All posts by TopSpacer

Activism

ISDC 2013 call for papers

The National Space Society‘s annual conference  is happening in just a few months: ISDC 2013. May 23 – 27, 2013. San Diego, California – Global Collaboration in 21st Century Space

They have a call out for talk proposals with Abstracts due 7 Feb 2013 : Int’l Space Dev Conference Call for Proposals

The sessions will include four on solar power from space:

 

Space‐Based Solar Power
PAPER TOPICS ‐ FRIDAY

Session 1 Friday a.m.
“Timing, Budget, Economics, and Commercialization of SBSP”  Funding sources/methods, Urgency, pace Amounts needed, how to sustain, Net Present Value, Cost‐of‐ownership, Financing

Session 2 Friday p.m.
“Components, Infrastructure, and Enabling Technology for SBSP”
Rectennae and WPT, Energy conversion Power management, Thermal management Station keeping, structural dynamics On‐orbit assembly, Repair, protection, robustness, safety, Sustainment, end‐of‐life

PAPER TOPICS ‐ SATURDAY

Session 3 Saturday a.m.
“Motivation, Urgency, Scope, and Collaborations for SBSP”
Baseload power uses, Space settlement Leadership, Innovation, Economics, Environment

Session 4 Saturday p.m.
“Architecture, Pathways to Success, and Obstacles for SBSP”
Orbital configurations, Launch systems SSP architecture, Transition pathways Global initiatives, Resistance/Opposition Politics & Policy

 

Education, Near Space, Space participation

JP Aerospace: Big Ascender + PongSat launch system

Some intriguing recent posts on the JP Aerospace blog:

* Ascender 90 Envelope Inspection –

Ascender - JP Aerospace

* PongSat Launch System –

Rockoon - JP Aerospace

 

 

 

Space Policy

Buzz Aldrin’s new book: “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration”

Buzz Aldrin is releasing a new book on space policy:

Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration by Buzz Aldrin (Author), with Leonard David and foreword by Andrew Aldrin.

Publisher: National Geographic and out on May 7, 2013.

Chapter 1: The View from Air Force One
Chapter 2: Time for Decision-making
Chapter 3: Your Space: Building the Business Case
Chapter 4: Dreams of My Moon
Chapter 5: Voyage to Armageddon
Chapter 6: The March to Mars
Chapter 7: Homesteading the Red Planet
Chapter 8: The Clarion Call

He will be out promoting the book including two events in Washington D.C. in May:

Science and Technology

Research to protect astronaut vision + Research into better satellite vision

NASA lays out a plan to investigate the effects of prolonged weightlessness on vision: ISS Program Takes On Astronaut Vision Problems – Aviation Week.

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DARPA is supporting a project called Membrane Optic Imager Real-Time Exploitation (MOIRE), which is developing very lightweight optical  elements that could greatly improve the resolution of imaging from geostationary orbit: DARPA Moire Project Seeks Real-Time Space Imaging – CitizensInSpace.org.

 

 

The Moon

A map of the geology of the Moon

Paul Spudis writes about the history of geologic mapping of the Moon, particularly regarding the work of the late Gene Shoemaker: Geological mapping of another world – The Once and Future Moon/Air & Space Mag.

He provides a link to this map document: Lunar Photogeologic Chart (LPC 58).