight through the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Captured through the artists’ eyes, the artwork they created shaped the stories of the human spaceflight program and did much to inspire the nation as NASA progressed to Armstrong’s “one small step.” With a focus on his father’s work and of the other artists, Chris will trace this visual history by highlighting this impressive work. Chris will conclude with his own story as a NASA space artist and the role space artists play today in documenting the history of space exploration. Chris Calle is an artist who has designed more than 30 postage stamps for the United States and hundreds more for countries as diverse as Sweden and the Marshall Islands as well as designs for the United Nations. Chris’s US postage stamp design work includes the two stamps in 1994 celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Moon Landing jointly designed with his father Paul Calle who had designed the iconic First Man on the Moon stamp in 1969. Perhaps Chris’ most well-known artwork is the $2.40 Priority Mail stamp design of 1989, which depicts Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planting the American flag on the Moon. During his 20+ years as an illustrator and today, much of his artwork is related to the theme of space exploration. As an official NASA Artist, Calle covered two of the early Space Shuttle missions, producing artwork that is now in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum and NASA. In 1962, his father Paul Calle was one of the original 8 artists chosen to document the final mission of the Project Mercury program. Chris is the author of Celebrating Apollo 11, The Artwork of Paul Calle which details Calle’s involvement in the NASA Fine Art Program and focuses on the on-the-spot artwork Paul created as the only artist present during the suiting up of the Apollo 11 crew on the morning of their historic launch to the Moon. Chris can be found online at www.callespaceart.com.
NSS Space Forum - Ask An Astronaut with Astronaut Col. Terry Virts (Ret.)
Retired astronaut Col. Terry Virts was our guest for “Ask An Astronaut: A Conversation with Astronaut Terry Virts.” Terry gave his perspective on life as an astronaut, on life in space, and where we go next in space. Terry was the pilot of space shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) and served as a flight engineer on Expedition 42 and Commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station. He is one of only four astronauts in history to have piloted a space shuttle, flown a Russian Soyuz spacecraft (TMA-15M), performed spacewalks, and commanded the ISS. He has spent a total of 213 days in space, including over 19 hours in three spacewalks. His recently published book, "How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth," provides down-to-Earth plain-English glimpses into everyday life in space in bite-size pieces. Each of the 51 chapters describes a type of experience he encountered before, during, and after his two space missions. He has celebrated his unique perspective on the beauty of Earth through photography and has taken more photos from space than any other astronaut. Many are featured in his National Geographic book View From Above, and he also shot much of the stunning footage for the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet. He brings his unique perspective to businesses around the world in such diverse topics as our environment, global wealth, intercultural leadership, crisis and risk management, innovation, strategy and vision, and decision-making. He recently directed his first film, One More Orbit. He is currently involved in several television and film projects, as well as serving on corporate boards, writing, and promoting public policy. Terry can be found online at terryvirts.com, on Instagram @astro_terry, on Twitter @AstroTerry, and on Facebook @astrovirts. Terry was introduced by Greg Autry and Jeffrey Liss hosted the session.
NSS Space Forum - The Road to Space: The First Thousand Years with Mike Gruntman
Previous space forums have focused on the future of space settlement, which will be dependent on spacecraft and rocketry technology to make it possible. While today’s advances are impressive, what benefits the future is taking a look back at how we got here. Mike Gruntman presents a fascinating history of early rocketry and subsequent developments that led to the space age. It introduces visionaries, scientists, engineers, and political and military leaders from various lands who contributed to this endeavor. The development of rocketry and spaceflight is traced from ancient times through many centuries to the breakthrough to space. The story concludes with the launches of first artificial satellites in the late 1950s. Mike’s presentation is based on his award-winning AIAA-published book, “Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and Rocketry.” Mike Gruntman is professor and past chair of astronautics (founding chair of a unique pure space engineering department) at the University of Southern California (USC). His life journey took him from a child growing on the Tyuratam (Baikonur) missile and space launch base during the late 1950s and early 1960s to an accomplished space physicist and engineer to joining USC in 1990 and founding a major educational program in space engineering. Today it is a nationally recognized unique astronautical engineering department at USC. Mike is actively involved in R&D programs in space science and space technology. He served as a co-investigator (Co-I) on NASA missions and is a recipient of three NASA Group Achievement Awards. Mike has authored and co-authored 300 scholarly publications, including four books. His “Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and Rocketry” (AIAA, 2004) won the International Academy of Astronautics’ book award. More than two thousand graduate students took Dr. Gruntman’s courses in space systems and rocket propulsion at USC. He also teaches short courses (AIAA and ATI) for government and industry. Mike is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and elected Member (Academician) of the International Academy of Astronautics. Burt Dicht currently is the Director of Student and Academic Education Programs for IEEE where he oversees IEEE’s pre-university STEM education and university engineering education programs. Mr. Dicht began his career in the aerospace industry in 1982 and held the position as a lead engineer for Northrop Grumman and Rockwell Space Transportation Systems Division. Specializing in systems and configuration integration, he worked on programs such as the F-20A Tigershark, the YF-23A Advanced Tactical Fighter and the Space Shuttle. Mr. Dicht also completed NASA’s Summer Employment Training Program at the Kennedy Space Center in 1980. Mr. Dicht is a member of IEEE, ASEE, AIAA and is an ASME Fellow. Mr. Dicht received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Temple University and an M.A. in History from California State University, Northridge. Mr. Dicht has authored numerous articles on aerospace history and is a frequent guest speaker on space topics. Mr. Dicht volunteers as an Exhibit Explainer for the Intrepid Museum in NYC, serves as a Capt. and Aerospace Education Officer for Civil Air Patrol and is Vice President of Membership for the National Space Society.
SLS MLP Rollout to LC-39B [4K]
On 10/20/20 NSS was invited out to Kennedy Space Center to witness NASA Crawler Transporter 2 rolling out the Space Launch System Mobile Launcher Platform to LC-39B. This is the last time the structure will be at the launch pad without the SLS rocket on top of it. During its stay at the pad it will be cleaned to remove any Foreign Object Debris (FOD) and will undergo a pre-launch routine where the Core Stage Engine Service Platforms are removed and the SRB flame deflectors are moved into place. This represents a key step in the Artemis program as the stacking operations for Artemis I will commence soon after the MLP returns to the Vehicle Assembly Building, pending the completion of the Green Run Test. Footage, Editing, and Commentary: Jared Frankle Graphics: Dustin Smith Recording date: 10/20/20 Location: Kennedy Space Center
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 10 - Steve Jurvetson on innovation and investment in space
"A Day in Space" Segment 10—STEVE JURVETSON: Investor and innovator Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures offers a stirring presentation on the how innovation works, our future in space, how investment promotes innovation, SpaceX, and what will drive innovation in spaceflight.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 9 - Shawna Pandya MD on health challenges of extended spaceflight
"A Day in Space" Segment 9—SHAWNA PANDYA MD: Medical Doctor Shawna Pandya takes us through the challenges presented to the human body by extended spaceflight and how we can address them.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 8 - Dr. Anthony Paustian on imagination, innovation and Apollo
"A Day in Space" Segment 8—DR. ANTHONY PAUSTIAN: Dr. Anthony Paustian, college provost, NSS Director of Communications, and author, speaks on imagination, innovation, and what we can learn from the Apollo Moon landing program about reaching our goals.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 7 - Karlton Johnson on pro-space outreach and space community diversity
"A Day in Space" Segment 7—KARLTON JOHNSON: NSS Board of Governors Chairman Karlton Johnson discusses pro-space outreach to the general public and the positive effects of diversity and inclusion within the space industry and community.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 6 - Rod Pyle and Rob Manning debate Mars exploration
"A Day in Space" Segment 6—ROD PYLE AND ROB MANNING: Rod Pyle, editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine, and Rob Manning, chief engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, debate the history of the exploration of Mars, and the interconnection between science fiction and the romantic era to the scientific discoveries of the past 60 years.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 5 - Dr. Alan Stern on the New Horizons mission to Pluto
"A Day in Space" Segment 5—DR. ALAN STERN: Planetary scientist Dr. Alan Stern of NASA and the Southwest Research Institute, and the principal investigator of the New Horizon’s mission to Pluto and beyond, talks about the origins and achievements of the program.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 4 - Dr. Sara Seager and Exoplanets
"A Day in Space" Segment 4—DR. SARA SEAGER: Dr. Sara Seager, astrophysicist and MIT professor, discusses her exciting work searching for signs of life on exoplanets circling other stars, and the exacting methods used to infer the character of these distant bodies.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 3 — Buzz Aldrin Interview by Geoffrey Notkin
"A Day in Space" Segment 3—BUZZ ALDRIN: In this exclusive interview, Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 discusses his history with NASA, his decades of work with the NSS, his vision for the future of spaceflight, and international cooperation in the final frontier. Interviewed by NSS president Geoffrey Notkin.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 2 — Apollo, with Walt Cunningham, Fred Haise, Al Worden, Gerry Griffin
"A Day in Space" Segment 2—APOLLO PANEL: A stunning panel of Apollo veterans—Apollo 7’s Walt Cunningham, Apollo 13’s Fred Haise, Apollo 15’s Al Worden, and Apollo Flight Director Gerry Griffin, discuss what made Apollo great, and our future in space. Ad Astra editor-in-chief Rod Pyle moderates.
NSS "A Day in Space" Segment 1 — Bruce Pittman on our future in space
"A Day in Space" Segment 1—Bruce Pittman NSS Senior Operating Officer Bruce Pittman of the NASA Ames Research Center talks about the state of the space industry, our near-term future, space settlement, and the National Space Society in this stirring introduction to "A Day in Space."
NSS Chapters Webinar: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Tourism
National Space Society Chapters Webinar: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Tourism Thursday, October 8, 2020 Panel Moderator:
Jim Plaxco
President, Chicago Society for Space Studies
NSS Director of Information Systems Panelists: James Barnard
President, Denver Space Society Bryce Meyer
St. Louis Space Frontier
NSS BoD Region IV
AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee Chair Seth Potter
President, OASIS - Los Angeles
Member, NSS Board of Advisors
Chapter Advisor, Cape Town Space Society Clifford McMurray
President, Oklahoma Space Alliance
Former NSS Executive Vice-President and Policy Committee Chairman What impact will SpaceX and Blue Origin have on the space tourism industry? What is the state of the space tourism industry? To address the various issues associated with space tourism, the chapters of the National Space Society hosted the webinar" SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Tourism" as a part of World Space Week. The webinar panel discussion featured leaders from five chapters of the National Space Society. The panel was moderated by Jim Plaxco, President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies.
NSS Space Forum: Factors Impacting the Sustainability of a Lunar Economy
National Space Society Space Forum: Factors Impacting the Sustainability of a Lunar Economy Thursday, October 1, 2020 with Guest Speaker James Plaxco
President, Chicago Society for Space Studies
NSS Director of Information Systems
NSS Data Protection Officer How viable is the idea that lunar-based businesses will be able to turn a profit? How likely is it that lunar operations will produce goods for export to Earth markets? This space forum will explore the economic factors that will impact the viability of a CisLunar economy. Jim Plaxco is a digital artist, creative coder, public speaker, and web consultant. Prior to entering the field of digital art, Jim was an information technology professional and software engineer working for Fortune 100 companies, included AT&T and IBM. In March 2019 Jim became the National Space Society’s Director of Information Systems and in October 2019 became the NSS Data Protection Officer. Jim has been a space activist since the mid-80’s when he became a member of the National Space Institute, the predecessor of the National Space Society. Jim is a frequent speaker on space related issues and is an NSS Space Ambassador.