Category Archives: Space Settlement

Living in Space, Space books, Space Settlement

Free Kindle ebook of Gerard K. O’Neill’s classic “The High Frontier”

Here’s an announcement from the Space Studies Institute:

The High Frontier is a FREE Kindle ebook!

At Space Access 2013 SSI President Gary Hudson announced the release of Gerard K. O’Neill‘s classic The High Frontier as an exclusive Amazon Kindle ebook.

CoverHighFrontier_182x300

Today we have another announcement:  From Saturday April 20th to Tuesday April 23rd, the Kindle edition of The High Frontier is absolutely free.  Just open the Kindle app on your iOS, Android, Windows PC or Mac and type High Frontier in the Kindle store, or get your free Kindle edition directly from the Amazon.com website at http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Frontier-ebook/dp/B00CB3SIAI/ .

The High Frontierr was a milestone in the work to make the dream of Space Settlement real for everyone.  So many lives were changed by this book.  Now a new digital generation can learn the needs, the goals and the potentials that Professor O’Neill made so clearly understandable.

With The High Frontier Kindle edition you get the full original artwork by Don Davis, the cover art of the 1988 second edition by Pat Rawlings (in full color on supported devices), full text searching and the bonus chapter “The View from 1988” that Dr. O’Neill added to the SSI second edition.*

Already own a copy of The High Frontier?  Go ahead and get your Kindle version for free today and save your print version for special times.

Have friends who have never read The High Frontier?  Pass this email along… and tell them to pass it along too!

Yes, proceeds from sales of The High Frontier Kindle edition at its regular price of $6.99 do add up to help the important research and projects of The Space Studies Institute and the free promotion does not, but we think that getting The High Frontier out there in the hands of a new generation is worth it.  Don’t you?

Of course if you do think that supporting the work of SSI and promotions like this one are a good thing for the cause, we would welcome your your membership or donation. There is a simple PayPal link at SSI.ORG that you can use to show your support at any time.

Remember, this is a limited time free offer.  Saturday April 20th to Tuesday April 23rd only.**  After that, the retail price is back in effect.  So get your FREE copy of the High Frontier Kindle edition today!

Sincerely,
Robert Smith

Evangelist
Space Studies Institute

Activism, Space participation, Space Settlement

Mars One to initiate its astronaut selection program in on-line event, April 22nd

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An announcement from Mars One:

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
  • Grant Anderson, Sr. VP Operations, Chief Engineer and Co-Founder, PParagon Space Development Corporation
  • Bryan Versteeg, Mission Concept Artist, 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.

Mars One website www.mars-one.com
Mars One Introduction Film

Activism, Space Science, Space Settlement

Mars One and University of Twente join forces

An announcement from the Mars One

Mars One welcomes University of Twente as its
first Science and Education partner

The Mars One Foundation, an organization preparing to send the first human settlers to Mars, has joined forces with University of Twente, Netherlands in a partnership where researchers at the university will help tackle specific mission challenges.

AMERSFOORT, April 4, 2013 – Mars One is very happy to announce University of Twente as its first Science and Education partner.

Engaging young researchers in universities and colleges around the world is crucial for the success of the Mars One mission. By working closely with its Science and Education partners, Mars One will address a broad range of social and technical research questions.

Pool of fresh critical minds
The Mars One mission is designed around existing technology; however the team wishes to prepare a premise not only for the settlers’ journey and survival but also for an expanding, productive Martian community.

Bas Lansdorp, founder of Mars One and alumnus of Twente said: “We hope that researchers from University of Twente will help develop techniques to ensure the settlers’ stay on the planet will be a success story.”

“Future research is needed, for example to find ways for making the settlement less dependent on frequent resupply missions from Earth by making smart use of resources on Mars. This collaboration will engage a pool of fresh critical minds with such challenges,” he said.

Mars spin offs for better Earth
Pleased about the partnership, Professor Ed Brinksma, Rector Magnificus of the University said: “The Mars One mission shows a lot of courage and ambition, and the team clearly dares to think big. As an entrepreneurial university, their enterprising spirit appeals to us a great deal.”

“We hope that from the complexity of an expedition to Mars new research projects will sprout as spinoffs in the fields of solar energy and recycling- solutions for problems we now face on Earth,” he said.

Collaboration in Education and Research
Both partners see many starting points of collaboration in the future. To start with, experts from Mars One will contribute to one of the academic semesters at new ATLAS University College, to be launched in September 2013 within the University of Twente.

In addition to education there are plenty of potential research links. Professor Brinksma offers some examples: “Our Robotics and Mechatronics departments can contribute to the manned and unmanned robotic vehicles that the Mars pioneers will use. Our behavioral scientists can also help astronauts learn coping mechanisms and how to deal with uncertainty.”

“Mars One welcomes partnership from research institutes with a foresight. We want to work very actively with places of higher education around the world. We welcome University of Twente as our first Science and Education partner,” said Bas Lansdorp.

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About Mars One:
Mars One is a not-for-profit organization that will establish a human settlement on Mars through the integration of existing, readily available technologies from the private spaceindustry. Mars One will fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of a televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission – from the astronaut selections, their eight year training on a Mars-like mock-up on Earth to their arrival on Mars in 2023 and their lives on the Red Planet. The first footprint on Mars will inspire generations and go down in history as the next
giant leap for mankind.
About the University of Twente:
The University of Twente, Netherlands is where talent can best realize its full potential and where students and staff are key. Together, over three thousands cientists and professionals carry out groundbreaking research, bring about socially relevant innovation and provide inspiring teaching for more than nine thousand students. Entrepreneurship is

second nature to us. The campus is home to around hundred businesses, including student-run businesses. The University of Twente has also generated more than seven hundred successful spin-off companies. The University’s business  park – Kennispark Twente encourages and assists entrepreneurs to start new companies

Links to further information
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Here’s the Mars One intro video:

http://youtu.be/n4tgkyUBkbY

Contests and Games, Education, Space Settlement

NAS’s eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Challenge invites student team applications

NASA’s  eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge invites student teams to submit proposals for systems for deep-space habitats for the 2013-2014 round of the program. (See also this recent report on the 2013 projects: 2013 X-Hab Innovation Challenge Progress Update – NASA – Feb.11.13)

College and university students now have a chance to help design a deep-space habitat. The Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge, first offered in 2010, is now accepting applications for the 2014 challenge.

But they need to act fast. May 1, 2013 is the deadline for student teams to submit their plans for designing, manufacturing, assembling and developing test systems for use on NASA’s deep-space habitat prototype.

X-Hab

The eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge
is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students
in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.

Past projects have included an inflatable loft for crew sleeping quarters, plant growth systems, sample handling tools, stowage systems and habitat layout designs. This year, students from multiple disciplines may choose projects from a variety of possibilities such as photovoltaic solar arrays, in-space manufacturing workstations, virtual window telepresence systems and habitation systems. Students will work together on potential solutions to the challenges future astronauts may face as they live and work farther and farther away from Earth.

“X-Hab is a win-win for NASA and students — human space exploration greatly benefits from students’ energy and creative designs, and students get a terrific boost from their direct interaction with NASA experts,” said Lora Bailey, Deep Space Habitat project manager at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We all share in the excitement that student designs could become the basis for future human habitat technologies and concepts!”

The X-Hab Challenge is part of a continuing effort to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and provide a real-world challenge exposing them to engineering and design processes. NASA will benefit directly from the innovative habitation-related concepts and technologies.

The challenge is run by the National Space Grant Foundation for the Deep Space Habitat project team at Johnson, a part of NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Program. The goal of for the X-Hab Challenge is to help NASA inspire the workforce and explorers of the future. Winners will receive between $10,000 and $20,000 to produce functional products based on their designs. Proposals are due May 1, and awardees should expect to deliver their product to NASA in May or June 2014.

To learn more about the X-Hab Challenge, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/x-hab
http://www.spacegrant.org/xhab/

Contests and Games, Space Arts, Space Settlement

NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement Art Contest

The National Space Society is sponsoring a student art contest:

NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement Student Art Contest

O’Neill Cylinder space settlement by Rick Guidice [NASA]

The National Space Society (NSS) is looking for student artists to create illustrations for the NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement. Submitted artwork should realistically illustrate at least one of the Milestones in the Roadmap document.

All students at any grade level between the ages of 10 and 25 are eligible. Submitted artwork is intended to be used by NSS to promote a future of humans living and working in space and may be used on the NSS website, Ad Astra magazine, and/or a future calendar (we hope to publish a future Space Settlement Calendar with this art work, but that is not yet certain).

Original artwork from entries submitted to the NSS/NASA Space Settlement Design Contest (including previous years) is especially encouraged.

Deadline

The due date is April 22, 2013 (11:59 pm Pacific Time). Our goal is to have winners announced on May 1, 2013.

Prizes

One piece of art will be awarded the Grand Prize for being the best artwork overall.

Up to 12 (twelve) entries will be selected as First Prize recipients from different grade level categories. These include grades 5-8, 9-12, undergraduate, and graduate.

Other additional pieces of art may be selected for Honorable Mention.

All accepted entries will receive certificates of participation. All winning entries will receive certificates of merit and the following prizes (more prizes may be added to this list during the contest).

The Grand Prize winner will receive:

  • Publication on the cover of the National Space Society magazine, Ad Astra
  • An award certificate at the annual International Space Development Conference
  • Complimentary registration to the 2013 International Space Development Conference in San Diego, California (does not include travel, accommodations, meals, etc.)
  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • 5 complimentary copies of the Ad Astra magazine the art work is featured on
  • Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published), including being a finalist for the cover art for such calendar
  • 5 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

Each First Prize winner will receive:

  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published)
  • 2 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

Any Honorable Mention winners will receive:

  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • Possible publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar
  • A complimentary copy of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

The works of art accepted to the NSS Space Settlement Art Contest will be on public display in the Gallery of Submitted Space Settlement Art.

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