Ad Astra 2006 Winter (Volume 18 Number 4)
Cover art by Peter Max
Featured Articles:
- 14
BELGIAN STUDENT WINS 2006 NASA-NSS SPACE SETTLEMENT CONTEST
“I know that humans will colonize the solar system and one day go beyond.” — Mike Griffin, NASA Administrator.
By Al Globus - 16
WHY PLANETS WILL NEVER BE DEFINED
The Great Pluto War in Prague failed to forge an accepted definition, but it succeeded in alienating astronomers and deepening rifts along theoretical and national lines.
By Robert Roy Britt - 19
GREETINGS FROM LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO
The Wirefly X Prize Cup captured the imaginations of old and young this year, taking the idea of a county fair to new heights.
By Bart Leahy - 25
DESTINATION MARS:
PAVING THE ROAD TO THE RED PLANET
Introduction by Leonard David - 26
STEPPING-STONES TO MARS:
AN ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY
While NASA moves ahead with its Mars plans, a private investigation into an alternate route calls into question the wisdom of the Vision.
By James Oberg - 30
NASA’S VISION: AN OUTDATED BUSINESS MODEL?
The U.S. space agency is headed back to the Moon and on to Mars, but will mimicking how they built the Apollo program work in today’s political and economic climate?
By Joan C. Horvath - 33
MARS DIRECT: WOULD IT WORK?
Whether you consider Robert Zubrin a maverick gadfly or an oracle, his ambitious plans for colonizing the Red Planet have engaged the public and private space sector for years. But a lot has changed since the plan’s inception.
By Robert Coppinger - 36
BONESTELL AND BEYOND
A half century ago, space visionaries used amazing images of distant moons, planets and spaceships to inspire a generation to take great risks. Does today’s society need similar inspiration?
By Gregory Benford - 42
A COSMIC CONVERSATION WITH PETER MAX
By Bart Leahy
- 5
LETTER FROM
HEADQUARTERS
The Power of Personal Spaceflight
By George Whitesides, NSS Executive Director - 24
OPINION
Science Versus Exploration: A False Choice
By Michael Griffin - 42
REVIEW
50 Years in Space
Reviewed by John F. Kross - 43
COMMUNITY
Mars Needs Women…so does the rest of the Space Movement.
By Gary Barnhard, Chairman of the Executive Committee - 43
SPOTLIGHT
2006 NSS Membership Survey - 45
CHAPTER LISTINGS - 48
SIGNING OFF
Learning to Rove
A tiny pioneer paved the way for greater exploration of the Red Planet.
By Tariq Malik
- 38
BOOK REVIEW
Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War
Reviewed by John F. Kross - 39
COMMUNITY
Getting It Right! Cooperation on all levels makes a difference.
By Gary Barnhard, Chairman of the Executive Committee - 40
SPOTLIGHT
National Space Society Chapters Activities Update - 45
CHAPTER LISTINGS - 48
SIGNING OFF
Columbia: Five Years On
The space shuttle disaster changed the way NASA used to do business.
By James Oberg
Ad Astra 2006 Winter (Volume 18 Number 4)
Cover art by Peter Max
Featured Articles:
- 14
BELGIAN STUDENT WINS 2006 NASA-NSS SPACE SETTLEMENT CONTEST
“I know that humans will colonize the solar system and one day go beyond.” — Mike Griffin, NASA Administrator.
By Al Globus - 16
WHY PLANETS WILL NEVER BE DEFINED
The Great Pluto War in Prague failed to forge an accepted definition, but it succeeded in alienating astronomers and deepening rifts along theoretical and national lines.
By Robert Roy Britt - 19
GREETINGS FROM LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO
The Wirefly X Prize Cup captured the imaginations of old and young this year, taking the idea of a county fair to new heights.
By Bart Leahy - 25
DESTINATION MARS:
PAVING THE ROAD TO THE RED PLANET
Introduction by Leonard David - 26
STEPPING-STONES TO MARS:
AN ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY
While NASA moves ahead with its Mars plans, a private investigation into an alternate route calls into question the wisdom of the Vision.
By James Oberg - 30
NASA’S VISION: AN OUTDATED BUSINESS MODEL?
The U.S. space agency is headed back to the Moon and on to Mars, but will mimicking how they built the Apollo program work in today’s political and economic climate?
By Joan C. Horvath - 33
MARS DIRECT: WOULD IT WORK?
Whether you consider Robert Zubrin a maverick gadfly or an oracle, his ambitious plans for colonizing the Red Planet have engaged the public and private space sector for years. But a lot has changed since the plan’s inception.
By Robert Coppinger - 36
BONESTELL AND BEYOND
A half century ago, space visionaries used amazing images of distant moons, planets and spaceships to inspire a generation to take great risks. Does today’s society need similar inspiration?
By Gregory Benford - 42
A COSMIC CONVERSATION WITH PETER MAX
By Bart Leahy
- 5
LETTER FROM
HEADQUARTERS
The Power of Personal Spaceflight
By George Whitesides, NSS Executive Director - 24
OPINION
Science Versus Exploration: A False Choice
By Michael Griffin - 42
REVIEW
50 Years in Space
Reviewed by John F. Kross - 43
COMMUNITY
Mars Needs Women…so does the rest of the Space Movement.
By Gary Barnhard, Chairman of the Executive Committee - 43
SPOTLIGHT
2006 NSS Membership Survey - 45
CHAPTER LISTINGS - 48
SIGNING OFF
Learning to Rove
A tiny pioneer paved the way for greater exploration of the Red Planet.
By Tariq Malik
- 38
BOOK REVIEW
Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War
Reviewed by John F. Kross - 39
COMMUNITY
Getting It Right! Cooperation on all levels makes a difference.
By Gary Barnhard, Chairman of the Executive Committee - 40
SPOTLIGHT
National Space Society Chapters Activities Update - 45
CHAPTER LISTINGS - 48
SIGNING OFF
Columbia: Five Years On
The space shuttle disaster changed the way NASA used to do business.
By James Oberg
