From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Thu May 3 01:10:22 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 22:10:22 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] NASA Supports Train-Derailment Recovery in Alabama Message-ID: <46396EBE.5070009@gmail.com> NASA Supports Train-Derailment Recovery in Alabama http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/may/HQ_07097_Train_Derailment.html What with a 3 month old grand daughter in the house I have been distracted and off the computer of late. Kendall Johnson sent me a note about a train derailment carrying parts of the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle. Appreciate you folks keeping me awake to what is happening. Thanks Kendall. - LRK - ============================================================== On 5/2/07, Kendall Johnson wrote: Hey Larry Didn't know if you'd heard about this yet. Wanted to give you a "heads-up" if you haven't. Kendall _____________________[snip]______________________________ DEMOPOLIS, Alabama. -- NASA has sent teams to the scene of a train derailment in Alabama where a freight train carrying parts of the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle left the tracks. The derailment occurred after a bridge collapsed at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Six people were reported hurt. The equipment was on its way to Florida. There were eight separate motors on the train, which had 14 or 15 cars devoted to the NASA shipment. Each motor weighs about 300,000 pounds. Snip http://www.wapt.com/news/13244492/detail.html ============================================================== Out here in the San Francisco Bay area we had a gasoline tanker flip, catch fire, explode, and meltdown a freeway connector ramp. - LRK - ============================================================== http://www.nbc11.com/news/13217764/detail.html Tanker Explosion Causes Bay Bridge Maze Collapse Two connector ramps of the Bay Bridge MacArthur Maze (map) , located near Emeryville, collapsed Sunday morning after an explosion and fire. Heat from the fire, which reached temperatures estimated at up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, caused the metal bolts and girders on the highway connector ramp above to melt. The overpass then gave way and collapsed. The tanker truck driver was driving from westbound Interstate 80 to southbound Interstate 880. Snip ============================================================== A bridge collapses and a train tips over. A truck tips over, and a connector ramp collapses. Hauling materials on Earth can be tricky. Hauling materials to the Moon will have risks as well. One will need to be prepared for the unexpected. Ramps being repaired, train accident being investigated, life goes on. Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== If I would read all my e-mails I would have seen that NASA News reported the accident as well. - LRK - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Supports Train-Derailment Recovery in Alabama http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/may/HQ_07097_Train_Derailment.html May 2, 2007 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 RELEASE: 07-97 NASA SUPPORTS TRAIN-DERAILMENT RECOVERY IN ALABAMA WASHINGTON - Officials from NASA and ATK Launch Systems, Edina, Minn., are assisting the Federal Railroad Administration during its investigation of a train derailment Wednesday morning near Pennington, Ala. The train was carrying space shuttle reusable solid rocket motor segments from the ATK Launch Systems manufacturing site in Brigham City, Utah, to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. "Several members of the NASA family were injured in this serious accident. Today our prayers are for those who have been injured and their families. Our employees work in hazardous jobs every day, and it is our goal to keep them safe," said NASA's Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale. The special train carrying only solid rocket motor segments and a passenger car to monitor their transportation was crossing a bridge or a trestle, which collapsed under the locomotives. Six people were injured when the two locomotives and the passenger car dropped about 10 feet and turned on their sides. One of the cars carrying a solid rocket motor segment is also on its side. The remaining cars containing seven solid rocket motor segments and two aft exit cone segments are upright. The hardware was intended for use on shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission in October and shuttle Atlantis's STS-122 mission in December. These segments are interchangeable, and ATK Launch Systems has replacement units that could be used for the shuttle flights, if necessary. Each segment weighs approximately 300,000 lbs. and is protected by a white or yellow colored fiberglass cover during shipment. The condition of the rocket motor segments will be assessed as soon as teams conduct a full inspection. Solid Rocket Motor segments have been transported across country by rail for more than 26 years with an excellent record of safe transportation. For information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle -end- Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Thu May 3 17:59:09 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Thu, 03 May 2007 14:59:09 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Wally Schirra, the only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, has died. He was 84 years old. Message-ID: <463A5B2D.5080804@gmail.com> Wally Schirra, the only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, has died. He was 84 years old. ============================================================== http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/walter_schirra.html Schirra's NASA career began with his selection as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts in 1959 and spans the period from Americas first tentative steps into space to the missions to the moon. Schirra flew on the fifth Mercury flight in 1962, orbiting the Earth six times. He commanded Gemini 6A in 1965, a flight with Tom Stafford that had the historic distinction of being the first rendezvous of two manned, maneuverable spacecraft. Gemini 6A and Gemini 7 flew in formation for five hours, as close as one foot to one another. Schirra also commanded Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo flight. During that 11-day flight in Earth orbit in 1968, he and fellow crewmembers Walt Cunningham and Donn Eisele tested the Apollo systems and proved it was ready to take astronauts to the moon. In what was a precursor of things to come, Apollo 7 transmitted the first television feed live into commercial networks from space during its 260-hour flight. "With the passing of Wally Schirra, we at NASA note with sorrow the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said. "As a Mercury astronaut, Wally was of a member of the first group of astronauts to be selected, often referred to as the Original Seven." + Administrator's Statment Snip ============================================================== While we pay our respects to Wally, I would like to suggest that we view some of the Apollo history. You can do that with some of the videos archived for us by Google. Some links I have provided here and below. - LRK - ============================================================== http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=289444585088213883&q=%22Time+of+Apollo%22&hl=en The *Time* *of* *Apollo* 1975 National Archives and Records Administration 28 min 29 sec - Jan 1, 1975 www.archives.gov This film presents President John F. Kennedy stating in 1961 that "this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this *.*decade is out, *of* landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." This film presents a tribute to the accomplishment and era *of* the task.; Project *Apollo* (U.S.); Image Associates. The Time of Apollo 1975 National Archives and Records Administration 28 min http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=289444585088213883 ============================================================== Viktor Toth has archived for me some old Apollo movies we had on the Lunar Prospector site that were streamed in Real Media format. Viktor would rather not have 850 requests all at once so I won't post the URL to the web. If after looking at the google videos you would like to look at these as well, let me know. - LRK - Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/walter_schirra.html May 3, 2007 David Mould Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1898 RELEASE: 07-100 VETERAN ASTRONAUT WALTER SCHIRRA DIES LA JOLLA, Calif. - Pioneering astronaut Walter "Wally" Schirra, the only man who flew in all three of America's first human space projects - Mercury, Gemini and Apollo - died Wednesday night. He was 84. Schirra's family reported he died of natural causes. Schirra was one of America's original seven astronauts, selected in 1959, and was commander of the first crew to fly into space aboard an Apollo capsule, Apollo 7, following the tragic launchpad fire that claimed the lives of the crew of Apollo 1. "With the passing of Wally Schirra, we at NASA note with sorrow the loss of yet another of the pioneers of human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said. "As a Mercury astronaut, Wally was a member of the first group of astronauts to be selected, often referred to as the Original Seven." Schirra's first space flight was piloting the fifth Mercury mission on Oct. 3, 1962, orbiting Earth six times in 9 hours and 13 minutes. During the flight he took hundreds of photos of Earth and space phenomena. Schirra's capsule, Sigma 7, splashed down only 5 miles from the recovery carrier. As commander of Gemini 6-A, which launched on Dec. 15, 1965, Schirra flew with astronaut Tom Stafford on a mission that included the first rendezvous of two manned, maneuverable spacecraft. Gemini 6-A and Gemini 7 flew in formation for five hours, as close as one foot to one another. During his 11-day Apollo 7 flight, which began Oct. 11, 1968, he and fellow crewmembers Walt Cunningham and Donn Eisele tested the Apollo systems and proved Apollo was ready to take astronauts to the moon. "We shared a common dream to test the limits of man's imagination and daring," Schirra wrote of America's early astronauts. "Those early pioneering flights of Mercury, the performances of Gemini and the trips to the moon established us once and for all as what I like to call a spacefaring nation. Like England, Spain and Portugal crossing the seas in search of their nations' greatness, so we reached for the skies and ennobled our nation." Snip ============================================================== NEWSALERT: Thursday, May 3, 2007 @ 1728 GMT --------------------------------------------------------------------- The latest news from Spaceflight Now ++++ "THE TIME OF APOLLO" now playing on Spaceflight Now Plus! ++++ This stirring 1970s documentary narrated by Burgess Meredith pays tribute to the grand accomplishments of Apollo. http://www.spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php SCHIRRA HAS DIED ---------------- Astronaut Walter M. "Wally" Schirra Jr., one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts and the only man to fly on all three of NASA's early space projects -- Mercury, Gemini and Apollo -- has died at the age of 84. http://spaceflightnow.com/ Snip ============================================================== http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4166049933953240830&q=%22Time+of+Apollo%22&hl=en The Eagle Has Landed 1969 This film tells the story *of* the historic first landing *of* men on the Moon in July, 1969. It depicts the principal highlight events *of* the mission from launching through post-recovery activities *of* Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Through television, motion picture and still photography, the film provides an "eye-witness" perspective *of* the *Apollo* 11 mission. National Archives and Records Administration 28 min 23 sec - Feb 2, 1969 www.archives.gov Browse: the eagle has landed , space , nasa , moon landing , moon , apollo 11 , *?* Browse: the eagle has landed , space , nasa , *more ?* Snip ============================================================== http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1481909519678263426&q=Apollo&hl=en Debrief: *Apollo* 8 1969 National Archives and Records Administration 27 min 19 sec - Jan 1, 1969 www.archives.gov This film portrays the story of man's first journey in orbit around the Moon with comments on the significance of the *Apollo* 8 flight by several prominent Americans. The film features photography of the lunar surface, the Earth as seen from the Moon, and the on-board activities of Astronauts Frank Borman, James "Jim" Lovell, and William "Bill" Anders. ARC ID: 45016 Snip ============================================================== http://www.archives.gov/google/ Google and The National Archives Through our partnership with Google, a selection of historical video clips is available for viewing and downloading on the Google web site . Learn more about how this partnership helps you access records of American history. Want information about our videos located on Google? To learn what these records are and why they are historically valuable, use ARC (Archival Research Catalog ). Are you a history buff? A student of history? Curious about historical documents? Explore American history from our home page, Archives.gov . Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Sat May 5 02:00:18 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Fri, 04 May 2007 23:00:18 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] "The Mars Underground" to Air on TV Message-ID: <463C1D72.2000900@gmail.com> "The Mars Underground" to Air on TV Gunjan Gupta forwarded me the Mars Society Newsletter with info about an upcoming TV special. In case you didn't already get it I copied the information below. Having said that it seemed a bit strange to get Gunjan's e-mail just after having finished reading William K. Hartmann's book "MARS UNDERGROUND". I know not EXACTLY the same as Hartmann wrote his book in 1997 and the announcement is about a TV program in the now, but they are both about the possibility of humans living on Mars. Here is an Amazon.com link to the book. http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Underground-William-K-Hartmann/dp/0812580397/ And here is a YouTube link to Space Week - Mars Underground Trailer, which seems fitting. [WIDE SCREEN] http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3870028585763319179&q=%22mars+underground%22&pr=goog-sl Can *Mars* really be a second home to Earth? SPACE WEEK launches Sunday, May 6, with the network premiere of SPACE STATION AND BEYOND, and returns to Earth?s surface on Saturday, May 12. Or this link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsKbdBgNMo Also, another YouTube clip with Zubrin entitled "Mars Underground" which may be what the special is about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Viyl2Ly4nI Then again, back in 2003, Space.com has an article about digging on Mars. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_caves_030905.html* Mars Underground: Digging Deep for Life * *By Leonard David * Senior Space Writer posted: 12:30 pm ET 05 September 2003 Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== > > Subject: [marssocietynewsletter] "The Mars Underground" to Air on TV > From: "marssoc" > Date: Fri, 04 May 2007 20:02:14 -0000 > To: marssocietynewsletter at yahoogroups.com > "The Mars Underground" to Air on TV May 4, 2007 For further information about the Mars Society, vist our website at www.marssociety.org. The movie "The Mars Underground" will air on nationwide TV next week! The film, which tells the story of the people fighting to make humans- to-Mars a reality in our time, has been termed the most inspirational movie about Mars ever made. Heavily featuring members of the Mars Society, it presents the entire vision of the human future on Mars starting with the first landing and moving forward all the way to terraforming the planet. Don't miss it! If you know someone you are trying to convince to join the Mars movement, make sure they see it too. The Mars Underground will air on the Discovery Science channel on the following dates: Wednesday, May 9th 9PM Thursday, May 10th 10AM & midnight Saturday, May 12th 9 PM Sunday, May 13th Midnight Tuesday, May 15th 6 PM Times may vary. Check your local listings to make sure. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marssocietynewsletter/ Snip ============================================================== One persons view on the movie. - LRK - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.thespacereview.com/article/677/1 Mars aboveground by Dwayne A. Day Monday, August 7, 2006 Robert Zubrin is not really the best spokesperson for his movement. In public speeches he has trouble making eye contact with his audience and has a number of common nervous verbal mannerisms?like saying ?um? in between his sentences and ?okay? at their end?that diminish his message. Nevertheless, he is smart, passionate-verging-on-zealous, and has a message that appeals to the human desire to dream. Filmmaker Scott Gill has accurately captured the appealing aspects of Zubrin?s message in a new documentary, /The Mars Underground/ , that Gill debuted on August 3 to an audience of approximately 100 people on the opening night of the Mars Society conference in Washington, DC. The film focuses primarily on Zubrin and his ideas about human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. The documentary is available in DVD format overseas, but has not yet been broadcast or distributed in the United States. As Gill explained, he is hoping to air it on cable television first before signing a contract for commercial sale, although so far he and his investor have found no television outlet. Unless it makes it to television, the documentary should be available on DVD by December. If the documentary does make it to cable television it would be a boon for Zubrin and his Mars Society, not only because it would be seen by tens or even hundreds of thousands of people (as opposed to the few thousands who would see a DVD), but also because the film does a better job at selling Zubrin?s ideas than he does himself. After watching /The Mars Underground/, many people will be convinced that exploring, settling, and even terraforming Mars is far easier than NASA would have you believe. Heck, I?m a realist and a skeptic, and it almost had me convinced. Almost. Snip ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dwayne A. Day is not part of the Mars Society, nor does he belong to any organization that would actually have someone like him as a member. Snip ============================================================== http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLo6dGqfa14&mode=related&search= Space Week -- Mars in High Resolution Snip ============================================================== http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyjWiwESRYU&mode=related&search= Space Week -- The Rover Spirit Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Tue May 8 01:35:57 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 22:35:57 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Off to the Moon - How might I be powered? - Fuel Cells considered Message-ID: <46400C3D.3000803@gmail.com> Off to the Moon - How might I be powered? - Fuel Cells considered. Your laptop battery just went dead. Your radio transceiver is quiet. Your reading light just went out. It is getting cold - oh, no it is getting hot. What are you going to do? Are we on the Moon or just back on Earth with gasoline prices going up and in short supply? You may well be aware of fuel cells that use hydrogen and oxygen to make electricity and water. The Apollo missions used fuel cells to generate electricity and provide drinking water. Fuel cells are used on the shuttle as well. A more down to Earth application is the use of fuel cells to make electricity that might power air conditioners or supply the power to an electric motor in a bus or car. Oxygen and Hydrogen are not the only fuels used in fuel cells. - LRK - Take a look at the Wikipedia link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell You don't need to have Oxygen and Hydrogen gas as the fuel source. How about using sludge and bacteria. http://www.geobacter.org/research/microbial/ You may want to see who has been building Fuel Cells for NASA. http://www.utcpower.com/fs/com/bin/fs_com_PowerHomePage/ Be aware that if you have a neat, new idea for a fuel cell, best check to see if it is already been patented. http://www.dmfcc.com/index.html And if you need help with understanding patents. http://www.benwiens.com/patents.html#patents.1 Or what the Future of Fuel Cells is. http://www.benwiens.com/energy4.html#energy1.1 Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell Snip History The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Sch?nbein in 1838 and published in the January 1839 edition of the "Philosophical Magazine".^[4] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was developed by Welsh scientist Sir William Robert Grove in 1843. The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today's phosphoric-acid fuel cell . It wasn't until 1959 that British engineer Francis Thomas Bacon successfully developed a 5 kW stationary fuel cell. In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants. Later in 1959, Bacon and his colleagues demonstrated a practical five-kilowatt unit capable of powering a welding machine. In the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney licensed Bacon's U.S. patents for use in the U.S. space program to supply electricity and drinking water (hydrogen and oxygen being readily available from the spacecraft tanks). UTC 's Power subsidiary was the first company to manufacture and commercialize a large, stationary fuel cell system for use as a co-generation power plant in hospitals, universities and large office buildings. UTC Power continues to market this fuel cell as the PureCell 200, a 200 kW system.^[5] UTC Power continues to be the sole supplier of fuel cells to NASA for use in space vehicles, having supplied the Apollo missions and currently the Space Shuttle program , and is developing fuel cells for automobiles, buses, and cell phone towers; the company has demonstrated the first fuel cell capable of starting under freezing conditions with its proton exchange membrane automotive fuel cell. In 2006 Staxon introduced an inexpensive OEM fuel cell module for system integration. In 2006 Angstrom Power , a British Columbia based company, began commercial sales of portable devices using proprietary hydrogen fuel cell technology, trademarked as "micro hydrogen."^/ / Types of fuel cells Snip ============================================================== http://www.geobacter.org/research/microbial/ Microbial Fuel Cells We have found that dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms, such as Geobacter and Rhodoferax species, have the novel ability to directly transfer electrons to the surface of electrodes. This had led to the construction of microbial fuel cells that are superior to previously described microbial fuel cells in that: 1) they are much more efficient; 2) they do not require the addition of the toxic electron shuttling mediator compounds employed in previously described microbial fuel cells; 3) they have remarkable long-term stability; and 4) it is possible to harvest electricity from many types of waste organic matter or renewable biomass. Immediate application of these microbial fuel cells will be for powering electronic monitoring devices in remote locations, such as the bottom of the ocean. However, many other applications are possible. Current research is focusing on elucidating the mechanisms of electron transfer between the microorganisms and the electrode in order to design better electrodes or genetically engineer better microbes for higher rates of electricity production. [Sediment Battery Preparation | .pdf (177 KB)] *References* Snip ============================================================== http://www.utcpower.com/fs/com/bin/fs_com_PowerHomePage/ As a global leader in efficient, reliable, sustainable energy alternatives, UTC Power delivers innovative, practical solutions that can power your success. Snip http://www.utcpower.com/fs/com/bin/fs_com_Page/0,5672,0103,00.html It?s working every day. Everywhere. Fuel Cells. Heat to energy solutions. Waste-power recycling. Power plants on wheels. What may sound like science fiction to some, is science fact at UTC Power. With hundreds of powered buildings and buses operating in Europe and North America, our solutions are proving themselves every day. Our multi-million dollar research, development and testing investments pay real dividends our customers can count on. UTC Power solutions outperform virtually every other energy alternative. Unlike wind and solar, our products work any time. You can count on their performance without needing to count on nature?s kindness. Public safety facilities, schools, hospitals, phone companies and forward-thinking businesses rely on UTC Power products every day. And every hour of uptime with their mission-critical and life-safety applications is further testament to our technology. It?s not radical. It?s not experimental. It?s not high risk. It?s just good science, working like it?s supposed to for our clients every day. Snip ============================================================== http://www.dmfcc.com/index.html *D**i**rect Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation** (DMFCC)* is a provider of disposable fuel cartridges and intellectual property protection for manufacturers of direct methanol and other liquid hydrocarbon fuel cells. Methanol fuel cells are replacements for traditional batteries and are expected to gain a substantial market share because they offer longer operating time as compared to current lithium ion batteries and may be instantaneously recharged by simply replacing the disposable fuel cartridge. DMFC products are being developed for these applications by companies such as Samsung in Korea, and by Toshiba, NEC, Hitachi and Sanyo in Japan. Sales are expected to reach billions of dollars within a few years. With state of the art proprietary products, a global standard distribution network, and a comprehensive suite of fundamental fuel cell patents, DMFCC has a mechanism in place to advance this exciting new technology. The direct methanol fuel cell was invented and developed at the Caltech/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Southern California (USC) and is protected by more than 56 issued and 62 pending patents worldwide. DMFCC has license rights to the Caltech intellectual property portfolio for direct liquid hydrocarbon fuel cells (including direct methanol fuel cells, DMFC), electrode construction, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), fuel cell systems, methanol sensor and filter, electrolysis of methanol to form hydrogen, and methanol fuel cartridges. Caltech and USC are founding shareholders in DMFCC. VIASPACE Inc. and Itochu Corporation are also DMFCC?s current investors. Snip ============================================================== And if you need help with understanding patents. http://www.benwiens.com/patents.html#patents.1 *CONTENTS* 14pg 64K 7fig 1. Introduction 2. Development consultants vs patent attorneys 3. Search patents before developing 4. Inventors vs developers 5. Patents as a source of information 6. Patent It Yourself Book 7. The three types of patents 8. The intellectual property big picture 9. Should you get a patent or just produce? 10. Selling your idea to a larger corporation? 11. Can you get a patent after disclosure? 12. How long is a patent valid for? 13. When to get a patent 14. First to patent or invent? 15. Provisional patents 16. Should you get a US or other patent? 17. Cost of a patent search 18. Cost to get a patent 19. Writing your own patent 20. Using a patent attorney 21. Patent searching 22. Europe's network of patent databases 23. US Patent Trademark Office 24. Delphion Intellectual Property Network 25. Canadian Patent Office 26. Patscan computer patent search 27. Reading the patent 28. Reading the patent first page 29. Reading the patent drawings 30. Reading the patent field and background 31. Reading the patent summary 32. Reading the patent description 33. Reading the patent claims 34. Patentability 35. Infringement 36. Coverage 37. Professional developers 38. Legal disclaimer 39. References 40. Revision history >>>Copyright >>>www.benwiens.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snip Or what the Future of Fuel Cells is. http://www.benwiens.com/energy4.html#energy1.1 *CONTENTS* 11pg 57K 11fig 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Background 4. How does a fuel cell work? 5. Types of fuel cells 6. Fuel cells for electric power production 7. Fuel cells for transportation 8. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) 9. Direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) 10. Polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) 11. Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) 12. Molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) 13. Alkaline fuel cell (AFC) 14. Fuels 15. Forms of energy 16. Temperament vs temperature 17. Fuel cells vs heat engines 18. Second law analysis of fuel cells 19. Companies involved in research 20. Conclusions 21. Notes 22. References 23. Symbols 24. Revision History >>>Copyright Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Wed May 9 01:34:46 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 22:34:46 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Welcome to CoLab - You too might help us go to the Moon Message-ID: <46415D76.6020906@gmail.com> Welcome to CoLab - You too might help us go to the Moon http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/ You were were expecting to go to the Moon, but the construction date is in question. What can you do right now to help planning for your Lunar Base? How about joining a meeting in a virtual community that NASA is working on. I received an e-mail from Jeroen Lapre' about a meeting he attended in San Francisco, CA this last week. I missed it although is looks like we all could attend a virtual CoLab that is a dedicated ?island? in the ?Second Life? online virtual world. I signed up to see what it looks like. Will have to learn how to get my bearings. If you see CdrLuna Korabase, don't give him a bad time. [even if he looks lost] If you don't feel like walking around in a virtual world ,a regular web site is in the planning as well. Some links and info below. Thanks for looking up with me. [now how do I tame the volcano?] Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== Note from Jeroen Lapre'. - LRK - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Fellow Space Fans, I am excited to inform you about a new initiative by NASA and the innovative technology-entrepreneurial community called Colab: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/ As part of Colab, they are running monthly meetings that are open to the public called Luna Philosophie: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/node/34 These meetings are held on the Full Moon of each month in San Francisco. Check the above websites for the physical location, as these may change from month to month. It was an honor to be invited to give a work-in-progress presentation of my Arthur C. Clarke Maelstrom II independent HD digital short project. What I found exciting about attending the 1st Luna Philosophie meeting was the opportunity to meet interesting people from all walks of life with a grass roots commitment to Space Exploration and Colonisation. If you are in the Bay Area, please consider attending the next Luna Philosophie to see how you can participate. If you are located on a different part of this planet, please consider joining Colab virtually: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/virtual Hope to see you at the next meeting! Best wishes, Jeroen Lapre' Digital Artist/Technical Director www.ilm.com Snip ============================================================== http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/ Welcome to CoLab NASA CoLab is a Collaborative Space Exploration Laboratory being developed at NASA. CoLab will provide a framework for exciting partnership projects between the nation?s space program and the thriving technology-entrepreneurial community. In addition to the benefits to collaborating with intellectual assets of the technology business sector, the general public will benefit through various projects supporting the NASA?s goals. CoLab will feature a physical space in downtown San Francisco, a collaborative online space where scientists and engineers from NASA will collaborate with the entrepreneurial technology community, and a space in ?Second Life?, a virtual learning community with interactive content. Snip ============================================================== http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/node/34 May 2, 2007: First Luna Philosophie Meeting in SF * News & Events Luna Philosophie: "Humanity Evolving Into Space" Please join us for the first meeting of Luna Philosophie, a time for discussing humanity's evolution into space. This event is an initiative of NASA CoLab, a new project aiming to increase public participation in the nation's space program. Luna Philosophie will occur on (or close to) every Full Moon, in San Francisco, as part of CoLab's efforts to bring NASA and space to the dynamic creative communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. Each Luna Philosophie meeting will have a different theme, and will involve a presentation and open discussion for philosophizing. Anyone who is interested in an open, creative dialogue on human, space related topics is encouraged to attend! *WHAT:* This first meeting of Luna Philosophie will provide an introduction to NASA CoLab and the Luna Philosophie "Humanity Evolving Into Space" concept in general. *BONUS:* At 8pm we'll get a sneak preview of "Maelstrom II," a development stage HD Digital short film project by Industrial Light & Magic's Jeroen LaPre; Jeroen will share early footage from the film, and, in the collaborative spirit of NASA CoLab, invite the community to help him turn this Arthur C. Clarke short story into a polished digital short film in time for Sir Arthur's 90th birthday! See Jeroen's website for more information. *WHEN:* Wednesday, May 2, 2007 (Full Moon) at 6:30 PM; socializing 6:30-7PM; CoLab and Human Evolution Discussion 7-8PM; Maelstrom II screening and discussion 8-8:30PM; socializing 8:30-9PM *WHERE:* Citizenspace, 425 Second Steet, 3rd Floor, in San Francisco (http://citizenspace.us/) *WHO:* All are welcome, from space professionals to those who are unsure what N-A-S-A stands for! MISC: Please bring food and drink to share. *RSVP:* http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/177855/ (not required but helpful for planning for space requirements) *CONTACT:* Delia Santiago (dsantiago at arc.nasa.gov ) with any questions. Please bring refreshments! For more information on NASA CoLab, visit: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov For more information on Luna Philosophie, visit: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/luna Snip ============================================================== http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/virtual CoLab Virtual Overview The virtual CoLab is a dedicated ?island? in the ?Second Life? online virtual world, and will later be complemented by a traditional Web-based community website. You may visit CoLab in the virtual world Second Life at any time (download of Second Life application required). Regular weekly CoLab community organizing meetings are held on "Space CoLab" island every Tuesday at 1pm Pacific Daylight Time. These online communities will complement and extend the offline physical CoLab in order to: ? Engage stakeholders in designing and building the CoLab: consistent with the values of the CoLab project ? Prototype the physical CoLab in Second Life virtual space as a test bed before investing resources in building the actual physical CoLab ? Enable technology entrepreneurs outside the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in and benefit from CoLab ? Help ARC communicate the value of CoLab to other NASA facilities and external institutions ? Create expertise within ARC in the important new online technology realm of ?social software,? in order to help ARC more effectively contribute to NASA?s public exploration efforts *contact: Andrew Hoppin, ahoppin at arc.nasa.gov or send IM in Second Life to 'drew frobozz'* Snip ============================================================== http://secondlife.com/whatis/ What is Second Life? Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 6,203,046 people from around the globe. * From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business. * You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow residents. Because residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents. * The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges. Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Thu May 10 20:51:53 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 17:51:53 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] ISDC 2007 From Old Frontiers to New: Celebrating 50 Years of Spaceflight Message-ID: <4643BE29.5030407@gmail.com> ISDC 2007 From Old Frontiers to New: Celebrating 50 Years of Spaceflight ============================================================== http://www.nss.org/ The 26th International Space Development Conference, NSS's annual event, will be held in Dallas, Texas from May 25-28. This year the conference will have two pre-conference events; the Symposium on Space Venture Finance on Thursday, May 24 and the bi-annual meeting of the Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) from May 22 - 24. The conference will include programs, presentations and exhibits focused on space exploration and settlement, astronomy and scientific research, commercial space ventures, space tourism, and other exciting topics. The conference will also feature displays of real spaceflight hardware, such as Armadillo Aerospace's historic 'Quad' rocket vehicle. Snip ============================================================== If you are interested in going to the ISDC 2007 best register soon. http://www.nss.org/ http://isdc.nss.org/2007/register.html Take a look at who is going to be speaking. http://isdc.nss.org/2007/speakers.html If you go to the conference I am sure you find a lot of enthusiastic and interested folks that want to see us developing space. If you look at the blog link Google found you will see a different tone and concern for how NASA is going about the Vision. Your feelings may vary. Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== When you ask Google to tell you when someone posts a blog about "Moon Base" you can never be sure what the post will be like. Still, it can be enlightening to see what folks are thinking and writing about. - LRK - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google Blogs Alert for: *"Moon Base"* Worst. Sequel. Ever. By TJ Shroat Perhaps in the course of meeting the energy demands of a *moon base*, we?ll develop technologies that help solve our terrestrial energy needs. But maybe we should feel the urgency to develop that technology while still on the Earth, *...* In The Pink Texas - http://www.inthepinktexas.com Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Sat May 12 13:54:00 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 10:54:00 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Lockheed Moon Base - by David S.F. Portree Message-ID: <4645FF38.0@gmail.com> Lockheed Moon Base - by David S.F. Portree Just posted by David, which I recommend you see. - LRK - ============================================================== Lockheed *moon base* By David S. F. Portree(David S. F. Portree) The Rangers would gather data on lunar conditions for *moon base* hardware designers. Design of preliminary ELO hardware based on Apollo systems would begin as early as 1963 and last until to 1970. Meanwhile, increasingly ambitous lunar *...* Altair VI - http://altairvi.blogspot.com/ ============================================================== And while you are there, http://altairvi.blogspot.com/ take a look at his post from the week past. http://altairvi.blogspot.com/2007/05/gurps-traveller.html Traveller and a post back in December of 2006 http://altairvi.blogspot.com/2006/12/worldbuilding.html Fun With Fictons I have Steve Jackson's GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) BASIC SET from 1987 with his GURPS FANTASY Magic System and Game World game. I had just found it and a book "ROLE-PLAYING MASTERY" by Gary Gygax, co-creator of THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game that I had bought 20 years ago. Thought I would develop a game on my Amiga Computer. It too sits out in the garage. My reason for looking at them now was to think of how one might set up an adventure game that took place on the Moon at an early Lunar Base. If you look at some of David's blogs you will see examples of role playing games with similar thoughts in mind and that I am a bit late coming to the scene. David mentions that he never really played the games but liked seeing how they set up the Game Worlds. What are the rules for interaction? How do you conduct yourself in the given world? I have never played nor got into world setups but thought I should as it might be a way to educate and entertain folks about going to the Moon, Mars and Beyond. How would you survive in the hostile environment where you had to work in a vacuum, with fine regolith grit getting into every nook and cranny. Would the galactic cosmic rays do you in? Would your life support back pack spring a leak? Would your lunar dune buggy drop into an unseen crater? Looks like one could learn a lot about exploring the Moon if someone went to the trouble to write up the requirements for a world that took in a Moon Base. Thanks David for your blog and the work you did on the earlier site, Romance to Reality. http://altairvi.blogspot.com/2006/12/whither-romance-to-reality.html And to all of you, thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== Some links from David S. F. Portree's blog http://altairvi.blogspot.com/2006/12/worldbuilding.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orions Arm http://www.orionsarm.com/ ExploreMarsNow http://www.exploremarsnow.org/ Furaha: Life on Alpha Phoenicis IV http://home.casema.nl/gertvandijk/index.html Epona http://www.eponaproject.com/ Snip ============================================================== Building a Better Moon Base http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/moonbase_biz_021002-1.html *By Leonard David * Senior Space Writer posted: 07:00 am ET 02 October 2002 The Moon is soon to be on the receiving end of a volley of robotic probes launched by multiple nations. Spacecraft from Europe, Japan, India, China, as well as the United States are expected to spark a 21^st century renaissance in lunar exploration. Rekindling that scientific link to Earth's natural satellite might spur other endeavors too, and humans may once again bound across that "magnificent desolation" as Apollo 11 astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, saw it through his space helmet visor. Snip ============================================================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficton Ficton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search In common usage, a *ficton* is a fictional setting created by writing any fictional story or series of stories. The term was coined by Robert A. Heinlein in his novel /The Number of the Beast /. In it, he defines it as a basic or indivisible unit of imagination. Now it is more commonly used as above. Some fictons look remarkably like our own world, and have the same physical laws and history as ours. In the extreme case of historical novels it may be impossible to prove that the events did not happen exactly as described, so the ficton in which they occur is indistinguishable from the factual universe; and in other cases of time travel based alternate history tales like The Cross Time Engineer and fast growing 1632 series , we (eventually) know that a parallel universe has been split off. In other fictons either history, physics or both are radically different from the factual world, and there is a spectrum in between; indeed, access to such a spectrum has been a facet of some fictons (e.g. Raymond Feist 's Riftwar Saga ). A few fictons do not lie neatly on this spectrum, notably the ficton in which the Star Wars series is set, which is described as 'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."' Snip ============================================================== NASA Airs Its Plan for a Moon Base by 2024 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6582960 by Nell Boyce /All Things Considered , /December 5, 2006 ? NASA announces plans to build a moon base that would house a new generation of lunar explorers. The plan calls for a return to the moon by 2020, with a rudimentary base camp established by 2024. But the ambitious plan faces some stiff technical and political challenges. Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Mon May 14 22:22:09 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 19:22:09 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Apollo 10 - Launched 18 May 1969 UT 16:49:00 (12:49:00 p.m. EDT) Message-ID: <46491951.2050906@gmail.com> Apollo 10 - Launched: 18 May 1969 UT 16:49:00 (12:49:00 p.m. EDT) ============================================================== http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo10info.html Apollo 10 *Launched:* 18 May 1969 UT 16:49:00 (12:49:00 p.m. EDT) *Lunar Orbit:* 21 May 1969 *Returned to Earth:* 26 May 1969 UT 16:52:23 (12:52:23 p.m. EDT) * Thomas P. Stafford, commander John W. Young, command module pilot Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot* ============================================================== So close you could almost touch the Moon, well not quite, but they went to the Moon and the LM did a dry run. What a thrill and the next trip to the Moon would see us land on lunar regolith. - LRK - Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10 Wikipedia says --- *Apollo 10* was the fourth manned mission in the Apollo program . The mission included the second crew to orbit the Moon, and the test of the lunar module in lunar orbit. The module came to within 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) of the lunar surface during practice maneuvers. According to the 2001 Guinness World Records Apollo 10 has the record for the highest speed attained by a manned vehicle: 39,897 km/h (11.08 km/s or 24,791 mph). The speed record was set during the return from the Moon on 26 May 1969 . Snip On May 22 , 1969 at 20:35:02 UTC, a 27.4 second LM descent propulsion system burn inserted the LM into a descent orbit of 112.8 km by 15.7 km so that the resulting lowest point in the orbit occurred about 15? from lunar landing site 2 (the Apollo 11 landing site). The lowest measured point in the trajectory was 15.6 km above the lunar surface at 21:29:43 UTC. Snip Mission highlights This dress rehearsal for a Moon landing brought Stafford and Cernan's lunar module, nicknamed "Snoopy ", to 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) from the lunar surface. Except for that final stretch, the mission went exactly as a landing would have gone, both in space and on the ground, where Apollo's extensive tracking and control network was put through a dry run. Shortly after leaving low Earth orbit , the command/service module separated from the S-IVB stage, turned around, and docked its nose to the top of the lunar module still nestled in the S-IVB. The CSM/LM stack then separated from the S-IVB for the trip to the moon. Upon reaching lunar orbit, Young remained alone in his command module "Charlie Brown ," while Stafford and Cernan flew separately in the LM. They checked out the LM's radar and ascent engine, rode out a momentary gyration in the lunar lander's motion (due to a faulty switch setting), and surveyed the Apollo 11 landing site in the Sea of Tranquillity. This test article of the lunar module was not equipped to land, however. Apollo 10 also added another first - broadcasting live color TV from space. On May 22, 1969 Apollo 10's lunar module flew within 15.6 km of the Moon 's surface. Launched: May 18, 1969 from Pad 39B Returned: May 26, 1969 Crew members: Tom Stafford , commander; John Young , command module pilot; Gene Cernan , lunar module pilot Command module: Charlie Brown Lunar module: Snoopy The command module is displayed at the Science Museum in London . The lunar module is in heliocentric orbit, thus making it the only intact lunar module ascent stage out of all of the lunar modules sent into space (Apollos 5 , 9 , 13 LM ascent stages burned up in Earth's atmosphere, /Apollo 11 / LM ascent stage left in lunar orbit - eventually crashed on moon, Apollos 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 LM ascent stages deliberately crashed into moon) . Snip ============================================================== Apollo 10 Videos http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/apollo/apollo10/html/onboard_activities.html NASA Human Space Flight Snip ============================================================== Apollo 10 crew enjoy with zero gravity - YouTube - 49 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InNaXl06Wyg Snip ============================================================== As You Remember It: The Launch of APOLLO 11 - Yahoo video - 9.56 minutes http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=38668&fr= Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Thu May 17 23:07:42 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 20:07:42 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] NSS - adAstra -to the stars - THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY - arrived Message-ID: <464D187E.6030409@gmail.com> NSS - adAstra -to the stars - THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY - arrived http://www.nss.org/adastra/ If you are a member of the NSS, you too probably have the magazine in your mailbox. If not, you might like to join the society and support going to space. The adAstra magazine is just a bonus. http://www.nss.org/ There is an article about space business booming along the Southwest "Rocket Belt". Also the Summer Star Planner Calendar, tracking space for your viewing. Interesting article "Clear Skies: Understanding the Orbital Debris Problem and Its Possible Solutions". If you have not seen any of the Apollo DVDs by Spacecraft Films, there is a nice review, "Teliving the Past, Inspiring the Future" by Robert Z. Pearlman. You will also find some nice pictures by the winners 2007 NSS Space Settlement Art Contest. Online you can view these: Gallery for NSS Space Settlement Art Contest All art on these pages is copyrighted by the individual artists and may not be used without the artist's specific permission. http://www.nss.org/settlement/calendar/gallery.htm* * You can also find articles at adAstra ONLINE http://www.space.com/adastra/ Here is one online article by Al Globus. * *Solar Power From Space: A Better Strategy for America and the World? http://www.space.com/adastra/070517_adastra_solarpowersats.html* * If you are interested in settling somewhere off world, like in space, the Moon or on Mars, you might be interested in looking at the links on the NSS web site in the Space Settlement Nexus section. I have passed the link before but new material is being added and the list of online reference material continues to grow. http://www.nss.org/settlement/ Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== If you use the Mozilla Firefox browser http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ you are probably aware of many add ons that are available. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1 There are also scripts that can change the way some of the pages display. One of the mangers for theses scripts is from Greasemonkey. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748 If you use Google image searches, a nice change to the way the image search results are displayed is letting the image you mouse over display with the enlarged version of the image showing on the same page instead of having to click on it and it display in a different window, which you will have to close and go back to your search results. Userscripts.org has some 6,196 scrpts available. http://userscripts.org/ Googlenlarge Enlarges pictures from Google image search and displays them in the opposite corner. http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/7863 Snip ============================================================== Lunar Bases http://www.astronautix.com/craftfam/lunbases.htm The Lunar Base never seemed to be a high priority to space visionaries, who were mainly interested in getting on to Mars. It was usually seen as a proving ground for Mars vehicle technology, or as a place to mine propellant for use in a larger space infrastructure. Snip ============================================================== Image search for "lunar base". Do you have a preference? - LRK - http://images.google.com/ http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=%22lunar+base%22&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 Results *1* - *20* of about *2,510* for *"lunar base "*. (*0.36* seconds) or if you want a lot of images, leave off the quotes and use - lunar base plans -. - LRK - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=lunar+base&btnG=Search+Images Results *1* - *20* of about *65,400* for *lunar base *. (*0.19* seconds) Snip ============================================================== Check out Google's latest ideas http://www.google.com/experimental/ See results on a timeline or map. With the timeline and map views, Google?s technology extracts key dates and locations from select search results so you can view the information in a different dimension. Timeline and map views work best for searches related to people, companies, events and places. My test with - lunar base - interesting. - LRK - http://www.google.com/views?q=lunar%20base+view:timeline Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Fri May 18 23:51:02 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 20:51:02 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Welcome to Moonbase by Ben Bova - illlustrations by Pat Rawlings Message-ID: <464E7426.2000404@gmail.com> Welcome to Moonbase by Ben Bova - illustrations by Pat Rawlings Book arrived in the mail today. I have read the MOONBASE INC, EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT in the Appendices and I am ready to sign up. - LRK - ============================================================== Welcome to Moonbase (Paperback) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345328590/104-4212266-1879162 48 used & new available from $0.14 Cover image. http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/ad/e3/f2cf828fd7a08b1a00120110._AA240_.L.jpg ============================================================== I opened the handbook and started reading. - LRK - ============================================================== YOU ARE ONE OF THE SELECT FEW CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MAGNIFICENT ENTERPRISE. YOU ARE A LUNAR PIONEER. WELCOME TO MOONBASE A NEW WORLD. A NEW WAY OF LIFE. ============================================================== Looks like I have my work cut out for me but if I do good I can ask to extend my one year contract. I hope MOONBASE is as nice as the illustrations. Best dig into the handbook while waiting for my launch date. Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== http://www.asi.org/adb/b/01/exploration-book-list.html THE ARTEMIS PROJECT Lunar Exploration Book List Snip http://www.asi.org/adb/b/01/ *Non-Fiction Books about the Moon* Snip ============================================================== http://nss.org/resources/books/fiction/SF_007_powersat.html NSS - Book Review: Powersat Reviewed by: *Allen G. Taylor * Title: *Powersat* Author: *Ben Bova * Format: Paperback Pages: 400 Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates Date: Mass market paperback, October, 2006 (original: December, 2004) Retail Price: $7.99 ISBN: 0765315661 Ben Bova?s popular Grand Tour series of novels details humanity?s adventures in the near future, exploring and settling the solar system. After writing about Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, and the asteroids, Bova finally got around to writing about Earth. Set in the near future, /Powersat/ follows astronaut-turned-businessman Dan Randolph as he tries to put Earth?s first production solar power satellite (SPS) into operation. Middle-Eastern terrorists, international oil companies, and eco-Luddites all want to see him fail, while NASA and the rest of the Federal bureaucracy are not particularly keen to see a private company do what they could not. Randolph has an ally in Senator Jane Thornton, an old flame, who is now running the presidential campaign of Morgan Scanwell, the governor of Texas. Snip http://www.nss.org/resources/books/ READING SPACE: NSS Reviews and Recommended Reading Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Sun May 20 02:31:15 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 23:31:15 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] GURPS - Fourth Edition & THE MARS ONE CREW MANUAL - arrived - Where To Now? Message-ID: <464FEB33.4050106@gmail.com> GURPS - Fourth Edition & THE MARS ONE CREW MANUAL - arrived - Where To Now? We reported that "WELCOME TO MOONBASE" book had arrived and we could learn about living on the Moon. Today "THE MARS ONE CREW MANUAL" arrived and I can prepare for a mission to Mars. With the arrival of GURPS 4th edition Basic Set, Characters and Campaign books, and the GURPS Ultra-tech book we have the beginning of the set up for a Role Playing Group experience that could take place on the Moon. If you add the book "OUT OF THE CRADLE - EXPLORING THE FRONTIERS BEYOND EARTH", you have visual images to put you into the vision. http://www.amazon.com/Out-Cradle-Exploring-Frontiers-Beyond/dp/0894807706 Okay, I have some research to do. Need to find out where I am going, if not for real, at least in my imagination. Want to come along? Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== Both packages arrived 5/19/07, must thank the Postal Lady for leaving them at my door step. - LRK - -------------------------------------------------------- http://www.amazon.com/Mars-One-Crew-Manual/dp/0345318811/ *Items:* * 1 of: The Mars One Crew Manual by Joels, Kerry Mark Sold by: books_from_california http://www.amazon.com/GURPS-Basic-Set-Characters-Fourth/dp/1556347294/ *Items shipped on May 16, 2007:* Delivery estimate: May 22, 2007 - May 24, 2007 1 package via USPS * 1 of: GURPS Basic Set: Characters, (4th Edition) Sold by: Amazon.com * 1 of: GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns, (4th Edition) Sold by: Amazon.com * 1 of: Gurps Ultra-tech (Gurps) Sold by: Amazon.com Snip ============================================================== http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/ Welcome to the Generic Universal RolePlaying System! With */GURPS/*, you can be anyone you want -- an elf hero fighting for the forces of good, a shadowy femme fatale on a deep-cover mission, a futuristic swashbuckler carving up foes with a force sword in his hand and a beautiful woman by his side . . . or literally /anything/ else! */GURPS/* has been the premiere universal roleplaying game for almost two decades. The new Fourth Edition makes it even better! Snip http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/basic/ Basic Set Written by *Steve Jackson *, *Sean Punch*, and *David Pulver* Edited by *Andrew Hackard* and *Steve Jackson * ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Wed May 23 17:45:09 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 14:45:09 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] =?windows-1252?q?Bussard=92s_fusion_concept_-_a__p?= =?windows-1252?q?resentation_at_the_2007_ISDC_-_coming_up?= Message-ID: <4654B5E5.6060702@gmail.com> Bussard?s fusion concept - a presentation at the 2007 ISDC - coming up. http://isdc2.xisp.net/~kmiller/isdc_archive/isdc.php?link=submissionSelect&submission_id=576 Larry Klaes posted the link for a presentation about Bussard's fusion concept. We have mentioned both the 2007 ISDC (International Space Development Conference ) coming up May 25-28, 2007 and Bussard's fusion concept . You might just be interested in seeing what some of the scheduled tracks are about at the 2007 ISDC. ISDC2007 View Tracks The presentation for Bussard's fusion concept will be in Track 01,The Transport Frontier. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 001 The Transport Frontier - to space - in space - from space Explores the principles and practice of transport in the new frontier. From suborbital to interstellar, this track is about the means of traveling to and from the many destinations in space. Space Transport 101 ? ? Overview ? Orbital Law ? Orbital Mechanics & Navigation Stage 1- ? Suborbital & Earth to Orbit ? Terrestrial Facilities ? Orbital Facilities ? Space Tourism Transport Stage 2 ? ? Trans-LEO ? Cislunar & Lunar surface ? Fuel Depots Stage 3 ? ? Out to Mars & Aldrin Cyclers ? Space Elevators ? Solar Sails ? Nuclear Rockets ? Key to the Solar System ? Interstellar Flight ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tom Ligon will be giving the talk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tom Ligon is a former employee of Robert Bussard's Energy Matter Conversion Corporation, and now works for Athena Controls. Mr. Ligon holds two BS degrees from Virginia Tech, and is a frequent contributor to Analog Science Fiction and Fact. His article "The World's Simplest Fusion Reactor", published in Analog in 1998, won an Analab award. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a copy of the ABSTRACT: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. R. W. Bussard, of the Energy/Matter Conversion Corporation, released a paper entitled ?The Advent of Clean Nuclear Fusion: Superperformance Space Power and Propulsion? at the 57th International Astronautical Congress in Valencia, Spain, October 2-6, 2006. The EMC2 device derives from earlier Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) devices pioneered by P. T. Farnsworth and R. L. Hirsch in the 1960?s, but overcomes the inherent losses in the earlier machines by utilizing a quasi-spherical magnetic method of dynamically confining electrons to produce an electrodynamic potential well. A device called WB-6 successfully demonstrated a high rate of fusion in November 2005, and Dr. Bussard believes the device can be scaled up to a size that will operate at over 100 MW. Furthermore, the technology should be capable of utilizing p-B11 fuel. Tom Ligon, a former employee of EMC2, will discuss the program, its stunning implications for space travel, and what steps we need to take to make it a reality. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is the link to the Power Point file. http://isdc2.xisp.net/~kmiller/isdc_archive/fileDownload.php/?link=fileSelect&file_id=422 Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== A note from Larry Klaes informs us that: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A presentation on Bussard?s fusion concept at the 2007 International Space Development conference is online here: http://isdc2.xisp.net/~kmiller/isdc_archive/isdc.php?link=submissionSelect&submission_id=576 Look for the link button near the bottom under PPT at the bottom right of the Web page. Snip ============================================================== ISDC 2007 *Confirmed Featured Speakers and Guests *http://isdc.nss.org/2007/speakers.html* *Snip ============================================================== http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/index.html *Why Explore Space?* "Today," writes NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, "NASA is moving forward with a new focus for the manned space program: to go out beyond Earth orbit for purposes of human exploration and scientific discovery." Administrator Griffin makes the case for completing the International Space Station, "the most complex construction feat ever undertaken," as a stepping stone to future exploration. "Using the space station and building an outpost on the moon to prepare for the trip to Mars are critical milestones in America's quest to become a truly spacefaring nation," Griffin writes. "I think that we should want that. I want that. I want it for the American people, for my grandchildren, for my great-grandchildren." + Read More Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Thu May 24 21:13:32 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 18:13:32 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] ISDC 2007 - Featured Speaker Schedule Message-ID: <4656383C.3000608@gmail.com> ISDC 2007 - Featured Speaker Schedule http://isdc.nss.org/2007/schedule.html We are two days into ISDC 2007. Have you been following the featured speakers? Ron Wells mentioned that Jack Schmitt will be there, see Sunday schedule. - LRK - ============================================================== Larry: You might want to post a notice to those attending the ISDC meeting in Dallas this weekend, which you mentioned in your last newsletter. Jack Schmitt will be there this Sunday afternoon and evening to receive the first National Space Society Gerard K. O'Neill Memorial Space Settlement award for his book "Return to the Moon", where he will also be participating in a book signing. Members attending may have already been informed, however, some in the Dallas may want to attend for the day (if they can get in on a single-day registration). Ron ============================================================== The On Line Registration is now closed. If you happen to be in the area and would still like to attend parts of the ISDC 2007 conference, here is the registration information. http://isdc.nss.org/2007/register.html Wish I was there but going to FT Drum, NY to see Army daughter before she deploys to IRAQ. Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== http://isdc.nss.org/2007/schedule.html Snip ** Sunday, May 27* * **8:00 am ? 6:00 pm Registration - West Registration Second Floor** **9:00 am - 10:00 am **** * Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society ** * *10:00 am - 11:00 am * Donna Shirley, Former Mars Exploration Program Director, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory * Ben Bova, Author and Editor ** ** ** ** ** **11:00 am - 12:00 pm * Dr. Alain Bensoussan, Former Chairman of the European Space Agency (ESA) Council ** ** ** **12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Featured Luncheon * Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 Astronaut and Chairman, B612 Foundation ** ** ** **2:00 pm - 3:00 pm * Ken Davidian, Program Manager, Centennial Challenges Program, NASA * Brad Edwards, President and Founder, Carbon Designs Inc. * William Pomerantz, Director of Space Projects, X Prize ** * * ** ** ** ** ** 3:00pm - 4:00 pm * Alan Hale, Discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp * Wallace Fowler, Director, Texas Spacegrant Consortium ** * * ** 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm * Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, President, Space Generation Foundation * Elizabeth Bozek, Chairman, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space * Jessy Cowan, Ames Research Center * Andrew Hoppin, Ames Research Center * * * * * * 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm * Dr. Eugene Hargrove, Professor, University of North Texas * Dr. Mark Lupisella, Researcher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center * * * * ** ** ** 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Dinner * Speaker: Senator Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, Apollo 17 Mission Scientist and former U.S. Senator * Presentation of the inaugural O'Neill Award for Space Settlement to Senator Schmitt * Presentation of the NSS Chapter Awards ** * * * * ** ** ** ** Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ============================================================== From larry.kellogg at gmail.com Tue May 29 01:56:14 2007 From: larry.kellogg at gmail.com (Larry Kellogg) Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 22:56:14 -0700 Subject: [lunar-update] Where are we going? - Make it so! Message-ID: <465BC07E.5010100@gmail.com> Where are we going? - Make it so! It has been suggested that maybe I should summarize what these last posts are about . That is, the ones about RPG books and my reading of all these fiction stories that take place on the Moon and Mars. What does this have to do with the Moon, Mars, and Beyond? Why should you care? Probably a good idea since I could use your inputs as well. Where do we want to go? I have ordered a number of books about going to the Moon and Mars that were written back 10, 20 years ago when we thought we would be out there sooner rather than later. Ben Bova has written a number of good books that I never read before . "WELCOME TO MOONBASE" is one of them and reading at the moment, "MOONWAR". I have more of them coming. Since I didn't go to the NSS ISDC2007 conference, I didn't get to meet him in person. Trying to do that now through his books. Here is a clip of Dr. Bova that Theresa Holmes took at the ISDC2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeA_9fLd8YQ Robert A. Heinlein has written many Sci-Fi books and again, I only have a few. Have ordered some of those and they date back to 1957. These stories tell of living in space with all the problems and emotions we as humans seem to bring to a quest. I hope to compare them with where we are today and would like to go in the future. I have also acquired a number of books on how to write better and what to consider when telling a fiction story, since at the moment a lot of going to the Moon and Mars is still fiction. How soon it will become fact remains to be seen. You out there can have a part in making it happen. In the mean time maybe some of these posts will be more what ifs, than what is. I think we need to SEE the vision, to make it happen. Any suggestions as to what you think it will be like would be helpful. The GURPS books are role playing manuals that have the information on how to build characters and design campaigns for conducting an adventure in a given setting. They are very detailed and have a lot of information right down to what you should be wearing and how you would conduct yourself in a given situation. I just received another book powered by GURPS, "TransHuman SPACE". - LRK - http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/transhuman/ Snip In the coming decades, technologies like genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology will transform humanity. A strange new world is unfolding - nightmarish to some, utopian to others. Soon we'll have the power to reshape our children's genes, build machines that think, and upload our minds into computers. And Earth no longer confines us. Space tourism, mining the Moon and asteroids, a settlement on Mars: all are dreams poised to take wing. Snip http://www.amazon.com/Transhuman-Space-David-Pulver/dp/1556344546/ How do you see us conducting ourselves in the near future? How are we going to get to the future? What politics will be involved in making the future? In my case, I hope to see how I might better take us on an adventure to the Moon or Mars. I am reading them with an eye for how you would conduct yourself in building a Lunar Base and what you would be doing to handle the daily challenges. What would make it exciting? The dangers, the conflicts, the politics, they will all be there whether it be fiction or the real thing. How do we get there? To add to the weight of books on the coffee table, I just received "Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century", with W.W. Mendell as the editor. The cover image can be seen at http://www.nss.org/settlement/moon/index.html and a link to reading it online can be found at http://www.nss.org/settlement/moon/library/index.htm or ordered through Amazon.com as I did. [used] How far do you want your minds stretched? Just the facts? Only the facts? Or, some of what the facts might be? Your comments and thoughts are much appreciated. This is your journey as well as mine. Let the force be with you. Or, better yet, "Make it so!". Thanks for looking up with me. Larry Kellogg Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/ BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/ RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ============================================================== I was asked if there would be videos from the ISDC2007 conference. Theresa Holmes says there will be video postings for the ones that she took. See snip from e-mail posted to some of us on a working group to improve the NSS Settlements section of the website. http://www.nss.org/settlement/ - LRK - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Snip Meanwhile, anyone who wants to view (and use) the video interviews, etc. that I shot and uploaded to YouTube over the weekend, the way to find them is to go to Google, pick Video, then do an advanced search on the keywords "NSS space ISDC." You'll find all of the videos I shot, plus one from March announcing the conference. Once I get home, I'll also be gathering all the videos into my SSTO Project and SPS Project groups on YouTube. You'll be able to find them all in one place by doing a search under Groups for either of the groups. As time goes on, I'll be collecting more videos of interest to folks in either group. If you have a blog, you can either post the link provided by YouTube for a given video, or you can embed the code for the YouTube Flash player showing that particular video. It depends on the blog. What I'd like to see is these videos spread all over the Internet. It's called going Viral. It would be a great boost to NSS. Snip Theresa Holmes Sophia Systems Design & Engineering, Inc. http://www.save4yourseat2orbit.com/ http://www.freewebs.com/save4yourplaceinspace/ http://sophiasystems.spaces.live.com/ http://phoenix-rising.townhall.com/ ============================================================== http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22NSS+space+ISDC%22 http://www.youtube.com/group/SSTOProject http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=SSTOProject Snip ============================================================== WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK ============================================================== This is the lunar-update at news.altair.com https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update This list is a moderated list. The moderator is Larry Kellogg (larry.kellogg AT gmail.com) Please send suggestions for postings directly to Larry. ==============================================================