Bob Zimmerman reports on the latest space news during regular weekly slots (usually Tuesday and Thursdays) on the John Batchelor radio program. See the iTunes free Podcast for links to the latest shows.
Putting its money where its mouth is: Russia under Vladimir Putin has announced a big financial boost from its government to its semi-private space industry. Want to go to Mars? You better get in line. Dennis Tito’s project already has hundreds of volunteers. I still have doubts that this non-private company can pull this off by 2018, but only by 2018. Given a bit more time and research, the obstacles for sending two humans on a fly-by of Mars can easily be overcome. Alan Boyle has some more information on SpaceShipTwo’s most recent test flight, and the rumors concerning the ship’s first powered flight.
Bob talked about the postponement of the first launch of the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. He also discussed the discovery by the Kepler space telescope of near earth-size planets orbiting a distant start
Three winners selected in “Why Space Matters to the Future”
national video contest The Coalition for Space Exploration and the NASA Visitor Center Consortium successfully complete first collaborative outreach effort
HOUSTON –The Coalition for Space Exploration (Coalition) and the NASA Visitor Center Consortium are pleased to announce the winners of the “Why Space Matters to the Future” video contest: Addie Augsburger, Clyzzel Samson, and Elizabeth Paddock. The winning entries were selected for both their creative demonstrations of the importance of space exploration and their unique visions for the future if the boundaries of space continue to expand.
Three out-of-this-world prizes will be awarded to the winners for a trip for four, one to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, one to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama and one to Space Center Houston in Texas. Winning videos will be featured on the Coalition and VisitNASA.com websites, shared through social media networks, and shown to NASA executives and elected officials in Washington, D.C.
“As a lead of the NASA Visitor Center Consortium, I’m pleased that our collaboration with the Coalition was able to help demonstrate public interest in space exploration,” said Mike Kincaid, Director of External Relations for Johnson Space Center. “Partnerships like these are valuable to spreading the word about NASA’s missions and I look forward to all of us working together again in the future.”
In her first place winning video, Augsburger uses a hand-drawn storyboard concept to inform viewers of the many benefits derived from the U.S. space program. She shows how continued exploration can provide a platform for research that cannot be done on Earth which could reveal new discoveries, and potentially lead to the colonization of other planets.
Samson, who takes second place, uses her narrative to describe how space exploration has given us “heroes” who have inspired us to reach beyond our current limitations of exploration. She emphasizes that space exploration is a human enterprise, not limited to one nationality, gender or economic status. The video also encourages viewers to invest in future generations.
In third place, Paddock showcases her 3-year-old twin boys, who have been avid space fans since they were 18 months old. Through vivid imagery, Paddock describes how the exploration of space has brought several countries – and brothers – together through effective teamwork, and how it has provided mankind with many benefits. The twins, looking through a large telescope, ask their father: “Can we go to the Moon?” and “Can we go to Mars?”
“The Coalition thanks all who participated in this contest and values the strong entries submitted by people across the country,” said George Torres, chairman of the Coalition. “We also thank NASA and the NASA Visitor Center Consortium for their collaboration which enabled us to expand our reach significantly. We hope to continue to grow the public’s interest in the future of space exploration through more collaborative outreach efforts in the future.”
Entrants were encouraged to share their vision of why exploring space matters to the future, while considering the following:
How has space affected, influenced or inspired you?
What are the values and benefits of space exploration?
Why should we continue to explore space?
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About the Coalition for Space Exploration:
The Coalition for Space Exploration is a group of space industry businesses and advocacy groups that collaborates to ensure that the U.S. remains the leader in space, science and technology by reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the public and our nation’s leaders, and building lasting support for a long-term, sustainable strategic direction for space exploration.
About the NASA Visitor Center’s Consortium:
The visitor centers all support NASA’s mission and goals of maintaining the integrity of NASA’s memorable past, present and future; increase public interest in math and science careers through educational and mentoring programs as well as promoting the extensive benefits of space exploration.
Mars One launch astronaut selection on Youtube and Twitter
AMERSFOORT, April 19th 2013 – Mars One will launch its Astronaut Selection Program on the 22nd of April 2013 at a press conference in New York. The event will be streamed live on Youtube.
The briefing will be moderated by Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor at the Planetary Society. The panel will include
Bas Lansdorp, General Director and Co-Founder, Mars One
Norbert Kraft, Medical Director, Mars One
Gerard ‘t Hooft, Nobel laureate and Ambassador, Mars One
Date and Time: 22nd April, starts 12:00 pm EDT ends 1:30 pm EDT
You can be a part of the Q&A by sending us your questions and opinions via Twitter by using the hashtag #MarsOneLaunch.
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About Mars One
Mars One is a not-for-profit organization that will establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023 through the integration of existing, readily available technology that can be purchased from the global private space industry. Mars One will fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission- from launch to landing to living on Mars. In March 2013 Mars One contracted Paragon Space Development Corporation (USA) to take the first steps in developing the life support system and spacesuits fit for the mission. Mars One is in talks with various other aerospace companies for different components of the mission; a series of contracts will be announced later this year. This is a global mission: our advisers, suppliers and also would-be astronauts come from all over the world.