Ad Astra Volume 15 Number 3 2003

ON THE COVER: The International Space Station, America’s home in orbit. Photo courtesy NASA.

Featured Articles:

• 10
  The 2002 Chapter Awards
  Jim Plaxco reports from ISDC 2003 on the remarkable achievments of our NSS Chapters.
  By Jim Plaxco
• 18
  To Walk Outside Columbia: An Astronauts Tale
  Reflections on EVA and the Columbia tradgedy from a man who’s been there and done that.
  By Winston Scott
• 20
  Lunar Tourism
  A potential $600 billion dollar business—David Dietzler maps out how we can get there.
  By David Dietzler
• 24
  Space: Final Frontier or the Next Battlezone?
  The debate continues: should space only be used for scientific endeavors or does it offers unique opportunity to defend against terror?
  By Travis K. Kircher
• 28
  An Ad Astra Special Report:
  Health and Safety in the U.S. Space Program
  An indepth look at the history, problems, and progress of astronaut healthcare in space.
  By Eleanor A. O’Rangers, Pharm.D. and Linda M. Plush, MSN, CNS/FNP, FRSH
• 38
  Reasons to Believe
  A collection of post-Columbia voices tell us their questions and hopes for our space program.
  By Tammy Ruggles
• 41
  The Universal Reusable First Stage (RSF)
  The next “stage” in space transportation.
  By Kenneth Schweitzer