Many folks would like to see us back on the Moon and developing its resources.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

PIONEERING THE SPACE FRONTIER

Ask a group of space enthusiasts what we should do to go to space and make it a new home and they will tell you.  Figure out what it might cost over 35 years and then don't fund it.  But wait, some parts of the dream have been started, just not completed in a timely manner.  Some transport systems built, but not as cost effective as hoped.  When will we see the $200 a lb goal?
- LRK -

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http://history.nasa.gov/painerep/begin.html
PIONEERING THE SPACE FRONTIER

An Exciting
Vision of Our Next Fifty
Years in Space

The Report of the National Commission on Space

snip
LOOKING FIFTY YEARS INTO THE FUTURE

The year is 1935. Pan American Airways is inaugurating trans-Pacific service, with additional flying boats on order to open trans-Atlantic service in 1939. The last Pony Express rider turns over his mail pouch to a young biplane pilot while newsreel cameras grind. Almost nobody expects to fly the Atlantic-that's for daredevils like Lindbergh-but half a million people per year cross in ocean liners. Washington's chief concern is the Federal Deficit: $30 billion in revenues versus $50 billion in outlays (1985 dollars).

The year is 1985. Could we explain to a visitor from 1935 that more than 25 million people now fly the Atlantic every year? That 16 years ago astronauts flew at 24,790 miles per hour to the Moon? That communication satellites are flashing color television signals around the world? That a spacecraft has transmitted pictures and data from Uranus across 1.8 billion miles , and is now flying on to Neptune?  That supercomputers are being used to design next-generation spacecraft that will drastically reduce the cost of space travel?  Washington's grappling with the Federal Budget deficit might sound familiar, but 50 years of cumulative technological advance would be beyond comprehension.

What will 2035 be like? The National Commission on Space has been charged by the Congress and the President to look into the future to propose civilian space goals for 21st-century America. It is as challenging for us today to envision the advanced world of 2035 as it was to foresee today's world back in 1935. Even the most visionary science fiction writer then failed to foresee the scale of the resources that would be needed to initiate the Space Age, and that no one imagined these would become available within 25 years. Looking to the future, we are confident that the next century will see pioneering men and women from many nations working and living throughout the inner Solar System. Space travel will be as safe and inexpensive for our grandchildren as jet travel is for us. Our vision and our recommendations are outlined in this report.

Through vigorous leadership on the space frontier, America can make this happen.

snip

http://history.nasa.gov/painerep/parta.html
DECLARATION FOR SPACE

Having been appointed by the President of the United States and charged by the Congress to formulate a bold agenda to carry America's civilian space enterprise into the 2 1st century; and

Having met together throughout the better part of a year to obtain testimony from experts, and from a cross-section of citizens across the country; and

Having projected the next 50 years of the Space Age, and deliberated on America's goals for the next 20 years; and 

Having prepared thereby to place before the Nation a rationale and a program to assure continuing American leadership in space;

We, the members of the National Commission on Space, now propose these space goals for 21st.-century America....

A PIONEERING MISSION FOR 2lst-CENTURY AMERICA.

To lead the exploration and development of the space frontier, advancing science, technology, and enterprise, and building institutions and systems that make accessible vast new resources and support human settlements beyond Earth orbit, from the highlands of the Moon to the plains of Mars.

snip


LUIS W. ALVAREZ
NEIL A. ARMSTRONG
PAUL J. COLEMAN
GEORGE B. FIELD
WILLIAM H. FITCH
CHARLES M. HERZFELD
JACK L. KERREBROCK
JEANIE J. KIRKPATRICK
GERARD K. O'NEILL
THOMAS O. PAINE
BERNARD A. SCHRIEVER
KATHRYN D. SULLIVAN
DAVID C. WEBB
LAUREL. L. WILKENING
CHARLES E. YEAGER

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PDF version (with some of the images) and 225 pages, 2.8 MB. I think easier to read than the html pages if you can look at PDF files. - LRK
-
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/383341main_60%20-%2020090814.5.The%20Report%20of%20the%20National%20Commission%20on%20Space.pdf
Tiny URL for the above - http://tinyurl.com/2c2us6g

Worth a read if for no other reason to make you mad that we have not followed the suggestions or taken to heart the concept that we can be a children of space, adventuring into the unknown.
- LRK -

On page 209.
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109
The Commission believes that cheaper, more reliable means for transporting both people and cargo to and from orbit must be achieved in the next 20 years. While all space programs would benefit from lower cost orbital transportation, it is especially important that the cost be dramatically reduced for free enterprise to flourish with commercialization of space operations. The Commission is confident that the cost of transportation can and should be reduced below $200 per pound (in 1986 dollars) by the year 2000. If the volume of cargo increases in the early 21st century as it is projected to do, further cost reductions should be achieved.

Should the United States choose not to undertake achievement of these economies in launch and recovery capability, then the Nation must face the probability that other nations will rapidly overtake our position as the world’s leading spacefaring nation. The competition to get into space and to operate effectively there is real.

Above all, it is imperative that the United States maintain a continuous capability to put both humans and cargo into orbit; never again should the country experience the hiatus we endured from 1975 to 1981, when we were unable to launch astronauts into space.

The Commission sees several elements that are critical to achieving more economical and reliable orbital transport. In the next-generation systems we must separate the functions of one-way cargo transport from the round-trip transport of humans and high value cargo to and from orbit. The extra costs associated with round-trip transport of people should not be imposed on vehicles optimized for cargo transport alone.  Thus, for the next generation the Commission envisions two operational needs: cargo transport and passenger transport, which may or may not be met with the same family of vehicles.

snip
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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Comments accepted here - http://lunar-update.blogspot.com/
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==============================================================
http://www.nss.org/resources/library/pioneering/index.html
Pioneering the Space Frontier
The Report of the National Commission on Space
1986
Contents
Appointed by President Reagan and chaired by former NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, the National Commission on Space was charged with recommending a civilian space program that would advance the broader goals of American society over the next century.

Note: The text of the report is a product of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright. However, the illustrations in the published edition are copyrighted and are not included here. The book is out of print but can still be obtained from used book sources. [Buy from Amazon].

DECLARATION FOR SPACE

   * Looking Fifty Years into the Future
   * A Pioneering Mission for 21st-Century America
   * Rationale for Exploring and Settling the Solar System
   * A New Long-Range Civilian Space Program
   * Benefits

I. CIVILIAN SPACE GOALS FOR 21st-CENTURY AMERICA

   * Advancing Science
   * Exploring, Prospecting, and Settling the Solar System
   * Space Enterprise

II. LOW-COST ACCESS TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM

   * Building the Technology Base
   * Highway to Space
   * Bridge Between Worlds

III. OPENING THE SPACE FRONTIER: THE NEXT 20 YEARS

   * An Economical, Phased Approach
   * Conducting an Effective Science Program
   * Government Policy and The Private Sector
   * International Cooperation and Competition
   * The American People and the Space Program

IV. AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ON THE SPACE FRONTIER: THE NEXT 50 YEARS

   * 21st-Century America
   * What Our Recommended Program Will Do

APPENDIX

   * Commissioners
   * Non-Voting Members of the National Commission on Space
   * Staff of the National Commission on Space
   * Glossary
   * Bibliography

SIDEBARS

   * The Evolution of the Universe
   * Some Potential Space Science Headlines
   * Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Space
   * Was Einstein Right?
   * Solar and Space Physics
   * Returning Samples from Solar System Bodies
   * Exploration of the Outer Planets
   * Future Great Space Observatories
   * Life: Earth and the Universe
   * Earth's Gravity Well
   * Biospherics
   * Remote Sensing and the Private Sector
   * Self-Replicating Factories in Space

   * Electromagnetic Accelerators
   * Aerospace Plane Technology
   * Advanced Rocket Vehicle Technology
   * Protecting the Space Environment from Debris
   * Space Station
   * Tethers in Space
   * Gravitation and Biology

   * Outer Space Agreements
   * International Space Year

snip
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Saturday, May 01, 2010

Slow-Motion Apollo 11 Launch Video Reveals Ice Shards, Flames

John sent me this note about the first 30 seconds of the Apollo launch shot with a high speed 16 mm film.  It takes 8 minutes to play and is explained by Mark Gray of Spacecraft Films.http://www.spacecraftfilms.com/
- LRK -

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I found a cool slow-motion video [with narration] of the first 30 seconds of Apollo 11, a view of the 1st stage main engines firing off...as much fun as it's been to watch the shuttles go off, nothing has matched the sheer visceral power of the Saturn 5...the site also offers narrated "enhanced" videos of EVAs from Tranquility Base...enjoy!

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/04/26/now-witness-the-firepower-of-this-fully-operational-and-slow-motion-saturn-v/

John
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The Universtoday link was sourced from Huffington Post.  (First Posted: 04-26-10 09:14 AM   |   Updated: 04-26-10 10:22 PM)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/26/apollo-11-video-watch-slo_n_551623.html


I have some of the SpaceCraft films on tape or later on DVD but not this one.  The comments are interesting and one points to Phil Platt's copy where the comments are also interesting.  Phil has a musical background and doesn't have Mark Gray's commentary.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/15/a-different-saturn/
- LRK -

Even if you can't view the video, the comments are interesting and show that folks still appreciate the power of the Saturn V.  May we have something similar again while I can still enjoy watching a launch.
- LRK -

Fred sent me this link to an old Space FAQ.  A good list of topics even if some of the web references have changed or are stale.  Let me know if you see something of interest and would like to learn more.
- LRK -

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I was researching Crawford-Peters Aeronautica (the bookstore) and found this 15-year old Space FAQ.  It is an interesting list and it would be interesting to find out what is new with each thing in the list as times have changed.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/space/references/

Fred
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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Comments accepted here - http://lunar-update.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.spacecraftfilms.com/
Welcome To Spacecraft Films - Now in our 9th Year!

Spacecraft Films has been providing unique insights into the proud legacy of U.S. space history as never before. With comprehensive collections of material not found anywhere else, Spacecraft Films brings to the viewer an unprecedented look at rare material, presented without the filter of the media.

snip
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Looking up continues to be interesting - just reflecting

We just read about LRO finding the precise location of Lunokhod 1 and 2 on the Moon. The below link talks about how the reflectors left on the Moon have degraded and that the one placed by Lunokhod 1 no longer worked. Now that the location of them has been verified part of this report won't be correct or at least is dated, since now that we know exactly where Lunokhod 1 is, it has been determined we can see reflected laser pulses and very well indeed.

Dust may indeed be a problem and hopefully we will send more robots to the Moon to look into the Lunar environment. I say robots, since at the moment we may have to wait awhile to send humans.
- LRk -

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http://news.discovery.com/space/moon-mirror-apollo.html
Lunar Mirror Mystery Solved
Reflectors placed on the moon during Apollo missions practically stop working during a full moon. Now we may know why.

Sun Mar 14, 2010 06:43 AM ET
Content provided by Stuart Gary, ABC Science Online

THE GIST:

* Reflectors were placed on the moon during Apollo missions.
* During a full moon, their reflectivity drops by a factor of 10.
* New research proposes that dust on the reflectors heats up during a full moon, distorting their shape.

snip
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Another article on the results of LRO finding the Lunokhod rovers. Nice picture on the web site.
- LRK -

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http://news.discovery.com/space/lost-and-found-soviet-lunar-rover.html
Lost and Found: Soviet Lunar Rover

Analysis by Irene Klotz
Tue Apr 27, 2010 03:09 PM ET

In November 1970, a Soviet probe landed on the surface of the moon and released two ramps. A rover, named Lunokhod 1, descended to the surface to take pictures and conduct experiments. It carried with it a French-made light reflector, which could be used by scientists on Earth to compute distances and better understand lunar geology.

Ten months later, Lunokhod 1 fell silent, its location on the moon unknown. Over the years, scientists occasionally beamed a laser around its last known coordinates, hoping for a return beam from the reflector. They got no response and figured the rover had fallen into a crater or parked itself beneath a cliff, blocking its reflector from Earth.

snip
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Posted this link before. If you didn't check it out here is a paragraph that shows what can be done with new information by dedicated personnel. What other information will we see from the Moon?
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-20100426.html
NASA's LRO Team Helps Track Laser Signals to Russian Rover Mirror

snip
“Getting more than a few photons back from an unknown location at the distance of the moon is quite an achievement. The rediscovery of the Lunokhod-1 retroreflector was made possible by the LRO camera team and by the diligence of Tom Murphy,” said Gregory Neumann, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter team member from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “That we have located it so quickly and ranged to the Lunokhod rover, last heard from Sept. 4, 1971, is a tribute to Tom's team and to the amazing LRO observatory and instrument teams.”

snip
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The former Soviet Union had a lot of Lunar firsts. Other nations may well add some to their credit as well. For now we in the USA will have to be satisfied with the results from orbiters. It would be nice to be able to do more with the information from LRO.
- LRK -

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http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/lost-soviet-reflector-found-on-moon-100427.html
Lost Soviet Reflecting Device Rediscovered on the Moon
By SPACE.com Staff

posted: 27 April 2010
09:57 am ET

A long lost light reflector that was left on the surface of the moon by the former Soviet Union has been rediscovered by a team of American physicists after nearly 40 years using lasers beamed from Earth.

snip
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Well another reason to look up. :-)

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/359938main_LRO_factsheet.pdf
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - Fact Sheet

Return to the Moon: The First Step The United States has begun a program to extend human presence in the solar system, beginning with a return to the Moon.

[Beginning with a return to the Moon - has a nice sound to it - Make It So! - LRK -]
snip
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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